September 2012 - NPR Health Blog - The Network of Care

Scientists Go Deep On Genes Of SARS-Like Virus

Scientists have partially decoded the genetic sequence of a new virus, which has killed one man and hospitalized another. Advances in sequencing technologies have helped health workers rapidly respond to the virus in ways that they couldn't during...

Published Wed, Sep 26 2012 12:23 PM by Shots - Health Blog

South African Children's Hospital Closed Under Apartheid To Reopen

With local hospitals in Durban, South Africa, strained by the AIDS epidemic, city leaders are trying to restore and reopen a historic children's hospital shut down in the 1980s during apartheid. The hospital originally opened in 1931 with a mandate...

Published Mon, Sep 24 2012 12:57 AM by Shots - Health Blog

How Americans Think About Screening

There are conflicting guidelines on when women should get mammograms and mounting questions on when the PSA blood test for prostate cancer is worthwhile. We asked how people are sorting things out. Read More...

Published Thu, Sep 06 2012 11:05 AM by Shots - Health Blog

How Cheap Can Lipitor Get? Try Free

Some grocery chains are now offering free atorvastatin, the generic version of Lipitor, at their pharmacies. The cholesterol drug requires a prescription, but now you don't need insurance or cash to get the pills. Read More...

Published Wed, Sep 12 2012 8:56 AM by Shots - Health Blog

More Americans Have Health Insurance, But Not Many More

The Census Bureau reported a decline in the number of Americans without coverage in 2011. But the ranks of the uninsured remain pretty high. Read More...

Published Wed, Sep 12 2012 11:56 AM by Shots - Health Blog

More Employers' Health Plans Include Benefits For Transgender People

Medical groups, such as the American Medical Association recommend coverage of services for transgender people. Some companies have moved ahead with benefits, but others have held back. One of their big worries is cost. Read More...

Published Tue, Sep 04 2012 8:02 AM by Shots - Health Blog

'Test And Treat' Strategy For Curbing HIV Draws Questions

Testing everyone for HIV and then giving them early treatment could theoretically eliminate the epidemic in South Africa. A mathematical model of this "test and treat" strategy suggest that it might be more expensive and take significantly longer...

Published Thu, Sep 06 2012 1:35 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Infection Risk Prompts New York City To Regulate Ritual Circumcision

The New York City Board of Health voted unanimously today in favor of a new regulation that would require parents of young boys who undergo ritual circumcisions involving "direct oral suction" to sign a consent form first. The practice has been...

Published Thu, Sep 13 2012 12:23 PM by Shots - Health Blog

On The Road To Polio Eradication In Pakistan

Pakistan is one of the last three countries to still have entrenched polio. To eradicate the virus, a group of "social mobilizers" travels to hard-hit slums to help overcome social and physical barriers to vaccination. Read More...

Published Fri, Sep 21 2012 12:28 PM by Shots - Health Blog

More Vaccines Come Without Copays, Unless You're On Medicare

The federal health law makes it easier for most people with private insurance to get recommended vaccines without a copay. But the changes don't apply to people covered by Medicare. Read More...

Published Tue, Sep 11 2012 9:20 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Insurance Costs Rise, But More Slowly

Annual family health insurance premiums rose about 4 percent to an average of $15,745 this year, a new survey finds. While the increase is less than the one seen last year, it exceeds both inflation and wage gains. Read More...

Published Tue, Sep 11 2012 1:02 PM by Shots - Health Blog

'Downton Abbey' And The History Of Medical Quackery

In the British TV sensation, a servant's attempt to correct a debilitating limp with a dubious device ends in blood and disappointment. Despite tighter regulation over the years, quack devices remain a threat. Read More...

Published Fri, Sep 21 2012 9:58 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Worst Of West Nile Epidemic Appears To Be Over

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is confident the nation has turned the corner on its worst-ever epidemic of West Nile virus disease. Next, scientists will try to figure out what made 2012 so bad. Read More...

Published Wed, Sep 12 2012 2:30 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Can We Learn To Forget Our Memories?

Our capacity to forget is as important, and certainly as interesting, as our ability to remember. But can we train ourselves to suppress certain memories, or the meaning we attach to life events? Read More...

Published Mon, Sep 03 2012 1:02 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Detergent Packs Lead To Injuries Overseas, Too

A Scottish cluster of injuries caused by kids swallowing liquid detergent packs highlights risks from the popular products. In August, there were 735 calls to U.S. poison control centers about children under 5 being exposed to laundry packs, up from 725...

Published Thu, Sep 06 2012 6:53 AM by Shots - Health Blog

September 2012 - NPR Health Blog

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