Latest KFF Health News Stories
Trump Thinks Testing Is No Longer A Problem, But Governors Beg To Disagree
President Donald Trump said in a phone call with governors that he hadn’t heard about testing concerns in weeks. “It would be shocking to me that if anyone who has had access to any newspaper, radio, social networks or any other communication would not be knowledgeable about the need for test kits,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said about the president’s comments. Meanwhile, The New York Times takes a deep dive into the lost month where testing flaws set the country back in its efforts to contain the outbreak. Meanwhile, companies race to put out a fast test, but the virus may be moving even faster.
Smart Thermometers Reveal That Social Distancing Measures Might Be Having Desired Effect
Kinsa, a maker of internet-connected thermometers, has more than 1 million in circulation and has been getting up to 162,000 daily temperature readings since COVID-19 began spreading in the country. As of noon Wednesday, the company’s live map showed fevers holding steady or dropping almost universally across the country.
The One-Two Punch That Changed Trump’s Mind On Re-Opening: Poll Numbers And Projected Deaths
President Donald Trump walked back optimistic projections that the country would start returning to normal by Easter. Reporting on what changed his mind shows that it wasn’t just the coronavirus forecasts that swayed him–voters’ opinions did as well. Meanwhile, a statistical model that the White House is consulting shows a death total that could climb past 84,000 Americans, though numbers shift daily with more information.
The number of U.S. deaths is nearing the total China has reported. Shortly after the USNS Comfort arrived in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the statewide death toll had risen by 253 in a single day. The naval ship will offer 1,000 hospital beds to help alleviate the strain for local hospitals. Meanwhile, other sites in the city, including Central Park, are being turned into field hospitals to help handle the overflow. And FEMA is sending refrigerated trucks to make up for the lack of space in the city’s morgues.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these COVID-19 topics and others.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care topics and others.
Editorial pages express opinions about ways to deal with COVID-19.
China’s Failed Alarm System: Some Wuhan Health Officials Kept News Of Spread In Dark For Too Long
The New York Times reports that some local health officials disobeyed rules and chose not to inform Beijing of the mysterious pneumonia, causing the country and world lost time. Global news is on Japan, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Gaza, Egypt, Israel, Peru, Guatemala and other countries, as well.
ProPublica and KHN have obtained emails that show missteps from the CDC and other agencies in the early, crucial days of the outbreak. What comes through clearly is confusion, as the CDC underestimated the threat from the virus and stumbled in communicating to local public health officials about what should be done.
How A Straight-Shooting New Yorker Won Over The Public’s Attention
The Los Angeles Times takes a look at how Dr. Anthony Fauci got where he is serving under but Democratic and Republican presidents. Some have praised his ability to contradict President Donald Trump’s more optimistic messaging. Meanwhile, Fauci’s prediction that the death toll could climb past 100,000 may have swayed Trump’s decision to extend social distancing guidelines through April.
Health care providers from the state that was among the first hit by the outbreak have stories about having to reuse masks and remove expiration date stickers from protective gear. The issue has raised red flags across the country, especially since health workers account for an outsized percentage of cases.
Advocates Plea For Inmates’ Release To Slow Contagion As First Death Occurs In Federal Prison
The Louisiana inmate was serving a 30-year sentence for drug trafficking. Other prison news is on the risk to the more than 2 million prisoners held in detention centers.
Access To Abortion Shrinks Further As More States Halt The Procedure During Pandemic
In Texas, abortion providers talk about the way the state’s new restrictions on the procedure is already impacting patients. Meanwhile, Oklahoma’s governor says its suspension of elective surgeries includes abortion, unless necessary to save the mother. And anti-abortion activists in Georgia want that state to make the same move.
“At this time, VA has not received specific requests from FEMA for assistance,” the agency said. Veterans Affairs hospitals are supposed to serve as backup in times of crisis, but VA Secretary Robert Wilkie has made clear the agency won’t spring into action absent guidance from the federal government. Meanwhile, states across the country scramble to figure out what to do with their overflow patients. And some hospitals wrestle with federal guidance to scrap elective surgeries.
Because Humans Have Never Experienced This Coronavirus, We Are ‘Kind Of Sitting Ducks’ In Its Sights
Experts take a look at how contagious the virus is on a population that’s never experienced it before. In other public health news: the painful xenophobia that comes with the outbreak, pregnancy and the coronavirus, smart thermometers and artificial intelligence, increased substance abuse risk, the stress of fighting addiction while social distancing, and more.
Orders have surged more than 150% as people order groceries and other supplies from their homes. Other news on essential workers is on meat packers, farm and trash industry jobs, as well.
Emerging Fortresses: Three States Try To Restrict Travelers From Hot Spots; CDC Issues Advisory
While governors from Rhode Island, Florida and Texas, among others, took steps to keep travelers from virus “hot zones” away or to self quarantine, critics say the Constitution only gives the power to regulate interstate travel and commerce to the federal government, not the states. Also, the CDC urges residents from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to avoid nonessential travel for 14 days.
Indian Health Service Deficiencies Makes It Difficult To Track And Treat Outbreak Among Tribes
Those IHS gaps put the health of Native Americans at risk and may hinder national efforts to fully eradicate the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reports on how the lack of electricity and running water for many on the largest reservation leads to fear and confusion for those Navajo Nation residents.
Texas Emergency Coordinator Knew Better Than To Believe Trump’s ‘We Have It Totally Under Control’
In late January, Kyle Coleman, who lives in Bexar County, home to nearly 2 million residents, including those in the city of San Antonio, started ordering more medical supplies, including 25,000 respirator masks. Media outlets have more stories out of New York, Florida, Chicago, California, Louisiana, Arkansas, Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and District of Columbia, as well.
