COVID

Officials at Boston’s community health centers, taking their message deep into the neighborhoods, are encouraging residents to get vaccinated as flu season begins —and before they get sick.

A new national study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center investigating longer-term impacts of COVID-19 found that, among older patients, those who were hospitalized with COVID-19 were nearly twice as likely to die after discharge compared to patients with the flu.

A new study from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, which surveyed members of the Greater Boston Puerto Rican community at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and one year in, found that community members who spoke less English in their day-to-day lives were more likely to report testing positive for the virus.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the state put a pause on renewing eligibility for MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program. Now, following the end of the state’s emergency status in May, the program is returning to renewing the status of its recipients.

Covid-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments will no longer be free once the Public Health Emergency (PHE) expires on Jan. 11, even as the U.S. faces down a more infectious new subvariant XBB 1.5.

Boston Public Schools announced Friday a temporary — and essentially voluntary — masking policy for BPS students and staff returning to schools next week.

Everyone should sympathize with migrants who have been unable to thrive in their countries of origin, but it is inadvisable to enable them to enter the U.S., where elderly citizens might be vulnerable to COVID.

The holiday season brings family and loved ones in closer contact. It is very easy to forget that COVID-19 and its numerous infectious spawn still create a major health hazard.

Since the start of school in September, members of Families for COVID Safety have been advocating for stronger safety policies in Boston Public Schools, calling for at least 10 days of masking following the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday breaks.

The holiday season is just around the corner. And, as we comb through our collections of treasured holiday ornaments, put Santa and his reindeer on the lawn, and plan elaborate feasts, health experts advise us to devise a strategy to keep our beloved friends and family safe from COVID-19 infection. This is especially important to protect elderly family members.

State and local education officials said Tuesday that schools face a twin challenge in getting students back on track both academically and socially, and that staffing issues further complicate those tasks.

In Massachusetts alone, from Dec. 1 of last year to March 1 of this year, a storm surge of novel COVID variants swept away the lives of 3,723 people. Unlike Ian, this was no natural disaster: We were warned, we knew what was coming, and we knew what to do.