- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)updatedthe Provider Relief Fund (PRF)reporting requirementsto allow PRF funding that is left over after covering pandemic-related expenses to be used tooffsetlost patient revenue as well. HHS also expanded the types of providers that can apply for Phase III funding.
- The FDA hasallowedAstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson to resume their U.S. COVID-19 vaccine trials. The two trials were paused due to potential adverse reactions reported by one participant in each trial.
- The FDA and CDCprovided informationabout how they will monitor the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in real time after they are approved and distributed.
Congress
House Democrats arecontinuing to negotiatea bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill with the White House. At this point it does not appear there is any chance that Congress will be able to pass a bill before Election Day. It is also not clear if an agreement in principle can be reached before the election – assuming one is reached at all.
- The results of the election could dictate if a deal is reached before the end of the year.
White House and Federal Agencies
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)updatedthe Provider Relief Fund (PRF)reporting requirementsto allow PRF funding that is left over after covering pandemic-related expenses to be used tooffsetlost patient revenue as well. HHS also expanded the types of providers that can apply for Phase III funding.
HHS Secretary Alex Azar, Surgeon General Jerome Adams and White House Coronavirus advisor Dr. Deborah Birx gave aninterviewabout the importance of preventative measures and the dangers of asymptomatic spread.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Updates
CDC released a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) onAssociation Between Social Vulnerability and a County’s Risk for Becoming a COVID-19 Hotspotin the U.S. between June 1 and July 25, 2020. Counties with greater social vulnerability were more likely to become areas with rapidly increasing COVID-19 incidence (hotspot counties), especially counties with higher percentages of racial and ethnic minority residents and people living in crowded housing conditions, especially in less urban areas.
CDC updated:
- Staffing resources and guidanceto enhance frontline public health capacity in state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments to intensify the coordinated response to COVID-19.
- Information onCOVID-19 and pregnancy. Health departments that are notified of COVID-19 cases in pregnant people may collect more information using anoptional module除了case report form.
Economy, Vaccine, Treatment and Testing
The FDA hasallowedAstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson to resume their U.S. COVID-19 vaccine trials. The two trials were paused due to potential adverse reactions reported by one participant in each trial.
The FDA and CDCprovided informationabout how they will monitor the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in real time after they are approved and distributed.
A newstudypublished in theBritish Medical Journalshows that blood plasma treatments had no benefit over other treatments for COVID-19.
Newresearch加强了其它研究显示peo和轮询ple of color do not trust the COVID-19 vaccine.
A new modelingstudyshows that universal mask-wearing can prevent 130,000 deaths between now and the end of February.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Francis Collinsreleased a blog poston a study that highlights the need for continued care of COVID-19 survivors. The researchers tracked the patients after discharge for about 80 days. About a third of patients left the hospital for a post-acute care facility to continue their rehabilitation. After discharge, many required supplemental oxygen (15 percent), tube feeding (9 percent), or treatment with medications including antipsychotics and prescription painkillers (16 percent). About 10 percent were readmitted to the hospital within weeks or months of their initial discharge.
