Opera Singers Help Covid-19 Patients Learn to Breathe Again

What started as a small group of young adults wanting to help their aging parents navigate telehealth during the coronavirus pandemic, is now a multi-state program that provides devices to seniors and low-income people as a way to close the digital divide. The group has grown to over 300 volunteers and partners with local health care providers, who in turn help their patients set up their new devices provided by the organization.

A partnership between Montana State University and Seattle-based Waypoint Health Innovations is helping bring virtual mental health services to rural communities in Montana. Although the program has only been in research stages thus far, the positive effects already documented has led the program to be ushered into "widespread implementation" amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Special Olympics turned 50 in 2020, but the pandemic has put a damper on their original birthday plans. People with intellectual and physical differences who participate rely on the games for social connection, so many are suffering from the social quarantine. To make up for it, the Special Olympics has moved online—creating an online fitness video series with the WWE. The program, called School of Strength, features exercises and even downloadable interactive toolkits for coaches and caregivers. After initial hurdles, they are now going live twice a week and posting new content daily.

Kano State in Nigeria has implemented a strategy to increase the likelihood of children receiving necessary vaccinations to reduce cases of polio. The strategy, which included enhanced training on administering the vaccinations, taking the vaccines directly to homes and "collaboration between policy makers and traditional leaders," has resulted in no cases of polio for the last five years.

In the past two years, Zika virus has arisen as one of the most pressing public health concerns. This piece charts the worldwide efforts by doctors using new technology to develop a vaccine for Zika.

In light of a study published in BMC Medicine, authors Nancy Fullman and Alexandra Wollum take a deeper dive into Nigeria’s gains against polio and what they could mean for the country’s routine vaccine systems.

As COVID-19 forced some low cost and free clinics to use telemedicine to treat patients it became clear that it was an efficient and convenient way to reduce unnecessary trips to the emergency room and meet the immediate health needs of people with chronic health problems. The clinics can treat more patients and no-show rates decline substantially. While internet and smartphone access are long-term barriers that need to be overcome, 46 charitable clinics across the state are using telemedicine platforms to deliver care to uninsured patients.

A handful of schools across Texas are implementing a telehealth program known as SchoolMed Virtual Care for Families to better serve their student body. The program pairs a virtual doctor with the school's in-person nurse to help assess the student and decide what sort of testing may be necessary or if the student can remain in school or should go home. During the pandemic, this service has played a significant role at at least one school in keeping the school open by being able to test on-site and order immediate isolation.

The state of Wisconsin has launched a pilot initiative that aims to help farmers who are dealing with job stressors access mental health services including "a 24-hour wellness hotline, tele-counseling sessions and vouchers for in-person visits with participating mental health providers." While some of the services have proved more successful than the others, as a whole, use of the counseling services has increased, especially as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

In Texas, bingo is considered a charitable operation and can act as a revenue source, offering a significant contribution to the funding of many 501c(3) nonprofits, but it also "nourishes the community in other, less obvious ways." Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the bingo operations around the state often provided scholarships and food distribution and offered a reprieve from social isolation. Although the pandemic has altered how many players can be a in a room together, the bingo halls are still attracting regulars.