Critter Corner: How Can I Get a Free At-Home COVID-19 Test if I’m on Medicare?

Dear Hayek,My daughter was convinced that she had the omicron variant of COVID-19 last month but couldn’t get a test at any of the local pharmacies because they were sold out everywhere. It turns out she had to wait a few days … [Read more...]

Critter Corner: Can Health Insurance Companies or Life Insurance Companies Charge the Unvaccinated Higher Premiums?

Dear Angel,I was listening to NPR recently. They mentioned that the current COVID-19 wave in the U.S. is mostly affecting unvaccinated Americans, who comprise more than 95% of current cases of hospitalization and death. I also … [Read more...]

What the US Government is Doing to Keep Nursing Homes COVID-Free

In late spring of 2021, the 142 nursing homes operated by the Good Samaritan Society hit a milestone that was unthinkable just four months earlier: Zero cases of COVID-19 across the whole company, from 900 at the peak of the … [Read more...]

Critter Corner: Why Should I Consider Antibody Testing for COVID-19?

Dear Oakley,I’m pretty sure I had a mild case of COVID-19 earlier in the year. Do you think I should go and get an antibody test, and if so, why? What is the difference between an antibody and an antigen test? Is antibody … [Read more...]

Is COVID Back? A Life-Saving Treatment that Many Seniors Don’t know Exists

Q. My grandchildren are in school in Fairfax County and they just got a letter stating that they will need to wear masks to school, whether or not they are vaccinated. This, of course, is because of the new CDC mask guidelines, … [Read more...]

Is it a Violation of HIPAA to Ask Someone if they’ve Been Vaccinated?

Josie shared on social media that she and her teenage son and daughter just got vaccinated against COVID-19. In a conversation at the school, Mary shared that she saw Josie’s post and that the three of them got their first dose. … [Read more...]

Critter Corner: Navigating the New Social Norms After Getting Vaccinated

Dear Oakley,I am fully vaccinated and am trying to follow the new norms and get used to not wearing a mask or physically distancing myself. I disliked wearing a mask the past year because my glasses would always fog up, so I’m … [Read more...]

Critter Corner: Could the COVID-19 Vaccine Negatively Affect Someone with Parkinson’s or Dementia?

Dear Angel,Q1. My father is hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine because he has Parkinson’s. My friend is experiencing the same hesitancy with her mother, who is in the early stages of dementia. Have you heard anything … [Read more...]

Critter Corner: FEMA will Offer Funeral Assistance for People Who Have Died of COVID-19

Dear Oakley,My friend’s dad recently died of COVID-19. Funerals are so expensive. Does the government provide any relief to help pay for them? Burr Yinghim --- Dear Burr, I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your … [Read more...]

Has the Pandemic Changed Funerals Forever?

Q. The pandemic has caused me to refocus my energy on planning for my future and for my family when I’m gone. I have seen people I know die of COVID and their families stressed about their funerals during a time of grief.I … [Read more...]

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