Large numbers in the U.S., especially African Americans with an eye on history, say they’re wary of a COVID-19 vaccine. Public health leaders say much work is needed to develop public confidence in the safety of a vaccine.
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.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Opioid abuse surges in Michigan amid misery from the coronavirus
New state data and reports from county medical examiners show a rise in opioid-related overdoses and deaths in parts of Michigan, which was likely fueled by the isolation and anxiety of the pandemic.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan COVID-19 labs are again seeing delays as more people are tested
COVID-19 tests were once reserved for very sick or at-risk groups. Now people across the state are now getting tested. But the volume is slowing results and straining test supplies, making it harder to track the virus’ spread.
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What COVID-19 test is best? Who pays in Michigan? What you need to know.
Testing criteria has changed. So have the options. But which test is most reliable? Bridge has sorted out answers to some frequently asked questions.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Here’s what Michigan nursing homes that escaped coronavirus did right
Nursing facilities across much of Michigan were devastated by COVID-19, but roughly 200 homes have dodged the virus. Their strategies can help public health experts develop best practices for the next outbreak.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan coronavirus cases rise. Here’s why we are not Texas or Florida.
Case increases in Michigan bear watching but the state is not yet experiencing the explosion seen in the South and West. Here are the metrics public health experts follow to mark the virus’ arc in Michigan.
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A Michigan guide to wearing masks, or not, during coronavirus
Do masks work? Do disability or medical privacy laws allow me to enter a store without one? Michigan researchers, doctors and a lawyer weigh in on the much-debated mask mandate.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
As Michigan COVID cases soar, infected residents won’t cooperate with tracers
State officials say a third of people contacted by tracers are refusing to say who they’ve potentially exposed, helping fuel a recent jump in coronavirus cases that has Michigan health officials worried.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Violence erupts in Michigan over state mask mandate ‘powder keg’
Tensions are boiling over as confrontations increase over Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s mask rule designed to contain COVID-19 becomes “the number one anxiety-producing pain point for retailers right now.”
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Across Michigan, coronavirus contact tracers face lies, anger and silence
Disheartened by images of raucous crowds ignoring safety measures, some health officials wonder if contact tracing — long a trusted tactic in controlling infectious diseases — may be losing its usefulness.