CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING – COVID-19 is changing the world. Forever
Haymarket Media, INC.
Welcome to the first edition of Haymarket Media’s Coronavirus Briefing, a daily newsletter that keeps business leaders fully informed of developments in the global spread of coronavirus and the disease it is currently causing, COVID-19. The pandemic’s effects have spread across the globe in ways no one could have anticipated, into corners of society and the economy few could imagine, with a speed that’s hard to grasp.
The newsletter aggregates the best, most recent information on COVID-19 taken from the 39 brands of global business information company Haymarket Media, on topics ranging from medicine to supply chains, marcomms to personnel management, finance to agriculture, management to HR.
Our in-depth daily roundup of top-notch writing and thinking analyzes the full scope of the outbreak while offering solutions and perspectives on COVID-19. We’ll also flag up the best external content our editors discover as they scour the web.
And because we know you’re busy, each newsletter tells you how long it will take to read – it will never be more than eight minutes.
Today’s Coronavirus briefing checks in at 1,750 words and will take six minutes to read.
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Coronavirus – Protecting You & Your Family:
First Responder & Family Briefing (Webinar)
Med Tac Bystander Rescue Care
Emerging Threats: CareUniversity Series
The webinar will address the most common scenarios facing families, professional first responders, and volunteer medical and security responders in our communities. This emergency response initiative is part of the Global Med Tac Bystander Rescue Care program developed to help the general public save lives before professional first responders arrive on the scene and to support them when they do. In an emergency, everyone may become a first responder.
Our reactor panel is comprised of Emergency Medicine physicians, nurse infection preventionists, emergency preparedness leaders, and patient advocates. They will follow the formal presentations with their comments and pose some of the frequently asked questions.
We will provide free continuing education credits for professional caregivers and this program will be posted for future viewing. Go to www.MedTacGlobal.org for the slidesets, updates, and additional resources.
INTRODUCTION and MODERATOR:
Charles R. Denham, MD
Founder Med Tac Bystander Rescue Care
Chairman, TMIT Global
SPEAKERS:
Dr. Gregory Botz
Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care
UT – MD Anderson Cancer Center
Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor,
Stanford Medical School
Coronavirus: Protecting You and Your Family
Chief William Adcox MBA
Chief Security Officer and Chief of Police
UT – MD Anderson Cancer Center
Emerging Threats – A Security Leader’s View
Wednesday, March 18, 2020 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM CDT
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COCA Call: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Update and Information for Long-term Care Facilities
CDC | COCA
During this COCA Call, presenters will focus on current information about COVID-19 as it relates to long-term care facilities, including nursing homes. Topics will include infection prevention and control guidance, steps facilities should take to prepare, and available resources.
Special Request: Due to the high demand we anticipate for this COCA Call, we kindly ask participants to access it in a group format, if possible, to allow for the maximum number of people to participate.
Watch on Facebook: You may also participate in this COCA Call by joining COCA’s Facebook Live
Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Time: 2:00pm–3:00pm (ET)
Please click the link below to join:
https://zoom.us/j/148725646
Or iPhone one-tap:
US: +16468769923,,148725646# or +16699006833,,148725646#
Or Telephone:
US: +1 646 876 9923 or +1 669 900 6833
Webinar ID: 148 725 646
International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/anixAVglV
Visit CDC Webinar Page…
HCAF Briefing: Responding to Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Webinar)
HCAF
Thursday, March 19, 2020
12:00pm-1:00pm ET, Login at 11:45am ET
Presenter:
J’non Griffin
Contact:
Julia Heath
jheath@homecarefla.org
(850) 222-8967
Florida is one of dozens of states to declare a public health emergency as increasing cases of COVID-19 are being reported across the nation. As the novel coronavirus spreads, its outbreak is posing a particular challenge for home health providers. Those most vulnerable to the infectious disease include the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma, COPD, similar respiratory conditions, diabetes, and heart disease — all common among homebound patients. Recent events, including the State of Florida’s emergency order to impose temporary restrictions for all individuals entering residential and long-term care facilities, probably have you wondering what to do and what are some next steps to prepare your staff and patients. Plan to join HCAF on Thursday, March 19 at 12:00 ET for an hour-long briefing to get up to speed on the latest information on COVID-19 and its implications for home health providers while learning about practical, real-world solutions for possible scenarios specific to the in-home setting.
