Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus Hits Critical Moment In U.S.: More Deaths, But There’s Still Time To Contain It
The battle against the coronavirus was reaching a critical moment in the United States, with the number of deaths rising Tuesday as public health leaders said there was limited window to contain the virus. It was a day of grim milestones, with more deaths tied to a nursing home in Washington state, a new quarantine in the suburbs of New York City and warning that many more cases were coming. “I want them to be prepared for the reality that they, there are going to be more cases in the community,” said Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “But I want them to continue their daily lives. I want them to be mindful of the opportunity again to prepare themselves and their families.” (Karlamangla, Read, Lin and Shalby, 3/4)

CNN: As US Coronavirus Death Toll Rises, CDC Says Communities Should Start Thinking About Ways To Stop Its Spread 
As the US death toll from the coronavirus climbed to nine, the CDC said it has "heightened" concerns and urged local communities to begin thinking about ways to stop the virus from spreading. "As more areas see community spread, local communities may start employing tools that encourage social distancing," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a Tuesday news conference. "The goal of social distancing is to limit exposure by reducing face-to-face contact and preventing spread among people in community settings." (Maxouris, 3/4)

Boston Globe: Federal Official Says States Have Reported 60 Coronavirus Cases To CDC
Twelve states had reported 60 coronavirus cases to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of Monday evening, the agency said Tuesday.Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, provided the tally during a Tuesday afternoon briefing. She said the CDC will be updating its tally on its website at noon on weekdays. (Andersen, 3/3)

The New York Times: Coronavirus In N.Y.: Second Case Sets Off Search For Others Exposed
The public health authorities descended on a hospital, telling some nurses and doctors they would need to be quarantined. They ordered a synagogue to halt all services, and told attendants at a recent bat mitzvah to stay at home for the rest of the week. Disease detectives were monitoring lawyers at a small midtown law firm for signs of illness, and scrutinizing the risk of contagion at a university. The discovery of a second case of the new coronavirus in New York on Tuesday — a man of about 50 who lives in Westchester County, just north of New York City — quickly touched off an intense search by health investigators across the region to determine whether he had infected others, and who might have infected him. (Goldstein and McKinley, 3/3)

NBC News: Coronavirus Forces New York City Subways, Trains To Clean Up Their Act
Every train, bus, car and station in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — the nation's largest public transit system — was being disinfected Tuesday after a second person in New York tested positive for the coronavirus. MTA workers armed with disinfectant, wipes and high-pressure nozzles worked overnight to scrub down the 472 subway stations in New York City, along with nearly 2,000 subway cars and nearly 2,000 buses, MTA Chairman Patrick Foye said. (Siemaszko, 3/3)

The Associated Press: San Antonio: CDC Planned To Drop Cruise Passengers At Mall
Federal health officials planned to drop off some cruise ship passengers at a shopping mall after their release from a two-week quarantine at a Texas air base, one of several reasons the city of San Antonio declared a public health emergency over the new coronavirus, a city spokeswoman said Tuesday. The city filed a lawsuit Monday to halt the plan after a woman was mistakenly released from quarantine at a health care facility over the weekend despite testing positive. (Webber, 3/3)

The Hill: Texas Lawmakers Call For Investigation Into CDC's Handling Of Released Coronavirus Patient In San Antonio 
Texas Democratic Reps. Joaquin Castro and Lloyd Doggett are calling for a congressional investigation into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) handling of a coronavirus patient who was released in San Antonio while still carrying the disease. The two lawmakers sent the letter Monday, the same day the mayor of San Antonio announced a local state of disaster and public health emergency after a patient who tested “weakly positive” for the coronavirus following their release from quarantine visited a local mall before being requarantined. (Moreno, 3/3)

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Now Testing Seven Patients For Coronavirus; Still No Confirmed Cases
Maryland health officials are now testing seven people for the new coronavirus this week amid concern about its spread to more states and deaths in Washington state. There continue to be no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Maryland, as results for six others with serious respiratory symptoms have come back negative, state officials reported. (Cohn, 3/3)

The Baltimore Sun: Coronavirus: Here’s What You Need To Know To Prepare For A Possible Outbreak In Maryland 
As countries around the world continue to monitor the spread of the coronavirus, Maryland health officials are beginning to put together response plans should the virus become a pandemic. Here’s what you need to know to prepare for a possible outbreak in the United States. (Reed, 3/4)

Los Angeles Times: New Coronavirus Case Confirmed In Los Angeles
Los Angeles recorded a new coronavirus case on Tuesday, with Kaiser Permanente announcing it was treating a patient. “Kaiser Permanente is overseeing the care of a coronavirus patient who is home in self-isolation and being treated on an outpatient basis. We are in touch with and monitoring the patient,” Kaiser said in a statement. No other details were available. (Lin, 3/3)

Los Angeles Times: Santa Clara Advises Seniors To Avoid Large Gatherings As Two New Coronavirus Cases Confirmed
Santa Clara County public health officials are advising seniors and those who are medically vulnerable to avoid large gatherings after two new cases of coronavirus were identified, raising its total to 11 — the most of any California county. The source of infection for the latest two cases, reported Tuesday, is still under investigation. Of the other confirmed cases in the county, two were transmitted in the community, four were travel-related and three stemmed from close contact with known cases, officials said. (Tchekmedyian, 3/3)

Los Angeles Times: Battling Coronavirus, California Distributing Millions Of Face Masks To Healthcare Providers
California announced that it is going to start distributing to healthcare providers struggling under the strain of the coronavirus millions of N95 face masks that had been stockpiled in emergency reserves. The move is considered a key step is getting needed equipment to California hospitals, which are already under strain as possible coronavirus cases increase. Health officials stressed that they are not recommending healthy people wear masks, which are in short supply. (Willon, Karlamangla and Shalby, 3/3)

Des Moines Register: Coronavirus: Iowans Already Feeling Virus' Effect In Business, Travel
The coronavirus outbreak hasn't reached Iowa, yet, but the novel virus has already begun to impact daily life. State and local officials are evaluating a range of considerations this week about Iowans' ability to do regular things like work, learn and congregate. Restrictions remain limited, but they have the potential, in some cases, to upend Iowans' routines and lives. (Rodriguez, 3/3)

NBC News: N.H. Coronavirus Patient Breaks Isolation, Potentially Exposing Others
The first coronavirus patient in New Hampshire — an employee of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center — defied instructions from public health officials to stay away from other people. In a statement, the state Department of Health and Human Services said the patient attended an invitation-only private event Friday "despite having been directed to self-isolate." (Edwards, 3/3)

New Hampshire Public Radio: 2nd Person Tests Positive For Novel Coronavirus In N.H. 
State health officials have announced a second presumptive positive test result for the coronavirus disease in New Hampshire. The patient is an adult male from Grafton County who had close contact with the the first person to test positive in New Hampshire, who also lives in Grafton County. He is currently isolated at home. (Moon, 3/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Is Devastating The Conference Circuit
Leaders of Austin’s South by Southwest festival reassured the public this week that the Texas tech, film and music event would still kick off as planned March 13, despite concerns over the coronavirus epidemic. But behind the scenes, Austin politicians, public health officials and others were meeting with organizers to decide whether the show should go on—and if so, how—as more than 30,000 people signed an online petition calling for its cancellation and Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. said their employees wouldn’t attend. (Eaton, Elliott and Findell, 3/4)

North Carolina Health News: Coronavirus Confirmed In North Carolina 
North Carolina has its first case of COVID-19, the new coronavirus that has spread around the globe since late last year, causing travel restrictions, quarantines, stock market plunges as well as public health scares and planning of epidemic proportions. State health officials reported on Tuesday afternoon that a person in Wake County had tested positive in a lab test, conducted by North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health. (Blythe and Hoban, 3/3)

North Carolina Health News: A Look At How One Hospital Prepares For Coronavirus 
As North Carolina contends with its first case of coronavirus, some in the state have been long preparing to support health care providers should an outbreak such as COVID-19 become widespread. One of those people is Dale Hill of WakeMed, the Raleigh-based health care system. Hill, operations manager for preparedness for the health system, is part of the Capital Regional Advisory Committee, or CapRAC, a unit that responds to disasters and hazards in Franklin, Wake, Johnston, Harnett and Lee Counties. (Engel-Smith and Hoban, 3/4)

The CT Mirror: With Chopsticks, Lamont And Tong Make A Point About COVID-19
Gov. Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong dined out Tuesday at Shu, a Szechuan restaurant that Tong calls one of his favorites. It’s an assessment shared by hundreds of Yelp reviewers who give it an average rating of four stars out of five... Behind the smiles are a concern. Business is down at some of their restaurants, and they fear it is a consequence of an irrational connection some Americans are making between the coronavirus and anything and anyone Chinese. (Pazniokas, 3/3)

The Baltimore Sun: Archdiocese Of Baltimore Orders Clergy To Suspend Sign Of Peace, Consecrated Wine During Services Due To Coronavirus
The Archdiocese of Baltimore on Tuesday ordered clergy to suspend the sign of peace and stop serving consecrated wine during Mass amid growing concerns about coronavirus. Archbishop William E. Lori said that instead of shaking hands during the sign of peace, parishioners can bow to their neighbor and say, “Peace be with you.” (Oxenden, 3/3)

