BREAKING: WHO Declares Coronavirus Outbreak a Pandemic
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic as it spreads in more than 100 countries around the world. The WHO said it was deeply concerned by the “alarming levels of inaction” about the coronavirus outbreak but described the term “pandemic” as both a “characterization” and a “call to action,” not an excuse to give up.
The WHO defines a pandemic as “the worldwide spread of a new disease.” The determination is based on the geographic spread of a disease, the severity of illnesses it causes, and its effects on society.
“If countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace, and mobilize their people in their response, those with a handful of cases can prevent those cases from becoming clusters and those clusters from becoming community transmissions,” the WHO’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told reporters in Geneva…
FDA postpones most foreign inspections through April
The FDA is postponing most foreign inspections through April, effective immediately. Inspections outside the U.S. deemed mission-critical will still be considered on a case-by-case basis. The FDA based this decision on a State Department Level 4 travel advisory in which travel is prohibited for U.S. government employees, the CDC travel recommendations, guidance from the Office of Personnel Management and the importance of the health and safety of its employees. The FDA says it has confidence in its abilities to maintain oversight over international manufacturers and imported products using alternative tools and methods. Read more here.
CPT fast tracking code development for novel coronavirus test
The AMA has announced a unique Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code for reporting novel coronavirus tests that will be considered at a special CPT Editorial Panel meeting this week. If approved, the new CPT code will support the response to the urgent public health need for streamlined reporting of novel coronavirus testing offered by hospitals, health systems and laboratories in the U.S. The CPT Editorial Panel will mange the expedited process including the creation of a test description to accompany the code and the effective date of the code. “Moving as quickly as possible to put in place a CPT code for a novel coronavirus test will bolster a data-driven response to the COVID-19 disease outbreak in the U.S.,” said AMA President Dr. Patrice Harris. “By streamlining the flow of information on novel coronavirus testing, a new CPT code facilitates the reporting, measuring, analyzing, researching and benchmarking that is necessary to help guide the nation’s response to the public health emergency.” Read more.
Number of U.S. coronavirus cases spreading fast as epidemic hasn’t peaked
The number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. continues to spread fast and the U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams says the epidemic hasn’t peaked here yet. There are now more than 1,000 cases in the U.S. as of Wednesday, eight times more than one week prior. At least 32 people have died of the virus nationwide. There are cases in 37 states and 15 have declared states of emergency. Read more here.
New York City mayor says public officials having trouble keeping up with cases
Private labs that began running coronavirus tests in New York City on Friday are reporting so many new cases that public officials are having trouble keeping up, according to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Close to 2,000 New York City residents are in voluntary isolation while 30 people are in mandatory quarantine. New York City officials are waiting on 195 test results. They said 258 tests have come back negative so far. City officials are worried about blood shortages as corporations cancel company blood drives. “We must maintain our supply,” de Blasio has said. “At this moment our supply is OK, but we’re concerned we have seen some workplace blood drives canceled. That is a worrisome sign.” More here.
New York sends National Guard to northern suburb of New York City
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has deployed the National Guard to New Rochelle, NY, a northern suburb of New York City, and a coronavirus hot spot. Westchester County, NY, where New Rochelle is located, has had 108 COVID-19 cases out of the 173 confirmed infections across New York state. Gov. Cuomo compared the number of cases in New York to Washington state. New York National Guard troops have been dispatched to a health department command post in New Rochelle. “We have moved from a containment strategy to more of a mitigation strategy,” said Dr. Howard Zucker, New York State Health Commissioner. More here.
California’s Sacramento County gives up on 14-day quarantines
California’s Sacramento County is calling off automatic 14-day quarantines for the coronavirus. It says it will focus instead on mitigating the impact of COVID-19. It is an acknowledgment that the county cannot effectively manage the quarantines while its health system copes with cases. “With the shift from containment to mitigation, it is no longer necessary for someone who has been in contact with someone with COVID-19 to quarantine for 14 days,” Sacramento County said in a statement. The new policy is similar to the approach in King County, WA, which now has more than 100 cases and over 20 deaths. More here.
Three TSA agents test positive for coronavirus
Three TSA agents in California’s bay area have tested positive for coronavirus. The officers were assigned to the Mineta San Jose International Airport (Santa Clara County, CA) and are currently receiving medical care. All other TSA employees that have been in contact over the past two weeks are now quarantined at home. Airport screening checkpoints remain open at Mineta San Jose. Read more here.
Wall Street wants President Trump to act on virus stimulus package within days
Wall Street strategists have said swift action is necessary on President Donald Trump’s promise of a stimulus plan to battle the impact of the coronavirus. Markets continue to look for details. More people are already working from home, some schools are closing or offering remote education, and travel is being curtailed. President Trump has said payroll tax relief was a possibility and the markets are expecting targeted programs aimed at specific industries. There is also expectation in the markets that there could be a plan to help workers who lose wages as a result of quarantines. More here.
New York launches its own hand sanitizer
New York state will produce up to 100,000 gallons of NYS Clean, its own hand sanitizer, each week. The product will be available in 1.7 oz., 7 oz. and gallon bottles, and distributed to residents for free. The most highly impacted groups will be prioritized in terms of allocation. “As the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus continues to rise, unscrupulous retailers are exploiting New Yorkers’ anxieties about the virus and charging exorbitant prices for hand sanitizer and other similar products,” said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “To solve this problem, the state is producing and deploying hand sanitizer to high impact areas as well as schools, the MTA and other government agencies because you can’t get it on the market and the product that is available is very expensive.” More here.
Walmart deploys new emergency leave policy after Kentucky employee tests positive
Walmart is deploying an emergency employee leave program as the retailer confirms one of its store associates in Cynthiana, KY, has tested positive for the coronavirus. The new policy allows employees to stay home if he or she is unable to work or feels “uncomfortable” at work, by waiving Walmart’s attendance policy through the end of April. More here.
Taiwan has millions of visitors from China and only 45 coronavirus cases
As of March 10, Taiwan has just 45 coronavirus cases and only one death. That’s much fewer than its neighbors Japan and South Korea, and one of the best containment track records worldwide so far. Stanford Health Policy researcher Jason Wang explores Taiwan’s success for the Journal of the American Medical Association with co-authors Chun Y. Ng in Taipei and Robert H. Brook of UCLA. Wang argues that Taiwan’s plan, which included 124 discrete action items and coordination in implementation at the first signs of trouble, saved the island from a serious outbreak. Read his interview with Vox 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