Latest KFF Health News Stories
President Donald Trump mused that the coronavirus might go away in the summer and then not come back again in the fall. When he asked Dr. Deborah Birx to corroborate the claims, she demurred. Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci, when he took the mic, didn’t mince words: “There will be coronavirus in the fall.”
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic issues and others.
Research Roundup: Daily Aspirin; Sepsis And Antibiotics; 9/11 Responders’ Cancer; And More
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Dems Want Formal Coronavirus Protections For Workers As States Start To Ease Shut-Down Restrictions
So far, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has kept a low profile in the pandemic, leaving it up to employers to keep workers safe. But Democrats say that’s not going to cut it.
Nursing Home Testing Setback: Massachusetts Pauses Program As Inconsistent Results Surface
Nursing home news is from Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, California, and Maine, as well.
Hospitals’ Operating Margins Plummet In Hint Of Prolonged Financial Decline From Battling COVID-19
“We anticipate April will be significantly worse, and at this point, no one knows how long hospitals will continue on their current path,” said James Blake, author of a new report analyzing hospital revenue.
Media outlets report on news from Rhode Island, Texas, Georgia, Massachusetts, California, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Nevada.
VA, Defense Department Open Access To Joint Information Exchange
The longterm goal is to create a single record that follows a patient from the start of military service through to veteran care. More news on technology comes from HHS’ decision to delay enforcement of data exchange rules and concerns about potential telemedicine fraud.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
Study Launched To Specifically Look At Health Care Workers On Front Lines And Their Increased Risk
Health care workers have been especially hard hit by the pandemic, and the new study hopes to uncover clues that will ultimately help the general population as a whole. In other news on providers: the ER staff on the front lines, pregnant health workers, support hotlines and more.
Media outlets report on global news from Italy, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Nigeria, Haiti, North Korea and Mexico.
Ventilators Cause Their Own Damage To Lungs. Is The Trauma Worth The Benefits For COVID-19 Patients?
Only a third of COVID-19 patients placed on a ventilator survive the experience, and doctors are starting to wonder if the life-saving machine should really be used in some cases. In other news: “unprecedented” levels of blood clotting is baffling doctors and some patients attribute plasma therapy to saving their lives.
Call Centers Flooded With More Reports Of Poisonings From Exposures To Disinfectants
Calls to poison control centers are up 20% this year. The CDC reports that adults are making toxic mixes of cleaning chemicals, wiping their faces and hands with powerful disinfectants and children are ingesting hand sanitizers. More public health news related to the virus reports on autism, childhood infections, consequences for at-risk children, cleaner air, delayed treatments, happy dental patients and bat research.
With No Ventilators, Prisons Transport Inmates To Local Hospitals For Coronavirus Treatment
Most in-prison health facilities are not properly equipped to treat severe COVID-19 cases, The Marshall Project reports. So they must lean on local hospitals for acute care. Other prison-outbreak news reports on new Justice Department guidance for early releases, a judge’s criticism of pre-release quarantine practices, the deaths of Rikers Island jail guards, and more.
Lawyers at the Justice Department are still studying whether the president has the legal authority to unilaterally suspend the issuance of green cards. President Donald Trump’s announcement earlier in the week that he was going to suspend all immigration visas drew vocal criticism from business groups whose members rely on guest workers.
The economic devastation from the pandemic is forcing Americans to try to make tough choices between necessities. In other news on the economic toll of the virus: stimulus checks to dead people, controversy over Harvard’s bailout, criminal records, and more.
Congress Moves To Supplement Small Business Aid, Send More Funds To Hospitals And Expand Testing
After tense negotiations between Democrats and White House representatives, the Senate passed a $484 billion coronavirus relief bill. Democrats claimed a victory in securing more money for health systems and expanded testing, along with the funds to supplement the depleted small business fund. What’s next? Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) slams the brakes on any talks of additional stimulus packages even as Democrats pitch a next stop-gap measure.
Political science experts say that the number of states in play in the 2020 presidential election is expanding amid the economic devastation of the pandemic. Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases are being linked with in-person voting in Wisconsin’s primary, which may bolster the push for mail-in-voting.
Much-Hyped Malaria Drug Linked To Higher Rates Of Death In VA Study
More than 27% of patients treated with hydroxychloroquine died, compared with an 11.4% death rate in those not treated with the drugs. The Veterans Affairs study results came as the National Institutes of Health released guidance on coronavirus treatment, saying there is not enough data for or against the vast majority of the medicines, including the combination of hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin.
