Latest KFF Health News Stories
Athletes, Hotels, Tokyo Hit With Covid Outbreaks A Week Before Olympics
News outlets report on covid cases among Olympic athletes, organizers, hotel staff and the general population of Tokyo–with the city hitting a six-month case rate high. The International Olympic Committee president, however, assures there’s “zero” risk of covid spread from the games.
Parsing Policy: CDC’S Mask Guidance Is A Mess; France Is Kicking Our Butts
Opinion writers discuss the covid-19 pandemic.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Each week, KHN finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week’s selections include stories on parenting, negligent doctors, Black women’s health, the FDA, Moderna’s next vaccines and more.
US-Canada Border May Open In August — But For Fully-Vaxxed Only
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said fully vaccinated travelers from all nations may be welcomed from early September. Meanwhile, vaccine refusals drive a surge in Russia; Southeast Asia buckles under the delta variant; the U.K. has “scary” numbers of hospitalizations; and more.
With 12 Western States Burning, US Is On Highest Wildfire Alert
Reuters reports on one fire in Oregon, the biggest among blazes across the West, that has already displaced 2,000 residents. The New York Times reports on a study saying work injuries related to heat are vastly undercounted. Massachusetts, Minnesota and Iowa are also in the news.
Childhood Trauma Linked To Later Violence, Vulnerability To Morphine
Two reports cover a link between suffering childhood trauma and having violent tendencies later in life, as well as experiencing more pleasurable morphine highs — which can factor into addiction tendencies. Healing eardrum punctures, mouse eggs, Gillian Anderson’s braless-ness and more are also in the news.
Record Overdose Deaths Likely Partly Driven By Pandemic Stress
New CDC data show a 29.4% increase in drug overdose deaths in 2020 versus 2019. Experts blame pandemic-driven loss of support systems, medical care inaccessibility and opioid availability. Meanwhile, a Northern Californian woman was arrested with enough fentanyl to kill 65,000 people.
Florida Leads Nation In ACA Signups; HHS Launches New Enrollment Push
The ad campaign, called the “Summer Sprint to Coverage,” will feature testimonial spots in English and Spanish on local cable, radio and online platforms during peak audience times including while the Olympics air, Axios reports.
Dialysis Provider DaVita Indicted In Collusion Case, Denies Charges
DaVita and its former CEO are accused of conspiring with competitors not to hire each other’s key employees. DaVita called the charges “unjust and unwarranted.” A spokesman for former CEO Kent Thiry said the allegations are “false and rely on a radical legal theory about senior executive recruitment without precedent in U.S. history.”
Drugmakers Hit With Record $370 Million Fine For Price Gouging In UK
The U.K.’s antitrust regulator levied the fine after an investigation found an “egregious” scheme to boost drug prices and delay release of lower-cost versions. In particular, generic hydrocortisone tablets suffered a 10,000% price hike. Separately, controversial drug Aduhelm is back in the news.
Forget The A-List: The Vax-List Grows As Celebrities Help Promote Vaccines
Axios reports on efforts to recruit celebrities to promote covid vaccines to the hesitant and unvaccinated. KHN has our own report on different creative efforts to promote shots. In Las Vegas, MGM will have a “prize laden” clinic with “special guests” in its Strip resort.
House Panel Advances $120B HHS Budget Bill; Senate Spending Deals On Uncertain Ground
Annual funding for the Department of Health and Human Services would get a 24% boost in the package approved by the House Appropriations Committee Thursday. On the Senate side, congressional reporters track the status of intertwined infrastructure and “human infrastructure” spending measures.
Push To Rule Out Covid Lab Leak Theory ‘Premature’ Says WHO Chief
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus admitted to reporters that a lab leak source for covid was possible, and that the push to rule out this idea was being made without enough evidence. He also urged China to provide more raw data to help investigators.
Jabs For Younger Kids May Not Arrive Until Midwinter, FDA Official Says
Pfizer and Moderna began trials for children 12 and under in March. The agency wants four to six months of safety data for that age group. Just two months of data was required for the trials in adults. Other pediatric news is on RSV, long covid in children, lagging childhood vaccinations and more.
CDC Panel Will Meet Next Week To Consider Covid Booster Shots
Advisers will meet July 22 to discuss “clinical considerations for additional doses in immunocompromised individuals,” the meeting’s agenda states.
Study Finds Half Of Hospitalized Covid Patients Developed Complications
A U.K. study found complications like kidney or intestinal damage, and though complications hit the over 50s more, 27% of 19- to 29-year-olds suffered complications, too. Separate reports link higher covid risks with people suffering HIV or adults with learning difficulties.
Indoor Mask Mandate Returns To LA County To Stave Off Delta Cases
Los Angeles County ordered everyone, regardless of vaccination status, to again wear face coverings inside public spaces as covid hospitalizations tick up. News outlets report on how businesses and pandemic-weary residents are reacting to the abrupt reversal, as well as the impact on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recall chances.
As Covid Retrenches In Hot Spots, Federal Surge Teams Face Obstacles
Delta-driven cases are on the rise in 47 states, but particularly in conservative-majority areas of the U.S. Yet, those same populations have proven to be the most resistant to mitigation and vaccination efforts that Biden administration surge teams will try to bring in. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization raises the specter of even more dangerous virus variants emerging if the pandemic is not controlled.
Surgeon General Warns Against ‘Urgent Threat’ Of Health Disinformation
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory, calling on tech platforms to do more to curb the online flow of bad covid information. And he wants Americans to stop helping its spread: “If you’re not sure, not sharing is often the prudent thing to do.” Murthy also delivered a very personal plea to the unvaccinated, talking of his 10 relatives who have died from the virus who would have been grateful to get the shot.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
