Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA OKs Easier Regeneron Covid Antibody Treatment Regime
Axios: FDA Authorizes Regeneron’s COVID-19 Antibody Treatment For Injection
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a lower dose of Regeneron’s coronavirus treatment for injection, the company announced Friday. The update to the company's emergency use authorization, which was first issued in November, will make it easier for doctors to administer the treatment to coronavirus patients, since they can now do so by simple injection rather than intravenous infusion. (Knutson, 6/4)
CIDRAP: Bamlanivimab Reduces Risk Of COVID-19 In Nursing Homes, Study Finds
Preventive use of bamlanivimab lowered the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 in staff and residents of skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in the United States, according to a study yesterday in JAMA. In April, after the study was conducted, the US Food and Drug Administration rescinded emergency use authorization for the monoclonal antibody (mAb) when used alone because of resistance of SARS-CoV-2 variants to the drug. A treatment of bamlanivimab and etesevimab is still allowed. (6/4)
In news about covid testing and tracking —
Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealthcare Will Reimburse Family Docs For COVID-19 Tests
UnitedHealthcare will reimburse pediatric and family medicine clinicians for COVID-19 tests administered in 2021, the insurer said in a letter to providers. Healthcare professionals can provide proof of services and sign an amendment to their previous contract with UnitedHealthcare to receive 100% of CMS' rate for specific COVID-19 test codes, the email letter said. The offer applies to all past and future COVID-19 tests from Jan. 1, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2021. (Devereaux, 6/4)
The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Testing Could Be A Viable Long-Term Business Bet
With slow vaccination rates threatening the likelihood of herd immunity, companies and federal and state governments are pouring billions of dollars into a future in which Covid-19 testing remains a key component for resuming normal life in the U.S. Public-health officials increasingly expect pockets of America will remain largely unvaccinated. That has businesses and health officials counting on testing as a means for controlling the virus. (Wernau, 6/6)
San Francisco Chronicle: How Scientists Are Already Hunting For California's Next COVID Variant
California is now sequencing up to 10% of all coronavirus cases, a huge improvement from less than 0.5% at the start of the year. That means the state is now, finally, doing enough sequencing that infectious disease experts say they have a good grasp of the types of variants spreading here, and they are confident that scientists will be able to spot any new mutations quickly. “We’ve got enough visibility to feel comfortable that we know which variants are emerging and how quickly they’re moving and whether they’re getting a foothold,” said Dr. Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County health officer. (Allday, 6/6)
Coastal Review Online: UNC Professor, State Track COVID Trends In Wastewater
Researchers at University of North Carolina Institute of Marine Sciences began more than a year ago tracking in wastewater the virus that causes COVID-19, just as the pandemic was beginning to sweep across the globe. That research led to the lab to start testing samples from 11 wastewater treatment plants in the state earlier this year for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the results of which are on the NC COVID-19 Dashboard. Plans are to boost sampling to 20 plants starting next month. (Allen, 6/5)
Houston Chronicle: 'Moving With The Times': Employers Debate Tracking COVID Vaccination Status, Flexible Schedules
On the verge of returning to workplaces and resuming normal life, Houston employers say the lessons they’ve learned about public health and meeting their employees’ needs are reshaping the future of work. Most employers are now planning to bring workers back into the office, or already have, experts said at a Thursday webinar hosted by the Houston Business Coalition on Health, an association of employers purchasing health plans. Some public health measures from the pandemic will remain, such as self-quarantine if exposed to COVID-19, increased workplace cleanings and contact tracing. (Wu, 6/4)
In other covid research developments —
Fox News: Prior COVID-19 Illness Reduces Risk Of Second Infection For Months, Study Finds
A U.K. study involving care home residents found that a prior COVID-19 infection reduces the risk of being infected by the virus again for several months. The study, which was published in Lancet Healthy Longevity, conducted antibody tests on 682 residents across 100 care homes in England in June and July of 2020. About 1,429 staff also underwent antibody testing in that same time period. About a third of all study participants tested positive, suggesting prior COVID-19 infection. Beginning 90 days following the antibody testing, staff participants underwent weekly PCR testing, while resident participants were tested once per month. (Hein, 6/5)
CIDRAP: Neurologic, Psychiatric Conditions Common In COVID-19
Two new meta-analyses detail neurologic and psychiatric conditions in COVID-19 patients, one suggesting that symptoms such as fatigue and depression are common even in people with mild illness, and the other showing central and peripheral nervous system involvement in up to 36% of cases that increased the risk of hospitalization. (Van Beusekom, 6/4)
