Latest KFF Health News Stories
What the Slowing Vaccine Rates Mean for One Rural Montana County
In one northwestern Montana county where demand for covid vaccines is dropping well before widespread immunity is reached, people are split on whether the virus is a threat.
Battle Brews Over Neutral Zone Where Border-Crossing Parties Rendezvous, Risking Infection
Peace Arch Park on the U.S.-Canadian border has become a rare place where families and friends on either side of the border can see one another in person. But it raises questions on covid safety as the two countries handle the pandemic differently.
‘It Didn’t Really Stick With Me’: Understanding the Rural Shrug Over Covid and Vaccines
Fort Scott, Kansas, was hit hard by the pandemic, and it no longer has a hospital. But residents remain skeptical about the impact of the coronavirus.
Vaccines Go Mobile to Keep Seniors From Slipping Through the Cracks
A strike team of nurses and others is vaccinating Contra Costa County’s hardest-hit populations right where they live.
California’s Smallest County Makes Big Vaccination Gains
In rural Alpine County, where snowbound mountain passes isolate small towns, distributing the covid vaccine is a community effort. Unlike in many urban areas where residents jockey for limited appointments, the pace of vaccinations here is strong and steady.
Dispelling Vaccine Misinformation and Myths in California’s Breadbasket
Even though farmworkers are vulnerable to covid, many hesitate to get the vaccine, worried the shot could have severe side effects or signal their whereabouts to immigration officials. Immigrant advocates in the Coachella Valley and other farming regions are visiting workers to try to allay their fears.
Disipando información errónea y mitos sobre las vacunas en la región agrícola de California
Aunque los trabajadores agrícolas son vulnerables al covid, muchos dudan en recibir la vacuna, preocupados de que pueda tener efectos secundarios graves o que pueda revelar su paradero a los funcionarios de inmigración.
No More ICU Beds at the Main Public Hospital in the Nation’s Largest County
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.
How to Pull Off a COVID-Era Music Festival
One woman’s attempt to create a festival celebrating diverse music ran up against the reality of the pandemic this year. But it also yielded lessons in how to reimagine events in the COVID era.
Eight months after California Healthline’s Heidi de Marco photographed LA under lockdown, she returned to the same iconic spots. Vehicle and foot traffic are up — as are coronavirus cases.
One School, Two Choices: A Study in Classroom vs. Distance Learning
Most students at one Marin County school attend in person, while a dozen study from home. Those on campus are constantly nagged to use hand sanitizer and submit to the thermometer. Home-schoolers yell to their parents for help, while the parents pray that Zoom doesn’t freeze.
When the Pandemic Closes Your Gym, ‘Come for the Party, Stay for the Workout’
As gyms throughout New York City had to close because of the coronavirus pandemic, some trainers just moved outdoors to the parks.
In Health-Conscious Marin County, Virus Runs Rampant Among ‘Essential’ Latino Workers
The pandemic is racing through packed apartment blocks as Mexican and Central American workers bring the virus home to their families.
In Texas, Individual Freedoms Clash With Efforts To Slow The Surge Of COVID Cases
In Houston, now a hot spot for COVID cases, not everyone agrees on how to deal with the pandemic.
‘More Than Physical Health’: Gym Helps 91-Year-Old Battle Isolation
For Art Ballard, the local gym was like his second home. The 91-year-old former jeweler relied on his near-daily workouts to stay healthy and for social interaction. But when California instituted its stay-at-home order, Ballard’s physical health suffered. So did his mental health.
The Costs Of Safely Reopening A High-End Restaurant
The shifting federal guidelines about how to reopen during the pandemic have perplexed many small-business owners, including the Prestifilippos, who dug deep into their wallets to provide a new kind of dining experience they hope is safe.
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.
COVID-19 abruma a las terapias intensivas en la frontera
A pesar que la mayoría de los hospitales de California no tuvieron un aumento dramático de pacientes, algunas instalaciones cerca de la frontera con México se han visto desbordadas.
Going The Distance By Bus Through A Pandemic
Transit ridership has plummeted because of COVID-19, but millions of Americans still rely on buses and trains to get around, often because they have no other choice.
In The COVID Age, Bring A Mask And Gloves To A Protest
After a police shooting in Indianapolis, activists held a protest — but, recognizing the dangers of the coronavirus in a crowd, many worked to make sure demonstrators took proper precautions.