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The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants with antibody-evading mutations raises concerns about variable levels of protection against infection after prior infection or vaccination (1). The Omicron variant is genetically divergent [...]

Introduction The relationship between housing conditions and health has been documented for centuries (Krieger & Higgins, 2002; Mood, 1993). Home-based health hazards are heavily researched due to their contributions to [...], The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) began operation of a landlord-tenant hotline to address residential habitability complaints in 2011. There are limited studies describing such hotlines and the types of complaints experienced by callers in renter-occupied units (ROUs) anywhere in the U.S., much less in Clark County, Nevada. This study examined the hotline operation and found that it received almost 5,000 calls from March 2014-July 2016. Callers with complaints covered by the Nevada Revised Statute Chapter 118A, habitability of a dwelling, were eligible for participation in the Clark County Landlord-Tenant Hotline Study. The study collected additional data on 1,283 participants characterizing the population using the hotline and types of housing complaints reported. Callers typically were 38 [+ or -] 13.9 years old, female (75%), and the majority identified as non-Hispanic or Latino, Black/African American, or White. General maintenance, mold-like substances, and cockroaches were the top three complaints reported. SNHD inspectors conducted 290 site inspections of participant dwellings and validated the presence of the complaint(s) in the majority of cases. The findings presented here indicate a need for further investigation and continuation of services provided by the hotline.

Diabetes mellitus accounts for 5.8% of the total health care costs of citizens of the United States. Hospitalization expenses produce 40.5% of these costs. We sought to determine the public expenditure and major precipitators of admissions for uninsured diabetic hyperglycemic emergencies at a large public hospital. Of 247 diabetic emergency admissions over a 30 month period, 49% (n = 121) of these patients had no medical insurance. The uninsured patients were younger and had relatively mild disease in comparison to the insured patients. These patients identified a primary physician in only 6% of the cases and had a higher incidence of admissions associated with lack of medications. We conclude that public funds to provide access to primary care and enhancement of employer-sponsored health insurance programs may decrease the numbers and costs of hospitalizations due to hyperglycemic emergencies in uninsured patients with diabetes mellitus.