Author

Shefali Luthra

Shefali Luthra covers consumer issues in health care. Her work has appeared in news outlets such as The Washington Post, CNN Health and NPR.org. Previously, she was Kaiser Health News's Peggy Girshman Web Reporting Fellow. She also interned at The Texas Tribune, covering the rollout of the 2010 health law, women’s health issues and state politics. She graduated from Brown University with a bachelor’s degree in English literature.

Health

Vaping, Opioid Addiction Accelerate Coronavirus Risks, Says NIDA Director

Shefali Luthra Apr 24, 2020

Dr. Nora Volkow, who heads the National Institute on Drug Abuse, spoke about the emerging science around COVID-19’s relationship to vaping and to opioid use disorder, as well as how these underlying epidemics could increase people’s risks.…

Health

OSHA Probing Health Worker Deaths But Urges Inspectors To Spare The Penalties

Shefali Luthra Apr 22, 2020

On April 21, nurses conducted a demonstration in Washington, D.C., to read aloud the names of health care providers who have contracted COVID-19 and died as a result of treating infected patients. The event was held by National Nurses…

Health

What’s Missing In The Coronavirus Response

Shefali Luthra Apr 9, 2020

The national effort has been disorganized, relying heavily on state action, said health systems experts and public health researchers. That approach has fallen short, they assert. In the age of coronavirus, Americans are being told to stay…