(HealthDay News) — The White House and Congressional leaders said Sunday they were close to agreement on a $470 billion coronavirus package that would pump more money into a small business loan program that has run out of funding. Roughly $100 billion in the latest economic stimulus deal would go toward hospital needs and coronavirus testing, the Associated Press reported. “I think we are getting close to a deal,” President Donald Trump said at a Sunday briefing of the coronavirus task force. “We have some very good negotiations going on right now, and I think you could have a nice answer tomorrow,” Trump added. The Senate is set to have a pro forma session Monday, but no vote has been scheduled. The House announced it could meet as soon as Wednesday for a vote on the pending package, the wire service said. As the U.S. coronavirus death toll edged past 40,000 and the case count climbed to more than 753,000 on Monday, governors across America were crafting plans to start to ease social distancing in the coming weeks. But new estimates from Harvard University researchers suggest that the United States as a whole cannot safely reopen unless health officials triple the number of coronavirus tests that are now being conducted, The New York Times reported. Governors in some of the states that have been hit…  read on >

(HealthDay News) — All immigration to the United States will be stopped to protect Americans during the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump announced late Monday night, as the country’s COVID-19 death toll topped 42,000. “In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!,” Trump wrote in a 10 p.m. tweet. Broad restrictions have already been placed on travel from Europe, China and other coronavirus hot spots, the Washington Post reported. Suspending all immigration could affect hundreds of thousands of visa holders and other would-be green card recipients who are planning to come to the United States, the newspaper said. Meanwhile, the White House and Congressional leaders moved closer to agreement on a $470 billion coronavirus package that would pump more money into a small business loan program that has already run out of funding. Roughly $100 billion in the latest economic stimulus deal would go toward hospital needs and coronavirus testing, the Associated Press reported. “I think we are getting close to a deal,” Trump said during a Sunday briefing of the coronavirus task force. The House has announced it could meet as soon as Wednesday for a vote on the pending package, the wire service…  read on >

Doctors are increasingly worried that people are mistaking stay-at-home orders to mean they should avoid emergency medical care — including for serious lung diseases. People with chronic lung conditions, such as emphysema and moderate to severe asthma, are among those at higher risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19. And medical experts have been urging them to be vigilant about protecting themselves. But now a new concern is surfacing: Are people being scared away from needed medical care? “We’ve been noticing it anecdotally in our practice,” said Dr. Koushik Kasanagottu, an internal medicine resident at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. He shared the example of one patient, a woman with emphysema, who on a recent morning woke with shortness of breath. She used her “rescue” inhaler medication — a standard way to manage a symptom exacerbation — but it didn’t help. Still, fears over COVID-19 kept her from seeking emergency medical attention. Eventually, her sister did call 911. But by the time she reached the hospital her condition had worsened to the point that she needed a ventilator. “The concern is definitely there,” said Dr. Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. “Some people might think twice about going to the hospital, rely on their rescue medications, and try to tough it out.” It is, of course, understandable that people…  read on >

Almost half of the U.S. population — 150 million people — are exposed to air pollution that puts their health at risk, the American Lung Association says. Climate change is making air pollution worse due to record levels of particle pollution and higher ozone pollution (smog) caused by wildfires. Air pollution poses a threat to everyone, especially children, older adults and people with lung disease. The effects of air pollution on lung health are of increased concern due to the coronavirus pandemic. The association’s annual State of the Air report analyzed data from 2016, 2017 and 2018, which were among the five hottest years recorded in global history. “The report finds the air quality in some communities has improved, but [it] finds that far too many people are still breathing unhealthy air,” American Lung Association president and CEO Harold Wimmer said in a news release from the group. “This year’s report shows that climate change continues to degrade air quality and increase the risk of air pollution harming health,” Wimmer said. “To protect the advances in air quality we fought for 50 years ago through the Clean Air Act, we must again act today, implementing effective policies to protect our air quality and lung health against the threat of climate change,” Wimmer said. “Air pollution is linked to greater risk of lung infection. Protecting everyone…  read on >

There’s a lot of confusion about medications and COVID-19, so experts offer some answers. There are no proven drug treatments for the illness caused by the new coronavirus, so doctors sometimes use drugs approved for other conditions to treat seriously ill COVID-19 patients. This is called off-label use. One drug being investigated as a possible COVID-19 treatment is hydroxychloroquine, which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat malaria, but widely used to treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Hydroxychloroquine, often combined with the antibiotic azithromycin, has been touted as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Neither of the medications are antivirals, and the combination has been shown to cause heart problems in some patients. Some people wonder if they should take hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19. The answer is definitely no, said Chris Bland and Tim Brown, from the University of Georgia’s College of Pharmacy. “I don’t believe at this time that anybody outside of the hospital setting should be a candidate for these two medications used together for COVID-19,” Bland said in a university news release. “In the hospital, we can perform cardiac monitoring of these patients to ensure safety. There are very limited data for effectiveness with definite risk of cardiac toxicity,” Bland said. “That’s why we don’t recommend it to outpatients.” The experimental antiviral drug remdesivir shows…  read on >

