All About COVID-19
Pandemic Motherhood Diary, Entry 50: COVID, a Constant Memory
“Mommy, I don’t feel so good.” That was my four-year-old at the end of the fourth day of school. He had already gotten his first cold of the school year. A little over a week later, I found myself with a runny nose and sneezing. Another week passed by, and my six-year-old was sneezing too.…
Pandemic Motherhood Diary, Entry 49: Toy Story Lessons
It was Friday, June 19, a day my kids had been counting down to all month long. The trailers for “Toy Story 5” no longer would suffice. They were beyond excited to finally see the movie. I raced home from work, caught a 6:20 show by settling for corner front row seats, and I watched…
Doomscrolling Hantavirus
I find myself doomscrolling on my phone more than I would like to nowadays, with the idea that I just need to stay informed. However, recent doomscrolling felt like deja vu when I read that several individuals on a cruise became gravely ill with another virus. The hantavirus, to be exact. After reading the headlines…
Pandemic Motherhood Diary, Entry 48: The COVID Time Warp
“Mama, I already know what I want to do for my birthday. I told my friend, and he says he wants to come to my party.” I looked at my son, puzzled, since he has only been six for three months. However, he knows it’s a new year, and he’s already imagining what his seventh…
Pandemic Motherhood Diary, Entry 47: Pulled Away From the Church
When the pandemic began, the first place my family and I pulled away from was the church. Because I am Catholic, all I could think about was sharing the chalice, dipping our fingers in shared holy water, and shaking hands to wish each other peace. That was too many opportunities for the virus to spread.…
Conflicting Advice on Covid Shots Likely To Ding Already Low Vaccine Rates, Experts Warn
By Phillip Reese | Published on Nov. 14, 2025 More than three-quarters of American adults didn’t get a covid shot last season, a figure that health care experts warn could rise this year amid new U.S. government recommendations. The covid vaccine was initially popular. About 75% of Americans had received at least one dose of…
Pandemic Motherhood Diary, Entry 46: Post-Pandemic Education
School being back in session means open house for our five-year-old. He couldn’t wait to show us his favorite place on campus, the library. Our son has become an enthusiastic reader who loves visiting the library almost as much as he loves going to the playground. We listened as his teacher went on about how…
Amid Confusion Over US Vaccine Recommendations, States Try To ‘Restore Trust’
By Céline Gounder, KFF Health News When the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met last week, confusion filled the room. Members admitted they didn’t know what they were voting on, first rejecting a combined measles-mumps-rubella-chickenpox vaccine for young toddlers, then voting to keep it funded minutes later. The next day, they reversed themselves on…
Pandemic Motherhood Diary, Entry 45: First Day of School Blues
It was the first day of school for my kindergartener. With class officially back in session, I had to readjust my morning routine from getting up solo to getting three bodies to three locations on time. I was a wreck. When I turned the corner to pull out of my neighborhood, I saw the drop-off…
Sorting Out Covid Vaccine Confusion: New and Conflicting Federal Policies Raise Questions
By Michelle Andrews for Kaiser Health News If you want a covid-19 shot this fall, will your employer’s health insurance plan pay for it? There’s no clear answer. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has upended the way covid vaccines are approved and for whom they’re recommended, creating…
