First Edition: February 6, 2020
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
To Boost Bottom Lines, Single-Payer May Be Just What These Restaurateurs Ordered
Last winter, James Mark was a 2018 James Beard Award finalist. A few months later, both GQ and Bon Appétit ranked Big King, his newest Rhode Island restaurant, as one of the country’s best places to eat. But in 2018, the chef and restaurateur spent almost double his personal income on health insurance for his employees: $54,000 to cover a dozen or so people, compared with the $35,000 he paid himself. Mark spends most of his time at the self-identified “small and strange” Big King, his experimental Asian restaurant on Providence’s trendy West Side, where the handwritten menu changes daily. (Luthra, 2/6)
California Healthline:
Patients Caught In Crossfire Between Giant Hospital Chain, Large Insurer
After Zoe Friedland became pregnant with her first child, she was picky about choosing a doctor to guide her through delivery. “With so many unpredictable things that can happen with a pregnancy, I wanted someone I could trust,” Friedland said. That person also had to be in the health insurance network of Cigna, the insurer that covers Friedland through her husband’s employer. (Krans, 2/5)
Kaiser Health News:
Listen: Updates On Coronavirus Outbreak And How It Affects Chinese Immigrants
California Healthline correspondents Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Anna Almendrala appeared on New Hampshire-based WNHN’s “The Attitude w/ Arnie Arnesen” on Tuesday to discuss the latest news about the novel coronavirus outbreak. Because there’s still much scientists don’t know about the virus, also known as 2019-nCoV, global and national policies — especially those related to quarantines and travel restrictions — continue to evolve. (2/5)
The New York Times:
As China Clamps Down On Negative News, Quarantines On Land And Sea
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, said on Wednesday that China is in a “critical moment” of its fight against the coronavirus epidemic as the death toll and number of infections continued to soar. Health officials in China said on Thursday that 563 people had died from the virus, up from nearly 500 people the day before, and that 28,018 cases had been confirmed. On Monday, the number of confirmed cases was put at 20,438, meaning the number increased more than 35 percent in just a few days. (2/5)
Reuters:
WHO Calls For Improved Data-Sharing On Virus, Says Sending Team To China
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday urged all health ministers to improve data-sharing on coronavirus immediately and said he would send a team of international experts to work with Chinese counterparts. The U.N. agency was sending masks, gloves, respirators and nearly 18,000 isolation gowns from its warehouses to some two dozen countries that need support, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told its Executive Board. (2/5)
The Washington Post:
Coronavirus Live Updates: Toll Passes 500 With 28,000 Cases In China
Taiwanese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said China had provided the wrong figures of Taiwanese coronavirus cases to the World Health Organization, in the self-ruling island’s latest criticism of Beijing. Whereas Beijing reported 13 cases for Taiwan, officials there said the real figure was 10. (By Thursday, that figure had risen to 13.) In a statement to Reuters, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it had received the numbers in question from the island’s officials. (2/6)
Los Angeles Times:
What Happens If The Coronavirus Outbreak Becomes A Pandemic?
Roughly 50 million people are under quarantine in China. Thousands of travelers are being screened at airports every day. Armies of disease detectives are knocking on doors around the world in hopes of halting the new coronavirus in its tracks. Despite all the colossal efforts to contain the virus, scientists are quietly preparing for a grim — and increasingly likely — outcome: A full-blown global pandemic. (Baumgaertner, 2/5)
The New York Times:
Why The New Coronavirus (Mostly) Spares Children
The new coronavirus has infected more than 28,000 people, and at least 563 have died. But relatively few children appear to have developed severe symptoms so far, according to the available data. “The median age of patients is between 49 and 56 years,” according to a report published on Wednesday in JAMA. “Cases in children have been rare.” So why aren’t more children getting sick? (Mandavilli, 2/5)
Reuters:
Mothers May Pass Coronavirus To Unborn Children, Say Chinese Doctors: State TV
Pregnant women infected with the new coronavirus may be able to pass it to their unborn children, doctors at the Wuhan Children Hospital said on Wednesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The doctors said it was possible after an infected coronavirus patient gave birth to a baby on Feb. 2. The newborn was given a test 30 hours later and confirmed to have the virus, the doctors said. (2/5)
NPR:
Is Coronavirus Spread By People Without Symptoms?
