Coronavirus
House leaders seek to expedite emergency aid package amid uncertainty about GOP lawmaker delaying measure John Wagner et al., The Washington Post
House leaders sought to expedite the emergency $2 trillion relief bill aimed at mitigating the financial havoc caused by the coronavirus pandemic amid uncertainty about whether a renegade lawmaker could delay sending the measure to President Trump.
As Trump signals readiness to break with experts, his online base assails Fauci Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Washington Post
A cadre of right-wing news sites pulled from the fringes in recent years through repeated mention by President Trump is now taking aim at Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, who has given interviews in which he has tempered praise for the president with doubts about his pronouncements.
Internal Emails Show How Chaos at the CDC Slowed the Early Response to Coronavirus Caroline Chen et al., ProPublica
The CDC fumbled its communication with public health officials and underestimated the threat of the coronavirus even as it gained a foothold in the United States, according to hundreds of pages of documents ProPublica obtained.
Coronavirus deals one-two financial punch to state budgets Geoff Mulvihill, The Associated Press
The coronavirus is pounding state governments with a financial one-two punch, costing them many millions to try to contain the disease just as businesses are shutting down and tax revenue is collapsing. The sharp drop in revenue could jeopardize some states’ ability to provide basic services.
After Considering $1 Billion Price Tag for Ventilators, White House Has Second Thoughts David E. Sanger et al., The New York Times
A deal with General Motors and Ventec Life Systems to produce tens of thousands of the critical lifesaving devices seemed imminent. Then the announcement was pulled back.
White House officials push back on calls to activate DPA for critical medical supplies Myah Ward, Politico
The resistance comes as former national security professionals joined the call for ramping up production.
To Slow Virus, China Bars Entry by Almost All Foreigners Keith Bradsher, The New York Times
Beijing halted most international flights, making it hard for citizens to return. And it blocked even foreigners with Chinese residency or visas from entering.
U.S. Coronavirus Testing Hits Milestone but Still Falls Short Lazaro Gamio et al., The New York Times
This week, the number of coronavirus tests in the United States surpassed those in South Korea and Italy — two countries that had been testing more aggressively.
New Jersey officials planning for possibility of rationing ventilators Matt Friedman, Politico
New Jersey officials are beginning to discuss the “haunting” possibility that hospitals may soon have to decide which patients critically ill with coronavirus get ventilators and which do not.
New Orleans Faces a Virus Nightmare, and Mardi Gras May Be Why Katy Reckdahl et al., The New York Times
Louisiana may be experiencing the world’s fastest growth in new cases. Medical experts said Mardi Gras might have accelerated the crisis.
A Likely But Hidden Coronavirus Risk Factor: Pollution Jamie Smith Hopkins, The Center for Public Integrity
Air pollution, research shows, lowers our ability to fight off infections. It worsens reactions to viruses in people with health challenges like asthma. And it could have a pernicious effect in a pandemic.
Payers
Could Obamacare save jobless Americans from coronavirus? Susannah Luthi, Politico
The law’s backers say it will prove a crucial safety net during the pandemic. The Trump administration may soon agree.
Providers
Retailers shift production to make masks, gowns for health-care workers in coronavirus pandemic Courtney Reagan, CNBC
As patient numbers swell for those who have tested positive or are suspected of having coronavirus, hospitals and health-care facilities throughout the U.S. are experiencing a tight supply, if not an outright shortage, of personal protective equipment, including masks and gowns.
‘The Other Option Is Death’: New York Starts Sharing of Ventilators Brian M. Rosenthal, The New York Times
To keep coronavirus patients breathing, hospitals are pioneering a little-tested method.
Dialysis centers face significant challenges in protecting patients from COVID-19 Shelby Livingston, Modern Healthcare
While social distancing will help stem the spread of COVID-19, the practice is near impossible for thousands of vulnerable people who risk becoming severely ill without their regular treatment.
Pharma, Biotech and Devices
Pharmas to share assets in COVID-19 consortium led by Narasimhan, Gates Sandi Wong, BioCentury
Global alliances among public, private and non-profit entities to counter COVID-19 continue to gather steam, with one of the latest alliances comprising over a dozen life sciences companies and the Gates Foundation.
Trump keeps touting an unproven coronavirus treatment. It’s now being tested on thousands in New York. Christopher Rowland et al., The Washington Post
The push in the U.S. pandemic epicenter follows the president’s declaration that he ‘feels good’ about compounds with unproven efficacy, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine.
Special status for coronavirus drug caught health officials off guard Caitlin Owens, Axios
When an experimental coronavirus treatment received a special designation from the Food and Drug Administration on Monday, it came as a surprise to the government’s top health care officials — including the FDA commissioner.
Coronavirus Upends Testing of New Drugs Jared S. Hopkins, The Wall Street Journal
The world-wide spread of the new coronavirus is throwing into disarray studies critical to the development of promising new medicines.
Bluebird says gene therapy application delayed again, citing disagreement with FDA Yujin Kim, BioPharmaDive
Bluebird bio said Thursday it doesn’t expect to complete an application for U.S. approval of its gene therapy LentiGlobin until mid-2021, as the biotech failed to reach agreement with the Food and Drug Administration about providing additional data for the agency’s review.
Two At 2 Million Guinea Pigs And Counting: The Remarkable Rise Of Self-Monitoring In The Time Of Coronavirus Thomas Brewster, Forbes
It was only last Friday when a team of 14 software engineers and data scientists at little-known health and nutrition startup, ZOE, started piecing together what would become the hottest coronavirus app on Apple’s App Store by Wednesday: the COVID Symptom Tracker.
Health IT
Telemedicine Surges, Fueled By Coronavirus Fears And Shift In Payment Rules Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News
Lukas Kopacki, home from college after the coronavirus pandemic closed his campus, was feeling lousy for days with headaches, sore throat and difficulty breathing through his nose. But he worried that a trip to a doctor’s office might make him sicker.
Quarantined Doctors Turn to Video Chats So They Can See Patients Amy Thomson and Helene Fouquet, Bloomberg
Marie-Pascale Schuller started feeling sick last week. The 57-year-old doctor specializes in respiratory illnesses, and she had a strong suspicion as to what her fever, cough and aches meant.
Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives
How Medicare Is Limiting Cancer Care for Seniors Brian Koffman, Morning Consult
As a cancer survivor and health care provider, I’ve never felt more optimistic about the possibilities of new cancer treatments — or more worried that today’s care innovations will further health care disparities.
We Need to Know Who’s Developed Immunity to Coronavirus Bill Cassidy and Christopher Mores, The Wall Street Journal
To restart the economy, the government needs to set up immunity registries similar to those for childhood diseases.
Research Reports
Fair Allocation of Scarce Medical Resources in the Time of Covid-19 Ezekiel J. Emanuel et al., The New England Journal of Medicine
Covid-19 is officially a pandemic. It is a novel infection with serious clinical manifestations, including death, and it has reached at least 124 countries and territories.
General
U.S. Futures Drop With Europe Stocks; Bonds Rise: Markets Wrap Yakob Peterseil, Bloomberg
U.S. equity futures and European stocks slipped on Friday as investors caught their breath following the first three-day rally in global shares since mid-February. Treasuries climbed and the dollar swung between gains and losses.
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