Latest KFF Health News Stories
Many Afghanistan residents are defying orders not to congregate during their holiday celebrations raising fears among government officials that the spread of the virus could create numbers of cases like those seen in Wuhan. “The nature of this society is a very close physical one,” said a migration official. “People touch one another a lot; they live in multigenerational families.” More global news comes from France, Italy, Japan, India, and China, as well.
Researchers Investigate If COVID-19 Can Pass To A Fetus In The Womb
The cases of three infected newborns raise concerns that the virus can be transmitted during pregnancy, but studies are still early. “Is it possible that SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted in utero? Yes, especially because virus nucleic acid has been detected in blood samples” from newborns, David Kimberlin and Sergio Stagno of the University of Alabama at Birmingham wrote. “Is it also possible that these results are erroneous? Absolutely.”
New York City Hospitals Reckon With Onslaught Of Patients In Heart Of Country’s Outbreak
Media outlets go inside the overwhelmed emergency departments at New York City hospitals to show what doctors and other providers are dealing with day in and day out. “I have so many different fears,” said Dr. Sylvie de Souza. “That’s all we can do: just pray, stick together, encourage each other, not get paralyzed by fear.” Meanwhile, across the country, California is carefully watching how New York City handles the surge, with expectations that the Golden State will see a similar number of cases in coming days and weeks.
The practice of injecting current patients with past patients’ blood is a century-old. But it doesn’t always prove successful.
The study shows the importance of doing carefully controlled research despite increasing anxiety over finding a treatment. Scientists say that doesn’t mean the malaria drug doesn’t work, but that people shouldn’t be looking at it as a magical cure. Meanwhile, a conservative business group founded by a prolific Republican political donor is pressuring the White House to greenlight the treatment anyway.
Health Law Expected To Act As Crucial Safety Net Amid Pandemic. Will That Finally Sway Its Doubters?
Millions of Americans have lost jobs and potentially the health care coverage that went along with them. The Affordable Care Act may serve as a crucial safety net to the country during this turbulent time. While the Trump administration has chipped away at the health law over the years, it might need to adjust its mentality and support the very thing it railed against. In other news on the economic toll of the outbreak: a look at how the recession is just getting started, how the stimulus package won’t mitigate all of the damage, a movement to get older Americans to work in the name of “patriotism,” and more.
President Donald Trump has signaled his determination to reopen parts of the country in recent days, and the latest proposal would involve a targeted approach that would rely heavily on testing, which has been a weak spot for the country. But public health experts warn against lifting physical distancing restrictions, even in places that haven’t had a surge of cases yet.
There’s A Stockpile Of Nearly 1.5M Masks In A Government Warehouse, But They’re Expired
Government officials decided to offer the respirators to TSA, an agency whose workers have been hit hard by the outbreak. There are no plans to send them to hospitals who have been desperately asking for protective gear for their health care providers. Meanwhile, health care workers are resorting to making hand-sewn masks that do little to protect them from the coronavirus.
The White House had been planning to announce a venture that would lead to the production of as many as 80,000 ventilators. Then the bill came. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said he didn’t believe hospitals need as many ventilators as they say they do, even as New York approved a risky policy of sharing the equipment between patients and New Jersey starts making plans on how to ration care.
While the pinprick blood test would solve the time and shortages issues that are hobbling the traditional method, some scientists say it’s unclear if the rapid tests provide accurate results. Public health experts have been adamant that efficient and wide-spread testing is crucial in the fight against the pandemic, but the U.S. stumbled in rolling out its testing response.
U.S. Surpasses China In Number Of Coronavirus Cases To Become Epicenter Of Pandemic
Nearly 86,000 cases have been confirmed in the United States as of Friday morning, according to Johns Hopkins’ data tracker, including 1,300 deaths. China had previously been leading the world in number of cases, but the United States passed that total on Thursday.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
In Coronavirus Relief Bill, Hospitals Poised To Get Massive Infusion Of Cash
The legislation scheduled to go before the House for a vote Friday provides nearly $200 billion in aid for hospitals. That includes payments for expenses or lost revenues from the coronavirus pandemic, interest-free loans and changes in Medicare reimbursements.
Help Wanted: Retired Doctors And Nurses Don Scrubs Again In Coronavirus Fight
As they prepare for an onslaught of coronavirus patients, health officials in New York and other states urge retired medical professionals to rejoin the ranks.
Physicians Fear For Their Families As They Battle Coronavirus With Too Little Armor
Doctors sent an impassioned, desperate letter to Congress describing the lack of protective equipment across the country — from masks to respirators to gowns to goggles. They’re using equipment from construction sites and home-repair stores or wearing the same mask from patient to patient. And they worry about what exposure without sufficient protection means for them and their families.
Not So Fast Using CPAPs In Place Of Ventilators. They Could Spread The Coronavirus.
U.S. pandemic planning envisioned the possibility of using CPAP machines for milder cases of COVID-19 when ventilators are in short supply. But evidence suggests that the machines, commonly used by people with sleep apnea, can aerosolize and possibly spread the virus. That leaves hospitals with few good alternatives if the demand for ventilators exceeds the supply.
Telemedicine Surges, Fueled By Coronavirus Fears And Shift In Payment Rules
Millions of Americans are suddenly seeking care by connecting with a doctor electronically. Helping drive that trend, medical providers can now charge as much as they would for an office visit.
Under Financial Strain, Community Health Centers Ramp Up Coronavirus Response
Many of the nation’s safety-net clinics for low-income patients are having to turn their model of care upside down overnight to deal with the realities of the pandemic — a challenge both financially and logistically. Federal funding is on the way.
Editorial pages express focus on the president’s call to reopen the economy during the pandemic and other health issues.
Research Roundup: Medicaid Eligibility, ICU Infection Rates, Heartburn Drugs’ Side Effects, And More
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.