Latest KFF Health News Stories
A Deep Dive Into The Novel Coronavirus
The New York Times unravels the “bad news wrapped up in protein” to show what’s going on at a cellular level. In other science and innovation news: a glossary of terms, what exponential really means, smoking and its link to the virus, and more.
Democratic National Convention Postponed In Biggest Disruption Yet To The 2020 Elections
The presidential nominating convention, which was pushed from July to August, is expected to draw as many as 50,000 people. Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden had called for the gathering to be postponed. Meanwhile, Wisconsin moves ahead with its primary next Tuesday, angering some voters in the state.
Pinprick Blood Test To Identify Antibodies In Patients Approved By FDA
The blood tests are important for a variety of reasons, including the fact that those with antibodies might be able to act as the first wave of people to re-start the economy. In other treatment news: an unproven stem cell therapy gets the green light, an oral antiviral spray shows promise to protect health workers, experts warn there’s no “magic pill” to cure the virus, and the man behind a cocktail of drugs that’s been criticized as giving Americans false hope.
Amid sweeping efforts to get Americans to stay at home to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Google will offer the government a report of how foot traffic has increased or declined to six types of destinations: homes, workplaces, retail and recreation establishments, parks, grocery stores and pharmacies, and transit stations. In other news on social distancing measures: Dr. Anthony Fauci wants every state to institute a stay-at-home order; public compliance soars; projections show where the next hotspots may emerge; places that defy state orders mapped; historical data reveals cities that social distance emerge stronger economically in the long run; and more.
After Much Debate, White House Will Recommend Americans Wear Cloth Masks If They Go Out In Public
The CDC will emphasize that people should be using cloth masks instead of medical-grade gear so that the guidance doesn’t exacerbate the shortage for health care workers. Dr. Deborah Birx, of the White House task force, warned that Americans shouldn’t let the masks give them a false sense of security–washing hands and staying 6 feet apart are still the best ways to be protected against the virus.
Aircraft Carrier Commander Fired Over His ‘Firestorm’ Memo That Raised Outbreak Infection Alarms
Navy officials say that Captain Brett Crozier demonstrated “poor judgment” when copying 20-30 people on his letter warning of the health dangers to the USS Theodore Roosevelt after 100 people aboard tested positive. The memo was subsequently leaked to the public
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the committee, chaired by Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), will oversee the record-breaking $2.2 trillion stimulus package, the other two bills that were already passed, and any legislation that comes next.
Right now, places that are served by IHS and other rural communities don’t have the labs set up to test with the traditional, slower nasal swabs. So they are the priority for access to the quick coronavirus tests. Meanwhile, mandates for states to report data doesn’t paint the full picture of the virus outbreak yet, rather it just reveals the holes where no data is available.
Amid booming demand for protective masks for health care workers, first responders and the general public manufacturers just aren’t able to produce enough. And the issue of liability proved to be a roadblock in the early days of the outbreak, with companies hesitant to re-purpose industrial masks to make up for the shortages. Meanwhile, authorities seize hundreds of thousands of masks as part of a price-gouging investigation. And a Boston Hospital acquires a mammoth “game-changing” machine that can sterilize up to 80,000 N95 respirator masks a day.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warns that his state will run out of ventilators in six days. President Donald Trump and his administration are taking steps to ease those shortages–like invoking the Defense Production Act to help secure supplies for manufacturers–governors say they are falling fall short of the massive need. Meanwhile, ventilators aren’t a cure-all for virus patients: the survival rate for those who have to go on one may be as low as 20%.
CDC Warned Security Leaders About Threat Of A Mysterious Pathogen On Jan. 2. What Happened Next?
Behind the scenes, the National Security Council worked around the clock to try to understand the novel coronavirus after the CDC’s Dr. Robert Redfield tipped the members off in early January. Meanwhile, the Trump administration had ended a pandemic detection program two months before the outbreak started in China. And mixed messages and shifting leadership from President Donald Trump and within the White House and Defense Department sow confusion.
The United States has become the epicenter of the epidemic as this country surges toward 250,000 confirmed cases.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these health care topics during the pandemic and others.
Medicaid Nearing ‘Eye Of The Storm’ As Newly Unemployed Look For Coverage
The coronavirus outbreak has forced millions out of work and the federal-state health program for low-income people could face unprecedented strains as many states don’t necessarily have the resources or systems in place to meet the demand.
As The Country Disinfects, Diabetes Patients Can’t Find Rubbing Alcohol
Demand has exploded for rubbing alcohol and alcohol swabs, which are being deployed in the disinfection fight against the coronavirus. Now, people with diabetes who rely on the products for infection control are left scrambling.
Travel restrictions came after the coronavirus had reached the U.S.
Trump Touted Abbott’s Quick COVID-19 Test. HHS Document Shows Only 5,500 Are On Way For Entire U.S.
States urgently need millions of tests, and the game changer they’ve been waiting on falls well short of what is needed, according to government documents obtained by KHN.
Pandemic-Stricken Cities Have Empty Hospitals, But Reopening Them Is Difficult
In Philadelphia, New Orleans and Los Angeles, former safety-net hospitals sit empty in the middle of the city. But reopening a closed hospital, even in the midst of a pandemic when health resources are scarce, is not easy or cheap.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: All Coronavirus All The Time
The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing changes to the U.S. health system that were previously unthinkable. Yet some fights ― including over the Affordable Care Act and abortion — persist even in this time of national emergency. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, Rovner interviews KHN’s Liz Szabo about the latest installment of KHN-NPR’s “Bill of the Month.”