WHO report: COVID led to 15 million deaths globally, not the 5 million reported
May 5th, 20220 Almost three times as many people have died as a result of COVID-19 as official data show, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report, the most comprehensive look at the true global toll of the pandemic so far. There were 14.9 million excess deaths associated with COVID-19 by the end of 2021, the U.N. body said on...
New tool lets Michiganders find nearest COVID-19 treatment options
May 3rd, 20220 A new online tool lets Michigan residents track down the nearest spots where they can find testing and therapeutic treatments for COVID-19. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) said the tool for Michigan residents and health care providers. The tool is provided through Solvhealth.com, a company that connects...
Increasing Arab Americans visibility in research: Alzheimer’s researchers urge community involvement
April 30th, 20220 ANN ARBOR — To cap off Arab American Heritage Month, The Arab American News is highlighting the important work the Michigan Center for Contextual Factors in Alzheimer’s Disease (MCCFAD) at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan continues to do in the community. The center, led by Arab American researchers...
State health department expects rise in COVID cases in May
April 21st, 20220 MICHIGAN — State health authorities are urging residents to minimize their risks of catching COVID-19 and prevent its spread at spring gatherings, including proms, graduations and other holidays, as cases are expected to rise with warmer weather. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is asking people to make...
BA.2 and its offshoot account for majority of U.S. cases, as travel mask mandate is lifted
April 20th, 20220 With the mutations of Omicron now making up more than 90 percent of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., travelers in the country were suddenly informed that a court order had blocked the Biden administration’s mask mandate on public transportation this week. That ruling from a federal judge on Monday came as COVID-19 infections are...
CDC to extend travel mask requirements for two weeks
April 13th, 20220 WASHINGTON D.C. — The Biden administration is set to extend the nationwide mask requirement for public transit and air travel. The decision comes as the administration has noticed an uptick in COVID-19 cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) order was set to expire on April 18, but will now be extended...
Ali Abazeed to serve as inaugural director of the Dearborn Department of Public Health
April 6th, 20220 DEARBORN — Mayor Abdullah Hammoud has announced the appointment of Ali Abazeed, MPH, MPP to serve as the inaugural director of the newly established Department of Public Health (DPH). Abazeed is a Dearborn native who most recently served as a public health advisor at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the federal agency...
Dearborn Public Schools to lift mask mandate on Feb. 23
February 18th, 20220 DEARBORN - With the county rescinding the mask mandate, Dearborn Public Schools will make wearing masks optional effective Feb. 23 when students return from mid-winter break. Under federal law, masks will still be required on all school buses. Masks will still be required for anyone returning from quarantine less than 10 days after...
State health officials update COVID mask requirements after “post-surge recovery phase”
February 16th, 20220 LANSING — The state’s health authority said this week that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to decline since this winter’s surge brought on by the spread of highly infectious variants and that it is adjusting its approach to the pandemic in the recovery phase. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services...
Wayne County opens five hybrid COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites
February 12th, 20220 WAYNE COUNTY — Wayne County will be opening five hybrid sites throughout the county to offer both COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. The sites will offer first doses, second doses and boosters. The sites will have both the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and tests and Antigen Rapid Tests. COVID-19 vaccines are available for...Mask mandates in Wayne County to be rescinded by Feb. 28
February 12th, 20220 WAYNE COUNTY — Wayne County officials said in a press release that they are expecting to lift the mask mandate by Feb. 28, joining counties like Oakland and Washtenaw. The decision comes from a downturn in daily COVID-19 cases over the last month and the most significant decline over the last week. “We are encouraged by the...
Health officials: Those who test positive for COVID should speak to doctors about oral medication
February 7th, 20220 LANSING — With the eligibility criteria for antivirals expanding to include more at-risk Michiganders, state health officials are urging those who test positive for COVID-19 to speak to their health care provider about treatment with oral medication. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) says that the supply...
