health care workers

Gov. Ron DeSantis is touting his plan to distribute vaccines to people 65 and older ahead of much of the country. But the rollout has had logistical problems, and there are still nursing homes and health care workers waiting to get the vaccine.

The NPR stories that hit home in 2020 explain the complicated reality of life during a pandemic. They highlight moments of grace, surprise and persistence – and sometimes, stark disagreement.

The governor was in The Villages on Tuesday to announce the elderly will come before essential workers.

According to the state’s COVID-19 draft distribution plan,138,588 residents were in nursing homes and assisted living facilities as of Sept. 20.

A federal advisory committee voted to put adults 75 and over and frontline essential workers next in line for COVID-19 vaccines.

In a statement, Pfizer said its production levels have not changed and that millions of doses were “sitting in a warehouse” without shipment instructions.

Dr. Robert Atmar, a member of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, says he's hearing hesitancy among some front line medical workers about being first in line for a vaccine.

Catalyzed by the response to the pandemic and the inequities it is causing, people are flocking to graduate programs in public health to become the next front-line workers.

Some front-line workers and managers disagree about how and why health care workers are getting sick and, therefore, what level of protective gear is appropriate.

The research shows health care workers of color were more likely to care for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and nearly twice as likely as their white counterparts to test positive for the coronavirus.

Caring for loved ones who are sick and can’t take care of themselves can be tough. It’s now more difficult because of isolation and economic hardships caused by the pandemic.

As Florida’s coronavirus cases break national records, health workers say they’re feeling the strain. While most hospitals still have room to take in more…