CBS News: Coronavirus Fears Shadow This Year's March Madness Tournament 
College basketball players in the U.S. want to hold this year's March Madness tournament in empty stadiums due to the coronavirus, a move that would cost cities hosting the annual competition tens of millions in tourism dollars. The National College Players Association (NCPA), a nonprofit group that advocates on behalf of college athletes, said in a statement on Saturday that "there should be a serious discussion about holding competitions without an audience present." The NCAA, which oversees college sports, isn't doing enough to protect young athletes from the disease, the group added. (Brooks, 3/3)

The Washington Post: Coronavirus Triggers Cancellations, Closures And Contingency Planning Across The Country
With daily reports of the deadly coronavirus spreading into communities across the country, schools, companies, religious organizations and local governments are grappling with whether to shut down facilities and cancel events or to proceed, cautiously, as planned. Increasingly, organizations are opting to cancel large gatherings, encourage remote work or take other steps reflecting an abundance of caution about the virus, according to interviews with officials in several states. Others are making contingency plans about more-significant steps they might take in the case of a wider outbreak. (Olorunnipa, Kelly, Natanson and Zauzmer, 3/3)

The Hill: Sports Leagues Take Cautious Approach With Coronavirus
Major U.S. sports leagues are taking precautions and considering contingencies as the coronavirus spreads across the country. Public health officials have urged Americans to go about their everyday lives, while also warning major disruptions could be coming as the virus becomes more widespread. One such change could see Americans avoid large gatherings where the virus is more likely to spread, such as sporting events at stadiums and arenas. (Samuels and Weixel, 3/3)

The New York Times: Coronavirus Deaths Tied To Nursing Center Came Earlier Than Anyone Knew
The first public indication that something was wrong inside the Life Care nursing care center in Kirkland, Wash., came on Friday, prompting an alarming sign to go up on the front door: “WE ARE HAVING RESPIRATORY OUTBREAK.” Since then, officials have announced a series of coronavirus cases, some of them fatal, from the facility, which has become an ominous symbol of the dangers the virus poses. On Tuesday, the authorities made another jarring announcement: The first virus-related deaths tied to the nursing center occurred days earlier than previously known — and well before residents had been quarantined in their rooms. (Baker and Weise, 3/3)

NPR: 9 Coronavirus Deaths Now Reported In Washington State
The coronavirus death toll in Washington state now stands at nine, with a total of 27 confirmed cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. The newly revised tally includes two people who died in the Seattle area last week and have since been found to have been infected with the novel coronavirus, the health department in King County, Wash., announced Tuesday. (Chappell, 3/3)

Stat: Washington State Could See Explosion In Coronavirus Cases, Study Says
The coronavirus outbreak in the Seattle area is at a critical juncture and could see explosive growth in cases much like Wuhan, China, if public officials don’t take immediate, forceful measures, according to a new analysis of genetic data. The author of the analysis, a computational biologist named Trevor Bedford, said there are likely already at least 500 to 600 cases of Covid-19 in the greater Seattle area. He urged health authorities and the public to immediately begin adopting non-pharmaceutical interventions — imposing “social distancing” measures, telling the sick to isolate themselves, and limiting attendance at large gatherings. (Branswell, 3/3)

CBS News: Daughter Of Coronavirus-Quarantined Washington State Nursing Home Resident Says "They're Being Held Hostage"
Health officials have focused in on a cluster of conronavirus infections inside a nursing home outside of Seattle. Family members of LifeCare Center's elderly residents told CBS News their loved ones are being isolated in their rooms and their temperatures monitored daily, but they are concerned those showing symptoms will not be tested or hospitalized until critically ill. (3/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Spreads In Washington State As Amazon Worker Tests Positive
An Amazon.com Inc. worker in Seattle tested positive for the novel coronavirus as concerns mounted over its spread in the U.S., though the number of new infections in China, where the outbreak began, continued to decline on Wednesday. The Amazon employee works at the company’s headquarters in Seattle, where the tech giant has about 55,000 employees, an Amazon spokeswoman said late Tuesday. The company said it has notified other workers who may have come into contact with the person. (Cherney, 3/4)

NBC News: Seattle Feels Like 'Ghost Town,' Business Owners Say As They Face Life In Coronavirus Hot Spot
It's not her birthday for another month, but Ruby Francisco has been singing "Happy Birthday" a lot lately. She does it every time she washes her hands."That's what they said to do," said Francisco, who owns a jewelry store here. "I tell my grandchildren to sing when they wash their hands so they do it right." (Lozano, 3/3)

Kaiser Health News: Coronavirus Stress Test: Many 5-Star Nursing Homes Have Infection-Control Lapses
Long before the novel coronavirus made its surprise appearance, the nation’s nursing homes were struggling to obey basic infection prevention protocols designed to halt the spread of viruses and bacteria they battle daily. Since the beginning of 2017, government health inspectors have cited more nursing homes for failing to ensure that all workers follow those prevention and control rules than for any other type of violation, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis of federal records. (Rau, 3/4)

The New York Times: All Federal Limits On Testing Will Be Lifted, Pence Says.
Vice President Mike Pence said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was lifting all restrictions on testing for coronavirus, and would be releasing new guidelines to fast-track testing for people who fear they have the virus, even if they are displaying mild symptoms. “Today we will issue new guidance from the C.D.C. that will make it clear that any American can be tested, no restrictions, subject to doctor’s orders,” Mr. Pence told reporters at the White House. (3/3)

The Associated Press: Frustration Rising Over Lack Of Access To Coronavirus Tests
Delays and missteps have put the U.S. behind other nations conducting thousands of tests. The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Stephen Hahn, responded that the FDA has been working with a private company to get as many as 2,500 test kits out to labs by the end of the week. Each kit should allow a lab to run about 500 tests, he said. That would work out to 1.25 million tests. But when senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee pressed on whether the government will meet its self-imposed deadline, health officials avoided making hard promises. (Alonso-Zaldivar and Stobbe, 3/3)

The Washington Post: Pence Says Americans Can Get Coronavirus Tests
“When I talked to some state officials, there was a sense that the tests would not be administered to people that were mildly symptomatic,” Vice President Pence told reporters in an off-camera White House briefing. “We’re issuing clear guidance that subject to doctors’ orders, any American can be tested.” Pence’s comments perplexed some public health officials, as physicians already have discretion to order testing. The announcement also raised questions about whether the government can rapidly accelerate the production of testing kits, as well as how much patients will ultimately have to pay for getting tested. (Kim, Sacchetti and Dennis, 3/3)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Coronavirus Cases Rise; First Deaths Earlier Than Officials Realized
Some Democratic lawmakers have expressed frustration the administration isn’t moving faster. Washington Sen. Patty Murray said Mr. Pence and other administration officials were unable to tell her and other lawmakers in a meeting Tuesday when “point-of-contact” tests are going to be available, or what people who fear they have been infected can do between now and then. The point-of-contact tests, which allow a patient to go to their doctor and be tested as they are for flu or strep throat, won’t be available for months, she said. “When I’m talking to families who have sick family members today, and I am, they seriously are calling their doctor who is telling them, ‘We don’t have [tests] available, call your county health officials.’ And they call them. They’re told to call a state officials. Nobody has the test,” Ms. Murray said. (Carlton, Calfas and Yang, 3/3)

Politico: CDC Opens Up Coronavirus Testing, Pence Says
The Trump administration in recent days has faced criticism for delays in testing because of earlier problems with its diagnostic tests. Pence said the U.S. plans to send 2,500 new test kits out by the end of the week, which he claimed can test 1.5 million samples. Public health labs say patients typically require at least two samples. Pence also said private companies are expected to dramatically boost the amount of test kits on the market, though experts question whether there are enough laboratories to test a large surge of samples. (Ehley and McGraw, 3/3)

The New York Times: Estimates Fall Short Of F.D.A.’s Pledge For 1 Million Coronavirus Tests
Does the United States really have the capacity to escalate its efforts and produce one million coronavirus tests by the end of this week, as the head of the Food and Drug Administration promised on Monday during a White House briefing? The figure includes orders for commercial tests that companies say are still weeks away from approval, and public health laboratories say their capacities don’t come close to that. (Thomas and Sheikh, 3/3)

Politico: Widespread Coronavirus Testing Could Still Be Weeks Away
It could be weeks before the United States can meet the demand for coronavirus testing because doctors, hospitals and some public health labs say they aren’t set up yet to do the tests. Ratcheting up the country’s ability to detect the disease is crucial to understand how the coronavirus — now confirmed in at least 12 states — is spreading. But testing so far has been severely limited by problems with a diagnostic test developed by CDC. (Lim and Cancryn, 3/3)

ABC News: Anyone Can Be Tested For COVID-19, Subject To A Doctor's Orders: Pence 
Right now, state and local public health labs have the capacity to test 15,000 people, according to the FDA, but they are working to rapidly expand the ability to process tests in public and private labs by the end of the week. One company, Integrated DNA Technologies, is manufacturing the COVID-19 test both for CDC to distribute to public health labs and commercially for private and clinical labs. FDA says the company expects to distribute 2,500 test kits by the end of the week, each including 500 tests. (Ebbs, 3/3)

The Washington Post: Should I Get Tested For Coronavirus? Here’s When To Stay Home, Or To See A Doctor.
By now, you may have memorized some of the most common symptoms of coronavirus: fever, cough and a runny nose. In other words, many of the same symptoms as the common cold or the flu. But as the coronavirus outbreak progresses, experts say it’s increasingly likely that you might have the new illness. “This is much more widely spread than people realize,” said Amesh Adalja, an infectious-disease expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “The events in Washington state really show that this has established itself in our communities and will continue to do so.” (Iati, 3/3)

