Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) News

To continue emphasizing the message of protecting against both the flu and COVID-19, AHA’s Wear A Mask and United Against the Flu campaigns released new resources, including new sample social media messages, several graphics and a video that hospitals and health systems can use to reiterate the importance of getting a flu shot, wearing a mask and practicing good hygiene.

To help advance the public’s confidence and trust in the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and their distribution, the AHA has launched a COVID-19 vaccine webpage for individuals.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that it is extending the third quarter 2020 data submission deadlines for several of its quality reporting and value programs for hospitals, post-acute care and other providers.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services posted additional information to help health care providers implement six new ICD-10 diagnosis codes for reporting conditions related to COVID-19 on medical claims effective Jan. 1. The information includes updated coding guidelines, code descriptions and other details. 

The Food and Drug Administration authorized a prescription BinaxNOW COVID-19 test for use by patients at home, in partnership with a telehealth service that will take users through the sample collection process and assist in reading and understanding the results.

The AHA released a new edition of the COVID-19 Snapshot, highlighting the critical needs of hospitals and health systems during the deepening public health emergency.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will award states and territories another $227 million in funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act for COVID-19 vaccine preparedness and complementary activities, the Department of Health and Human Services announced.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced that it has begun distributing $24.5 billion in “Phase 3” funds from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to eligible hospitals, as well as other providers.

Children and adolescents in Mississippi who tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus were more likely to report close contact with someone with confirmed COVID-19 and less likely to report consistent mask use at school, according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The AHA released a new edition of the COVID-19 Snapshot, highlighting the critical needs of hospitals and health systems during the deepening public health emergency.

The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the first over-the-counter fully at-home diagnostic test for COVID-19. The antigen test for persons age 2 and older can detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a nasal swab sample in about 20 minutes.

Ahead of a Dec. 17 meeting of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, the Food and Drug Administration released a briefing document confirming Moderna’s data on the safety and efficacy of the mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

 In an open letter, the AHA, American Medical Association and American Nurses Association thanked health care professionals for their dedication and sacrifices this year and urged them to continue their battle against COVID-19 by taking a vaccine and sharing their experience with others.

Combining the anti-inflammatory drug baricitinib with the antiviral drug remdesivir reduced the median recovery time for hospitalized COVID-19 patients from eight to seven days, according to clinical trial results published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Department of Health and Human Services Dec. 11 announced it would purchase from Moderna 100 million additional doses of its mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

Following the Food and Drug Administration’s Dec. 11 emergency use authorization of Pfizer, Inc.’s BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, AHA released a Special Bulletin with important details for hospitals and health systems.

It was not at all the year I expected, and it certainly wasn’t the year any of us wanted. But, through it all, I continually found inspiration. Even now in the uncertainty of what 2021 will bring, I’m reassured knowing that no matter what, the teams who power our hospitals and health systems across America are continuing the fight against COVID-19.

A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis based on 14 states found that the cumulative incidence of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases among American Indian and Alaska Native persons was 3.5 times higher than among white persons, underscoring the need to develop collaborative approaches with federal, state, municipal and tribal agencies to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on these communities.

With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting some individuals and communities much more than others, population health tools are more important than ever.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized LabCorp’s Pixel COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit for use by adults without a prescription.