Latest KFF Health News Stories
Last week, and new 5.2 million people filed jobless claims, which was down from the previous week’s record number but still enough to drive the country toward Great Depression-levels of unemployment. The losses are also notable in how quickly they’ve played out. In the financial crisis starting in 2008, it took two years for 8.6 million Americans to lose their jobs. And the actual unemployed numbers could be much higher due to filing difficulties applicants face with state systems.
Following An Anonymous Tip, New Jersey Officials Discover 17 Dead At Nursing Home
“They were just overwhelmed by the amount of people who were expiring,” said Eric Danielson, the police chief in Andover, New Jersey. The 17 bodies were among 68 recent deaths linked to the long-term care facility, Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II, including two nurses. Meanwhile, nursing home deaths across the country continue to soar.
Health officials have been warning for more than a decade about the dangers of epidemics in jails and prisons, which are ideal environments for viral outbreaks. Seventeen infected inmates have died at federal prisons across the U.S. since late March.
New York Residents Ordered To Wear Face Masks In Public When Unable To Practice Social Distancing
New York reported 752 deaths on Tuesday, for a total of nearly 11,600 since the outbreak began. The densely populated city has struggled to keep the virus from spreading like wildfire. “How can you not wear a mask when you’re going to come close to a person?” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo in announcing the decision. “On what theory would you not do that?” More and more states are eyeing requirements for residents to cover their faces, in a trend that might last long after the current pandemic.
“I don’t take anything away from hot spots,” said Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana, a Democrat “But we don’t want to become one of them.” Meanwhile, hospitals are working with supply shortages beyond ventilators. For example, as thousands of patients develop kidney issues, there’s an alarming increase in demand for dialysis fluid.
CDC Used To Be One Of World’s Preeminent Disease-Fighting Bodies, But Agency Gutted Under Trump
The CDC played a major role in eradicating smallpox, as well as the near-elimination of polio. Globally, it won acclaim for helping fight AIDS, Ebola and Zika. Now, under President Donald Trump, experts say its a non-entity in the battle against the coronavirus. In other news from the Trump administration: Vice President Mike Pence put to the test; HHS Secretary Alex Azar snubbed by White House; health experts getting pushed to side in briefings; and more.
In Early Days, WHO Treated Contagion Like Threat It Would Become Even Though Trump Claims Otherwise
Although the World Health Organization faces criticism for how long it took to declare the outbreak a pandemic, the international organization took early and forceful action to try to mitigate the spread of the virus. President Donald Trump still wants to cut off funding, though — a decision that drew swift push back. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the importance of unity in the face of the crisis on news of Trump’s intentions. Meanwhile, a State Department memo advised Trump against cutting funds, saying the move would cede ground to China.
Protesters Rally In Streets, In Front Of State Capitols Demanding Governors Relax Shutdown Orders
In states like Michigan, North Carolina, Kentucky and California a spate of protests broke out over stay-at-home orders. Some of those who turned out were driven by economic frustration, while others cited civil liberty concerns.
New Region-Specific Guidelines To Ease Social Distancing Expected From Trump Today
President Donald Trump plans on Thursday to announce new guidelines that would allow regions that haven’t been hit as hard to relax some social distancing policies. Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, said that while data across the country shows the nation “improving,” Americans must recommit to social distancing to keep up the positive momentum.
President Donald Trump is eager to reopen businesses and schools, but even members of the economic panel he convened to help guide the efforts say that until there’s widespread testing that goal is unreasonable. Reports also emerge that some business leaders didn’t know they were on Trump’s economic panel until the president publicly announced their names. Meanwhile, Democrats take steps to ramp up the country’s ability to quickly test possible patients.
President Donald Trump demanded that Republican leaders immediately call the Senate back into session to confirm his nominees for vacant administration positions, or take an extended recess so he can install interim appointees without a vote. The lawmakers have been meeting every few days in “pro forma sessions” to keep the president from doing just that.
Opinion experts weigh in on these pandemic issues and others.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Physicians in Los Angeles, which has a high population of immigrants and undocumented workers, talk with Stat about the health challenges facing vulnerable populations who are at higher risk for exposure. News on immigration is on the slowdown of international adoptions, also.
Infectious Disease Experts Challenge Tech World’s Optimism About Tracking Cases
Tom Frieden, the CDC’s former director, and other medical experts talk with Stat about the challenges of using apps to track exposures and measure social distancing. News on technology is also on cybercriminals taking advantage of the pandemic and the surge of telemedicine, as well.
At least 45 of the residents died at the Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center near Richmond, Virginia, which is more than a quarter of its patients. Nationwide nearly 4,000 nursing home residents have died, according to The New York Times, and among the hundreds of clusters it’s tracked, the deadliest have all been located in nursing homes. News is from Texas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and the need for a federal tracking system, as well.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care topics and others.
Dr. Anthony Fauci cautioned, though, that the slightly more optimistic timeline would only be realistic if the vaccine proves to be effective, which is a “big if.” Groups around the world are racing to develop a vaccine that is broadly looked at as the single true exit strategy to the pandemic. In other treatment news: a company helps link up patients and trials; a head lice drug makes waves; families vie for plasma treatments; and more.
‘Fast Carbs’ In Potato Chips, Cookies Might Be Stress Busters But Health Expert Says To Back Off
The snacks are rushing off store shelves, tend to be highly processed, devoid of fiber and can lead to the very kinds of diseases that make people more vulnerable to the coronavirus. Public health news is also on the health of cesarean-section babies and a spike in hepatitis C infections.
The warehouse workers say they were targeted because they were critical of Amazon’s warehouse practices in the midst of the pandemic. New York has already called for an investigation into at least one of the firings.
