Latest KFF Health News Stories
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic issues and others.
The Hidden Health Workers: It’s Not Just Those In ERs Who Are Struggling To Cope With Pandemic
People like those who work suicide hotlines and other crisis call centers are trying to keep their heads above the water as the pandemic sweeps the country. In other news on essential workers: staff cuts, personal protective gear, hazard pay and more.
Shuttered Science Labs Struggle To Save Research, Find Ways To Support Younger Researchers
A Stat reporter talks to laboratory staff members about the challenges they faced when told they needed to quickly shut down experiments because of COVID-19. Public health news is on additional terrorism threats, losing a decade of life, more food insecurity, fewer cancer screenings, rampant ageism, understanding the public heath scenario, warnings about dextromethorphan, compounded stress for therapists, coping with medical emergencies, and a silver lining about pollution, as well.
Mourning is much harder for the families. Media outlets report on news from New York, Massachusetts, California, Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, Michigan and Iowa.
Nursing Home Industry Seeks Protection From Lawsuits As Death Toll Soars During Crisis
Meanwhile, patient advocates say legal liability is the last safety net to keep facilities accountable. “If you take the power of suing away from the families, then anything goes,” said Stella Kazantzas, whose husband is among the more than 20,000 patients who have died in nursing homes since the outbreak. In other news on senior facilities: advocates push for a stronger federal response; CMS will form a commission on safety; an elderly social worker dies; veterans’ homes and those in home care struggle; and overall staffing levels drop.
In a Friday night announcement, the White House named a replacement for the HHS watchdog whose office found severe shortages of medical supplies in hospitals and U.S. testing delays as COVID-19 cases surged. Christi Grimm was leading the inspector general’s office when it issued the report in April, embarrassing and angering President Donald Trump.
Prosecutors announced that Blue Bell Creameries agreed to a plea deal in the federal investigation of conspiracy charges over the company’s manufacturing and distribution of ice cream products contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. The outbreak was responsible for three deaths and 10 hospitalizations across four states in 2015.
Singapore And India Emerging As New COVID-19 Hot Spots; Iceland’s Early Vigilance Pays Off
News on the global pandemic is reported out of Singapore, India, Iceland, China, France and other nations.
Why Are Some Areas Of The World Walloped, While Others Skate By Mostly Unscathed?
It’s not just about density and weather, scientists say. But they can’t figure out why some areas of the world have been hit so much harder than others. There are already hundreds of studies underway around the world looking into how demographics, pre-existing conditions and genetics might account for the wide variation in impact. Meanwhile, islands used to isolate have succeeded in containing the virus.
The pandemic will likely play a role in altering or possibly eliminating the 2020 conventions, where politicians would jam together, but it’s not the first time the televised spectacles have come under pressure, according to the New York Times, and company donations are expected to be lower.
An argument over which tribes get funds is partly to blame for the delay in delivering $8 billion allocated by stimulus legislation. Other news on Native Americans reports on the response of the Navajo Nation.
Senate Gavels In Monday, But Lawmakers Are Nowhere Close To Agreement On Another Relief Bill
Senators were called back to Washington even as the House decided to keep members at home. But don’t expect any quick action on another coronavirus stimulus package, Capitol Hill watchers say. Disagreement over business liability and ongoing issues with prior hospital and small business emergency funding are among the obstacles in the way of a new bill.
Pandemic Could Restart Momentum To Progressive Agenda That Floundered During 2020 Primary Race
Proposals for government-sponsored health care and universal basic income carry are more compelling during a pandemic that has devastated the economy and led to millions of job losses than they did when the country was thriving. But on Capitol Hill, progressives might be shouldered out of relief package negotiations.
While Americans did flock to the parks over the weekend as warm weather tempted those with quarantine fatigue, experts say public spaces will get a reboot going forward. Meanwhile, cellphone data shows that more Americans are venturing out even as restrictions remain in place.
More Than 26K Cases Were Reported In 24-Hour Span This Weekend While States Begin Reopening
Governors in at least 30 states have begun allowing some businesses to operate or announced plans to do so this month, but the total number of cases each day is still staggering. Shutdown news comes out of Georgia, Maryland, California and New York.
Experts point to a few factors as to why the devastating surge that was predicted for Florida has yet to come. Some say that even before the late stay-at-home order was issued, residents had already been sheltering in place. Others point to Florida’s low population density and its subtropical climate to explain fewer infections.
Governors Walk Tightrope As Backlash Mounts: ‘We Have To Keep Doing The Right Thing’
Some governors are being pressured to lift restrictions ahead of what medical professionals recommend, but they are reiterating that they need to rely on science and not political rhetoric to make decisions.
A Reality Check Undercuts Hopes Of Immunity Cards, Antibody Tests To Help Reopen Economy
There had been lots of talk about the key role antibody tests could play in lifting shut-down measures. But scientists in Italy are dousing those hopes with a bucket of cold water. “We don’t know if everyone who has had the disease has developed an acceptable protective immunity,” said Dr. Alessandro Venturi, the president of the San Matteo hospital in the Lombardy town of Pavia. In other news, testing remains patchy across the U.S., even as states continue to try to ramp up efforts.
The world’s scientists race to find a vaccine for the coronavirus, trying to compress a decade-long process into 10 months. While experts say safety concerns remain a top priority, there are other factors at play that could complicate it all — including the question over whether the winner will want to share.
Remdesivir Was Fated To Join Antiviral Drug Graveyard, But It’s Getting Another Shot At Success
The drug failed as a treatment for hepatitis and Ebola, but now it might be one of the most well-known drugs in the world. The New York Times takes a look at its startling rescue and transformation during the coronavirus outbreak and a Stat video explains how the medication works. In related news, the FDA allows emergency use of the drug and Gilead has donated more than 1.5 million vials of remdesivir to go to critically ill patients as soon as possible.
