First Edition: Oct. 2, 2020
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations. Editor's Note: This week KHN launched Episode 1 of our first long-form podcast, "No Mercy." We take you into the lives of rural Americans when their town's only hospital shut down. The upheaval created involves more than just health care. Listen, you'll be hooked.
Kaiser Health News:
Evictions Damage Public Health. The CDC Aims To Curb Them ― For Now.
In August, Robert Pettigrew was working a series of odd jobs. While washing the windows of a cellphone store he saw a sign, one that he believes the “good Lord” placed there for him.“Facing eviction?” the sign read. “You could be eligible for up to $3,000 in rent assistance. Apply today.” (Sable-Smith, Bebinger and Benson, 10/2)
Kaiser Health News:
Thousands Of Minks Dead As COVID Outbreak Escalates On Utah Farms
Thousands of minks at Utah fur farms have died because of the coronavirus in the past 10 days, forcing nine sites in three counties to quarantine, but the state veterinarian said people don’t appear to be at risk from the outbreak. The COVID-19 infections likely were spread from workers at the mink ranches to the animals, with no sign so far that the animals are spreading it to humans, said Dr. Dean Taylor, the state veterinarian, who is investigating the outbreak. (Aleccia, 10/2)
Kaiser Health News:
Trump’s COVID Program For Uninsured People: It Exists, But Falls Short
In a wide-ranging executive order, President Donald Trump this month outlined some of the efforts he has made to affect health care since taking office. One involved uninsured people and the current pandemic. The administration, Trump said, set up a program to provide them “access to necessary COVID-19-related testing and treatment.”
Did it? (Appleby, 10/2)
Kaiser Health News:
Old Drug Turned ‘Cash Cow’ As Company Pumped Price To $40K A Vial, Emails Show
For a dad whose infant son was afflicted with a rare seizure disorder, a drug invented in 1952 was indispensable for his boy. It was also indispensable to executives at the pharmaceutical firm that acquired the drug in 2014 — not because it was a cure, but because it was a “cash cow,” according to documents released at a House hearing Thursday. The firm, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, got ahold of the venerable drug called H.P. Acthar gel by buying the company that owned it before, Questcor, for $5.8 billion in 2014. (McAuliff, 10/2)
Kaiser Health News:
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Election Preview: What’s Next For Health?
Voters say health issues — from the Affordable Care Act to COVID-19 to prescription drug prices — are important considerations in the November general election. But which issues are truly moving voters to participate in a year as politically polarized as 2020? Former Vice President Joe Biden says he wants to expand the Affordable Care Act if he’s elected and Democrats win the Senate. President Donald Trump says he will find a way to protect people with preexisting conditions if his Supreme Court nominee helps strike down the ACA. And both candidates insist they will successfully control the coronavirus pandemic. (10/1)
Kaiser Health News:
The Mask Hypocrisy: How COVID Memos Contradict The White House’s Public Face
While the president and vice president continued to forgo masks at rallies, the White House was quietly encouraging governors to implement mask mandates and, for some, enforce them with fines. In reports issued to governors on Sept. 20, the White House Coronavirus Task Force recommended statewide mask mandates in Iowa, Missouri and Oklahoma. The weekly memos, some of which were made public by the Center for Public Integrity, advocate mask usage for other states and have even encouraged doling out fines in Alaska, Idaho and, recently, Montana. (Weber and Houghton, 10/2)
Kaiser Health News:
Biden’s In The Ballpark On How Many People Have Preexisting Conditions
The first minutes of Tuesday’s presidential debate immediately turned to how President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg could undo the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with preexisting conditions. “There’s 100 million people that have preexisting conditions,” said former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, arguing that those patients could lose coverage protections if the federal health law were declared unconstitutional by the high court. (Knight, 10/1)
The New York Times:
Trump Tests Positive For The Coronavirus
Mr. Trump, who for months has played down the seriousness of the virus and hours earlier on Thursday night told an audience that “the end of the pandemic is in sight,” will quarantine in the White House for an unspecified period of time, forcing him to withdraw at least temporarily from the campaign trail only 32 days before the election on Nov. 3. (Baker and Haberman, 10/2)
