Top Stories

  • President Donald Trump said he is extending the timeline for social distancing measures through April 30 and predicted that the death toll in the United States could be 100,000 in the best-case scenario. Walking back from previous optimism that the country would be business-as-usual by Easter, Trump said the administration would re-assess at the end of April, but that June 1 is the new target date for recovery. (The Associated Press)
  • Beginning Wednesday, medical device manufacturer Abbott Laboratories plans to supply 50,000 rapid tests for the coronavirus per day, having received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for a test that can be used almost ubiquitously. Between the new molecular test and Abbott’s m2000 RealTime system, the company expects it can provide 5 million tests a month at minimum. (Bloomberg)
  • A commercial plane from Shanghai to New York, coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, delivered 130,000 N-95 masks, 1.8 million face masks and gowns, 10 million gloves and thousands of thermometers on Sunday, with the supplies intended for distribution in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Twenty-one more flights are scheduled to help eliminate supply shortages at hospitals around the country, with the next planes set to land in Chicago on Monday and Ohio on Tuesday. (The New York Times)

Chart Review

Events Calendar (All Times Local)

03/31/2020
USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy: Wall Street Comes to Washington Health Care Roundtable. 9:00 am
ERIC Research on Biosimilars Savings and Need for Competition webinar 10:00 am
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace webcast discussion: “Crisis Upon Crisis: The Geopolitical and Economic Implications of COVID-19 in the MENA Region.” 11:00 am
Improve Eye Health Quality While Managing Care Costs 2:00 pm
American Bar Association webinar: “Responding to the Global COVID-19 Pandemic: The State and Local Government Perspective” 2:00 pm
04/01/2020
STAT live chat: The coronavirus pandemic 11:00 am
04/02/2020
Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission virtual meeting 10:00 am
View full calendar

Morning Consult Debuts Daily Consumer Confidence Tracking Data

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Click here to learn more or speak to one of our specialists.

Coronavirus

After Three Coronavirus Stimulus Packages, Congress Is Already Prepping Phase Four
Jacob M. Schlesinger and Joshua Jamerson, The Wall Street Journal

Push for yet more government support to culminate in April, before election-year politics undermine further compromise.

FDA issues emergency authorization of anti-malaria drug for coronavirus care
Dan Diamond, Politico

The Food and Drug Administration on Sunday issued an emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, decades-old malaria drugs championed by President Donald Trump for coronavirus treatment despite scant evidence.

Two new road maps lay out possible paths to end coronavirus lockdowns
Helen Branswell, Stat News

With Covid-19 racing through the country, the United States is virtually locked down. At the same time, the yearning among Americans to reopen their communities grows, as does their desire to return to some semblance of normality.

Trump says quarantine for New York area ‘will not be necessary’; U.S. coronavirus-related deaths double in two days
Brittany Shammas et al., The Washington Post

President Trump tweeted Saturday night that he has asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a “strong Travel Advisory” but that a quarantine on the New York region “will not be necessary.” Earlier in the day, Trump said he might order a quarantine for the area, a possibility that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) called “preposterous.”

An explosion of coronavirus cases cripples a federal prison in Louisiana
Kimberly Kindy, The Washington Post

A federal prison in Louisiana has, within days, exploded with coronavirus cases, leading to the death of one inmate on Saturday, the admission of a guard into a hospital intensive care unit, and positive test results for another 30 inmates and staff.

On the Outskirts of COVID-19 Hot Spots, Northeast States Predict Staff, Bed Shortages
Yusra Murad, Morning Consult

Harvard analysis shows Connecticut, Massachusetts, Delaware heading for widest bed gaps.

New Orleans May Soon Run Out of Ventilators, Governor Says
Steve Geimann, Bloomberg Law

Louisiana, which has the fourth-highest U.S. coronavirus death total so far, anticipates running out of capacity for breathing machines in the city of New Orleans within a week.

Governors shrug off Trump’s insults as they plead for federal aid
Laura King, Los Angeles Times

Wary of President Trump’s criticism that they were ungrateful for his management of the coronavirus crisis, governors of several of the hardest-hit states sought gingerly Sunday to avoid provoking him anew and risk losing desperately needed federal aid.

Fixing America’s broken coronavirus supply chain
Joann Muller and Jonathan Swan, Axios

The senior Navy officer now in charge of fixing America’s coronavirus supply chain is trying to fill the most urgent needs: ventilators and personal protective gear. But barely a week into his role at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he’s still trying to establish what’s in the pipeline and where it is.

