WHO raises risk assessment of coronavirus to “very high” at global level
WHO officials are increasing the risk assessment of the coronavirus, which has spread to least 49 countries, to “very high” worldwide. “We have increased our assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of impact of COVID-19 to very high at global level,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO. There are 4,351 cases outside of China, including 67 deaths as of Friday morning. WHO says it’s seeing linked epidemics of COVID-19 in several countries, but most cases can still be traced to known contacts or clusters of cases. Follow the developing story here.
FDA reports first drug shortage due to novel coronavirus outbreak
The FDA has announced the first manufacturing shortage of an unnamed drug due to the novel coronavirus outbreak in China. FDA Commission Stephen Hahn said the agency has been closely monitoring the medical product supply chain with the expectation that the outbreak would likely have an impact. “A manufacturer has alerted us to a shortage of a human drug that was recently added to the drug shortages list,” said Hahn. “The manufacturer just notified us that this shortage is related to a site affected by coronavirus. The shortage is due to an issue with manufacturing of an active pharmaceutical ingredient used in the drug.” More details here.
Israeli researchers say vaccine could be ready for use within 90 days
Scientists at the Galilee Research Institute, known as MIGAL, are adapting its vaccine against the avian coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus, or IBV, to work against the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19. They say it could be ready in three weeks and available for use within 90 days. The independent research institute specializes in the fields of biotechnology, environmental sciences and agriculture. Its vaccine for IBV, a bronchial illness that affects poultry, has been proven in clinical trials at Israel’s Veterinary Institute. More details here.
Dr. Deborah Birx named coronavirus response coordinator by White House
Dr. Deborah Birx, an internationally recognized HIV/AIDS expert, has been named as the new coronavirus response coordinator by the White House. Dr. Birx is a state department ambassador-at-large who works on global health diplomacy issues. She was named to the new position by Vice President Mike Pence, who was put in charge of coronavirus communications on Wednesday. Dr. Birx will join the U.S. coronavirus task force, along with HHS Secretary Alex Azar, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, economic advisor Larry Kudlow and Surgeon General Jerome Adams. Dr. Birx directed the CDC’s global HIV/AIDS division before she became the U.S. global AIDS coordinator in 2014. More details here.
HHS whistleblower claims U.S. workers received coronavirus evacuees without proper protection
A whistleblower at HHS is seeking federal protection after complaining that more than a dozen workers who received the first Americans evacuated from Wuhan (China) lacked proper training or protective gear for coronavirus infection control. The whistleblower alleges she was unfairly reassigned after raising concerns. The Washington Post reported the complaint and cited a redacted complaint obtained from lawyers that alleges HHS staff were improperly deployed and were not properly trained or equipped to operate in a public health emergency. More details here.
Mexico confirms first two cases of coronavirus
Mexico’s health secretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell confirmed the country’s first and second case of the coronavirus. He said one of the patients is in Mexico City and the other in the northern state of Sinaloa. Neither is seriously ill. The family of the first patient has been quarantined. Lopez-Gatell said one of the men had been in contact with someone who had traveled to northern Italy where an outbreak has occurred. More worldwide updates 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
- News