First Edition: Nov. 18, 2020

KHN: As Broad Shutdowns Return, Weary Californians Ask ‘Is This The Best We Can Do?’ 
For Tom Davis, being told by the state this week that he must close his Pacific Edge Climbing Gym for the third time in six months is beyond frustrating. The first time the rock-climbing gym and fitness center shut down, co-owners Davis and Diane Russell took out a government loan to pay employees. The second time, they were forced to lay everyone off — themselves included. Now, as they face another surge of COVID cases across California, he fears he may lose the business for good. California’s ping-ponging approach to managing the virus — twice reopening large portions of the service-sector economy only to shut them again — doesn’t seem just or reasonable, Davis said. As of Tuesday evening, he was planning to defy the order, keeping the gym open but with additional restrictions on capacity. (Barry-Jester and Gold, 11/18)

KHN: Anger After North Dakota Governor Asks COVID-Positive Health Staff To Stay On Job 
Nurse Leslie McKamey has gotten used to the 16-hour shifts, to skipping lunch, to the nightly ritual of throwing all her clothes in the laundry and showering as soon as she walks through the door to avoid potentially infecting her children. She’s even grown accustomed to triaging COVID patients, who often arrive at the emergency room so short of breath they struggle to describe their symptoms. But despite the trauma and exhaustion of the past eight months, she was shocked when North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said last week that health care workers who test positive for the coronavirus but do not display symptoms could still report to work. (Renwick, 11/18)

KHN: Push Is On In US To Figure Out South Asians’ High Heart Risks 
For years, Sharad Acharya’s frequent hikes in the mountains outside Denver would leave him short of breath. But a real wake-up call came three years ago when he suddenly struggled to breathe while walking through an airport. An electrocardiogram revealed that Acharya, a Nepali American from Broomfield, Colorado, had an irregular heartbeat on top of the high blood pressure he already knew about. He had to immediately undergo triple bypass surgery and get seven stents. (Ramachandran, 11/18)

NPR: FDA Approves First At-Home Coronavirus Test 
The first COVID-19 diagnostic at-home self-test that provides rapid results has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the agency announced Tuesday. The Lucira COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit is a molecular single-use test and is expected to cost $50 or less, the company said on its website. (Romo, 11/17)

Reuters: FDA Approves First COVID-19 Test Kit For Home Use
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it had approved the first COVID-19 self-testing kit for home use that provides results within 30 minutes. The single-use test, made by Lucira Health, has been given emergency use authorization for home use with self-collected nasal swab samples in individuals aged 14 and older who are suspected of COVID-19 by their health care provider, the FDA said. (11/17)

The New York Times: F.D.A. Authorizes The First At-Home Coronavirus Test 
A handful of other tests have been cleared by the F.D.A. for at-home collection of samples, which are then shipped to a lab for processing. But Lucira’s test is the first to remove the need for an intermediary. (11/18)

Stat: FDA Vows To Disclose Data Used To Support Emergency Authorizations
In response to blistering criticism, the Food and Drug Administration committed to publicly disclosing reviews of scientific data and other information that are used to authorize, revise or revoke emergency use of a medicine. The announcement came the same day that the U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a report noting the agency has failed to “uniformly disclose its scientific review of safety and effectiveness data” for emergency use authorization as it does for medicines undergoing the normal review process. (Silverman, 11/17)

The Washington Post: Biden Hires White House Team And Criticizes Trump Over Transition. 
President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday named top aides who will work in his White House, rewarding loyal supporters and longtime advisers as he builds his administration-in-waiting while keeping a spotlight on the Trump administration’s refusal to assist his transition into office. The moves reflected Biden’s two-pronged strategy for navigating the difficulties surrounding his ascent to the presidency: While he is stepping up attempts to show how President Trump’s unwillingness to cooperate with his team could harm Americans, Biden is also signaling that the roadblocks are not stopping his endeavor to assemble a government prepared to address the crises gripping the nation. (Sullivan, 11/17)

