Latest KFF Health News Stories
Trump Touts Research That Virus Is Effected By Sunlight, Floats Dangerous Disinfectant Suggestion
“The whole concept of the light, the way it kills it in one minute, that’s pretty powerful,” President Donald Trump said in a press briefing where he also offered a suggestion that disinfectant could be injected into the body to fight the virus. Scientists knock down the idea as dangerous and potentially fatal. Other news reports on the public’s opinion of information delivered by the president.
U.S. Death Toll Tops 50,000 As California Records Deadliest Day Of Pandemic
As of Friday morning the U.S. crossed the grim 50,000 death mark, though many experts think that’s an undercount. On California’s worst day of the pandemic so far, COVID-19 became Los Angeles County’s leading cause of death.
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic issues and others.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic issues and others.
Treatment Experts Question Penalties For Opioid Overdose Victims Breaking Stay-At-Home Orders
Among those being cited by police for violating the Ohio governor’s orders are those struggling with addiction. They aren’t being jailed, but are facing fines and the possibility of jail time. “It’s such a shame that we’re there and ladling on charges to someone who’s really in a health crisis,” said one addiction expert. Other news on the opioid crisis is in online counseling services.
Nearly Half Of Primary Care Physicians Expect Pay Cuts This Month
Many health systems report revenue declines of 40% to 50%, and even pay for front-line workers is expected to be cut in some places. In other health care worker news: returning to work after being sick, doctors being sent to help Native American reservations, tracking worker deaths and more.
Global news is from Kenya, India, Colombia, Iraq, China, North Korea, and France.
Opening up for surgeries will be a welcome decision for anxious patients who waited weeks for procedures that are important. But hospitals are still trying to figure out the best way to keep patients safe amid the pandemic.
‘Great Worry’: Health Experts See Drop In Vaccinations As Parents Cancel Well-Child Checkups
“We know our vaccine rates were already tenuous, so any additional hit to that is a great worry,” said Dr. Elizabeth Meade, a pediatrician in Washington. The doses states distribute vaccines for federally funded programs have also dropped since the pandemic started. Public health news is on choosing to die at home, risky health conditions, a ”virus of fear” keeping sick people away from hospitals, problems from leaders forgoing masks, fashion designers making masks, felines testing positive, climate change’s role in the pandemic and parents dealing with online schooling, as well.
“It’s easy to be wise after the event,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in defense of the agency’s slow acknowledgment that it was facing shortages.
Democrats Have Been Playing Hard-Ball And Securing Wins In The Process. Can They Keep It Up?
The House blocked the Senate’s no-strings $250 billion package for the small business fund and got a measure nearly double that with extra money for hospitals systems and expanded testing. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been adamant that he’s not going to just pass another stimulus package just because the Democrats want it. Meanwhile, banks say the supplemental funds for the small businesses will be used up quickly.
Trump’s Executive Order On Green Cards Comes With Plenty Of Exceptions
It does not apply to immigrants already in the United States, nor to those seeking temporary visas, including students or guest workers like farmers. President Donald Trump has walked back his hard stance against suspending all immigration early in the week after an outcry from business groups.
Nursing Home Owners Plea For Testing To Curb Outbreaks As Deaths Surpass 10,000
Ohio and Washington reports were unavailable for a Wall Street Journal survey finding at least 10,700 deaths among more than 35 states in facilities for seniors. Public health experts say nursing homes need better testing before allowing visitors again, once states reopen. Other news on nursing homes is from New York, Louisiana and Indiana.
Media outlets report on news from the District of Columbia, California, Massachusetts, Texas, Michigan, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Maine, New Mexico, Indiana and Nevada, as well.
Texas Eases Pandemic Restrictions On Abortion In Surprise Move
After weeks of legal wrangling, abortion services are again available in Texas after a new order by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) took effect allowing more elective procedures halted by the pandemic to resume. And more abortion news comes from Arkansas, as well.
News is reported on coronavirus spreads in Ohio, Texas, Iowa, Indiana and Louisiana prisons.
Experts say that even with precautions, there’s a chance that meat plants — where social distancing is impossible — may not be able to guarantee workers’ safety and still operate. “It’s not that people aren’t trying. It’s just that it is very difficult to control this illness,” said Dennis Burson, an animal science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Record 26M Filed For Jobless Claims Over Last 5 Weeks, With Additional 4.4M Joining Ranks Last Week
Last week another 4.4 million Americans sought unemployment benefits after losing their jobs due to the coronavirus-driven shutdowns. The staggering figures suggest that the U.S. unemployment rate has spiked as high as 20%.
U.s. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cited concerns over the threat of zoonotic diseases, but WHO officials say the markets are an important source of affordable food for many. WHO did say, though, that safety regulations show play a crucial role in whether they can reopen.
