Latest KFF Health News Stories
President Donald Trump has said he wants to restart the economy and normal life in America by Easter, but not all of the businesses that shift might help want to lift social distancing practices. Meanwhile, eventually life will have to move forward, but is there a safe and responsible way for it to happen? Stat talks to experts about the possibilities.
United States Death Toll Climbs Past 1,000
There have been more than 68,000 reported cases, with New York as the epicenter of the outbreak. Meanwhile, a leading expert projects that the peak of the outbreak in the U.S. will hit three weeks from now.
Senate Approves $2T Stimulus Package With Checks To Some Americans, $100B In Grants For Hospitals
The deal is the product of a marathon of negotiations among Senate Republicans, Democrats and President Donald Trump’s team that nearly fell apart as Democrats insisted on stronger worker protections, more funds for hospitals and state governments, and tougher oversight over new loan programs intended to bail out distressed businesses. “A fight has arrived on our shores,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said. “We did not seek it. We did not want it. But now, we are going to win it.” The House is set to vote on Friday.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care issues and others involving treatments for COVID-19.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A Look At What Medicare Covers In Terms Of Coronavirus Treatment
Medicare beneficiaries are some of the Americans with the highest-risk of needing coronavirus treatment.
While China is its loosening two-month long restrictions in Hubei, other countries begin to impose more restrictions for ”long haul” battle.
Yes, the Trump administration has turned to Silicon Valley’s giants for various reasons including best practices guidelines during the pandemic, but issues surrounding antitrust laws won’t remain dormant for long, say Justice Department attorneys. Other news on technology reports on suspicious websites offering false promises, privacy issues with tracking people’s movement through smartphones, and higher than normal use of screen time for teens.
Media outlets look at how the outbreak is affecting Americans on a personal level.
A Politico map shows wide-ranging efforts being taken in dozens of states to ”flatten the curve.” Mississippi and Oklahoma have only closed schools. New outlets also report on GOP strongholds in Florida and Texas where there’s pushback against damaging the economy; in Montana, Wyoming, North Carolina and Tennessee where National Parks have been closed; in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, which ordered closure of non-essential businesses; in Massachusetts and New Jersey, where governors have asked people with vacation homes to stay away; and more.
Trying To Slow Spread In Crowded Prisons: Federal Bureau Imposes 14-Day Quarantine On New Inmates
Social distancing is difficult for the federal system’s 175,000 inmates who share tight quarters, spend much of their time together and often lack access to good health care. Also, advocates in New York, California and several other states push for the release of older and at-risk inmates from state prisons, which they describe as breeding grounds for the virus.
Purposefully Exposing Someone To Coronavirus Could Bring Criminal Charges, Justice Department Warns
“Because Coronavirus appears to meet the statutory definition of a ‘biological agent’… such acts potentially could implicate the Nation’s terrorism-related statutes,” said Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen.
Ongoing Shortages Drive Local Officials To Hunt For Tests, Make Own Deals With Labs
With testing still difficult to navigate and supplies in short supply a month into the virus crisis, cities and hospitals are trying to take matters into their own hands. “I can’t believe we’re at this point,” Connie Savor Price, chief medical officer at Denver Health Medical Center, tells The Wall Street Journal. “It’s dystopian.” Other media outlets report on more testing news, as well.
Faced with bed and medical device shortages, hospitals will be put in the terrible position of deciding on which patients to devote their resources. Atlanta has already warned that the city’s ICU’s are at capacity and it’s only projected to get worse. Meanwhile, health experts scour for locations that can be turned into hospitals.
Federal Reserve Pulls Out All The Stops To Try To Bolster Economy
But calls for the Fed to lend to all corners of the economy are striking given a move by Congress just 10 years ago to restrict its emergency lending authority after the last economic meltdown. Meanwhile, governors plead with the federal government and Congress for financial help as their unemployment claims skyrocket.
Health care workers on the front lines have been hit hard by the outbreak in other countries. As providers in the United States face shortages of protective gear, medical equipment and nurses, some consider desperate options like deliberate infection. Meanwhile, volunteers rush to sew masks in an attempt to stave off the shortages for local hospitals.
‘Be On Lookout For Schemes’: DOJ Launches Task Force On Hoarding, Price Gouging
Among profiteering crimes being reported are hoarding of masks at a time when health care professionals need them, targeting of Medicare patients for fake COVID-19 tests and physicians prescribing anti-viral drugs promoted by President Trump to healthy patients.
Opinion writers express views about these health care issues and others.
17-Year-Old’s Death Linked To Coronavirus, Emphasizing That The Young Aren’t Immune To The Outbreak
While the case is complex in terms of how COVID-19 played a role in the death, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state health officials say it highlights the risk to young people, who have experienced far lower mortality rates than the older generations.
FDA stressed that “convalescent plasma has not been shown to be effective in every disease studied.” But it is a century-old treatment that has shown results against other diseases. “We won’t know until we do it, but the historical evidence is encouraging,” said Dr. Arturo Casadevall of Johns Hopkins University. In other news, the slow mutation rate of the SARS-CoV-2 virus prompts optimism for a future vaccine.
