Local & National Resources
Helplines
- Harris County “Ask a Nurse” Hotline
713.634.1110 (9am – 7pm, 7 days a week)
Intended for residents of Harris County who do not have access to healthcare - United Way Help Line – 211
Other Resources
- Department of States Health Services
- TexProtects Guide for Parents and Families
- Essential Workers Childcare Assistance
- Houston Health Department
- Harris County Public Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- CDC Travelers Health Notice
- University of Houston Community Coronavirus Information
- PBS: How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus
- Health Matters
Surveys
Local News Coverage
Health & Science
Experts say Texas is ready for latest COVID-19 uptick but advise caution
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The Latest from Town Square
COVID past and present – from unmasking to understanding the how early days of the pandemic made some rich
Party Politics
Party Politics: Schemin’ Steven
Posted on · Co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina delve into the latest news in national and local politics.
Health & Science
The judge who tossed mask mandate misunderstood public health law, legal experts say
Posted on · Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle's decision hinged on a definition of the word 'sanitation' that public health experts and legal scholars say missed the mark.
Health & Science
2 years into the pandemic, some Harris County residents are just getting their COVID-19 shots
Posted on · Local health officials say vaccine hesitancy is an issue, but other people simply didn't have transportation to a vaccine site or didn't know the vaccines were free.
Health & Science
Texas’ chief epidemiologist hopeful as COVID-19 hospitalizations fall to 2-year low
Posted on · Texas’ Chief State Epidemiologist says nearly 99% of the state population has developed at least some immune response to COVID-19. However, other public health experts caution the virus can be unpredictable.
Town Square
It’s “Ask-a-Doctor,” from questions about aphasia and alopecia to COVID and more
Posted on · Is there a medical question or headline that is leaving you curious – or, worse, worried? Today, it’s your chance to "Ask-a-Doctor."
Town Square
What you should know about the BA.2 omicron subvariant
Posted on · Though the number of COVID cases aren’t increasing substantially in our area, the new BA.2 subvariant is becoming more prevalent in Houston. Today, a local epidemiologist is here to explain this and more COVID headlines.
Transportation
METRO says Houston transit ridership is up but it’s not back to pre-pandemic levels
Posted on · The transit agency says the start of the Houston Rodeo helped boost ridership in February along with more workers returning to the office.
Health & Science
The COVID-19 BA.2 subvariant now makes up 24% of all Houston cases, according to researchers
Posted on · Houston Methodist researchers stressed that the total number of COVID-19 cases in the hospital did not increase substantially, but the proportion of cases has.
COVID-19
Grueling conditions have fueled a Texas nursing shortage 2 years into the pandemic
Posted on · Understaffing, long hours and ungrateful patients have forced many nurses to leave full-time positions nationwide. Texas' shortage is projected to reach 60,000 nurses by the end of the decade.
Politics
Unsealed warrants detail communication between Hidalgo staffers and a vendor over $11 million contract
Posted on · No charges have been filed, and there have been no arrests, but the Texas Rangers confirmed Friday the investigation is ongoing.
The Coronavirus in Greater Houston
Houston has a COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy problem in at-risk communities. Researchers hope to fix that
Posted on · “Sometimes trust is not built overnight, especially when it’s a generational issue," said Iyin Ojekunle, community involvement coordinator with the Houston Health Department.
Party Politics
Party Politics: Bully Pulpit
Posted on · Co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina delve into the latest news in national and local politics.
Town Square
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and The Future of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Posted on · Today, experts discuss HIV/AIDS developments, treatments, and the impact on Black Americans. Plus, a local epidemiologist ponders the changing tides of COVID-19.
Town Square
Can the Winter Olympics survive China’s COVID outbreak? Can we survive another winter freeze?
Posted on · We get an update on how China is handling the COVID breakout during the Olympics Games in Beijing. Plus, how should Houstonians prepare for the icy winter storm ahead?
Town Square
COVID and Mental Health in Black, Latino Communities
Posted on · Experts discuss the increase in the need for mental health services since the pandemic and how to provide better outreach to communities of color.
Coronavirus Prevention
News from NPR
Employers continue hiring spree even as war in Ukraine ratchets up economic fears
U.S. employers added 431,000 jobs in March, as the unemployment rate fell to 3.6% from 3.8% in February. The tight job market is putting upward pressure on both wages and prices.
CDC recommends 2nd COVID boosters for some older and immunocompromised people
People who are 50 and older and certain immunocompromised individuals may get a second Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster four months after they received the first.
Two years ago schools shut down around the world. These are the biggest impacts
In March 2020, we asked experts in school disruptions what the long-range effects might be as COVID-19 closed schools. How did those predictions pan out?
The U.S. added 678,000 jobs in February. It's another sign of a hot labor market
U.S. employers added 678,000 jobs in February as the unemployment rate fell to 3.8%, from 4% in January. The Federal Reserve hopes to curb inflation without stalling job growth.