Stories
Many Hospitals Now Sanitize And Reuse Masks. Workers And Researchers Have Safety Questions
They’ve been stolen, confiscated by federal agents, and flown in secretly from China. N95 masks are in such short supply amid the coronavirus outbreak that hospitals are now sanitizing and reusing face coverings they once tossed in the trash after a single use. But how many times can a mask be cleaned and reused —…
Read MoreA massive data-gathering operation at border crossings across Vermont hasn’t shown a major influx in the number of visitors from states with COVID-19 “hotspots,” according to the Scott administration. Scores of employees at the Agency of Transportation have been manually logging license-plate data at as many as 43 border checkpoints since April 1. Rebecca Kelley,…
Read MoreThe Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association officially shut down any hope of high school sports happening in the state this spring when its board of directors made the announcement a week ago that there would be no spring sports or tournaments. That decision didn’t come as a shock for many. What really stung was Gov. Charlie…
Read MoreVermont Is Trying To Shrink Its Prison Population, But 350 Inmates Are Locked Up Past Their Minimums
Prisons are like cruise ships or nursing homes: they are among the riskiest places to be during this pandemic. Today, about 350 Vermont inmates are past their minimum sentences and could be released. And while Vermont prison officials frequently mention that the department has reduced its population by nearly 300 people in response to the…
Read MoreSenior Living Facilities Are Coronavirus Hotspots. Now, Families Wonder If They Should Bring Loved Ones Home
In March, not long after Bill Passman’s parents moved into an assisted living residence in Maryland, his 94-year-old father developed a cough. At first the family didn’t think much of it, even though fears about the coronavirus had recently sent the facility into lockdown. Bill was more concerned about helping his parents figure out how…
Read MoreSaliva Test Could Help Many Return to Work
Governors in the Northeast say they need more COVID-19 diagnostic tests before people can return to work safely. Researchers at Yale are the latest to study a saliva test they say is easier to administer and more reliable than standard nasal swabs. Health care workers wear head-to-toe protection to test someone for COVID-19. They have…
Read More‘6 Feet Apart Or 6 Feet Under’: Singing The ‘C-19 Blues’
When the coronavirus crisis started heating up weeks ago, Bob L’Heureux was texting with his bandmates in The All Mighty Cowboys about whether to meet for practice. Sure, someone said, so long as we stay six feet apart. That gave Bob an idea for a song. “I just started writing the song,” L’Heureux said. “It…
Read MoreMaine’s College Seniors Face Uncertainty After Graduation
The COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of stress on college students. In just a few weeks, many have had to pack their bags and leave campus, then transition to new, online classes. And for those set to graduate this spring, the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic has many on edge and some rethinking…
Read MoreBefore school closure, Dr. Susan Pike’s classrooms were loud, and she prided herself on it. Students in her high school science classes at the private school St. Thomas Aquinas High School, in Dover, would do calculations together on the white board, bounce between group experiments, and crowd over microscopes to inspect pond scum. “One of…
Read MoreCoronavirus Forced A Chaotic Transition To Telemedicine; New Hampshire Doctors Hope It Sticks
For some healthcare providers in New Hampshire, the COVID-19 pandemic has jump-started a move to something they’ve wanted for years: more telemedicine. But the state’s insurance system has been slow to catch up – and it’s still unclear if it can last. Cristin Zaimes runs Oceanside Physical Therapy, a clinic in Stratham focused on pelvic…
Read More