Latest KFF Health News Stories
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
Editorial writers express views about these health issues and others.
Kids Exposed To Wildfire Smoke Will Likely Suffer More Asthma, Doctors Say
Other public health news is on obesity, the flu and mental health.
Michigan Joins Other Colleges Canceling Spring Break
Colleges aim to reduce risks by minimizing mass travel to and from campuses. News is on successes and failures of reopenings, privacy issues, a gap year for kindergartners and more.
New Hampshire’s New Cases Likely Linked To Maine Gatherings
Media outlets report on news from New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, Louisiana and more.
Airline Travel: Exposures Around 11,000; One Person On London Flight Infected 15
Airline news is on tracing infections, workers’ lower infection rates, safety standards and border closures.
As Months Tick By, Doctors Say They’re Improving Their Fight Against COVID
“Health-care preparedness today is much better than it was in February and March,” said Andrew Badley, head of the Mayo Clinic’s Covid Research Task Force.
You Likely Can Give Coronavirus To Your Pet, 3 New Studies Suggest
Antibodies found in dogs and cats suggested that a large proportion of the animals tested may have gotten COVID-19 from their owners. Another study found that the coronavirus jumped back and forth between people and minks.
Tocilizumab Tested In First Large Study Of Black And Hispanic COVID Patients
The drug, currently sold as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis under the names Actemra and RoActemra, helped prevent the need for breathing machines in hospitalized patients.
How To Win Anti-Misinformation Strategies About Vaccines On Social Media
Pinterest might have a lesson to offer Facebook about how to spread healthy information about vaccines and COVID, according to STAT. News is on fewer Americans wanting to take the vaccine and more, as well.
Obamacare, Reproductive Rights Join COVID In The Campaign 2020 Spotlight
The future of those and other key health care issues hinge on the outcome of November’s elections: Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and President Donald Trump are reinforcing that point to voters on the campaign trail.
1 Million COVID Tests In 1 Day: US Breaks Record
On Saturday, 1,061,411 COVID-19 diagnostic tests were performed in the U.S., according to The COVID Tracking Project.
CMS Holds Off On Garnishing Medicare Payments
CMS is evaluating when to begin recoupment as Congress also considers the issue, CMS Administrator Seema Verma told Modern Healthcare.
Ricin-Laced Letter Sent To Trump; Woman Arrested
Law enforcement intercepted the poisoned package mailed from Canada. A woman that authorities suspect is responsible was arrested at the border trying to enter the U.S.
Azar Bars FDA, CDC From Issuing Rules, Escalating Fears Of Political Meddling
All health agencies that fall under the Department of Health and Human Services umbrella can no longer issue their own regulatory actions related to foods, medicines, medical devices and vaccines, according to a memo from HHS Secretary Alex Azar obtained by The New York Times.
Amy Coney Barrett Considered Leading Contender To Fill Ginsburg’s Seat
A former member of the University of Notre Dame’s “Faculty for Life,” Amy Coney Barrett signed a 2015 letter to Catholic bishops that affirmed the “teachings of the Church as truth.” Among those teachings: the “value of human life from conception to natural death.” Liberals have interpreted that as a threat to the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide.
Enough Vaccine For All Americans By April? Trump Says Yes, Experts Say Probably Not
The latest forecast from President Donald Trump came Friday when he said, “I think distribution will go even quicker than most people think.” Complex logistics challenge that timeline, public health and vaccine experts say.
Get Tested If Exposed, CDC Now Says After Ditching Controversial Guidelines
The previous phrasing suggested asymptomatic people did not need a test. That phrasing sparked strong criticism from public health experts and has since been revealed to have been shaped by political appointees, not scientists.
Obamacare In Greater Judicial Jeopardy After Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Death
A new case challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act is due to be heard at the Supreme Court in November. News outlets look at how a new court composition, following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday, could impact that health law case or future ones.
Without Ginsburg, Supreme Court Likely To Reshape Abortion Rights
In the absence of Ruth Bader Ginsburg from the Supreme Court bench, Roe v. Wade is expected to again be contested and as well as other state restrictions on the procedure. The issue is expected to dominate the debate over her replacement.