The Washington Post:
Trump Says He And First Lady Have Tested Positive For Coronavirus
The diagnosis is a jolt for the country’s leadership and had some advisers early Friday discussing the continuity of government should the president’s condition grow worse. The vice president was not known to be infected. Trump’s early-morning announcement marked an extraordinary turn for the first family, coming little more than a month before Election Day and as Trump has escalated his campaign pace in an effort to catch Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who leads in national and key state polls. Trump, aides and voters say, trails largely because of his handling of the virus, which has dominated voters’ attention along with the economic collapse caused by pandemic shutdowns. (Dawsey and Itkowitz, 10/2)
AP:
Trump, First Lady Positive For Virus; He Has 'Mild Symptoms'
resident Donald Trump is experiencing “mild symptoms” of COVID-19 after revealing early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus, a stunning announcement that plunged the country deeper into uncertainty just a month before the presidential election. Trump, who has spent much of the year downplaying the threat of a virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans, said he and Mrs. Trump were quarantining. The White House physician said the president was expected to continue carrying out his duties “without disruption” while recovering. A White House official said Friday morning that the president was experiencing mild symptoms but was working from the White House residence. (Colvin and Miller, 10/2)
NPR:
Trump Tests Positive For Coronavirus : Latest Updates: Trump COVID-19 Results
Members of Vice President Pence's team did not immediately respond when asked about the last time Pence was tested for coronavirus. Pence did tweet his "love and prayers" to the president and first lady, but did not mention his own health. Pence and White House aides are tested for the virus regularly; some, like White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, are tested daily. (Keith, Rascoe and Katkov, 10/2)
CNN:
White House Officials Knew Hope Hicks Tested Positive — But Trump Still Traveled For A Fundraiser
As the nation reacts to the news of President Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s coronavirus diagnoses, some are also raising questions about the administration’s handling of the situation after top Trump aide Hope Hicks confirmed that she had tested positive. A small group of White House officials knew by Thursday morning that Hicks had contracted Covid-19, according to CNN Correspondent Kaitlan Collins — but Trump still took a trip to New Jersey for a fundraiser, and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany still held a news briefing at the White House on Thursday. (10/2)
AP:
Timeline Of Trump's Activities In Week Coronavirus Hit Home
With just a month to go until the election, President Donald Trump had a busy schedule during the week the coronavirus hit home with him. Trump tweeted early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus. (10/2)
USA Today:
Trump Tests Positive For COVID-19: Here's Where He's Recently Traveled
Trump, 74, is known for staying busy and traveling around the country for both work and play. But he was especially active these past seven days, including hosting rallies, taking part in the debate, and introducing his Supreme Court nominee. The White House uses rapid tests made by Abbott that allow for quicker results and officials are tested frequently. It can take up to four days to develop enough viral particles in your nose for a test to come back positive, meaning the day you are exposed, you likely would not get positive test results. (Hayes, 10/2)
AP:
Statement From Trump's Doctor On President's Virus Diagnosis
Text of a statement from Sean Conley, physician to the president: I release the following information with the permission of President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. This evening I received confirmation that both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence. (10/2)
Reuters:
How Mike Pence Could Temporarily Assume Control If Trump Becomes Incapacitated
Like two U.S. presidents before him, Donald Trump could temporarily hand over power to his vice president should he become incapacitated, for example while undergoing a medical procedure as treatment for the coronavirus. Under Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution’s 25th Amendment, adopted in 1967 following the 1963 assassination of President John Kennedy, Trump could declare in writing his inability to discharge his duties. (10/2)
The Atlantic:
Trump Has COVID: Now What?
