Latest KFF Health News Stories
Opinion writers and editorial pages delve into the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. response to the crisis and other health care topics.
Public Health Workers Adjust Strategy As More Young Adults Are Testing Positive For COVID
Since the beginning, public health officials have struggled to get young adults to take the pandemic seriously, since the older populations have experienced much more severe outcomes to the illness. But recent spikes in many states are proving that anyone is susceptible to getting sick.
Influential Government Panel Revises Advice On Alcohol Consumption For Men
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee now says that men, like women, should limit their drinks to one a day. Meanwhile, alcohol consumption is skyrocketing during the pandemic.
Gov. DeSantis Acknowledges Spike In Florida Cases Can’t Be Explained Away By Increase In Testing
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) says he’s going to step up efforts to promote social distancing as cases in his state surge. The Florida Department of Health reported over 4,000 new COVID-19 diagnoses on Friday. Experts predict the Sunshine State could be the next U.S. epicenter of the pandemic.
Hospitals and other medical facilities need to prioritize protective gear and safety measures for their workers, experts say. Although there’s been a sharp increase in deaths linked to the pandemic, the underlying causes is more systemic, experts say. Meanwhile, the lives of front-line workers are remembered.
‘Anti-Science Bias’ In America Contributing To Spread Of Virus, Fauci Warns
Dr. Anthony Fauci has faded from public view as the White House shifts its messaging toward reopening, but the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is still speaking out about his concerns for the country. Meanwhile, in other administration news, The Wall Street Journal fact checks Vice President Mike Pence’s claims about Project Airbridge.
Are Hospitals’ Finances As Dire As Their Trade Group Lobbyists Would Have Congress Believe?
Hospitals are arguing for more time to repay federal aid, but experts say many of them will be fine if everything goes according to schedule. Meanwhile, Politico looks at the role consulting firm McKinsey is playing in the distribution of CARES Act funds for hospitals.
Scientists are seeing a disturbing trend between an increase in deforestation and a surge of new diseases. Six out of every 10 diseases in humans, and three-quarters of the world’s emerging infectious diseases, are zoonotic, and many of them come from man encroaching on animals’ homes. In other scientific news: cancer, genetics, and disabilities.
“For both the African American and Latino populations there’s a triple threat,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the CDC. “The first is that there’s more exposure, the second is that there’s more underlying health problems sometimes, and the third is there’s less access to health care.” Meanwhile, experts in the Trump administration remain largely quiet on the disparities being seen in the pandemic.
“If there is a policy around using face masks in place, it does actually come with a fairly large effect,” says Holger Schünemann, an epidemiologist at McMaster University. The political fight over mask-wearing was on display at President Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa, where there were few face coverings to be seen in the audience. Meanwhile, California pass a mandate that residents wear masks in public spaces. And airlines struggle with mask enforcement.
News outlets investigate tactics employed by law enforcement during recent protests of racism and police violence. Calls for reform by protesters and lawmakers are also reported.
The decision from NIH is just the latest to signal that hydroxychloroquine, the drug President Donald Trump touted as a “game changer,” doesn’t work for COVID-19 patients. Meanwhile, scientists urge caution on a promising steroid treatment.
Feds Now Say They’ll Disclose Names of Businesses That Received PPP Loans
In other economic news: Coronavirus pushing up debt levels; Black workers losing out on job gains; and studies suggest expansion of federal aid is helping to stem a rise in poverty.
A decision on Louisiana’s admitting privileges law could come as early as Monday and all eyes are on Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
The Washington Post and ProPublica report on stories of how U.S. efforts to test for the coronavirus have been hampered by bad equipment that yielded false results. Meanwhile, other testing questions persist, such as, who pays? News outlets report on other tracking and test developments.
Vaccines Don’t Always Work The Same In Older Patients, Adding An Extra Layer Of Complexity
Scientists are worried a vaccine will be developed and work best in younger people–who are far less vulnerable to COVID than seniors are. Other vaccine news focuses on the global development race.
COVID Patients Are Lucrative For Nursing Homes. So They’re Kicking Out Other Residents To Make Room.
Nursing homes are being offered financial incentives to take on COVID patients, but it might be backfiring for other residents who are being cleared out to make room. Nursing home officials, however, insist that the evictions are warranted. Other nursing homes news comes out of West Virginia, New York, Georgia and Michigan.
Lawmakers Struggle To Agree On Solutions To Pandemic’s Threat To Voters And Election
The Associated Press looks at how basic access to the ballot is at the core of debates over steps that could be taken to facilitate safe and fair elections during the pandemic. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump continues to rail against expanding mail-in voting. In other election news, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden evolves when it comes to LGBTQ rights.
Tyson revealed that 481 employees across its northwest Arkansas facilities have tested positive for COVID-19 this month. The outbreak has prompted China to halt poultry imports from the Springdale, Arkansas plant.
“In most disasters, the vast majority of people do well,” said Dr. Steven Southwick, a professor of psychiatry at Yale who has worked with survivors after numerous cataclysms, including mass shootings. “Very few people understand how resilient they really are until faced with extraordinary circumstances. In fact, one of our first jobs in these situations is to call attention to just that.” In other public health news: summer and sleep-away camps; gyms and sports; a socially distant Father’s Day; and more.
