Direct Relief News

In the Navajo Nation--a sovereign territory spanning 27,000 square miles--responding to Covid-19 comes with unique challenges.

A third of residents don't have access to running water. Grocery stores are few and far between. And many must travel hours to reach the nearest hospital.

While the nation has the highest case rate of any state in the country, it's been successful in containing the spread of the virus through stay at home orders and strict weekend curfews. When the pandemic began, the territory quickly ramped up testing and contact tracing investigations. The Navajo Nation now boasts the highest testing rate in the country with roughly 40% of all residents having been tested for the virus.

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Dr. Jonathan Iralu, an infectious disease doctor at Gallup Indian Medical Center in Gallup, New Mexico. He discusses how he and his staff adapted to treat an influx of patients during the peak of the outbreak and what they're doing now to ensure continued access to care.

With many Americans out of work and struggling financially, managing chronic diseases, like diabetes, may be an afterthought. These health providers are working to change that.

With more than 44 million Americans filing for unemployment since mid-March, the financial fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic has made managing chronic disease an afterthought tor some, and an impossibility for others.

Lacking adequate resources, many are struggling to maintain their medical regimens, which often involve produce-rich diets and regular purchases of prescription medication.

"We definitely are seeing a number of patients who are really just barely getting by,” says Dr. Mary Herbert, the clinical director of the Birmingham Free Clinic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Herbert treats patients with chronic disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. She says many of her patients are forgoing care to attend to more immediate needs, such as paying the rent or feeding their families. Others have been unable to pick up their prescriptions because they can't afford the cost of transportation.

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Dr. Herbert and other healthcare providers about how the financial consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic are affecting patients' ability to manage their chronic condition.

On the California-Mexico border, the coronavirus continues to disproportionately impact communities where large numbers of essential workers and high rates of poverty render preventative measures, such as social distancing, nearly impossible. In San Diego County, the discrepancy between case totals tracks the region’s socio-economic divisions. In the county’s southernmost zip code, case rates are roughly […]

On the California-Mexico border, the coronavirus continues to disproportionately impact communities where large numbers of essential workers and high rates of poverty render preventative measures, such as social distancing, nearly impossible.

In San Diego County, the discrepancy between case totals tracks the region's socio-economic divisions. In the county's southernmost zip code, case rates are roughly 3 times higher than San Diego City itself and 5 times higher than several of the county's wealthiest neighborhoods, including La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, and Del Mar.

"The virus and the impact of the virus follows exactly what we already knew about the impact of zip code and health disparities on life expectancy and outcome," explains Dr. Jeanette Aldous, the clinical director of infectious disease at San Ysidro Health Center in San Diego, Ca.

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Aldous and others on the front lines of the outbreak on the southern border about how their patients have been impacted and what they are doing to respond.

As the United States reports record-high case totals, patterns in viral spread are emerging.

Black Americans suffer significantly worse health outcomes than their white counterparts–from higher rates of chronic disease to lower life expectancy. During the coronavirus pandemic, these disparities have only been amplified, with Black patients dying at more than three times the rate of white Americans. Despite decades of research and community efforts, the United States’ racial […]

Black Americans suffer significantly worse health outcomes than their white counterparts--from higher rates of chronic disease to lower life expectancy. During the coronavirus pandemic, these disparities have only been amplified, with black patients dying at more than three times the rate of white Americans.

Despite decades of research and community efforts, the United States' racial health gap--rooted in centuries of discriminatory laws and practices--persists today. To address these inequities, healthcare providers across the country are taking new approaches to care.

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with two providers in Minnesota, Minneapolis about what they are doing to ensure their patients receive equitable access to care.

On the Caribbean island of Dominica, hurricane season threatens to undo months of preventative measures taken to stop the spread of Covid-19. With only one public hospital and a handful of ICU beds, health officials acted quickly to contain the virus once the first case was reported in March. Since closing its borders, the island […]

On the Caribbean island of Dominica, hurricane season threatens to undo months of preventative measures taken to stop the spread of Covid-19.

With only one public hospital and a handful of ICU beds, health officials acted quickly to contain the virus once the first case was reported in March. Since closing its borders, the island has reported a total of 18 cases, none of which have been fatal.

But with hurricane season, and a tentative reopening scheduled for July, preventing an outbreak will be much more difficult. Crowded shelters and incoming aid workers would make it nearly impossible to trace the spread of the virus and isolate infected individuals. In these conditions, strategies used to contain the island's initial outbreak would be much less effective.

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Dominica's Deputy Chief Medical Officer about what the island is doing to prevent a large-scale outbreak, should a hurricane hit.