Latest KFF Health News Stories
Falling Case Fatality Rate Means COVID Battle Entering New Phase, Experts Say
Other topics in the news include a new, milder coronavirus strain, COVID in breast milk and antibiotic timeouts.
Delayed Prescriptions, Dead Animals, Rotten Food: Health Fallout From Postal Service Changes
Controversial moves by U.S. Postal Service leaders to dismantle processing equipment and cut worker hours reverberate from Capitol Hill to post offices filled with bugs to patients’ medicine cabinets.
Pelosi Won’t Call Weekend Vote On Unemployment Benefits
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told members of her caucus pushing for a vote on enhanced unemployment benefits that passing such legislation would harm broader stimulus negotiations.
HHS Reverses Course: Hospitals Will Again Send COVID Data To CDC
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Trump administration is backtracking on its controversial decision to bypass the CDC because the move led to delays and data problems with the new HHS Protect reporting system.
Fauci Has Surgery To Remove Vocal Cord Polyp
Dr. Anthony Fauci is home recovering after the outpatient procedure Thursday.
Biden Pledges National COVID Strategy He Blasts Trump For Lacking
Accepting the Democratic presidential nomination, Joe Biden said that President Donald Trump “keeps telling us the virus is going to disappear. He keeps waiting for a miracle. I have news for him: No miracle is coming.” Health care issues took center stage throughout the four days of the convention.
Russia Announces Plans To Expand Virus Vaccine Trials To 40,000
The World Health Organization is trying to obtain information from Russia about ”Sputnik V.” International observations remain skeptical about its effectiveness.
Disasters Collide: Wildfires Drive Californians To Shelters During Pandemic
The deadly fires have created unhealthy breathing conditions across several Western states and raise coronavirus concerns for evacuees. The dangerous situation also set off a war of words between President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic issues and others.
Perspectives: Time For A Relief Deal In Congress; A Big Thanks For ACA’s Protections For Unemployed
Opinion writers express views on these public health policies and more.
In Venezuela, COVID Victims Being Harassed, Jailed, Called ‘Bioterrorists’
Other global developments are reported out of the United Kingdom, Iran, India, Russia and Japan.
Research Roundup: Face Masks, Hydroxychloroquine, COVID, Lipids, BMI In Children
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
California Limps Through Week Of Heat, Fires, Blackouts And COVID
Ash is raining from the sky in the Bay Area as wildfires rage. Meanwhile, a group that handles crisis calls in San Francisco says calls for high-risk suicide situations rose 25% on average from May through July 2020 compared to February through April.
Georgia Governor Balks At Reports That Say State Is In ‘Red Zone’
Other developments are reported from Massachusetts and New York.
Premium Refunds: Blue Cross Michigan Saw Many Fewer Claims
Under the Affordable Care Act, health insurers must issue rebates for individual plans if they collect too much premium. Other industry news is on HIV services, slow prescription mail deliveries, praise for teleheath expansion and more.
HHS Now Allows Pharmacists In All States To Give Kids Their Vaccines
The move comes as a dangerous drop in childhood inoculations during the pandemic is reported.
New Clue May Explain Why Coronavirus Attacks The Lungs
A neurologist at New York’s Mount Sinai Health System stumbled onto it while doing a “bubble study.” In other developments: COVID-19 can survive on plastic, but it might not matter; scientists dig deeper into patients’ loss of taste and smell; and a new study links metabolism and cancer.
Unreliable? Some Tests Get Go-Ahead Without FDA Approval
Public health officials disapprove, arguing the HHS decision to lower the bar will lead to the use of flawed tests. News is on saliva tests, farm worker tests, and more.
Risks Of Alcohol: Less Is Better, Cut Back To One Drink A Day
Physician and Boston University researcher Timothy Naimi said: “Whatever kind of study you look at, two drinks a day is associated with a higher risk of death than drinking one drink a day.” Public health news is on child abuse, vaping and more.
