Latest KFF Health News Stories
Researchers Race To Create More Potent Drug Cocktail Using Remdesivir As The Base
Even though remdesivir has been shown to cut hospitalization stays for COVID patients, scientists acknowledged it wasn’t a knock-out punch to the virus. Now researchers are hoping they can find an even more effective treatment by combining drugs. Meanwhile, Gilead has signed deals with other companies to try to ramp up its production to meet the surging demand for remdesivir.
U.S. Warns That China, Iran Have Been Launching Cyberattacks On Firms Developing Vaccines
The alleged hacks raise the prospect among some officials that the aggression could be viewed by the Trump administration as a direct attack on U.S. public health and tantamount to an act of war. In other news, The Hill explores where four top vaccine contenders stand, research into the promise of old vaccines and experts call for global COVID-19 unit.
Those who fear the country is reopening too quickly warn that a new spike in cases could possibly overwhelm hospitals once again, triggering a sell-off in markets and forcing new lockdown orders that could tip the economy from a short but deep recession into a depression. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve says that businesses need more help to weather the current storm.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) went big with the latest relief packag — even though it’s already been deemed “dead on arrival” by Senate Republican leaders. “There are those who said, ‘Let’s just pause,’” Pelosi said. “Hunger doesn’t take a pause. Rent doesn’t take a pause. Bills don’t take a pause.” But not everyone in the party is happy with the bill–there’s already been hints of dissent among the Democrats’ left flank.
Despite Ousted Vaccine Official’s Valid Complaints, A Murkier Picture Of His Dismissal Emerges
Rick Bright, an ousted HHS official, says he was targeted because he spoke out against President Donald Trump’s push to use malaria drugs to treat COVID patients. But others in the agency say that some of Bright’s own staff spent months raising concerns about his leadership, including a complaint filed by a person in Bright’s office last summer.
Amid Slumping Approval Ratings, Trump Returns To Tried-And-True Tactic Of Attacking Obama, Enemies
President Donald Trump made vague allegations to “Obamagate,” which he says is so explosive it makes “Watergate look small time.” The president also suggested that a talk-show host he has clashed with committed murder. The distraction tactics have proven successful with his base in the past. Meanwhile, Republican voters have undergone a shift on their stances about reopening, giving Trump and others cover to push for states to lift restrictions.
California State University Campuses To Stay Closed For Fall Semester In Hint Of Long Road Ahead
While other colleges and universities are weighing the decision about whether to bring students back, California State University said there was too much risk involved with reopening in the fall. California’s other four-year university system, the University of California, with nearly 300,000 students on 10 campuses, has not announced whether its fall classes will be held online yet.
How Much Do Official Stay-At-Home Orders Effect Americans’ Decisions To Shelter In Place?
A look at the data shows that in many places where state restrictions have been lifted, Americans are rushing out of their homes. But in others, there are many who are staying put. Meanwhile, new clusters around the world offer a grim snapshot of what America can expect as it relaxes social distancing measures. And The Associated Press offers a glimpse inside the CDC’s shelved guidance to help states reopen.
“There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control, which, in fact, paradoxically, will set you back,” Dr. Anthony Fauci warned senators on Tuesday. It was the first real chance for lawmakers to grill the public health officials overseeing the federal response to the outbreak. Despite high tensions, the hearing only rarely devolved into partisan anger so common during in-person hearings in recent years. The questions touched on testing failures, contact tracing, plans for schools to reopen and vaccines, among other things.
Just As Models Start To Align On Death Total Projections, Reopening Inserts More Uncertainty
The differences between the models most commonly used to try to forecast virus fatalities are starting to narrow, with most agreeing that the U.S. will be hit by an additional 31,000 to 42,000 deaths through mid-June. But those figures rely on the current state of affairs, which is about to be upended as states lift social distancing restrictions.
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic issues and others.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Pharma Reps Turning To Zoom Meetings Just Like Everyone Else To Make Their Sales Pitches To Docs
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical development and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Republicans and hospital lobbyists are pushing to shield hospitals from what they say could be a barrage of lawsuits. But Democrats contend that widespread protections would hurt patients who actually should be compensated for negligent care. “I think this parade of lawsuits that the majority leader envisions is really an imaginary boogeyman,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). Meanwhile, hospitals are expected to lose billions because of delayed procedures and surgeries.
Federal agencies investigating purveyors of personal protective equipment have found many counterfeit or altered products that include COVID-19 tests, masks, sanitizers and treatments. Officials warn the public to also be on the look out for scams to buy products that don’t exist or for so-called miracle cures that do not work.
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic issues and others?
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Intel are contributing the software to a massive project that will ultimately involve more than 15,000 patients in a first-time attempt to build a consensus model and help inform clinical decisions, Stat reports. Public health news is on schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease and fatty liver disease, as well.
Older Workers Hit Hard By Wave Of Unemployment, But Also Have Most To Fear Going Back To Jobs
The unemployment rate for older workers is higher even than the eye-popping national average, but the group is also at a much higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19. The double bind could hurt President Donald Trump in the November elections. In other news on the economic toll from the virus: delays in unemployment aid, a look at which business got help from the relief package, the worry that extreme poverty will lead to more deaths and more.
Media outlets report on news from Maryland, the District of Columbia, New York, Massachusetts, New York, Alaska, Maine, Ohio, Wisconsin, Louisiana and California,
