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Texas Matters: Addicted In A Pandemic, Pregnant and COVID-19

NEXU Science Communication via Reuters

The United States is now the new global epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak and now leads the world in confirmed cases. As of Thursday more than 82,000 people have been identified as infected and nearly 1,200 people have died in the United States.

For people fighting addiction – or those in recovery  – changes in routine can threaten their sobriety. As more cities and counties in Texas issue shelter-in-place orders to stop the spread of COVID-19, people’s routines are being turned upside down. TPR's Carson Frame reports on how some people in recovery are trying to make it work.
 
New rules at many hospitals around birthing aim to limit new moms exposure to COVID-19. Those rules combined with outright fear of the disease, have some pregnant moms are looking for alternatives to the hospital. TPR’s Paul Flahive brings us this report.

After approved by the House of Representatives, President Trump signed a historic $2 trillionemergency relief bill called the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act.

San Antonio Congressman Lloyd Doggett is the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee subcommittee on health. The Democrat has been a vocal in trying to keep unnecessary corporate bailouts out of the bill and have it focused on providing medical care, COVID-19 testing and economic relief to working families who lost jobs and wages due to the shutting down of businesses. Doggett says the U.S. Coronavirus crisis could have been avoided if widespread testing was available early and the White House hadn’t wasted time while calling the COVID-19 “a democratic hoax.”

In the midst of this global pandemic that has brought about school closures, college students don’t just deal with watching video lectures or Skype meetings with their professors.  They’re carrying the burdens of diminishing access to essential items, job losses, and other issues most might not realize.  In her commentary, Texas Public Radio contributor Yvette Benavides shares her insights on troubling developments affecting students already facing the challenges of being in college.

Yvette Benavides is a professor of English and creative writing at Our Lady of the Lake University. She is the co-author of the book “San Antonio 365” published by Trinity University Press.

David Martin Davies can be reached at dmdavies@tpr.org and on Twitter at @DavidMartinDavi