Latest KFF Health News Stories
By Taking An Experimental Drug, Patients Are ‘Treating The Emotion’ Rather Than The Disease
“Many drugs we believed were fantastic ended up killing people,” said Dr. Andre Kalil, a principal investigator in the federal government’s clinical trial of drugs that may treat the coronavirus. “It is so hard to keep explaining that.” In recent days, as President Donald Trump touts an unproven treatment for coronavirus, Kalil has been haunted by outbreaks from the past when patients were given untested drugs and then died from them. The New York Times takes a look at the team’s efforts to find a scientifically sound treatment. Meanwhile, others scramble for a cure, as well.
It’s Not Just Providers’ Health Impacted By Rationed Gear: Patients Get Less Care When PPE Runs Low
Health workers are reporting that they’re going into their patients rooms less because they can’t take the usual safety precautions of swapping into new protective gear. “People haven’t been seen in several hours overnight,” a medical provider at Long Island Jewish said. “And when the morning team comes on, the person is sicker, or dead.” In other health health worker news: hospitals threaten workers against speaking out, faulty N95 masks hamper care, vulnerable pharmacists are getting sick, some hospitals lay off employees during crisis, recovering doctors head back to work, and more.
Fact Checkers: Mail-In Voting Doesn’t Benefit Democrats Over Republicans Nor Does It Increase Fraud
President Donald Trump continues to push back against growing calls for vote-by-mail for November, with false claims about the process. But those who study mail-in voting say that it doesn’t benefit either party over the other. Meanwhile, presumptive-Democratic nominee Joe Biden pivots on health care to woo progressives after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) ends his campaign.
There’s a growing agreement between economists that the government’s actions were too small and came too late to help in a significant way. The Federal Reserve announced that it is rolling out a $2.3 trillion “Main Street” program to bolster local governments and small- and mid-sized businesses, but experts say that still might not even be enough. The full impact of the virus may take years to grasp, but economists agree that its legacy is likely to be economic devastation and mountains of debt.
A showdown on Thursday between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill previewed a tough fight to come over future coronavirus stimulus legislation. Senate Democrats blocked Republicans’ attempts to pass a $250 billion bill that exclusively helped small businesses, wanting additional aid for health providers and hospitals too. Republican senators balked at adding more money.
Under the community-based coronavirus testing site program, the federal government supplies expertise, testing materials, protective equipment and lab contracts to local authorities in 41 sites. The federal government had wanted states to take over the programs. More regional testing news is reported out of California, Georgia and Colorado, as well.
The stimulus bill includes $100 billion for the health care system to use to treat coronavirus patients, and the White House said hospitals that accept the grants will have to certify that they won’t try to collect more money than the patient would have otherwise owed if the medical attention had been provided in network. Meanwhile, lawmakers may use the next stimulus package to help address the broader issue of surprise medical bills. News outlets report on other insurance coverage and Medicaid developments, as well.
The lawmakers rush to add in a provision that the other members couldn’t be removed like the panel’s head, Glenn Fine. President Donald Trump gave no reason as to why he ousted Fine. Meanwhile, the White House prepares for an onslaught of congressional reviews into its response to the pandemic. And Trump’s allies and other Republicans are worry that his daily briefings are doing more political harm than good.
President Donald Trump is pushing to reopen the country earlier than public health experts might recommend. Meanwhile, Trump shrugged off the idea that widespread testing is needed before the country can get back to work. But many health officials agree that testing and contact tracing are key to any plans to end physical distancing.
The national stockpile has depleted 90 percent of its protective gear, and has been erratic in sending other equipment to the states. Governors are starting to turn to private companies–and each other–to get what they need.
U.S. Death Total Climbs Past 16,000 With Number Of Confirmed Cases Surging Toward 500,000
Experts expect that United States is nearing the peak of this wave of the outbreak, but warn Americans to stay vigilant even as they see glimmers of encouragement in some of the data. “That is so shocking and painful and breathtaking, I can’t — I don’t even have the words for it. 9/11 was so devastating, so tragic, and then in many ways we lost so many more New Yorkers to this silent killer,” said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose state has been hit the hardest. “There was no explosion, but it was a silent explosion that just ripped through society with the same randomness, the same evil that we saw on 9/11.”
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic issues and others.
Longer Looks: A Sidelined Epidemiologist; Trump’s Reelection Chances; Broken Agencies
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Americans Shouldn’t Expect Contagion To Abate Just Because Of Warmer Weather, Science Adviser Warns
A new report points to cases in Australia and Iran as warnings that high temperatures and increased humidity may do little to curb outbreak. “There have been 10 influenza pandemics in the past 250-plus years — two started in the Northern Hemisphere winter, three in the spring, two in the summer and three in the fall,” the report said. “All had a peak second wave approximately six months after emergence of the virus in the human population, regardless of when the initial introduction occurred.”
Health professionals say even young patients can look healthy one minute and then be at death’s door. In other public health news: assisted living facilities, baby booms, origin of New York’s virus, tracking down cases, recovery, mask tips, domestic violence, and more.
As outbreaks spread in facilities across the country that care for older Americans, developments are reported out of California, New Jersey, Missouri, Virginia, Texas, Maryland and Louisiana.
Media outlets report on news from Texas, Delaware, Florida, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Massachusetts, California, the District of Columbia, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana. Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada.
Pinprick Blood Test Touted At A ‘Game-Changer’ Falls Flat On News Of Inaccurate Results
The British findings came days after the Spanish government said it had sent back another shipment of inaccurate antibody tests. Experts remain hopeful that they will be able to design an accurate blood test soon. Meanwhile, the SEC suspends trading shares of a company that sold at-home testing kits.
“Stressors caused by the pandemic may contribute to an individual’s decision to commit an attack or influence their target of choice,” DHS warned religious leaders. Meanwhile, churches and religious Americans approach holy week with trepidation, stress and faith.
