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The small Himalayan country of Bhutan, mainly known for measuring national happiness instead of GDP, is the only carbon-negative country on the planet. Believe it or not, it has only had
one single death from COVID-19. Is that a coincidence?
Madeline Drexler s new article in the Atlantic, The Unlikeliest Pandemic Success Story, dives into the reasons that Bhutan has managed to fare so well against the novel coronavirus while rich countries and middle-income have struggled to keep it in check. The tiny developing country, landlocked between India and Tibet, wasn t exactly set up for success. It began 2020 with exactly one PCR machine to test for the virus, according to Drexler s reporting, and one doctor with advanced training in critical care.
But the largely first-come first-serve system, which heavily relies on someone’s ability to sign up for the vaccine by navigating a complicated website or driving to where doses are available, is reinforcing many of the country’s inequities. In many cities, individuals from wealthier, largely white neighborhoods, are taking up more than their representative share of the limited supply of the vaccine.
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“Chasing the vaccine has been almost a full-time job,” said Dr. Katelin Haley, a family medicine doctor in Lewes, Del.Credit.Mark Makela for The New York Times
“Primary care doctors have been a loud and frequent voice in the conversation we have had on a path to equity,” said Dr. Cameron Webb, an internist who is now a senior policy adviser for Covid equity to the White House. He pointed to the administration’s recent efforts to supply vaccines to federally qualified health centers, which serve individuals who are likely to be at the highest risk from the virus an
But the risk is not zero. If you decide to attend an outdoor gathering with people from other households, it’s still important to wear masks the entire time (except when eating) and to stay at least six feet apart, the experts said.
Erin Jackson, 38, and her husband invited 11 guests to watch the Super Bowl on a 100-inch screen in their large backyard in Chapel Hill, N.C.
“We also had a lot of discussions over whether to do anything at all, because we are terrified about not being cautious,” Ms. Jackson said.
So they came up with a few rules: Everyone has to bring their own snacks, the house will be off limits and the chairs will be placed at least six feet apart.
This article is part of the guide The EdSurge Podcast.
President Biden has made reopening K-12 schools as one of his top priorities for the first 100 days of his administration, or by the end of April. With COVID-19 vaccinations rolling out across the country, thereâs hope that that will happen.
But there is also a sense of added urgency. New strains of the coronavirus are emerging, and vaccine distributions and administrations have run into hiccups.
âWe are in a race right now between vaccine distribution and these variants becoming more common,â says Asaf Bitton, a physician, public health researcher, and executive director of Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health systems innovation.
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BOSTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ Ariadne Labs today announced three recipients of the Ariadne Labs Spark Grant innovation award. Now in its eighth year, the Spark Grant program was founded to spark new and early-stage ideas focused on addressing gaps in health care and improving delivery of care.
New this year, Ariadne Labs partnered with Harvard Medical School to award two Dean s Innovation Grants in Health Care Delivery to Harvard-affiliated faculty.
The 2020-2021 recipients were chosen following a competitive selection process from a diverse pool of candidates. The work of this year s awardees addresses gaps in care during the transition from prenatal to primary care, the expansion of home-based palliative care services for eligible patients, and the development of protocols for safe postpartum care following cesarean delivery for women in rural Africa.