Weekly Edition: August 7, 2020
Maryland County Pledges Investigation of Health Worker’s Coronavirus Death
By Laura Ungar
The disease intervention specialist at the Prince George’s County Health Department was among at least 20 department employees infected by the coronavirus, union officials say. The outbreak underscores the stark dangers facing the nation’s front-line public health army.
Health Care Workers of Color Nearly Twice as Likely as Whites to Get COVID-19
By Christina Jewett
Harvard research shows minorities are most likely to report inadequate PPE and to work with COVID-positive patients.
Test Sites Quickly Attract Thousands for COVID-19 Vaccine Study
By Phil Galewitz and JoNel Aleccia
People have flooded U.S. testing sites with requests to participate in the pivotal, late-stage clinical trials of the first two COVID-19 vaccine candidates.
Fauci Unfazed as Scientists Rely on Unproven Methods to Create COVID Vaccines
By Liz Szabo
Teams are starting to test vaccines using messenger RNA or chimpanzee cold viruses to inoculate humans. Will their benefits last?
America’s Obesity Epidemic Threatens Effectiveness of Any COVID Vaccine
By Sarah Varney
Vaccines engineered to protect the public from influenza, hepatitis B, tetanus and rabies are less effective for obese people, leaving them more vulnerable to serious illness. As scientists race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, experts say obesity could prove an impediment — a sobering prospect for a nation in which nearly half of all adults are obese.
Your Favorite Store or Restaurant Is Open. How Do You Know It’s OK to Go In?
By Julie Appleby
We gathered tips from experts on what to look for — masks are a constant theme — when trying to decide if you will be comfortable visiting various establishments.
In Rural Missouri, Latinos Learn to Contain and Cope With the Coronavirus
By Sebastián Martínez Valdivia, KBIA
In a town in the southwestern corner of Missouri, where COVID-19 has disproportionately affected Latino immigrants, language barriers and economic pressures among factory workers have stymied efforts to slow the virus that causes the disease.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Still Waiting for That Trump Health Plan
President Donald Trump keeps promising a comprehensive plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. And he keeps not delivering. Meanwhile, members of Congress and White House officials seem unable to agree on a new COVID-19 relief bill. And Missouri becomes the sixth state where voters approved a Medicaid expansion ballot measure. Tami Luhby of CNN, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week they think you should read, too.
With Caveats, Hopeful News for Preschools Planning Young Kids’ Return
By Anna Almendrala
Hundreds of thousands of essential workers have kept their kids in day care during the pandemic out of necessity and, so far, these centers haven’t been big disease spreaders. But the evidence remains incomplete.
Could Labs That Test Livestock Ease COVID Testing Backlog for People? Well … Maybe.
By Julie Appleby
Experts say aid from certain veterinary labs could relieve some of the pressure on commercial and hospital-based labs to lessen the current delays in COVID-19 testing and results, but it is unlikely to be a game changer.
When Green Means Stop: How Safety Messages Got So Muddled
By Nina Feldman, WHYY
Philadelphia is in the “restricted green” reopening phase. What does that mean? And why does the U.S. have so many different pandemic safety rules?
California GOP Consultant Rues ‘Big Mistake’ That Led to Family’s COVID Infections
By Samantha Young
Richard Costigan, a well-respected fixture in state Capitol circles, has detailed his family’s ongoing experiences with COVID-19 on social media after catching the virus — he surmises — at a backyard gathering. The former Schwarzenegger aide wants people to know this virus doesn’t care who you are.
What Seniors Can Expect as Their New Normal in a Post-Vaccine World
By Bruce Horovitz
Experts say folks 60 and up must continue to limit exposure in the years to come — even after there is a vaccine for COVID-19.
Forced Sports Timeout Puts Squeeze on College Coffers, Scholarships and Towns
By Mark Kreidler
Sports events — with their sprays of sweat and spit, not to mention large crowds — are ideal settings for the coronavirus to spread. Although some college leagues have canceled their fall seasons, schools with big athletic programs are still hoping for a partial return to the gridiron and the hardwood.
Missouri Voters Approve Medicaid Expansion Despite GOP Resistance
By Alex Smith, KCUR
Missouri is the sixth state to use a ballot initiative to extend Medicaid eligibility. Most of the remaining states that have not expanded Medicaid are Republican-leaning states in the South.
Pandemic’s Bumps and Backlash Shape Montana Race Poised to Steer US Senate
By Alex Sakariassen
Gov. Steve Bullock’s response to the pandemic has helped raise his profile as he challenges incumbent Republican Sen. Steve Daines. But it also complicates the campaign as the state sees a resurgence of COVID-19 cases and voters question some of the governor’s actions.
Covered California Announces Record-Low Rate Hike for 2021
By Bernard J. Wolfson
Health plans offered through Covered California, the health insurance exchange, will increase premiums by a statewide average of 0.6% next year. Health insurers reported strong profits in the second quarter of 2020 as their expenses plunged because of fewer surgeries and patient visits for non-COVID treatment.
Hospital Merger in Washington State Stokes Fears About Catholic Limits on Care
By Harris Meyer
Virginia Mason Health System and CHI Franciscan announced plans in July to merge 12 hospitals and more than 250 other treatment sites in the Puget Sound region and the Yakima area. Some patient advocacy groups warn the proposal would jeopardize access to needed services, such as emergency termination of pregnancies, contraception and physician aid in dying.
Listen: NPR Interview About Less Lethal Weapons That Can Maim Or Kill
NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Jay Hancock of KHN about an investigation into the use of so-called less-lethal munitions — such as rubber bullets and bean bags — at protests, and why they’ve never been regulated.
Listen: ACA Heading to Supreme Court — Again
KHN’s Julie Rovner joins “SCOTUStalk” podcast host Amy Howe to examine the justices’ upcoming review of the Affordable Care Act. The latest challenge to the health law by Republican state officials is expected to be heard by the court in the fall, perhaps even on Election Day.
Readers and Tweeters Defend Human — And Animal — Rights
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
