New Coronavirus Hot Spots In The U.S.

Is It Safe Yet To Get A Dental Checkup?

Shots Al Seib/LA Times via Getty Images New Viral Hot Spots Flare In California And Across The South The United States is still seeing more than 20,000 newly diagnosed cases of the coronavirus every day, according to public health officials, and more than 109,000 people in the nation have died from their infections. Get ready for those numbers to climb. Even as the number of new coronavirus cases has been dropping in New York and much of the Northeast recently, new hot spots have flared in other parts of the U.S. – most notably this week in parts of California and certain counties in every southern state. "We're very concerned that our public health message isn't resonating," says Dr. Robert Redfield, a virologist and head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read on to learn more about what's causing the sudden spread. BONUS: How Fast Is The Coronavirus Spreading In Your State?   Newsletter continues after sponsor message Joe Raedle/Getty Images What To Ask Your Doctor Or Dentist Ahead Of A Checkup Most preventive medical care that can't be handled via telehealth has taken a back seat in recent months, but that's starting to change. As doctors and dentists begin scheduling patients again for routine checkups, many patients are wondering: Is it worth getting in-person treatment when the need isn’t dire? That partly depends on your age, health and where you live, infectious disease specialists tell Alan Yu, a science reporter for NPR’s Philadelphia affiliate, WHYY. A call to your doctor can help you weigh the benefits and risks of going in for that routine care now. Read on for the short list of COVID-19 precautions you might want to ask your dentist about.   Malaka Gharib/NPR How To Reduce COVID-19 Risk In A Protest It’s hard to gauge how much attending an outdoor protest rally increases your risk of catching or spreading the coronavirus. But seeing thousands of people shoulder to shoulder in America’s cities in recent days – some wearing masks, some not -- has worried even many officials and health workers who strongly support their right to be there. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock responded, in part, by urging demonstrators in his city to get free testing, and officials in Washington, D.C., Atlanta and New York have suggested testing, too. “You might have a small number of infected people who are particularly active, moving around in the crowd,” says Bill Miller, an epidemiologist and physician at Ohio State University, in explaining one likely scenario. “If one or more of these people are shouting often and not wearing a mask, the situation is a setup for a superspreader event.” Tear gassing protesters and other “riot control” methods that exacerbate coughing, eye rubbing or close contact only exacerbate the public health risk, critics of such methods note. Read on to learn more about the risks and how to minimize them. BONUS LISTEN: Why Racism And The Coronavirus Are Dual Public Health Emergencies   More of this week's health stories from NPR On Dying Alone: ‘Behind Every COVID Case There Is A Story’ How To Sleep Better, Despite Uneasy Times Should I Get Tested For Coronavirus Just For The Heck Of It?   We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of NPR's health journalism on Shots and follow us on Twitter at @NPRHealth. Your Shots editor, Deborah Franklin   What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: shots@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Goats & Soda, Daily News, Best of NPR and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Health emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy