Coronavirus

Programs that put money and additional food benefits in people’s pockets, and made an unprecedented dent in American poverty, are either ending or could end soon.

In Iowa, according to figures released Wednesday by state public health officials, 16 children were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state — all unvaccinated.

Effective Friday, the Linn County Public Health department will no longer conduct COVID-19 contact tracing efforts for county residents. The county agency is following its cue from the state, which ended statewide virus surveillance this past August.

Company sought to move Waterloo cases to federal court

Johnson and Linn counties are seeing their highest weekly totals for COVID-19 cases in 13 months as positivity rates continue to trend up, according to data released Wednesday by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

The fast-spreading mutant version of the virus has cast a pall over Christmas and New Year's, forcing communities to scale back or call off their festivities just weeks after it seemed as if Americans were about to enjoy an almost normal holiday season.

Duane Jasper, chief executive officer of the Cedar Rapids-based Travel Leaders/Destinations Unlimited said the number of air and ground packages purchased for the Citrus Bowl in Orlando is on par with past Florida bowl games.

Similar ideas have been floated in Wyoming, Wisconsin and Missouri for fighting Biden’s administration mandates.

Family of man who died from an infection unrelated to COVID believes he would have had a better chance of surviving had his transfer to a larger hospital not been delayed because of the pandemic.

Experts say the pandemic will become endemic, meaning hospitals likely will face COVID-19 for the foreseeable future. As they prepare for long-term response, area hospital leaders say they face a number of challenges around recruiting and retaining an adequate health care workforce.

During the pandemic, students discovered what learning environments worked best for them at home. Now, schools are trying to replicate the experience of that physical environment.

According to the Iowa’s public health’s weekly coronavirus report, those not fully vaccinated — like Samantha Morris, 24 — account for 88 percent of patients in COVID-19 intensive care. Morris was put on a ventilator and ECMO machine during her 51-day stay at St. Luke’s.

The state agreed early this month to pay a Kansas company $220 per hour for the nurses it supplies, with the expectation that the nurses will work 20 hours of overtime each week at the rate of $330 per hour.

Since work-from-home began, people nationwide have been experiencing more pain and musculoskeletal issues as a result of poor posture. Mike Powell, a Cedar Rapids chiropractor, shares strategies for improving ergonomics.

As many college and professional sports teams experience a rise in COVID-19 cases, Iowa football remains “vigilant” ahead of the Citrus Bowl.