Natalie Krebs
Reporter, Iowa Public Radio and Side EffectsNatalie Krebs is the health reporter for Iowa Public Radio in Des Moines. She previously worked as an independent producer in west Texas where she covered issues related to the environment, immigration and health care. She has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. She can be reached at nkrebs@iowapublicradio.org.
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Immigrants make up an estimated 40 percent of the U.S. meat processing workforce. Last year’s wave of COVID outbreaks at meatpacking plants exposed many vulnerabilities among the industry’s diverse workforce.
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Nationwide, COVID-19 disproportionately affected communities of color — in part because the U.S. relies on immigrant workers in food and agriculture.
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Iowa's nursing home staff COVID-19 vaccination rates have improved but still lag behind the nationalAn analysis of nursing home staff vaccination rates by AARP using federal numbers found Iowa's rates have improved, but they still lag behind national rates.
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The number of individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 remains high across the country — and the Midwest. With the delta variant dominating cases, patients now are younger, sicker and often require more intensive care, hospitals like Methodist in Des Moines are facing pressure.
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The U.S. was dealing with a shortage of nurses even before the pandemic. Now, with COVID-19 hospitalizations rising once again, there’s concern that nurses on the frontlines are at even greater risk of burnout.
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In recent weeks, demand for the COVID-19 vaccine in Iowa has declined sharply, but the number of Iowans who have had at least one shot hasn't even reached 70 percent. That's raising concern among public health officials.
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The pandemic has affected the mental health of Iowa's children, and some are still concerned that two years after the creation of the children's mental health system, services are still falling short.
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Around the nation, demand for the vaccine overall is decreasing. But many Native American tribal communities are ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to getting COVID vaccines. And, one place in Iowa is getting close to herd immunity.
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The Midwest is home to tens of thousands of immigrants — including refugees from countries like Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Iraq. And it’s been a challenge to provide information about COVID-19 and vaccines to those who don’t speak English.
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Hospitals and healthcare workers reflect on living with COVID a year after it came to dominate our lives.