Anna Maria Barry-Jester

Anna Maria Barry-Jester was a senior correspondent for KFF Health News until June 2022.

@annabarryjester

As COVID Cases Spike, California Shifts Its Strategy

Public health officials have been alarmed by the increase in COVID-19 cases linked to family gatherings and socializing. While Gov. Gavin Newsom is defending the state’s reopening, local health officials worry the situation could get worse this summer.

Testing In California Still A Frustrating Patchwork Of Haves And Have-Nots

It’s hard to overstate how uneven access to critical coronavirus test kits remains in the nation’s largest state. Even as some Southern California counties are opening drive-thru sites to make testing available to any resident who wants it, a rural northern county is testing raw sewage to determine whether the coronavirus has infiltrated its communities.

The Inside Story Of How The Bay Area Got Ahead Of The COVID-19 Crisis

An early morning text. A lawyer-filled meeting on a Sunday afternoon. Emotional journal entries. And, ultimately, action. In the 24 hours before San Francisco Bay Area public health officials issued the country’s first stay-at-home order, they debated how to tackle the alarming rise in COVID-19 infections. Their decision set the course for the nation.

How Do We Exit The Shutdown? Hire An Army Of Public Health Workers

The pandemic has exposed massive cracks in the foundations of the U.S. public health system. Getting the country back to normal, experts say, will require a major investment in Public Health 101: training a corps of workers who can track people with the virus and prevent them from passing it to others.

California Hospitals Face Surge With Proven Fixes And Some Hail Marys

California is entering the most critical period in its battle against COVID-19, and may need thousands of hospital beds and ventilators to accommodate a surge of critically ill patients. Hospitals are taking extreme measures, such as using 3D printers to make ventilator parts and turning cafeterias into wards.

California y COVID-19: hospitales se alistan para la crisis con acciones probadas y desesperadas

Los hospitales de California pensaron que estaban listos para el próximo gran desastre. Han modernizado sus edificios para resistir un gran terremoto y poner a los pacientes fuera de peligro durante los mortales incendios forestales. Han mantenido vivos a los pacientes con generadores de respaldo en medio de apagones y han entrenado a su personal […]