Latest KFF Health News Stories
Democratic leaders balked at the Trump administration and Republicans’ legislation, saying any package that included $250 billion in new small-business funding would need to include more than $250 billion in extra money for hospitals, state and local governments and food stamp recipients. Senate Republicans are set to vote today, but it’s unlikely the package, even if it’s successful in the upper chamber, would pass the House as is.
Another 6.6M Filed For Unemployment Last Week, Bringing Pandemic Jobless Total To At Least 16.6M
The historic surge in unemployment continued last week as an additional 6.6 million Americans filed new jobless claims. Financial experts expect the financially catastrophic trend to continue in the coming weeks as COVID-19 stunts or shutters businesses. It’s as if “the economy as a whole has fallen into some sudden black hole,” Kathy Bostjancic, chief U.S. financial economist at Oxford Economics, tells The New York Times.
Democrats fought for strict oversight of the $2.2 trillion stimulus spending, but none of the built-in oversight mechanisms are even close to functional. For example, just one lawmaker has been appointed to the commission to serve as lawmakers’ eyes on Trump administration decisions for a $500 billion fund for distressed industries. Meanwhile, IRS is scrambling to send out $1,200 checks to Americans but faces staffing shortages. And small businesses continue to wonder when they’re getting help.
Critics also say WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus moved too slowly in declaring a global health emergency. Dr. Tedros pushed back, warning people not to politicize the crisis. “No need to use COVID to score political points. You have many other ways to prove yourself,” Tedros said. “If you don’t want many more body bags, then you refrain from politicizing it.”
President Donald Trump has cast stones at the Obama administration, WHO, U.S. governors, China and others when faced with criticism over his administration’s missteps. For Trump, the strategy is a tried-and-true one. Meanwhile, he is preparing to announce the creation of a second task force targeting economic recovery. And a rivalry between two top health officials reignites amid the crisis.
HHS confirms that 90% of the personal protective equipment in the stockpile has been distributed to state and local governments. The Trump administration announced that it will restrict the export of certain face masks and gloves for four months in an effort to make sure U.S. health care workers are protected. Meanwhile, questions are raised about how supplies are being distributed to the states. In one example, the Trump Administration will send Colorado 100 ventilators. But critics say that President Donald Trump initially ignored the Democratic governor’s request for 500 and only agreed to send some when a Republican senators asked. And hospitals begin preparing guidelines on rationing care.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said 779 people died on Tuesday in one of the country’s most fatal days yet. And in the D.C. area, confirmed cases climbed past 10,000. But there are positive signs emerging in other places, such as California and Washington, which have yet to see the tsunami of cases they were expecting. Meanwhile, experts warn against complacency and double-down on social distance guidelines.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic issues and others.
Research Roundup: Breast Cancer Risks; Morality Rates And Mental Disorders; Antibiotic Descriptions
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
It’s believed that the phenomenon known as “cytokine storms” is responsible for some of the poor outcomes, especially in younger patients. The storm involves the patient’s own immune system attacking its organs. Drugs can help calm the response, but depressing an immune system while the body is trying to fight the virus could be potentially catastrophic. In other public health news: plasma treatment underway in New York; air pollution linked to risk; interest in home births spikes; and more.
‘Essential Not Disposable’: Concern For Grocery Workers Ratchets Up Amid Deaths Across The Country
Grocery workers are being constantly exposed to potentially infected people, and yet not all of them have proper protections to ensure they remain safe while doing their jobs. The United Food & Commercial Workers union and Albertsons Cos. launched a national campaign to have supermarket employees designated as extended first responders, which would give them priority in testing and protective gear.
Treating Uninsured Could Cost Hospitals $42B, And As Layoffs Increase That Number Could Soar
The Trump administration has said the $100 billion emergency fund created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act could be tapped to reimburse hospitals for treating uninsured COVID-19 patients. Meanwhile, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont issues an executive order on billing for treatment of the uninsured.
California’s venture capital firm Fifty Years is offering $25,000 loans with fewer payback demands to firms making hand sanitizers for hospital workers and at-home test kits. Also, Twitter and Square CEO Jake Dorsey says he’s committing a third of his wealth to fight the pandemic. News from the technology world is on telemedicine, as well.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
Overwhelming Sense Of Failure Consumes Health Care Workers In Italy, Spain As Outbreak Continues
Advocates in Italy call on the government for a nationwide response for the mental health needs of medical professionals. “You can not get used to it [dying patients],” said Italian nurse Maria Berardelli. A similar response is occurring in Spain. Global pandemic news is from other parts of Europe and Japan, as well.
The suspension reflects an alarming trend playing out across the country, where workers on the front lines are butting heads with hospital administrators who are trying to contain the messaging about how prepared the facilities are. In other news on health care workers: custody battles, hotel rooms-turned-dormitories, a day in the life of NYC’s first responders, foreign workers, and more.
From that initial warning in November, the sources described repeated briefings through December for policymakers across the federal government as well as the National Security Council at the White House. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump denies that he saw reports from his top trade adviser in warning him of the threat in late January.
Mentions Of Anecdotal Success Of Malaria Drug Scrapped From CDC’s Website
Experts had asked why the anecdotal reports would be mentioned on CDC’s site at all without warnings that the treatment hasn’t been scientifically proven as sound. The website has been updated to reflect that “there are no drugs or other therapeutics approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to prevent or treat COVID-19.”
‘Allow It, Encourage It’: Advocates Push To Let Vulnerable Food Stamp Recipients Shop Online
As states prepare for an influx of food stamp recipients, very few offer options for online shopping. California is one state asking the USDA for permission to build a program offering that feature. New York became the first state to introduce a program for online grocery orders only last year. It was followed by Washington, Alabama, Iowa and Oregon. More news related to putting food on tables reports on the stress on food banks and families with special dietary needs.
