The NHS “teetered on the brink of collapse” during the Covid pandemic, and only just coped thanks to the “superhuman” efforts of healthcare workers, an official inquiry has concluded. In a damning assessment of how the UK’s healthcare systems coped with the pandemic, the Covid-19 inquiry chair, Heather Hallett, said the impact was “devastating” due…
BEIJING — A Chinese province has launched a crackdown on the fentanyl trade — a contentious issue in U.S.-China relations — arresting seven people and shutting down more than 200 websites in recent months, state media reported Thursday. The announcement came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would postpone a highly anticipated trip…
In an effort to challenge the Trump administration’s views on autism spectrum disorder, a new independent panel of experts plans to meet just weeks after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed 21 new members to the federal panel. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty…
On What the Health? From KFF Health News, distributed by WAMU, chief Washington correspondent and host Julie Rovner sat down with Drew Altman, president and CEO of KFF, to talk about the likelihood of a national health care debate to rein in costs. As the midterm elections approach, the cost of health care is the…
The number of cases of meningitis linked to an outbreak in Kent has risen to 27, up from 20, the UK Health Security Agency has said. Prof Robin May, the chief scientific officer at the UKHSA, said it was a “very unusual outbreak”. To date, 600 meningitis B vaccines have been administered at the University…
Tooth decay can begin very early in a child’s life. If five states ban fluoride in drinking water, the costs to Medicaid for a significant increase in kids with cavities could top $40 million within three years, a new analysis finds. CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, a nonprofit which advocates for fluoridation, used Medicaid claims…
Meningitis typically occurs as isolated one-off cases, but the outbreak in Kent is being described as “unprecedented” because there have been 20 cases since the weekend. However, this infection requires close and prolonged physical contact, that spreads more slowly than Covid or flu. The BBC’s Nick Triggle explains why this outbreak is not the same…
Dear Miss Manners: My co-worker, who has been trying to become a supervisor for the last 15 years, and maybe will one day, always seems to have to inquire about everything. My grandma passed away, and I got approval from HR and my boss to take bereavement leave for the memorial services. My bereavement time…
More than 1,000 cases of shigellosis and other gastrointestinal infections have been detected in people returning from Cape Verde to several countries in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States since 2022. Between September 2022 and March 2026, 766 confirmed and possible Shigella infections were reported by 13 EU countries, the UK and the…
Social media apps such as Instagram and TikTok, which encourage algorithm-driven scrolling, are worse for mental health than platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp, which prioritise social connection, according to an annual barometer of global happiness. The World Happiness Report found excessive use of social media was causing unhappiness among young people across the world,…