Politico: Biden Covid Advisers Say Transition Delay Hurts Pandemic Prep Beyond Vaccines 
The leaders of President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus advisory board said Tuesday the Trump administration’s continued refusal to allow the transition to move forward is hurting their preparedness planning on multiple fronts, from addressing mask shortages to recommending targeted closures in hot spots and laying the groundwork to distribute prospective vaccines. The transition team is unable to consult with federal health officials or access real-time data on available hospital beds, the status of the National Strategic Stockpile and therapeutics, among other things. For now, they said that's forcing them to rely on piecemeal data from state and local officials and public sources like the Covid Tracking Project. (Miranda Ollstein, 11/17)

AP: Biden's DIY Transition Proceeds Without Trump Assistance
President Donald Trump’s refusal to cooperate with his successor is forcing President-elect Joe Biden to seek unusual workarounds to prepare for the exploding public health threat and evolving national security challenges he will inherit in just nine weeks. Blocked from the official intelligence briefing traditionally afforded to incoming presidents, Biden gathered virtually on Tuesday with a collection of intelligence, defense and diplomatic experts. None of the experts is currently affiliated with the U.S. government, raising questions about whether Biden is being provided the most up-to-date information about dangers facing the nation. (Peoples, Riechmann and Miller, 11/18)

NPR: Biden's COVID-19 Advisers Plead For 'Ascertainment' So They Can Plan For January
President-elect Joe Biden's advisers on the coronavirus pandemic urged the Trump administration on Tuesday to take the formal step that will allow them to tap into data on the pandemic and have conversations with people inside the administration who can tell them what the federal government already has in the works in their COVID-19 response. They said it is urgent that the General Services Administration formally "ascertain" the winner of the presidential election so that they can learn more about plans for vaccine distribution. They told reporters they don't have access to the government's real-time data on the pandemic and its spread. (Keither, 11/17)

Reuters: Biden To Focus On Coronavirus As Trump Pushes To Overturn Election 
President-elect Joe Biden will meet with healthcare workers on the front lines of the raging coronavirus health crisis in a virtual event on Wednesday, while President Donald Trump faces further legal hurdles to overturn his election loss. Biden has pledged to make the pandemic, which has killed more than 247,000 people in the United States and cost millions their jobs, a top priority when he takes office on Jan. 20. (Hunnicutt and Whitesides, 11/18)

Reuters: Biden COVID-19 Task Force Says Transition Delay Could Be Compromising U.S. Virus Response
Medical experts advising President-elect Joe Biden on the COVID-19 pandemic fear that the federal government’s delay in recognizing Biden’s election victory could be compromising the U.S. response to the virus, the experts said on Tuesday. Dr. Vivek Murthy, co-chair of Biden’s COVID-19 task force, said the experts had not been able to speak to current administration officials dealing with the virus, even as the United States is hit by a surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. (Lewis, 11/17)

Boston Globe: ‘What’s The Game Plan?’: Biden Team Locked Out Of Key Vaccine Information As COVID Rages
The incoming Biden administration has been blocked from coordinating with the federal government’s civil servants who are planning a massive vaccination campaign, forcing the president-elect’s team to meet with local health leaders and pharmaceutical companies to piece together information in an attempt to get around President Trump’s obstruction. The delay caused by Trump’s continued false insistence he won the election is putting lives at risk, President-elect Joe Biden declared this week. (Goodwin, 11/17)

Reuters: U.S. Medical Leaders Rebuke Trump, Urge COVID-19 Cooperation With Biden Team 
The U.S. medical establishment on Tuesday urged President Donald Trump to share critical COVID-19 data with President-elect Joe Biden’s team to avoid needless, deadly lags in tackling a raging pandemic that is threatening to overwhelm hospitals nationwide. The extraordinary rebuke, weighing in on the White House post-election transition fray, came in an open letter from three leading healthcare organizations as state and local governments scrambled to fight the virus in the absence of a coordinated national strategy. (Borter and Gorman, 11/17)

Stat: Biden Team Ramps Up Outreach To Public Health Groups  
Nearly all of the nation’s leading public health organizations have already heard directly from President-elect Biden’s transition team since the election was called in his favor less than two weeks ago. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials has met with the Biden team three times, the National Association of County and City Health Officials met with the Biden team once and the Association of Immunization Managers had informal conversations with the team, the groups all confirmed to STAT. The Big Cities Health Coalition, which represents cities like Boston and New York, is scheduled to meet with them later this week. (Florko, 11/18)

