Latest KFF Health News Stories
Stat reports on new studies underway on how COVID upsets the body’s immune system. “It’s something I have never seen in my 20 years of” studying viruses, said virologist Benjamin tenOever. Science-backed news is on risk from low white blood cell counts, underlying illnesses, and microscopic images, as well.
Media outlets report on news from Georgia, California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Hawaii, California, Illinois, Maine and Nevada.
“You cannot defeat a plague or a pandemic outside of prisons if you let it run free inside the prisons, which is basically what’s happening,” said Van Jones, head of a criminal justice advocacy group. News on prisons is from Maine, Nevada, Maryland, California, and New York, as well.
How States Are Counting Their Tests Is Providing Misleading Picture Of COVID’s Path
Virginia, Texas, Georgia, and Vermont have said they’ve been adding viral test results and antibody test results to their totals. The combination could overstate a state’s ability to test and track active infections.
Studies That Show Monkeys Develop Immunity To Virus Raise Hopes For An Effective Vaccine
The question of whether patients can get sick again after fighting off the virus–or get sick in the first place after receiving a vaccine–has been one of the mysteries scientists have been trying to solve since the beginning. Two different studies in monkeys offer some hope that humans can develop immunity to this particular virus. But questions–like how long that immunity lasts–remain.
A Reality TV Star Finds A Very Stark Reality While Searching For Millions Of Medical Masks
Despite encountering fraud in many corners, Bethenny Frankel’s BStrong charity and its partner organization, Global Empowerment Mission, donated more than two million masks and isolation gowns to hospitals and other groups in all 50 states. Other news related to personal protective equipment is on increasing U.S. manufacturing, a poll of health care workers on the shortages and complaints about New Yorkers not wearing masks.
Over 5 Million Coronavirus Cases Across The World Reported And New Single-Day Record Set
Developments in the global pandemic are reported out of China, Brazil, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, Colombia, Russia and other nations.
Powerful Propaganda Machine Intended To Sow Division Likely Responsible For Half Of Virus Tweets
Scientists can’t confirm if Russia or China are responsible for the bots on Twitter, but they say the strategy follows closely to the countries’ known playbooks on sowing division in America. Researchers identified more than 100 false narratives about COVID-19 that are proliferating on Twitter by accounts controlled by bots. In other public health news, car fatalities, “artifacts” of the coronavirus era, PTSD in health workers, air travel and more.
Millions of Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week — making it the ninth week in a row the U.S. economy shed millions of jobs due to coronavirus shut downs. While businesses begin to reopen in many parts of the country, financial analysts worry that the massive number of layoffs and furloughs have taken a longer-term hold of the labor market.
Vulnerable Republicans Express Frustration Over Leadership’s Wait-And-See Mentality
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is adamant that the upper chamber won’t rush to pass another coronavirus relief package, despite the House’s ambitious legislation. But not everyone in the party is on board with that plan. Meanwhile, McConnell vows to end the beefed up $600 unemployment benefits policy.
Tech To Aid Contact Tracing Released By Apple, Google To Drive Apps That Track COVID-19 Exposure
Health authorities in several U.S. states and 22 other countries have requested access to the new technology, developed for use on mobile devices to notify someone who was exposed to the coronavirus. Apple and Google have placed some restrictions — for instance, governments can’t require phone numbers or access location data — which have prompted some nations to work on their own tech.
Contact Tracing, Once An Obscure Public Health Strategy, Now Takes Center Stage
Contact tracing will be key to safely reopening the country, but building up enough of an army for those efforts to be successful challenges stretched-thin state health departments. One small New Jersey town seems to have gotten it right though.
Even Before COVID, 82% Of Nursing Homes Lacked Adequate Infection Control Practices, Report Finds
The GAO says deficiencies in nursing homes included inadequate hand hygiene among staff or the lack of preventive protocols during disease outbreaks. News on nursing homes looks at overhauling the industry, COVID’s racial divide, New Jersey’s share of the blame for deaths, Arkansas’ tracing plans and painful, botched testing in Minnesota, as well.
And if the country had locked down two weeks earlier, 54,000 fewer people would have died by early May, according to new estimates from Columbia University disease modelers. The numbers offer a harsh lesson as states move toward reopening.
‘We Really Are Playing With Fire Here’: States Carry On With Reopening Plans Despite Grim Warnings
All 50 states have started to lift restrictions despite the fact that scientists say many haven’t met the goals needed to do so safely. Experts predict a devastating second wave, especially in Southern states, which closed late, opened early and have a vulnerable population with a high percentage of underlying medical conditions.
CDC Guidelines On Reopening Religious Institutions Delayed After Disagreement With White House
Access to churches and other religious institutions has been a controversial topic during the lock down. While religious leaders chaffed under state restrictions, data and other evidence shows that religious gatherings have exposed some of the most vulnerable people to the virus.
Schools Poised To Become Next Political Battleground As States Start To Reopen
The CDC released guidance on how states can safely reopen schools, with a focus on social distancing. But there remains plenty of topics that will be left up to state leaders, such as if masks will be required. Meanwhile, Europe offers lessons as it navigates the tricky issue.
Positive Trends In Vaccine Development Race Are Converting Skeptical Scientists
Scientists across the globe are starting to be hopeful that there will be a vaccine next year, something that until now would have been unheard of in the history of vaccine development. But there are positive signs in the development race — including the fact that the virus doesn’t quickly mutate. In related news: a skeptical public, a look at President Donald Trump’s vaccine chief, a deep dive into a bizarre saga behind Moderna’s closed doors, the dangerous spread of misinformation and more.
Trump’s 2020 Message Amid Virus Devastation: I Built The Economy Once, I Can Do It Again
President Donald Trump, who has tied his presidency to the health of the economy, is in a tricky spot. But historians and economists are skeptical he can run on the promise to fix it. Meanwhile, Republicans quietly chat about paring back the convention.
Following Outcry From Lawmakers, Trump Mulls Extending Federal Deployment Of National Guard
Earlier in the week, Politico reported that the Trump administration considered pulling back the national guard personnel, who are working across the nation on relief efforts. But scores of lawmakers wrote in to try to change the president’s mind, saying such a move would endanger Americans’ lives. In other news on President Donald Trump’s response efforts: intelligence briefings, criticism of former President Barack Obama and a continued focus on scapegoating China. Meanwhile, the president says he will wrap up his regime of taking dangerous malaria drugs.