Manufacturers Seek U.S. Help in Deciding Where to Ship Scarce Medical Goods
Rebecca Ballhaus and Andrew Restuccia, The Wall Street Journal

To address coronavirus-related shortages, companies want the federal government to provide strategic guidance.

Coronavirus Slowdown in Seattle Suggests Restrictions Are Working
Mike Baker, The New York Times

Officials in Washington State worry that their gains are precarious, but they see evidence that containment strategies have lowered the rate of virus transmission.

How Does the Coronavirus Behave Inside a Patient?
Siddhartha Mukherjee, The New Yorker

We’ve counted the viral spread across peoples; now we need to count it within people.

Payers

Cigna, Humana Waive Cost-Sharing for Covid-19 Treatments
John Tozzi, Bloomberg

Two of America’s largest health insurers, Cigna Corp. and Humana Inc., said they will waive out-of-pocket costs for patients who need treatment for Covid-19.

Providers

Cleveland Clinic names new chief information officer
Lydia Coutré, Modern Healthcare

Matthew Kull has been appointed Cleveland Clinic’s chief information officer, effective immediately, after serving as the interim CIO since November.

TeamHealth doctor loses job after criticizing hospital’s virus response
Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

An emergency room doctor who publicly criticized the coronavirus preparations at his hospital in Washington state has lost his job.

The Nation’s 5,000 Outpatient Surgery Centers Could Help With The COVID-19 Overflow
Cara Anthony and Liz Szabo, Kaiser Health News

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise, a group of anesthesiologists wants to convert America’s surgery centers into critical care units for infected patients.

Independent physicians push for expedited COVID-19 aid
Alex Kacik, Modern Healthcare

Independent physicians are hoping for expedited federal aid as elective procedures and non-urgent, in-person doctors’ visits are postponed to accommodate more COVID-19 cases, threatening their practices’ viability.

Pharma, Biotech and Devices

AC Immune bets that its Alzheimer’s trial design could provide a cleaner test of the amyloid hypothesis
Damian Garde et al., Stat News

The fate of aducanumab, a potential Alzheimer’s treatment from Biogen, is widely seen as the last hope for an aging idea: that targeting toxic brain plaques can arrest the progress of the disease.

Inside GM’s Four-Week Sprint to Build Emergency Ventilators
David Welch, Bloomberg

On March 18, General Motors Co. Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra told President Donald Trump’s economic adviser Larry Kudlow that the automaker might be able to help make much-needed ventilators, the scarce breathing machines used to keep coronavirus patients alive.

Health IT

ONC advisory group to add COVID-19 task force
Jessica Kim Cohen, Modern Healthcare

The Health Information Technology Advisory Committee on Thursday mulled priorities for a task force focused on COVID-19 response, which it plans to convene in the coming weeks.

Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives

Protect Access to Vital Air Medical Services in Health Care Emergency
Carter Johnson, Morning Consult

These are unprecedented times. Not since 9/11 have we experienced such a broad threat to public health and safety. 

The Road Back to Normal: More, Better Testing
Scott Gottlieb and Lauren Silvis, The Wall Street Journal

Rapid diagnosis, targeted surveillance and boosting lab supplies will help beat back the coronavirus.

An Open Letter from our Chairman and CEO
Daniel O’Day, Stories @ Gilead

When the news of the coronavirus first emerged, Gilead immediately began to investigate the potential of remdesivir, a medicine we had been studying for many years as part of our extensive research in antivirals. Remdesivir had never been approved for use but based on what we had learned to date, we knew it might have potential with the novel coronavirus. 

Research Reports

National coronavirus response: A road map to reopening
Scott Gottlieb, American Enterprise Institute

This report provides a road map for navigating through the current COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. It outlines specific directions for adapting our public-health approach away from sweeping mitigation strategies as we limit the epidemic spread of COVID-19, such that we can transition to new tools and approaches to prevent further spread of the disease.

General

A Preventable Cancer Is on the Rise in Alabama
Eyal Press, The New Yorker

The state’s refusal to expand Medicaid is causing poor women to miss out on lifesaving screenings.

U.S. Futures Fluctuate, Stocks Slip; Dollar Jumps: Markets Wrap
Todd White, Bloomberg

U.S. equity futures fluctuated and stocks slipped on Monday as investors weighed a weekend full of negative coronavirus news against the stimulus measures that triggered a bounce in risk assets last week. The dollar rebounded, Treasuries edged higher and oil sank.

Morning Consult