Category: COVID-19

Many US Health Experts Underestimated the Coronavirus … Until It Was Too Late

Scientists learned the wrong lesson from past outbreaks, but Dr. Anthony Fauci doesn’t cast blame.

No More ICU Beds at the Main Public Hospital in the Nation’s Largest County as COVID Surges

As some patients linger near death, staffers at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center seek ways to expand capacity for a surge of cases that isn’t letting up.

Ski Resorts Work to Stay Open as COVID Cases Snowball

Colorado’s Telluride is a case study in the challenges ski resorts across the U.S. face in staying open as COVID-19 surges.

Pandemic-Related Paid Sick Days and Leave to Expire Dec. 31 — With No Extension in Sight

Enacted in March, an emergency measure covers about half of full-time workers nationwide, permitting 10 days of paid sick leave for all who fall ill or need to quarantine, and 50 more days of extended leave for parents who need to care for a child at home due to COVID-related school or day care closures.

More Americans — Of All Political Persuasions — Are Donning Masks

Half the public believes the worst of the pandemic is yet to come, but most are prepared to continue to take measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 until vaccines are distributed.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: All I Want for Christmas Is a COVID Relief Bill

Congress seems on the verge of finishing a long-delayed COVID-19 relief bill, which will reportedly include neither of the things each party wanted most — for Republicans, liability protections; for Democrats, funding for states and localities. That bill is likely to be tied to a package to fund the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year and, possibly, include a fix for “surprise” medical bills that patients receive when they inadvertently receive care outside their insurance network. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Mary Agnes Carey of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner talks to Elizabeth Mitchell, president and CEO of the Pacific Business Group on Health, about the future of employer-provided health insurance.

Trusted Messengers May Help Disenfranchised Communities Overcome Vaccine Hesitancy

Persuading vulnerable low-income and ethnic communities hit hard by the coronavirus to take a new vaccine may be challenging. But established local health leaders, like a group in Rochester, Minnesota, may be one answer.

With Vaccine Delivery Imminent, Nursing Homes Must Make a Strong Pitch to Residents

More than half of long-term care residents have cognitive impairment or dementia, raising questions about whether they will understand the details about the fastest and most extensive vaccination effort in U.S. history.

As Congress Bickers Over Pandemic Relief, Flight Attendant’s Life Is in a Holding Pattern

The coronavirus pandemic has hit hard for Troy Muenzer of Chicago. He had a “suspected case” of COVID in the spring, was billed nearly $1,000 after he unsuccessfully sought to get tested for COVID-19 and has been furloughed after the airline he worked for saw a major decline in passengers.

Lie of the Year: The Downplay and Denial of the Coronavirus

It’s no worse than the flu, and other deadly disinformation about the coronavirus