outbreak

The American Red Cross issued a statement calling for healthy individuals to donate blood due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations during this coronavirus outbreak.  Peter Marks, director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said that people need to start turning out “in force” to … Continued

In the wake of the global pandemic, COVID-19, which is affecting every state, Alabama is facing a unique challenge in getting its residents to fill out the 2020 Census. “Because we’re in a rural state, in some areas, people lack adequate internet access, and Census takers generally have a hard time following up with people … Continued

The Alabama House of Representatives announced on Monday that committee meetings scheduled for Wednesday, March 25 will be cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The legislative day on March 26 has not technically been cancelled but the House is not expected to have a quorum for that day. A “quorum” is the minimum number … Continued

Whether Alabama’s health care system will be able to handle the coronavirus pandemic will depend on its people. The infectious disease specialist leading the UAB Medicine’s response to the coronavirus outbreak urged Alabamians to take social-distancing measures seriously to blunt the exponential growth of coronavirus cases in the state so as to not overload health … Continued

The Alabama Department of Public Health is currently researching a growing outbreak of hepatitis A in DeKalb and Jackson counties. Cherokee and Marshall counties have also been affected by potentially linked outbreaks. “Hepatitis A vaccination and proper hand washing will significantly reduce the spread of this virus in these counties and are important measures to … Continued