Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Some PPE Shortages Are Worsening
Harvard Business Review: Why The U.S. Still Has A Severe Shortage Of Medical Supplies
It may be hard to believe after all these months, but the shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical health care supplies for dealing with the pandemic in the United States still haven’t been solved. Instead, they continue and some have gotten worse. Hospitals, nursing homes, and medical practices routinely have to waste time and heighten their disease exposure by decontaminating disposable masks and gloves for reuse. Many organizations must still forage for critically needed equipment through back channels and black markets. And while the supply of ventilators is no longer an issue, shortages of ICU medications and test-kit reagents remain.The reason is that a slew of glaring supply-chain deficiencies have yet to be fixed. (Finkenstadt, Handfield and Guinto, 9/17)
The Hill: Democratic Senator Calls For 'More Flexible' Medical Supply Chain To Counter Pandemics
The U.S. needs a “more flexible” medical supply chain that balances a reliance on trade partners and domestic reserves to successfully tackle the pandemic and prepare for future ones, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said Thursday. “I think we have to be most worried about China these days, especially given the way in which our relations are deteriorating on a daily basis,” Murphy said at The Hill’s “Lessons from a Pandemic: Reliable Access to Affordable Medicines” event. (Bautista, 9/17)
In testing and tracing news —
Modern Healthcare: Quest Diagnostics' At-Home COVID-19 Test Is Self-Pay Only
Quest Diagnostics has launched an at-home diagnostic test for COVID-19 that individuals can order online, but the out-of-pocket cost for the test could get in the way of widespread use. The test, which is a nasal swab test permitted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under an emergency use authorization, enables customers to take a sample at home using a collection kit mailed by Quest and send the sample to the lab through FedEx. (Livingston, 9/17)
The Washington Post: Coronavirus Testing In Children Limited By Several Factors
It is a nightmare repeatedly playing in parents’ minds: Their child is welcomed back to their classroom, but in the excitement the kids get too close to one another, sharing germs. The children may not have coronavirus symptoms or be able to express that they are not feeling well, unwittingly spreading the virus as they continue to go to school or come into contact with adults. (Kornfield, 9/17)
The Washington Post: Contact-Tracing Challenges Hurt D.C.’s Efforts To Control Virus’s Spread, Health Officials Say
A lack of information from some D.C. residents who test positive for the novel coronavirus is hurting the city’s efforts to corral the virus’s spread, officials said Thursday.Six months after the first confirmed case in the nation’s capital, the city released new statistics demonstrating challenges in contact tracing and containing the coronavirus. While infections in D.C. are far below their peak, officials say those who become infected are sometimes hesitant to provide details that could prevent future transmissions. (Nirappil and Wiggins, 9/17)
