Category: COVID-19

Business Is Booming for Dialysis Giant Fresenius. It Took a $137M Bailout Anyway.

Half of the money the Trump administration gave dialysis companies was collected by Fresenius, an international juggernaut with a robust balance sheet, a KHN analysis has found.

As Crisis Grows, Farms Try to Balance Health of Field Workers and Food Supply

Skeptics say the lack of enforceable federal safety standards geared toward the coronavirus allows these employers to prioritize the harvest over worker safety.

As Crisis Grows, Farms Try to Balance Health of Field Workers and Food Supply

Skeptics say the lack of enforceable federal safety standards geared toward the coronavirus allows these employers to prioritize the harvest over worker safety.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Still Waiting for That Trump Health Plan

President Donald Trump keeps promising a comprehensive plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. And he keeps not delivering. Meanwhile, members of Congress and White House officials seem unable to agree on a new COVID-19 relief bill. And Missouri becomes the sixth state where voters approved a Medicaid expansion ballot measure. Tami Luhby of CNN, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week they think you should read, too.

Health Care Workers of Color Nearly Twice as Likely as Whites to Get COVID-19

Harvard research shows minorities are most likely to report inadequate PPE and to work with COVID-positive patients.

America’s Obesity Epidemic Threatens Effectiveness of Any COVID Vaccine

Vaccines engineered to protect the public from influenza, hepatitis B, tetanus and rabies are less effective for obese people, leaving them more vulnerable to serious illness. As scientists race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, experts say obesity could prove an impediment — a sobering prospect for a nation in which nearly half of all adults are obese.

With Caveats, Hopeful News for Preschools Planning Young Kids’ Return

Hundreds of thousands of essential workers have kept their kids in day care during the pandemic out of necessity and, so far, these centers haven’t been big disease spreaders. But the evidence remains incomplete.

Could Labs That Test Livestock Ease COVID Testing Backlog for People? Well … Maybe.

Experts say aid from certain veterinary labs could relieve some of the pressure on commercial and hospital-based labs to lessen the current delays in COVID-19 testing and results, but it is unlikely to be a game changer.

Pandemic’s Bumps and Backlash Shape Montana Race Poised to Steer US Senate

Gov. Steve Bullock’s response to the pandemic has helped raise his profile as he challenges incumbent Republican Sen. Steve Daines. But it also complicates the campaign as the state sees a resurgence of COVID-19 cases and voters question some of the governor’s actions.

Maryland County Pledges Investigation of Health Worker’s Coronavirus Death

The disease intervention specialist at the Prince George’s County Health Department was among at least 20 department employees infected by the coronavirus, union officials say. The outbreak underscores the stark dangers facing the nation’s front-line public health army.