The Washington Post: Biden’s Early Moves Foreshadow A Cautious Presidency 
[Joe] Biden is not breaking ranks with congressional Democrats on coronavirus relief negotiations. He could publicly endorse holding a vote on the scaled-back package that Senate Republicans want, but instead he expressed support on Monday for the bill that House Democrats advanced several months ago which has been a non-starter with the GOP. Even as Biden called on both sides to work together and to pass legislation immediately, his message was intentionally delivered in a way that would not be interpreted as undercutting the Democratic negotiating position on Capitol Hill. (Hohmann, 11/17)

Modern Healthcare: Strict COVID-19 Infection Control Standards For Workers Likely To Be Sought By Biden
An incoming Biden administration could quickly implement new infection control standards that would require stronger protections for healthcare workers. House Democrats have pushed to require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to create an emergency temporary standard on infection control during the COVID-19 pandemic, as no such standard directly covering exposure to airborne or aerosol diseases in the workplace exists. Republicans have blocked the provision in all coronavirus-related stimulus legislation that has passed so far, but Democrats may get the standard anyway under a Biden administration. (Cohrs, 11/17)

AP: States Tightening Anti-Virus Restrictions Amid Case Surge
Governors in Ohio, Maryland and Illinois imposed restrictions on business hours and crowd sizes Tuesday, and their counterparts in Wisconsin and Colorado proposed economic relief packages. Los Angeles County, with a population of 10 million, ordered similar business restrictions. (Foley and Kunzelman, 11/18)

NPR: Ohio To Enter 3-Week Statewide Curfew To Stem Coronavirus 
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday ordered a statewide curfew, mandating that residents be in their homes by 10 p.m., beginning Thursday. The curfew will be in place every day for at least three weeks, lasting overnight until 5 a.m. But there are exceptions, including for those who need to be at work or see to medical needs. The order will also not stop grocery shopping or drive-through and pickup food services. (Oxner, 11/17)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. Imposes A Broader Mask Mandate As Officials Try To Stem A Surge In Virus Hospitalizations
Pennsylvania’s top health official issued a broader mask mandate Tuesday, a bid to force people to wear face coverings as coronavirus case numbers continue to soar. Imposing new rules to combat the surge without ordering shutdown-style restrictions, Health Secretary Rachel Levine ordered that people wear masks when with anyone outside their own households and directed that anyone entering from out of state must get tested for the coronavirus within 72 hours of arriving as of Friday. (McDaniel, McCarthy, Tornoe and Laughlin, 11/18)

The Washington Post: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Tightens Coronavirus Restrictions
Maryland tightened pandemic-related restrictions Tuesday for the second time this month as coronavirus cases across the greater Washington region have set new highs each day for two weeks. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) issued an executive order that clamps down on the hours that restaurants and bars can operate and the number of people allowed in retail stores and at religious facilities. Local officials have strengthened policies several times in recent days, looking for ways to slow a virus spreading at record rates in the Washington area and across the country. (Wiggins, Tan and Zauzmer, 11/17)

The Hill: Oregon Governor Officially Orders New Coronavirus Restrictions 
Oregon's governor issued an executive order Tuesday implementing a new wave of restrictions on public life as part of the state's efforts to fight coronavirus. A notice from Kate Brown's (D) office indicated that all restaurants in the state would be restricted to takeout and delivery service, while gyms, museums and some other businesses would be forced to close entirely. (Bowden, 11/17)

AP: Iowa Governor Sees 'Science On Both Sides' On Use Of Masks
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds urged residents Tuesday to follow her new partial mask mandate, while claiming “there’s science on both sides” about whether masks reduce the spread of coronavirus. After months of opposition, Reynolds signed an order Monday that requires people to wear masks in indoor public places under some circumstances. (Foley, 11/18)

The Washington Post: Republican Governors Reverse Themselves On Mask Mandates As Coronavirus Spreads Out Of Control 
A growing number of Republican governors, including some who had written off mask mandates as unenforceable or unacceptable to freedom-loving Americans, are now requiring people to cover their faces in public — a response to escalating coronavirus outbreaks overwhelming hospitals across the country. After eight months of preaching personal responsibility in place of mandates, these governors have brought their states in line with much of the world by instituting the simple requirement backed by science but, in the United States, shot through with politics. (Stanley-Becker, 11/17)

