The latest coronavirus surge continues to wind down in Iowa as new cases drop. With the transition to a new reporting system, Iowa is no longer releasing the number of hospitalizations and of long-term care facilities with outbreaks.
Should someone’s COVID-19 vaccine status determine what care they receive, if any at all? An Iowa expert in medical ethics weighs in on the question many have posed as COVID-19 cases threatened to overwhelm hospitals.
Even with federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates going into effect in Iowa by March, the vaccination status of much of the home health workforce is unclear. Some immunocompromised patients who can’t guarantee a vaccinated aide are deciding to go without help.
The Visiting Nurse Association will be administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for free at the Coralville Public Library on Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. Those who are interested can sign up online for a spot.
Although the bill doesn’t mention COVID-19, the bill, in general, would ban mask requirements as well as prohibit businesses and government entities from offering incentives to be vaccinated, and include penalties for policies resulting in “forced medical treatment.”
Long-term care facility outbreaks continue to increase as new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the decline across Iowa. This latest phase of the pandemic comes as Gov. Kim Reynolds plans to end the coronavirus disaster proclamation that has been in place since March 2020.
The number of long-term care facilities reporting an outbreak of COVID-19 among staff and residents continued its surge this week, reaching 109 total as of Wednesday. At the same time, new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and positivity rates continue to decline.
As of Wednesday, 86 long-term care facilities in Iowa were reporting a COVID-19 outbreak -- five times the number reporting outbreaks six weeks ago. At the same time, hospitalizations and new cases are declining statewide.
Cedar Rapids resident Cathy Folkers was hospitalized for 89 days with COVID-19, moving in and out of the intensive care unit. The cost of her stay? More than $1 million. Fortunately for her the cost was covered entirely by Medicaid
Iowa reported 38,574 new COVID-19 cases in the past seven days, the highest weekly total ever seen in the pandemic. Public health officials also reported more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients this week as the omicron variant continues its rapid spread throughout the state.
With COVID cases surging in Iowa as students return to its public universities for the spring semester, the University of Iowa graduate student union is urging members to move all courses they’re teaching online for the first two weeks – despite UI policy barring such action without permission.
For the second week in a row, Johnson County reported a record in new COVID-19 infections with 2,308 cases this past week. State public health data released Wednesday shows case counts statewide continue to surge as hospitalizations reach totals not seen since December 2020.
Cedar Rapids City Council member Ashley Vanorny was among speakers Monday at a “People’s Condition of the State” event hosted Progress Iowa and featuring representative from a number of Democratic-leaning organizations.
The FDA also said everyone 12 and older who's eligible for a Pfizer booster can get one as early as five months after their last dose rather than six months.
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