Latest KFF Health News Stories
Federal Judges Lift Restrictions Imposed On Abortions In Texas, Ohio And Alabama
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said the state exercised proper discretion in halting the procedures because abortions are not “immediately medically necessary.” The court decisions could have repercussions for three other states as well. Iowa, Mississippi and Oklahoma also suspended abortions, calling them nonessential during the crisis.
With Home Deliveries Soaring, Instacart, Amazon Workers Demand Better Protections, Pay, Sick Leave
Millions of Americans are ordered to stay in place and many rely on deliveries for essential items like groceries. Many of the workers at Instacart and Amazon placing those orders are concerned about their own health and are asking for increased protection, additional pay and sick leave. Some are walking off the job.
Private companies rush to produce ventilators that hospitals and states say are desperately needed, despite President Donald Trump’s attacks on General Motors. Ford says the simplified ventilator design it will use to produce thousands of ventilators has been cleared by the FDA.
Doctors have been bracing themselves to cope with the looming threat of having to ration care because of a lack of ventilators and other medical equipment. As other New York hospitals split ventilators between two patients, NYU Langone Health has started telling doctors to “think more critically” about who gets care. In other news on equipment shortages: how taxpayer-funded low-cost ventilators ended up overseas, innovators who are rising to solve the problem, and tariffs that may be hurting the country’s efforts to fight pandemic.
Hospitals Granted ‘Unprecedented Flexibility’ As CMS Relaxes Safety Rules Around Treating Patients
CMS rule changes involve what counts as a hospital bed, how closely certain medical professionals need to be supervised and what kinds of health care can be delivered at home. The move allows hospitals to use non-medical facilities like gymnasiums and hotels without the need for FEMA to get involved. Hospitals would be allowed to offer health care providers free meals, laundry or child care services, as well.
Congress just passed a record-breaking $2.2 trillion stimulus package, but House Democrats are already planning for phase 4: “Our first bills were about addressing the emergency. The third bill was about mitigation. The fourth bill would be about recovery. Emergency, mitigation, recovery,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Republicans are less sure that another massive relief package is needed and are adopting a wait-and-see attitude. Meanwhile, a top Pentagon watchdog is tapped to oversee the distribution of the trillions of dollars in stimulus.
Trump Thinks Testing Is No Longer A Problem, But Governors Beg To Disagree
President Donald Trump said in a phone call with governors that he hadn’t heard about testing concerns in weeks. “It would be shocking to me that if anyone who has had access to any newspaper, radio, social networks or any other communication would not be knowledgeable about the need for test kits,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said about the president’s comments. Meanwhile, The New York Times takes a deep dive into the lost month where testing flaws set the country back in its efforts to contain the outbreak. Meanwhile, companies race to put out a fast test, but the virus may be moving even faster.
Smart Thermometers Reveal That Social Distancing Measures Might Be Having Desired Effect
Kinsa, a maker of internet-connected thermometers, has more than 1 million in circulation and has been getting up to 162,000 daily temperature readings since COVID-19 began spreading in the country. As of noon Wednesday, the company’s live map showed fevers holding steady or dropping almost universally across the country.
The One-Two Punch That Changed Trump’s Mind On Re-Opening: Poll Numbers And Projected Deaths
President Donald Trump walked back optimistic projections that the country would start returning to normal by Easter. Reporting on what changed his mind shows that it wasn’t just the coronavirus forecasts that swayed him–voters’ opinions did as well. Meanwhile, a statistical model that the White House is consulting shows a death total that could climb past 84,000 Americans, though numbers shift daily with more information.
The number of U.S. deaths is nearing the total China has reported. Shortly after the USNS Comfort arrived in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the statewide death toll had risen by 253 in a single day. The naval ship will offer 1,000 hospital beds to help alleviate the strain for local hospitals. Meanwhile, other sites in the city, including Central Park, are being turned into field hospitals to help handle the overflow. And FEMA is sending refrigerated trucks to make up for the lack of space in the city’s morgues.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these COVID-19 topics and others.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care topics and others.
Editorial pages express opinions about ways to deal with COVID-19.
China’s Failed Alarm System: Some Wuhan Health Officials Kept News Of Spread In Dark For Too Long
The New York Times reports that some local health officials disobeyed rules and chose not to inform Beijing of the mysterious pneumonia, causing the country and world lost time. Global news is on Japan, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Gaza, Egypt, Israel, Peru, Guatemala and other countries, as well.
ProPublica and KHN have obtained emails that show missteps from the CDC and other agencies in the early, crucial days of the outbreak. What comes through clearly is confusion, as the CDC underestimated the threat from the virus and stumbled in communicating to local public health officials about what should be done.
How A Straight-Shooting New Yorker Won Over The Public’s Attention
The Los Angeles Times takes a look at how Dr. Anthony Fauci got where he is serving under but Democratic and Republican presidents. Some have praised his ability to contradict President Donald Trump’s more optimistic messaging. Meanwhile, Fauci’s prediction that the death toll could climb past 100,000 may have swayed Trump’s decision to extend social distancing guidelines through April.
Health care providers from the state that was among the first hit by the outbreak have stories about having to reuse masks and remove expiration date stickers from protective gear. The issue has raised red flags across the country, especially since health workers account for an outsized percentage of cases.
Advocates Plea For Inmates’ Release To Slow Contagion As First Death Occurs In Federal Prison
The Louisiana inmate was serving a 30-year sentence for drug trafficking. Other prison news is on the risk to the more than 2 million prisoners held in detention centers.
Access To Abortion Shrinks Further As More States Halt The Procedure During Pandemic
In Texas, abortion providers talk about the way the state’s new restrictions on the procedure is already impacting patients. Meanwhile, Oklahoma’s governor says its suspension of elective surgeries includes abortion, unless necessary to save the mother. And anti-abortion activists in Georgia want that state to make the same move.
