Kaiser Health News
Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a nonprofit news service committed to in-depth coverage of health care policy and politics. And we report on how the health care system — hospitals, doctors, nurses, insurers, governments, consumers — works. Check out our website at khn.org.
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I Got a 'Mild' Breakthrough Case. Here's What I Wish I'd Known.
The reality is breakthrough cases are becoming more common. Here's what I wish I'd known when those first symptoms laid me low.
Is My Cloth Mask Good Enough to Face the Delta Variant?
Don't worry if you are confused. Mask guidance has been mixed since the dawn of the pandemic, and new research has altered conventional thinking. We decided to dig in and sort out the latest developments.
When COVID Deaths Are Dismissed or Stigmatized, Grief Is Mixed With Shame and Anger
Falsehoods and conspiracies have fostered a dismissive attitude about the coronavirus among many people in rural areas, causing strife among surviving family and loved ones.
ICUs Are Filled With COVID — And Regret
"If I would have known six months ago that this could be possible, this would have been a no-brainer," says a 45-year-old father of six. "But I honestly didn't think I was at any risk."
Why At-Home Rapid Covid Tests Cost So Much, Even After Biden's Push for Lower Prices
Rapid at-home covid tests are flying off store shelves across the nation and are largely sold out online as the delta variant complicates a return to school, work and travel routines.
Your COVID Game Plan: Are Stadiums Safe?
Is it safe to go to a packed stadium even if you are vaccinated? Six out of the seven public health experts that KHN spoke to from big football states were adamant in their response: No way. Not now
Telehealth's Limits: Battle Over State Lines and Licensing Threatens Patients' Options
If you live in one state, does it matter that the doctor treating you online is in another? Surprisingly, the answer is yes, and the ability to conduct certain virtual appointments may be nearing an end.
States Pull Back on Covid Data Even Amid Delta Surge
Public health experts are voicing concern about the pullback of covid information, with one official calling the trend "not good for government and the public" because it gives the appearance of governments "hiding stuff."
Microbiome Startups Promise to Improve Your Gut Health, but Is the Science Solid?
Viome's troubles provide a cautionary tale for consumers in the wild west of microbiome startups, which have been alternately hailed for health breakthroughs and indicted for fraud.
Hot Spots Where Covid Vaccination Lags Push Experimental Antibody Treatment
"It's a backwards strategy," says Dr. Christian Ramers. "It's so much better to prevent a disease than to use an expensive, cumbersome and difficult-to-use therapy."
Pandemic Unveils Growing Suicide Crisis for Communities of Color
Interviews with a dozen suicide researchers, data collected from states across the country and a review of decades of research revealed that suicide is a growing crisis for communities of color.
'We Sent a Terrible Message': Scientists Say Biden Jumped the Gun With Vaccine Booster Plan
The Biden administration's plans to make COVID-19 booster shots available next month has drawn a collective scream of protest from the scientific community.
Federal Vaccine Program Hasn't Helped Those Whose Lives Were Altered by Covid Shot
The options are slim for people who suffer rare life-altering injuries after a covid shot — a problem whose significance has grown as states and the federal government increasingly ponder vaccination mandates.
Do Healthy, Fully Vaccinated People Need a Booster? 7 Questions Answered
So what do we know about whether healthy, fully vaccinated people should get a booster? Here are answers to seven key questions.
'Tainted' Blood: Covid Skeptics Request Blood Transfusions From Unvaccinated Donors
The nation's roiling tensions over vaccination against COVID-19 have spilled into an unexpected arena: lifesaving blood transfusions.
Pfizer CEO to Public: Just Trust Us on the Covid Booster
Pfizer announced its global phase 3 trial on a third dose in mid-July. That trial's completion date is in 2022. Phase 3 results generally are required before regulatory approval.
Déjà Vu? Consumers Scramble for Covid Tests in Hard-Hit Areas
As the nation confronts its latest and worsening surge of covid cases, consumers are again facing delays getting tested, many turning to social media to complain.
Don't Want a Vaccine? Be Prepared to Pay More for Insurance
In 2020, before covid vaccines, most major private insurers waived patient payments — from coinsurance to deductibles — for covid treatment. But many if not most have allowed that policy to lapse.
Unraveling the Mysterious Mutations That Make Delta the Most Transmissible Covid Virus Yet
Delta has kept some of the most successful mutations found in earlier variants, but also contains new genetic changes that enable it to spread twice as fast.
Patients and Providers Feel the Growing Pains of Pandemic-Driven Telemedicine
Cost and demand are affecting both patients and providers as more people turn to telemedicine for their healthcare needs.
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