Public Health

KUOW Blog

Increasing overdose deaths stress King County morgue

King County is experiencing a grim indicator of how bad the opioid crisis has become — a lack of space to store bodies. Public Health Director Faisal Khan said the Medical Examiner's office has finite space in the coolers they use, and that space is being exceeded on a regular basis.

Critics say 'monkeypox' is a racist name. But it's not going away anytime soon

Scientists call the name "discriminatory and stigmatizing." The World Health Organization agrees. But no progress has been made on finding a new name. And some say the name doesn't need changing.

As monkeypox cases grow, King County scrambles to distribute limited vaccine doses

The number of confirmed monkeypox cases in King County is doubling every week — in part because of increased spread of the virus, and in part because of increased testing and detection of cases. To date, there have been 91 monkeypox cases in King County, and 103 statewide.

KUOW Blog

Is that toxic algae? Washington officials warn: 'when in doubt, stay out.'

It's hot and you want to cool off. It's time to go to the lake. Before you jump in, officials are asking you to be aware of toxic algae blooming throughout the Northwest.

As monkeypox spreads, know the difference between warning and stigmatizing people

While the current monkeypox outbreak appears to mostly affect men who have sex with other men, others are still at risk. History and public health experts say it's dangerous to suggest otherwise.