CNN: How And When You Should Be Tested For The Coronavirus 
Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday said that any American, with a doctor's order, can now be tested for coronavirus. The move appears to expand criteria that had previously limited testing to patients who had been hospitalized, absent certain extenuating circumstances such as contact with a coronavirus patient. (Nedelman and Azad, 3/4)

The Associated Press: Army Beginning Increased Virus Screening For New Recruits
The U.S. Army on Tuesday began increased health screenings for all new soldier recruits arriving at the four basic training centers around the country in order to detect the new coronavirus, a senior commander said. Army Gen. Paul Funk, head of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command, said personnel at the bases spent Monday rehearsing the new screening and learning how to spot symptoms and interview recruits. (3/3)

The New York Times: Waive Fees For Coronavirus Tests And Treatment, Health Experts Urge
New York is among the first states in the country to waive some fees and expenses for people who undergo testing for the coronavirus, as public health officials are increasingly worried that medical bills will discourage the poor and uninsured from getting medical care. The federal government is also considering paying for care for those affected, possibly based on funds available through federal disaster relief programs. There are “initial conversations,” Dr. Robert Kadlec, a senior official at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told Congress on Wednesday. (Abelson and Kliff, 3/3)

Modern Healthcare: New York Governor To Force Insurers To Limit Patient Coronavirus Testing Costs
The New York State Department of Financial Services will issue an emergency regulation to waive cost-sharing requirements. An initial emergency filing generally expires in 90 days, and the measure can be re-adopted for an additional 60 days. The department did not respond to an inquiry about the effective dates of the emergency regulation. (Cohrs, 3/3)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Weighs Paying Hospitals For Treating Uninsured Coronavirus Patients
The Trump administration is considering using a national disaster program to pay hospitals and doctors for their care of uninsured people infected with the new coronavirus as concerns rise over costs of treating some of the 27 million Americans without health coverage, a person familiar with the conversations said. In natural disasters such as hurricanes, hospitals and medical facilities can be reimbursed under a federal program that pays them about 110% of Medicare rates for treating patients such as those evacuated from hard-hit areas. (Armour, 3/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Costs: Who’s Paying For All This?
For those who are sick and thinking of getting tested, one question quickly emerges: How much will I be billed? For now, most people with health insurance will likely have the cost of coronavirus testing covered in the way that any other type of care is covered—- including whatever they may owe in co-pays, co-insurance or under a deductible. According to the public-health lab laboratories group, “there is no cost to patients for Covid-19 testing performed by public health laboratories.” (Carpenter and Wilde Mathews, 3/4)

The Hill: Trump Administration Considering Paying For Uninsured Coronavirus Patients' Medical Care: Report 
The number of people who had no insurance at any point during the year rose in 2018 to 8.5 percent, or 27.5 million, up from 2017 when it was 25.6 million, or 7.9 percent. Hospitals provided more than $38 billion in uncompensated care in 2017, according to the Journal, citing the American Hospital Association (AHA). “We encourage the department to look at using a national disaster program as an option because no one should think twice about seeking screening or treatment due to costs,” AHA executive vice president Tom Nickels, told the newspaper. “We also urge them to cover both patients who have coronavirus and those who are under investigation for coronavirus.” (Budryk, 3/3)

The New York Times: Trump Makes Room For Experts, But Still Takes A Leading Role On Coronavirus
At a campaign rally this week in North Carolina, President Trump reassured the crowd that he had jawboned the nation’s pharmaceutical companies into quickly tackling the coronavirus. “They’re going to have vaccines, I think, relatively soon,” he said. But “soon” was correct only if it meant 12 to 18 months from now. Both health officials and drug industry executives have repeatedly told Mr. Trump that a vaccine was still a long way off. Yet by promising a vaccine “soon,” the president almost certainly misled at least some of the public into thinking a solution to the outbreak was just around the corner. (Baker and Crowley, 3/3)

The Associated Press: A Disconnect Between Trump And Health Officials On Virus
Whom to believe on the coronavirus threat — the president saying one thing or the public health officials standing beside him and saying something a little different? President Donald Trump’s breezy talk Tuesday of a virus that's “got the world aflutter” contrasts with the gravity and caution conveyed by federal scientists as Americans look to the government not just for reassurance, but for realism. (3/3)

The Washington Post: Trump Coronavirus Effort Undermined By Mixed Messages And Falsehoods
When Anthony Fauci, clad in a white lab coat, invited an “NBC Nightly News” correspondent into his offices this week and described the coronavirus as an “outbreak” that was reaching “likely pandemic proportions,” the immunologist was acting as he long has during public health crises: delivering a fact-based warning to the public. But at the White House, the more politically minded officials overseeing the administration’s response were irritated that Fauci — the veteran director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases — had used the word “pandemic” without giving anyone on Vice President Pence’s staff a heads-up, according to two people familiar with the situation. (Rucker, Abutaleb and Parker, 3/3)

The Washington Post Fact Checker: No, Trump Didn’t Shut Down 37 Of 47 Global Anti-Pandemic Programs
Trump “shut down 37 of 47 global anti-pandemic programs.” — Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), in a tweet, Feb. 25, 2020. Murphy made this claim in a tweet that complained that President Trump had put no one in charge of dealing with the coronavirus — Vice President Pence has since been given the authority — and that Trump “made a choice to make us vulnerable … to this pandemic and the next one and the next one.” (Kessler, 3/4)

ABC News: Trump To Visit NIH Vaccine Research Center As Novel Coronavirus Spreads 
President Donald Trump on Tuesday is set to visit the vaccine research center at the National Institutes of Health as his administration continues to project an aggressive approach to tackling the novel coronavirus, as more than 100 cases and six deaths have now been reported in the U.S. The NIH visit comes as the president continues to strike an unrealistically optimistic tone in speaking about the pace of vaccine development. Earlier in the day, the president said he told vaccine developers to “speed it up” – and added “they will.” (Phelps, 3/3)

Politico: CDC Blocked FDA Official From Premises
In a sign of growing tension among the Trump administration's health agencies, officials are expressing frustration that a top scientist was initially rebuffed when attempting to visit the CDC in Atlanta last month to help coordinate the government's stalled coronavirus testing, two individuals with knowledge of the episode told POLITICO. (Diamond, 3/3)

In other news —

Politico: Fed Slashes Rates In Emergency Response To Coronavirus
The Federal Reserve announced Tuesday that it is cutting interest rates by half a percentage point, an emergency move designed to bolster the U.S. economy amid risks posed by the coronavirus outbreak, which is expected to endanger economies around the world. (Guida and Forgey, 3/3)

The Hill: Poll: Coronavirus Fears Dampen Sentiment About The Economy
Voters remain bullish about the state of the economy but there are warning signs that the coronavirus outbreak is causing new anxieties, according to a new poll. The latest Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll found that 70 percent of voters believe the economy is strong, a 4 point decline from the same poll last month. When voters were asked if they expect a recession in the next six months, 41 percent said they believe the economy will remain the same, 37 percent said they expect a recession and 23 percent said the economy would improve. (Easley, 3/3)

The Hill: Vaccine Costs Emerge As Roadblock To Coronavirus Funding Deal 
Vaccine affordability has emerged as a final roadblock to getting a deal on billions in funding to combat the coronavirus. Negotiators in Congress are hoping to unveil a funding deal soon, but as of early Tuesday evening,  lawmakers and top staff were haggling over the final sticking points. (Carney, 3/3)

Politico: Coronavirus Emergency Bill Stalled Over Vaccine Cost Concerns
The biggest issue, according to several people familiar with negotiations, involves a Democratic attempt to control the costs of vaccines and other treatments that are developed in response to the outbreak. Other issues include details of hospital reimbursement for uninsured patients and whether to pay for a provision to help expand telemedicine, which would cost roughly $500 million. “Vaccines should be affordable. It’s just as simple as that,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), a top appropriator, said as she left a Democratic leadership meeting on Tuesday night. (Ferris, Caygle and Owermohle, 3/3)

The Hill: Senators Hit Trump Health Officials Over Coronavirus Testing Delays 
Senators on both sides of the aisle expressed frustration Tuesday with Trump administration officials over coronavirus testing delays, arguing that many more unknown cases could be circulating in the U.S. Faulty tests developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have led to delays in states where the virus has been detected. Officials from the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told senators at a hearing Tuesday that testing will ramp up in the coming days, but lawmakers were skeptical. (Hellmann, 3/3)

The Hill: Pence Pressed Over Coronavirus Response In Testy Senate Briefing 
Senators pressed Vice President Pence in a closed-door meeting on Tuesday over the administration’s response to coronavirus, questioning the official charged with leading the administration’s response over a lack of testing for the virus. Democratic senators in particular asked sharp questions of Pence and administration health officials during a visit to their lunch meeting. (Sullivan, 3/4)

In other news from Capitol Hill —

Roll Call: Lawmakers Looking For Guidance On Coronavirus 
Sen. Lindsey Graham fist-bumped a young man on the Senate subway Tuesday instead of offering a handshake and Sen. Bill Cassidy offered squirts of hand sanitizer to reporters peppering him with questions, two signs of how Congress is adjusting to the potential threat of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 spreading on the Capitol Hill campus. As lawmakers continue to negotiate a deal to fund a multibillion-dollar response to the coronavirus disease, they’re also thinking about the health and safety of themselves and their staff if a coronavirus outbreak were to emerge in Washington, D.C. (Tully-McManus, 3/3)

