Financial Times Special Report Examines Various Aspects Of Coronavirus Pandemic, Features Opinion Piece By WHO DG Tedros October 19, 2020 News Summary Financial Times: FT Health: Communicable Diseases In this special report, the Financial Times “looks at how scientists and policymakers are rising to the challenge of a pandemic — from new drugs and diagnostics, to efforts to secure poor countries’ access to treatments. Plus: the WHO chief’s view of the crisis…”…
WHO Addresses Pushback On Solidarity Trial Interim Results; Some Experts Say Remdesivir Still Potentially Effective In Early Infection October 19, 2020 News Summary NBC News: Massive WHO remdesivir study suggests no Covid-19 benefit. Doctors aren’t so sure. “A huge, global study of potential medications to treat Covid-19 suggests remdesivir — one of the few available drugs for the virus — may offer no real benefit to the sickest patients. But doctors on the…
Late November Earliest U.S. Filing For Coronavirus Vaccine Approval, Pfizer Announces; Cold Chain Storage Poses Challenge In Distributing Any Potential Vaccine October 19, 2020 News Summary AP: Vaccine storage demands could leave 3B people in virus cold “From factory to syringe, the world’s most promising coronavirus vaccine candidates need nonstop sterile refrigeration to work. But despite great strides in equipping developing countries to maintain the vaccine ‘cold chain,’ nearly 3 billion of the world’s 7.8 billion…
World Food Programme Head Calls For Donations From Billionaires To Help Stave Off Global Hunger; U.N. SG Calls For More Efforts To Ensure Healthy Diets For All In World Food Day Message October 19, 2020 News Summary AP: Nobel winner urges billionaires to save millions from famine “The head of the World Food Program, this year’s winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, again urged billionaires to donate just a few billion to save millions of lives, saying Friday the number of people ‘marching toward starvation’ has jumped…
KFF Provides Resources On Global, Domestic Aspects Of COVID-19 Pandemic October 19, 2020 News Summary KFF: COVID-19 Coronavirus Tracker — Updated as of October 19, 2020 Data on country government actions in response to COVID-19 are included in the tracker (10/19). A KFF-curated recap of pandemic-related news from last week is available here. Additional KFF COVID-19 resources on the global situation, as well as those focused…
Opinion Pieces Discuss ‘Herd Immunity’ As Strategy To End COVID-19 October 19, 2020 News Summary The Guardian: How do pandemics end? In different ways, but it’s never quick and never neat Mark Honigsbaum, lecturer at City University of London and author (10/18). STAT: We cannot rely on magical thinking: Herd immunity is not a plan Gigi Kwik Gronvall, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center…
HHS Secretary Azar Issues Statement On FDA Approval Of Ebola Treatment October 19, 2020 News Summary HHS: HHS Secretary Azar Statement on First FDA Approval of Ebola Therapeutic In a statement, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said, “The approval of the first-ever therapeutic for Ebola is a momentous global health achievement that would have never occurred without American leadership. The United States was proud to provide direct…
Experts, Public Health Groups Denounce ‘Herd Immunity’ Strategy Supported By Trump Administration; ProPublica Examines CDC’s Handling Of COVID-19 Pandemic October 16, 2020 News Summary The Hill: Health experts say ‘herd immunity’ strategy would kill thousands “Public health experts are growing alarmed that the Trump administration is increasingly embracing scientists who argue against lockdowns and restrictions as a means to control the coronavirus pandemic. … In a document known as the Great Barrington Declaration, signed…
Science Examines How Biden Presidency Could Impact Science-Related Policy October 16, 2020 News Summary Science: A Biden presidency could have a ‘remarkable’ impact on science policy — but also face hurdles “If former Vice President Joe Biden wins the presidential election, he will face high expectations from the U.S. scientific community. Its members will be counting on him to bring science and leadership to…