Study to test safety of Moderna vaccine -WSJ
Healthy Seattle area volunteers have been asked to participate in the first clinical trial of an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by biotech company Modera (Cambridge, MA). Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (Seattle) aims to enroll 45 adults from the region to determine the safety of various doses of the vaccine and whether the shots produce an immune response. The development and testing of the vaccine has moved rapidly. But even if the first trial has positive results, additional testing would be needed to validate the vaccine’s safety. Read more from the WSJ here.
Scientists were close to a coronavirus vaccine years ago -NBC
Dr. Peter Hotez and a team of researchers and scientists in Texas had helped develop a vaccine to protect against a deadly strain of coronavirus in 2016. But they could not get the funding necessary to begin testing in humans. “We tried like heck to see if we could get investors or grants to move this into the clinic,” said Dr. Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “But we just could not generate much interest.” Dr. Hotez argues that SARS and MERS should have triggered major federal and global investments to develop vaccines in anticipation of future epidemics. “We could have had this ready to go and been testing the vaccine’s efficacy at the start of this new outbreak in China. There is a problem with the ecosystem in vaccine development, and we’ve got to fix this.” Read more from NBC here.
Cruise ship being held off coast of San Francisco amid fears passengers exposed to virus -USAT
A cruise ship was being held off the coast of San Francisco on Thursday amid fears the more than 3,500 passengers and crew may have been exposed to coronavirus. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the Princess Cruises’ Princess was sailing with 62 passengers who company officials say had previously been on board with a 71-year-old man who eventually died from the virus. Testing kits are being flown to the ship. More than 20 passengers and crew members have developed symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Read more from USA Today here.
California declares state of emergency after first death in state -LAT
California Gov. Gavin Newsom officially declared a state of emergency in California due to the new coronavirus. The state announced its first death related to the virus on Wednesday. It has affected 12 California counties and more than 50 people. A 71-year-old man with multiple underlying medical conditions has died. He first developed symptoms while on a Princess cruise ship from San Francisco to Mexico that returned to San Francisco on Feb. 21. Read more from the LA Times here.
Current U.S. coronavirus cases ‘just the tip of the iceberg’ -CNBC
Jeremy Konyndyk, a former director of the U.S. Agency for International Development, told CNBC that the U.S. has confirmed only a fraction of the total number of coronavirus cases in the country. At least 159 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed across the U.S. as of Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University. Eleven people have died. “What we’re seeing so far in terms of official case numbers in the U.S. is probably just the tip of the iceberg,” said Konyndyk. Read more from CNBC here.
Hospitals, nursing homes get direction on handling coronavirus -Bloomberg
Medicare inspections of nursing homes and hospitals will continue under the coronavirus scare, but will be focused on allegations of abuse and neglect, allegations of a facility putting its patients at risk for harm, and infection control, CMS had said. CMS also said it will be sending an infection prevention specialist to the CDC to assist in developing recommendations for medical providers. Nursing homes are being told to keep their residents who are suspected or confirmed to have the coronavirus rather than transfer them to a hospital. The exception is when the patient requires more care or the facilities cannot follow CDC infection control practices. Read more from Bloomberg here.
Canada’s military ordered to begin ‘pre-pandemic planning’ -CBC
Canada’s top military commander issued a detailed set of “pre-pandemic planning” orders on Wednesday for units both at home and overseas. The orders give commanders the authority to cancel large gatherings on bases in the event of a spike in COVID-19 cases, among other things. They also outline additional precautions from personal hygiene to strict reviews of all non-essential travel and leave for soldiers, sailors and aircrew. Canadian officials, under a worst-case scenario, are preparing for an absentee rate among government workers of 25%. Read more from CBC here.
Countries intensify efforts to halt outbreaks -NYT
Outbreaks around the world have pushed the number of coronavirus cases to more than 95,000 and over 3,000 deaths. In Italy and Iran, all schools and universities have been ordered shut. Major conferences, trade shows, cultural events and sporting competitions have been canceled across Europe. The sense of crisis has deepened in the U.S. too as authorities in the Seattle area stepped up efforts to contain the outbreak there, closing a school district that serves more than 20,000 students. The confirmed cases in New York have risen to 13, including a patient whose source of infection remains unclear. Hundreds of people who had contact with known patients were ordered to isolate themselves as New York transit officials have tried to reassure the public that trains and subways remain safe. Read more from the NY Times here.
Shielding economy from coronavirus impact could require more spending -WSJ
The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to approve roughly $8 billion in emergency spending to develop medical treatments and prevent new infections from the coronavirus. The Federal Reserve’s half-point rate cut has also focused attention on potential government measures to lessen the economic impact of the coronavirus. Earlier this week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the Trump administration was prepared to ask Congress for more help in response to the virus if necessary. He also said the Treasury was considering targeted actions to help small- and medium-sized businesses and workers who don’t have paid sick leave. Fed officials and economists warn the administration cannot rely solely on lower rates to ease disruptions from a public health emergency. Read more from the WSJ here.
More coronavirus resources from The Journal of Healthcare Contracting:
- FAQ/Insights – Helpful and relevant links to help you keep track of the ongoing epidemic