Coronavirus cases spike in China; death toll over 1,300, caseload over 60,000
Doctors in China have adopted a new way of diagnosing the novel coronavirus, leading to a spike of 23% in confirmed cases and a jump in the number of deaths blamed on the virus. China previously only counted a coronavirus case as confirmed when a person tested positively for the virus, but the government is no longer requiring a positive test. New cases are now being confirmed if a person is simply diagnosed by a doctor. Officials in Hubei province, the heart of the outbreak, reported 254 new deaths and 15,152 new cases of coronavirus. The increase brought the death toll to at least 1,369 and the number of confirmed cases to more than 60,000. “We’re now getting a better indication of what’s actually happening in the community,” John Nicholls, a professor of pathology at the University of Hong Kong and a prominent researcher during the SARS outbreak in 2003, told CBS News. Read more here.
Quarantined cruise passengers spawn several online communities for support
Quarantined passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship have spawned several online communities, with passengers forming groups on WhatsApp and Facebook to break through the isolation and share information. They also focus on keeping each other’s spirits up. Coronavirus cases on the ship have risen to more than 200. The postings are mainly words of encouragement and a friendly ear, quarantined passenger Aun Na Tan of Australia told NPR. The passengers are only halfway through the 14-day quarantine set to end on Feb. 19. Nearly 100 passengers have joined a special private Facebook group for those aboard the ship. But some passengers are limiting their time on Facebook because much of the public discourse about the cruise ship has been negative. Read more here.
Coronavirus test kits shipped to U.S. states are not working as expected
Some of the coronavirus test kits shipped to labs across the U.S. are not working as they, according to the CDC. As a result, the CDC is remaking parts of the test kits after some produced inconclusive test results. The kits were sent to states to speed up the testing process, but the states discovered the flaw during the verification process. However, not all states have been affected. For example, the Illinois Department of Public Health said it has not had any issues with the kits and it is continuing with its testing for the coronavirus. There have been 15 confirmed coronavirus cases reported in the U.S. with the latest two reported among U.S. evacuees at a military bases in California and Texas. Read more here.
Moody’s indicates healthcare companies to see mixed results from expanded coronavirus outbreak
U.S. healthcare companies would see mixed effects of a more significant coronavirus outbreak within and outside of China, according to a new stress report from Moody’s Investors Service. If the outbreak spreads significantly in China, it would dampen demand for U.S. healthcare companies that sell products there. Moody’s said it is already seeing evidence of that on medical device companies’ earnings calls. Companies that use Chinese components, including pharmaceutical ingredients, to make their products could also suffer supply chain disruptions. The outbreak also provides some opportunity. U.S. drug companies like Gilead Sciences and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) are working to develop novel medications or use existing ones to treat or prevent conditions. Read more here.
American biotech company claims it discovered coronavirus vaccine in January
Inovio Pharmaceuticals (Plymouth Meeting, PA), a biotech company, claims its lab in San Diego, CA, created a coronavirus vaccine three hours after getting access to the virus’ genetic sequence on Jan. 9. “We have an algorithm which we designed, and we put the DNA sequence into our algorithm and came up with the vaccine in that short amount of time,” Dr. Trevor Smith, research and development director at Inovio, told television station KVUE. The vaccine could be ready as early as this summer. Inovio is working with Beijing Advaccine, a Chinese company, on the vaccine. Another company, Novavax (Rockville, MD), is aiming to make a coronavirus vaccine in as little as three months. Read more here.
U.S. military prepping for coronavirus pandemic
U.S. Northern Command is executing plans to prepare for a potential pandemic of the novel coronavirus, according to Navy and Marine Corps service-wide messages issued this week. An executive order issued by the Joint Staff and approved by Defense Secretary Mark Esper this month directed Northern Command and geographic combatant commanders to initiate pandemic plans, which include ordering commanders to prepare for widespread outbreaks and confining service members with a history of travel to China. The Navy and Marine Corps messages reference an executive order directing U.S. Northern Command to implement the Department of Defense Global Campaign for Pandemic Influenza and Infectious Diseases 3551-13. Read more here.
More coronavirus resources from The Journal of Healthcare Contracting:
- Day-by-day Timeline of major events
- FAQ/Insights – Helpful and relevant links to help you keep track of the ongoing epidemic