Latest KFF Health News Stories
Trump Shifts Onus To Governors Amid Criticism About Lack Of Government Action Over Medical Supplies
“The Federal government is not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping,” President Donald Trump said. “You know, we’re not a shipping clerk.” Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence said that new legislation will allow tens of millions more protective masks to reach health workers each month, but it still seems unclear if production can meet demand. Meanwhile, hospitals prepare to have to make tough ethical decisions amid bed and ventilator shortages.
Trump Touts Malaria Drug As Possible Virus Treatment But FDA Strikes More Cautious Tone
President Donald Trump put the spotlight on potential treatments that are showing some promising results, but FDA Commissioner reiterated the importance of not giving people “false hope.” Experts say that in times of crisis, it’s tempting to want to cut corners and move as fast as possible, but science moves at the pace it does for a reason: patient safety. Meanwhile, the company who makes the drug the president touted instituted a price hike in January that nearly doubled the cost. But its officials have since cut the cost again.
Jobless Claims Spike And Experts Warn It’s Going To Get Worse Next Week
Unemployment claims rose from 211,000 to 281,000, and the numbers come from before the worst of the shutdowns hit. State unemployment offices are buckling under the strain of the surge. Meanwhile, media outlets look at those most affected by the economic crisis, from mothers going without food so their children can eat to gig workers whose lives are upended. Meanwhile, the outbreak exposes vulnerabilities in America’s financial regulatory system, a decade after a massive overhaul was designed to prevent the next crisis.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) released his proposed $1 trillion package, but some financial experts think it’s still not enough to counter the financial devastation of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, lobbyists and hospitals scramble to get a piece of the action.
Opinion writers weigh in on these public health issues and others.
While there are serious limitations to using telemedicine, it can be a powerful triage tool. Technology news is on smart thermometers and social media, as well.
For First Time Since Crisis Began, China Reports No New Infections For The Day
The virus has killed 3,245 people in China so far, making up over a third of the global toll, but in recent weeks the country has been making strides in controlling the spread. Now, Beijing is mounting a humanitarian aid blitz in countries struggling with their own outbreaks.
Research Roundup: Heart Health, Vaccination Rates, Pregnancy Risks And More
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
While some states are seeking Medicaid flexibility to handle the crisis, others are pushing ahead with plans to tighten their programs. Meanwhile, the outbreak is straining states’ already tight budgets to the breaking point. And Native American tribes across the country turn inward, expecting little help from a federal government that has let them down time and again.
In New York and California, officials tightened restrictions and opened up new shelters for homeless while cases continue to rise. More states, like Maine, took action to close restaurants and bars, and campuses made facilities available, like Middlebury in Vermont, which thawed its ice rink. But in Florida, the governor drew criticism for a slow response.
WHO Launches Global Solidarity Project To Ramp Up Clinical Trials For Coronavirus Drugs
“Multiple small trials with different methodologies may not give us the clear strong evidence we need about which treatments help to save lives,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Scientists around the world have been racing around the clock to come up with treatments, even as a promising drug fails to show results. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump considered an executive order to expand the use of drugs in coronavirus patients, but FDA scientists objected over safety concerns. And health officials push back on rumors the ibuprofen could worsen the symptoms.
A shortage of workers threatens the $50 billion industry, but the federal government claims it will process returning H-2 workers who are eligible while ensuring public safety. Supply news is also on the strong storage system and Amazon’s temporary closure in New York.
Pausing Door-To-Door Counting: Census Suspends Field Operations For Two Weeks To Protect Employees
Concerns have been raised about how to protect the safety of people who have to go door to door and about the ability to count everyone as required by the U.S. Constitution. News is also on health concerns of U.S. postal workers.
South Korea and the United States identified their first coronavirus patient on the same days. Weeks later, South Korea has managed to easily and quickly test hundreds of thousands of its citizens, giving it the ability to isolate positive cases. The United States is still floundering. Meanwhile, when asked why rich celebrities seem to have quick access to tests that normal Americans are still being denied, President Donald Trump shrugged off the concern. “Perhaps that’s been the story of life,” he said.
Nursing Home Staffers Helped Spread Coronavirus In Seattle When Working At Multiple Facilities
The CDC determines that Seattle-area nursing facility staff members who worked at more than one home likely transferred the virus to other elder care homes. In other news on how the industry is coping with the COVID-19 outbreak: nursing homes run low on protective equipment and Florida and Illinois facilities report more cases.
Despite repeated warnings from scientists, public health experts and government officials about the importance of social distancing, many Americans are still going about their daily lives. Meanwhile, many who are keeping themselves inside wonder “how long this will all last?” The answer? No one really knows.
President Donald Trump’s new goal is to paint himself as a wartime president even though the enemy is a virus. In doing so, he might up the chances of getting a second term, as history shows that voters tend to want to keep leadership in place during a war. Meanwhile, lawmakers push for mail-in voting as turnout proves low from Tuesday’s primaries.
Editorial pages focus on the role government is playing during the pandemic.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Trump Has Invoked Wartime Powers, But What Does That Entail?
The Defense Production Act was inspired by World War II-era laws that gave the White House the ability to tell private companies what to make for the good of the country. President Donald Trump said he was invoking the power in response to predictions that the nation’s medical system will run out of masks, ventilators and hospital beds. Meanwhile, a look at how the government handled a lack of supplies in the past could offer hints about what should be done now.
