Health News Roundup

COVID-19 battle gives survivor a new appreciation for life, and more in this week’s roundup

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Dancing again: COVID-19 battle gives survivor a new appreciation for life
Patrick Raycraft, Connecticut Health I-Team, March 21
After surviving a battle with COVID-19 in the spring of 2020, Michael Kelly is still fighting while gaining a new appreciation for life. Cognizant of health disparities that impact generations of his family, Kelly remains hypervigilant about protecting himself and others from COVID-19 and other illnesses.

Hispanic ‘long haulers’ struggle against lingering effects of COVID-19
Juan Carlos Chavez, Tampa Bay Times, March 7
It was already clear that Hispanic people contracted COVID-19 at a higher rate than the population as a whole. Research is now underway to uncover the demographic breakdown of those experiencing long-term health problems from COVID-19.

How can we close our racial wealth gap? 
Jamie Smith Hopkins, The Center for Public Integrity, March 22
More than a decade before the historic Civil Rights Act, the difference in median wealth between white and Black families, also known as the racial wealth gap, was about $47,000 in today’s dollars. Today, the racial wealth gap has grown to $164,000. Many recommended actions to fix this gap, including federal reparations, would have more impact when taken together.

CT eviction filings on track to reach highest number in years
Ginny Monk, The Connecticut Mirror, March 21
As funding for the state’s rental assistance program dwindles, the number of eviction filings in Connecticut is on track to hit its highest level since at least 2017. Two key events occurred in mid-February that housing experts say have led to more evictions: the rental assistance program stopped taking new applications, and a gubernatorial order expired that gave tenants more time to leave the apartment or pay rent.

New report from CT Health: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic magnified existing health and economic inequities in Connecticut. Two years after Connecticut’s first COVID case, it is critical to take stock of the lessons and consider how to address the inequities that made this crisis particularly painful and deadly.
Related: Lessons from the pandemic: Reflections on our work at CT Health