Stat: Fauci Says He Should've Been 'More Vocal' About Covid-19 Testing Early On
Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, said Tuesday he should have more aggressively pushed the federal government to flood communities where the coronavirus was starting to spread with testing early in the U.S. outbreak. (Joseph, 11/17)

NPR: Chuck Grassley, GOP Senator From Iowa, Tests Positive For Coronavirus
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa has tested positive for the coronavirus, he confirmed in a Tuesday tweet, hours after the Republican lawmaker told the public he had been exposed to the virus. The 87-year-old wrote on Twitter that he was "feeling good" and expected to continue his Senate duties from home while he isolated and recovered. (Wise and Grisales, 11/17)

AP: Sen. Grassley, 87, Says He Tested Positive For Coronavirus
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the longest-serving Republican senator and third in the line of presidential succession, said Tuesday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus. Grassley, 87, had announced earlier Tuesday that he was quarantining after being exposed to the virus and was waiting for test results. On Tuesday evening, he tweeted that he had tested positive. (Jalonick, 11/18)

The Washington Post: Sen. Chuck Grassley Tests Positive For Coronavirus
The senator was at the Capitol on Monday and spoke on the Senate floor, taking off his mask to do so. Grassley’s illness follows news late last week that fellow octogenarian Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska,) the dean of the House as the longest-consecutive-serving member, was diagnosed with the coronavirus. (Itkowitz and DeBonis, 11/17)

The Hill: Colorado Democrat Ed Perlmutter Tests Positive For Coronavirus 
Colorado Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D) announced Tuesday that he’s tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the latest House lawmaker to be diagnosed with the virus. Perlmutter said in a statement that he is currently asymptomatic and will isolate in his Washington apartment as he works remotely. (Axelrod, 11/17)

The Hill: CDC Quietly Removes Guidance Pushing For School Reopenings 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has quietly removed controversial guidance from its website that pushed for schools to reopen in the fall and downplayed the transmission risks of COVID-19 to children and others. ... The CDC’s website now states that “the body of evidence is growing that children of all ages are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and contrary to early reports might play a role in transmission.” The website also acknowledges that “teachers and students are in close contact for much of the day, and schools can become a place where respiratory diseases like COVID-19 can quickly spread.” (Hellmann, 11/17)

Politico: Trump Administration Cancels Covid-19 Celebrity Ad Campaign 
The Health and Human Services department has scrapped a planned ad campaign featuring celebrities discussing Covid-19, a senior HHS official told a congressional oversight panel in a letter shared with POLITICO. The abandoned $15 million contract with Atlas Research, part of a larger $300 million taxpayer-funded campaign aimed at "defeating despair" over the pandemic, was conceived by a close political ally of President Donald Trump this summer. It was met with outrage from Democratic lawmakers, who charged it was an attempt to boost lagging public opinion of Trump's coronavirus response ahead of the election. (Diamond, 11/17)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Will Sunset First Medicare Consumer Tools In December
The original Compare tools CMS first launched over 15 years ago will be removed from the Medicare website on December 1, replaced by a new version. CMS released in September a redesigned website that consolidates its eight online tools intended for Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers to compare healthcare providers and settings. The renovated site was an effort by CMS to create a more streamlined user experience. The original Compare tools forced a user to use different interfaces on the Medicare website depending on the care setting in which they were interested. (Castellucci, 11/17)

Stat: Pfizer May File Authorization Request For Covid-19 Vaccine Within Days
Pfizer may be within days of filing for an emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine, having collected the safety data necessary to submit an application to the Food and Drug Administration, CEO Albert Bourla said Tuesday. “We are very close to submitting for an emergency use authorization,” Bourla said during the STAT Summit, which this year is a virtual event. Bourla sidestepped the question of whether Pfizer’s filing would be made this week. (Branswell, 11/17)

