Turmeric poisoned their kids. Four Seattle-area cases show gaps in lead testing Turmeric has been identified as the source of lead poisoning in at least four Seattle-area families recently. Health professionals worry that many more cases haven’t been identified because of inadequate childhood lead testing in Washington state. Anna Boiko-Weyrauch
Pandemic updates: Washington already ran out of free Covid tests Updated news about the coronavirus pandemic in Seattle and Washington state. KUOW Staff
Seniors are at high risk of Covid, but Medicare doesn't pay for rapid tests The laws governing Medicare don't provide coverage for self-administered diagnostic tests, including rapid antigen tests. Here's how older adults can get free tests anyway. Michelle Andrews
The danger of pushing the foreign attack theory for 'Havana Syndrome' NPR's Michel Martin speaks with The New Republic columnist Natalie Shure about "Havana Syndrome," a set of ailments reported by hundreds of American diplomats in recent years.
Los Angeles school district tells students to upgrade from cloth masks Students will have to wear "well-fitting, non-cloth masks with a nose wire." Employees will have to wear surgical grade masks or higher. Joe Hernandez
How colleges are dealing with high Covid case counts on campus Despite the omicron surge, college students are starting the spring semester on campus – and administrators are bracing for the worst. Elissa Nadworny
Why rapid Covid tests aren't more accurate and how scientists hope to improve them Recent research — and plenty of anecdotes — suggest some rapid tests may be less sensitive at detecting omicron if you don't have symptoms. Here's how researchers hope to make them more effective. Maria Godoy
We spend 12 million hours a week on the phone with health insurance A health communications expert has developed a free online course to help people talk to those who are vaccine hesitant — and to fight misinformation with empathy. Anya Kamenetz
Seattle Schools warehouse workers drove hours through snow for 60,000 Covid test kits The day after the snowstorm, which was two days after Christmas, Seattle Schools officials learned that 60,000 antigen test kits could be theirs. Isolde Raftery
How are COVID-related expenses impacting your household budget? PPE and COVID-19 tests are increasingly becoming necessities for U.S. households. But the costs add up — both in time and money. Tell us how the need for these items is affecting you. Mallory Yu