Latest KFF Health News Stories
News on the global pandemic is reported from South Korea, Sweden, Great Britain, China, Italy, France, Senegal, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Ukraine, Madagascar, Germany, Croatia, Greece, Brazil and Taiwan.
Judy Mikovits Is Gaining Notoriety Among Anti-Shutdown Activists. Who Is She Exactly?
A viral video showcasing COVID-19 disinformation espoused by Judy Mikovits has made her a celebrity among conspiracy theorists and anti-shutdown activists. The New York Times and Washington Post look into her background and the path she took to becoming the latest darling of extreme groups.
Supply-Chain Shortages Could Hinder Efforts To Scale Up Production Of Needed Vaccine
In related news, health officials warn that not enough children are getting their routine vaccinations during the pandemic and that could lead to measles outbreaks.
At The Core Of World’s Success Against Small Pox Was Global Cooperation, Experts Say
When looking back to previous outbreaks and global health scares, experts say if there’s one lesson to take from the small pox effort it’s that countries need to work together. In other public health news: “deaths of despair,” face masks, seeking non-COVID care, plasma from survivors, flying safely and more.
‘Tuskegee Is In The Back Of My Mind’: Black Americans Wary Of Volunteering For COVID Studies
Deep distrust in a medical system and government that has time and again exploited black Americans is hampering scientists’ efforts now to get a better idea of why such severe racial disparities are being seen in the coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, ProPublica looks at Chicago’s early deaths–the vast majority of whom were black. And as social distancing arrests pick up, data show that minorities are being disproportionately targeted.
Road To Recovery For COVID-19 Patients Can Be Much Longer Than Expected, Doctors Warn
Even when patients are discharged from the hospital that doesn’t mean their recovery from COVID-19 is complete. Many patients find they are struggling to return to their normal levels of health weeks after getting infected. In other news: the virus’s damage to the body isn’t limited to the lungs, scientists race to understand the mysterious symptoms showing up in kids, doctors pull back on the use of ventilators and more.
A large share of coronavirus deaths have been in nursing homes. “There’s a risk and a liability when we reopen, no matter how we craft it,” said Kathryn Hyer, a professor at the University of South Florida. “It’s going to be very difficult.” Nursing home news is reported from New York, Maryland, Georgia, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, as well.
‘Time Of Fear, Panic’: As Orders To Remain Open Surfaced, Misinformation Spread Among Meat Packers
The New York Times reports on elbow-to-elbow work conditions inside a Tysons Foods pork plant in Waterloo, Iowa, its resistance to close and new precautions workers say came too late. Other news on worker safety reports on an uptick in pork exports to China and General Motors reopening three plants.
The project is designed to deliver needed medical gear and supplies to hospitals and doctors across the states. While President Donald Trump and his officials called it a success, a Washington Post analysis digs deeper into the actual numbers. In other preparedness news: a missed opportunity for more N95 masks, a rush on ventilators might have backfired for some and more.
First Antigen Test Gets Green Light From FDA: ‘A Lot Of Us Have Been Looking Forward To This Moment’
Experts say the tests are quicker than the traditional kits that have been hampering the United States’ efforts to quickly identify people who have been infected with COVID-19. In other tracking news: spit tests, privacy, shortages and more.
After Reports Of Chaos And Confusion, White House Announces New Plan For Remdesivir Distribution
“State health departments will distribute the doses to appropriate hospitals in their states because state and local health departments have the greatest insight into community-level needs in the COVID-19 response,” HHS said following backlash from hospitals and doctors across the country. Meanwhile, Stat pulls back the curtain on NIH’s decision to stop its drug trial of remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment
What Went Wrong In New Jersey VA Nursing Home That’s Seen At Least 72 Deaths?
Families and loved ones of veterans living demand answers as to why VA facilities, like the New Jersey Veterans Home at Paramus, are being so hard hit. “The whole place is sick now,” said Mitchell Haber, whose 91-year-old father, Arnold, an Army veteran, died last month.
Even If Coronavirus Was Contained Tomorrow, Economic Ramifications Would Likely Be Felt For Years
Lifting social distancing restrictions aren’t going to fix the economy with a flip of a switch. There will be businesses that won’t be able to rebound from the closures, shifting dynamics between workers and employers and a general weariness from American consumers to engage with services again. Meanwhile, White House advisers warn unemployment numbers are likely to get worse before they get better.
House Democrats Press The Gas Pedal On Next Relief Package Even As Republicans Pump The Brakes
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democratic leaders are putting finishing touches on their next relief package, but Senate Republicans have not budged from their wait-and-see stance. While the White House begins informal talks with both sides, advisers say they are not in a rush to pass anything yet. Meanwhile, the previous stimulus efforts are having mixed results.
Media outlets report on news from Washington, New York, Illinois, California, South Dakota, District of Columbia, Connecticut, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, Michigan, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maine, Oklahoma, Nevada and Louisiana.
Putting A Dollar Value On A Life May Seem Callous But It’s Common Practice In The Government
When the government issues regulations it tends to consider the financial cost versus the human lives that could be impacted. For example in 1972, a member of a Nixon administration task force on regulating the auto industry valued a life’s worth at $885,000 in today’s dollars; in 1998 debate over safety bars on trucks, the Department of Transportation’s value of a life reached $2.5 million. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump tries to strike an optimistic tone, even as cases and deaths climb. And Americans struggle to adjust to this strange period of time.
U.S. Will Issue Public Warning Accusing Chinese Hackers Of Trying To Steal Vaccine Research Data
The alert, from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, will likely increase tensions between the two countries already inflamed by the outbreak. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Beijing opposes all forms of cyberattack and cracks down on them.
Top Administration Health Officials Will Finally Face Congressional Questioning–Virtually
On Tuesday, Drs. Anthony Fauci, Robert Redfield, Stephen Hahn and Brett Giroir will be grilled by the Senate’s main health committee. One missing voice, however, will be the administration’s top health care official, HHS Secretary Alex Azar.
White House Scrambles To Contain Spread Of Virus Within Its Own Walls After 2 Staffers Test Positive
One of President Donald Trump’s military valets and Katie Miller, the spokeswoman for Vice President Mike Pence and a wife of a top Trump adviser, both tested positive. White House staffers say it’s “scary to go to work” in the small, crowded building now. Meanwhile, three top health officials announced they’ll self-quarantine based on exposure risk to those cases.
U.S. Death Total Climbs Toward 80,000 As States Begin To Reopen
A popular model once again adjusted its death total projections higher because more states are lifting their social distancing restrictions. The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation now says the country can expect at least 137,184 deaths through early August.