April 8, 2020

I recently looked at a world map that contained dots of different colors representing the highest concentration of coronavirus (COVID) cases in each country.  As I looked at the map, I was instantly struck by the pattern now developing.  While other countries and continents contained dots widely spaced for the most part, the entire United States was nearly completely covered.  The map made it look like we—and primarily we—were the current target of the virus’ wrath.

According to many sources, America has the highest case count in the world, with nearly 370,000 cases being reported as of yesterday, April 7.  Nearly, 11,000 have died in the U.S. from the effects of the virus.  Leading voices in the medical community have suggested that these next few days are likely to bring a peak in COVID cases, so more will get sick and more will die.  That means our hospitals and hospital workers will continue to operate under very difficult circumstances.

Six Important Updates

Given the continuing seriousness of the situation, nationally, we felt it might be appropriate to provide some COVID-specific updates to our readers that may prove helpful as they plan for the next stage of this national health emergency (NHE).  Here are six updates as reported on April 7 by Becker’s Hospital Review and other sources:

1.  Despite the development of quicker tests, U.S. hospitals are still struggling to obtain test materials and results in a timely manner, according to the New York Times. To combat the delay, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) intends to supply public health labs in every state with Abbott’s point-of-care test, which provides results in under 13 minutes. HHS is procuring tests for the Indian Health Service and the Strategic National Stockpile as well. Additionally, Abbott produces about 50,000 tests a day for the commercial market.
2.  Anthony Fauci, MD, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is “cautiously optimistic” the U.S. can avoid the worst projections, according to an April 6 White House news briefing.

   A new model predicts that the U.S. won’t need as many hospital beds and ventilators as initially projected, and some states may reach their peak of COVID-19 deaths sooner than expected. Last week, the White House Coronavirus Task Force used other models to estimate that between 100,000 and 240,000 people would die from COVID-19 if proper precautions were taken.  “I don’t accept that we have to have 100,000 to 200,000 deaths,” Dr. Fauci said April 6. “I think we can really bring that down.”

3. The government will buy almost 166.5 million facemasks from 3M over the next three months, President Donald Trump said, according to The Wall Street Journal. President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act against 3M last week, but an official said the administration doesn’t intend to take further action against 3M under the wartime law.
4. New York’s COVID curve may be slightly flattening, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on April 6. The state reported 599 new deaths April 6, similar to 594 deaths April 5, which was down from 630 deaths on April 4.
5. As China comes out of lockdown, large numbers of people are crowding major attraction sites and cities, according to CNN. As the government slowly relaxes restrictions and floods of people return to normal life, experts are warning the public to continue to practice caution.  This gradual return to normality may indicate the virus does indeed adhere to patterns found in other flus, which include a spring abatement.
6. Common medical masks effective for most COVID-19 treatments, study finds.  The N95 respirator masks should be preserved for procedures where breathing tubes need to be inserted into patients, while common medical masks can be safely used for most other COVID-19 treatments, a new study found.

   The study, accepted for publication by the journal Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, reviewed four randomized controlled trials on masks between January 1990 and this past March. Researchers found the use of common medical masks did not increase viral respiratory infection or clinical respiratory illness compared to the use of N95 respirator masks during procedures where fine air particles were not generated.

   The study recommended that “healthcare workers should wear the fitted N95 respirator masks for procedures during which fine air particles are generated, such as inserting breathing tubes, as national and international guidelines unanimously recommend this,” said Mark Loeb, MD, a professor of pathology and molecular medicine at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.

   Researchers said they plan to follow up this study with a multisite randomized controlled trial where nurses will use either a medical mask or N95 respirator mask when caring for patients with fever and respiratory illness.

We at MiraMed Global Services are not only committed to bringing you the latest information relevant to hospitals and health systems, but we remain ready to assist you in a variety of ways during this national health emergency.  Please email us at info@miramedgs.com.