Latest KFF Health News Stories
Tragic Covid Benchmarks: 650,000 Dead In US; More 2021 Cases Than All Of 2020
As the American death toll ticked past 650,000 people, the nation also broke another record: 20,146,000 confirmed covid cases in just over 8 months exceeded last year’s total. Altogether, 40 million cases have been reported in the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic.
Abortion Decriminalized In Mexico By Its Supreme Court
In a unanimous ruling, Mexico’s Supreme Court justices paved the way for historic changes in the predominantly Roman-Catholic nation. The potential implications of the decision for people in Texas — where abortion access have been severely curtailed — is also in the news.
Texas Governor Defends Abortion Law’s Treatment Of Rape, Incest Victims
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says his state’s restrictive law doesn’t force victims of rape to give birth because “it provides at least six weeks for a person to get an abortion.” He also vowed to “eliminate all rapists.” Fallout from the law continues as three San Antonio clinics shutter and “tip” sites hit setbacks.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Perspectives: ZIP Code Determines Longevity; Bill H.R. 3 Will Reform Prescription Drug Costs
Editorial pages tackle these public health issues.
Different Takes: Proof Masking Works; The Case Against Vaccine Mandate Religious Exemptions
Opinion writers weigh in on these covid, vaccine and pandemic effects topics.
Chile OKs Covid Shots For 6 And Older; UK Says No For 12- To 15-Year-Olds
Chile gives the go-ahead to use the Sinovac vaccine on some children; it’s the first Latin American country to take this step. Meanwhile, U.K. health officials have refused to approve covid vaccines for healthy kids ages 12 to 15, based on a rare reaction to Pfizer’s version.
Carbon Monoxide Gas Kills 4, Sends 141 To Hospital In Louisiana After Ida
The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports the deaths and hospitalizations came as people without power after Hurricane Ida turned to portable generators. Separately, reports say several local nursing home evacuees died after being relocated due to the storm.
WHO Predicts 40% Rise In Dementia Numbers Worldwide By 2030
The World Health Organization report notes the change is due to aging populations. Kidney patient palliative care, rape’s impact on memory, pediatric brain cancer, air quality alerts in the Bay area and other mental health matters are also in the news.
Decision On Future Of E-Smoking Looms At FDA
Stat reports that although the Food and Drug Administration has just three days to decide which e-cigarette products can stay on sale, it has only reviewed a portion of the makers’ applications it’s gathered. Separately, a study identified unique genes in lung cancers in people who’ve never smoked.
Health Care Workers May Suffer More PTSD, Trauma During Pandemic
Axios reports on how the upticks in covid may boost levels of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by front-line health workers during the pandemic. Separate reports cover struggles to find nursing staff in rural areas of the country and a dip in health care employment numbers during August.
Anti-Mask Fight Politically Charged In Many States You Don’t Hear About
Axios notes that it’s not just Florida and Texas that are struggling when it comes to this form of covid prevention. Meanwhile, Utah’s governor is reportedly walking back from comments he made about “extreme maskers” last week.
Colleges Get Tough With Fines, Restrictions For Non-Vaxxed Students
Politico covers covid prevention efforts at institutions like Quinnipiac University and Rutgers University, which now include fines and threats to disconnect email access for the unvaxxed. Separately, news outlets report on the impact the pandemic is having on California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recall.
Message Of Vaccine Efficacy Getting Lost, Health Experts Worry
Emphasizing that the original goal of the covid vaccine was to protect against severe forms of the disease is key to getting more shots in arms, public health officials say. News outlets also report on new ways that the vaccine could reach more people.
Pfizer Boosters Still Targeted To Start In 2 Weeks, But Moderna’s May Lag
The Biden administration wants more dosage data from Moderna before it authorizes a third shot.
In Reversal, Ohio Hospital Doesn’t Have To Give Ivermectin To Covid Patient
The family of the ailing man said they will not appeal the decision because he has already received 13 days of doses and will soon be taken off a ventilator.
“I don’t care what this judge says,” one of their attorneys said. “We are believers he’s going to survive because of ivermectin.”
Covid Cases: Thought Labor Day Would Be Better This Year? You Were Wrong
Daily infections are more than four times what they were during Labor Day weekend 2020, when the United States didn’t have a covid vaccine. Meanwhile, the mu variant, also known as B.1.621, has been detected in Los Angeles County.
State Aid Is Only Option For Jobless As Federal Unemployment Benefits Expire
The Biden administration and federal lawmakers gamble that hiring will bolster Americans who have been unemployed longer than 6 months and the self-employed or gig workers, as jobless benefits for both groups ended yesterday.
Justice Department ‘Urgently’ Exploring Challenges To Texas Abortion Ban
Attorney General Merrick Garland said his agency will enforce a federal law that prohibits threatening or physically preventing a person from seeking an abortion. He did not specify what other measures the Justice Department is considering in response to the Supreme Court allowing Texas’ “heartbeat” law to stand.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