The Hill: Pfizer CEO Says No Concerns About Distribution Of Vaccine 
Pfizer's CEO on Tuesday sought to calm concerns about the distribution challenges of needing ultra-cold storage for his company's COVID-19 vaccine. "I feel very very confident about it," Albert Bourla said during an interview at a STAT News event. Bourla said the company has developed a special isothermic box which will not need to be shipped in refrigerated trucks or planes. (Weixel, 11/17)

The New York Times: The Coronavirus Vaccines Will Likely Work. Making Them Fast Will Be Hard. 
The promising news that not just one but two coronavirus vaccines were more than 90 percent effective in early results has buoyed hopes that an end to the pandemic is in sight. But even if the vaccines are authorized soon by federal regulators — the companies developing them have said they expect to apply soon — only a sliver of the American public will be able to get one by the end of the year. The two companies, Pfizer and Moderna, have estimated they will have 45 million doses, or enough to vaccinate 22.5 million Americans, by January. (Thomas, 11/17)

The Washington Post: A Vial, A Vaccine And Hopes For Slowing A Pandemic — How A Shot Comes To Be 
In a vast Pfizer warehouse in Kalamazoo, Mich., with hundreds of ultracold freezers standing sentry, the final leg of an unprecedented scientific, medical and industrial relay race is about to get underway. Each day, the large freezers fill with stacks of white trays — “pizza boxes,” workers call them, because they’re about the size of a personal pan pizza — loaded with 195 identical glass vials. Each tube, about the size of a pinkie finger, contains a few precious droplets of frozen coronavirus vaccine, enough, when thawed and diluted, to give five people a first shot of protection against a pathogen that has killed more than 247,000 people in the United States. (Johnson, 11/17)

Reuters: Airlines Scramble To Prepare For Ultra-Cold COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
Airlines are scrambling to prepare ultra-cold shipping and storage facilities to transport COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna, whose doses, which require deep freezing, are likely to be among the first to be distributed. A recent survey by an air cargo association and a drug shippers' group found only 15% of industry participants felt ready to transport goods near the minus 70 degrees Celsius (-94°F) required by the Pfizer Inc vaccine, while around 60% could meet Moderna Inc's less stringent -20°C requirement. (Frost and Wissenbach, 11/18)

AP: Volunteers Still Needed To Test Variety Of COVID-19 Vaccines
Two COVID-19 vaccines might be nearing the finish line, but scientists caution it’s critical that enough people volunteer to help finish studying other candidates in the U.S. and around the world. Moderna Inc. and competitor Pfizer Inc. recently announced preliminary results showing their vaccines appear more than 90% effective, at least for short-term protection against COVID-19. (Neergaard, 11/17)

Politico: Portman Reveals He's Enrolled In Covid-19 Vaccine Trial 
Sen. Rob Portman is participating in a Covid-19 vaccine trial to try to boost public confidence in a shot when it becomes available, the Ohio Republican said in an interview. Portman, who has broken with many of his fellow Republicans on issues like mask wearing, joined a large, late-stage trial of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine candidate almost two weeks ago. He said polls showing skepticism about an eventual Covid-19 shot convinced him that public figures need to demonstrate confidence in a vaccine. (Luthi, 11/17)

Poynter: Moderna’s Vaccine Announcement Is Promising News. Here’s What We Do Not Know. 
Once again, one of the leading coronavirus vaccine candidates delivered promising news and the stock market jumped while most everyone celebrated. But there is a lot we do not know about this vaccine. ... Are these drugs preventing infection or are they just producing antibodies that keep the virus from harming us when we get infected? How long will these vaccines last? Will we need a booster shot? How often? (Tompkins, 11/17)

The Wall Street Journal: Moderna And Pfizer Are Reinventing Vaccines, Starting With Covid
The strong early results for two leading Covid-19 vaccines have implications that go far beyond the current pandemic: They suggest the time has come for a gene-based technology that could provide new treatments for cancer, heart disease and other infectious diseases. The unproven technology, named messenger RNA after the molecular couriers that deliver genetic instructions, has long eluded researchers. An mRNA vaccine has never been cleared by regulators. It is now the basis for Covid-19 vaccines from Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE. (Loftus, Hopkins and Pancevski, 11/17)