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Findings Concerning Section 1812(f) ofthe Social Security Act in Response to the Effects of the 2019-Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak
Department Of Health & Human Services
These findings are based on the public health emergency that you declared under Section 319 of the Public Health Service Act as a result of the consequences of the above-captioned emergency, and are effective with respect to the time frames and geographic areas specified in the waiver(s) issued under section 1135 of the Social Security Act (the Act) in response to that emergency. Accordingly, both the effective date(s) and expiration date(s) for these temporary emergency policies are the same as those specified pursuant to the corresponding section 1135 waiver(s).
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Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Nursing Homes (REVISED)
CMS
Background
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of nursing home residents by enforcing the standards required to help each resident attain or maintain their highest level of well-being. In light of the recent spread of COVID-19, we are providing additional guidance to nursing homes to help control and prevent the spread of the virus.
Guidance
Facility staff should regularly monitor the CDC website for information and resources (links below). They should contact their local health department if they have questions or suspect a resident of a nursing home has COVID-19. Per CDC, prompt detection, triage and isolation of potentially infectious residents are essential to prevent unnecessary exposures among residents, healthcare personnel, and visitors at the facility. Therefore, facilities should continue to be vigilant in identifying any possible infected individuals. Facilities should consider frequent
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State of New York | Unified Court System
Coronavirus – Procedures to Reduce Courthouse Traffic
As part of our ongoing efforts to reduce courthouse traffic to combat spread of the corona virus and protect the health and safety of our workforce, and consistent with recent action by Governor Cuomo to limit large public gatherings through the State, the Chief Judge and I are announcing the following measures relating to court proceedings:
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Coronavirus may live in patients for up to 37 days: new study
McKnight’s
Residents confirmed or suspected of having COVID-19 may need to be isolated for nearly 40 days while undergoing treatment in order to prevent its spread.
Chinese researchers studying data from COVID-19 patients who have died or survived found that the median duration of viral shedding, and time that they remain infectious, was 20 days for survivors — with the longest duration being 37 days. Findings were published online Wednesday in The Lancet medical journal.
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Coronavirus survives hours in air, 3 days on surfaces, study finds
McKnight’s
The coronavirus can live up to three days on plastic and stainless steel, and for hours when airborne, a new investigation has shown.
Scientists view the rapid spread of COVID-19 as a sign that the virus is transmitted from person-to-person through respiratory secretions. In the current study, investigators attempted to determine whether the virus droplets can also survive in the environment long enough to find a new host at a later time.
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Face masks an ‘acceptable’ alternative to respirators during supply shortage: CMS
McKnight’s
Face masks are an “acceptable temporary alternative” when respirators are in short supply due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
In the meantime, care providers should prioritize the use of respirators, which provide greater protection, for procedures likely to generate respiratory droplets and increase the risk of exposure, the agency stated in a memorandum released this week.
In addition, state surveyors won’t be required — for now — to validate the date of a facility’s last annual fit-tests of N95 respirators worn by workers. The move was made to “minimize the discarded masks associated with such testing,” according to the agency.
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Trump to declare national emergency; CDC chief agrees to free coronavirus testing
Becker’s Hospital Review
In the COVID-19 pandemic, 1,701 American cases have been reported, along with 40 deaths. Worldwide, 136,929 cases and 5,065 deaths have been reported, as of 10 a.m. CDT, March 13. Globally, 69,643 people have recovered from the illness.
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Insurers scramble to clarify what Trump meant during his major address on the coronavirus
FierceHealthcare
Insurer groups are scrambling to clarify they will pick up the tab for coronavirus testing and not treatment, as President Donald Trump said during an address to the nation Wednesday night.
Currently, there is no antiviral or vaccine for the coronavirus that has spread throughout much of the U.S., but people can get treatment for the symptoms of the virus. Insurers have agreed to waive cost-sharing for testing but not for treatment.
America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the industry’s leading lobbying group, pointed FierceHealthcare toward a meeting with insurer executives at the White House where Vice President Mike Pence said insurers would waive cost-sharing for coronavirus tests and expand coverage for treatment.
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Implications of COVID-19 on Hospital Compliance with EMTALA
Hancock Daniel
While virtually every aspect of life has been impacted in some way by the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS has indicated that absent a Section 1135 waiver situation, it expects full compliance with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) during the health crisis. CMS has received numerous inquiries as to screening, stabilizing, and transfer as these issues specifically intersect with COVID-19. While it is a fluid situation, CMS is doing its best to provide guidance to the provider community and on March 9, 2020, issued QSO-20-15 Hospital/CAH/EMTALA. We have provided an overview of this new guidance for hospitals.
