Latest KFF Health News Stories
Perspectives: All Eyes Are On Vaccine Development, But Treatments Hold Quite A Bit Of Promise
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
‘There’s No Better Time’ To Address High Drug Prices Than This, Senate Finance Chairman Says
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical development and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Report: 10-Year Recovery Costing Nearly 8 Trillion Is Expected For U.S. Economy
The estimate from the Congressional Budget Office is likely to be key to the continuing debate in the Senate over another coronavirus relief package, although Sen. Mitch McConnell has given little indication that the Senate would soon enter negotiations on another relief package. Economic relief news comes from California, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana, as well.
Remdesivir Trial Shows Some Improvement Among Moderately Ill Patients
The Gilead-led study involved nearly 600 patients who had moderate pneumonia but did not need oxygen support. There were no deaths among patients on five days of the antiviral drug, two among those on 10 days, and four among patients getting standard care alone.
State Leaders Worry Protests Will Undo Hard-Won Victories From Painful Shutdowns
“It took us 93 days to get here,” said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). “Don’t snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.” City and state leaders across the country are struggling to balance public health concerns with the acknowledgment that residents should be allowed to protest.
A handful of states hold presidential primaries today in a major test of what voting looks like during a pandemic. Pennsylvania, especially, is viewed as a testing ground for both parties’ strategies to get out the vote. But protests and curfews could throw a wrench in those plans.
Another Lethal Flareup Of Ebola Puts Congo On Full Alert As It Also Battles COVID, Measles
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “This is a reminder that COVID-19 is not the only health threat people face. Although much of our attention is on the pandemic, WHO is continuing to monitor and respond to many other health emergencies.”
Media outlets report on news from Michigan, Maryland, California, Nevada, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Louisiana.
Even Before Pandemic, A Third Of Hospitals Were Losing Money On Patient Care
An extreme drop-off in procedures and patients other than those who have COVID-19 has taken the hospital industry out at the knees financially. Hospitals that were barely staying afloat before the pandemic have been hit especially hard. In other industry news: pediatric-care deserts crop up, California wants more power to stop mergers and more.
Victims Share Brutal Stories From Alaska, Home To The Highest Rate Of Sexual Assault In The Nation
ProPublica and the Anchorage Daily News collected more than 300 responses from people willing to discuss their stories and how they’re trying to recover.
Spain Reports No New Deaths From Virus; UK Braces For Death Toll To Reach 50,000
Global pandemic developments are reported out of Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia, Mexico, India and other nations.
Tragic Downside Of Social Distancing: These Seniors In Chicago Subsidized Housing Died Alone
ProPublica investigates what can go wrong when volunteers who normally checked up on people living in a Chicago Housing Authority complex didn’t go over fears of the virus. Other public health news reports on anti-depressant shortages, insomnia, Zappos therapy, natural remedies for mental health upkeep, the strategies of immigrants and older people trying to survive, struggling with opioid addiction, new blood-testing normal, and play dates, as well.
Release Of High-Profile Prisoners Ahead Of ‘Low-Risk, Vulnerable’ Ones Rankles Democratic Lawmakers
“As President Trump’s associates are cleared for transfer, tens of thousands of low-risk, vulnerable individuals are serving their time in highly infected prisons,” the lawmakers wrote. News on prisons comes from California and Montana, as well.
Lawmakers Poised To Announce Legislation That Would Regulate Privacy For Contact-Tracing Apps
Although contact tracing is largely viewed as a key tool in reopening the country, those efforts raise privacy concerns among Americans and lawmakers. Meanwhile, states try to beef up their staffs so that they can effectively deploy contact tracers.
To Keep Returning Employees Safe, Workplace Measures Will Need To Go Beyond Temperature Checks
People with the virus can be contagious without a fever, so temperature checks can only do so much. In other news on reopening: Hollywood eyes new safety measures as it considers restarting productions; amusement parks plan to open but doubt remains whether people will actually go; dental office get the message out that they’re taking patients again; and more.
FDA Has Somewhat Reined In At-Home-Testing Market, But Doubts About Accuracy Still Linger
The FDA authorized the emergency use of six coronavirus at-home collection kits, which could help the country reopen and allow employees to more safely return to work. But after a rocky start, can they really be trusted to give accurate results consistently enough to be effective? Meanwhile, a look at how President Donald Trump’s plan for drive-in testing sites has largely failed.
While Many Mysteries About Novel Coronavirus Remain, Scientists Have Learned Plenty
The New York Times looks at things we know, like that the trauma from the illness will likely be long lasting in severe cases; and things we don’t, like what is the actual death rate. In other scientific news: WHO officials push back on the idea that the virus is weakening; experts offer tips on reading medical articles; doctors report a wide range of neurological symptoms; and more.
Drugmaker Begins Testing Stage For First Medicine Derived From Antibodies From COVID Patient
Some scientists see the antibody treatment as a way to bridge the gap while a vaccine is being developed. In other pharmaceutical news: the debate over horseshoe crab blood used to test contamination in vaccines heats up, anti-malarial drug debate slides into 2020 campaigns and more.
Masks And Social Distancing Help Curb Virus, But Scientists Say Don’t Forget To Wash Your Hands
The report also found that eye gear can help as well, but that no single thing is the perfect solution. Meanwhile, a study reiterates the importance of health care professionals wearing N95s instead of just surgical masks. Other news on protective face coverings focuses on the challenges of kids wearing masks and state leaders’ efforts to secure protective gear.
The number is likely to be an undercount because only 80% of nursing homes submitted their reports. The numbers demonstrate a sobering toll among nursing home staffers, as well, with more than 34,400 getting sick and nearly 450 dying from the coronavirus.
