Latest KFF Health News Stories
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
New Study Confirms Patients With Cancer Or In Remission Have Higher Death Risk From COVID-19
The international study appearing in Lancet reports that 13% of cancer patents are likely to die within 30 days. Other studies for people without cancer find the case fatality at 5.9%. Other news on underlying conditions is on obesity.
Contact tracing is exhausting, time-consuming work. And even states putting money into the process are not doing it at levels that match what’s needed to keep the outbreak under control, experts say. Meanwhile, some scientists get on board with the push to test cities’ sewage.
Other Health Care News: Inmate Safety, Bacteria And Tumors, Preemie Technology And More
A look at some of the health news developments that are happening alongside the pandemic.
In Likely Second Wave Hospitals Promise Care Will Be ‘More Rational With Less Sense Of Desperation’
Doctors and hospitals learned some hard lessons over the past few months. When the second wave hits in the fall, though, they say they’ll be more prepared to handle the surge. In other news, a look at how the pandemic is likely to shape the future of hospital designs.
Editorial pages focus on these health topics and others.
Report: Nursing Homes Group Requested Rollback Of Federal Mandate On Emergency Planning
A ProPublica investigation looks at efforts in the long-term-care industry since the 2016 election to ease federal regulations designed to help eliminate the spread of illness among the most vulnerable patients. News on nursing homes comes from North Carolina, California and Massachusetts, as well.
Feds Awarded PPE Contracts Worth Over $1M To Many Untested Companies, And Some Fail To Deliver
An analysis by CNN finds that nearly 1 out of every 5 federal contracts for $1 million or more went to first-time contractors. And some had no previous experience producing or procuring personal protective equipment. ProPublica also continues to investigate such government awards, launching a database to track federal pandemic-related purchases.
Global pandemic developments are reported out of France, Spain, Italy, Britain, New Zealand, Norway, Greece, the Netherlands, China, India and other nations.
Media outlets report on news from New York, Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Oklahoma, Ohio and Michigan.
Perfect Storm?: Experts Warn As Reopenings Begin, Mass Shootings Could Start Again
“You’ve got a lot of alienated and frustrated individuals who have been cooped up at home and perhaps have been using this time to be online, getting radicalized,” said James Densley, co-author of “The Violence Project” a study of mass shooters. More public health stores are on safe offices and day care centers, uneven social distancing enforcement, growing interest in bird watching, concerns of new moms, shelter-in-place with strangers, and recovering at age 103 with a beer, as well.
Behind The Scenes: Sickened Health Care Workers Discuss Worries About Jobs, Their Families
The New York Times reports on sacrifices made on the front lines by health care workers whose fears about dying and infecting their families are compounded by stressful work responsibilities. Other news on health care workers reports on one family member’s way of showing thanks; profiles of those who have died; the war-zone like feeling; potential layoffs for nurses; economic challenges for pediatricians; and a fired doctor sues a hospital.
RNC Gives North Carolina Deadline To Accept Proposed Safety Measures For National Convention
Their list of suggested safety measures included health questionnaires for attendees, thermal scans before boarding “sanitized” prearranged transportation, widely available hand sanitizer, and a requirement that attendees pass a health screening before entering the event. Tensions have been rising between the Republican Party and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper over whether the convention can go on as normal.
Emergency Government Aid Cushions Blow For Some, But Crisis Will Far Outlast That Support
Most Americans have only received that one $1,200 check. And for those laid off, the extra $600 a week in unemployment benefits is set to dry up in the summer. The economic devastation from the pandemic, though, will likely continue on for months if not years, experts say. Meanwhile, lawmakers in New York consider legislation that would allow New York City to borrow $7 billion to pay for the pandemic.
House Passes Legislation That Tweaks Small-Business Loan Requirements To Help Struggling Owners
The bill, which passed 417-1, has wide bipartisan support and lawmakers are hoping the Senate will quickly pass the legislation. The changes made to the Paycheck Protection Program will help providers that employ highly compensated physicians and will help practices that have considered shutting down because of the pandemic.
In Booming Blood Business, A Milliliter Sample Of Convalescent Plasma Could Go For $1,000
Blood brokers are taking advantage of the high demand for plasma from companies that want to develop antibody tests. “Disease-state” blood for most conditions typically ranges from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars per sample. In other scientific news on the virus: ventilation’s role in infections, what’s safe to do this summer, updates on the Kawasaki-like symptoms showing up in kids, and more.
Trump Administration Distributed Remdesivir To Wrong Hospitals, Facilities Without ICU Beds
Gilead donated doses of remdesivir to the government to distribute, but an analysis of where that first batch went shows missteps that left critical patients without the potentially life-saving drug. Meanwhile, a study finds that a five-day course of remdesivir might be enough, which would help conserve supplies. And the VA says it has all but dropped its use of the controversial anti-malarial drug that has potentially fatal side effects.
Ethics Watchdogs Want Vaccine Czar In Charge Of ‘Operation Warp Speed’ To Reveal Pharma Ties
Moncef Slaoui reportedly has extensive ties with the pharmaceutical industry, but since he’s technically not a federal employee he doesn’t have to reveal them to their full extent. In other news: Novartis agrees to manufacture a potential vaccine, a vaccine based on gene therapy technology gains support, and experts break down the complications that come with distributing a vaccine even if one is proven effective.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, stunned members of Congress and the Bush administration immediately toned down their usual back-and-forth rhetoric and pulled together. Now, in the face more than 100,000 American deaths and a devastating economic crisis, partisan attacks seem more common than ever. And few symbols have come to represent that political divide like the mask.
