Latest KFF Health News Stories
COVID Plans Put to Test as Firefighters Crowd Camps for Peak Wildfire Season
Thousands of firefighters from across the U.S. have converged on the West as the wildfire season enters its peak. The inherently dangerous job now carries the additional risk of COVID-19 transmission, and fire managers are adapting their plans for crowded fire camps in the hope of preventing outbreaks that could sideline crews and weaken the nation’s firefighting infrastructure.
We Put Off Planning, Until My Father-in-Law’s Medical Crisis Took Us by Surprise
Although the family patriarch did not face a life-threatening emergency, the episode was a reminder that you have to prepare for a real crisis.
Democratic Convention, Night 2: Defending the ACA and Attacking Trump on Pandemic
Democrats continued the virtual extravaganza. Health care was a hot topic.
Perspectives: Trump’s Drug-Pricing Plan Will Harm Patients
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
Editorial pages focus on the issues universities and parents face as college students return to campuses and other health topics, as well.
Veterans Waiting Longer To Receive Prescription Drugs In The Mail
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Media outlets report on news from India, England, Germany, Poland, Indonesia, France, Japan, New Zealand and elsewhere.
Researchers Gain Insights Into Inflammatory Syndrome In Children
The small study in Nature Medicine reports that the response in children is not Kawasaki disease. Research news is on training dogs to sniff out COVID, making science reading easier, and more.
Lockdown Study: Domestic Violence Rose — And Was Much More Severe
News on mental health is also on gun suicides, Latinos, active coping, teens, teletherapy and more.
Several States Sidestep Feds, Set Up Worker Safety Rules
U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia says OSHA’s industry-specific safety recommendations go far enough during the pandemic. Media outlets report on news from Virginia, California, Oregon, Ohio and Maryland.
Shortages Of Masks And Other PPE Are Back
As reopening schools and businesses join hospitals and government agencies in efforts to procure masks, gloves, thermometers and other protective equipment, inventory is bottoming out in the U.S.
A Special Gift: Formerly Homeless Families In N.M. Will Receive New Beds
In other public health news: victims of the Golden State Killer confront him in court; a visually impaired person describes how to improve the movie-watching experience; and more.
Back-To-School Worries: Parents Told To Carefully Monitor Children For Stress
In Dallas, health experts are seeing an increase in young patients with stomach issues. News outlets report on parents going it alone, learning pods and other issues, as well.
Bogus Health News On Facebook Has Drawn Billions Of Views, Report Finds
And only 16% of the health misinformation had a warning label placed on it, researchers say.
‘Virus Is A Formidable Foe’: Notre Dame, Michigan State Halt In-Person Classes
Notre Dame, waiting to see if it’s necessary to send students home, has linked the cases to non-mask-wearing at off-campus gatherings. News on higher education is from North Carolina, as well.
Hospitals Put Big Focus On Telehealth After $200M Boost From Feds
To go along with it, more facilities are creating telehealth leadership roles in their C-suites, as well.
In Lawsuit, West Virginia Blames CVS, Walmart For State’s Opioid Problem
Other pharmaceutical companies in the news include Teva, Reliance and Netmeds.
Lack Of Diversity In Fast-Tracked Vaccine Trials Worries Experts
Minorities are underrepresented in the nation’s first large-scale clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine, federal data show. And efficacy for kids and women who are pregnant is also unknown since neither group is yet tested.
WHO Director Urges Nations To Share Vaccine Resources
“We need to prevent vaccine nationalism,” World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “Sharing finite supplies strategically and globally is actually in each country’s national interest. No one is safe until everyone is safe.”