Latest KFF Health News Stories
At Lake Of The Ozarks, It’s (Almost) Business As Usual, Despite The Coronavirus
This popular resort area gained national attention for a viral video showing Memorial Day partiers disregarding guidelines to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Now, with summer looming and at least one COVID-19 case connected to the gathering, it reflects the difficult balance between safety and tourism.
For EMTs, There’s No ‘Rule Book’ For Facing A Pandemic And Protests At Once
Emergency medical technicians, who have been on the front lines against the coronavirus, also play a key role in helping provide care during protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.
Baltimore’s ‘Squeegee Boys’: ‘If We Don’t Go Out, We Don’t Eat’
The federal government’s relief package left behind many of America’s poorest workers struggling to make ends meet as the coronavirus ravaged and unemployment rose. Baltimore’s “squeegee boys” are among them.
Rapid Changes To Health System Spurred By COVID Might Be Here To Stay
The coronavirus pandemic has forced the nation’s doctors and hospitals to reevaluate how they work. At least three major changes may have a lasting impact.
Exclusive: Nearly 600 — And Counting — US Health Workers Have Died Of COVID-19
The Guardian and KHN release new figures Saturday showing the harsh toll that the pandemic is taking on the front-line health workers.
Tear-Gassing Protesters During An Infectious Outbreak ‘A Recipe For Disaster’
Health researchers are among the voices calling for police to stop using tear gas and pepper spray on protesters, because these chemical irritants can damage the body in ways that can spread the coronavirus and increase the severity of COVID-19. One example: Tear gas and pepper spray can sow confusion and panic in a crowd, causing people to rip off their masks and touch their faces, leading to more contamination.
KHN senior correspondent Jordan Rau takes a spin through this week’s essential health care news.
Social Media Fears About Lack Of Coverage For Protest Injuries Are Overblown
After some protests over the death of George Floyd resulted in violence, online discussions raised concerns that health plans might deny medical coverage. Although plans do sometimes make exclusions for “illegal acts” or riots, experts say concerns by people who are protesting Floyd’s death may be overstated.
COVID-19 Overwhelms Border ICUs
Some California hospitals near the Mexican border have received so many COVID-19 patients the past few weeks that they have had to divert some to other facilities. Hospital officials say most of the infected patients are U.S. citizens or legal residents who live in, or recently traveled to, Mexico and came to the U.S. for care.
Montana’s Tribal Nations Preserve COVID Restrictions To Preserve Their Cultures
Some of Montana’s Native American nations are holding firm on coronavirus protections even as the rest of Montana reopens. They’ve got more at stake, they say, in protecting their elders who preserve their endangered culture.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Protests And The Pandemic
The outrage over the death of an African American man, George Floyd, after he was restrained and knelt on by Minneapolis police officers has sparked national protests, including in places where the coronavirus is still spreading. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s attempt to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization could have ramifications for Americans. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Mary Agnes Carey of KHN and Joanne Kenen of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, Rovner interviews Jonathan Oberlander, a University of North Carolina health policy professor and the editor of the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, about articles examining the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of health inequity and structural racism.
Efforts To Curb Congenital Syphilis Falter In COVID’s Shadow
A new federal report sheds light on the reasons newborn syphilis rates are on the rise despite simple treatment options. But amid the COVID-19 pandemic, public health departments will struggle to respond.
Judges Try To Balance Legal Rights And Courtroom Health
Courtrooms aren’t built for social distancing, and pandemics don’t offer ideal conditions for fulfilling the right to a speedy trial. But, eventually, every court in the nation will have to reckon with a return that may risk safety to some degree.
Newsom Likes To ‘Go Big’ But Doesn’t Always Deliver
The COVID-19 pandemic is showcasing California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s leadership style to a national audience. The first-term Democrat doesn’t shy away from making splashy announcements and lofty promises, but his plans often lack detail and, in some cases, follow-through.
In Hard-Hit Areas, COVID’s Ripple Effects Strain Mental Health Care Systems
In areas hit hard by the coronavirus, such as Detroit, behavioral health care workers have been overburdened and forced to scale back services at the same time people battling mental health disorders became more stressed and anxious.
Hype Collides With Science As FDA Tries To Rein In ‘Wild West’ of COVID Blood Tests
Amid questions about the accuracy of the COVID-19 antibody tests flooding the market — and the usefulness of the results they provide — the FDA has belatedly stepped in to try to rein in the chaos.
ICUs Become A ‘Delirium Factory’ For COVID Patients
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 targets more than just the lungs. New research shows it also penetrates the brain, complicating treatment and risking lifelong damage. And the pandemic limits hospitals from running MRIs or other tests on coronavirus patients.
Open (Your Wallet) Wide: Dentists Charge Extra For Infection Control
A growing number of dental offices across the country are now charging patients an “infection control fee” of $10 to $20 to pay for masks, face shields, gowns and air purifiers to help keep the offices free of the coronavirus.
Police Using Rubber Bullets On Protesters That Can Kill, Blind Or Maim For Life
Police in multiple cities are using supposedly “nonlethal” crowd-control methods from rubber bullets to tear gas bombs to pepper-spray projectiles.
Hiring A Diverse Army To Track COVID-19 Amid Reopening
Experts estimate local and state health departments will have to hire 100,000 to 300,000 people as contact tracers to get the economy back on track. Many states are trying hard to hire from the racial and ethnic minority communities hit hardest by the virus.
