Tech & Pharma 062420
At-Home Care Designed For COVID Likely Here To Stay At Cleveland Hospital
Brie Zeltner
A public hospital in Cleveland has been trying to keep COVID patients out of its beds. It tried a number of innovations for developing better communication — even better relationships — with patients. Officials think this groundwork helped keep the outbreak at bay — and should be the new business model going forward.
The Elevator Arises As The Latest Logjam In Getting Back To Work
Lauren Weber
As more and more people drift back into their workplaces, they face a very small space that can create a large logjam: the elevator.
Rapid Changes To Health System Spurred By COVID Might Be Here To Stay
Julie Rovner
The coronavirus pandemic has forced the nation’s doctors and hospitals to reevaluate how they work. At least three major changes may have a lasting impact.
Fractured Skulls, Lost Eyes: Police Often Break Own Rules Using ‘Rubber Bullets’
Liz Szabo and Jay Hancock and Kevin McCoy, USA TODAY and Donovan Slack, USA TODAY and Dennis Wagner, USA TODAY
Around the country, police responded to protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death by shooting “less lethal” projectiles, which can seriously hurt and kill. In a joint investigation, KHN and USA TODAY found some officers appear to have violated their department’s own rules when they fired.
Tear-Gassing Protesters During An Infectious Outbreak ‘A Recipe For Disaster’
Will Stone
Health researchers are among the voices calling for police to stop using tear gas and pepper spray on protesters, because these chemical irritants can damage the body in ways that can spread the coronavirus and increase the severity of COVID-19. One example: Tear gas and pepper spray can sow confusion and panic in a crowd, causing people to rip off their masks and touch their faces, leading to more contamination.
A Senator From Arizona Emerges As A Pharma Favorite
Jay Hancock and Elizabeth Lucas
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has received almost $100,000 from drug companies in the current election cycle, a KHN analysis shows, one of the largest cash hauls in Congress. And it’s only her first term.
Health Workers Resort To Etsy, Learning Chinese, Shady Deals To Find Safety Gear
Eli Cahan and Sarah Varney
The shortages are so dire that nursing homes and other health centers are going to extraordinary lengths for masks, gowns and essential materials.
Trump’s Take On COVID Testing Misses Public Health Realities
Shefali Luthra
Experts used terms like “misleading” and “counterproductive” to describe the president's words.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: SCOTUS, Trump Collide Over Transgender Rights
The Trump administration rolled back protections for transgender patients just days before the Supreme Court cemented LGBTQ rights under the Civil Rights Act. So, what now? Meanwhile, coronavirus politics reaches beyond health care settings. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Tami Luhby of CNN and Shefali Luthra of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week they think you should read, too.
For A Black Social Media Manager In The George Floyd Age, Each Click Holds Trauma
Chaseedaw Giles
In communities of color, the decision to participate in this moment of collective trauma — whether by watching and sharing the video of George Floyd’s death, discussing racial injustice on social media, or protesting and speaking out in the 3D world — can be one rife with anxiety and profound mental distress.
The Hidden Deaths Of The COVID Pandemic
Markian Hawryluk
Counting deaths caused by the coronavirus pandemic is easier said than done. Without widespread testing, officials must sort through presumed COVID deaths and those who died with infections rather than from them. Then there are the indirect deaths of people who died from circumstances created by the pandemic.
Behind The Byline: ‘Contactless Reporting’
Cara Anthony
Check out the revamped video series from KHN — Behind The Byline: How The Story Got Made. Come along as journalists and producers offer an insider’s view of health care coverage that does not quit.
As Problems Grow With Abbott’s Fast COVID Test, FDA Standards Are Under Fire
Rachana Pradhan
After the FDA issues a public warning about the test, one of its senior officials says point-of-care coronavirus tests can miss 20% of cases and still be considered useful. Public health experts are split.