Public Health

An Oct. 20 report from The Lancet Countdown found human-induced climate change is negatively impacting human health in nearly every measurable way.

New York City's health department said there have been 14 human cases of leptospirosis, including one death, this year as of Sept. 22, more than the total number of cases reported to the city than any other year. 

A study published Oct. 19 in Science Translational Medicine found male placentas showed increased immune activation compared with female placentas in pregnant women who tested positive for COVID-19.

Boston officials declared addiction and homelessness to be public health crises at an Oct. 19 press conference, The Boston Globe reported. 

While COVID-19 cases are dropping in many U.S. regions, the Mountain West has been struggling, with Montana, Idaho and Wyoming currently recording some of the nation's highest cases per capita, according to local and state data cited by The New…

The New York City Board of Health declared racism a public health crisis Oct. 18 and requested the health department expand its anti-racism work through a series of resolutions. 

New Mexico has activated crisis standards of care for healthcare facilities across the state, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

The World Health Organization released an official definition on post COVID-19 condition on Oct. 6, but clinicians have been treating patients with symptoms since the onset of the pandemic — including stigma surrounding the legitimacy of the condition. 

The North Dakota Department of Health and providers statewide are taking steps to encourage volunteers and individuals with healthcare experience to join the workforce during the ongoing pandemic and staffing shortage, according to an Oct. 18 news release.

As of Oct. 9, flu cases in the U.S. are up 23 percent compared to last year, when flu activity was historically low due to widespread COVID-19 mitigation measures, according to new data from Walgreens' Flu Index.