Latest KFF Health News Stories
Bishop Who Held Services Despite Virginia’s Shutdown Order Dies Of COVID-19
Gerald O. Glenn preached to dozens of worshipers in late March, saying “I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus.” His death comes amid tensions between some church officials and state leaders as they push back against the shutdown orders.
The anti-abortion movement seized the opportunity presented by the pandemic and encouraged red states to declare abortion a non-essential procedure. The decisions have provoked a flurry of court cases, but many women remain stuck and scared about what to do.
China’s Attempts To Heal Battered International Reputation Yields Mixed Results
In some places, China’s efforts to help countries fight their own outbreaks have backfired. “They know when the dust settles and people turn their eye toward whether Beijing was responsible, it’s going to be a very difficult situation,” said Nadège Rolland, a senior fellow at the National Bureau of Asian Research. In other global news, England’s death total is 15% higher than previously reported.
Many of the precautions that are being taken to ensure Americans’ safety during the pandemic–such as stay-at-home orders–fall flat for the homeless population, though many are among the most vulnerable people in the country. In other public health news: social-distancing shaming, teeth pain, canceled procedures, minority data, and more.
New Studies Point To Ways Marketing Of Oxycontin Had More Severe Consequences
Freedom of Information requests allowed the opening of unsealed documents from settled lawsuits in Florida, Washington and West Virginia showing how the distributions of opioids was nearly twice as high in states where regulations made it easier to market. Other news on the epidemic is on a report about Walmart allegedly hiding from consumers that it was under criminal investigation.
Deadly Storms In South A Harsh Reminder Of The Difficulties That Come With Dueling Catastrophes
Tornadoes and severe weather storms left dozens dead in southern states that have been braced for a surge of the coronavirus. The disaster response will be severely hampered by the pandemic that is already devouring resources and attention.
Census Bureau Asks For Four-Month Delay In Delivering Data Because Of Coronavirus Disruptions
The move raised some red flags for Democrats and experts who worry about the secrecy surrounding the 2020 census, which stands in sharp contrast to previous ones, as well as limited support for the count that they’ve seen. A lengthy delay in reporting census figures to the states could throw a wrench into at least some states’ efforts to draw new political maps.
The government has started to lower the number of detainees being held, but advocates and lawyers say that not enough is being done to protect the vulnerable population. “We don’t have any social distance within us,” said the detainee. “We are just living by the grace of God.” Meanwhile, states appeal to the Supreme Court justices to block Trump administration rules that penalize legal immigrants from seeking public benefits.
USS Theodore Roosevelt Sailor Dies From Coronavirus Complications, Four Others Hospitalized
Nearly 600 sailors from the aircraft carrier tested positive for COVID-19. The chief petty officer who died was in his 40s. Other news on the Navy reports on an outbreak among the crew of the hospital ship Mercy.
Americans Should Brace For Some Minor Disruptions In Food Chain As Processing Plant Workers Fall Ill
Industry experts insist that the disruptions will be more a matter of inconvenience–such as not having the same amount of variety–rather than severe shortages. Meanwhile, the increased demand from shoppers strains food banks just when they need resources the most. And Amazon fires two employees who were outspoken critics of the company’s warehouse conditions.
Some Ironclad Best Medical Practices Tossed Out The Window In Face Of COVID-19’s Chaotic Destruction
Doctors talk about what they would have liked to know about the progression of the illness a month ago when they started treating severe cases. In other news: rationing care, viral loads and the life span of the virus.
Drug That Calms Immune System Could Either Address Deadly ‘Cytokine Storms’ Or Backfire
Eli Lilly’s drug for rheumatoid arthritis will be tested in human patients. But concerns remain about giving patients a drug that quiets their immune system in the midst of a battle against a virus. Meanwhile, the CIA warns its employees about the deadly side effects of the malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump.
There is some history that shows that other vaccines can boost the immune system’s response, providing some cross-protection from other viruses. But there is no evidence that the technique will work enough with coronavirus. But development of a new vaccine is supposed to take at least a year, and some think using older vaccines might help bridge that gap.
Antibody Tests Touted As Lynch Pin To Reopening Economy Come With Serious Flaws
There are concerns about the accuracy and accessibility of the antibody tests, which may become the country’s next testing failure. More than 90 tests are now on the market, and most have bypassed FDA review. Still, very few Americans have undergone the testing.
Republicans want a no-strings attached bill for small businesses, but Democrats say the legislation is a non-starter without including funding for health systems, food assistance and testing. In other news from Capitol Hill: stimulus money finally gets to some Americans; groups urge lawmakers to free up $500 billion in unrestricted aid; rural hospitals have been shut out of emergency funding; and more.
Even When The Economy Reopens, It Will Look Quite Different Than What It Used To
Experts warn that reopening of the economy over the coming weeks and months will be fitful, fragile and partial—and a bit dystopian, with frequent temperature checks, increased monitoring of employees and customers, and, potentially, blood tests to determine whether workers have possible immunity to the virus.
President Donald Trump claimed he had been “brutalized” by the media and peppered his daily briefing with false claims–for example, that nobody sought federal help to acquire ventilators–that have been disproven multiple times. Meanwhile, Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci tried to counter rumors that Fauci was on the verge of being fired following comments about the country’s slow path toward shutting down. In other news on the president’s response efforts: the impetus behind his WHO funding threats; 18,000 false and misleading statements he’s made; and criticism from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
“Why New York? Why are we seeing this level of infection? … It’s very simple: It’s about density,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said at a news conference Monday. “The dense environments are its feeding grounds.” Although New York had some grim data released from the weekend, there are signs of hope that the outbreak might be waning. In other news from the hotspot: doctors use rain ponchos as gear shortages abound; the NYPD has less crime to deal with but many of its officers are sick; the feud between state leaders rages on; and more.
President Donald Trump, in response to a handful of governors announcing reopening pacts, claimed “total” authority for restarting the country lies with him. However, governors are the ones who have the power to issue stay-at-home orders. Meanwhile, speculation swirls about who will be appointed to Trump’s new task force dedicated to reopening the country. The president knocked down rumors that his daughter and son-in-law will be part of the efforts.
Northeastern Governors Team Up To Slowly Reopen As Cuomo Declares ‘Worst Is Over’ In New York
New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Massachusetts and Rhode Island governors will draw up a unified plan with the acknowledgment that the virus doesn’t heed state boundaries. On the West Coast, California, Washington state and Oregon announced a similar partnership. “If you do it wrong, it can backfire, and we’ve seen that with other places in the globe,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “What the art form is going to be here is doing that smartly and doing that in a coordinated way.” The death toll in New York climbed past 10,000, but there are some positive signs the outbreak may be plateauing. Meanwhile, states that didn’t issue lock-downs are starting to see the repercussions.