KHN Journalist Combs for Clues on Covid’s Origins
May 29, 2021
KFF Health News Original
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Ask KHN-PolitiFact: Is My Cloth Mask Good Enough to Face the Delta Variant?
By Amanda Michelle Gomez
September 20, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Public health experts increasingly urge people to upgrade to surgical masks, but also maintain that cloth masks still offer protection.
Covid Tracking: Unpredictable Funding Could Jeopardize Sewage Surveillance
March 18, 2024
Morning Briefing
Wastewater testing is one of the most reliable ways to track the spread of the novel coronavirus. Currently, covid infections are on the decline across the U.S., but the flu remains elevated.
A Daily Pill to Treat Covid Could Be Just Months Away, Scientists Say
By JoNel Aleccia
September 24, 2021
KFF Health News Original
At least three promising antiviral treatments for covid-19 are being tested in clinical trials, with results expected as soon as late fall or winter.
They Tested Negative for Covid. Still, They Have Long Covid Symptoms.
By Lydia Zuraw
April 9, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Despite a negative covid test, people could have been infected with the coronavirus anyway. And some of them might face lingering health issues.
Possible Link Found Between Long Covid And Earlier Cold Infection
September 11, 2023
Morning Briefing
It’s easy to forget coronaviruses existed long before the covid pandemic, but new research into long covid found that a previous infection of a common cold-causing coronavirus may explain why some people suffer from persistent symptoms. Also in the news: covid is here to stay, as a new normal.
Health Officials See Bright Future in Poop Surveillance
By Anna Maria Barry-Jester
March 24, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Sewage surveillance is proving so useful in mapping covid trends that many public health officials say it should become standard practice in tracking infectious diseases. Whether that happens will depend on the nation’s ability to make it viable in communities rich and poor.
Montana Mice May Hold the Secret to Virus Spillover
By Jim Robbins
February 10, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Researchers in Montana are working to figure out how climate change and biodiversity affect viruses’ jump from animals to people.
Wildfires and Omicron Prompt a Special Health Insurance Enrollment Period in Colorado
By Markian Hawryluk
January 20, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Disasters have previously prompted special enrollment periods in California, Maine, and the South. Now, Colorado is extending the state insurance marketplace sign-up period by two months.
New Laws Let Visitors See Loved Ones in Health Care Facilities, Even in an Outbreak
By Stephanie Colombini, WUSF
April 8, 2022
KFF Health News Original
To contain the spread of covid, hospitals and nursing homes barred visits. The separation and isolation took a toll on patients and families. Florida is one of the latest states to ensure access for visitors.
Laws Shield Hospitals From Families Who Believe Loved Ones Contracted Covid as Patients
By Lauren Weber Christina Jewett
December 24, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Families who believe their loved ones contracted covid-19 while hospitalized are finding they have little recourse following a wave of liability shield legislation pushed by business interests.
California Vaccine Mandate Extends to Aides for People With Disabilities
By Jackie Fortiér, LAist
October 6, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Even though they perform the same intimate tasks as nursing home and hospital workers, in-home health aides initially were left out of California’s vaccine mandate. They must be fully vaccinated by Nov. 30.
Redfield Joins Big Ass Fans, Which Promotes Controversial Covid-Killing Technology
By Christina Jewett Lauren Weber
April 12, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Dr. Robert Redfield, Trump’s CDC director, lends his scientific credibility to its Clean Air Systems subsidiary, which touts a “virus-killing ion technology” added to its fans. But indoor air quality experts question whether some of its technology works in the real world.
Con el fin de las licencias pagas por covid, empleados sienten la presión de ir a la oficina
By Rae Ellen Bichell
November 30, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Economistas y expertos en salud pública dicen que la licencia por enfermedad paga es una herramienta esencial, tanto como las pruebas, las máscaras y las vacunas, para prevenir la infección por covid-19 y mantener seguros los lugares de trabajo.
States Were Sharing Covid Test Kits. Then Omicron Hit.
By Katheryn Houghton
January 31, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The omicron variant upended a system in which states shared rapid covid tests with those that needed them more. Cooperation has turned into competition as states run out of supplies, limit which organizations get them, or hold on to expired kits as a last resort.
Concert Venues Are Banking on Proof of Vaccines or Negative Tests to Woo Back Fans
By Eric Berger
August 30, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Two days before hosting an outdoor Wilco concert, the St. Louis Music Park announced it would require proof of vaccination or a negative covid test for all ticket holders, sending some attendees scrambling and upending plans. Concertgoers, promoters and venues nationwide are all having to pivot quickly to find safer ways of enjoying live music amid the pandemic’s delta surge.
Will ‘Dr. Disinformation’ Ever Face the Music?
By Victoria Knight
September 22, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Some of the top spreaders of spurious covid-19 and vaccine information are physicians with active medical licenses. Are medical oversight boards ready to step up to stop them?
Viaje a la cueva de los murciélagos: mientras buscan el origen de covid, científicos reavivan el debate sobre la “fuga de laboratorio” de Wuhan
By Arthur Allen
May 19, 2021
KFF Health News Original
La idea de que el virus que causa covid escapó de un laboratorio chino, una teoría que en su momento se consideró conspirativa, está cobrando fuerza. Al mismo tiempo, peligra la reputación de renombrados científicos, al igual que su seguridad personal.
5 Reasons to Wear a Mask Even After You’re Vaccinated
By Liz Szabo
January 15, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Vaccination, face coverings and physical distancing are essential parts of a team effort against the coronavirus.
They Lost Medicaid When Paperwork Was Sent to an Empty Field, Signaling the Mess to Come
By Brett Kelman
August 3, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Tennessee expects to soon disenroll about 300,000 people from its Medicaid program. But families like the Lesters have suffered when bureaucracy and clerical mistakes caused them to unfairly lose coverage under the same program.