Roll Call: Politicians Have Many Ways To Keep The Germs At Bay
Running for office is a germfest, and being an expert doesn’t always help.“You cannot live germ free,” Sen. Bill Cassidy reminded me. He would know — the Republican from Louisiana was a gastroenterologist before coming to the Hill. “We do the crawfish boil handshake,” Cassidy said of his strategy on the campaign trail. “You bump elbows.” (Lyons, 3/4)

Roll Call: Coronavirus: Chao Pressed On Making Airlines Send CDC Passenger Data
The chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said the U.S. Department of Transportation has failed to implement a plan to prevent the spread of contagious diseases via aircraft despite a recommendation to do so five years ago. Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat, said the Government Accountability Office recommended the Department of Transportation craft a comprehensive response plan in response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak. “That hasn't happened,” he said during a hearing Tuesday of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Aviation. “Through two administrations it hasn’t happened and now it’s a little late.” (Wehrman, 3/3)

ABC News: Democratic Lawmaker On HHS Memo Linked To Whistleblower Complaint: 'Totally Insufficient' 
Lawmakers are criticizing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services after receiving a memo in lieu of a briefing in response to questions over allegations reportedly made in a whistleblower complaint. "This is totally insufficient," said Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., in response to the memo. "We need to be briefed to know if there is any risk to our constituencies -- yet HHS has refused to be transparent and communicative throughout the process." (Tatum and Parkinson, 3/3)

PBS NewsHour: With Novel Coronavirus Deaths Rising, Health Officials Face Grilling On Capitol Hill 
As states discover increasing numbers of new novel coronavirus cases, public health officials are scrambling to respond -- while also facing questions from a Senate panel on Tuesday about why the U.S. has been so slow to roll out effective tests for the virus. (Branghan, 3/3)

The New York Times: Global Mortality Rate Reaches 3.4 Percent
The head of the World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the global mortality rate for Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, was 3.4 percent. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the organization’s director general, said in a news conference in Geneva that Covid-19 is deadlier than the seasonal flu, but does not transmit as easily. “Globally, about 3.4 percent of reported Covid-19 cases have died,” said Dr. Tedros. “By comparison, seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1 percent of those infected.” (3/3)

The Hill: WHO: Coronavirus Death Rate Higher Than Initially Thought 
World Health Organization (WHO) officials on Tuesday said the death rate from the novel coronavirus is higher than previously thought. "Globally, about 3.4 percent of reported COVID-19 cases have died. By comparison, seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1 percent of those infected," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press briefing. (Weixel, 3/3)

The Washington Post: How Bad Will The Coronavirus Outbreak Get In The U.S.?
The spreading coronavirus is shaping up as a pandemic of potentially historic proportions, possibly on the scale of the global outbreak of influenza in 1957 but unlikely to be as catastrophic as the Spanish flu of 1918, according to projections by infectious disease experts who are still struggling to understand this novel pathogen. The many unknowns about the virus impede efforts to predict its trajectory. Modeling new diseases is inherently uncertain, and scientists have at times overestimated the severity of epidemics, including in 2009, when the H1N1 flu (or “swine flu”) turned out to be milder than expected, and in 2014, when the Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed far fewer people than projected early in that crisis. (Achenbach, Bernstein, Satija and Wan, 3/3)

Los Angeles Times: How Bad Could This Coronavirus Outbreak Get?
The 1918 Spanish flu — the worst pandemic of the 20th century — is estimated to have killed at least 50 million people worldwide over the course of three years. That includes 675,000 in the U.S. Among those who were infected, the death rate was estimated to be greater than 2.5%. The most recent pandemic flu — caused by the H1N1 virus that emerged from pigs in 2009 — caused somewhere between 152,000 and 575,000 deaths around the world. An estimated 12,500 of those fatalities occurred in the U.S. during the first year of the outbreak; an estimated 60.8 million nationwide were infected. The new coronavirus could wind up somewhere in between, said Dr. Otto Yang, an infectious disease expert at UCLA. (Lin, 3/3)

NBC News: 'We Simply Do Not Understand Why': Coronavirus Is Sparing Children, Puzzling Experts
As the novel coronavirus spreads around the globe, sickening more than 90,000 people and killing about 3,000, doctors have noticed something curious: Very few children have been diagnosed with it. And of those who have, most have had mild cases.In China, where the outbreak started, children comprise just 2.4 percent of all reported cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, a World Health Organization-China Joint Mission report from last month found. Of those, only a sliver — 2.5 percent — experienced severe symptoms, and an even tinier proportion — 0.2 percent — became critically ill. Worldwide, there have been no deaths reported so far in young children. (Chuck, 3/3)

Dallas Morning News: Is Hand Sanitizer The Best Way To Stop The Coronavirus?
Shoppers worried about the coronavirus have been sweeping stores clean of hand sanitizer, and the Purell panic has led to price-gouging on Amazon and other online retailers. But most stores are still well-stocked with soap, and health experts say it’s a better choice than the alcohol-based antiseptics. (Marfin and Keomoungkhoun, 3/3)

Des Moines Register: Here's What You Can Do To Avoid Falling For Coronavirus Scams
Where there is fear, there are usually scammers ready to take advantage.In Michigan, pranksters sent out texts saying the coronavirus had reached a local elementary school and urged people with the virus to contact a hospital. Michigan has no confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.On Etsy, an e-commerce site used to market crafts and clothing, people have been selling counterfeit face masks to those scared of contracting COVID-19. Advocates for consumers warn Iowans to be wary of websites, emails, texts and social media posts using worries about the virus to take your money, sell bogus products or lure you into providing personal information. (Rood, 3/3)

ABC News: When Explaining Coronavirus To Your Children, What's The Best Approach? 
Concerns linked to the new coronavirus range from managing sick days to global financial markets, so it can be easy to overlook some of the most vulnerable among us: children. Young children, whose physical and emotional needs should be considered during such an outbreak, frequently catch colds -- as many as 10 per year before they turn 2 years old. Children tend to spend most of their time in school or in daycare, in close contact with other children, a fact that when considered alongside too-infrequent hand-washings after sneezes and coughs, well, it's no wonder they're so often sick. (Baldwin and Graber, 3/4)

Modern Healthcare: Coronavirus Outbreak Preparation Proving Difficult For Providers
As the number of cases and deaths from the coronavirus continues to increase in the U.S., hospitals are finding it difficult to prepare. More than 100 cases have been confirmed as of Tuesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with six deaths reported in Washington state and 60 infections across 12 states. (Johnson, 3/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Misinformation Lives Online, Despite Efforts To Stamp It Out
Facebook and other technology giants have vowed to fight misinformation related to the coronavirus epidemic on their platforms. Yet even as they remove fraudulent posts, listings and other content, conspiracy theories and false information continue to proliferate online. Facebook said it has tweaked search results for “coronavirus” to direct users toward recognized and authoritative medical sources. The company says it contracts people throughout the world to look at content and determine whether it is misleading, and that it is also removing misleading content flagged by major health organizations. (Herrera, 3/3)

The Hill: Facebook To Give 'WHO As Many Free Ads As They Need' For Coronavirus Response 
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg pledged Tuesday that his company would help the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health agencies with free ads to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus outbreak. In a post Tuesday evening, Zuckerberg wrote that his company was "focused on making sure everyone can access credible and accurate information" amid fears of an outbreak worsening in the U.S. (Bowden, 3/3)

NPR: Got Coronavirus Anxiety? These 5 Tips Can Help Calm Your Fears
Anxiety thrives on uncertainty. And, as the coronavirus spreads, our unanswered questions can make us feel vulnerable or fearful. "Will it come to my community" or "Am I at risk?' "We've got national anxiety at the moment, a kind of shared stress, and we are all in a state of extreme uncertainty," says Catherine Belling, an associate professor at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, who studies the role of fear and anxiety in health care. (Aubrey, 3/3)

The New York Times: What Are The Symptoms Of A Coronavirus Infection?
As the coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, the news is coming at a fast and furious pace. But don’t let the volume send you into a panic about your health and that of your loved ones. “The mantra is, ‘keep calm and carry on,’” said Dr. Marguerite Neill, an infectious disease expert at Brown University. Here’s a list of frequently asked questions about the coronavirus outbreak and its symptoms. (3/3)

The Associated Press: Face Mask Shortage Causes Governments To Step In To Help Medical Workers
Governments are taking emergency steps to ease shortages of face masks for front-line doctors and nurses dealing with the spread of the new coronavirus. The French government announced it would claim supplies of protective masks, while the United States relaxed rules on the kind of masks health-care workers can use. “We are concerned that countries’ abilities to respond are being compromised by the severe and increasing disruption to the global supply of personal protective equipment, caused by rising demand, hoarding and misuse,” said the World Health Organization’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We can’t stop covid-19 without protecting our health workers.” (3/3)

Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus Panic Buying Isn't Necessary, Experts Say
Charmin toilet paper out at Costco. Masks all gone at Walgreens. A run on bags of rice. Even reasonably priced hand sanitizer is seemingly sold out at the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon. Are Americans prudently preparing for a coronavirus pandemic by stocking up? Or is this irresponsible panic buying? (Lin, 3/3)

Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus Prevention: 10 Songs For Hand Washing
As the coronavirus spreads throughout the country, health officials say handwashing is one of the best ways people can protect themselves. After using the bathroom, touching your face or sneezing and before eating, scrub with soap and water for 20 seconds — or about the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. (Monnier, 3/3)

The Wall Street Journal: For Travelers Returning From Coronavirus Hot Spots, Little Clarity On Quarantining
Newton, Mass., health authorities faced a tough decision whether to quarantine a school group returning from a trip to Italy on Feb. 29. Making the choice more difficult: a lack of direction from the U.S. government. “It would have been very helpful to me to have clearer guidance around travelers from different countries,” said Deborah Youngblood, the commissioner at the Newton Department of Health and Human Services. It decided, with input from state health and school officials, that the 19 Newton North High School students and two chaperones should stay home for 14 days and monitor themselves for symptoms. (Abbott and Ansari, 3/4)

The New York Times: What It’s Like To Come Home To The Stigma Of Coronavirus
Frank King has gotten death threats. So many angry strangers have called his phone in recent weeks that he changed his number. And his neighbors have offered to bring food to his doorstep if he would just agree to stay inside his house. “I have a whole new respect for the plight of pariahs,” said Mr. King, who was among 650 Americans who returned to the United States last month after being stuck for more than a week on a cruise ship that no country initially allowed to dock because of fear of coronavirus. (Stockman, 3/4)

Meanwhile —

The Hill: Cicilline Urges CDC Chief To Alert States Of Travelers From Any Countries With Coronavirus 
Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) called Tuesday on the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to alert state governments to incoming travelers arriving from countries experiencing coronavirus outbreaks. In a letter obtained by CBS affiliate WPRI, Cicilline pointed to recent reports of the virus in Rhode Island resulting in dozens of state residents being monitored for the disease as an example of why agencies should be alerted as early as possible to potential carriers. (Bowden, 3/3)

The Hill: TSA Chief Says More Countries Facing Travel Restrictions Over Coronavirus 'Soon'
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) chief said Tuesday that more countries will face travel restrictions over the coronavirus “soon.” TSA Administrator David Pekoske made the comments during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security hearing on Tuesday. “There will be additional countries, I’m sure, as we continue to work with the task force, and I think those announcements will be relatively soon,” Pekoske said. (Coleman, 3/3)

The New York Times: Iran’s Coronavirus Response: Pride, Paranoia, Secrecy, Chaos
Nearly three dozen Iranian government officials and members of parliament are infected and a senior adviser to the supreme leader has died. The Health Ministry has proposed sending 300,000 militia members door-to-door on a desperate mission to sanitize homes. The top prosecutor has warned that anyone hoarding face masks and other public health equipment risks the death penalty. (Fassihi and Kirkpatrick, 3/3)

PBS NewsHour: In Iran, Government Distrust Rises Amid Deadly Outbreak Of Novel Coronavirus
The global spread of novel coronavirus has hit Iran hard. Nearly two dozen members of the nation’s parliament as well as its director of emergency services are infected with the illness, and a third government official died from the virus Tuesday. (Sayah, 3/3)

The Washington Post: Officials Fear Spread Of Coronavirus To American And European Prisoners In Iran
New accounts of coronavirus infections in Iran’s prisons have alarmed Western hostage negotiators seeking to ensure the safety of American and European detainees in the country’s notoriously cramped and unsanitary facilities, according to diplomats. The spread of the virus in Iran, the epicenter of the outbreak in the Middle East, poses a daunting challenge for Western negotiators, given the array of medical challenges the detainees already face and strained diplomatic relationships with the Iranian regime. (Hudson, 3/3)

CNN: Iran To Temporarily Free 54,000 Prisoners As Coronavirus Rapidly Spreads 
Iran will temporarily release 54,000 people from prisons as officials struggle to contain the rapid spread of the biggest coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East. Iran has reported 77 deaths, one of the highest confirmed death tolls outside of China. It has also reported 2,336 positive cases. The ministry is also activating a nationwide team of 300,000 health workers and specialists, Deputy Health Minister Ali Reza Reisy told Iran's semi-official ILNA news agency. (Mostaghim, Tawfeeq and Dewan, 3/4)

The Washington Post: IOC Vows Olympics Will Start On Schedule Amid Coronavirus Concerns
The International Olympic Committee stridently doubled down on its stance that the coronavirus will not affect the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, even after a Japanese official raised the possibility of a postponement during a government hearing. The IOC Executive Board, holding a scheduled meeting at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, released a statement Tuesday expressing “full commitment to the success” of the Tokyo Olympics taking place from July 24 to Aug. 9 as originally planned. (Kilgore, 3/3)

CIDRAP: WHO Warns Of COVID-19-Related Protective Equipment Shortage
The World Health Organization's (WHO's) director-general today warned that shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gowns are masks could leave frontline health workers unprotected from the COVID-19 virus, which comes as the epicenter shifts from China to three nations on three different continents. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said China over the past day reported its lowest number of new cases of the novel coronavirus disease since Jan 20. Of nearly 2,000 cases reported in the rest of the world yesterday, though, 80% were from South Korea, Iran, and Italy. (Schnirring, 3/3)

Reuters: WHO Warns Of Global Shortage Of Medical Equipment To Fight Coronavirus
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday warned of a global shortage and price gouging for protective equipment to fight the fast-spreading coronavirus and asked companies and governments to increase production by 40% as the death toll from the respiratory illness mounted. Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates on Tuesday in an emergency move to try to prevent a global recession and the World Bank announced $12 billion to help countries fight the coronavirus, which has taken a heavy toll on air travel, tourism and other industries, threatening global economic growth prospects. (3/4)

The Wall Street Journal: China’s Workers Suffer Layoffs, Slashed Pay And Shutdowns As Coronavirus Batters Businesses
A sharp economic slowdown in China caused by the coronavirus epidemic is putting new pressure on the country’s labor market, as businesses struggling to maintain or revive operations resort to pay cuts and layoffs—or simply shut down. More job cuts could further depress consumer spending and weaken an economy that is already projected to slow significantly or contract in the first quarter. (Zie, 3/4)

WBUR: Why The Death Rate From Coronavirus Is Plunging In China 
When it comes to the spiraling global coronavirus outbreak, scientists are still trying to pin down the answer to a basic question: How deadly is this virus? Estimates have varied widely. For instance, at a Feb. 24 news conference in Beijing, a top Chinese health official, Liang Wannian, said the fatality rate for COVID-19 was quite high. (Aizenman, 3/3)

Reuters: World Bank Announces Up To $12 Billion In Immediate Funds For Coronavirus
The World Bank on Tuesday announced an initial $12 billion in immediate funds to assist countries grappling with the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus virus outbreak that has spread quickly from China to some 80 countries. World Bank President David Malpass said there were still "many unknowns" about the fast-spreading virus and "much more" aid might be required, but he declined to elaborate. (3/3)

Reuters: Thousands Wait For Hospital Beds In South Korea As Coronavirus Cases Surge
South Korea reported 516 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday as thousands of sick people waited for hospital beds in Daegu, the city at the center of the worst outbreak outside mainland China. The new cases bring South Korea's total to 5,328, with at least 32 deaths, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. (3/4)

The Washington Post: Coronavirus In Italy Fills Hospital Beds And Turns Doctors Into Patients
One infectious-disease doctor said coronavirus had hit "like a tsunami" at his hospital, where more than 100 out of 120 people admitted with the virus have also developed pneumonia. Another hospital nearby is facing staff shortages as doctors have become patients. Doctors, virologists and health-care officials on the front line of Italy’s battle against coronavirus, in more than a dozen interviews, described a health-care system stretched to its limits — a situation other countries may face as the virus spreads. (Morris, 3/3)

The Associated Press: Supreme Court Takes Up First Big Abortion Case Of Trump Era
The Supreme Court is taking up the first major abortion case of the Trump era, an election-year look at a Louisiana dispute that could reveal how willing the more conservative court is to roll back abortion rights. The outcome could have huge consequences at a time when several states have passed laws, being challenged in the courts, that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks. (Sherman, 3/4)

The Washington Post: Supreme Court Abortion Case A First Test For Trump’s Justices
A repopulated and more conservative Supreme Court on Wednesday will consider one of those Louisiana laws, and some politicians here wonder if it might be the breakthrough they’ve been waiting for in a decades-long effort to rid the state, and the nation, of abortion. “I prayed one day that it would come, but I never thought it would be with this bill,” said state Sen. Katrina Jackson, a Democrat who calls herself “pro-whole life” and says she has been “very aggressive” in pursuing legislation to impose more restrictions. (Barnes, 3/3)

ABC News: Louisiana Abortion Case Having Its Day At The Supreme Court 
The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments for the latest landmark abortion case on Wednesday morning, which could change the landscape of abortion law in America -- and abortion access -- for years to come. June Medical Services v. Russo (previously v. Gee) is a challenge from Louisiana abortion providers to a 2014 state law that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges with a nearby hospital, which allows a patient to go to that hospital if they need urgent care. Because abortion statistically has very low complication rates, the need for hospital care is extremely rare. (Svokos, 3/4)

