Health
Idaho Youth Ranch’s youth shelter stops taking residents amid staffing shortage
The Idaho Youth Ranch Hays House, the Treasure Valley’s only shelter for homeless and runaway youth, is temporarily not accepting youth residents because of staffing shortages, according to a press release. “Obviously, we are very saddened by this turn of events,” Scott Curtis, chief executive officer of the Idaho Youth Ranch, said in the release. […]
Idaho business association leader on vaccine mandates: Legislature should ‘stay out of it’
A telephone survey of 400 individuals across Idaho found that 66% of respondents did not think the Idaho Legislature should try to stop businesses from mandating COVID-19 vaccinations, and 78% agree that Idaho politicians should not tell private businesses what to do. The survey, conducted by the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry in July, […]
I was relieved COVID affected adults more than kids. With delta variant, that relief is gone.
In March of 2020, when the world was living in fear of the unknown virus, I remember being relieved that the disease affected adults more than children. With the delta variant, that relief is gone. We’re seeing an increase in pediatric COVID-19 cases with no end in sight unless more Idahoans get vaccinated. More than […]
Are monoclonal antibodies here? Yes, but not everyone in Idaho can get them
Before he was vaccinated against COVID-19, former President Donald Trump caught the coronavirus and became one of the earliest patients to receive an infusion of the antibody cocktail made by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. He raved about the medication and promised it would be available to the public. Today, it is. But as more unvaccinated people came […]
Wildfire smoke is here to stay. Here’s how to clean the air inside your home.
The fierce wildfires that broke out across much of the western United States this summer, spreading smoke across hundreds of miles, continue to pose a serious health hazard to millions. More are expected this fall. That’s a major health concern because microscopic particles in wildfire smoke, carried by the wind, can penetrate deep into your […]
Doctors warn of growing COVID-19 risks for Idaho kids
Several doctors warned in a media briefing Wednesday that Idaho’s COVID-19 crisis is spilling over, more and more, into children and babies. “Long COVID” left one child needing a pacemaker, a pediatrician said. Another doctor said she’s seeing an uptick in fetal deaths and stillbirths. A third doctor said babies are born prematurely to save […]
‘Their tank is empty’: Local public health officials combat staff burnout, low pay, harassment
WASHINGTON — Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic, state and local public health departments that were already struggling with too few workers and too little money have been pushed to the brink — and for some, beyond the brink. “My staff is burnt out, overworked and underpaid,” Dr. Mysheika Roberts, health commissioner with the Columbus Public Health […]
How can we bestow love upon our neighbors in Idaho’s COVID-19 crisis?
“Love thy neighbor” is a bedrock tenet of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Leviticus 19:18 portrays God directly telling Moses, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Building on this theme, when Jesus was asked which of the commandments was greatest, he replied that the first and greatest commandment was an unquestioning love of God and “the […]
Who will get a booster shot? A Q-and-A about what the feds are saying
WASHINGTON — Booster shots soon will begin rolling out to some Americans who received the two-shot vaccine made by Pfizer—after a contentious and confusing federal approval process that isn’t over yet. Determining who exactly should be rolling up their sleeves for an additional dose was tricky. The Biden administration had leapfrogged federal regulatory panels in […]
FEMA has paid more than $1.9 million for Idaho COVID-19 funerals
The Federal Emergency Management Agency says 624 Idahoans have begun applying for help with funeral costs for loved ones who died of COVID-19. So far, FEMA has approved 331 of those requests, for a total of $1.9 million in federal aid for COVID-19 funerals, according to a Sept. 20 news release. The agency has provided […]
Got the Pfizer vaccine? You may be eligible for a booster dose in Idaho
Booster doses are now available for certain individuals who received the Pfizer/BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced Friday. The announcement follows the Food and Drug Administration’s authorization and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those who are eligible for a single booster dose are those who received […]
Dispatches from Idaho’s front lines: ‘We are breaking’
Editor’s note: This is the third story in a series from the Idaho Capital Sun on what the Gem State’s health care workers are experiencing as they battle the latest surge of coronavirus in Idaho. Visit bitly.com/COVID-dispatch-1 or bitly.com/COVID-dispatch-2 to read the first two stories. A man in cowboy boots and a cowboy hat checked […]