Reuters: Analysis: Can First COVID-19 Vaccines Bring Herd Immunity? Experts Have Doubts
Governments and officials are voicing hopes that COVID-19 vaccines could bring “herd immunity”, with some calculating that immunising just two-thirds of a population could halt the pandemic disease and help protect whole communities or nations. But the concept comes with caveats and big demands of what vaccines might be capable of preventing. Some experts say such expectations are misplaced. (Burger and Kelland, 11/18)

NPR: A Rush On Coronavirus Testing Strains Laboratories, Drives Supply Shortages
With the pandemic out of control in the United States, the nation's precarious coronavirus testing system is starting to strain again. Long lines are again forming in some places as the surge of infections drives a surge in demand for testing. Testing companies, lab directors and testing policy experts warn that waiting times for results could soon start to lengthen. In fact, one of the largest commercial testing companies Tuesday reported turnaround times had already started creeping up. (Stein, 11/17)

The New York Times: New Type Of Test May Better Discern Immunity To The Coronavirus 
A new type of test can detect a person’s immune response to the coronavirus better than a widely used antibody test, according to research released on Tuesday. The test, if authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, would be the first commercial product to detect the response of a T cell — a type of immune cell — to the virus. Antibodies have dominated the conversation on immunity since the start of the pandemic, but scientists believe that T cells may be just as important in preventing reinfection. (Mandavilli, 11/17)

Modern Healthcare: Amazon Pharmacy Not Likely To Disrupt Drug Fulfillment
Amazon customers in the U.S. can get prescriptions delivered to their home and receive up to an 80% discount when paying without insurance, the e-commerce giant announced Tuesday in its latest push into the healthcare industry. Amazon Prime members across 45 states will have access to unlimited, free two-day deliveries and can compare prices across 50,000 pharmacies. They can also save up to 80% on generic drugs and 40% off branded products when paying without insurance, which is administered by Evernorth subsidiary Inside Rx. (Kacik, 11/17)

NPR: Purdue Pharma Opioid Settlement For $8.3 Billion Approved By Judge 
A federal bankruptcy judge approved a controversial $8.3 billion settlement late Tuesday between Purdue Pharma and the Department of Justice. The deal first unveiled last month stems from the company's decades-long manufacture and marketing of Oxycontin and other highly addictive opioid medications. (Mann, 11/17)

The Wall Street Journal: Purdue Gets Chapter 11 Approval Of Justice Department Opioid Settlement 
A bankruptcy judge approved an $8.34 billion settlement between Purdue Pharma LP and the Justice Department that requires the drugmaker to plead guilty to three felonies over its marketing and distribution of OxyContin and is structured to support state and local government programs addressing the opioid crisis. Approval of the agreement Tuesday by Judge Robert Drain of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, N.Y., marks a milestone in Purdue’s chapter 11 case and advances the drugmaker’s goal to turn itself into a corporate trust run for the benefit of the public. (Randles, 11/17)

Stat: PhRMA Issues Guidelines For Improving Clinical Trial Diversity 
The pharmaceutical industry’s largest lobbying organization released guidelines on Tuesday to enhance racial and ethnic diversity among participants in clinical trials run by its member drug makers. The principles address a problem that has long hampered the development of new medicines and vaccines, including the studies of potential Covid-19 shots. (St. Fleur, 11/17)

The Washington Post: Nearly 800 Nurses Strike Over Staffing Levels At Pennsylvania Hospital
Close to 800 nurses at one suburban Philadelphia hospital went on strike Tuesday morning to protest what they say are dangerously low staffing levels. Many of the nurses joining the picket line outside St. Mary Medical Center in Bucks County said that staffing shortages had been a problem before the pandemic, but the influx of patients is only making matters worse, according to local media outlets. As hospitals nationwide compete for a limited supply of nurses, St. Mary’s employees have been leaving for higher-paid jobs elsewhere, leaving the remaining staffers spread thin and juggling twice as many patients as usual. (Farzan, 11/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Doctors Apply Covid-19 Lessons Learned As U.S. Cases Surge
When a man in his 40s with Covid-19 and low oxygen saturation arrived at the Boston hospital where Brittany Bankhead-Kendall treated patients in April, he was quickly put on a ventilator, a standard first response at many American hospitals at the time. She relied on WhatsApp messages and video calls from doctors overseas, who were also using trial and error to treat a spreading virus few knew much about. Incoming patients at her hospital were randomly assigned to antiviral and other drug trials to see what might stem the disease. “We were really flying blind,” she said. (Krouse, 11/18)

