Latest Morning Briefing Stories

One School, Two Choices: A Study in Classroom vs. Distance Learning

KFF Health News Original

Most students at one Marin County school attend in person, while a dozen study from home. Those on campus are constantly nagged to use hand sanitizer and submit to the thermometer. Home-schoolers yell to their parents for help, while the parents pray that Zoom doesn’t freeze.

Easier-to-Use Coronavirus Saliva Tests Start to Catch On

KFF Health News Original

Regulators and scientists have been leery of introducing the tests, preferring to rely on tried-and-true methods, but evidence is mounting that the spit and swab tests may be more convenient and just as accurate.

Wear a Mask. If Only It Were That Simple.

KFF Health News Original

Health experts agree masks are the cheapest, best weapon against the coronavirus pandemic. But how should mask-wearing be enforced? Mandates? Fines? Polite requests? It’s hard to figure out what works as President Donald Trump’s behavior keeps the debate alive over whether they should be worn at all.

New Laws Keep Pandemic-Weary California at Forefront of Health Policy Innovation

KFF Health News Original

Gov. Gavin Newsom approved many consequential health care bills by his bill-signing deadline Wednesday, including a ban on the sale of menthol and other flavored tobacco products, the creation of a state generic drug label and better coverage for mental health disorders.

Post-COVID Clinics Get Jump-Start From Patients With Lingering Illness

KFF Health News Original

Pop-up care facilities bring together a range of specialists to address the needs of patients who survive but continue to wrestle with COVID-19’s physical or mental effects, including lung damage, heart or neurological concerns, anxiety and depression.

California Expands Privacy Protection to Public Health Workers Amid Threats

KFF Health News Original

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded a confidential address program to public health officials in the wake of ongoing threats made against them tied to pandemic safety precautions such as masks and stay-at-home orders.

Native Americans Feel Double Pain of COVID and Fires ‘Gobbling Up the Ground’

KFF Health News Original

Tribal leaders have worked to keep the coronavirus off their reservations because of its deadly impact on Native populations. But careful avoidance of the COVID virus has handcuffed the tribes as they face a devastating fire season.

California’s Deadliest Spring in 20 Years Suggests COVID Undercount

KFF Health News Original

California’s death count for the first five months of the pandemic was 13% higher than average for the same period during the prior three years. Subtract the deaths officially attributed to COVID-19 and experts say that still leaves scores of “excess” deaths among people of color that likely were mistakenly excluded from the coronavirus death tally.

In Face of COVID Threat, More Dialysis Patients Bring Treatment Home

KFF Health News Original

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, more patients are administering dialysis to themselves at home rather than receiving it in a clinic. Although home dialysis limits exposure to the virus, it comes with its own challenges.

Black Women Turn to Midwives to Avoid COVID and ‘Feel Cared For’

KFF Health News Original

Midwifery was a tradition among slaves from Africa, but in more recent decades, pregnant Black women have generally shunned the approach. Now, home births and midwives are making a comeback in the Black community.

Tough to Tell COVID From Smoke Inhalation Symptoms — And Flu Season’s Coming

KFF Health News Original

Respiratory symptoms stemming from coronavirus infection and smoke inhalation are too similar to distinguish without a full workup. This is complicating the jobs of health care workers as wildfires rage up and down the West Coast.