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Information and Guidance about Global Travel on Cruise Ships, Including River Cruises, due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all persons defer any travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide because of the increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission onboard ships. Deferring travel is especially important for older adults and all people with serious chronic medical conditions (such as heart disease, diabetes or lung disease), because of their increased risk for severe disease. This health update provides information to clinicians and state and local health departments about the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation and the risks associated with travel on cruise ships, including river cruises.
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CMS Restricts All Visitors to Nursing Centers Amid Coronavirus Spread
Provider
Late on March 13, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new guidance directing skilled nursing facilities to significantly restrict visitors and nonessential personnel, as well as restrict communal activities inside nursing centers, tightening previous, less-stringent agency guidance on who could enter facilities during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“As we learn more about the coronavirus from experts on the ground, we’ve learned that seniors with multiple conditions are at highest risk for infection and complications, so CMS is using every tool at our disposal to keep nursing homes free from infection,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “Temporarily restricting visitors and nonessential workers will help reduce the risk of coronavirus spread in nursing homes, keeping residents safe.”
The new measures, which supersede prior CMS guidance, are what the agency called “the most aggressive and decisive recommendations with respect to nursing home safety in the face of the spread of COVID-19.”
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AccentCare CEO: Nothing Quite Compares to COVID-19 Pandemic
Home Health Care News
Founded more than 20 years ago, AccentCare has been witness to SARS, H1N1 and a number of other outbreaks. Even before the World Health Organization (WHO) officially upgraded the COVID-19 outbreak to global pandemic status, AccentCare had begun implementing several measures to protect its staff while continuing to provide care for its patients.
Dallas-based AccentCare has over 170 locations across the U.S. As a company, it provides skilled home health and personal care services, along with hospice care, private-duty nursing and care management services.
On a global level, the coronavirus has reportedly impacted more than 125,000 people and counting.
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Nursing Homes Will Weather Coronavirus Crisis — But No Excuse for Lapses
Skilled Nursing News
Public health officials and the nation’s most prominent nursing home industry leaders haven’t minced words when describing the threat that COVID-19 presents to residents and operators, and neither will we: The next few months will present the some of the most serious challenges that long-term and post-acute care providers have ever faced.
The best nursing home operators are among the most dedicated professionals in any industry, and their herculean work over the coming weeks and months will ensure that the space will weather this crisis. No other setting, no other people could provide the kind of care that nursing home residents need.
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DHSS issues advisory on limiting exposure at long-term care facilities
KINY
Juneau, Alaska (KINY) – The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services is issuing a policy to limit exposure to COVID-19 at long-term care facilities.
According to a press release, DHSS is taking this action to protect Alaskans who are at greatest risk for the most severe outcomes of this disease.
“Our elders in nursing homes are particularly vulnerable to this disease and our actions are intended to protect vulnerable adults,” said Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer. “Our desire is to establish a close partnership with long-term care facilities and we’re asking families, friends and others who work in and visit these facilities to help us protect the health and safety of our parents, grandparents and other loved ones.”
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Caring for the most at-risk: How life in long-term care homes is changing with the coronavirus
The Globe and Mail
When Ruth Potvin suffered a bout of bronchitis recently, she got a glimpse of what could happen if the new coronavirus keeps caregivers like herself out of nursing homes.
While she was sick, Ms. Potvin wasn’t able to spend her usual 30 hours a week at Toronto’s Kensington Gardens helping her 83-year-old mother, Jean Lee, eat her meals, attend physiotherapy and get in and out of bed.
Ms. Lee has advanced dementia, has difficulty speaking and can no longer walk.
“The first time I came back after being away,” Ms. Potvin said, “when she saw me, she cried.”
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Verma: CMS to Soon Ban All Nursing Home Visits ‘With a Few Exceptions’ Amid Coronavirus Fears [Updated]
Skilled Nursing News
UPDATE, Saturday, March 14: CMS formally issued its guidance late Friday, enacting a ban on most non-essential visits to nursing homes and also waiving the three-day stay rule for Medicare skilled nursing coverage.
