This Week in Coronavirus: April 10 to April 17

Published: Apr 17, 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 2.1 million – with approximately 588,700 new cases added between April 9 and April 16. There were approximately 48,300 new confirmed deaths between April 9 and April 16.

U.S. Cases and Deaths: There were approximately 200,000 new cases and 12,500 deaths in the United States between April 9 and April 16.

U.S. Tests: There have been 3,423,034 total COVID-19 tests with results in the United States, with over 1 million added since last week. 19% of the total tests were positive. There were 10.4 tests with results per 1000 people.

Adults at Higher Risk of Serious Illness if Infected with Coronavirus: 38% of all adults are at risk of serious illness if infected with coronavirus (92,560,223 total) due to their age (65 and over) or pre-existing medical conditions. Of those ages 65 and older, 55% are at increased risk of serious illness if infected with coronavirus due to their existing medical conditions such as such as heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, asthma and obesity.

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: 14 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 29 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 15 states, no postponement in 36 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: 2 states plus D.C. require, state-insurer agreement in 3 states; no action in 45 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 9 states, grace period extended for COVID-19 diagnosis/impacts only in 5 states, no action in 37 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: 27 states have approved waivers
Approved State Plan Amendments (SPAs)*: 10 states have temporary changes approved under Medicaid disaster relief SPAs, 1 state has an approved traditional SPA
Other State-Reported Administrative Actions: 51 states (all 50 states & DC) report taking other administrative actions in their Medicaid programs to address COVID-19

*The Disaster Relief SPA allows states to make temporary changes to their Medicaid state plans and address access and coverage issues during the COVID-19 emergency. States can also make changes through traditional SPAs and can implement changes under existing authority that do not require SPA approval.

This week’s blog posts in Coronavirus Policy Watch:

What Testing Capacity Do We Need? (Blog Post)
COVID-19 Models: Can They Tell Us What We Want to Know? (Blog Post)
How the New Emergency Paid Leave Benefits Could Impact Workers (Blog Post)
Medicare Beneficiaries Without Supplemental Coverage Are at Risk for Out-of-Pocket Costs Relating to COVID-19 Treatment (Blog Post)
Managing HIV During COVID-19: Working to End One Epidemic While Confronting Another (Blog Post)
Possibilities and Limits of Telehealth for Older Adults During the COVID-19 Emergency (Blog Post)
Most Americans are Practicing Social Distancing (Blog Post)

The latest KFF COVID-19 resources:

Health Impacts:

Updated: The U.S. Government and the World Health Organization (Fact Sheet)
COVID-19 Issues and Medicaid Policy Options for People Who Need Long-Term Services and Supports (Issue Brief)
Several G7 Leaders Rebuke Trump Over WHO Funding Suspension; Group Agrees To WHO Review, Reform, Commits To Coordinated Response To COVID-19 (KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report)
How Health Costs Might Change with COVID-19 (Issue Brief)
State Action to Limit Abortion Access During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Issue Brief)
Trump Suspends U.S. Payments To WHO Amid COVID-19 Pandemic; World Leaders, Health Experts Decry Move (KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report)

Economic Impacts

Changes in Income and Health Coverage Eligibility After Job Loss Due to COVID-19 (Data Note)

Trackers

Updated: State Data and Policy Actions to Address Coronavirus (Interactive)
Updated: COVID-19 Coronavirus Tracker – Updated as of April 17, 2020 (Interactive)

Updated: Medicaid Emergency Authority Tracker: Approved State Actions to Address COVID-19 (Issue Brief)

The latest KHN COVID-19 stories:

The COVID-19 Bailout That’s Left Every Hospital Unhappy In Its Own Way (KHN, Daily Beast)
Big Brother Wants To Track Your Location And Health Data. And That’s Not All Bad. (KHN, NBC News)
Y. Leads The Nation In COVID-19 Tests, But Testing Still Doesn’t Meet Demand (KHN, Daily Beast)
‘It’s Not Over Until It’s Over’: 5 Things To Know About Hitting The COVID-19 Peak (KHN)
As Ventilators Become Crucial In Saving Lives, Repair Roadblocks Remain (KHN, Fortune)
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: How Will We Reopen The Economy? (KHN)
Jails And Prisons Spring Thousands To Prevent Coronavirus Outbreaks (KHN)
California Shies Away From Calls To Eliminate Restrictions On Nurse Practitioners (KHN, Stat)
Coronavirus Nurses Ask An Ebola Veteran: Is It OK To Be Afraid? (KHN, NPR)
NYC Nurse Says He’s Not Scared: ‘I Am Only Doing My Job’ For COVID-19 Patients (KHN)
Obama: GOP’s Stance On Preexisting Conditions Off-Base, Especially During Pandemic (KHN)
‘I Wasn’t Eating’: Senior Twin Sisters Battle Pandemic Anxiety Together (KHN)

Lost On The Frontline (KHN, The Guardian)
True Toll Of COVID-19 On U.S. Health Care Workers Unknown (KHN, The Guardian)
Furor Erupts: Billions Going To Hospitals Based On Medicare Billings, Not COVID-19 (KHN, Daily Beast)
Analysis: The Real Tragedy Of Not Having Enough COVID-19 Tests (KHN, New York Times)
How Do We Exit The Shutdown? Hire An Army Of Public Health Workers (KHN, FiveThirtyEight)
A Desperate Scramble As COVID-19 Families Vie For Access To Plasma Therapy (KHN, NBC)
COVID-19 Brings Overhaul Of Military Health Care To A Halt (KHN, USA Today)
Massachusetts Recruits 1,000 ‘Contact Tracers’ To Battle COVID-19 (KHN, NPR)
In Shutting Out Threat, Seniors In Continuing Care Communities Feel Shut In (KHN, CNN)
Pediatric Practices Struggle To Adapt And Survive Amid COVID-19 (KHN, Washington Post)
Watch: Coronavirus And Your Health Care (KHN, C-SPAN)
Sanders: In Coronavirus Relief Effort, Congress Fell Short On Paid Sick Leave (KHN)
Kaiser Health News and Guardian US Partner to Honor American Health Care Workers Lost on the Frontline of the COVID-19 Pandemic (News Release)