COVID-19 Report

To Listen

We have compiled a playlist from all our shows and podcasts on our network that discuss the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Products and Technology

4medica COVID-19 Employee Wellness Management Solution Helps Businesses Maintain a Safe and Secure Workplace
4medica (@4medica) announced the launch of its 4medica COVID-19 Employee Wellness Management™ suite of COVID-19 apps. The solution helps companies transition employees back to work safely with regular wellness screenings, temperature readings and integrated lab testing results while remaining in compliance with OSHA and CDC COVID-19 safety and tracker protocols.

News and Noted

U.S. records over 7 million COVID-19 cases as Midwest outbreak surges
The number of novel coronavirus cases in the United States topped 7 million – more than 20% of the world’s total – as Midwest states reported spikes in COVID-19 infections in September, according to a Reuters tally.

Battle Rages Inside Hospitals Over How COVID Strikes and Kills
Kaiser Health News (@KHNews) reports Front-line health care workers are locked in a heated dispute with many infection control specialists and hospital administrators over how the novel coronavirus is spread ― and therefore, what level of protective gear is appropriate.

Routine blood test may identify patients at risk for severe COVID-19
UPI (@upi) reports that a routine blood test may help doctors and nurses identify COVID-19 patients at risk for severe illness and death, according to a study published Wednesday by JAMA Network Open.

Vaccine News:

The Virus Shot Goes in Your Arm, but Where Does Your Data Go?
Bloomberg Law Patching reports that together state immunization databases with information held by pharmacies like CVS, Walmart, and Walgreens to track Covid-19 vaccinations opens the door for misusing patient data, lawyers warn.

AstraZeneca still waiting for FDA go-ahead to resume U.S. trial
AstraZeneca (@AstraZeneca) is still waiting for the U.S. drug regulator to approve the restart of the clinical trial of its potential COVID-19 vaccine in the United States almost three weeks after it was paused due to safety concerns.

Most Americans to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by July, CDC chief expects
Reuters reports that a top U.S. health official told a U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday that he expects COVID-19 vaccinations to take place over many months and that most Americans could be vaccinated by July of 2021 at the latest.

J&J kicks off study of single-shot COVID-19 vaccine in 60,000 volunteers
Reuters reports Johnson & Johnson JNJ.N on Wednesday began a 60,000-person trial of an experimental single-shot COVID-19 vaccine that, if proven effective, could simplify distribution of millions of doses compared with leading rivals requiring two doses.

To Read

50 Experts to Trust in a Pandemic by Elemental – One of the most challenging aspects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is that even six months in so much is still unknown and uncertain. While it can feel like the leaders tasked with navigating the pandemic are ill-equipped and unprepared (specifically in the United States), the fact remains that there are many scientists, doctors, and health leaders who are well-trained in pandemic response and have been working on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic since the beginning.

5 Forces for the Future: Transparency and trust underpin best evidence of the moment by Wolters Kluwer (@Wolters_Kluwer) – A flood of research and unparalleled urgency have necessitated a best-evidence-of-the-moment approach, one where providers have direct access to emerging information distilled at head-spinning speeds to support clinical decision making. Speed balanced with rigorous expert validation and transparency will provide clinicians with accurate, actionable data. Learn how best evidence of the moment can equip providers with timely, reliable treatment recommendations in part two of our series.

U.S. News and Aetna Foundation release 2020 Healthiest Communities rankings from CVS Health (@cvshealth)  – U.S. News & World Report, in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation, an independent, charitable and philanthropic affiliate of CVS Health, today released the third annual Healthiest Communities rankings. This year, the rankings are accompanied by new tools tracking COVID-19 data, as well as in-depth editorial analysis on relationships between COVID-19 and the social determinants of health in populations at the local level, especially in underserved communities across America.

Latest from HHS:
Administration Announces $200 million from CDC to Jurisdictions for COVID-19 Vaccine Preparedness
Trump Administration Releases COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Strategy

Events

Physicians’ Reciprocal Insurers (PRI)
What: COVID-19 Physician Peer Support
When: Mondays 8:00 p ET; Tuesdays & Thursdays 5:30 – 6:30 pm ET
Register for Monday Groups
Register for Tuesday & Thursday Groups
Twitter@PRI_Insurance

COVID-19 Physician Peer Support – PRI has multiple weekly complimentary Virtual Support Groups on Coping with COVID-19 which your fellow physicians have been utilizing and finding great comfort and support from.

COVID-19 Resources
HealthcareNOW Radio rounded up some health IT resources being offered by companies to help healthcare professionals, American citizens and all of those affected in the fight against the coronavirus.

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The CDC is the front line for our safety and information on the Coronavirus. Keep informed about COVID-19. Sign up to get emails or text alerts from the CDC.