The Trump administration is asking state governors to consider sending the National Guard to hospitals to help improve data collection about novel coronavirus patients, supplies and capacity The move is part of a new data reporting protocol for hospitals that eliminates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Atlanta, GA) as a recipient of that information. “In … [Read more...]
U.S. Military Sending Medical Staff to COVID-19 Hotspots
As cases of COVID-19 surge across the country, particularly in southern and western states, U.S. military medical personnel are being sent to help, NPR reports. Army officials have announced that around 740 military health professionals are being sent to Texas and California. The new deployments are the direct result of some states opening up early and their residents not … [Read more...]
Miami is now the coronavirus epicenter as cases surge, one expert says
“With more than 2,000 patients hospitalized and hundreds in ICUs, "Miami is now the epicenter of the pandemic," one infectious disease expert said Monday, comparing the South Florida metropolitan area to the city where the pandemic originated. “What we were seeing in Wuhan -- six months ago, five months ago -- now we are there," Lilian Abbo, with the Jackson Health System … [Read more...]
Salesforce’s Marc Benioff: Face masks can end the U.S. coronavirus crisis within weeks
“Internet entrepreneur Marc Benioff told CNBC Monday that face masks have the potential to eradicate the coronavirus outbreak in the United States… “That issue is one that Benioff, a frequent guest on the evening stock investing show, and Cramer have teamed up to address as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread rapidly across the country. The two are sponsoring the … [Read more...]
Premier Inc. ProvideGx program partners with Fresenius Kabi to supply sedation drug essential for COVID-19 care
Premier Inc. (Charlotte, NC) through its ProvideGx program, has partnered with Fresenius Kabi to supply Diprivan (propofol) injectable emulsion, USP to healthcare providers, helping to stabilize the long-term supply of a medication vital for COVID-19 patient care. Diprivan is indicated for anesthesia and sedation, including for patients who require sedation during … [Read more...]
Pfizer, Biontech granted FDA Fast Track designation for two investigational MRNA-based vaccine candidates for SARS-COV-2
Pfizer Inc. (New York, NY) and BioNTech SE announced that two of the companies’ four investigational vaccine candidates from their mRNA-based vaccine program being developed to help protect against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The two vaccine candidates are currently being … [Read more...]
Premier: Why almost every U.S. hospital is building safety stock of critical pandemic medications
According to a new survey of Premier members, 88% of hospitals and health systems are building "safety stocks" of critical medications to prepare for a caseload surge of COVID-19 throughout the summer and fall. Key Findings of the survey include: 51% of respondents reported building safety stocks of at least one monthAnother 25% said they were planning to stock at least … [Read more...]
U.S. coronavirus cases rise by over 60,000, setting single-day record
The U.S. reported more than 60,000 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, July 08, the biggest increase ever reported by a country in a single day, according to Reuters. In addition to nearly 10,000 new cases in Florida, Texas reported over 9,500 cases and California reported more than 8,500 new infections. California and Texas also each reported a record one-day increase … [Read more...]
Your face mask cuts your risk by 65%
A range of new research on face coverings shows that the risk of infection to the wearer of the face mask is decreased by 65%, said Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital and William Ristenpart, professor of chemical engineering at UC Davis. “On the issue of masks, I’d like to restart — because we’ve learned a lot,” Blumberg … [Read more...]
Many hospitals choosing not to cancel nonemergency surgeries
Three months ago, hospitals prepped for a surge of COVID-19 patients by clearing beds, stockpiling scarce PPE and, voluntarily or under government orders, temporarily canceling nonemergency surgeries. But in many places, the surge in patients never materialized. And as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations tick up now, most hospitals across the U.S. are not canceling elective … [Read more...]