Category: Kaiser Health News

Racial Status And The Pandemic: A Combustible Mixture

The novel coronavirus is affecting black Americans disproportionately, which some community leaders and public health experts say is not surprising. So why didn’t anyone sound an alarm?

Hospital Workers Complain of Minimal Disclosure After COVID Exposures

From cafeteria staff to doctors and nurses, hospital workers around the country report frustrating failures by management to notify them when they have been exposed to co-workers or patients known to be infected with COVID-19.

As Deaths Mount, Coronavirus Testing Remains Wildly Inconsistent In Long-Term Care

Testing for COVID-19 varies widely across nursing homes and assisted living facilities, even within the same states and communities — increasing the risks for some of America’s most vulnerable seniors.

Millions Stuck At Home With No Plumbing, Kitchen Or Space To Stay Safe

In 470,000 American homes spread across every state, washing hands to prevent COVID-19 may not be as easy as turning on a faucet. They don’t have showers or toilets or, in some cases, even water piped into their homes. Nearly a million U.S. homes don’t have complete kitchens and millions more are overcrowded, making it much tougher for people to shelter in place and avoid infection.

‘No Intubation’: Seniors Fearful Of COVID-19 Are Changing Their Living Wills

Still, medical experts say, it’s not a black-and-white decision of either go on a ventilator or die.

How COVID Colors The Salon Experience

As Colorado gradually reopens, a beauty salon in Loveland is swamped as its clients clamor for haircuts, trims and color. But business isn’t exactly back to normal as new precautions slow every step.

Analysis: We Knew The Coronavirus Was Coming, Yet We Failed 5 Critical Tests

The vulnerabilities that COVID-19 has revealed were a predictable outgrowth of our market-based health care system.

Keeping The COVID Plague At Bay: How California Is Protecting Older Veterans

Even as COVID-19 has ravaged nursing homes around the country, California has managed to keep the virus at bay at its eight state-run homes for frail and older veterans. What exactly went right?

Southwest CEO’s Boast About Airplanes’ Low COVID Risk Flies By Key Concerns

Airplanes are small enclosed spaces where social distancing poses special challenges, making this statement an overstatement.

‘An Arm And A Leg’: Health Care Takes A Financial Hit In The Midst Of Pandemic

In the first quarter of 2020, half the country’s economic devastation happened in the health care sector. Much of the slowdown came after hospitals postponed elective surgeries and as Americans skipped routine doctor’s office visits.