The gravest of what-ifs has become a “what now?”: This morning, while many Americans were sleeping, President Donald Trump announced that he and the first lady have tested positive for the coronavirus. He disclosed his diagnosis in a tweet, sent at nearly 1 a.m. Eastern time: “We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!” (Madrigal and Meyer, 10/2)
The Guardian:
Donald Trump's Age And Weight May Cause Covid Complications, Doctors Say
Doctors have warned that the US president, Donald Trump, has numerous factors placing him at risk of complications from Covid-19, including his age and being overweight. ... Dr Barry Dixon, an intensive care physician at St Vincent’s hospital in Melbourne, said Trump’s risk would increase if he developed pneumonia, which is associated with a high Covid-19 mortality rate, especially in patients over 65 and those who have cardiovascular disease or conditions affecting blood vessels of the brain. (Davey, 10/2)
The New York Times:
Trump’s Positive Coronavirus Test Upends Campaign In Final Stretch
President Trump’s announcement early Friday that he had contracted the coronavirus upended the presidential race in an instant, inviting significant questions about his cavalier attitude toward the pandemic and the future of his campaign just 32 days before the election. Mr. Trump had already been trailing in the polls to Joseph R. Biden Jr., in part because of his mishandling of a virus that has unsettled the day-to-day lives of voters for over six months. He compounded his difficulties by disregarding and at times belittling the basic precautions, such as wearing a mask, that his health advisers were urging Americans to take to protect themselves. (Martin, Haberman and Stevens, 10/2)
CNN:
Joe Biden "Needs To Be Immediately Tested," Says CNN'S Chief Medical Correspondent
Former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden needs to be tested for Covid-19 after having been on the same stage as President Trump on Tuesday night for the first presidential debate in Cleveland, said CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. (10/2)
USA Today:
'May God's Healing Powers Touch Them': Twitter Reacts After President Donald Trump Announces He And Melania Are Positive For COVID-19
From world leaders to TV commentators, wishes for prayers and a speedy recovery poured in early Friday across Twitter after news broke that President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus. White House officials, meanwhile, sought to reassure the public that the government remained in steady hands. Trump himself did not add much detail in his tweet announcing that he and his wife had tested positive, though Melania later tweeted that they "are feeling good." (Woodyard, Santucci and Flores, 10/2)
AP:
Shock, Sympathy, Mockery: World Reacts To Trump Infection
World leaders were quick to weigh in, with official sympathy from the top and something approaching schadenfreude elsewhere. Trump joins a growing list of the powerful who have contracted the virus, including many who were skeptical of the disease. “I hope that your inherent vitality, good spirits and optimism will help you cope with the dangerous virus,” Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote in a direct message to Trump released by the Kremlin.(Klug, 10/2)
USA Today:
Donald Trump Joins Small Group Of World Leaders Who Caught Coronavirus
From Washington to Madrid, politicians across the globe have been exposed to the virus, and in some cases caught it. Here's our watch list of presidents, prime ministers and supreme leaders who have been tested or may be at risk for infection. (Shesgreen and Hjelmgaard, 10/2)
The New York Times:
What President Trump Has Said About Wearing Masks
During the course of the outbreak, the president has expressed confidence that the virus would quickly go away and skepticism about the value of wearing masks. (Serviss and Paybarah, 10/2)
Reuters:
In His Own Words: Trump And The Coronavirus
While facing sharp criticism for his response to an outbreak that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States alone, the president has touted his management of the crisis. Here is a timeline of some of his comments: (10/2)
Daily Beast:
Hannity Touts Hydroxychloroquine After Trump Tests Positive For COVID-19
Fox News host Sean Hannity reacted to the news of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis by touting the ineffective COVID-19 therapeutic hydroxychloroquine, claiming the nation is on the “back end” of the pandemic, and boasting that the president’s partial China travel restriction saved millions of Americans lives.The world stopped late Thursday night after it was revealed that the president and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19, which has killed over 200,000 Americans. The news came as close White House aide Hope Hicks also tested positive for the disease. (Baragona, 10/2)
The New York Times:
Outbreak At Secret Service Training Center Underlines Proximity Of Virus To White House
