Global Health Watch

Latest KFF Health News Stories

A Colorado Ski Community Planned To Test Everyone For COVID-19. Here’s What Happened.

KFF Health News Original

A couple decided to donate a new test from their company to enable coronavirus testing for everyone in their ski resort community. It was an experiment that promised to show what widespread testing could do to fight the spread of COVID-19. But even the best-intended plans run into problems during this pandemic.

‘When It Starts Getting Into Your Local Hospital, It Becomes Real’

KFF Health News Original

Located about 45 minutes from New Orleans in one of the hardest-hit counties nationally, the 25-bed rural St. James Parish Hospital has hunkered down as staffers became infected, patient intake numbers have doubled, and intubations have skyrocketed. This is what it looks like inside a rural hospital when COVID-19 hits.

To Curb Coronavirus, What’s Behind The Wearing Of A Mask?

KFF Health News Original

The CDC recommends that Americans wear facial masks when they go to public places, such as the grocery store. But this is only one part of a multipronged effort to stop the virus’s spread.

After COVID-19: Doctors Ponder Best Advice As Patients Recover From Coronavirus

KFF Health News Original

Doctors are making decisions about a patient’s recovery with an incomplete understanding of the disease caused by the coronavirus. Although federal officials have issued general guidelines, physicians said they can’t offer recovered patients who aren’t retested any guarantees about whether they could transmit the virus.

Consejos médicos para los pacientes que se recuperan de COVID-19

KFF Health News Original

Como en tantos otros aspectos de este nuevo coronavirus, determinar cuándo un paciente se ha recuperado sigue siendo terreno incierto. Hay directrices, pero la información sobre la enfermedad es limitada.

Mysterious Heart Damage, Not Just Lung Troubles, Befalling COVID-19 Patients

KFF Health News Original

Most of the attention in the COVID-19 pandemic has been on how the virus affects the lungs. But evidence shows that up to 1 in 5 hospitalized patients have signs of heart damage and many are dying due to heart problems.

Trump Administration Uses Wartime Powers To Be First In Line On Medical Supplies

KFF Health News Original

As states scour the world for masks and other protective medical equipment, the federal government has repeatedly invoked a little-known clause in the Defense Production Act to step to the front of the line for sought-after health supplies.

As The Country Disinfects, Diabetes Patients Can’t Find Rubbing Alcohol

KFF Health News Original

Demand has exploded for rubbing alcohol and alcohol swabs, which are being deployed in the disinfection fight against the coronavirus. Now, people with diabetes who rely on the products for infection control are left scrambling.

‘Red Dawn Breaking Bad’: Officials Warned About Safety Gear Shortfall Early On, Emails Show

KFF Health News Original

As President Donald Trump called the nation “in good shape” to handle COVID-19, a cache of emails released by officials in Washington state show that top public health authorities feared gear shortages and doctor safety in the early epicenter of sickness and deaths.

The Nation’s 5,000 Outpatient Surgery Centers Could Help With The COVID-19 Overflow

KFF Health News Original

A coalition of anesthesiologists wants to repurpose the country’s more than 5,000 surgery centers to serve as emergency overflow amid the coronavirus pandemic. The centers have trained medical staff largely sitting idle, anesthesia machines that could be turned into ventilators, and empty medical space. But obstacles such as federal payment rules, logistics and some skepticism are getting in the way.