Latest KFF Health News Stories
In Executive Order, Trump Expected To Lean Heavily On Police-Friendly Reforms
President Donald Trump’s order will include policies like creating a national database for officer misconduct and deploying mental health professionals alongside police. The changes are a far cry from what reform activists are pushing for, but maintaining political support from the police is front of mind for the president, experts say. Meanwhile, Republicans in the Senate are crafting their own response to the protests.
‘COVID Shaming’ Won’t Keep Trump From Holding Rally, But Some Safety Measures Will Be Used
Public health experts have been critical of President Donald Trump’s decision to hold a large rally in an indoor space in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His team had been hesitant to implement any safety precautions, but they now say they’ll have attendees get temperature checks and wear masks. Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence encourages governors to adopt Trump’s messaging that the recent surge in case numbers is because of more testing.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Businesses know that reopening is going to require ways to ensure cleaner air circulation and are experimenting with new investments like cleansing chambers upon entry. One thing’s for sure: low-tech hand sanitizer will be available.
Principal Jacqueline Dungey wanted to make sure they got the food they needed, or the grief counseling, or the internet connection required to attend their online classes. News reports on schools looks at college reopenings, as well.
Regulatory restrictions that previously limited the use of virtual appointments have been temporarily lifted during the coronavirus pandemic. Many in the industry want that change to become permanent as more health systems and medical personnel adopt the technology.
Media outlets report on news from California, District of Columbia, Texas, Wyoming and Georgia.
Before Spreadsheets, Tape Held Together A Handwritten Chart Discovering The Genetic Code
The chart filled in by biochemists and preserved by the U.S. National Library of Medicine shows how complicated it was to figure out the universal code behind the cells of living organisms. Other public health news focuses on one woman’s rape and her fight for justice in Alaska, walking fewer than 10,000 steps, preparing for difficult conversations, additional cancers aided by HPV vaccine, right-to-try drugs and trial results for an inherited blood disorder and myelofibrosis, as well.
Americans who could not work from home have risked exposure to the virus throughout the pandemic in order to keep services going, but employers’ responses to their workers’ safety concerns have been mixed.
Ousted Florida Health Data Scientist Who Criticized State’s COVID Data Builds Her Own Dashboard
Rebekah Jones said she was ousted from the Florida Department of Health because she wouldn’t make changes to the portal publicizing state COVID-19 rates.
Editorial pages focus on these health care issues and others.
Global news is from China, Germany, France, Switzerland, Pakistan, Russia, Colombia, Sierra Leone, Poland and Brazil, as well.
Once-Controlled Diseases Reemerging After Pandemic Derails Immunization Efforts Across The Globe
Public health experts are growing ever-more concerned with the rise in diseases beyond COVID-19, which have been left to flourish as vaccination rates drop. In other public health news: pregnancy risks, the looming mental health crisis, kids’ health during the shutdowns and more.
N.M. Hospital Implemented Secretive Policy To Target Native American Mothers For COVID Testing
New Mexico is launching an investigation into Lovelace Women’s Hospital in Albuquerque and its policy to use race and ZIP code to target expectant Native American women for testing.
Lawmakers Say Protests Ramp Up Urgency To Send Federal Aid To Struggling States, Cities
States have been asking for federal aid as they struggle under the financial burden of the pandemic. The protests in recent weeks have only exacerbated the problem, they say. In other news on the economic toll of the outbreak: unemployment benefits, jobless numbers and a forecast for recovery.
New Voter Registrations Plummet As COVID Hamstrings Volunteers’ Recruitment Efforts
In a normal year, volunteers would target festivals and other gatherings where they could register new voters. But the outbreak has thrown a wrench in those plans. In other election news: blind voters worry about privacy.
Pandemic Lays Bare Flaws In Peer Review Process For Medical Journals
After several high profile retractions during the pandemic, some scientists wonder just how flawed the peer-review system has become. “The problem with trust is that it’s too easy to lose and too hard to get back,” said Dr. Jerome Kassirer, a former editor in chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, which published one of the retracted papers in early May. “These are big blunders.” In other scientific news on the virus: the immune system’s response; what doctors have learned so far; the airborne threat; and more.
Lack Of Funding, Deep-Seated Mistrust Threaten Contact Tracing Efforts Essential For Reopening
There’s a profound lack of infrastructure in the American public health system that makes contact tracing–widely viewed as a crucial tool to curb the pandemic–especially difficult to implement effectively.
CMS Goes On Defense As Finger Pointing Over Nursing Home Deaths Begins
CMS Administrator Seema Verma says that federal guidelines helped curb the outbreak in nursing homes. But advocates have been critical from the start that the government hasn’t done enough to protect vulnerable residents. Nursing homes news comes out of Texas and Oklahoma, as well.
