Latest KFF Health News Stories
Commercial Labs Sitting On Excess Capacity For COVID-19 Testing But They’re Going Unused
President Donald Trump said that the sharp drop-off in commercial testing was a good sign because it indicated that “states are moving to faster, more local testing solutions including on the spot tests.” But experts say the U.S. is nowhere close to testing the amount it needs to in order to reopen and commercial labs remain frustrated that they’re not being used to full capacity.
“The best news is that most of our patients have already been discharged, which is great. We’ve only had two patients perish,” said Kathleen Mullane, of the University of Chicago, in a video obtained by Stat. The antiviral had been singled out in the early days as one that might offer the most hope as a coronavirus treatment. But the trial does not include what’s known as a control group, so it will be difficult to say whether the drug is truly helping patients recover better. In other pharmaceutical news: the dangerous rush to approve hydroxychloroquine; a look at where all treatment studies stand; herbal remedies growing in popularity; and more.
Moderna, NIH Bringing Older Americans Into Vaccine Trials And Get $483M To Accelerate Development
The trial originally focused on healthy younger Americans, but the NIH and Moderna are now reaching out to more vulnerable populations, as well. Meanwhile, the company receives a large infusion of money that experts say shows the vaccine’s development has moved far along enough that preparations are under way to test it further and to expand manufacturing.
The prior record was 2,569, reported the day before. COVID-19 is on pace to become the largest single killer of Americans, given the normal number of deaths in an April week. Meanwhile, most experts agree it’s hard to get an accurate count due to spotty testing and the actual number of both cases and deaths are likely higher.
Texas Becomes Mail-In-Voting War’s Next Battleground
As Texas Democrats push for mail-in-voting, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a letter saying someone already ill with COVID-19 could vote by mail, but that the mere fear of contracting the illness wouldn’t qualify. Across the country, tensions are rising as states and election officials try to ensure voters will be able to safely made their voice heard in November.
Midwest States Are Latest Regional Area To Form Coalition To Reopen Economy
Seven Midwestern governors are banding together to plan a way to gracefully restart their economies, stressing that they’ll take “a fact-based, data-driven approach.” The neighbors’ partnership is just the latest — following in the footsteps of West and East Coast states — in a tacit agreement that disease knows no state boundaries. Meanwhile, some Americans grow weary of the shutdown, but a majority worry that states will reopen too soon.
By Keeping Conversations Informal With Economic Panel, Trump Can Circumvent Transparency Laws
The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires outside advisory committees to hold open meetings and issue public reports, but since the conversations with members of the economic panel are being characterized as casual, they don’t have to be recorded. Notably, the White House also avoided the term “committee” in its announcement. In other news on the Trump administration’s to the crisis: the president’s WHO decision draws backlash, Trump’s former personal attorney released from prison early amid virus fears, Dr. Anthony Fauci’s popularity soars, and more.
Trump Releases 3-Phase Plan To Reopen Country, But Admits Governors Are At The Wheel
“We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time,” President Donald Trump said. The plan leans heavily on the idea that some states that have not been as hard-hit can reopen quicker than hot spots. Trump also walked back prior claims that he has “total” authority on lifting shut-down measures. “You’re going to call your own shots,” he told governors on a call to discuss the guidelines.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
NYC Nurse Says He’s Not Scared: ‘I Am Only Doing My Job’ For COVID-19 Patients
Francisco Díaz ordinarily works educating seniors about their diabetes, but he has moved to the emergency room, on the front line in the battle against coronavirus. He said his Latino background helps him communicate with the many Spanish-speaking patients and understand their culture.
California Shies Away From Calls To Eliminate Restrictions On Nurse Practitioners
Many states are dramatically loosening regulations on nurse practitioners as the coronavirus pandemic increases demand for health care workers. But not California.
En NYC, enfermero de ER dice: “no tengo miedo. Solo ayudo a pacientes con COVID-19”
En la Ciudad de Nueva York, ha habido más muertes de latinos por el virus que de otras razas o etnias, según revelan datos preliminares del departamento de salud local.
‘It’s Not Over Until It’s Over’: 5 Things To Know About Hitting The COVID-19 Peak
President Donald Trump says the country has seen a peak in new cases, but that doesn’t mean the end of the pandemic, experts say. Buckle in — we could be social distancing into 2022.
As Ventilators Become Crucial In Saving Lives, Repair Roadblocks Remain
With hospitals struggling to get more ventilators, they must ensure every ventilator they have is ready for service. But manufacturers limit who can repair them.
Obama: GOP’s Stance On Preexisting Conditions Off-Base, Especially During Pandemic
The former president’s statement highlights a clear difference of opinion that will likely come up often on the campaign trail.
The COVID-19 Bailout That’s Left Every Hospital Unhappy In Its Own Way
Despite intense lobbying for a piece of the $100 billion bailout pot, big New York hospitals and rural systems alike say they aren’t getting a fair share.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: How Will We Reopen The Economy?
The politics of COVID-19 are pretty polarized, but health experts across the ideological spectrum agree: The U.S. will need more robust testing before it’s safe to relax social-distancing requirements. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, Congress and the nation’s governors continue to spar over who should be responsible for what. Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider, Tami Luhby of CNN and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, for extra credit, the panelists suggest their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
With Federal Nod, Consumers Could Lose The Boost They Get From Drug ‘Coupons’
The proposal being weighed by federal officials would allow employers and insurers to decide that drug companies’ assistance doesn’t count toward their members’ deductible or out-of-pocket maximum spending limits. If plans opted for that approach, only payments made by patients themselves would be included in the calculation toward reaching those limits.
Big Brother Wants To Track Your Location And Health Data. And That’s Not All Bad.
Big data plays a critical role in the success of current public health efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus. Privacy advocates, though, are watching closely.