Weekly Edition: October 16, 2020
‘No Mercy’ Chapter 3: Patchwork of Urgent Care Frays After a Rural Hospital Closes
Sarah Jane Tribble
Fort Scott, Kansas, went without an ER for 18 days, after the local hospital shut down. Documenting local trauma during that “dark period” helped investigative reporter Sarah Jane Tribble unravel some of the complications that come after a rural hospital closes.
Most Home Health Aides ‘Can’t Afford Not to Work’ — Even When Lacking PPE
Eli Cahan
Home health aides flattened the curve by keeping the most vulnerable patients — seniors, the disabled, the infirm — out of hospitals. But they’ve done it mostly at poverty wages and without overtime pay, hazard pay, sick leave or health insurance.
Lost on the Frontline: Explore the Database
The Staffs of KFF Health News and The Guardian
As of Wednesday, the KHN-Guardian project counted 3,607 U.S. health worker deaths in the first year of the pandemic. Today we add 39 profiles, including a hospice chaplain, a nurse who spoke to intubated patients "like they were listening," and a home health aide who couldn't afford to stop working. This is the most comprehensive count in the nation as of April 2021, and our interactive database investigates the question: Did they have to die?
Black Doctors Work to Make Coronavirus Testing More Equitable
Nina Feldman, WHYY
The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium has increased access to coronavirus testing in the Philadelphia region, testing more than 10,000 people. The group’s mobile unit and pop-up testing sites also offer patients an opportunity to connect with African American health care providers.
COVID Crackdowns at Work Have Saved Black and Latino Lives, LA Officials Say
Anna Almendrala
Strict enforcement of coronavirus protocols at factories and shops where some of the worst outbreaks have occurred has reduced the racial and ethnic disparities in COVID deaths and illness, say public health officials. They want to expand the effort by creating workplace safety councils.
Musicians Improvise Masks for Wind Instruments to Keep the Band Together
Laura Ungar
Instrumentalists in ensembles, marching bands and other groups are getting creative with pantyhose, air filters, fabric and sewing machines to reduce the risk of COVID without silencing the music.
Sleepless Nights, Hair Loss and Cracked Teeth: Pandemic Stress Takes Its Toll
Aneri Pattani
Reports are on the rise regarding excruciating headaches, stomach upsets for weeks on end, sudden outbreaks of shingles and flare-ups of autoimmune disorders. A common thread among the complaints, one that has been months in the making, is chronic stress.
No, the WHO Didn’t Change Its Lockdown Stance or ‘Admit’ Trump Was Right
Victoria Knight
The World Health Organization has been consistent throughout the pandemic in communicating that lockdowns should be employed only when COVID-19 cases are high — to give governments and health systems time to redouble efforts. Forced closures should not be the primary strategy to combat coronavirus transmission.
Making Money Off Masks, COVID-Spawned Chain Store Aims to Become Obsolete
Markian Hawryluk
A new chain of stores is spreading in malls across America, just like the disease that is giving it business. COVID-19 Essentials is selling masks and all the gear needed to stay safe — and the owner can’t wait to go out of business.
COVID Takes Challenge of Tracking Infectious College Students to New Level
Lauren Weber
Amid a surge of college coronavirus cases, some local and state health departments have been scrambling to properly trace contacts and assign cases across state and county lines.
COVID Stalks Montana Town Already Saddled With Asbestos Disease
Nate Hegyi
Residents of a small Montana community exposed to decades of asbestos contamination are taking extra precautions to keep COVID-19 away.
Pence Said Biden Copied Trump’s Pandemic Response Plan. Pants on Fire!
Victoria Knight
The vice president went on to point out the underlying philosophical differences between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden regarding their approaches to COVID-19.
With Senate Control at Stake, Trump and COVID Haunt Ernst’s Fight to Keep Her Seat
Emmarie Huetteman
In less than six years, Sen. Joni Ernst has gone from being a rising star in the Republican Party to running neck and neck against a political newcomer. A poll last month showed more than 1 in 3 Iowa voters think Ernst’s relationship to President Donald Trump is “too close,” and her comments about the coronavirus death toll sparked a backlash.
Majority of Voters Tilt Toward Biden as Health Issues Weigh Heavily
Emmarie Huetteman
More than 50% of people said they favor Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s approach to an array of health issues.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Democrats May Lose on SCOTUS, But Hope to Win on ACA
Barring something unexpected, Democrats in the Senate appear to lack the votes to block the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. So, instead they used the high-profile confirmation hearings to hammer on Republicans for again putting the Affordable Care Act in peril. Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call, Shefali Luthra of The 19th and Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, about public health challenges in dealing with COVID-19.
Outnumbered on High Court Nomination, Democrats Campaign for a Different Vote
Julie Rovner
Rather than prosecuting their case against Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are refighting the war that won them seats in 2018 — banging on Republicans for trying to eliminate the Affordable Care Act.
New Moms Behind Bars Get Help From Someone Who’s Been There
Giles Bruce
Nina Porter of Indiana spent most of her adulthood behind bars, even raising an infant daughter in prison. Now out of prison, she’s drawing on her struggles to create a program that helps other moms get by in a sometimes unwelcoming post-prison world.
As Californians Get Older and Less Mobile, Fires Get Hotter and Faster
Rachel Scheier
Retirement areas are increasingly being built in the idyllic wooded fringe of towns and cities. Being close to nature also means being in the path of wildfires.
KHN on the Air This Week
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.