Latest KFF Health News Stories
Intelligence Report Suggests China Hid Early Outbreak Information So It Could Hoard Medical Supplies
The report says that in January of this year, before sharing full details on the outbreak with the World Health Organization, Beijing dramatically increased its imports and decreased its exports of medical supplies.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo backed up President Donald Trump’s assertions that the coronavirus may have originated in a Chinese lab. While scientists have found that the virus is not man-made or genetically altered, some experts say it still could have come from a lab if a worker was exposed while studying the natural virus. Still, senior officials at U.S. intelligence agencies say in private that any evidence pointing to a lab accident is mainly circumstantial and based on public material.
A Story Of Desperation And Dysfunction: 34 Days Inside The White House’s Coronavirus Response
The Washington Post takes a deep dive into the span of time that President Donald Trump focused on the idea of a magical silver-bullet cure and a too-optimistic projection model for total deaths. Meanwhile, China has been watching the Trump administration’s bungled response.
Experts Try To Predict Unpredictable Future: ‘October 2020 Won’t Look Nothing Like October 2019’
The world has changed because of the coronavirus, but what does that mean for the months and years to come? Will there be a massive wave of new cases in the fall or a series of small outbreaks? Will a vaccine change the course of the pandemic?
Protesters’ Disregard For Social Distancing ‘Devastatingly Worrisome,’ Dr. Birx Says
Dr. Deborah Birx, who is helping to lead the White House pandemic response, said that protesters have a right to free speech, but it’s also important in times like this to watch out for each other’s health.
Trump Warns Death Toll Could Climb To 100,000 But Reiterates Importance Of Restarting Economy
“We’re going to lose anywhere from 75, 80 to 100,000 people,” President Donald Trump said at a virtual town hall held Sunday night. “That’s a horrible thing. We shouldn’t lose one person over this.” Trump then focused on the need for states to reopen.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
The Cleveland Clinic reports it is the first to build on an existing tool to its patient portal MyChart. After an initial outreach call giving patients isolation instructions and other vital information, patients engage with the tool. Worsening conditions trigger an alarm detected by medical staff. Other health technology news reports on an easing of rules about data sharing and a rising number of telemedicine visits.
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic issues and other.
Longer Looks: Thinking About The Unthinkable; Florida’s No-Rules Vibe; A Virus Cover Up; And More
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
News on the global coronavirus outbreak is reported from Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Philippines, Pakistan, Sweden, Italy and China.
Media outlets report on news from Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Louisiana, Kansas, Michigan, Indiana, Virginia, Florida, Texas, New York, Massachusetts, Georgia, Nevada, and Ohio.
At One Meat-Packing Plant In Colorado, Coronavirus Cases Doubled ‘In Number Of Days’
The union for workers at the JBS meat-processing plant also announced another employee died. The meat industry has emerged as a virus hot spot across the country, but with President Donald Trump’s executive order for them to stay open, employees are left with the choice between quitting or putting themselves at risk for infection. Meanwhile, Amazon extends its stay-at-home directive for workers who are able to do so — calling into question how the company plans to keep warehouse workers safe.
At the peak of the outbreak, the number of COVID-19 patients fighting kidney failure led to a soaring demand for dialysis at hospitals around New York City, but treatment was in short supply. Other public health news reports on Facebook’s efforts to quell misinformation, a JAMA report on the hard-hit poor and challenges for ”disconnected” youth, as well.
A Chinese restaurant where some diners got sick and others didn’t has become a prime location for scientists studying whether people can become infected from airborne particles. “If there’s a good ventilation system, you’re not going to get enough exposure to be infected,” infectious disease aerobiologist Dr. Donald Milton told ABC News. “If there isn’t good ventilation, then the data suggests that it’s crowded, poorly ventilated places where there have been outbreaks.” In other news on the science of COVID-19: how long patients test positive, what is happening with immune systems, tracing virus mutations and more.
More Major U.S. Airlines Will Now Require Passengers To Wear Face Masks
American, Delta, Frontier and United airlines all joined JetBlue in announcing the new requirement. The risk of infection on airlines is higher because of how the air is circulated through the cabins. Airlines had been hesitant to require masks since they were hard to come by, but they say times have changed and it’s not the right step to ensure the safety of both their passengers and crews.
An Increased Risk: About 75% Of Health Care Workers In Most Cities Are Women
Health care workers make up a disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases, and many of those on the front line are women. In health care personnel news: home health aides struggle to ensure their own safety, medical staff not exempt from job cuts, unions balk at reused masks and more.
‘Feeling Of Helplessness’: Losses For Florida Produce Growers Top $500M As Vegetables Rot In Fields
With restaurants, canning companies and theme parks closed, many Florida growers are having to plow under their crops after letting hunger relief organizations handpick what they need. News about food scarcity is also on millions of SNAP recipients who can’t use Instacart and distributing PB&Js to hungry New Yorkers.
Unemployment Numbers Are Already Staggering, Yet Experts Say About 50% More Are Uncounted
The sheer volume of claims has so overwhelmed state agencies that not all of those affected by the pandemic are being counted. “It is declining, but the level is still breathtakingly high,” said Ian Shepherdson, an economist. “Claims could stay in the millions for several more weeks, which is almost unfathomable.” Meanwhile, as May 1 rolls around, many Americans are panicked over rent.