(HealthDay News) — President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the issuance of all green cards in the United States will be suspended for 60 days as the country battles the coronavirus pandemic. The halt will not stop temporary workers on nonimmigrant visas from entering the United States, the Washington Post reported. “I will be issuing a temporary suspension of immigration into the United States,” Trump said during a coronavirus media briefing. “By pausing, we’ll help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs.” Broad restrictions have already been placed on travel from Europe, China and other coronavirus hot spots. Meanwhile, a $484 billion deal to replenish a small business loan program that has run out of funding and to devote more money to hospitals and COVID-19 testing was passed by the Senate on Tuesday. The House is expected to approve the measure on Thursday, and Trump has said he would sign it into law. The legislation would add $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, the Post reported. It would also boost a separate small business emergency grant and loan program by $60 billion, and direct $75 billion to hospitals and $25 billion to a new coronavirus testing program. Coronavirus was circulating weeks earlier than thought In news that suggests the new coronavirus was circulating in the United States weeks earlier than thought, California health…  read on >

The coronavirus pandemic has supercharged the financial stress that already plagues many Americans, an expert says. About half of Americans lived paycheck to paycheck before the pandemic, according to a recent survey from First National Bank of Omaha, and now many have lost their jobs. “The pervasive financial stress the majority of Americans feel is now on steroids, as most Americans did not have savings before this crisis hit,” said Julie Kalkowski, executive director of the Financial Hope Collaborative at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. “Knowing that you are not in this alone is important to keep in mind as you move forward,” she added. Kalkowski manages a School of Business program that educates people about the psychology of money, tracking expenses, saving for emergencies and repairing credit. She offered this advice on how to reduce financial anxiety both during and after the coronavirus pandemic: Don’t panic. Don’t use credit cards or payday loans to deal with your debt. Their high interest rates can do long-term financial harm. Instead, seek out creative solutions such as contacting landlords, utilities and creditors to negotiate payment plans. And, don’t ignore bills. Doing so can make a bad financial situation worse. Beware of swindlers. Scams are proliferating right now. Thoroughly vet any offers by making additional calls and/or seeking out more information from trusted sources online. If an offer…  read on >

There’s no doubt about it: Staying at home, worrying about jobs and finances, is a recipe for depression during the coronavirus pandemic. But one expert offers some tips on how to maintain good mental health during this difficult time. “The current situation has many of us feeling helpless, fearful and adrift,” said Dr. Donna Anthony, chief medical officer at Gracie Square Hospital in New York City. “In order to get through this crisis, it is important to acknowledge these feelings and proactively manage stress, maintain your health, and find ways to cope when things seem darkest. We don’t know when our lives will return to a semblance of normality, but in the meantime, there are steps we can take to make ourselves feel better,” Anthony said in a hospital news release. People who already struggled with depression and anxiety may find it even more difficult now, and even those who haven’t faced those mental health challenges may feel anxious, afraid and lonely. Take a step back and examine your feelings, Anthony suggested. Be non-judgmental and compassionate toward yourself. Distract yourself from negative thoughts. If you’re bored, do something. If you’re lonely or frightened, call a friend. Your body is better able to fight stress if you take care of it. Eat healthy, well-balanced meals and get enough rest and sleep. Don’t try to relieve stress…  read on >

For those with heart problems, home-based rehab can take the place of hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation during the current coronavirus pandemic, heart experts say. “Home-based cardiac rehab is a solution to help provide cardiac rehabilitation to patients with heart disease in a home setting, and to help them survive and thrive during this challenging period of time,” said Dr. Randal Thomas. He’s a preventive cardiologist and medical director of the Mayo Clinic’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, in Rochester, Minn. “Home-based cardiac rehabilitation is much more than just going for a walk at home,” Thomas said in a clinic news release. “It is a structured, standardized, evidence-based approach to apply all therapies — lifestyle, medication and otherwise — that are known to help people with heart disease do better, feel better and live longer.” Mayo Clinic has used home-based cardiac rehab with a small number of patients over the years, but the coronavirus pandemic has made it necessary to transition all cardiac rehab to home-based settings in a matter of weeks. If you qualify for cardiac rehab, ask your care provider if at-home rehabilitation is an option for you as well. According to Thomas, there are many reasons why home-based cardiac rehab is so important right now. A big advantage of home rehab is that it keeps patients out of the hospital. Home rehab also ensures that patients…  read on >