The Secret Service sustained a coronavirus outbreak in August at its training facility in Maryland, evidence of how close the pandemic has been to President Trump’s White House in the weeks before he was infected. At least 11 employees at the center in rural Maryland tested positive for the virus even though the agency had closed it for several months this year to enforce procedures to mitigate transmission, according to officials with knowledge of the matter. (Kanno-Youngs and Schmidt, 10/2)
Reuters:
U.S. House Passes Democratic COVID-19 Aid Plan After Bipartisan Deal Proves Elusive
No Republican voted for the Democratic plan, [and] 18 Democrats voted no, many of them moderates from swing districts who have been urging Pelosi to bring a bipartisan proposal to the House floor. “Today’s package is another partisan exercise that will never become law,” Representative Abigail Spanberger, one of the Democrats who voted no, said. (Cornwell and Morgan, 10/1)
Politico:
House Oversight Expands Probe Of Pandemic Ad Blitz
A House oversight panel is expanding its probe of the Trump administration’s $300 million ad campaign to boost confidence in its pandemic response, citing POLITICO reports in questioning if contracts are being steered to people with ties to a senior administration official. The administration "appears to be misusing taxpayer dollars to fund a political propaganda campaign — disguised as a public health effort—just weeks before a presidential election,” House Oversight select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis Chair Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), wrote in letters to Atlas Research and video firm DD&T. (Diamond and Roubein, 10/1)
The Washington Post:
VA Will Be Investigated After ‘Staggering Accounts Of Racism,’ Sen. Warren Says
The Government Accountability Office will investigate claims of systemic racism within the Department of Veterans Affairs, lawmakers said Thursday, two months after a government union said most of its surveyed members saw racism as a problem inside the agency. The survey of 1,500 union members who are VA employees concluded that nearly 80 percent of staffers said racism is a moderate or serious issue, with more than half reporting they had witnessed racism aimed at veterans, according to the American Federation of Government Employees. (Horton, 10/1)
NPR:
Senate Report Highlights Pandemic's Racial Disparities
The disproportionate harm people of color have suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic serves as an "appalling reminder of the deep inequities" of the American health care system and demands congressional remedies, according to a new Senate committee report. The report cites research showing that Black people are dying from COVID-19 at 3.4 times the rate of white people, when adjusted for age. It notes that COVID-19 accounts for 1 in 5 deaths among Latinos. And American Indian or Alaska Native patients are hospitalized at more than four times the rate of white people, according to the analysis undertaken by Democrats on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). (Neighmond, 10/1)
The Hill:
Asbestos Ban Stalls In Congress Amid Partisan Fight
Democrats and Republicans are each accusing the other of holding up a bill to ban asbestos that had been expected to pass with little controversy this week. The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act exited committee with just one no vote and was expected to sail through the voting process without amendments. But Democratic aides on the Energy and Commerce Committee say that progress has stalled as GOP lawmakers object to a provision that assures the legislation would have no impact on ongoing litigation over injuries tied to use of talcum powder. (Beitsch, 10/1)
The Washington Post:
Barrett Signed Ad In 2006 Decrying 'Barbaric Legacy' Of Roe V. Wade, Advocating Overturning The Law
Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, added her name to a local newspaper advertisement in 2006 that decried the “barbaric legacy” of Roe v. Wade and advocated overturning the landmark decision that guarantees a woman’s right to an abortion. The public declaration from Barrett drew criticism Thursday from a top Democrat who warned that Senate confirmation of the conservative judge to replace the late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would threaten women’s reproductive rights. (Itkowitz, 10/1)
The Wall Street Journal:
Supreme Court Nominee Amy Coney Barrett Signed Antiabortion Ad In 2006
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett signed an antiabortion newspaper advertisement more than a decade ago that blasted the high court’s landmark abortion rights ruling in Roe v. Wade, a public stance that brought new focus Thursday to a central issue in her confirmation battle. A Senate Democratic aide said “the ad should have been included in Judge Barrett’s Senate Judiciary questionnaire and was not.” The Senate Judiciary Committee, which is vetting her nomination, had asked her to provide a list of all published material, including letters to the editor. (Hughes and Kendall, 10/1)
The Hill:
Barrett Participated In 'Mock' Supreme Court Ruling Exercise On Affordable Care Act Before Ginsburg's Death: Report
Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, participated in a "mock" ruling exercise on the Affordable Care Act before Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death. Her position on the moot court over the Affordable Care Act, also called ObamaCare, mostly went against the Trump administration's stance, according to the Los Angeles Times. (Deese, 10/1)
The Guardian:
Revealed: Amy Coney Barrett Supported Group That Said Life Begins At Fertilization
Amy Coney Barrett, the Trump administration’s supreme court nominee, publicly supported an organization in 2006 that has said life begins at fertilization. It has also said that the discarding of unused or frozen embryos created in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process ought to be criminalized, a view that is considered to be extreme even within the anti-abortion movement. The revelation is likely to lead to new questions about how Barrett’s personal views on abortion may not only shape reproductive rights in the US for decades to come if she is confirmed by the Senate, but how her appointment could affect legal rights for women undergoing fertility treatment, as well as their doctors. (Kirchgaessner, 10/1)
AP:
Doctors Ask Supreme Court To Strike Down Trump Abortion Rule
The nation’s largest doctors’ group on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to strike down a Trump administration rule that’s had a far-reaching impact on family planning by prohibiting taxpayer-funded clinics from referring women for abortions. The American Medical Association acted after two U.S. appeals courts issued conflicting rulings on the legality of the Trump administration restrictions, which apply to clinics that mainly serve low-income women. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 10/1)
Reuters:
Texas Governor Shuts Down Drop-Off Sites For Early Mail Votes
The Republican governor of Texas on Thursday said each county in the state will be limited to a single site for dropping off absentee ballots, drawing condemnation from Democrats and voting rights advocates. Governor Greg Abbott’s order will close more than a dozen satellite locations in at least two counties: Harris, which includes Houston, had opened 12 sites to collect early mail ballots, while Travis, which includes Austin, had four. (Ax, 10/1)
The Washington Post:
South Carolina GOP Asks Supreme Court To Reinstate Mail-In Ballot Witness Requirement
South Carolina Republicans asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to reinstate the witness signature requirement for mail ballots ahead of the November election, extending the legal turmoil over the rule even as tens of thousands of ballots have been sent to voters across the state. The request to the high court comes after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit on Wednesday left in place an order blocking the requirement because of the risks associated with in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic. (Marimow, 10/1)
The Washington Post:
Biden Campaign To Begin Door Knocking In Key Battleground States
The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will begin knocking on doors of prospective voters this weekend after saying for months that such action was unsafe and unnecessary during the coronavirus pandemic. Biden’s aides have been critical of President Trump’s campaign for its use of canvassers to contact potential voters, saying Republicans were putting the health and safety of Americans at risk amid a coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 207,000 people. (Dawsey and Viser, 10/1)
The New York Times:
Wisconsin Is Frazzled By Surging Virus Cases And Growing Campaign Frenzy
Steve VanderLoop, 64, heard that several of his co-workers at a manufacturing plant in Wisconsin had fallen ill from Covid-19. Then there was his brother-in-law’s entire family in nearby Washington County. A good friend in Appleton, up the shore of Lake Winnebago. And last week, the gut punch: Mr. VanderLoop’s 96-year-old mother learned she had the virus. “It’s just crazy here now,” he said of his home state, standing on his porch on a block whose yards and fences were festooned with Biden signs, billowing Trump flags, hand-painted posters and bumper stickers with peace symbols. (Bosman, 10/1)
The Washington Post:
Food Banks Are Removing The Signed Letter Trump Wanted To Include In Every Food-Aid Box
Thirty-five days before the election, food assistance boxes, doled out at food banks around the country, are coming with a surprise: a signed letter from President Trump. Anti-hunger advocates and food bank workers are outraged, saying the move violates the Hatch Act and compromises relationships with the food-insecure Americans they serve. A letter in English and Spanish, on White House letterhead, exhorts needy Americans to wash hands and maintain social distance, closing with: “We will support Americans’ recovery every step of the way. Together we will overcome this challenge, and our Nation will emerge from this crisis stronger than ever before.” And then Trump’s distinctive signature. (Reiley and Bellware, 10/1)
The Philadelphia Inquirer:
Trump Includes Letter With Food Boxes To The Needy, Sparking Charges Of Politicizing Hunger
