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Coronavirus outbreaks in several states worsened this week. On Thursday, Arizona, Florida, California, South Carolina and Texas all set new records in daily increases of Covid-19. Texas continued to report a series of record-breaking coronavirus hospitalizations. Meanwhile, California is ordering all residents to wear face masks after reporting a surge in cases. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former FDA commissioner, warned some states are "on the cusp of losing control." More on the outbreak below.
| | Moderna CEO sees 'high probability' of success with Covid-19 vaccine | Just weeks from the planned start of the first large-scale efficacy trial of a Covid-19 vaccine, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel pegs the young biotech company's chances of success as high as 80% to 90%. But what does success look like? A vaccine with at least 50% efficacy, he explained (he says he'd need more data to predict probability of 90% efficacy). And as the 30,000-person trial gears up, Moderna's chief medical officer said in a panel Thursday his biggest fear is making sure they are able to enroll people most vulnerable to the disease, including in minority communities.
-Meg Tirrell | | | | Black doctors say this is the moment for systemic change in health care | African American medical leaders are calling on the U.S. health-care system to break the chain of systemic bias that contributes to the disparities of health that have made the Covid-19 crisis so devastating for communities of color. Though the industry has focused on social determinants for years, the protests for social justice are underscoring the need to address systemic change with greater urgency.
-Bertha Coombs | | | | GoodRx has seen major growth since the pandemic | Every month, 17 million Americans use GoodRx, a company that provides coupons and discount cards for generic medications. The company has been profitable since 2013, its co-CEO Doug Hirsch told CNBC, and it has been growing since the Covid-19 outbreak. In a series of in-depth interviews, we dug into GoodRx's business model and its future. The founders told us that the business wouldn't be so necessary if the U.S. health care system wasn't so complex. "If America as a country decided to keep all Americans healthy and things were upfront and transparent, there would be no need for GoodRx," said Hirsch. The company ranked at No. 20 on the 2020 CNBC Disruptor 50 list.
-Chrissy Farr | | | | Texas governor says residents not social distancing increased cases since Memorial Day | Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said on Tuesday that the state has seen an increase in coronavirus cases since Memorial Day most likely due to people who didn't follow recommended social-distancing practices. The state has reported record spikes in hospitalizations for Covid-19 over the last two weeks, raising concerns from health professionals in the state. "The possibility that things could flare up again and produce a resurgence of Covid-19 that would be a stress on our health-care system is still very real," Dr. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, said. Abbott pointed to an increase in testing in state nursing homes and correctional facilities as reasons behind jumps in daily case numbers. However, he added that some counties have reported higher positivity rates stemming from people under 30 years old, indicating they may be going to "bar-type settings" or were infected at Memorial Day celebrations, Abbott said.
-Noah Higgins-Dunn | | | | A double whammy: Both FDA and WHO drop hydroxychloroquine | Announcements by the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization this week will likely dampen hopes about hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug backed by President Donald Trump that once generated excitement about a potential treatment for the coronavirus. On Monday, the FDA said it was ending its emergency use authorization for the drug after concluding it was "unlikely to be effective." Two days later, the WHO said it was dropping it from its global study after data suggested it would not be beneficial. Hopes were high after a handful of small studies earlier in the year suggested it could fight the virus. However, several larger studies later showed the drug was not helpful and caused heart issues in some patients.
-Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | | | | Health officials raise concerns over Trump's Tulsa rally | A number of health officials, including White House adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, have raised concerns over the risk of coronavirus spread ahead of Trump's scheduled campaign rally in Tulsa on Saturday. The rally, Trump's first in over three months, is slated to be held indoors in a 20,000-person arena. Health specialists have expressed concern about the fact that it's indoors, expected to be crowded and participants will likely take part in high-risk activities like chanting and shouting. Such activities can send virus-carrying droplets into the air, specialists say. And earlier this week, Oklahoma reported a record-high daily increase in new cases, 259, which doesn't help quell concerns about the rally. "I would love for some other city to have tried this first," Mayor G.T. Bynum said at a news briefing Wednesday. "But the president chose this city, and so it falls on us to set that standard moving forward."
-Will Feuer | | | | New coronavirus model projects more than 200,000 deaths in the U.S. by October | A model once cited by the White House now predicts more than 200,000 Americans could die of Covid-19 by Oct. 1, as new cases reach record highs in parts of the country. This forecast from Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington is an increase of 30,000 deaths from its previous projection last week. According to the latest model, deaths from the coronavirus in the U.S. could reach from 171,000 to 270,000, with a likely estimate of about 201,129. The institute also predicts that the number of hospital beds and ventilators needed will rise in September. As states across the country move further along in their reopening guidelines and ease social-distancing measures, they are beginning to see spikes in new cases and hospitalizations. The IHME expects higher mobility in at least 20 states by October, which increases the risks of transmission and widespread resurgence. Dr. Christopher Murray, IHME director, said last week that the institute is looking ahead to see what preparations states need to plan for a second wave of Covid-19.
-Jasmine Kim | | @Work Summit | October 6, 2020
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