Family caregivers of people with long COVID bear an extra burden

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With unpredictable symptoms that can wax and wane mysteriously, long COVID also requires exceptionally good record-keeping, in order to provide doctors with new clues. But because the disease often causes fatigue and brain fog, some patients can't keep track for themselves. They rely on friends or family for help.

"The family caregiver becomes the care manager, advocating and managing the system," the late John Schall, former CEO of the Caregiver Action Network, an education and advocacy nonprofit, told us last year. "And you're doing it by guesswork. Nobody tells you what to look for."

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Huge earthquake hits Turkey and Syria, kills about 1,700, many trapped

...The magnitude 7.8 quake, which hit before sunrise in bitter winter weather, was the worst to strike Turkey this century. It was followed in the early afternoon by another large quake of magnitude 7.7.

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Getting Government To Work For Public Health

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The strength of public health is derived from the deep connections developed with communities. When the workforce can reflect the diversity of these communities, health agencies are uniquely positioned to understand and respond to community needs.

To meet the public health challenges facing our nation, the public health system needs to operate at a high level of effectiveness. Unfortunately, in many places, it is impossible to recruit and retain a robust workforce to accomplish key goals. Within many states, the public and policymakers alike underappreciate the need for a high-quality workforce and efficiency in local governmental functions—manifest by underfunding, excessively bureaucratic structures, and inadequate administrative supportcreates a self-fulfilling prophecy of government underperformance and inefficiency.

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African countries lack 'immediate access' to cholera vaccine NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Africa’s public health agency says countries with deadly cholera outbreaks on the continent have no “immediate access” to vaccines amid a global supply shortage. AP NEWS

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The acting director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ahmed Ogwell, told journalists on Thursday that the agency is working with the World Health Organization and the vaccine alliance GAVI on ways to obtain more doses.

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