Gabrielle Emanuel

A citizen scientist in the Boston area put together instructions so parents, teachers and others can build DIY air purifiers.

Does Your Kid's Classroom Need An Air Purifier? Here's How You Can Make One Yourself

With some high-quality air filters, and a lot of duct tape, some teachers are making DIY air purifiers – one that was designed by experts but can be built by amateurs.

Jodee Pineau-Chaisson sits in her office in Springfield, Mass., on Jan. 12. Pineau-Chaisson, a social worker, contracted the coronavirus last May and continues to have symptoms even months after testing negative for the virus.

National headlines

When Does COVID-19 Become A Disability? 'Long-Haulers' Push For Answers And Benefits

Gabrielle Emanuel, Gabrielle Emanuel

Many patients suffering from long-term effects can no longer work and want the Social Security Administration to provide guidance on who qualifies for disability benefits.

A sign outside a U.S. Social Security Administration office in Mount Prospect, Ill., in October last year. Closed SSA offices across the country are being blamed for a 30 percent drop in applications for an aid program for the most vulnerable.

National headlines

Huge Drop In Federal Aid For The Poorest Is Blamed On Closed Social Security Offices

Gabrielle Emanuel, Gabrielle Emanuel

It's estimated that more than 120,000 low-income Americans have missed out on payments.

National headlines

Applications For Aid Program Helping Seniors And People With Disabilities Plunges

Gabrielle Emanuel, Gabrielle Emanuel

The number of applicants for Supplemental Security Income, a federal program for people in dire financial situations, has plummeted.

Do People Who Have Long-Term COVID-19 Symptoms Qualify For Disability Benefits?

Gabrielle Emanuel, Gabrielle Emanuel

Some people who survive COVID-19 have debilitating symptoms many months later. As scientists try to understand, advocates are trying to figure out if they qualify for disability benefits.

A Boston EMS ambulance crew wheels in a patient to MGH from their ambulance in Boston on April 8, 2020. Hospitals brace for a surge in patients.

NPR Headlines

Why Young, Healthy Researchers Are Being Vaccinated Before Seniors In Massachusetts

Gabrielle Emanuel, Gabrielle Emanuel

The state is a medical hub with giant hospitals and a huge healthcare workforce. Young adults who work in that field are getting the COVID-19 vaccine while at-risk seniors wait on the sidelines.

Carlos Reyes, a certified nursing assistant in Massachusetts, says the nursing homes where he works told him he could not get vaccinated because he is a contract worker. He has since tested positive for the coronavirus.

National headlines

Some Health Care Workers Say They Are 'Forgotten' In COVID-19 Vaccination Plans

Gabrielle Emanuel, Gabrielle Emanuel

Clinicians in private practice, those who work for staffing agencies and others who are not directly employed by hospitals or long-term care facilities say they have been overlooked in the rollout.