Along with apples and precooked pork, hunger fighters across America who distribute boxes of food from the federal government to those in need are discovering something unexpected inside each one: a letter from President Donald Trump. The letter, signed by the president, says, “I prioritized sending nutritious food from our farmers to our families in need throughout America. ”The so-called Coronavirus Food Assistance Program emergency food boxes are part of an effort to dispense food to help those hurt by the pandemic. They are also referred to as Farmers to Families Food Boxes. (Lubrano, 10/1)
Politico:
Trump Vows To Overturn 'Ridiculous' Gender-Neutral Navy SEAL Ethos
President Donald Trump vowed Thursday to reverse a move by the elite Navy SEALs to make its ethos gender neutral — marking the latest incursion by the commander in chief into the service's operations. American Military News first reported on Monday that the Navy SEALs and the Navy Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen had changed their ethos and creed statements to remove words such as "man" and "brotherhood." (O'Brien, 10/1)
The New York Times:
Federal Prisons Will Let Inmates Have Visitors During Pandemic
Relatives and friends will be permitted once again to begin visiting inmates in federal prisons as of Saturday, six months after such visits were ended over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. Federal prisons officials said they were resuming family visits based on “the importance for inmates to maintain relationships with friends and family,” and some relatives of inmates lauded the decision. (Turcotte and Seline, 10/1)
FierceHealthcare:
Humana Unveils Medicare Advantage Plans For 2021
Humana is planning to expand its Medicare Advantage HMO plans into 125 new counties for 2021. The insurer also announced Thursday that it would launch PPO plans in 98 new counties. All told, Humana expects the new plan offerings to reach an more than 3 million additional MA beneficiaries in the coming plan year. (Minemyer, 10/1)
The Washington Post:
Amazon Says 19,816 Employees, Including At Whole Foods, Have Had Coronavirus This Year
Amazon said Thursday that nearly 20,000 of its U.S. employees had tested positive, or had been presumed positive, for the coronavirus since the pandemic started spreading through the country this year. The retailer has faced harsh criticism this year as hundreds of workers and critics have said it hasn’t done enough to keep employees safe as they work in its warehouses amid a surge in demand to send items to shoppers across the country. (Lerman, 10/1)
Reveal:
Amazon’s Internal Records Show Its Worker Safety Deception
A new cache of [Amazon] records obtained by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting – including internal safety reports and weekly injury numbers from its nationwide network of fulfillment centers – shows that company officials have profoundly misled the public and lawmakers about its record on worker safety. They reveal a mounting injury crisis at Amazon warehouses, one that is especially acute at robotic facilities and during Prime week and the holiday peak – and one that Amazon has gone to great lengths to conceal. (Evans, 9/29)
WVPB:
Bob Murray, Who Fought Against Black Lung Regulations As A Coal Operator, Has Filed For Black Lung Benefits
Robert E. Murray, the former CEO and president of the now-bankrupt Murray Energy, has filed an application with the U.S. Department of Labor for black lung benefits. For years, Murray and his company fought against federal mine safety regulations aimed at reducing the debilitating disease. “I founded the company and created 8,000 jobs there until the move to end coal use. I am still chairman of the board,” he wrote on a Labor Department form that initiated his claim obtained by the Ohio Valley ReSource. “We’re in bankruptcy, and due to my health could not handle the president and CEO job any longer.” (Mistich and Patters, 9/30)
Politico:
Pfizer CEO: ‘Disappointed’ In Presidential Debate, Vows No Political Pressure On Covid Shot
The CEO of Pfizer — one of the frontrunners in the coronavirus vaccine race — said in a staff memo Thursday that the company wouldn’t cave to political pressure to rush its vaccine to market, while at the same time decrying "those who argue for delay." “Tuesday night I joined the millions of Americans who tuned in to the Presidential debate. Once more, I was disappointed that the prevention for a deadly disease was discussed in political terms rather than scientific facts,” Albert Bourla said in an internal memo obtained by POLITICO. (Owermohle, 10/1)
Fox News:
Moderna's Coronavirus Vaccine Won't Be Ready For Widespread Distribution Until Spring, CEO Predicts
Just a day after President Trump said the nation was only “weeks away” from a coronavirus vaccine, the head of Moderna reportedly said his company will not be able to apply for authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) until late November at the earliest.“ November 25 is the time we will have enough safety data to be able to put into an EUA file that we would send to the FDA – assuming that the safety data is good, i.e. a vaccine is deemed safe,” Stephane Bancel, Moderna CEO, told the Financial Times on Wednesday. (Hein, 10/1)
Reuters:
AstraZeneca Resumes Vaccine Trial In Japan, In Talks With U.S.