CBS News: Roe V. Wade Might Not Matter After Supreme Court Decides This Case
For nearly 50 years, access to abortion has been largely protected by Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. But a case before the high court this week could erode the landmark decision without ever challenging it directly. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Wednesday for June Medical Services v. Russo, a case that challenges a 2014 Louisiana law. The result could impact abortion access across the country, and advocates fear the relatively recent additions of two conservative justices make it more likely that the court upholds the law. (Smith, 3/3)

The Associated Press: Mississippi Seeks Abortion Ban For Race, Sex, Genetic Error
Mississippi's Republican-led Legislature is trying to restrict the reasons women may seek abortion, after federal courts blocked time limitations that the state tried to put on the procedure the past two years. Abortion would be prohibited if a woman is seeking one because of the race, sex or genetic abnormality of the fetus, under a bill that passed a state House committee Tuesday. The only exception would be in case of a medical emergency. Other states have been sued over similar laws, and opponents questioned whether Mississippi is inviting another lawsuit over abortion. (3/3)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Bill Would Ban Abortions If Roe V. Wade Is Overturned
A Southwest Ohio lawmaker wants to be prepared to abolish abortion in Ohio if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the landmark case, Roe v. Wade.Rep. John Becker, R-Union Township in Clermont County, is introducing a proposal to ban all abortions in Ohio except to save a woman's life or prevent "substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function." But it wouldn't take effect unless the 1973 court case legalizing abortions nationwide was upended. (Balmert, 3/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Maine Voters Keep Tightened Vaccine Requirements
The vote means Maine will join a handful of states, including California and New York, that are making it harder to opt out of vaccine requirements as part of their efforts to restrain preventable diseases like measles. “Tonight, the health and wellbeing of Maine children prevailed,” Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, said late Tuesday. (Kamp, 3/3)

The Hill: Maine Vaccination Law Survives Referendum Vote 
A Maine law that imposes strict vaccination requirements survived a referendum on Tuesday, with voters keeping the measure that eliminates religious and philosophical exemptions. Gov. Janet Mills (D) had strongly urged Mainers not to reject the law, set to take effect September 2021, citing the spread of the coronavirus. After the virus was first identified in China, she noted that “one of the first things that public health officials did was begin to work on a vaccine because vaccines save lives,” The Associated Press reported. (Budryk, 3/3)

Bangor Daily News: Maine Voters Uphold New Law Tightening School Vaccination Requirements 
A new Maine law tightening school vaccine requirements will go into effect after voters rejected a people’s veto challenge on Tuesday, making the state the fifth to bar parents from exempting children from vaccines for nonmedical reasons. The measure backed by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills passed largely along party lines in the Legislature last year as a response to rising vaccine opt-out rates in Maine schoolchildren that reached the sixth-highest mark in the nation during the 2018-19 school year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Andrews, 3/4)

The Associated Press: Virginia Bans Conversion Therapy For Minors 
Virginia is outlawing the discredited practice of conversion therapy for LGBTQ children. Conversion therapy is a practice used to try to change sexual orientation or gender identity. Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday he had signed into law that bans licensed therapists and counselors from subjecting minors to the practice. The legislation passed the Virginia General Assembly earlier this year. (3/3)

CNN: Virginia Governor Signs Bill Banning Conversion Therapy For Minors 
Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has signed into law a bill banning the controversial practice of "conversion therapy" for minors, according to a release from his office Tuesday. The legislation, House Bill 386, adds the commonwealth to a growing list of states that have issued similar bans on the widely discredited practice, which attempts to forcibly change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity. (Kelly, 3/3)

NBC News: Virginia Becomes 20th State To Ban Conversion Therapy For Minors
Virginia is the first state in the South, and the 20th overall, to prohibit "conversion therapy," the debunked practice of trying to change a young person's sexual orientation or gender identity. "Conversion therapy sends the harmful message that there is something wrong with who you are," Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, said in a statement Tuesday. (Sopelsa, 3/3)

The New York Times: When A Drug Study Abruptly Ends, Volunteers Are Left To Cope
On March 21, 2019, the staff at the Penn Memory Center in Philadelphia was scrambling to learn more about an early-morning announcement: Two pharmaceutical companies, Biogen and Eisai, would discontinue their clinical trial of a drug intended to slow the progression of early Alzheimer’s disease. A “futility analysis” had shown that aducanumab, being studied in more than 3,200 people worldwide, would not prove effective. It was yet another disheartening result; after decades of drug research, one medication after another — hundreds of them — had failed to prevent, arrest or cure Alzheimer’s. (Span, 3/3)

NPR: In A 1st, Scientists Use Revolutionary Gene-Editing Tool To Edit Inside A Patient
For the first time, scientists have used the gene-editing technique CRISPR to try to edit a gene while the DNA is still inside a person's body. The groundbreaking procedure involved injecting the microscopic gene-editing tool into the eye of a patient blinded by a rare genetic disorder, in hopes of enabling the volunteer to see. They hope to know within weeks whether the approach is working and, if so, to know within two or three months how much vision will be restored. (Stein, 3/4)

The Associated Press: Doctors Try 1st CRISPR Editing In The Body For Blindness
Scientists say they have used the gene editing tool CRISPR inside someone's body for the first time, a new frontier for efforts to operate on DNA, the chemical code of life, to treat diseases. A patient recently had it done at the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland for an inherited form of blindness, the companies that make the treatment announced Wednesday. They would not give details on the patient or when the surgery occurred. (3/4)

The Associated Press: Medication Fog Can Mimic Or Worsen Dementia In The Elderly
Claire Dinneen's daughters thought that worsening dementia was causing her growing confusion, but her doctor suspected something else. Dr. Pei Chen asked them to round up medicines in the 89-year-old woman's home and they returned with a huge haul. There were 28 drugs ordered by various doctors for various ailments, plus over-the-counter medicines. Chen spent a year sorting out which ones were truly needed and trimmed a dozen. (Marchione, 3/3)

The Associated Press: ADHD Diagnoses Increasing In Black Kids, Report Suggests
For the first time, a U.S. survey found that black children appear to be more likely than white kids to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other learning disabilities. Previous studies had found the diagnosis was far more likely in white kids. It's not known what might have driven the change described in Wednesday's report, said lead author Benjamin Zablotsky of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Stobbe, 3/4)

The New York Times: How Exercise May Affect Your Immunity
Does exercise help or hinder our bodies’ ability to fight off infections? In the context of the novel coronavirus outbreak, that question has gained urgency and also, thanks to recent research, emergent answers. The latest science suggests that being fit boosts our immune systems, and that even a single workout can amplify and improve our ability to fight off germs. (Reynolds, 3/4)

WBUR: 'Whiplash' Of LGBTQ Protections And Rights, From Obama To Trump 
At the heart of a story now playing out in schools, workplaces and courts across the U.S. is a disagreement over the legal meaning of the word "sex" — and whether discrimination against gay and transgender people for being gay or transgender is sex discrimination. The White House has a particular kind of power over this question. It has the power to interpret whether LGBTQ people are protected by sex discrimination protections in laws passed by Congress, to issue rules and policies that reflect that interpretation, and — through those actions — the power to send a message to the country. (Simmons-Duffin, 3/2)

CNN: Diet Soda By Itself May Not Cause Weight Gain, Study Says, But Combining With Carbs Can 
In the black hole of bad news for diet soda lovers, there's a tiny glimmer of light. The gloom set in when science showed drinking diet soda could lead to metabolic syndrome, a nasty mix of higher blood pressure and blood sugars that leads to weight gain and increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. But a new study has found that it's when you pair the common artificial sweetener sucralose with a carbohydrate -- not the sweetener alone -- that the body's metabolism changes in a way that can lead to metabolic syndrome. (LaMotte, 3/3)

ABC News: Democratic Republic Of The Congo Discharges Last Ebola Patient After 14 Days Without Confirmed Cases 
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has discharged its last Ebola patient from a treatment center -- a major milestone in the country's fight against the second-largest Ebola outbreak in history. The World Health Organization's Regional Office for Africa posted video on social media showing the patient leaving an Ebola treatment center on Tuesday in the city of Beni, the epicenter of the outbreak. (Winsor, 3/3)

The Associated Press: States Scramble To Prepare Ahead Of Food Stamps Rule Change
Having food stamps offers Richard Butler a stability he’s rarely known in his 25 years. He was in state custody at age 2, spent his teen years at a Chicago boys’ home and jail for burglary, and has since struggled to find a permanent home. The $194 deposited monthly on his benefits card buys fresh produce and meat. “It means the world to me,” said Butler, who shares a one-bedroom apartment with two others. “We can go without a lot of things, like phones and music. We can’t go without eating.” (3/4)

Capital News Service: Bill Adds Suicide Prevention Info To Maryland Highway Signs
The State Highway Administration would be authorized to post suicide prevention information on existing electronic highway signs under new legislation proposed in the Maryland Senate. Senate bill 810, which is expected to be heard in the Finance Committee Wednesday, would authorize usage of the signs within a five-mile radius of high-risk suicide zones, such as the the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. (Barnes, 3/3)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Surprise Medical Billing Legislation Passes In Georgia House
Two bills that would put checks on unexpected medical bills passed the Georgia House of Representatives on Tuesday.Surprise billing legislation narrowly failed in the House last year, with a vote of 77 to 78 on House Bill 84. The two bills that passed Tuesday with only a handful of “no” votes marked a key moment in a long effort on the issue by legislators, said Rep. Lee Hawkins, R-Gainesville. (Coyne, 3/3)

