Latest KFF Health News Stories
A Chinese restaurant where some diners got sick and others didn’t has become a prime location for scientists studying whether people can become infected from airborne particles. “If there’s a good ventilation system, you’re not going to get enough exposure to be infected,” infectious disease aerobiologist Dr. Donald Milton told ABC News. “If there isn’t good ventilation, then the data suggests that it’s crowded, poorly ventilated places where there have been outbreaks.” In other news on the science of COVID-19: how long patients test positive, what is happening with immune systems, tracing virus mutations and more.
More Major U.S. Airlines Will Now Require Passengers To Wear Face Masks
American, Delta, Frontier and United airlines all joined JetBlue in announcing the new requirement. The risk of infection on airlines is higher because of how the air is circulated through the cabins. Airlines had been hesitant to require masks since they were hard to come by, but they say times have changed and it’s not the right step to ensure the safety of both their passengers and crews.
An Increased Risk: About 75% Of Health Care Workers In Most Cities Are Women
Health care workers make up a disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases, and many of those on the front line are women. In health care personnel news: home health aides struggle to ensure their own safety, medical staff not exempt from job cuts, unions balk at reused masks and more.
‘Feeling Of Helplessness’: Losses For Florida Produce Growers Top $500M As Vegetables Rot In Fields
With restaurants, canning companies and theme parks closed, many Florida growers are having to plow under their crops after letting hunger relief organizations handpick what they need. News about food scarcity is also on millions of SNAP recipients who can’t use Instacart and distributing PB&Js to hungry New Yorkers.
Unemployment Numbers Are Already Staggering, Yet Experts Say About 50% More Are Uncounted
The sheer volume of claims has so overwhelmed state agencies that not all of those affected by the pandemic are being counted. “It is declining, but the level is still breathtakingly high,” said Ian Shepherdson, an economist. “Claims could stay in the millions for several more weeks, which is almost unfathomable.” Meanwhile, as May 1 rolls around, many Americans are panicked over rent.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged that the funding amount is aspirational, but that it is a good goalpost for the next relief package. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision to bring senators back to the Capitol is questioned.
As States Bid Against Each Other For Equipment, Democrats Push For Federal Distribution System
Lawmakers want to give FEMA the responsibility of purchasing the equipment and then distributing it to the states, rather than having the onus be placed on the governors — who then have to fight each other for the needed devices and protective gear. Other preparedness news focuses on ventilators, PPE and ethical guidelines during shortages.
States Eye Daunting Task Of Building Contact-Tracing Armies
Contact tracing is thought of as crucial tool to reopening the country, but it requires states to invest in the creation of an army of public health workers to do it effectively. “It’s not rocket science to do it on an individual basis. The problem is the scale that we have to do this at,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) says. States are also working to expand access to virus testing — another part of the equation necessary for restarting the economy.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) re-instated a state of emergency, despite a vote by the Republican-led state Legislature refusing to extend the original order and protesters with rifles demonstrating inside and out of the state capitol building. “By refusing to extend the emergency and disaster declaration, Republican lawmakers are putting their heads in the sand and putting more lives and livelihoods at risk,” Whitmer said.
Beaches And Parks Provide Too Much Temptation For Californians, Gov. Newsom Says
After pictures emerged of crowded beaches last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) says they’ll be closed the coming days. States are struggling with what to do with outside, public spaces that are getting too crowded as quarantine fatigue deepens. Meanwhile, news outlets look at where states stand on reopening.
As More States Reopen, Fauci Warns Leaders Against ‘Leapfrogging’ Important Milestones
“Obviously you could get away with that, but you’re making a really significant risk,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said. More than half of U.S. states are expected to relax some restrictions heading into May. Meanwhile, polls continue to show a majority of Americans support the great lockdown of 2020.
Billions In Federal Provider Aid Is Bypassing Poorest Hospitals In Favor Of Large Medical Systems
State Medicaid directors are calling for more aid “in the next two weeks” to avoid widespread disruptions. Meanwhile, the pandemic is exposing the deep divide of how care is paid for in the U.S. versus Europe.
Trump To Create Independent Commission To Investigate Outbreaks In Nursing Homes
“I guess you could call it a little bit of a weak spot, because things are happening at the nursing homes that we’re not happy about,” President Donald Trump said. While some praised the decision, others in the industry say it falls far short of what’s needed.
Mask-Wearing As Political Virtue Signal? Basic Public Health Guidance Falls Into Partisan Trap
After pictures of Vice President Mike Pence touring the Mayo Clinic without a mask emerged, the spotlight turned toward just who is wearing masks and who is taking a stance against them. While Pence did put on a mask for his tour of a General Motors plant in Indiana after facing criticism, the decision to wear a mask is now becoming politically fraught.
Intelligence Agencies Concur With Scientific Consensus That Virus Was Not Man-Made
President Donald Trump has pushed the idea that the coronavirus was manufactured in a Chinese lab, though scientists studying it say that it comes from nature. Intelligence agencies were directed by the White House to investigate, but, in a rare move, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence signaled support for the scientific consensus that the virus was “not manmade or genetically modified.”
In Contrast To His Predecessors, Trump Doesn’t Attempt To Lead The Nation In Mourning
Even as the American death toll surpasses that of the Vietnam War, President Donald Trump has stayed away from trying to mourn with grieving Americans. In other news, Trump’s social distancing guidelines quietly expire and are replaced with plans to help states reopen. And Army leaders defend Trump’s decision to give a speech at West Point.
The Next Frontier In Hunting Down The Virus: The Sewer System
While wastewater surveillance has been used for years in developing countries to detect outbreaks of polio, in the U.S. it has been used more recently to track opioid use within communities. There’s no strong evidence that shows the coronavirus is present in human waste, but some experts think it could be a way to identify areas at risk.
Politico looks at the reasons why people should remain cautious over the Gilead drug trial results conducted by NIH that show that remdesivir can help cut hospitalization time for coronavirus patients. Meanwhile, Gilead announced its ramping up production of the treatment. And old drugs may find new life in the race for a cure.
Developing A Workable, Safe Vaccine Is Just The First Step In Long, Daunting Distribution Process
“We’re thinking about the vaccine, but what if the vials it is stored in, or rubber stoppers in the vial or the plungers in the syringes become the constraint?” said Prashant Yadav, who studies health care supply chains at the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C. Experts say it could play out like the ventilator and PPE shortages. Meanwhile, scientists debate the ethics of injecting patients with COVID-19 to further vaccine research.
As U.S. Death Toll Climbs Past 63,000, Experts Scramble To Figure Out How High It Will Go
Projecting the course of the pandemic and its toll is difficult because there are complicated factors at play. Meanwhile, even as the Trump administration downplays the threat of the virus, the government has placed an order for 100,000 body bags. Meanwhile, overwhelmed New York City funeral homes and other facilities designed to hold bodies are desperately seeking help with the surge.
