Today’s top stories concerning the ongoing outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus.
Coronavirus whistleblower dies from outbreak he warned of
The 34-year-old Chinese doctor who was reprimanded after warning in December about the then-unidentified virus has died of it. Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist in Wuhan, warned medical school classmates about evidence of a new virus in an online forum on Dec. 30, and Chinese authorities later forced him to declare that he had spread an unfounded rumor. His death has prompted a rare online revolt in China. Dr. Li died after contracting the very illness he had told medical school classmates about online. He is one of more than reportedly 600 Chinese citizens to die from the coronavirus outbreak. He became a hero to many Chinese after word of his treatment at the hand of authorities emerged. Read more about Dr. Li’s warning and his death here.
Chinese device exports, supply chains holding up in face of coronavirus – for now
Exports of components and finished medical devices coming from coronavirus-stricken China will continue to flow to the U.S. and other countries for now, but there could be trouble soon if government quarantines and international travel bans remain in place, according to Stephen Sutherland, a partner in the Shanghai, China, office of consulting firm L.E.K. Consulting and an industry expert. He told Medtech Insight many device makers there probably stockpiled inventory before the weeks-long Chinese New Year festivities began, alleviating short-term shortage fears. There are more than 11,000 manufacturers of Class II and Class III devices in China, according to L.E.K. Consulting. Read more about what to expect from Chinese manufacturing here.
Trump administration officials have escalated their response to coronavirus
The Trump administration implemented screenings at U.S. airports and issued a China travel advisory as the virus spread overseas in the first few weeks. But with cases climbing, the Trump administration has sharply escalated its response due to fears of a contagion coming to the U.S. President Donald Trump has now issued strict new measures, including quarantines and new travel bans. Some initial resistance to the travel ban had come from HHS Secretary Alex Azar, who expressed concern about the amount of resources the travel ban would require as well as the ability to effectively implement them. Read more about the Trump administration’s ongoing response to the coronavirus outbreak here.
Steep rise in number of coronavirus cases on quarantined Japanese cruise ship
A quarantined cruise ship off the coast of Yokohama, Japan, has seen a steep rise in the number of people on it testing positive for coronavirus as 61 people tested positive Friday. Twenty confirmed cases were on board Thursday. Officials have screened 273 passengers they said were potentially exposed to the virus. The 41 new patients were taken off the ship for medical treatment. More than 2,000 passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship have been stuck inside their cabins as part of a two-week quarantine. Concern has risen from passengers about crew members delivering meals from room to room. Separately, a cruise ship with 3,600 people on board remains stranded in Hong Kong. Read more here.
Infectious disease expert tells physicians to ask patients one question about coronavirus
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at NIH, said physicians should ask patients suspected of having the coronavirus one question: have you been in China recently? Dr. Fauci said this in a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) podcast. He said if the patient has been in China, “you put a mask on the person, you put them in an isolation room and you contact the CDC.” Dr. Fauci, who co-authored a JAMA viewpoint entitled, Coronavirus Infections – More than Just the Common Cold, was interviewed in the podcast by JAMA Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Howard Bauchner. 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