Coronavirus more contagious than flu, less deadly
The new strain of coronavirus, now formally named COVID-19, is “a lot more contagious” than the flu, according to AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot. “What we have all learned is that the virus leads to a lower mortality than the flu virus, but it’s a lot more contagious, the virus is very contagious,” Soriot told CNBC. At least 19 million people across the U.S. have been infected with the flu virus this flu season, according to the CDC, and it has resulted in 10,000 deaths and 180,000 hospitalizations. Soriot said, despite the high contagion rate of the COVID-19 virus he is optimistic that Chinese authorities would be able to contain the virus. Read more here.
CDC director says coronavirus could stay in U.S. through the year and beyond
Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the CDC, says that the coronavirus will likely stay for “beyond this season, or beyond this year,” in the U.S. “Right now, we’re in aggressive containment mode,” said Redfield. “I think eventually the virus will find a foothold and we will get community-based transmission.” Redfield said it would become a disease like the seasonal flu and questioned whether China has the situation under control, suggesting that the country allow the CDC to conduct on-the-ground work. Only the World Health Organization (WHO) has been helping China assess the outbreak so far. Read more here.
Coronavirus exposes U.S. pharma’s supply chain vulnerability, writes Tennessee senator
It has been more than 50 years since the last federal quarantine was issued, to control a deadly smallpox outbreak. Dr. Janet Woodcock, the director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, testified before Congress this past October that the U.S. “has become a world leader in drug discovery and development, but is no longer in the forefront of drug manufacturing.” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) writes on the U.S. pharma supply chain and its reliance on China here.
Group of pandemic bondholders to reap massive profits or lose millions as coronavirus escalates
A group of unique bondholders will either reap massive profits or lose hundreds of millions of dollars as the coronavirus outbreak escalates. So-called “pandemic bonds” were first introduced by the World Bank in 2017 as a response to the Ebola virus. Investors holding the bonds enjoy higher-than-average interest rates but stand to lose their cash in the event of a pandemic. If certain criteria are met, the bonds’ principal is transferred to the World Bank’s Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) to fund containment and relief efforts. The bank issued two tranches of pandemic-like bonds and derivatives collectively worth $425 million in 2017. The stability of the investment has suddenly been thrown into question as the coronavirus spreads globally. Read more here.
Endangered pangolin may have passed the coronavirus to humans
Pangolins, an endangered ant-eating scaly mammal found in West and Central Africa and Asia, have been reported to have likely transmitted the novel coronavirus to humans. The pangolin was reported to be the most likely intermediate host by researchers at South China Agricultural University, who said they found the genome sequence of the coronavirus separated from pangolins to be 99% identical to that collected from infected people. The team analyzed over 1,000 metagenome samples of wild animals. However, the study has not been published and has not undergone peer review for verification. 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