Michigan Health Watch

Several schools across the state closed due to flu cases affecting students and staff. The illness has been on the rise across the US.

The CDC, NIH and FDA — agencies that track disease and warn of health threats — have been ordered to suspend communications, at least until Saturday. Some worry about a continued blackout.

The state of Michigan and university researchers are increasing efforts to steer resources to impacted youths. One problem: so-called ‘bereavement deserts’ with few resources.

A law driving down some Medicare drug prices remains on the books, but one expert says efforts toward a $2 drug list and coverage for obesity drugs are now uncertain.

News of a chronic wasting disease case in Mecosta County came just days after Minnesota researchers said CWD could eventually pose a risk to other wildlife, livestock and potentially humans.

Researchers at the University of Michigan sought to measure loneliness and isolation among Americans 50 and older. There’s good news amid the bad: Post-COVID, the rate of loneliness has receded.

Highly contagious noroviruses cause miserable symptoms, and infections have been on the uptick in recent weeks.

Once the No. 3 cause of death in Michigan, COVID-19 is attributed to 1,400 deaths so far in 2024. That’s half of the number who died in 2023 and a small percentage of those who died in 2020-22.

Rituals can help us ride out acute grief and connect us to the deceased. For those in mourning, 10 locations in Michigan offer one of the most familiar rituals of all — a phone call.

Words such as ‘dementia’ or ‘Alzheimer’s’ can conjure images of confusion and solitude. A growing group of people with dementia say there’s still a lot of living and laughter.

Healthier meals for some low-income Michiganders are part of a “food as medicine” effort and theoretically cut overall health care costs, according to some experts.

A potentially deadly disease in infants, whooping cough — pertussis — has exploded in Michigan this year, in part because of decreased vaccination rates.

Portions of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which called for a reduction in drug prices, continue to click into place, including a $2,000 cap in 2025 for some Medicare beneficiaries. But there are limits.

Michigan lags the national average for flu shots, with rates falling for the fourth year in a row this flu season

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services releases a plan to reduce new HIV infections by 90% by 2030.

A limited benefit plan that launched just more than a year ago covers Michiganders who are no longer eligible for Medicaid and would have otherwise lost coverage altogether

Connecting with a horse creates a 'more welcoming' atmosphere for adolescents than traditional therapy, one expert says. It can help young people learn how to overcome fears and communicate more effectively.

From brown teeth in Colorado to a national experiment in Grand Rapids, research once led to widespread acceptance of US fluoridated water. Decades later, some say it’s time to rethink that approach.

Cases of walking pneumonia, a bacterial infection, have been on the rise in Michigan, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than 25,000 Michiganders have died from drug overdoses. From shock and tears comes grit and resolve for change.