Latest KFF Health News Stories
Media outlets report on news from Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, Texas, District of Columbia, Colorado, New York, California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
Opinion writers weigh in on issues surrounding the coronavirus.
Longer Looks: Overcrowded Morgues, Miners’ Health, And Pollution In Your Blood
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Researchers want to determine what protects them from the degenerative disease in order to “to mimic what these resilient people have with some kind of a drug,” said Rudy Tanzi of Massachusetts General Hospital. Public health news is on immunization laws, military helmet safety, rare cancers, early cancer ideas from Sen. Bernie Sanders, E. coli outbreaks, childhood mental health, heart disease, loneliness among seniors, LSD testimonials, music and the brain, imaging devices and artificial intelligence, and eating disorders, as well.
The Hidden ‘Abortion Tax’: Extra Fees, Unexpected Costs Take Toll On Clinics’ Budgets
Among the costs abortion clinics have to carry: security to protect staff and patients; airfare to get doctors to areas lacking trained physicians willing to perform abortions; higher rates for contractors concerned about protesters and boycotts; more stringent loan terms; insurance that can be canceled unexpectedly; and for some clinic owners, legal fees for defending the constitutionality of the procedure.
The ProPublica report details the friendship between Michael Bloomberg and Mortimer Sackler and efforts taken to kill a Bloomberg Businessweek story on the Sackler’s role in the crisis. News on the epidemic is from Pennsylvania, also.
Congress shouldn’t “tell full-grown adults, those over 21, what they can and cannot do with a legal product,” said Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, who also cited concerns about policing communities of color.
The Trump administration said the rule would increase transparency and prevent abuses that enable states to draw down more federal money than they’re entitled to. But it has drawn widespread, bipartisan criticism that it could lead to funding being slashed.
The University of Southern California mishandled reports that former student health center gynecologist George Tyndall repeatedly sexually assaulted female patients, which may have allowed abuse to continue for years, a federal investigation concluded. “This total and complete failure to protect students is heartbreaking and inexcusable,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said in a statement.
The staffer, Andrea Goldstein, said publicly that she was groped at the VA medical center in Washington in September. VA Secretary Robert Wilkie has denied inquiring into Goldstein’s past following the allegations.
First Report Of A Coronavirus-Related Drug Shortage Could Herald Things To Come
The unnamed company that notified the FDA about a shortage said the problem is the result of an issue with the manufacturing of an active pharmaceutical ingredient used in the drug. “It is important to note that there are other alternatives that can be used by patients,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn.
Stocks Plunge For Sixth Straight Day In Global Slide Triggered By Coronavirus Fears
The outbreak not only threatens global supply chains, but impacts the way consumers interact with the economy. “They stop going out to eat, they don’t take the vacation, they cancel the business trip — that consumption, that spending, personal consumption is 68 percent of G.D.P.,” said Scott Clemons, the chief investment strategist for private banking at Brown Brothers Harriman.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar all went after President Donald Trump ahead of Super Tuesday’s polls.
Party officials have tried to spin the crisis as a testament to the strength of China’s authoritarian system, but they’re facing growing skepticism and anger from the country’s residents. In other news from China: a wildlife ban might not go far enough, mental health concerns rise, and the virus is helping transform telework.
President Donald Trump said that he didn’t regret cuts to funding for infectious disease response efforts, claiming that it would be easy to ramp it back up in times of crisis. But public health experts say the key to a successful response is sustained planning and investment.
Mild and asymptomatic cases make the virus harder to identify and then contain, unlike other outbreaks where the number of critical cases was high but allowed health workers to isolate patients. Meanwhile, in other news: a look at why the virus is spreading so quickly, a warning that warm weather might not slow it down, advice on how to prepare for an outbreak, an explainer on why patients who have a recurring case aren’t infectious any more, and more.
How Do State, Local Health Departments Already Stretched To Capacity Accommodate A Pandemic?
The fragile state of the country’s public health defenses became clear this week as local and state officials brace for the coronavirus onslaught. “When it’s functioning properly, you’re not really sure what public health is doing. But then when there’s a crisis, you realize that it’s so important,” said Vit Kraushaar, the Southern Nevada Health District’s medical investigator. News focuses on how states are being impacted by the outbreak.
Media outlets take a look at the global response to the coronavirus outbreak.
‘This Is Not A Time For Playing Politics’: Congress Scrambles To Pass Emergency Coronavirus Funding
Lawmakers discuss a spending package that would provide between $6 billion to $8 billion. They have about 10 working days to get a deal made before they’re set to leave town on a week-long recess.
The patient wasn’t tested right away because she didn’t fit the narrow parameters CDC issued about who should be checked for coronavirus. The agency has struggled with other missteps related to testing, and experts worry that they could have exacerbated whatever outbreak is set to come. Meanwhile, California is aggressively trying to contain the virus, now that it’s likely moved beyond just those who have traveled abroad.