Daily Briefing: Ebola Outbreak, Doc Shortage and Blood Supply Low

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Published on
July 30, 2012

Global Health: Uganda’s president told people to avoid physical contact after the Ebola virus killed 14 in that country, including one in the capital, reports the BBC.

Doctor Shortage: The health care law is expected to exacerbate the shortage of doctors. Opening walk-in clinics, training more doctors and shifting some duties to nurses are seen as potential solutions, Annie Lowrey and Robert Pear report for the New York Times.

Blood Banks: The nation’s supply of blood is at a 15-year low, according to the American Red Cross. Donations always slow down in the summer, and this year extreme weather has kept blood donors home, reports Natalie DiBlasio for USA Today.

Emerging Diseases: Babesiosis has recently been recognized as an outdoor hazard and may become the most common, tic-borne disease, reports Jane Brody for the New York Times.

Uninsured: Some of the seriously injured victims of the Aurora theater shootings lacked health insurance, and lack of coverage has become a large part of the national conversation spurred by the incident, reports Carol Eisenberg for Kaiser Health News.

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Image by Thomas W. Geisbert, Boston University School of Medicine, via PLoS.