Latest KFF Health News Stories
Global pandemic developments are reported out of Russia, Brazil, India, Germany, France, Mexico, Italy, China and other nations.
Media outlets report on news from New Mexico, New York, Texas, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Michigan and New Jersey, as well.
Going Without Life-Saving Therapy: Social Distancing Orders Complicate Mental Health Care Crisis
Advocates worry that many homeless people are avoiding shelters where their mental health needs are identified by experts. Meanwhile, other people who have been staying at home might be developing anxiety and depression that will cause them to require therapy from an underfunded system already stretched thin. Other public health news is on air travel safety, a new vulnerability to biological attacks, air pollution alarms, day care concerns, new workplace settings and the dip in organ donations, as well.
Measles Outbreaks?: Significant Vaccination Drop Raises Concerns About Common Spreadable Diseases
Fewer than 50% of infants 5 months or younger are up to date on their vaccines for measles and pertussis in Michigan, according to the CDC — a trend likely occurring in the rest of the country as parents were reluctant to visit doctors’ offices during the pandemic.
OSHA Says New Safety Rules Aren’t Needed As Country Reopens. Workers Beg To Disagree.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has said that because of the fluid nature of the crisis it doesn’t believe any new regulations are warranted at this time. But advocates say there are clear-cut measures employers can take–like providing personal protective gear–that aren’t likely to change in the coming months.
‘We’re In Same Storm But Not Same Boat’: Racial, Economic Disparities Stark In Data On NYC Deaths
The data released Monday reinforced earlier revelations that black and Hispanic New Yorkers were both more than twice as likely to be killed by the virus as white people.
In Latest Salvo In Mail-In-Voting War, Advocates Sue Wisconsin Over Absentee Ballots
Advocacy groups want Wisconsin to send an absentee ballot to every voter in the state. Meanwhile, the League of Women Voters of New Jersey and other groups sues New Jersey, arguing that the state’s signature-match requirement for mail-in ballots disenfranchises thousands of voters.
‘Sea Of Sleaze’: Rampant Fraud, Price Gouging Hamper Efforts To Get Health Workers Protective Gear
While profiteers and crooks make their fortunes, medical workers across the United States ration masks, recycle them or treat infected patients without protective equipment.
Hospitals Prepared For An Onslaught The Likes Of NYC’s Outbreak. For Some, That Surge Never Came.
Hospitals around the U.S. scrambled to ramp up beds, build triage tests and cancel all other procedures in the early days of the crisis. Then the total shut down flattened the curve.
Stat spoke with experts about the potential lasting changes the pandemic could bring to the health industry. Meanwhile, public health experts worry about underfunded community health systems in the midst of the crisis.
Nursing Homes Should Be Among Last To Reopen CMS Says As It Urges ‘Extreme Caution’
The Trump administration’s guidelines urge state and local officials to refrain from allowing virtually all visitors into nursing homes or other senior care facilities until several conditions are met, including that all residents and staff test negative for the coronavirus for at least 28 days. Other news on nursing homes in Canada, Louisiana, California and Nevada is reported.
So far, more than 1,508,800 Americans have been infected by COVID-19 and at least 90,369 have died. But even as cases continue to climb, states are moving toward reopening. In related news: Democrats in metro areas might thwart conservatives’ push to reopen; a judge halts order that tossed out Oregon’s stay-at-home restrictions; Florida holds its breath as it returns to normalcy; the need for public bathrooms could undercut people’s desires to venture out; and more.
CDC Plans To Test Hundreds Of Thousands Of Americans To See How Much The Virus Has Actually Spread
Early studies have suggested the coronavirus is far more pervasive throughout the United States than current testing shows. In other news on tracking the spread: tracing jobs are on the rise, technical glitches thwart some states’ efforts, a debate over sharing data with law enforcement brews, and more.
Trump Threatens To Permanently Cut Off Funding To WHO After China Pledges $2B To Help Fight Virus
American officials decried Chinese President Xi Jinping’s decision to contribute $2 billion to the global efforts to contain the pandemic as an attempt by China to forestall closer scrutiny of whether it hid information about the outbreak to the world. Late on Monday, President Donald Trump released a scathing letter that laid out his grievances with both WHO and China, both popular targets for the president in recent weeks.
Promising Results In Moderna Trial Just A Baby Step On Long Path Toward Successful Vaccine
The encouraging data comes from just eight people who took part in a 45-subject safety trial that kicked off in March. But the study did find that the vaccine appears to generate an immune response similar to that seen in people who have been infected by the virus and recovered. The FDA gave Moderna the green light to begin a Phase II study expected to enroll an additional 600 volunteers.
Trump’s Decision To Take Malaria Drug With Dangerous Side Effects Blasted By Health Experts
President Donald Trump dropped a surprise on reporters on Monday when he announced he was taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventive measure. Studies have found that the medication can have serious cardiovascular side effects and FDA has warned against its use related to coronavirus. Health experts and Democratic lawmakers decried Trump’s decision, worrying that it lead to Americans taking the unproven, dangerous drug.
Opinion writers express views on these pandemic topics and others.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Reaching Out To Isolated Seniors: Total Strangers Can Brighten Their Day With Weekly Phone Calls
Locked away in nursing home rooms all by themselves for their protection, some lucky residents are now getting phone calls from total strangers: groups eager to to help and put a smile on their faces. Public health news is on uneasy sheltering in place for LBGTQ students, increased demand for floral bouquets, revamping responses from domestic violence organizations, mental health challenges for police forces, tough lessons for students, and unsettling change in the workplace, as well.
Opinion writers express views about these public health issues and others.
