Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
National Stockpile Was Never Intended To Be Panacea, Though It Didn't Help That It Was Depleted
CNN: Nation's Stockpile Proves No Match For The Coronavirus Pandemic
As complaints about dire shortages of protective gear for medical workers on the frontlines of the Covid-19 crisis began to stream in, President Donald Trump was quick to point the finger of blame at his predecessor, Barack Obama. It was Obama and other administrations, he said, who left the shelves of the nation's Strategic National Stockpile bare of the items needed to combat the coronavirus. To an extent, the President was right. The Obama administration did use and then failed to replace items from the stockpile to fight the 2009 H1N1 "swine flu" pandemic. But Trump hadn't replaced those items either, despite repeated warnings that the country was ill-prepared for a pandemic, stockpile experts said. (Murray and Glover, 5/6)
ABC News: Muir Presses Trump On What He's Done To Restock 'Empty Shelves' He Blames On Obama
President Donald Trump told ABC News anchor David Muir in an exclusive interview that when his administration came into office in January 2017, there were no ventilators, medical equipment or testing to help it combat the COVID-19 pandemic currently gripping the U.S. "The cupboard was bare. ... The last administration left us nothing," Trump told the "World News Tonight" anchor during an interview Tuesday, claiming that his administration had worked to build an "incredible" stockpile. (Francis and Castillejo, 5/6)
CNN: Trump Contradicts Nurse He's Honoring Over PPE Availability
President Donald Trump contradicted a nurse he was honoring in the Oval Office on Wednesday, insisting there are no personal protective equipment shortages in the US despite her account that availability could be "sporadic..." Despite her firsthand experience, Trump disputed Thomas' account. "Sporadic for you but not sporadic for a lot of other people," the President told her. (Carvajal, 5/6)
In other news —
Reuters: WHO Guidelines For Frontline PPE Use Designed To Protect People, Conserve Gear
As the coronavirus began to spread around the world, a global shortage of masks and other protective equipment emerged, especially for frontline medical staff. How those supplies are used is crucial, experts say. Based on current evidence, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is most frequently transmitted between people via droplets when an infected person breathes out, coughs or sneezes, and can also spread via contaminated surfaces such as door handles. (5/7)
The Hill: USAID Issues New Restrictions For NGOs On Buying PPE Amid Pandemic
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has notified some grant recipients that they can't use donor dollars to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) necessary to protect against COVID-19, hurting key operations abroad. USAID has put a “pause” on allowing NGOs to use U.S. funds to buy PPE, including a wide range of filtering respirator masks, like N95 masks, surgical masks and surgical gloves, according to an email from a USAID officer to NGOs operating abroad that was obtained by The Hill. USAID grantees were advised they can continue to purchase sanitizing products like bleach, soap and hand sanitizer, the email said. (Kelly, 5/6)
