Trump Says N95 Masks Can Be Sterilized For Reuse. Only In A Pinch, Experts Warn.
Repurposing one N95 mask 20 times is not the same as having 20 new ones.
COVID Tests Are Free, Except When They’re Not
Her doctor worried she had COVID-19 but couldn’t test her for it until she ruled out other things. That test cost a bundle.
The Challenges Of Keeping Young Adults Safe During The Pandemic
Even while playing the role of quarantine enforcer for your teens and 20-somethings, recognize that they are as anxious and worried as you are — and with good reason.
Uso masivo de máscaras quirúrgicas pone en grave riesgo a los trabajadores de salud
Expertos dicen que depender de máscaras quirúrgicas, que tienen un grado de protección mucho menor que los respiradores N95, ayuda a diseminar el coronavirus entre trabajadores de salud.
Widely Used Surgical Masks Are Putting Health Care Workers At Serious Risk
Because high-end N95 masks are scarce, medical centers are using surgical masks that have been linked to considerably higher infection rates.
Amid Coronavirus Distress, Wealthy Hospitals Hoard Millions
As the coronavirus threatens the finances of thousands of hospitals, wealthy ones that can draw on millions — and even billions — of dollars in savings are in competition with near-insolvent hospitals for limited pots of financial relief.
Lawmaker Pushing Mental Health Reform: It’s ‘More Needed Than Ever’
Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked lawmakers to pare down their legislative wish lists and focus on the state’s coronavirus response. But state Sen. Jim Beall plans to forge ahead with his mental health care proposals, including a measure to create a state mental health parity requirement.
Consumer Beware: Coronavirus Antibody Tests Are Still A Work In Progress
Public officials are putting high hopes on new blood tests as a means of determining who has developed antibodies to COVID-19, and with those antibodies, presumed immunity. But experts caution the tests are largely unreliable and the science is still catching up.
Alerta al consumidor: pruebas de anticuerpos para COVID-19 todavía se están desarrollando
Funcionarios de la Organización Mundial de la Salud se manifestaron en contra de los planes de algunos países de tener “pasaportes de inmunidad”, que habilitarían a salir y trabajar.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: What A Fleet Of Firetrucks Can Teach About Public Health
This week on “An Arm and a Leg,” a front-line physician wonders if the health care industry’s drive for “efficiency” has robbed the system of surge capacity, leaving the nation underprepared to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Telehealth Will Be Free, No Copays, They Said. But Angry Patients Are Getting Billed.
Politicians pledged to stop providers from charging for video appointments or telephone calls, but some patients are being charged $70 or $80 per virtual visit.
Nacer en medio de la pandemia: COVID-19 complica los partos y la relación mamá-bebé
En todo los Estados Unidos, COVID-19 está alterando radicalmente la atención médica, no solo para los adultos mayores vulnerables sino también para las embarazadas y sus recién nacidos.
Born Into A Pandemic: Virus Complicates Births For Moms And Babies
COVID-19 is changing medical care, not only for vulnerable elders but also for pregnant women and their babies entering the world.
Vaping, Opioid Addiction Accelerate Coronavirus Risks, Says NIDA Director
Dr. Nora Volkow, who heads the National Institute on Drug Abuse, details how emerging science points to added challenges for these patient populations and the public health system.
Seniors With COVID-19 Show Unusual Symptoms, Doctors Say
Older bodies respond to infection in different ways. Seniors may sleep more or stop eating. They may be confused or dizzy. They might simply collapse.
Anti-Vaccine Activists Latch Onto Coronavirus To Bolster Their Movement
Activists failed to convince state legislators that diseases like measles aren’t serious enough to require vaccination. Now they’re joining with conservatives and other anti-lockdown demonstrators who contend the coronavirus isn’t dangerous enough to justify staying home.
Médicos dicen que los adultos mayores con COVID-19 presentan síntomas inusuales
Los adultos mayores, el grupo de edad de alto riesgo de sufrir complicaciones graves o morir por esta condición, podrían no mostrar ninguno de estos síntomas.
Abbott’s Fast COVID Test Poses Safety Issues, Lab Workers Say
HHS said this test would “save personal protective equipment.” But Abbott’s very design ― devised for mobile testing — means those working with specimens need even more protection, experts warn.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Whom Do We Trust For COVID Info?
The messaging from the White House coronavirus press briefings is becoming more confusing as President Donald Trump and his science advisers appear to not see eye to eye. Meanwhile, Congress is ready to approve more money to address both the health and economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. And the virus is taking an almost unimaginable toll on the nation’s nursing homes and putting strain on patients and health care providers with non-COVID ailments. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Jennifer Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more.
Coronavirus Crisis Opens Access To Online Opioid Addiction Treatment
Under the national emergency, the government has waived a law that required patients to have an in-person visit with a physician before they could be prescribed drugs that help quell withdrawal symptoms, such as Suboxone. Now they can get those prescriptions via a phone call or videoconference with a doctor. That may give video addiction therapy a kick-start.
