Latest KFF Health News Stories
Slew Of Ethical Guidelines For Health Workers In Charge Of Rationing Ventilators Vary Significantly
But many of the plans give preference for scarce ventilators to health care workers. Providers have been struggling with the threat of shortages since the pandemic began. In other heath worker news: airway experts fear excessive exposure, lack of N95s endanger workers, the mental toll coronavirus care is taking on medical professionals and more.
Grim GDP Report From First Quarter Only ‘Tip Of Iceberg’ Of Bad Economic Numbers To Come Next
While the expected GDP drop from the first quarter of 2020 would be the sharpest since the Great Recession, experts say the second quarter will be far worse. That hit could be “three times as large as what we experienced in the global financial crisis,” said Gregory Daco, chief U.S. economist for Oxford Economics. In other economic news: consumer confidence plummets, IRS scrambles to get stimulus payments out, as states reopen workers might be forced off unemployment pay and more.
Democrats Pan McConnell’s Push For Liability Coverage In Next Relief Package
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that if Democrats want another stimulus package it will need to include liability protections for businesses whose employees may sue if they get sick. “I don’t think at this time, with the coronavirus, that there’s any interest in having any less protection with our workers,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Meanwhile, the House abruptly reversed its decision to return to Washington next week.
Antibody Testing: What Exactly Does It Do, Can You Get One, And Are They Accurate?
Media outlets answer questions about antibody testing, which many see as crucial to reopening the country. Meanwhile, Democrats grill companies about the accuracy of their products.
One of the big questions surrounding the novel coronavirus is whether it is airborne in a way that would cause infection if someone breathed in the lingering droplets. In other scientific news: the virus’s lethality, the susceptibility of cancer patients, the effects in pregnant women and more.
The experimental vaccines still face a gauntlet of testing to make sure they are effective and safe, which could derail efforts to expedite use. But many companies have taken measures to shave months, if not years, off the normal development process. Companies have a huge financial incentive to be the winners of this particular race. Meanwhile, anti-vaccine groups already are launching a campaign against whichever emerges even though it’s not developed yet.
Many Labs Say They Can Process Far More Tests Than Ordered. Experts Blame A Disorganized System.
Increased testing is crucial to returning to a semblance of normalcy, but the U.S. has failed since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak to meet demand. Labs, however, say they have the capacity and they’re just not being used.
Even In States Lifting Restrictions, There’s Little Appetite From Leaders To Reopen Schools Soon
Some school systems are even anticipating continuing distance learning into the fall. When children do go back to the classrooms, teachers and leaders are acknowledging there need to be deep changes to ensure their safety.
Consumers’ Fear Of Pandemic Could Thwart Some States’ Eager Rush To Reopen Economy
Just because stay-at-home orders are lifted doesn’t mean Americans will want to flood into movie theaters and bowling alleys, which could be fertile ground for the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the day-to-day choices of what is safe for Americans is made harder when states partially lift lock-downs. In other news on the shutdowns: quarantine fatigue, the future of handshakes and a potential second wave this fall. Media outlets also cover which states are lifting restrictions.
Trump Orders Meat Plants To Stay Open Even As They Emerge As Virus Hot Spots
Workers in the plants have been getting sick because of their forced proximity with each other, causing slaughterhouses to shutter across the country. A fear of food shortages prompted President Donald Trump to deem the plants “critical infrastructure,” which gives the owners liability coverage if workers get sick on the job.
“I don’t think people appreciate how tired the department is,” one former Trump HHS appointee told Politico. “Your effectiveness wears down after you’ve been in a fight — and for 100 days, HHS has been kicked in the teeth.” Meanwhile, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo berates the “whole alphabet soup of agencies” for early missteps during the pandemic.
Pence Defies Mask Rule As He Tours Mayo Clinic Confident He Doesn’t Have Virus
Vice President Mike Pence raised eyebrows when images emerged of him as the lone person touring the Mayo Clinic without a mask. Pence, who leads the White House’s coronavirus task force, says that masks are meant to prevent the wearer from spreading the virus and since he’s been regularly tested he knows he’s not infected. The move was part of a larger trend within the Trump administration to forgo masks counter to CDC guidance.
Insurers Turn To Congress With Hands Out Even As They Reassure Investors Outbreak Might Be A Boon
The extra costs of covering coronavirus care is being offset by missed elective procedures, insurers are reporting. But America’s Health Insurance Plans, the powerful health insurance lobby, is telling a different story in Washington. Meanwhile, worried that the surge in unemployment will bolster support for “Medicare for All” plans, big businesses get behind a bailout for employer-sponsored coverage. And aggressive debt collection continues during the crisis, ProPublica reports.
Amid Missteps On Science Of Virus, Trump Tries To Return To Comfort Zone With Focus On Economy
More economy-focused events and messaging are coming out of the White House after weeks of singular attention by President Donald Trump as the front man for the pandemic response. Other White House news reports on Trump’s inconsistent reopening rhetoric, a behind-the-scenes adviser, attacks on watchdogs, the West Point address and more. Meanwhile, polls show that Americans are losing faith in what the president says about the outbreak.
Contact Tracing Crucial Part Of Reopening, But Lack Of National Plan Likely To Cause Uneven Success
There’s little funding on the horizon for states to ramp up their contact tracing efforts even as medical experts and others lobby the White House to back such work. Meanwhile, a study shows how successful tracing can be in curbing the pandemic.
Death Toll In U.S. Surpasses Vietnam War’s Toll, While Total Cases Climb Past Grim 1 Million Mark
The more than 1 million cases now registered in the U.S. makes up about a third of all confirmed COVID-19 cases around the globe. As more data emerges from the outbreak, it appears more and more likely that both the infection count and death total are undercounts.
Opinion writers focus on these pandemic issues and others.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Perspectives: For Pharma, Winning Vaccine Race Will Be Like Winning Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Drugmakers Slammed With Fines After They Fail To Report Price Hikes To California
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical development and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
