Latest KFF Health News Stories
Researchers Try To Solve Mystery Of ‘Super Spreaders’ To Help Control Pandemic’s Spread
Scientists largely agree that a subset of people seems to be more infectious than others, whether due to genetics, social habits or other events. “The tricky part is that we don’t necessarily know who those people are,” Dr. Jon Zelner, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan, tells The New York Times.
Hospitals are worried that no one is paying enough attention to the fact that there are looming shortages of drugs needed to treat COVID-19 patients. Meanwhile, The Washington Post looks at how misinformation spread abut a malaria drug. And as scientists across the globe drop what they’re doing to focus on the outbreak, hundreds of studies on treatments for other diseases stall.
Governors Forced To Get Creative To Procure Ventilators In Face Of Haphazard Federal Distribution
Some are tweeting the president while others are going to the media, amid growing frustration that there’s not a cohesive distribution plan for the National Stockpile. Meanwhile, the West Coast’s success at holding the virus at bay so far may be getting overlooked as the nation directs its attention and praise to the East Coast. And some doctors suggest that it might be time to reconsider if ventilators are the ideal treatment even for severe COVID-19 cases.
U.S. Surpasses Italy As Death Count Climbs Past 20,000
Although the U.S. did surge past Italy for total deaths, America has more than five times the population of Italy’s 60 million people. New York, one of the nation’s hardest hit cities so far, is also showing some signs of hopes with its numbers.
Trump Made Sweeping Promises At The Beginning Of Crisis. So Far, Few Have Materialized.
NPR takes a deep dive into the promises President Donald Trump made during a Rose Garden address declaring a national emergency in March. In other news on Trump’s response: the president’s personal reflections on the crisis, his early missteps, his attacks on watchdogs and his frustration with WHO.
President Donald Trump re-tweeted a message that included the hashtag #FireFauci. Dr. Anthony Fauci has won praise for how he’s been helping to handle the crisis. But as he pushes back against Trump’s messaging, some wonder if the tensions will continue to escalate between the two men.
Fraud Abounds As Federal Government, States Scramble To Procure Masks For Front-Line Workers
Investigators are busting elaborate scams across the country of people trying to profit from a shortage of face masks for health care workers. Meanwhile, in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo orders employers to provide essential workers with protective gear.
‘It’s A Wild West Show Out There’: Lack Of FDA Oversight Creates Chaotic Marketplace For Blood Tests
Experts agree that widespread testing is needed for the country to re-open, but America continues to struggle to meet the mark. To speed the availability of quick blood tests to determine if someone has the virus, the FDA waived layers of usual reviews. But that lack of oversight might backfire as questionable tests flood the marketplace. Meanwhile, South Korea, which has won praise for its aggressive testing, is sending 600,000 kits to America this week.
Trump Itching To Reopen Country, But Public Health Officials And Governors Worry About Another Surge
President Donald Trump is signaling his interest in reopening the country by May 1, though the final decision for each state lays with governors. As of now there doesn’t seem to be a federal plan for how vital functions like air and surface transport can safely resume without triggering a new wave of mass infections, and state leaders and public health officials warn about returning to normalcy too quickly. Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested that there might be a possibility of a “rolling re-entry” in May.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
Readers And Tweeters Stay At Home And Stay In Touch With KHN
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
How Do We Exit The Shutdown? Hire An Army Of Public Health Workers
The pandemic has exposed massive cracks in the foundations of the U.S. public health system. Getting the country back to normal, experts say, will require a major investment in Public Health 101: training a corps of workers who can track people with the virus and prevent them from passing it to others.
Battling A Pandemic Across 4,750 Square Miles And 10 Million People
Los Angeles County’s health leader describes the struggle for data and resources in the coronavirus fight.
Biden’s Incremental Medicare Play For Bernie’s Backers
The presumptive Democratic presidential candidate unveils a proposal to lower the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 60.
¿Cómo salir del aislamiento? Contratando una legión de trabajadores de salud pública
Autoridades en todo el país están tratando de descubrir cómo reanudar algo similar a la vida normal sin desencadenar una ola catastrófica de enfermedad y muerte.
Furor Erupts: Billions Going To Hospitals Based On Medicare Billings, Not COVID-19
In the first round of emergency relief, some states will get more than $300,000 per COVID-19 patient, while hard-hit New York gets just $12,000 per patient.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.
Editorial pages focus on these health care topics and others.
Will Americans Warm Up To Robots In Place Of Workers Amid Threat Of Being Exposed To Virus?
Before the pandemic, automation had been gradually replacing human work in a range of jobs, but the pandemic could speed up that process as society sees the benefits of restructuring workplaces in ways that minimize close human contact. In other health and technology news: Alexa’s role in the pandemic, telemedicine use, and security concerns.
The state launched a new hotline, but families are still unable to obtain information about how many cases exist in individual nursing homes. And in many cases, they can’t get updates on parents. News on nursing homes is reported from California, Pennsylvania and Ohio, as well.