Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) News

New research from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that by early fall 2022, an overwhelming percentage of American adults had antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a FAQ regarding Consolidated Appropriations Act changes for states redetermining Medicaid enrollee eligibility due to the March 31 end of the COVID-19 pandemic’s continuous enrollment requirement.

The Department of Health and Human Services yesterday released a fact sheet reviewing how the May 11 end of the COVID-19 public health emergency will affect the flexibilities the declaration enabled.

After the COVID-19 public health emergency ends on May 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will use COVID-19-associated hospital admission levels as the primary indicator to guide community and personal decisions related to risk and prevention behaviors.

In a study of adults hospitalized between February 2022 and February 2023, when the omicron variant predominated, monovalent mRNA vaccination was 76% effective at preventing COVID-19-associated invasive mechanical ventilation and death up to 6 months after the last dose and 56% effective at least one year after the last dose, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. 

Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., stressed that patients expect hospitals to put them first, and challenged the field to have “tough conversations” about how to ensure that continues to happen. 

Addressing the AHA annual meeting, Ashish Jha, M.D., White House COVID-19 response coordinator, whose term will end May 11 with the COVID-19 public health emergency, reflected on his time in the Administration.

Research presented by acclaimed health care finances expert Lisa Goldstein, senior vice president for Kaufman Hall, show that times are tough but hospital leaders indicate there are silver linings from the COVID-19 pandemic that will pay dividends moving forward.  

The Food and Drug Administration authorized using a single dose of the Moderna or Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for primary vaccination as well as for future doses. Under today’s amended emergency use authorizations, the monovalent Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use in the United States. 

The Department of Health and Human Services plans to amend its Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act declaration for COVID-19 to extend liability protections for certain COVID-19 countermeasure activities beyond the May 11 end of the public health emergency, the agency announced today.

The Department of Health and Human Services yesterday released a fact sheet summarizing federal efforts to address Long COVID — the signs, symptoms and conditions that can continue or develop after initial COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Learn how Advocate Children's Hospital is managing the “immunity gap” created by social distancing to persevere through the triple threat of COVID-19, RSV and flu.

Qualified family members of health care workers whose lives were lost to COVID-19 may apply through April 20 at 3 p.m. CT for a Brave of Heart Scholarship.

Dwayne Gordon, M.D., and Richard Pratley, M.D., share lessons learned from AdventHealth’s multidisciplinary approach to caring for patients who experience longer term effects from COVID-19, from chronic fatigue to shortness of breath and loss of smell.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday released a fact sheet summarizing the status of public and private coverage for COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments and certain blanket waivers for health care providers once the public health emergency ends on May 11.

The Food and Drug Administration Friday authorized for emergency use the first over-the-counter test to detect both flu and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The Lucira COVID-19 & Flu Home Test provides results from self-collected nasal swab samples in about 30 minutes.

The Drug Enforcement Administration Friday proposed limiting telehealth prescriptions for buprenorphine and other controlled substances after the COVID-19 public health emergency to a 30-day supply unless the prescriber or referring clinician have evaluated the patient in person. DEA will accept comments on the proposed rules for 30 days after their publication in the Federal Register.

GE Healthcare expects supplies of its iohexol and iodixanol intraveneous contrast media products for computed tomography imaging to return to normal in the next few weeks.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, M.D., has restructured the agency to better respond to COVID-19 and other public health threats, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced.

The Department of Health and Human Services yesterday renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency for 90 days, and told states to expect the PHE and certain flexibilities to end May 11