Latest KFF Health News Stories
The method, which has seen success in other countries like South Korea, would help protect other patients, staff and the potentially infected person themselves. But it can’t be implemented properly when there aren’t enough tests and supplies in the first place. Meanwhile, insurers work to limit testing costs for patients.
‘Flatten The Curve’: A Mantra Emerges As Coronavirus Spreads In U.S. Beyond Containment
Public health experts are adamant that all Americans must do their part to “flatten the curve” to help contain the virus spread. That means taking precautions even by people who are not sick or at high-risk. Such steps will help mitigate a surge in cases that could overwhelm the hospital system. Meanwhile, past outbreaks and other countries’ responses to the coronavirus pandemic help highlight what courses of action are best.
‘Things Will Get Worse’: Fauci Strikes Grim Tone To Congress When Asked About Scope Of U.S. Outbreak
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, stressed that the coronavirus “is a really serious problem that we have to take seriously,” noting that it’s 10 times more lethal than influenza, which kills nearly 0.1% of Americans who get it each year. It was a notably different tone than the Trump administration has employed in recent days.
Opinion writers weigh in on issues surrounding the coronavirus.
Biden Cusses Out Auto Worker Over Claims He’ll Try To ‘Take Away Our Guns’
Former Vice President Joe Biden had heated words over the man’s claims in a video that went viral. Biden has long favored a ban on the sale and manufacture of assault weapons and high capacity magazines.
Media outlets report on news from Illinois, California, Iowa, Ohio, Georgia, Alabama, and Virginia.
A ‘Tsunami That Has Overwhelmed Us’: Italian Doctor Paints Grim Picture Of A Country Under Siege
Italian Dr. Daniele Macchini posted on social media about what’s happening on the front lines of Italian’s coronavirus response. Meanwhile, one clue about why Italy may be so affected is that the country has the second-oldest population in the world, and the outbreak has killed a disproportionately high number of people in their 80s and 90s.
China Ignored Global Norms To Halt Outbreak. Now Other Countries Are Considering Doing The Same.
World health leaders have said China’s authoritarian measures at the outset of the crisis bought the world time, and now as the country is starting to return to normalcy as the rest of the world is hit with more cases, countries are look at China’s playbook. Meanwhile, a health minister in the United Kingdom has confirmed she’s been infected, while virus clusters in South Korea raise new alarm.
The schools are shifting to online classes. But some question if students are safer back at home, if those destinations are in areas with major outbreaks.
White House To Meet With Big Tech To Discuss Best Ways To Fight Coronavirus
Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Twitter are expected to participate in the meeting. Meanwhile, hospitals and doctors are being urged to fast-track their telemedicine plans.
What If You Can’t Stay Home When You’re Sick?
All the public health experts out there are clamoring about people staying home from work if they’re sick. But that advice is not always easy to follow for all Americans. Meanwhile, other industries, especially the airlines, brace for the economic impact of the virus.
A very small study showed promising results with a drug that’s similar to the Sanofi and Regeneron drug, called Kevzara, that treats arthritis. Several patients in the study “got out of death’s bed and walked out of the hospital” after receiving Actemra, said a Regeneron scientist. The race for a treatment has sent pharma into a tizzy to be the first to strike on something that works. Meanwhile, other labs are working on creating an effective vaccine.
California and New York are two of the states that have seen the most cases. Officials in California say the “cat is out of the bag” when it comes to community spread, and it is focusing on mitigation strategies like canceling large events. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has created a one-mile containment zone to try to stop the spread in a community that was particularly hard hit.
One key chemical that is used to isolate the virus’ genetic material, or RNA, so that it can be tested is in dwindling supply. Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence promised there are more tests being made available to states, and HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the government is now working to create a reporting system to help “keep track of how many we’re testing.” Meanwhile, the American Medical Association promised to fast-track a proposal to create a billing code for the tests.
Immigration Rights Groups Call On ICE To Release Detainees At High-Risk Of Infection
The groups are focusing on high-risk detainees at a facility in Tacoma, Washington which is close to epicenter of the U.S. outbreak. ICE says it has not had any confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the jail. Meanwhile, immigration courts have been ordered to take down coronavirus information from courtrooms and waiting areas.
The construction industry “culture is stoic, as is typical of male-dominated industries,” said Cal Beyer, director of risk management for Lakeside Industries in Seattle. Workers tend to be more at risk for suicide, self-medicating and substance abuse. More public health news is on HIV, AA’s effectiveness, ocean bacteria, life-saving CPR, morning fasts, mushroom recall, and the benefits of squatting vs. sitting.
Media outlets report on news in Washington, Massachusetts, New Jersey, District of Columbia, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Louisiana.
Limited funding forced emergency preparedness officials to focus on other supplies needed for the Strategic National Stockpile. In response, the CDC loosens its recommendations on masks. Also, a union representing airport workers is requesting better masks and Amazon tries to battle counterfeit coronavirus products.
A test of CMS’s email crashed the system on Feb. 23, frustrating health officials just as they were trying to negotiate the first bloom of the coronavirus in the United States. Meanwhile, CDC Director Robert Redfield counters claims that closing the borders would help prevent the spread of the virus.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
