Latest KFF Health News Stories
Media outlets report on news from Iowa, California, Ohio, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas, Massachusetts, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Vermont.
In Shadow Of Coronavirus Vaccine Rush, Experts Wonder Why There Isn’t One For Herpes
In 2016, two-thirds of the world’s population under 50 — about 3.7 billion people — had herpes simplex virus type 1. But scientists have been struggling to come up with a vaccine for at least 40 years and have failed. In other health news: cancer treatments, global AIDS funding, prosthetic arms, and more.
As Americans Shelter In Place, ICE Transfers Detainees Into Facilities In Vulnerable Rural South
The ICE detention facilities have aided southern communities by providing jobs and tax revenue. But local leaders worry that immigration officials aren’t taking proper safety precautions before transferring detainees into the area.
News on the global pandemic is reported out of Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Italy, Brazil, Spain, Israel, South Korea, China, Mexico and other nations.
Public Health Officials Warn About Upcoming Historic Wave Of Mental Health Problems
Advocates stress the mental health providers aren’t prepared for the number of people who will need help. Susan Borja of the National Institute of Mental Health told the Washington Post: “I worry about the suffering that’s going to go untreated on such a large scale.” Other public health news reports on work place screenings, lingering fevers, working in a nursing home while pregnant, health disparities, palliative care, end-of-life wishes, new flying attire, quieter ERs, and police challenges, as well.
The two tech giants provided a first glimpse of what the technology they are jointly developing could look like. The system will only be used by government apps, in order to track the spread of the coronavirus. Despite a call by public health authorities to use GPS technology instead of Bluetooth, Apple and Google say they won’t allow location tracking due to battery limitations and privacy concerns. News outlets report on other coronavirus tracking news, as well.
Texas Inmates To Supreme Court: Allow Us ‘The Ability To Protect Oneself From Grave Danger’
Most of the prisoners are 65 or older in the state prison in Navasota, Texas. One has already died. They’re asking for face masks and the ability to practice good hygiene. The Supreme Court gave the state until Friday to respond. More news on prisoners’ health is reported from the District of Columbia, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
‘Devastating Everything’: Meatpacking Cities Feel Outrage Over Stay-Open Orders
“We were failed by people who put profit margins and greed before people, predominantly brown people, predominantly immigrants, predominantly people who live in lower socioeconomic quarters,” said Jonathan Griede of Waterloo, Iowa, the location of a Tyson Foods pork processing plant. Other news on essential worker safety reports on Amazon, bus drivers, FedEx, Toyota, Kia, Hyundai and BMW, as well.
The New York Times features health care workers from around the globe talking about their experiences on the front lines. In other provider news: profiling health worker deaths, protective gear and safety, staff at nursing homes and the toll on morgue workers.
COVID Response?: 15 Children Hospitalized In New York With Dangerous Inflammatory Syndrome
No children have died of the syndrome, which causes inflammation in the walls of the arteries and can limit blood flow to the heart, but some have been placed on ventilators or given blood pressure support. Similar cases have been reported in California and several European nations. Other news on treating children reports on how medical workers should protect themselves when caring for a group of patients portrayed as less vulnerable than older patients.
In isolated cases, heated debates over masks and social distancing turned violent–and even fatal–in recent days as tensions escalate across the country.
History Repeating Itself: How This 2020 Pandemic Looks Startlingly Similar To 1918 Flu
More than 100 years of scientific and medical advances have done little to change how the world responds to a pandemic. Meanwhile, a new study looks at how the 1918 outbreak helped lead to the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany — one example of the ways such a crisis can dramatically change humanity’s trajectory.
The negotiations over the next relief package are likely to be anything but smooth. Republicans are pushing for liability protections for businesses in the next round of talks, a “red line” for them that Democrats reject. But Democrats hope to put the pressure on the Senate with a new bill this week. In other news from Capitol Hill: health benefits, burial funds, aid for providers and more.
Senators Return To Capitol In Masks: ‘This Will Be One Of The Strangest Sessions In Modern History’
Democrats were wary about returning to the Capitol, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) defended his decision. “We are going to show up for work like the essential workers that we are,” McConnell said. “Our bosses are the American people, and they’re counting on us to keep on serving.”
With Great Potential For Profit Comes Great Responsibility: Will Gilead Emerge A Hero Or Villain?
Gilead has a well-documented history of charging high prices for lifesaving therapies. But beneath the bright shine of the global spotlight — with millions of lives possibly in the balance — the company could help shift the narrative around the drug industry.
Even New York and California — two of the states hit hardest by the virus — are talking about their plans to lift restrictions. Many other states are moving at a faster clip. But, as public health experts have warned all along, it’s not just like flipping a light switch.
FDA To Crack Down On Inaccurate Antibody Tests That Have Flooded The Market
The agency originally relaxed its review standards at the beginning of the pandemic, but scientists have been calling for officials to step back in. A recent study found that only three out of 14 antibody tests deliver consistently reliable results, and even the best have flaws.
Unpacking The Circumstantial Evidence That Novel Coronavirus May Have Escaped From A Lab In China
NBC News looks at the facts about why some think the outbreak may have started with a worker accidentally infected at either the Wuhan Institute of Virology or the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The bats that carry the family of coronaviruses linked to the new strain aren’t found within 100 miles of Wuhan — but they were studied in both labs. Dr. Anthony Fauci dismissed any talk about the origins, saying that even if it was an accident from a lab, the virus still exists in the wild so the conversation is not worth having.
Trump Becomes Biggest Cheerleader For Governors Bucking White House’s Reopening Guidelines
President Donald Trump is championing governors who are lifting restrictions even though their states haven’t met the White House’s own guidelines for doing so. Public health experts warn that a push to reopen too soon could lead to a devastating surge of deaths in the coming weeks and months. “There’s this mindset that it’s like running a show and you’ve got to keep people tuned in,” a former administration official told Politico. “Viewers will get tired of another season of coronavirus.”
The officials driving the Trump administration’s coronavirus response have expanded testing and helped revamp medical supply chains. “I think the administration is at a C now because they’re at least meeting the needs in a pandemic,” said a former Trump administration official. “But they’re not an A or B yet because we’re not getting ahead of the problem.” In other news from the administration: a top FEMA leader to depart and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticizes the White House for not allowing task force members to testify in front of Congress.
