Public Health

Haywood Park Community Hospital in Brownsville, Tenn., is reopening after shutting down in 2014, according to TV station WREG. 

Some COVID-19 survivors may carry antibodies that attack the body instead of the virus, similar to antibodies seen in lupus and rheumatoid arthritis patients, according to a study cited by The New York Times. 

Estes Park (Colo.) Health was originally evacuated Oct. 22 due to wildfire spread in the area, and plans to reopen its emergency department this week, according to a hospital statement published in the Trail-Gazette. 

Americans who get their health insurance through Medicare or Medicaid likely won't have to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Politico, which cites an expected rule from the Trump administration.

The number of people with COVID-19 antibodies decreased by 26.5 percent between June 20 and Sept. 28, suggesting that contracting the virus might not mean gaining long-lasting immunity, according to a study conducted by Imperial College London and Ipsos Mori,…

The U.S. reported more than 481,000 new COVID-19 cases last week — the most new infections seen during a seven-day stretch of the pandemic, reports USA Today.

National indicators measuring COVID-19 activity have increased since September, driven largely by more cases in the Southeast and Central parts of the U.S., according to the CDC's latest COVIDView report. 

Most states are well along the path toward reopening, though recent COVID-19 surges have prompted governors to close some sectors or consider new restrictions, according to The New York Times. Mask mandates and social-distancing guidelines remain in place nearly everywhere. 

The Pew Charitable Trusts recently published a 10-question health literacy quiz, which features questions on cancer, infectious diseases and gut health, among other topics.

UnitedHealthcare is providing some of its members kits that include an antiviral treatment for the seasonal flu, as well as a COVID-19 test, according to The New York Times.