The federal government will soon issue guidance directing nursing home operators to ban the vast majority of visitors amid the spread of the novel coronavirus, marking the latest escalation in the fight to protect vulnerable seniors.
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Over-Capacity Challenges Loom Large as US COVID-19 Hospitalizations Projected to Reach 4.8M
Home Health Care News
Over the past two weeks, home health providers and industry advocates have expressed serious concern about over-capacity issues the COVID-19 pandemic may cause.
Recently leaked information from an American Hospital Association (AHA) webinar suggests those concerns are well-founded.
While the home health industry hasn’t been drastically disrupted by COVID-19 so far, that may change in coming weeks. If the virus continues to spread as projected, more Americans — especially the oldest and frailest — will inevitably be sent to the hospital, likely needing home health services following disarchage.
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Why social distancing could limit a health crisis in La.
Houma Today
In a matter of days life has changed dramatically in Louisiana.
Parades and concerts have been canceled. University students are being asked to move out of their dorms as classes move online for the remainder of the school year. On Friday, parents across the state learned that all schools will be closed until April 13 and many churches learned they couldn’t offer Sunday services.
The measures come as the number of cases in Louisiana continue to increase, with the majority concentrated in the New Orleans area in what is believed to be community spread of the virus.
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Cape Fear Valley ready to deal with virus outbreak
The Dispatch
The initial effort at Cape Fear Valley to get ready for COVID-19 included an infection protection team, a supply chain team and system vice presidents, according to Janet Conway, a hospital spokesman.
“They’ve been meeting and preparing for the day it would get to the United States,” she said.
A task force of about 50 leaders from across the system started meeting this month to ramp up efforts to deal with the virus. The group, which meets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, includes representatives from all the system’s hospitals and clinics. Other areas represented include nursing, allied health, infection prevention, risk management, legal, and public relations, Conway said.
“We really feel like we’re on top of it at Cape Fear Valley,” she said.
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REIT stocks finish one of their worst weeks ever
McKnight’s
Last week marked one of the worst weeks of all time for U.S. equity real estate investment trust stocks, as the coronavirus pandemic spread and fear in the investment world intensified, according to an analysis posted Friday by investment research firm S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Although hotels and malls were the most severely hit sectors last week, the senior housing and nursing home sectors followed close behind, with share prices for real estate investment trusts that own these facilities down significantly. Before President Trump declared the coronavirus a national emergency late Friday afternoon, leading the markets to rebound a bit, Sabra Health Care REIT was down 48.6% for the week, while Ventas’ share price had fallen 44.8%, Diversified Healthcare Trust had dropped 44.7% and New Senior Investment Group had fallen 42.8%.
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Coronavirus: Royal Caribbean passengers who tried to cancel trip decide to board anyway
Tampa Bay Times
TAMPA — Ana Trevino’s family trip for 13 shrank to six people by the time she arrived at Port Tampa Bay on Thursday to board a cruise to Cozumel.
With coronavirus on their minds, some of the remaining travelers had tried to cancel their tickets in exchange for a credit. After hours on hold, they said they couldn’t get through to Royal Caribbean within the required 48-hour notice period.
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Colleagues Mourn Italian ‘Hero’ Physician Killed by COVID-19
Medscape
Colleagues and others are mourning the coronavirus-related death earlier this week of Italian physician Roberto Stella, 67, leader of the medical association in Italy’s northern Varese region, who continued to treat patients even after protective gear ran out.
Stella, president of the Medical Guild of Varese, died of respiratory failure after contracting SARS-CoV-2 Tuesday in a Como hospital, according to news reports.
A colleague of Stella’s at a health service training academy in the region, Alessandro Colombo, was quoted by the Italian news service ANSA as saying that Stella told him a few days ago, “We have run out of masks. But we don’t stop. We are careful and we go on.”
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More Medical Conferences Fall to Coronavirus (Updated)
Medscape
UPDATED March 13, 2020 // Thirty-six more medical conferences have been canceled or postponed as COVID-19 continues to cause chaos globally in arenas including the conference circuit.
Medical societies worldwide are weighing their options, balancing medical risk and travel warnings with the economic and educational consequences of pulling the plug.
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Pendulum Legal Risk Network
Ric Henry | President
Pendulum, LLC | Albuquerque, New Mexico
505-889-8262 | 888-815-8250
Ric.Henry@WeArePendulum.com | www.WeArePendulum.com