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As vaccine demand slows, political differences go on display in California Counties

Demand for Covid vaccines is slowing across most of California, but as traffic at vaccination sites eases, the vaccination rates across the state are showing wide disparities.

3 May 2021

A ‘dose of hope’? Fact-checking President Joe Biden’s first speech to Congress

In his first speech before Congress, President Joe Biden argued it was time to turn the coronavirus pandemic into a historic opportunity to expand government for the benefit of a wider range of Americans, urging investments in jobs, climate change, child care, infrastructure and more.

29 Apr 2021

Covid forces cohousing communities to examine shared values and relationships

Tensions were running high at PDX Commons, a cohousing community for adults 55 and older in Portland, Oregon. Several people wanted to keep visitors off-site until all 35 residents were vaccinated. Others wanted to open to family and friends for the first time in a year.

29 Apr 2021

Scientists receive prestigious grant to explore the effects of prior knowledge on learning and memory

The Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) has awarded a team of scientists at Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute (RRI) a prestigious grant to determine why having prior knowledge on a topic affects how we learn new, related information as we age.

27 Apr 2021

Humana health plan overcharged Medicare by nearly $200 million, federal audit finds

A Humana Inc. health plan for seniors in Florida improperly collected nearly $200 million in 2015 by overstating how sick some patients were, according to a new federal audit, which seeks to claw back the money.

20 Apr 2021

U.S. vaccinates 131 million Americans against SARS-CoV-2

The country has jabbed over 131 million Americans (39.5% of the Total Population), including over 84 million who have been fully vaccinated (25.4%% of the Total Population).

19 Apr 2021

Engaging in household chores may be beneficial for brain health in older adults

Engaging in household chores may be beneficial for brain health in older adults. In a recent Baycrest study, older adults who spent more time on household chores showed greater brain size, which is a strong predictor of cognitive health.

16 Apr 2021

A new approach to estimate the risks of exposure to COVID-19 under different indoor settings

Two MIT professors have proposed a new approach to estimating the risks of exposure to Covid-19 under different indoor settings.

16 Apr 2021

Biden seeks $400 billion to buttress long-term care. A look at what’s at stake.

There's widespread agreement that it's important to help older adults and people with disabilities remain independent as long as possible. But are we prepared to do what's necessary, as a nation, to make this possible?

12 Apr 2021

Analysis highlights the need for a more nuanced approach to COVID-19 vaccine prioritization

It's time for a more nuanced approach to vaccine prioritization, as more contagious COVID-19 variants become prevalent and a third wave of infections threatens to overwhelm hospitals in some provinces, according to an analysis published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

9 Apr 2021

Children may be less infectious in spreading SARS-CoV-2 to others

Children may not be as infectious in spreading SARS-CoV-2 to others as previously thought, according to new University of Manitoba-led research in CMAJ.

9 Apr 2021

California counties a hodgepodge of highs and lows in vaccinating vulnerable seniors

Even as California prepares to expand vaccine eligibility on April 15 to all residents age 16 and up, the state has managed to inoculate only about half its senior population — the 65-and-older target group deemed most vulnerable to death and serious illness in the pandemic.

7 Apr 2021

Researchers propose new solutions to fill gaps in Medicare coverage

"Near-poor" Americans - people just above the federal poverty level but still well below the average U.S. income - who rely on Medicare for health insurance face high medical bills and may forgo essential health care, according to new research led by health policy scientists at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

6 Apr 2021

Montana sticks to its patchwork Covid vaccine rollout as eligibility expands

Montana's Covid-19 vaccine distribution is among the most efficient in the nation, but closer examination reveals a patchwork of systems among counties and tribal governments that will be put to the test as the state opens vaccine eligibility to all people 16 and older starting this month.

5 Apr 2021

Prioritization of COVID-19 vaccines saves lives, reduces spread of infection

Waiting for your turn can be frustrating, especially when it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations. But prioritizing who receives the limited supply of vaccines available saves lives and reduces spread of infection, according to a study published today in the journal PNAS from the University of California, Davis.

2 Apr 2021

Mobile health tech can help promote behavior changes among older adults with heart disease

Mobile health technology can be beneficial in encouraging lifestyle behavior changes and medication adherence among adults ages 60 and older with existing heart disease, yet more research is needed to determine what methods are the most effective.

1 Apr 2021

Major CIHR grant to help find and tackle the root cause of neurodegenerative disease

Dr. Simonetta Sipione, GlycoNet Investigator and Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Alberta, was recently awarded a major five-year grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, worth $1.04 million.

26 Mar 2021

Stop blaming Tuskegee, critics say. It’s not an ‘excuse’ for current medical racism.

For months, journalists, politicians and health officials — including New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Dr. Anthony Fauci — have invoked the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study to explain why Black Americans are more hesitant than white Americans to get the coronavirus vaccine.

25 Mar 2021

‘Press 1 for English’: Vaccination sign-ups prove daunting for speakers of other languages

In late February, a week after Virginia launched a centralized website and call center for covid-19 vaccine preregistration, Zowee Aquino alerted the state to a glitch that could prove fatal for non-English speakers trying to secure a shot.

23 Mar 2021

Under new cost-cutting Medicare rule, same surgery, same place, different bill

A cost-saving change in Medicare launched in the final days of the Trump administration will cut payments to hospitals for some surgical procedures while potentially raising costs and confusion for patients.