COVID-19 Update: June 5, 2020

Coronavirus update for Friday, June 5 as of 2:30 p.m.

Pennsylvania Update

Department of Health

Pennsylvania State Map The Department of Health and Department of Human Services have issued issued guidance for nursing homes, personal care homes, and other long-term and congregate care facilities as counties enter the green phase of reopening. To prevent further COVID-19 outbreaks within these vulnerable populations, continuing restrictions in long-term and congregate care facilities will remain in place at least 28 days after an individual facility’s county enters the green phase. Go here to see the Wolf administration’s announcement, here to see the guidance for nursing homes, and here to see the guidance for personal care homes, intermediate care facilities, assisted living residences, and other providers licensed by DHS.

Department of Health – by the numbers

Yesterday’s new case and death totals were slightly lower than those of the previous day.
The number of health care workers who have contracted COVID-19 now exceeds 5600.
1174 Pennsylvanians are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 and 257 of them are on ventilators – the same figures as the previous day.
45 percent of acute-care beds, 38 percent of ICU beds, and 24 percent of pediatric ICU beds are currently unoccupied, as are 53 percent of hospital isolation rooms.

Federal Update

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

In the past week CMS issued six section 1135 waiversto give states greater flexibility to serve their Medicaid beneficiaries during the COVID-19 public health emergency. It issued waivers to Alaska (two waivers), Arizona, Mississippi, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The CDC has updated its guidance on recommendations for people who believe they have been exposed to people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 when the people to whom they have been exposed are neither health care workers nor critical infrastructure workers – that is, possible community transmission of COVID-19.
The CDC has updated its FAQ on laboratory biosafety and COVID-19.
The CDC has updated its guidance for the collection and submission of postmortem specimens from deceased persons under investigation for COVID-19, including recommendations for biosafety and infection control practices during specimen collection and handling, including during autopsy procedures.

Food and Drug Administration

The FDA approved an abbreviated new drug application for dexmedetomidine hydrochloride in 0.9% sodium chloride injection (ANDA 209307), indicated for sedation of initially intubated and mechanically ventilated patients during treatment in an intensive-care setting.
The FDA issued a letter to clinical laboratory staff and health care providers about a safety risk with using transport media and SARS-CoV-2 testing platforms that are not compatible. There is a risk of exposure to harmful cyanide gas when certain transport media are used with an incompatible testing platform or laboratory process that uses bleach.
The FDA has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for a new test to assist in identifying severe inflammatory response in patients with confirmed COVID-19 illness to aid in determining the risk of intubation with mechanical ventilation. Find that EUA here and go here for an FDA fact sheet on the known and potential risks and benefits of this test.
On Tuesday, June 9 at 12:00 p.m. (eastern), the FDA will launch a webinar series on the topic of Respirators for Health Care Personnel Use during COVID-19 Pandemic. The webinar will provide FDA information and answer questions about emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for respirators, importing respirators, and overall FDA actions to help ensure that health care personnel on the front lines have the necessary supplies of respirators to meet the demand. Go here for further information.
The FDA has updated its enforcement policy for non-invasive remote monitoring devices used to support patient monitoring during the COVID-19 emergency.
The FDA has posted test performance data from four more serology test kits from its independent performance validation study.
The FDA has issued an EUA for a new commercial serology test for COVID-19. Find it here.
The FDA has issued an EUA for a new commercial test to diagnose COVID-19. Find it here.