This Week in Coronavirus: April 4th to April 10th

Published: Apr 10, 2020

Every Friday we’ll recap our new policy analysis, polling, and updates on coronavirus from the past week.

Here are the latest coronavirus stats from KFF’s tracking resources:

Global Cases and Deaths: This week total cases worldwide passed 1.5 million – with approximately 582k cases added in the past week. There have been 42.5k deaths since April 3^rd.

U.S. Cases and Deaths: There have been approximately 218k new cases and 10.6k new deaths in the U.S. since April 3^rd.

Tests: There are 2,372,343 total COVID-19 tests with results in the U.S. 19% of these tests were positive. There were 7.2 tests with results per 1000 people.

Adults at Higher Risk of Serious Illness if Infected with Coronavirus: 38% of adults are at risk of serious illness if infected with coronavirus (92,560,223 total). 55% of adults ages 65 and older are at higher risk of serious illness if infected with coronavirus.

Statewide Actions to Mitigate the Spread of COVID-19 (includes Washington D.C.):

Stay At Home Order: 42 statewide orders, 2 orders for high-risk groups only, other action in 1 state, no action in 6 states
Mandatory Quarantine for Travelers: 13 orders for all travelers, 1 order for all air travelers, 6 for travelers coming from certain states, other action in 1 state, no action in 30 states
Non-Essential Business Closures: 35 orders to close all non-essential businesses; 4 orders to close all non-essential retail businesses, other action in 5 states, no action in 7 states
Large Gatherings Ban: All gatherings prohibited in 18 states, gatherings of 10+ people prohibited in 26 states, other actions in 4 states, no action in 3 states
State-Mandated School Closures: Closures in 49 states, schools effectively closed in 2 states
Bar/Restaurant Limits: Closed except takeout/delivery in 47 states, limited on-site service in 2 states, other action in 1 state, no action in 1 state
Primary Election Postponement: Postponement in 14 states, no postponement in 37 states
Emergency Declaration: There are emergency declarations in all states and D.C.

State COVID-19 Health Policy Actions

Waive Cost Sharing for COVID-19 Treatment: 3 states plus D.C. require, state-insurer agreement in 1 state; no action in 47 states
Free Cost Vaccine When Available: 9 states require, state-insurer agreement in 1 state, no action in 41 states
States Requires Waiver of Prior Authorization Requirements: For COVID-19 testing only in 6 states, for COVID-19 testing and treatment in 5 states, no action in 40 states
Early Prescription Refills: State requires in 17 states, no action in 34 states
Premium Payment Grace Period: Grace period extended for all policies in 8 states, grace period extended for COVID-19 diagnosis/impacts only in 5 states, no action in 38 states
Marketplace Special Enrollment Period: Marketplace special enrollment period in 12 states, no special enrollment period in 39 states
Paid Sick Leave: 13 states enacted, 2 proposed, no action in 36 states

Approved Medicaid State Actions to Address COVID-19

Approved Section 1135 Waivers: 49 states have approved waivers
Approved 1915 (c) Appendix K Waivers: 24 states have approved waivers

This week’s blog posts in Coronavirus Policy Watch:

The Public Wants the Federal Government, Not States, in Charge On Coronavirus (Blog Post, Axios Column)
Is There a Widening Gender Gap in Coronavirus Stress? (Blog Post)
Partying Spring Breakers Don’t Represent Most of America’s Young Adults (Blog Post)
Stay-At-Home Orders to Fight COVID-19 in the United States: The Risks of a Scattershot Approach (Blog Post)

The latest KFF COVID-19 resources:

