Latest KFF Health News Stories
Tourists Tote Dollars — And COVID — To U.S. Caribbean Islands
Tension rises among residents and travelers as U.S. island territories work to stymie the coronavirus while attempting to keep their doors open to tourism.
Public Health Officials Are Our COVID Commanders. Treat Them With Respect.
This pandemic is like war, and California’s local health officers are leading the state’s response. Yet unlike war heroes, who are lionized, they are facing unprecedented attacks and death threats.
Coast To Coast, States Suffer With COVID Surges
But Arizona, a former hot spot for positive cases, is emerging from lockdown as an example of how aggressive restrictions can flatten the curve.
How The World Is Faring: More Infectious Strain Emerges
Global news reports are from Indonesia, China, England, Iran, Chile, Mexico, Tanzania, Zambia, Japan and Germany.
Editorial pages focus on these public health issues and others.
Teachers Fight Back-To-School Orders
Teachers unions across the country are filing lawsuits in court to avoid going back to work in person with their students. And colleges report more and more cases of coronavirus among their students back on campus.
Colon Cancer Is Increasing Among Younger People, More Likely Among Blacks
The cancer that killed 43-year-old Chadwick Boseman is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Other medical news includes addiction treatment, dermatology and darker skins, pediatrics, and ALS and medical marijuana.
Telehealth Shortfall: Doctor Counts The Ways In-Person Physicals Are Important
Many are skipping annual physicals altogether or relying on telemedicine, including pet owners.
Researchers Identify First Reinfection Case In US
The 25-year-old man from Nevada was much sicker the second time. Three other reinfections are known to exist, calling into question the immune systems’ ability to prevent more serious illness.
Elon Musk Unveils Brain Implant To Help People With Neural Disorders
On Friday, the inventor showed off a prototype of the device developed by his startup, Neuralink.
Nestlé To Buy Peanut-Allergy Pharma Company
The food giant is buying a California biopharmaceutical company in a deal that values the startup at $2.6 billion.
States Struggle With Flu Shot Mandates, Too
It’s almost flu season and the anti-vaccine advocates are fighting with officials in numerous states over flu shots for children.
Little Evidence? FDA Expands Use Of Remdesivir Anyway
The FDA announced the antiviral can be used in any patient. “It seems to be a pattern of approval without science, without data, without evidence,” said Dr. Eric Topol, vice president at Scripps Research.
Getting America Vaccinated Against COVID Won’t Be Easy
As the prospects of a coronavirus vaccine improve, the logistics of getting Americans vaccinated appear daunting and not just because only half of Americans say they are highly likely to get the shot.
Maskless White House Audience Could Spread COVID Back Home
With no social distancing and few masks in use, 1,500 Trump campaign supporters crowded together to hear Donald Trump’s convention speech Thursday night. Public health experts worry that guests could have been infected. Meanwhile, the political conventions did not much change impressions of Trump or Joe Biden.
Hurricane Laura Adds To Health Risks
The powerful hurricane that hit Gulf Coast states damaged refineries, petrochemical plants and plastics factories, which could have released dangerous pollutants into the air. But some key state and federal monitors to alert the public remain offline in Louisiana.
A COVID Stimulus Bill Just Got More Complicated
Negotiations in Congress for a fifth COVID relief bill is now tied to negotiations to avoid another government shutdown. And neither are going well.
FDA Ousts Top Spokesperson After Bungled Convalescent Plasma Announcement
In addition to removing Trump-appointee Emily Miller from her post after only 11 days on the job, the FDA also terminated the contract of a public relations consultant. The moves are seen as an effort to restore the credibility of the agency.
FDA Chief Open To Fast-Tracking A Vaccine Before Trials Wrap Up
In interviews with the Financial Times and Bloomberg, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn spoke about the conditions under which he would consider granting emergency authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine. The comments come a week after President Donald Trump accused the FDA of dragging its feet on vaccine approval to hurt him politically.
CDC, FDA Prestige Takes Hit After Missteps And Backpedaling
And the reputations of both public health agencies could be further impacted by impressions that they are bowing to political pressure from the White House.