The Washington Post: U.S. Pharmacies Attract New Flu Shot Customers As Coronavirus Surges 
Walmart, Walgreens Boots Alliance, CVS Health and Rite Aid report that demand for flu shots at their U.S. pharmacies is up sharply — in some cases double from last year — as people try to protect themselves from influenza in the midst of a worsening covid-19 pandemic. The pharmacies have told Reuters they are giving millions more flu shots than they have in past years, filling a gap from covid-19 for wary consumers who are avoiding the doctor’s office. The gains represent millions of dollars in potential profit. (Humer, 11/17)

NPR: Deep Sleep Protects Against Alzheimer's Disease, Growing Evidence Shows 
During deep sleep, the brain appears to wash away waste products that increase the risk for Alzheimer's disease. A host of new research studies suggest that this stage of sleep — when dreams are rare and the brain follows a slow, steady beat – can help reduce levels of beta-amyloid and tau, two hallmarks of the disease. (Hamilton, 11/17)

Stat: Brainstorm's ALS Therapy Fails Study, But Company Sees Signs Of Efficacy
Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics reported disappointing results Tuesday from a late-stage clinical trial involving its experimental stem cell therapy for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease... Despite the negative study results, “informal discussions” between the company and the Food and Drug Administration are being held to determine if certain types of ALS patients with less severe disease might benefit enough from the treatment to support approval. (Feuerstein, 11/17)

Stat: New Guidelines Reject Useless Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treatments 
For years, the prevailing “wisdom” about people diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome was they were just terribly out of shape and harbored irrational fears they had an organic illness. The favored treatments were graded exercise therapy, designed to counter the deconditioning with a program of progressively increasing activity, a form of cognitive behavior therapy specifically designed to address the unfounded illness beliefs, or a combination of the two. (Tuller and Lubet, 11/17)

Des Moines Register: How Dog Intestines Grown By Iowa State Scientists Could Speed Drug Tests
In a tiny cup in a cramped, concrete block office, a billion-dollar idea sits, small enough to fit about 2,000 of itself across the head of a penny. Iowa State University researchers Jonathan Mochel and Karin Allenspach-Jorn have examined these cups through a microscope for four years, watching stem cells grow into dog small intestines. Their goal? Create a faster way for pharmaceutical companies to determine whether a new drug will work. (Jett, 11/17)

Stat: Limited Data In Covid-19 AI Tools Could Produce Unreliable Results
As the United States braces for a bleak winter, hospital systems across the country are ramping up their efforts to develop AI systems to predict how likely their Covid-19 patients are to fall severely ill or even die. Yet most of the efforts are being developed in siloes and trained on limited datasets, raising crucial questions about their reliability. (Brodwin, 11/18)

Modern Healthcare: Medtronic Amassing AI Capabilities With Acquisitions
Medtronic this week continued its expansion into the artificial-intelligence surgery space, a push it's mainly pursued through acquisitions. The newly acquired company, Medicrea, uses AI to ease pre-operative planning and tailor implants for spine surgeries. It marks Medtronic's seventh acquisition this year. (Kim Cohen, 11/17)

AP: BA, American Airlines Plan Voluntary COVID-19 Testing Plan
British Airways said Tuesday that it will start testing passengers flying from the U.S. to London’s Heathrow Airport for COVID-19 in an effort to persuade the British government it should scrap rules requiring most international travelers to quarantine for 14 days. The airline says the pilot program will offer voluntary testing starting Nov. 25 in partnership with American Airlines for passengers flying to Heathrow from New York, Los Angeles and Dallas. (Kirka, 11/17)

The Washington Post: Cruise Operator SeaDream Cancels Caribbean Sails Following Covid-19 Cases 
Norwegian-owned cruise ship operator SeaDream Yacht Club, which returned to Barbados just five days ago, has canceled sailing for the rest of the year after several positive coronavirus tests among passengers and staff on one of its cruises. (Hassan, 11/17)