The Associated Press: Washington Legislature Ease Penalties For HIV Exposure
The Washington Legislature on Tuesday approved a bill that reduces the crime of intentionally exposing a sexual partner to HIV from a felony to a misdemeanor. Supporters of the change to the rarely used law say the current penalties don’t have an effect on reducing transmissions or improving public health. Opponents argued the move diminishes the significance of the impact on a person who is unknowingly infected. (3/3)

Los Angeles Times: Shelter Openings Mark Progress In L.A.'s Homelessness Response
At a town hall 16 months ago, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Councilman Mike Bonin endured a public flogging from residents who were incensed by a plan to build a homeless shelter across the street from some of the priciest real estate in Venice. The opposition continued, first with a scathing social media campaign and then with a lawsuit. But all that was only a bittersweet memory last week, when Garcetti and Bonin stood before an appreciative crowd of homeless advocates and service providers to open Pacific Sunset, a 154-bed bridge home shelter for men, women and young adults. (Smith, 3/3)

Roll Call: States Turn To Unenforced Federal Law To Slow Medical Marijuana Legalization 
Since 2014, Congress has protected patients and cannabis programs from federal marijuana prosecutions in states that allow it for medical use. Medical marijuana’s unique legal status involves a little-known provision called the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment that Congress renews every year in spending laws. It says the Justice Department cannot use federal funds to prevent states from implementing their own medical marijuana laws. (Kopp, 3/4)

Albany Herald: Phoebe Paid $1 Million In Taxes, Voluntary Payments In 2019 
Belying claims that the hospital system is not paying taxes on properties not used for medical purposes, Phoebe Putney Health System has compiled a document showing that the health system paid slightly less than a million dollars in taxes and in voluntary payments in lieu of taxes in 2019. Phoebe Health System CEO Scott Steiner had copies of a document showing taxes paid on all Phoebe-owned properties hand-delivered to city officials on Monday. The Albany Herald obtained a copy of the document. (Fletcher, 3/3)

Stat: Drug Prices Rose Three Times Faster Than Inflation, Despite Discounts
Amid intensifying anger over the rising cost of medicines, a key piece of data has been missing from the debate — the actual prices after accounting for rebates and discounts offered by drug makers to payers. Now, a new analysis has come up with some numbers and the results are illuminating: Over a recent 11-year period, net prices for hundreds of drugs rose 60%, which was 3.5 times the inflation rate. (Silverman, 3/3)

Medscape: Drug Prices In US Continue To Soar; Are Profits Too High?
Three studies and two editorials in Journal of the American Medical Association tackle the issue of the relentless rise in prices of new drugs and ask: Is the pharma industry making too much profit? (Nelson, 3/3)

The Washington Post: Why Facebook Is Filled With Pharmaceutical Ads
Jordan Lemasters keeps seeing ads in his Facebook app for an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder drug called Vyvanse. When the Chicago-based audio branding consultant recently clicked on the ad’s drop-down menu and selected “Why Am I Seeing This Ad,” a pop-up said it was because of his age range, because he lives in the United States and because he may have visited Vyvanse.com. But Lemasters felt spooked. The 29-year-old had used another ADHD drug, Adderall, but never publicized it. The ads “just felt invasive,” says Lemasters, who says he quit Adderall in 2017 because it made him feel like a zombie. “What bothers me is how powerful those drugs are and how it’s pushed, rather than a doctor actually assessing a patient and suggesting a proper solution." (Tiku, 3/4)

The Wall Street Journal: Insulin Giant Aims To Unlock Elusive Obesity-Drug Market
The world’s biggest insulin maker is betting it can unlock a multibillion-dollar market that has largely eluded the drug industry: obesity. Denmark’s Novo Nordisk makes one of the world’s few approved drugs aimed specifically at battling obesity, but weight-loss treatments are typically a tough sell. Many doctors are convinced that lifestyle changes, not drugs, are a better answer. The sector is also relatively new: Obesity was first recognized as a disease by the American Medical Association in 2013. Many insurers still don’t cover obesity drugs, and some previous treatments didn’t win approval or were withdrawn from the market after problems arose. (Roland, 3/3)

Stat: One Woman's Complicated Journey To A Canada — All For Cheaper Insulin
Just after Emma Kleck turned 26, she started looking up flights to Canada. Kleck, who has type 1 diabetes, knew she’d be paying a hefty sum each year for the test strips, body sensors, and insulin vials she needs to manage her disease once she switched from her parents’ insurance to the high-deductible plan her job offers. She was determined to see if she could find a cheaper option. (Florko and Jaques, 3/4)

Reuters: Two In Five U.S. Diabetics Struggle With Medical Bills
Many working-age U.S. adults with diabetes struggle to pay their medical bills, according to a study that suggests health insurance offers inadequate protection from financial hardship. Among adults under age 65 with diabetes, 60% of those without insurance struggled to pay for care, as did 40% of people with coverage. (Rapaport, 3/3)

The CT Mirror: Lawmakers Rally Support For Wide-Ranging Drug Bill
Bolstered by national efforts and the financial concerns of their constituents, legislators are pushing a measure that includes several provisions aimed at capping or lowering the price of prescription medication. The sweeping drug bill features a plan to import medicine from Canada, a proposal to cap the monthly cost of prescription pharmaceuticals at $250 for people with fully insured health plans, a ban on “pay to delay” – a practice that postpones the introduction of cheaper, generic drugs into the market, and a prohibition on mid-year changes to drug formularies. (Carlesso, 3/4)

Reuters: U.S. Sues Mallinckrodt, Accuses Drugmaker Of Defrauding Medicaid
The United States sued a unit of the drugmaker Mallinckrodt Plc on Tuesday, accusing it of defrauding Medicaid out of hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of "meteoric" price increases for its biggest-selling drug, Acthar Gel. Joining a civil whistleblower lawsuit filed in Boston federal court, the government said Mallinckrodt ARD LLC violated the federal False Claims Act by withholding Medicaid rebates related to Acthar, which now costs nearly $40,000 per vial. (Stempel, 3/3)

Stat: Mallinckrodt Sued Over 'Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars' In Medicaid Rebates
A simmering feud between the federal government and Mallinckrodt (MNK) took a new turn as the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit accusing the company of deliberately underpaying hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicaid rebates, which were tied to the price of its most important medication, the Acthar Gel treatment. Under federal law, drug makers are required to pay quarterly rebates to state Medicaid programs in exchange for coverage of their medicines. These rebates include a provision that is designed to insulate the programs from price hikes that outpace inflation, and companies must pay rebates based on 1990 pricing or whenever a medicine was first marketed. (Silverman, 3/3)

Reuters: Gilead Buys Forty Seven For $4.9 Billion To Bolster Cancer Drug Pipeline
Gilead Sciences Inc said on Monday it would buy Forty Seven Inc for $4.9 billion in cash, adding an experimental treatment that targets blood cancer to its portfolio of oncology drugs. Shares of Forty Seven jumped 62%, trading slightly below the offer price of $95.50 per share. Gilead shares were up 2.3% at $70.95 in early morning trading. (Mishra and Roy, 3/2)

The Wall Street Journal: Gilead Sciences To Buy Forty Seven For $4.9 Billion
The deal is the first major outright acquisition under Gilead Chief Executive Daniel O’Day, who took over the company a little over a year ago with a mandate to jump-start sales growth and turn around the company’s sagging stock price. The transaction will deepen Gilead’s pipeline of cancer drugs. Gilead, based in Foster City, Calif., is grappling with a sharp decline in revenue from its hepatitis C drug franchise and the threat of generic competition to its HIV drugs. (Walker, 3/2)

Stat: These 4 Startups Got Venture Funding A Year Ago. Where Are They Now?
Every quarter, the CEO of a public biotech company can expect to spend an hour or two on the phone, describing her company’s progress to shareholders and reporters and answering questions from analysts. But CEOs of early-stage, privately held biotech companies are allowed to play their cards much closer to the vest. There are no earnings calls or SEC filings; these CEOs can choose when to update the world with a  press release or an interview. (Sheridan, 3/2)

Stat: This Biotech Went Public During The Stock Market’s Worst Week Since 2008
Concerns about the coronavirus outbreak made last week one of the markets’ worst since the 2008 financial crisis. But Philadelphia-based gene therapy company Passage Bio (PASG) still launched its initial public offering in the middle of that mess — and the company did just fine. (Sheridan, 3/4)

Stat: TG Therapeutics Cops To Another Blood Cancer Drug Trial Delay, As Excuses Wear Thin
TG Therapeutics (TGTX) on Tuesday delayed yet again the readout from its most important blood cancer clinical trial. And like the previous delay of study results disclosed in September 2018, the biotech’s CEO is papering over the very real risk of failure. (Feuerstein, 3/3)

Bloomberg: Health-Care Banker Chris Hite Leaves Citi For Royalty Pharma
Chris Hite, a top Citigroup Inc. health-care dealmaker, is leaving the firm. Hite, head of the New York-based bank’s global health-care group for 12 years, will join Royalty Pharma, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked to not be identified because the matter is private. Royalty Pharma is a private company that invests in revenue streams from drugs. (Ahmed and Hammond, 2/27)

