Latest KFF Health News Stories
Kelly Preston, 57, Dies Of Breast Cancer
The actress and wife of John Travolta had been fighting the disease for two years.
As COVID Hits Hard In Minority Communities, Concerns Rise About Mental Health And Suicide Risks
Social distancing urged by health officials to stave off the virus may lead to other health problems for some people with depression and anxiety. At the same time, new data looks at the toll in Black and Hispanic areas, and some communities are reaching out to minority neighborhoods to inform residents about efforts to stop the infections; plus other developments in the fight the coronavirus.
Adult Entertainers, Sex Workers Struggle To Do Jobs, Stay 6 Feet Apart
In Florida, some strip clubs have been shut down for violating social-distancing rules. And in Hamburg, Germany, where prostitution is legal, sex workers say they’re being deprived of their livelihoods.
NBA Physicians Concerned About ‘Unknown’ Consequences On Lungs, Heart
In other COVID-related sports news, the NHL shifts operations to Canada as a last resort and an MLB closer is diagnosed, as well.
‘Back To School’ Will Be Far From Back To Normal: Educators, Health Experts Raise Concerns
The Trump administration is pressuring localities to restart school to help get the country back to normal. But public health officials urge a more cautious approach, and local officials are looking for answers.
Businesses Struggle With Reopening Plans
How will businesses ensure workers are safe at work from the spread of the coronavirus? Meanwhile, pity the poor interns who must work alone from home.
When And How To Resume Church Services Remain Tough Questions
Fights between public health officials and church leaders continue, including two confrontations in hard-hit California recently. In Utah, Mormon leaders are asking followers to wear masks.
Reports Of Long-Term Heart Damage From COVID Puzzle Health Officials
Scientists are finding surprising damage, including reports that young, healthy patients with no history of heart disease showed signs that COVID-19 had taken a hefty toll on the heart.
‘I Thought This Was A Hoax’: 30-Year-Old’s Regret On Deathbed Was Going To COVID Party, Doctor Says
Dr. Jane Appleby, chief medical officer for Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, said she shared the story not to scare people but to make sure they understand anyone of any age can die from the virus. Other news on telehealth, health care workers’ families, children’s mental health, research on bat viruses, food supply and more, as well.
The use of Gilead Sciences’s antiviral drug expands worldwide as more results from testing are announced. High hopes for the drug are tempered by shortages.
Come Back For Routine Health Care, Patients Urged
Hospital systems warn against a “second health crisis” if people don’t return. In other industry news: Who’s paying for COVID tests?; grandfathered plans in the ACA; Sutter’s antitrust deal; and more.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to face problem from within the agency as well as from outside, specifically the White House.
DeVos Backs CDC School Reopening Guidelines As Safe
Though “there’s not going to be a one-size-fits-all approach to everything,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos urges educators to make plans based on current CDC guidelines for safely reopening schools. “There’s nothing in the data that suggests that kids being in school is in any way dangerous,” DeVos said.
First Federal Execution In 17 Years Set For Monday In Indiana
Daniel Lee, 47, is scheduled to die at a federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind., this afternoon. He was convicted of the 1996 murder of a gun dealer and his family in Arkansas. Other federal executions are scheduled this month. The Justice Department announced last year that the government would resume executions, ending an informal moratorium.
At Least 90% Of Americans Must Wear Masks To Control Surge, HHS Testing Chief Says
Adm. Brett Giroir, an assistant secretary with the Department of Health and Human Services, also said: “We do expect deaths to go up.”
Leaked White House Memo Shows Efforts To Discredit Fauci
The memo obtained by media outlets says, in part, that “several White House officials are concerned about the number of times Dr. [Anthony] Fauci has been wrong on things.” President Donald Trump and other members of the Trump administration have recently said they don’t always agree with Fauci’s blunt assessments of the pandemic.
Surgeon General: ‘Together We Can Turn This Thing Around In Just Two To Three Weeks’
In a rosy prediction, Surgeon General Jerome Adams says that the country can reverse the current rapid escalation in coronavirus cases if all Americans follow social-distancing guidelines.
Florida Shatters COVID Case Record Reported In A Single Day By Any State
Florida’s Sunday report of 15,299 new coronavirus cases broke the largest single-day increase of any state. The previous mark of 12,274 came from New York on April 4.
No New COVID Deaths In New York City For First Day Since March
Confirmed fatalities in New York City have slowly receded since the daily peak of 597 reported on April 7.
Trump Uses Mask Publicly For First Time During Walter Reed Visit
President Donald Trump has sent mixed messages about his view of face coverings and previously balked at allowing himself to be photographed wearing a mask.