Latest KFF Health News Stories
The pandemic is reappearing in Vietnam and is surging again in several Asian countries. Also, a Japanese court recognizes “black rain” victims 75 years after the atomic bomb blast.
Number Of Kids With Lead Poisoning Higher Than Expected, Study Finds
Other scientific developments include a potential medieval antibiotic, how your blood sugar affects your workouts and the effects of mechanical ventilation on COVID patients.
US Needs To Drastically Change Or Face Many More Deaths, Health Groups Say
Also in the news today: Covered California; CARES Act funds in Georgia, SOC Telemed; and a major hospital apologizes for performing cosmetic genital surgeries on intersex infants.
Usefulness Of COVID-Symptom Apps Questioned
But venture capitalists pour more money into other medical technology.
Study: Gum Disease Linked To Dementia
“We looked at people’s dental health over a 20-year period and found that people with the most severe gum disease at the start of our study had about twice the risk for mild cognitive impairment or dementia by the end,” said study author Ryan Demmer. And more on cognitive testing.
How White Nurses Can Fight Racism In The Workplace
Other topics on the mental and physical effects of racism include this year’s heat wave, last year’s Walmart shooting in El Paso, Texas, and yoga.
Evolving Plans For Higher Ed: Mailing Test Kits, Switching To Online, Enlarging Classrooms
News on how various colleges and universities are handling students returning, including Baylor, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Miami University and colleges in Michigan.
Shared Homes: Younger Family Members Are Infecting Older Ones
Whether they’re going to work or bars, when young adults head home, family members are at risk. Public health news is on flying, homelessness, assistance funds, masks, isolation, and more.
Thousands Of Lives Spared By Closing Schools In Spring, Researchers Find
A new study shows evidence that closing all of a state’s schools was associated with a measurable decrease in U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths. Also news on how various school districts are handling a fall reopening of classes.
Worries Grow of Antibiotic Shortages
In other pharma news, 23andMe’s database is used in cancer drug development and Kodak shareholders get a windfall after federal government pumps $765 million into a largely moribund company.
Mask Mandates Expanded In Maryland
Maryland’s governor toughens his mask mandate, even though Dr. Anthony Fauci says they are difficult to enforce.
Justice Ginsburg Hospitalized For Second Time This Month
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is fighting a cancer recurrence, underwent a “minimally invasive” procedure and is expected to be released by the end of the week.
Who Gets The COVID Vaccine And When?
“This is a huge experiment and no one knows how it’s going to turn out,” said James Le Duc, the director of the University of Texas Medical Branch’s Galveston National Laboratory, about the very fast development process of a COVID vaccine.
Medicare Part D Premium Will Rise Slightly Next Year, CMS Says
Also in Medicaid news: Missouri’s upcoming vote on expansion and an interview with Will Lightbourne, head of California’s Department of Health Care Services, which oversees the state’s Medicaid program.
Pence Met With Doctors Featured In Discredited Viral Video
A group called America’s Frontline Doctors captured national attention for their unproven claims in an online video seen by millions–despite being banned from some social media platforms for misinformation–about the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine and masks. Vice President Mike Pence met with several of the doctors on Tuesday.
Judge Blocks ‘Public Charge’ Rule On Immigrants
Federal Judge George Daniels wrote that since the April ruling, the pandemic has gotten worse and “the irreparable harm and public interests that warrant an injunction have come into sharper focus. … We no longer need to imagine the worst-case scenario.”
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Democrats Push Child-Care Bills
A Democrat in the House of Representatives wants to try to repeal the Helms Amendment that imposes anti-abortion restrictions on overseas aid. And two child-care bills pass in the House largely along party lines.
HHS Contract Awarding COVID Data Collection Raises Questions
An NPR investigation finds irregularities in the TeleTracking Technologies contract for a database previously managed by the CDC. In other Trump administration news, Modern Healthcare obtains partial text of White House drug pricing executive orders.
Masks Now Mandatory On House Floor After Rep. Gohmert Tests Positive
The coronavirus infection of Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) is notable because he openly flouted previous chamber guidelines encouraging face coverings and social distancing.
Over 150,000 Americans Dead With Rate Speeding Up To 1 Every Minute
The United States blew past another tragic milestone, reporting 150,000 deaths due to the COVID-19 outbreak. New case counts and the death rate continue to climb to record or near-record levels — especially in Texas.