AstraZeneca Plc said on Friday clinical trials of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine resumed in Japan, while adding that it was in talks with regulators on data needed to restart studies in the United States, where they remain halted. Several global trials of the vaccine, AZD1222, were put on hold last month after an unexplained illness in a study participant. While most trials have resumed, U.S. trials are still on pause as regulators widened their probe, Reuters reported on Wednesday. (10/2)
The Hill:
FDA Broadens Probe Into Serious Illness In AstraZeneca Coronavirus Vaccine Study
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reportedly broadened its investigation into a serious illness suffered by a patient participating in AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine testing trials. Reuters reported Thursday that FDA officials will seek data from Oxford University, AstraZeneca's testing partner, regarding trials of vaccines for other diseases unrelated to COVID-19 in the hopes of determining whether patients in those trials developed similar side effects. (Bowden, 10/1)
Becker's Hospital Review:
Oxford University To Test AbbVie's Humira As COVID-19 Treatment
Researchers at the University of Oxford will begin studying AbbVie's drug, Humira, as a potential treatment for COVID-19 patients, the university announced Sept. 30. The trial will enroll up to 750 people from nursing home settings in the U.K. The university said nursing home patients were particularly hard hit by COVID-19 there and in other countries. In the U.S., 40 percent of nationwide deaths have been from nursing homes. (Anderson, 10/1)
AP:
EU Agency Starts 'Rolling Review' To Speed OK For Vaccine
The European Medicines Agency has started a “rolling review” process for the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, a move it hopes will speed any eventual approval. In a statement Thursday, the EU regulator said instead of waiting for all of the required vaccine data to be submitted before beginning its assessment, the EMA has begun analyzing the preliminary information from scientists on the Oxford vaccine. (Cheng, 10/1)
Reuters:
Exclusive: New Global Lab Network Will Compare COVID-19 Vaccines Head-To-Head
A major non-profit health emergencies group has set up a global laboratory network to assess data from potential COVID-19 vaccines, allowing scientists and drugmakers to compare them and speed up selection of the most effective shots. Speaking to Reuters ahead of announcing the labs involved, Melanie Saville, director of vaccine R&D at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), said the idea was to “compare apples with apples” as drugmakers race to develop an effective shot to help control the COVID-19 pandemic. (Kelland, 10/2)
CNBC:
Coronavirus Vaccine Trial Participants: Exhaustion, Fever, Headaches
Luke Hutchison woke up in the middle of the night with chills and a fever after taking the Covid-19 booster shot in Moderna’s vaccine trial. Another coronavirus vaccine trial participant, testing Pfizer’s candidate, similarly woke up with chills, shaking so hard he cracked a tooth after taking the second dose. High fever, body aches, bad headaches and exhaustion are just some of the symptoms five participants in two of the leading coronavirus vaccine trials say they felt after receiving the shots. (Farr and Lovelace Jr., 10/1)
Fox News:
Traces Of Coronavirus Found In Lake Superior Water, Researchers Say
Traces of the novel coronavirus were found in water samples taken from Lake Superior beaches in Duluth, Minn., according to researchers with the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth campus. Since July, researchers have collected water samples from eight different beaches in Duluth in an effort to better understand how the novel virus “acts in the water and whether it can spread there,” the Star Tribune reported. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is “no evidence that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can spread to people through water” at oceans, lakes and other natural bodies of water, as well as pools, water playgrounds and hot tubs.) (Farber, 10/1)
The Baltimore Sun:
Coronavirus Antibody Tests Have Had Plenty Of Problems. Hopkins Is Developing A Better, At-Home Version.
Plenty of people want to know whether they ever had COVID-19, and public officials need to know. But existing antibody tests that look for markers of the disease caused by the coronavirus have not met the challenge, with accuracy, cost and convenience problems. Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University and elsewhere, however, are working on the next generation of these tests that can be done at home. (Cohn, 10/1)
The New York Times:
Rapid Coronavirus Spit Tests Aren't Coming Soon
For months, public health experts have been eagerly watching the companies developing spit tests for the coronavirus that could be used at home, producing results in a matter of minutes. If these rapid saliva tests worked, as many news articles have pointed out, they could greatly expand the number of people getting tested. Some experts have even said they could perform as well as a vaccine in curbing the spread of the coronavirus and paving a path back to normalcy. But so far, the technology is not panning out as some have hoped. (Wu, 10/1)