Public health officials attempting to contain the new coronavirus are trying to figure out how easily it spreads. One key question is whether people who are infected but show no symptoms can infect other people. "If you have a lot of people who [have mild disease or are] asymptomatic and not seeking medical care for respiratory illness but are still contagious, you're going to have a very difficult time," says Jeffrey Shaman, a professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University. (Harris, 2/5)
The New York Times:
Losing Track Of Time In The Epicenter Of China’s Coronavirus Outbreak
In the mornings, Wuhan is so quiet that bird calls sound down once busy streets. Stray dogs trot in the middle of empty expressways. Residents wrapped in masks creep out of their homes, anxiety flitting across their eyes. They line up at hospitals overwhelmed by a virus that most had not heard of until a few weeks ago. They line up outside pharmacies despite the door signs declaring they have sold out of protective masks, disinfectant, surgical gloves and thermometers. They line up to buy rice, fruit and vegetables from food stores that keep operating, while nearly all other shops are closed. (Buckley, 2/5)
The New York Times:
In Coronavirus, China Weighs Benefits Of Buffalo Horn And Other Remedies
As it races to treat patients infected with the new coronavirus, the Chinese government is seeing potential in a cocktail of antiviral drugs. It is also recommending the Peaceful Palace Bovine Pill, a traditional Chinese medicine made with the gallstone of cattle, buffalo horn, jasmine and pearl. There is no known cure for the coronavirus that has sickened more than 28,000 people and killed 563 in China. The country’s National Health Commission says doctors should try treating patients mainly with a combination of Western drugs used to treat HIV and fight viruses, depending on the severity of illness. (Wee, 2/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Coronavirus Outbreak Strains Global Medical-Mask Market
Chinese officials are buying up medical masks in the virus-wracked country from factories that typically supply hospitals around the world, forcing manufacturers to boost output globally and hospitals to ration supplies. Masks are essential protective gear for medical workers treating patients potentially infected with the newly identified coronavirus, which has spread across China and beyond. China is one of the world’s top producers of medical masks and other gear. Now officials there are directing much of that supply to the front lines of the outbreak, leaving customers in the U.S. and other countries to look elsewhere for masks as global supplies tighten. (Hufford and Evans, 2/6)
Los Angeles Times:
How To Prevent Coronavirus: Wash Your Hands And Ditch The Mask
Drugstores have reported skyrocketing demand, and several of Amazon’s top sellers are indefinitely out of stock. Shortages of surgical face masks are a visible sign that the novel coronavirus from China has reached the United States. But health experts warn that stocking up on the disposable masks could do more harm than good by limiting their availability to doctors and nurses. If the coronavirus outbreak should cause a run on anything, they say, it should be soap and water instead. (Baumgaertner, 2/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
China’s Coronavirus Outbreak Prompts Patients To Scramble For Remedies
Desperate for a cure for the new coronavirus spreading quickly across the country, Chinese families are flocking online to seek experimental remedies that might be effective against the virus, despite government warnings that no proven treatment has been found. Among the most sought-after drugs is Kaletra, an antiretroviral for HIV made by U.S. pharmaceutical giant AbbVie Inc. that blocks the enzymes some viruses need to replicate. Relatives of Chen Ruoping joined a scramble for the drug, known in Mandarin as Kelizhi, after the 57-year-old developed a fever and was diagnosed with a lung infection last month. (2/6)
Reuters:
China's Virus-Hit Wuhan Creates More Hospitals As Demand For Beds Surges
The Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, is converting an additional eight buildings, including gymnasiums, exhibition centers and sports centers, into hospitals, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday. The latest announcement adds to plans revealed earlier this week to convert three other venues in the city into hospitals. Once all 11 buildings are converted, a process that is expected to be completed later on Wednesday, they will be able to accommodate 10,000 patients. (2/5)
Reuters:
Thousands Held On Cruise Ship In Hong Kong As Authorities Check For Virus
Thousands of passengers and crew on a cruise ship that docked in Hong Kong on Wednesday were being kept on board while they were tested for a coronavirus as the city government said that all visitors from mainland China would be quarantined for two weeks. (Kwok and Pang, 2/5)
The Associated Press:
'A Floating Prison': Cruise Of Asia Ends In Virus Quarantine
David Abel’s 50th wedding anniversary luxury cruise began with him eating his fill and enjoying the sights of East Asia. It’s ending with him quarantined in his cabin aboard the Diamond Princess for two extra weeks, eating a “lettuce sandwich with some chicken inside” and watching 20 infected people escorted off the ship, heading for hospitals for treatment of a new virus. (Klug and Yamaguchi, 2/6)
The Washington Post:
Trapped On Coronavirus-Ravaged Cruise Ship, Diamond Princess Passengers Struggle To Keep Spirits Up
David Abel and his wife, Sally, are still smiling, for now. Their friends Alan and Wendy Steele are going "stir crazy" trapped in their cabin — although they say they are not worried about catching the deadly illness. Still, this was not how the Steeles planned to spend their honeymoon. Many of the 2,666 passengers and 1,045 crew members on the Diamond Princess are struggling to keep their spirits up after the luxury liner was quarantined off the Japanese coast Wednesday, with passengers forbidden to leave their cabins. (Denyer, 2/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Coronavirus Cruise Passengers Face Infection Worries, Blown Travel Plans And Boredom
Passengers were startled from their slumber at around 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday by a broadcast telling them to remain in their rooms. Later, the captain announced: “The ship is under quarantine and it is expected to last at least 14 days.” Crew members in protective medical gear fanned out to wipe doorknobs and other surfaces clean with disinfectant. (Gale, Bhattacharya and Inada, 2/5)
The Washington Post:
Africa Has 1.2 Billion People And Only Six Labs That Can Test For Coronavirus. How Quickly Can They Ramp Up?
After Africa’s first suspected case of the Wuhan coronavirus emerged last month in the Ivory Coast, doctors sent a sample from the coughing college student to the closest equipped lab — 4,500 miles north, in Paris. Officials said the wait for the results, which came back negative, highlighted the need to rapidly expand testing capacity on the continent, where health authorities are scrambling to prepare for a potential outbreak. No cases have been confirmed so far in any of Africa’s 54 countries, but the risk of an outbreak is high, World Health Organization leaders say. (Paquette, Bearak and Bernstein, 2/6)
The New York Times:
Thousands Of Miles From Wuhan, A U.S. City Is Shaken By Coronavirus
In 2003, when SARS was spreading, Edward Zhang was not yet a teenager and living with his parents in Wuhan, China, largely dependent on the morning paper and the nightly news to know what was happening in the next city over. The world has changed a lot since then. Now, as the coronavirus renders his home city a ghost town, overwhelming hospitals and forcing his friends and family to don masks in their own homes, Mr. Zhang is updated constantly despite living over 7,000 miles away, in Pittsburgh. (Robertson, 2/6)
The New York Times:
Hundreds Of Americans Were Evacuated From The Coronavirus Epicenter. Now Comes The Wait.