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act: Summary of Key Health Provisions (Issue Brief)
New Coronavirus FAQs: Health Insurance Marketplace and the ACA (FAQs)
COVID-19 Threatens Global Peace, Security, U.N. SG Guterres Tells Security Council; Foreign Policy Examines U.N. Role During Pandemic (KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report)
Estimated Cost of Treating the Uninsured Hospitalized with COVID-19 (News Release, Issue Brief)
Communities of Color at Higher Risk for Health and Economic Challenges due to COVID-19 (News Release, Issue Brief)
WHO DG, U.N. SG Warn Of Nurses’ Vulnerability In COVID-19 Pandemic, Call For More Investment, Protection On World Health Day (KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report)
Updated: COVID-19 Coronavirus Tracker – Updated as of April 8, 2020 (Interactive)
Updated: State Data and Policy Actions to Address Coronavirus (Issue Brief)
Updated: Medicaid Emergency Authority Tracker: Approved State Actions to Address COVID-19 (Issue Brief)

The latest KHN COVID-19 stories:

To ‘Keep The Lights On,’ Doctors And Hospitals Ask For Advance Medicare Payments (KHN, USA Today)
Millennial Zeitgeist: Attitudes About COVID-19 Shift As Cases Among Young Adults Rise (KHN, US News)
What’s Missing In The Coronavirus Response (KHN)
What Does Recovery From COVID-19 Look Like? It Depends. A Pulmonologist Explains. (KHN)
A Colorado Ski Community Planned To Test Everyone For COVID-19. Here’s What Happened. (KHN, Daily Beast)
‘It’s Like Walking Into Chernobyl,’ One Doctor Says Of Her Emergency Room (KHN, NPR)
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Who Will Pay For COVID-19 Care? (KHN)
COVID-19 Crisis Threatens Beleaguered Assisted Living Industry (KHN, USA Today)
‘Baby, I Can’t Breathe’: America’s First ER Doctor To Die In The Heat Of COVID-19 Battle (KHN, The Guardian)
Retiree-Rich Palm Beach County Leads Florida In COVID-19 Deaths (KHN)
Battling A Pandemic Across 4,750 Square Miles And 10 Million People (CHL)
Comic Relief From COVID-19: Leaders Really Meme It When They Say Stay Home (KHN)
Long-Standing Racial And Income Disparities Seen Creeping Into COVID-19 Care (KHN, NPR)
Nursing Homes Have Thousands Of Ventilators That Hospitals Desperately Need (KHN, Los Angeles Times)
‘When It Starts Getting Into Your Local Hospital, It Becomes Real’‘ (KHN, The Guardian)
An Arm And A Leg’: Superheroes Of ‘Stuff’ Help Health Workers In NYC (KHN)
Cancer Patients Face Treatment Delays And Uncertainty As Coronavirus Cripples Hospitals (KHN, NPR)
To Curb Coronavirus, What’s Behind The Wearing Of A Mask?‘ (KHN)
Staying Away From Grandma’ Isn’t An Option In Multigenerational Homes (KHN, NPR)
Postcard From The Edge: L.A. Street Vendors Who Can’t Stop Working (KHN)
Inside Meals On Wheels’ Struggle To Keep Older Americans Fed During A Pandemic (KHN, USA Today)
Dispatch From A Country Doctor: Seeing Patients Differently In The Time Of Coronavirus (KHN)
Young People Weigh Pain Of Job Loss Against Risks Of Virus (KHN, Vice)
After COVID-19: Doctors Ponder Best Advice As Patients Recover From Coronavirus (KHN)
Mysterious Heart Damage, Not Just Lung Troubles, Befalling COVID-19 Patients‘ (KHN, Scientific American)
You Pray That You Got The Drug.’ Ailing Couple Gambles On Trial For COVID-19 Cure (KHN, Seattle Times)
Trump Administration Uses Wartime Powers To Be First In Line On Medical Supplies (KHN, Daily Beast)
‘You’ve Been Served’: Wisconsin Hospitals Sued Patients Even During Pandemic (KHN, Wisconsin Watch)
As Coronavirus Spreads, Workers Could Lean On ACA Coverage Protection (KHN, WBUR)
Pandemic Delays Federal Probe Into Medicare Advantage Health Plans (KHN, Fortune)