Latest KFF Health News Stories
Tragedy In Nursing Homes: Consequence Of Failed Testing, Shortage Of Protective Gear For Workers
Nationally, at least 400 long-term care facilities have at least one resident infected, but Politico reports that’s likely an undercount for an industry that has a tough time getting equipment and is slow to respond to change. Just last week, CMS recommended nursing homes separate those with Covid-19 from those who don’t have the infection, but without adequate testing that proves difficult to do. Nursing home news is from Massachusetts, Florida, Rhode Island, Washington, Texas and Georgia, as well.
Army Of Workers In Amazon Warehouses Voice Concerns About Workplace Safety
Amazon’s inconsistent response to the epidemic has unsettled many of the 400,000 workers helping to fill orders that have soared at least 50% for groceries. Infections have occurred in at least 50 of its 500 warehouses. Other supply chain news is on protections for grocery store workers and wasted food, as well.
Governments, Advocates Race For Ways To Protect Victims Of Domestic Abuse Amid Stay-At-Home Orders
“It’s almost like a petri dish for violence to increase within families,” says Barbara Paradiso, director of the Center on Domestic Violence at the University of Colorado Denver. In other public health news: the voice behind the hotlines, the environmental impact of the outbreak, a changing world view, how LGBTQ youth are impacted, and more.
Captain Of Aircraft Carrier Who Was Fired After Sounding Outbreak Alarm Tests Positive For COVID-19
Capt. Brett Crozier was relieved of duty after a memo he wrote about his concerns for the crew of aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt went public. Top administration officials say they stand by the decision, despite harsh criticism. Some worry that a pattern of such actions could have a chilling effect for those who are concerned about soldiers’ health and well being.
Republicans Were Counting On An ‘America Vs. Socialism’ Dichotomy For 2020. Then Came The Pandemic.
The coronavirus is unending political plans on both sides, but has hit Republicans particularly hard as more and more Americans turn to the government for help. Meanwhile, Democrats refocus their message to point to how quickly the economic success voters attribute to President Donald Trump has been wiped out. And Wisconsin mayors call on state officials to postpone Tuesday’s primary.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly doing well and undergoing routine tests after he was hospitalized with COVID-19. Queen Elizabeth II took the rare step of addressing her nation just before the news was released.
Experts weigh on when the country will know it can start to re-open. But a foundational piece of that is testing, an area where the United States has repeatedly fallen short. In other news on the economy: stimulus package distribution, sick leave, mounting debt, and more.
Special Committee To Oversee Stimulus Spending Will Be ‘Forward-Looking,’ Clyburn Says
While some Democrats want the special committee to investigate the Trump administration’s early missteps, top House leaders said it will be focused on “the here and now.” House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn will head the panel. Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans are already clashing over a potential fourth coronavirus package.
“Even though we’ll end up picking at most two of them, we’re going to fund factories for all seven, just so that we don’t waste time in serially saying which vaccine works and then building the factory,” Bill Gates said. The strategy means billions of dollars will be wasted, but Gates said the loss would be worth it in the long run.
Flouting Advice From Experts In His Own Administration, Trump Again Touts Malaria Drug’s Potential
Although the malaria drug has shown promising results, the studies so far have been far too small to offer a true look at the treatment’s potential. President Donald Trump, though, continues to push for its use, despite a shortage for patients who use the medication for other illnesses. Meanwhile, patients rush to get into clinical trials for experimental drugs.
“It’s ‘Lord of the Flies: PPE Edition’,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, a former U.S. official who specializes in disaster response. “We need some global solidarity, and instead we have global competition.” In other news on health care workers: staff shortages, tales from the front lines, rationing gear, and more.
When It Comes To Testing Shortages, Necessity Is Proving To Be The Mother Of Invention
As diagnostic testing continues to pick up speed, shortages of some supplies and a backlog of samples push hospitals, academic medical centers and labs to create their own patchwork solutions.
‘This Is Ludicrous’: Governors Frustrated With Lack Of National Ventilator Distribution Strategy
States have been forced to compete with each other to get ventilators and other medical supplies after the federal government put most of the onus on the governors to acquire equipment. While some governors try to avoid being too critical of the Trump administration, others expressed their frustration. “To say, ‘we’re a backup’ — I mean, the surgeon general alluded to Pearl Harbor,” said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. “Can you imagine if Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, ‘I’ll be right behind you, Connecticut. Good luck building those battleships’?”
Top Health Officials Say Americans Should Brace For Tragedy This Week On Par With Pearl Harbor, 9/11
Even as President Donald Trump offered a more optimistic stance, his officials warned that this week will be tough for Americans. “This is going to be the hardest and the saddest week of most Americans’ lives, quite frankly,” said Surgeon General Jerome Adams. Meanwhile, experts fear that the number of confirmed cases in the country–which has exceeded 330,000–is only a fraction of the cases out there.
The Washington Post investigates government and White House actions during the first two months of the year when top officials knew about the threat but the country failed to rise to meet it. And AP looks at how that critical time was squandered in terms of stocking up on equipment. Meanwhile, health care was already a losing issue for President Donald Trump and Republicans, and this pandemic highlights that vulnerability.
Viewpoints: FDA Needs To Step Up Pace For COVID-19 Treatments; Pros, Cons Of Wearing Masks
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care issues stemming from the pandemic and others.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Federal investigators sent a letter to Life Care Center of Kirkland in Seattle saying it could also lose federal funding for violating guidelines to reduce the spread of disease in the nation’s first-known outbreak. One nurse reported concerns as early as Feb. 12 about a fast spreading respiratory illness, but administrators thought it was the flu. Nursing home news is also from New York.
