Public Health

Ohio’s children’s hospitals are overwhelmed due to an unprecedented increase in COVID-19 cases and other respiratory illnesses, and in some cases are having to turn patients away, Gov. Mike DeWine said in a press conference Tuesday.

A spokesman for the Ohio Hospital Association says contingency plans are being made.

The U.S. was dealing with a shortage of nurses even before the pandemic. Now, with COVID-19 hospitalizations rising once again, there’s concern that nurses on the frontlines are at even greater risk of burnout.

Deferred doctors visits during the pandemic have left kids across the country behind on routine inoculations.

Earlier in the pandemic, older Ohioans were most at risk. But pediatricians say the Delta variant means more children are coming down ill with COVID these days.

Local school board members are on the frontline of what is a health crisis at its core. Some school board members and superintendents across the state speak of a tough spot they’re put in. Some convey a message of confidence that things will be under control soon but others question why public health officials are not making these decisions in the middle of a resurging global pandemic.

These attacks can lead to significant delays in care for already overburdened or rural hospitals.

More than a thousand people have offered testimony for and against the bill.

Ohio State University is requiring all students and staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the first public university in the state to do so after the Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to Pfizer's shot.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful on everyone, but health care workers may be affected more than anyone. Some nurses are burnt out and planning to leave the profession. Meanwhile, colleges are preparing new graduates to take their place — and deal with the pressures of the job.

Gov. Mike DeWine said for three days in the past week, the number of confirmed and probable COVID cases has exceeded 3,000.

Sheila Muhammad tested positive for HIV more than 30 years ago and her life quickly changed. But as the years passed, attitudes and treatments of HIV changed. Muhammad spoke with Side Effects Public Media about the power in education and understanding of the virus.