Pfizer asks FDA for emergency approval for COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5
February 2nd, 20220 WASHINGTON D.C. — Pfizer-BioNTech has asked the FDA for emergency authorization for a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine for children 6-months- to 5-years-old. The company is still awaiting data on a three-dose course. Early data from Pfizer has shown that the vaccine is safe and produces an immune response. For the youngest age group,...
Nessel launches investigation into high insulin prices
February 1st, 20220 LANSING — Attorney General Dana Nessel has sought court approval to investigate Eli Lilly and Co., accusing it of charging excessive prices for insulin. The filings asked an Ingham County judge to authorize a probe under the state consumer protection law, including the use of subpoenas to get records and to interview company...
Addressing the stigma surrounding mental health and illness in the Arab community
January 30th, 20221 — Sara Nasser is a licensed clinical/community mental health counselor and art therapist. It appears the only time we ever really hear about mental health issues in our community is when something unfortunate has happened. So, naturally, the subject becomes a topic of fear to some. Oftentimes, mental illness is hard to recognize or......
More than 1.1 million child COVID-19 cases reported across the country last week
January 28th, 20220 Data collected by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) from across the nation show alarming levels of COVID-19 infection among children. Data collected for the week ending Jan. 20 showed states with more than 1.1 million child COVID-19 cases. The definition of “child” cases is based on varying age ranges reported across...
State will distribute 10 million free KN95 masks
January 27th, 20220 LANSING — Governor Whitmer announced the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is distributing 10 million free KN95 masks to Michiganders, as the state continues to face the highly contagious Omicron variant. Free KN95 masks provided by the MDHHS will be distributed by community organizations, including......
Biden administration withdraws COVID-19 vaccine rule
January 25th, 20220 WASHINGTON DC — The Biden administration has officially withdrawn a rule that would have required workers to get vaccinated. The rule would have required either proof of vaccination or regular COVID testing requirements. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) confirmed the withdrawal, but did strongly encourage...
Wayne County and CDC partner to bring COVID testing to Dearborn this week
January 25th, 20220 DEARBORN — Wayne County officials have partnered with the CDC and the city of Dearborn to host a COVID-19 testing site this week. The testing site will be located at the south side parking lot of Ford Field Park at 22051 Cherry Hill Street in Dearborn. Testing will be available on Tuesday, Jan. 25 from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. and...
Whitmer asks the MDHHS to surge 300,000 COVID-19 test kits to schools, other priority groups
January 21st, 20220 LANSING — Governor Whitmer has asked the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) for help distributing COVID-19 test kits. The goal is to distribute these test kits to schools and other priority groups. “Tests are critical in keeping Michiganders safe and controlling the spread of COVID-19,” Whtimer said....
MDHHS issues order requiring nursing homes to offer COVID-19 vaccines
January 20th, 20220 LANSING — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has issued an epidemic order requiring nursing homes to offer COVID-19 vaccines. The facilities will be required to offer on-site doses to their residents. “With the omicron variant rapidly spreading across our state and cases of COVID-19 continuing to......
400 million free N95 masks to be made available starting next week
January 20th, 20220 WASHINGTON D.C. — The Biden administration is expected to be making 400 million N95 masks available for distribution for free starting next week. The announcement came after federal officials started emphasizing their better protection against the omicron variant of COVID-19 over cloth face coverings. The masks will come from...
Grow a few vegetables indoors this winter
January 19th, 20220 - Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was......
Dearborn Public Schools ready, but not planning on returning to virtual learning
January 19th, 20221 DEARBORN — As one of the largest school districts in Michigan, Dearborn Public Schools says that it’s ready, but not yet planning to pull students out of classrooms. In a recent article by WXYZ, a Fordson High School teacher said that attendance in his classes are low due to the spread of the Omicron variant of...
Here’s how to get free COVID-19 tests shipped directly to your Michigan home
January 18th, 20220 LANSING — Governor Whitmer is urging residents to take advantage of the federal government’s free COVID-19 testing program. At-home, rapid COVID-19 tests are available for free at COVIDTests.gov, with every household eligible for four free tests that will be shipped directly to Michiganders’ homes. Deliveries of the tests......
