Latest KFF Health News Stories
Another Study Finds No Benefit From Malaria Drug That Was So Often Touted As ‘Game Changer’
For a while, President Donald Trump and others talked about hydroxychloroquine like it was going to be a magic cure. But more extensive testing has dashed hopes that it can help in the fight against the coronavirus. Meanwhile, states now have to decide what to do with all the pills they ordered.
Many Hospitals Are Struggling To Absorb Financial Losses From Non-Coronavirus Patients
In an odd twist to the pandemic, hospitals are actually struggling financially as beds that would have been taken by non-COVID patients sit empty. Health care workers are bearing the brunt of the distress, having their hours and pay cut. In other hospital and costs news: price disclosures, CARES grants, and unused field hospitals.
Doctors Growing Frustrated By Trump Administration’s Lack Of Transparency In Distributing Remdesivir
Faulty lines of communication within the Trump administration are hampering efforts to distribute remdesivir — a drug that has been shown to cut hospitalization stays for patients. About 25 hospitals have been approved to receive the drug, but doctors say it’s not clear how the government — through its contractor, AmerisourceBergen — is making those decisions.
Democrats Putting Finishing Touches On Next Relief Package That Is ‘Rooseveltian’ In Scope
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are going big with their next relief package that will focus on individuals, localities and testing efforts. But the legislation is likely to face fierce opposition by Republicans who want to be more cautious in this next phase.
The agency’s guidelines would help companies who are making kits that allow Americans to swab themselves and send the sample into a lab — all from the safety of their own home. Meanwhile, CRISPR technology could help cut testing time down to an hour. Meanwhile, as states grapple with testing questions, the porn industry could offer a template for moving forward.
Whistleblower Complaint Shines Spotlight On Dysfunction That Paralyzed HHS At Start Of Pandemic
A deep dive into Dr. Rick Bright’s complaint reveals the cracks in the agency that has struggled to respond to the outbreak. In other administration news, Melinda Gates gives the Trump administration’s response a “D-Minus,” the U.S. and China talk trade deal implementation, and a nurse protests outside the White House over PPE shortages.
Coronavirus Outbreak Hits Close To Home For Trump After Military Aide Tests Positive
President Donald Trump announced that the White House staff would be tested daily after he found out that an aide who has had contact with him has COVID-19.
News that President Donald Trump shelved CDC guidelines that he viewed as too stringent was just the latest move by the administration to prioritize other concerns and agencies over the CDC.
Pandemic Will Look More Like A Wave That Rolls On And On Under Force Of Its Own Power
It’s not going to be one rogue tsunami-like wave — COVID-19 will be here for a while, experts say. Meanwhile, everyone is looking toward the next surge, but America is still caught in the grips of the first one. And deaths continue to climb.
Companies That Were Relatively Flush With Cash Were Granted Small-Business Loans
“It’s disheartening to see relief spending go to companies that don’t appear to desperately need a lifeline,” Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project On Government Oversight, told Reuters. Meanwhile, lobbyists race to get a piece of the next stimulus pie. And President Donald Trump considers executive orders as a way to provide more economic relief.
NYC’s Decision To Put Hospital System In Charge Of Contact Tracing Raises Eyebrows
The city’s renowned Health Department has experience running contact tracing during other disease outbreaks, but they’re being sidelined for the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, data show how much travel from New York City in the beginning of the crisis exacerbated the spread throughout the country.
Trump May Have His Eyes Glued To 2020 Elections, But Pence Is Glancing Toward Horizon At 2024
With his pandemic response efforts, Vice President Mike Pence might be auditioning for his own presidential run. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump wants a traditional political convention to be held this summer, but officials wonder if that’s possible during the outbreak.
The 26-minute video created by a discredited scientist doles out conspiracy theories and dangerous advice — telling viewers that wearing a mask and washing hands increases the risk of contracting the coronavirus. The film was first pushed online by anti-vaccination disinformation peddlers and then by minor celebrities. Within hours it had been watched millions of times.
With tax revenue drastically down and demand for social services soaring during the pandemic, California’s financial outlook has reversed and the state now faces a $54 billion budget deficit. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) says the state’s reserve will only go so far and calls on the federal government to provide emergency funding. Other coronavirus-related news out of the state reports on hospitals’ financial crunch, ongoing equipment shortages and questions about the distribution of COVID-19 medicines.
Nebraska Governor Overruled Public Health Officials’ Warning To Close ‘Hot Spot’ Meatpacking Plant
Documents obtained by ProPublica show that in March public health officials in Grand Island, Nebraska, wanted a JBS meatpacking plant closed after several workers tested positive for the novel coronavirus. But Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) said no. Since then, cases have skyrocketed and Nebraska has become one of the fastest-growing hot spots for COVID-19 in the nation. News from other meatpacking facilities is reported, as well.
Media outlets report on news out of China, South Korea, Mexico, India, Argentina, New Zealand, Taiwan, Pakistan, Ecuador, Russia, Brazil and other nations.
News outlets report on health technology news related to telehealth rules and tools, hackers targeting COVID-19 information from health care systems, artificial intelligence that could help reduce ICU staffers’ disease exposure and the ways tech companies have stepped in to help combat the virus.
Which Nursing Homes Have Coronavirus Outbreaks? That Data Is Still Not Being Consistently Tracked
The Trump administration announced in April that it would start collecting data on outbreaks and deaths at long-term care facilities. But there is still no federal count and the information is not expected to be made public for weeks. “There’s no way to actually get ahead of this if we don’t have any data — it tells us where we have a problem. We know nothing about these facilities in terms of their personal protective equipment or in terms of their staffing or their infection control capability,” David Grabowski, a professor of health policy at Harvard Medical School, told NBC News. The lag in data collection is just one of a number of bottlenecks in federal effort to slow the virus’ deadly spread in nursing homes across the U.S. News from senior facilities in New York, New Jersey, Louisiana and Maine is also reported.
Unemployment Rate Hits High Last Seen During Great Depression With 14.7% Of Americans Out Of Work
And unprecedented 20.5 million jobs in the U.S. were lost in April as the coronavirus pandemic shuttered vast portions of the economy. The monthly federal report detailing this historic employment drop paints a picture of financial devastation across many industries and job types that economists warn could take a long time to recover from.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
