Latest KFF Health News Stories
Flooded Beaches And Bars: Spring Break Crowds Could Fuel Covid Spike
Despite public health officials’ warnings, many college students are traveling to popular spring break locations and largely neglecting to take covid precautions.
White House Focuses On Smoothing Vaccine Sign-Ups, Reaching Holdouts
The Biden administration is rushing to roll out a new website to help with vaccine registrations and unveiling an outreach campaign to increase public confidence in the covid shot.
Fauci Appeals To Trump As Alarm Grows Over Partisan Vaccine Divide
A recent PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll found that half of U.S. Republican men have no plans to be vaccinated — a trend that means the U.S. could fall short of herd immunity to covid-19. Dr. Anthony Fauci said the resistance “makes absolutely no sense” and believes former President Donald Trump could convince his supporters to get the shot.
It’s Too ‘Risky’ To Drop Mask Mandates And Restrictions Right Now, Fauci Says
Dr. Anthony Fauci says President Joe Biden’s goal of a more normal Fourth of July holiday is realistic, but only if state governments and the American public do not prematurely abandon precautions. He points to plateauing infections in the U.S. and spikes in Europe as warning signs.
CDC Updates Covid Mask Rules For Children, Child Care
The CDC’s updated rules highlight the importance of mask-wearing for kids ages 2 and older, maintaining social distancing and air circulation. Meanwhile, Fauci says the CDC is considering data about dropping social distance spacing to just 3 feet.
Nations Pause AstraZeneca Vaccines, But Company Denies Blood Clot Link
Covid vaccine maker AstraZeneca says that there are no scientific links between its vaccine and blood clot-related deaths in Europe, even as Ireland joins the list of nations pausing its use. The EU is also said to be considering use of Russia’s Sputnik vaccine.
Local Officials Worry That NY’s Vaccine Supply Tied To Loyalty To Cuomo
Multiple news organizations reported that the state’s “vaccine czar” recently called local officials to gauge their support for the beleaguered Democratic governor.
Pandemic Study Says Mental Health Issues Hit 1 in 5 Health Workers
In other news: New covid cases in nursing home staff have fallen dramatically; more than a million patients suffered from data leaks in February; and a battle is heating up over how much additional health care can be provided by optometrists.
Texas Experiences Big Two-Week Decline In New Covid Case Numbers
This weekend was Texas’ first without covid mask mandates or restrictions. In the previous two weeks, the average number of new cases in Texas had been in decline. Elsewhere, Utah case numbers plateau, but L.A. County figures continue to fall.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages across the country tackle these issues and others.
Opinion writers weigh in on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Each week, KHN finds longer stories for you to sit back and enjoy. This week’s selections include stories on covid, Black women and menopause, aging brains and former ice hockey Olympic gold medalist Mark Pavelich.
More Nations Pause AstraZeneca Vaccinations Amid Blood Clot Worries
Italy, Iceland and Thailand join a growing list of countries pausing use of AstraZeneca covid vaccines due to reports of blood clot problems post-vaccination. Meanwhile, reports show the U.S. is sitting on tens of millions of doses and is unlikely to share.
Hypnosis Discredited, No Longer A Crime-Solving Tool For Texas Rangers
A Dallas Morning News investigation prompted the Texas Rangers to stop using hypnosis techniques during questioning. Elsewhere, Florida campaigners resist new medical THC level limits, and a knee surgery lawsuit in Missouri is settled.
Disease Experts Warn Covid-19 Is Here To Stay
News outlets look ahead to the future of the virus, as well as back at which predictions made a year ago held up and which ones did not.
For Some Hospitals, Not All The News Is Bad
Some health systems still brought in more money in 2020 than in 2019. Meanwhile, many hospitals have decided to keep administrative changes that they came up with on the fly during the pandemic.
Doses Trashed, Empty Shots Given As Covid Vaccine Program Hits Snags
Texas may be getting too few vaccine doses due to outdated population statistics; Florida’s eligibility restrictions may be holding back the roll-out and a group of patients in Virginia were accidentally given empty-syringe shots.
Covid Long-Haul Worries Deepen As Researchers Probe Case Histories
A Cigna study suggests patients who recover from covid may present with multiple ongoing conditions, including neurological ones. Meanwhile investigations continue into whether infections in cancer, HIV patients contributed to virus variants.
Pfizer Shot Shown To Be Extremely Effective Against Asymptomatic Covid
In the “news that just keeps getting better” department, Pfizer’s vaccine also offers more protection than earlier thought against symptomatic covid, reaching 97%, according to real-world data.
