Latest KFF Health News Stories
Appeals Court Rules That Texans Can’t Request Absentee Ballots Because Of Coronavirus Fears
Texas is one of 16 states that restrict who may vote by mail, and most of the others said months ago that they would make mail-in ballots widely available in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Various independent studies have shown that voter fraud of any kind is extremely rare, but President Donald Trump and other Republicans have seized upon the issue in recent weeks, turning it political.
Unemployment Rate Falls To 13.3%, Shocking Experts Who Expected Grimmer Numbers
The report is the latest sign that the economic free fall may have bottomed out. But experts say that it still may take years for the economy to truly recover. The Labor Department said the improvements, “reflected a limited resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed in March and April.”
Nursing Homes With Bad Track Records Eye Financial Incentives To Take In COVID Patients
Advocates say that the generous government incentives designed to help patients who are recovering from COVID-19 will only serve to expose more elderly people to some of the factors that led to nearly 26,000 deaths in nursing homes during the pandemic. For example, eight of 20 nursing homes in Michigan selected by the state government to build wings for coronavirus-positive patients are currently rated as “below average” or “much below average.” Meanwhile, CMS says it will fine nursing homes weekly for not submitting outbreak data.
As the country’s death toll and cases total climb, Stat talks to experts about ways to avoid bungling a pandemic response. “I’m still getting over my shock at how badly this was handled,” said epidemiologist Stephen Morse of Columbia University. “After all the work and all the exercises everyone did, it’s heartbreaking to see how badly the ball was dropped.”
World Leaders Stress Need For Vaccine To Be Widely Available To All Countries
Attendees of a virtual summit for a public-private partnership, devoted to ensuring poor- and middle-income countries have access to a potential vaccine, brainstormed ways that wealthy countries can ensure fair distribution.
For Price Tag, Gilead Presuming Remdesivir Saves Hospitals Money. But Experts Say That’s Premature.
All eyes are on Gilead as the company decides on a price for the only treatment that has so far passed gold-standard trials in treating COVID-19. But experts say the company may be making false assumptions when it comes to setting the cost. Meanwhile, the federal government’s distribution of the drug has been better, but there’s still room for improvement.
Retractions Of 2 Major Drug Studies Heighten Fears Research Is Being Rushed During Crisis
The Lancet, one of the world’s top medical journals, retracted an influential study on the potential harms of hydroxychloroquine on Thursday. Just over an hour later, the New England Journal of Medicine did the same with a separate study from the same company. There has been growing concern in the scientific community that the usual process–which can be rigorous and time-consuming–is being compromised in favor of quick answers during the global pandemic.
CDC Chief Apologizes For Agency’s Lack Of Demographics Data, Will Add Requirement For States
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield apologized during a hearing about the agency’s pandemic response. The deadline for states to start reporting demographics data–including information on race–is Aug. 1. The issue has been top of mind in recent days as Black Lives Matter protests increase infection risk across the country for a population that has already been hit hard by the outbreak.
‘A Pandemic Within A Pandemic’: Coronavirus Lays Bare Long-Standing Racial Disparities
Black Americans have disproportionately suffered from the coronavirus due to long-standing racial disparities in everything from health care to wealth accumulation. Experts examine the ways racism plays a role in America’s institutions, including, but not limited to, police departments.
Not only are people in jeopardy of being exposed to the coronavirus during the protests drawing thousands physically together, tactics used by police to disperse the groups–such as tear gas–exacerbate the problem, health experts say. Spraying people with tear gas causes them to cough, shout and scream and possibly take off their masks, all of which could increase infection risk.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Global pandemic news comes from China, Brazil, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Spain, Yemen, Switzerland, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Dominion Republic, Panama, Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands.
Research Roundup: Rural Hospitals; Convalescent Plasma Therapy; And Health Reform
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic topics and others.
Sweden’s light touch, once hailed as a way to try to create herd immunity while protecting the economy, is coming under review as deaths have been 19 times higher than in Norway and 8 times higher than Denmark.“There is potential for improvement in what we have done in Sweden, quite clearly,” epidemiologist Anders Tegnell said.
One Of Largest Studies Done On Topic Confirms Link Between Handgun Ownership And Suicide Risk
Those who died by suicide using a firearm tended to be male, white, and of middle age. “The sheer sample size of the study makes it absolutely unique,” said Michael Siegel, a public health researcher at the Boston University School of Public Health. Other public health news focuses on breast implant recalls.
At the same, a dramatic drop in child-abuse reports has occurred as teachers, day-care workers and others who are required by law to flag abuse are no longer routinely around children. Public health news is on sewers jammed with wipes, masks; a push for safer driving speeds; fliers who aren’t wearing masks; stress causing unusual physical symptoms; shortages of anxiety, antidepressant drugs; searching for answers after losing a mother; struggling with decision-making; stocking your medicine cabinet; protecting mental health; canine therapy; adoption plans; navigating public restrooms; and commuting, as well.
Media outlets report on news from Texas, California, Nevada, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and Michigan.
Even Before Pandemic, Mail-In-Voting Was On The Rise. A Look At How It Became Controversial Again.
About a quarter of all voters voted by mail in the 2018 midterms, more than double the rate of mail-voting from 20 years ago. And most voters feel positively about mail-in-voting. But some leading Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have railed against it recently, citing false claims about fraud.
Contact Tracing Eyed With Suspicion In NYC As No Known Plans Exist To Protect Privacy
Also, in Massachusetts, public health officials trying to gather personal data are reporting resistance and threats.