Carroll County Times: Insurers Won’t Pay For A Hampstead Child To Get Treatment For A Rare Syndrome. A Maryland Bill Could Force Them To. 
In 2017, 4-year-old Jackson Mattoon of Hampstead could not have been more excited to start preschool, according to his mother Molly. “He was one of those kids that just wanted to be around kids so bad,” she said. “The first day of preschool, we dropped him off and he ran in and didn’t even look back.” And then one day, Molly got a call from Jackson’s teacher. He was inconsolable. (Kelvey, 3/4)

Undark: The Solution To Soaring Drug Prices? A Public Option For Pills
In 2019, for the first time in recent memory, the federal government was not the most hated industry among Americans. According to polling from Gallup, that dishonor was reserved for Big Pharma. To me — and probably to most of you — this doesn’t come as a surprise. Throughout the 2010s, Americans endured a series of erratic spikes in the prices of older, off-patent drugs that theoretically should have cheap generic alternatives available. First, there was Daraprim, a drug for parasitic infections, whose price was increased more than 50-fold overnight by “pharma bro” and cultural villain Martin Shkreli. Then there was the EpiPen, the emergency allergy medication that climbed to more than $300 per dose in 2016. Now there is insulin, which for some patients is so expensive that they must self-ration their dosages — the latest example of end-stage capitalism. (Vishal Khetpal, 2/27)

The Hill: Trump Should Dust Off Last Year's Drug Reform Plan 
Voters generally approve of Donald Trump’s economic policies — but give him low marks on health care, according to recent polls. The president, unsurprisingly, is grumbling. He recently chewed out Alex Azar, ordering his Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary to make faster progress on reducing drug prices. (Merrill Matthews, 2/27)

Bangor Daily News: The Pros And Cons Of Drug Price Controls
For many Americans, the price of prescription drugs today is unsustainable. This is why some politicians in Washington are seeking ways to reduce prices. But despite the need for a speedy remedy, price controls are probably off the table. While some people feel price controls are necessary to secure access to life-saving drugs, others argue price controls will only hurt consumers in the long run. Who is correct? (William L. Somes, 3/2)

Gazette.Com: Drug Prices Fuel A Bipartisan Debate From Denver To D.C. 
For folks like me who take a roster of pills every day, the high price of prescriptions is a matter of life and death, or at least so you feel good enough to make it on your feet 12 hours a day. You can’t put a price on that, and the drug companies know it. Some Colorado lawmakers think Americans should know exactly what you’re paying for and why. That’s the biggest political argument in the halls of Congress, and it’s no different at the state Capitol in Denver. (Joey Bunch, 3/1)

Bloomberg: The U.S. Is Uniquely Hamstrung On Virus Response
The administration is starting to do some of the right things. It's working to boost testing capacity, and that will help health workers get a handle on the spread of the disease and aid in containment; health officials are also now looking for cases entering the country from outside of China. These steps came far too slowly, however, leading to missed opportunities to catch and prevent infections. (Max Nisen, 3/2)

Stat: How Innovation Is Helping Mitigate The Coronavirus Threat 
The sudden emergence and rapid spread of a novel coronavirus, now called Covid-19, is a reminder of the power of infectious diseases. It also offers insights into how innovation and technology are better equipping us to handle public health emergencies and contain the spread of diseases. (Gary Shapiro, 3/4)

The New York Times: Coronavirus Is What You Get When You Ignore Science
Let us pray, now, for science. Pray for empiricism and for epidemiology and for vaccines. Pray for peer review and controlled double-blinds. For flu shots, herd immunity and washing your hands. Pray for reason, rigor and expertise. Pray for the precautionary principle. Pray for the N.I.H. and the C.D.C. Pray for the W.H.O. And pray not just for science, but for scientists, too, as well as their colleagues in the application of science — the tireless health care workers, the whistle-blowing first responders, the rumpled, righteous public servants whose long-ignored warnings we will learn about only when the 12-part coronavirus docu-disaster series drops on Netflix. (Farhad Manjoo, 3/4)

The Wall Street Journal: The Coronavirus ‘Stimulus’ 
The Federal Reserve has become the default doctor for whatever ails the U.S. economy, and on Tuesday the financial physician applied what it hopes will be monetary balm for the economic damage from the coronavirus. Financial markets were underwhelmed after the big rally on Monday, which may speak to the limited effect that lower interest rates can have on the supply shock of a pandemic. (3/3)

Los Angeles Times: Fed Rate Cut Can't Cure Coronavirus, But It Can Spread Panic
Nothing says “Don’t panic” quite like an emergency interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Oh, wait....By cutting its target short-term interest rate by half a percentage point Tuesday morning, the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee told the country that the coronavirus outbreak is such a threat to the U.S. economy, the committee couldn’t hold off acting until its regularly scheduled meeting two weeks from now. That’s an alarming signal, and it’s similar to the one being sent by other central banks around the world. (John Healey, 3/3)

The Washington Post: The Coronavirus Is A Reminder That Fed Independence Is Vital 
Deficit control has gone out of fashion in policy circles. Liberal Democrats tend to see it as a fuddy-duddy concern that obstructs ambitious new programs; the Republicans under President Trump have shed the fig leaf of fiscal rectitude in favor of all-out tax-cutting. And it’s true that short-term threats from huge federal borrowing — $984 billion in fiscal 2019 — have mainly failed to materialize. Except in one crucial sense: The coronavirus, and the global economic downturn it seems to be triggering, shows the wisdom of those analysts who have repeatedly warned that giant deficits deprive the United States of “fiscal space” with which to respond to a sudden, unforeseen crisis. (3/3)

Bloomberg: Coronavirus: Markets Have High Hopes For G-7 Coordination 
World economic powers have a rare second chance for a do-over of their haphazard and tardy response to the global financial crisis .This opportunity is coming thanks to the spread of the coronavirus. Forecasts suggest the epidemic is the biggest threat to the economy since 2007-2009, when global gross domestic product collapsed, jobless rates surged and banks were propped up by the state. (Daniel Moss, 3/2)

The Hill: Coronavirus Preparedness: Insurers And Medicaid Need To Relax Prescription Refills
...Medicare, Medicaid, and most commercial insurance plans refill most prescriptions once a month. At your average pharmacy, you cannot get your 30-day refill until day 28. To comply with its own recommendations, it is absolutely essential that the administration relaxes restrictions on prescription refills as soon as possible and changes the default from one month to a two month supply. With all the attention focused on avoiding coronavirus, we are neglecting to address the challenges a pandemic creates for other diseases. Imagine the man-made needless suffering, morbidity, and mortality that will result if access to chronic critical medications was limited during a crisis. (Michael Rosenbaum and Beth Simone Noveck, 3/3)

CNN: The Way We Talk About Coronavirus Matters
The way we talk about disease can actually alter how diseases spread. As medical humanities scholar Heather Schell has said, the practice of epidemiology links statistical analysis and pattern formation with the creation of narratives about the impact disease may have on the world. Interacting as they do with pathogens, these narratives themselves can shape the ebb and flow of pathogens for better or worse, as people change their behaviors in response to epidemiological reporting. (Kari Nixon, 3/3)

The Washington Post: Americans Are In A Savings Crisis And Coronavirus Could Make It Even Worse
Consumers are stockpiling toilet paper, nonperishable foods, hand sanitizer and face masks in fear that the coronavirus will hit their communities and sequester them in their homes. But being forced to stay home due to illness could result in layoffs or unpaid furloughs for many workers who are already living paycheck to paycheck. These folks may need cash more than canned goods. (Michelle Singletary, 3/3)

CNN: I'm An Emergency Doctor. I Expect To Get Coronavirus
I wholeheartedly agree with those experts who go beyond the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are now calling Covid-19 a pandemic. With evidence of sustained person-to-person transmission on multiple continents, it's time to stop focusing on containment and work instead to harden our domestic healthcare infrastructure. (James Phillips, 3/3)

Modern Healthcare: Coronavirus Battle Requires Congress To Allow Telehealth Treatment
Telehealth, which has proven to be a very practical tool in addressing patient needs during flu season, will improve our collective ability to address COVID-19 if it hits on a larger scale. Telehealth offers several advantages over in-person care in the event of a pandemic. (Todd J. Vento, Dr. Ethan Booker and Lawrence Hofmann, 3/2)

Charleston Gazette-Mail:  Coronavirus Should Inspire Prep, Not Panic 
Weather people have been accused of hyping incoming hurricanes to increase ratings for years. The same is now being said of the media regarding COVID-19 — coronavirus. On the flipside, ignoring facts and not preparing doesn’t bode well should a hurricane walk up our driveway. So, here is what I know. (Tom Crouser, 3/2)

The Washington Post: Coronavirus And Government Responsibility On Testing
It’s not yet clear how serious coronavirus is. It is difficult to calculate fatality rates for a novel virus when many people who are infected may be asymptomatic. For the same reason, it’s challenging to know exactly how fast the virus spreads. That’s also why the precise effect of strong public health measures, such as hand-washing campaigns and school closures, cannot be predicted — whether they can slow it enough to keep the load on the health system manageable and give researchers time to develop a vaccine. (Megan McArdle, 3/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 May Have You Working At Home
The numbers don’t tell the whole story. Nine Americans have died of Covid-19, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms more than 100 cases in 15 states. But there are probably already several thousand Americans who have been infected. For now, the average person’s risk is low in a nation of 330 million, but that may soon change. The highest risk is for those who live in regional hot zones such as Washington state or Northern California.Measures that limit social activity may soon be in place. (Luciana Borio and Scott Gottlieb, 3/3)