Premier Inc. to host webinar tomorrow: “State of Supply Chain and COVID-19″
Premier Inc. (Charlotte, NC) announced it will host a webinar tomorrow, Feb. 19, 2020, “State of Supply Chain and COVID-19,” at 11 a.m. ET. The Premier Disaster Response and Disruption Team, as well as the Premier Safety Institute will provide an executive briefing on the state of supply chain surrounding COVID-19. The goal is to provide attendees with the latest updates on the impact of this disease in the U.S., specifics on the risk to our supply chain of PPE products and recommendations for limiting risk for our nation’s healthcare systems and their patient populations.
Learn more and register for the webinar here.
Pharmacies may face shortage of antibiotics, other drugs if supply problems cannot be resolved
The head of a European business group in China warned Tuesday that the world’s pharmacies may face a shortage of antibiotics and other drugs if supply problems from China’s coronavirus outbreak cannot be resolved soon. EU Chamber of Commerce President Joerg Wuttke added that Beijing was making supply chain problems worse with a mandatory quarantine of arrivals from abroad. The capital city in China is requiring a 14-day quarantine for all arrivals, which Wuttke said would make it difficult to fly in technical experts to help if facilities are down. Wuttke called the measures against WHO guidelines. He also said the disruption from the epidemic had driven home diversifying away from China. Read more here.
Wuhan hospital director dies as death toll nears 2,000
Liu Zhiming, the director of Wuhan’s Wuchang Hospital, died Tuesday at the age of 51. Wuhan Municipal Health Commission confirmed the death in a statement saying, “Since the outbreak, Comrade Liu Zhiming, regardless of his personal safety, led the medical staff of Wuchang Hospital to fight the epidemic, and made important contributions to the prevention and control of new-type coronavirus pneumonia in our city.” Thousands of medical workers from across China have been sent to Wuhan in recent weeks to help the overwhelmed local authorities. Liu is the ninth known fatality among medical personnel battling the epidemic in China. The current death toll is 1,868 dead with 72,436 confirmed cases in mainland China. Read more here.
White House does not have high confidence in China’s coronavirus information
The White House told CNBC this week it does “not have high confidence in the information coming out of China” regarding the count of coronavirus cases. China has been reluctant to accept help from the CDC and has reportedly suppressed information about the outbreak from scientists. A WHO-led team of 12 international experts are expected to arrive in China this weekend to collaborate with Chinese counterparts. Larry Kudlow, a White House economic advisor, told reporters the U.S. is “quite disappointed,” citing a lack of transparency. Read more here.
Coronavirus more fatal in men than women, study suggests
Men have a higher risk of death than women if they contract the new strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, according to Chinese researchers in the largest study on the outbreak to date. Analysts studied 72,314 patient records from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC). The records detailed 44,672 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, 16,186 suspected cases and 889 cases where the carrier of the coronavirus displayed no symptoms. Patients were categorized into three groups depending on whether their symptoms were mild, severe or critical. Most confirmed cases were recorded in people between the ages of 30 and 69, according to the research. According to the findings, 4.7% of confirmed cases had reached critical status. But half of the cases categorized as critical had turned fatal. The CCDC data also suggested that fatality rates were higher among men than women. Officials recorded a 2.8% fatality rate for male patients, and 1.7% for female patients. Read more here.
Japan to use HIV drugs to treat coronavirus patients as number infected there rises to over 500
Japan plans to use HIV drugs to treat people with coronavirus, as the number of infected in the country increased to 519, with 454 cases on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship. Japan’s top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, said they are currently preparing to start clinical trials using HIV medication on the novel coronavirus. But he couldn’t comment on how long it would be until the new is approved, according to Reuters. Thailand doctors have appeared to have success in treating severe cases of the coronavirus with a mix of flu medications and HIV drugs. The new approach combining flu drug oseltamivir, known as Tamiflu, with lopinavir and ritonavir reportedly improved the condition of several patients, including a 70-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan who tested positive. Read more here.
Former FDA commissioner warns Japan is on cusp of an outbreak
Scott Gottlieb, the former FDA commissioner, said the public should start focusing on cases of COVID-19 outside of China when considering the global risk. He told CNBC that Japan appears to be “on the cusp of a large outbreak and maybe epidemic growth in Japan. We need to watch that very closely. They’ve had a doubling of cases just in the last four days.” 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