After months of relatively few cases, the Upper Peninsula has seen coronavirus case counts soar, with most in the western part of the region along the border with Wisconsin.
Michigan Health Watch
In-depth reporting on the intersection between public policy and important health topics ‒ such as insurance coverage, hospital admissions, opioid abuse, access to care, medical research and the business of health care ‒ that impact nearly every Michigan resident.
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Surviving COVID, but with life changed, and the future less certain
After being hospitalized with the coronavirus, many “long-hauler” patients return home with a host of serious symptoms, from brain fog to tremors and unrelenting fatigue. Longer-term complications such as dementia or organ problems are still being studied.
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Michigan health officials seek to increase flu vaccines by 1M amid pandemic
Health officials worry about a ‘twindemic’ of the flu and COVID-19, and some are getting creative about distributing vaccines as many workplaces remain closed.
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Michigan infant, whose death was tied to COVID, had serious health troubles
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive, had said the boy died “because of COVID-19.” But a medical examiner’s report lists a birth defect as the cause of death, with respiratory problems caused by COVID as a complicating factor.
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Grand Valley State students ordered to stay home to tamp down COVID-19 upswing
COVID is spreading at Grand Valley through off-campus gatherings and students who become infected aren’t saying who they’ve been hanging out with, health officials said.
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In tense hearing, Whitmer official defends MI COVID nursing home strategy
Republican legislators accused Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration of failing to adequately prepare for the pandemic. “20/20 hindsight is a wonderful thing,” countered state health director Robert Gordon.
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Outdoor visits now ‘expected’ at Michigan nursing homes, state says
Michigan health officials announced that nursing homes may find ways to allow loved ones to meet with residents under certain conditions. The state also may soon approve a provision that allows family members to volunteer in homes.
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Xavier DeGroat will not be stopped. Michigan autism activist goes to D.C.
DeGroat’s bulldog persistence has yielded bipartisan legislation in Lansing and a network of powerful backers.
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Michigan coronavirus caseloads haven’t budged in months. Why that’s not bad.
For two months, Michigan coronavirus cases have plateaued at about 650 per day after declining for weeks. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer cited the caseloads in extending her state of emergency Thursday, but epidemiologists say they should induce calm, not panic, since they reflect higher testing and more asymptomatic patients.
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COVID-19 vaccine race heats up with clinical trials at 3 Michigan sites
Michigan Medicine, Henry Ford and a medical research center based in Farmington Hills are involved in Phase 3 clinical trials to find a safe and effective vaccine for a virus that has killed over 183,000 people in the United States.