Latest KFF Health News Stories
School Quarantines In Mississippi, North Carolina; Arizona Teacher Resigns, Fined
Media outlets report on K-12 and higher education news from across the nation.
CDC Issues Dire Warning After Several Deaths: Do Not Drink Hand Sanitizer
In other public health news: rising hospital infections; the many symptoms of COVID-19; what winter might be like this year; face masks that are “Made in the USA”; and more.
Stop Partying Or We’ll Shut Off Your Utilities, LA Mayor Warns
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti threatened to shut off power and water to residents who hold big parties. In other states, large gatherings continue to spread the coronavirus to large numbers of people. But in Fargo, N.D., an outdoor festival goes on.
Plasma Trials Off To Slow Start Because Focus Was On Other Treatments
Other pharmaceutical developments include the United States’ reliance on China for drugs and how to stop superbugs. Also in the news: Teladoc; Blackstone; Ancestry; and Taysha Gene Therapies.
Virginia Rolls Out First Contact Tracing App In US Using Apple-Google Tech
“No one is tracking you. None of your personal information is saved,” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said in a televised briefing. Across the country in California, a genetic testing company says it’s solved many of the hurdles holding back a simpler, faster COVID-19 test.
Rebates for some Massachusetts health insurance customers and higher profits for CVS Health are two impacts of the pandemic; people used fewer health services.
Supreme Court Allows California Jails To Not Enforce Pandemic Protections
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court overruled a federal judge’s previous order mandating that California’s Orange County jails take steps to protect inmates from the coronavirus.
Moderna Floats COVID Vaccine Pricing
The vaccine maker’s CEO said it will use a tiered pricing system and charge less for high-volume buyers. In other vaccine news, Johnson & Johnson secures a $1 billion deal with the federal government.
With Stimulus Talks Deadlocked, White House May Walk Away And Act Alone
A day of testy negotiations on Capitol Hill yielded little progress toward reaching a deal on another round of stimulus relief. Funding for the postal service emerged as a key sticking point.
Trump, Biden Weigh Location Options For Acceptance Speeches
With the pandemic keeping both presidential candidates away from their national convention sites, President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden will likely deliver speeches closer to home. Other reports on how the epidemic is affecting the November election.
Another Congressman Contracts COVID
Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Illinois) announced he tested positive. Davis had made more of an effort than many other Republican Congress members to wear a mask, reports Politico.
Facebook, Twitter Pull Trump Video For Spreading Bad COVID Information
President Donald Trump’s post linked to a Fox News interview in which he claims kids are “virtually immune” to the coronavirus. Facebook said that the “video includes false claims that a group of people is immune from COVID-19 which is a violation of our policies around harmful COVID misinformation.”
If Trump Takes Executive Action, Orders Would Focus On Evictions, Payroll Taxes, Jobless Money
White House negotiators signaled that President Donald Trump is prepared to act unilaterally through executive orders if a deal is not reached with lawmakers by the end of this week.
Birx Tells Local Officials In 9 Cities To ‘Get On Top’ Of Virus Surge Risk
Task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx cites coronavirus numbers ticking up in 9 cities and California’s Central Valley as areas for concern. Meanwhile, comments by Dr. Anthony Fauci and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro also make headlines.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Health Care Workers of Color Nearly Twice as Likely as Whites to Get COVID-19
Harvard research shows minorities are most likely to report inadequate PPE and to work with COVID-positive patients.
America’s Obesity Epidemic Threatens Effectiveness of Any COVID Vaccine
Vaccines engineered to protect the public from influenza, hepatitis B, tetanus and rabies are less effective for obese people, leaving them more vulnerable to serious illness. As scientists race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, experts say obesity could prove an impediment — a sobering prospect for a nation in which nearly half of all adults are obese.
With Caveats, Hopeful News for Preschools Planning Young Kids’ Return
Hundreds of thousands of essential workers have kept their kids in day care during the pandemic out of necessity and, so far, these centers haven’t been big disease spreaders. But the evidence remains incomplete.
Missouri Voters Approve Medicaid Expansion Despite GOP Resistance
Missouri is the sixth state to use a ballot initiative to extend Medicaid eligibility. Most of the remaining states that have not expanded Medicaid are Republican-leaning states in the South.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care issues and others.