Tag: COVID

The End of the Covid Emergency Could Mean a Huge Loss of Health Insurance

April 7, 2022 Sharika Soukup

If there has been a silver lining to this terrible covid-19 pandemic, it is that the rate of Americans without health insurance dropped to a near-historic low, in response to various federal initiatives connected to the government-declared public health emergency. Now, as the pandemic’s acute phase seemingly draws to an end, millions of low-income and…

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Free at-home COVID test kits: How many will your insurance cover?

February 23, 2022 Sharika Soukup

Health insurance carriers are now covering a certain number of over-the-counter COVID tests per month. Sarah Tew/CNET For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites. COVID-19 test kits are now being covered by health insurance companies, thanks to a directive from President Joe Biden last month….

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New COVID surge batters Afghanistan’s crumbling health care

February 10, 2022 Sharika Soukup

By KATHY GANNON February 9, 2022 GMT https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-kabul-9e983468daac7ef86367b6b9f76a704f KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Only five hospitals in Afghanistan still offer COVID-19 treatment, with 33 others having been forced to close in recent months for lack of doctors, medicines and even heat. This comes as the economically devastated nation is hit by a steep rise in the…

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Could CBD help in the fight against Covid?

February 3, 2022 Sharika Soukup

CBD — the trendy cannabis-derived supplement — may help fight off a Covid infection, a lab study suggests. A team of researchers from the University of Chicago found it was able to neutralise the virus and prevent it from multiplying. The study was done in mice and in human lung cells — so the scientists say…

Healthy Lifestyle

Cannabis compound CBD stops coronavirus in test tube, but can it treat COVID?

February 2, 2022 Sharika Soukup

Jan 25 (Reuters) – Early research suggesting that a popular non-psychoactive compound derived from marijuana might help prevent or treat COVID-19 warrants further investigation in rigorous clinical trials, researchers say. Several recent laboratory studies of cannabidiol, or CBD, have shown promising results, attracting media attention. However, many other potential COVID treatments that showed promise in…

Healthy Lifestyle

During COVID, people take their anger out on health care workers

January 29, 2022 Sharika Soukup

As a pulmonary and critical care physician in Southern California treating hospitalized patients with COVID-19, I am noticing a rising tension. Beyond just being overwhelmed, we are now part of the collateral damage. I recently asked a security guard to accompany me and an ICU nurse to meet the family of an unvaccinated 42-year-old firefighter…

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CBD might help prime cells against COVID | Waterloo News

January 18, 2022 Sharika Soukup

Synthetic cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound also found in the cannabis plant, appears to prime the innate immune system of cells, potentially offering protection against pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2. Researchers found that synthetic cannabidiol (CBD) augments the anti-viral response of cells to three key proteins produced by the SARS-CoV-2 genome – which was, until now, an…

Healthy Lifestyle

Health insurers must cover your at-home Covid test costs as of Jan. 15

January 14, 2022 Sharika Soukup

Starting Saturday, private insurers must cover the cost of up to eight at-home Covid-19 tests per month, the Biden administration announced on Tuesday. “We are requiring insurers and group health plans to make tests free for millions of Americans. This is all part of our overall strategy to ramp-up access to easy-to-use, at-home tests at…

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