Americans evacuated from Hubei province in China arrived in California on government-arranged planes on Wednesday morning, and were greeted with applause by waiting medical personnel. They received health screenings, were warned to stay six feet away from the other families and were asked not to let children share toys. Eventually, bleary-eyed from an 11-hour flight, they fell asleep in their new temporary homes on military bases. (Jordan and Bosman, 2/5)
The Washington Post:
For Americans, A Nightmare Escaping Wuhan, Then 14 Days Of Quarantine
The airport was a 16-hour overnight vigil of lines and paperwork and stress and delays, of squawking children and the worried well, all trying to board the same two planes. Ningxi Xu’s name was on the list. But until the converted cargo plane was rising into the sky over Wuhan, China, she couldn’t be certain she would be one of the lucky Americans to escape the center of the coronavirus outbreak and make it back home. (O'Grady, Bernstein, Fifield and Wan, 2/5)
The Associated Press:
Life Under Virus Quarantine: Boxing, Chalk Art And Waiting
There's Zumba and boxing classes, lectures on business and taxes, and chalk art outside for the children. While it might sound like a local recreation center's offerings, it's actually part of daily life for 195 American citizens quarantined on a military base after being evacuated from the heart of a new virus outbreak in China. (Taxin and Spagat, 2/5)
NPR:
Coronavirus Developments: Evacuees Land In U.S. As Disease Continues To Spread
Hundreds of U.S. nationals are stateside once more, as two planeloads of people fleeing the coronavirus outbreak in China landed Wednesday in California. The Department of Defense says the approximately 350 passengers aboard the chartered flights will be quarantined for two weeks on a pair of military bases in the state. According to the Pentagon, the passengers are to be distributed between Travis Air Force Base in Northern California, where the planes initially touched down Wednesday morning, and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego. (Dwyer, 2/5)
The Associated Press:
Universities Cancel Study-Abroad Programs Amid Virus Fears
As concerns about China's virus outbreak spread, universities all over the world are scrambling to assess the risks to their programs, and some are canceling study-abroad opportunities and prohibiting travel affecting hundreds of thousands of students. From Europe to Australia and the United States, universities in countries that host Chinese students have reconsidered academic-related travel to and from China. In the U.S., the cancellations add to the tension between two governments whose relations were already sour. (Melia and Franko, 2/6)
Reuters:
China Lab Seeks Patent On Use Of Gilead's Coronavirus Treatment
A state-run Chinese research institute has applied for a patent on the use of Gilead Sciences' experimental U.S. antiviral drug, which scientists think could provide treatment for the coronavirus that has killed hundreds and infected thousands. The Wuhan Institute of Virology of the China Academy of Sciences, based in the city where the outbreak is believed to have originated, said in a statement on Tuesday it applied to patent the use of Remdesivir, an antiviral drug developed by Gilead, to treat the virus. (2/5)
The Associated Press:
Chinese Scientists Ask For Patent On US Drug To Fight Virus
Granting its own scientists a patent might give the Chinese government leverage in negotiations over paying for the drug. But it also might fuel complaints Beijing abuses its regulatory system to pressure foreign companies to hand over valuable technology. On Thursday, the official Xinhua News Agency said clinical trials of the drug, remdesivir, were due to start. (2/6)
The Associated Press:
Global Tourism Takes Major Hit As Virus Halts Chinese Travel
This should have been a good year for global tourism, with trade tensions gradually easing, certain economies growing and banner events like the Summer Olympics taking place in Tokyo. But the viral outbreak in China has thrown the travel industry into chaos, threatening billions in losses and keeping millions of would-be travelers at home. Gabrielle Autry, an American who lives in China, had expected to travel to Hong Kong this week to get engaged to her Chinese boyfriend. (Durbin, 2/6)
The Associated Press:
Trump Rule Could Lead To Big Medicaid Cuts, Governors Warn
Governors of both parties are warning that a little-noticed regulation proposed by the Trump administration could lead to big cuts in Medicaid, restricting their ability to pay for health care for low-income Americans. The arcane fiscal accountability rule proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — or CMS — would tighten federal oversight and approval over complex financing strategies states have long used to help pay for their share of the $600 billion program. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 2/5)
The Associated Press:
Advocates Allege ICE Neglecting 5-Year-Old With Head Injury
A 5-year-old boy from Guatemala who fractured his skull in an accident and suffered bleeding around his brain is not being properly treated at an immigration detention center in Texas for what could be a traumatic brain injury, family members and advocates alleged. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement defended the care given to the 5-year-old, whom the agency detained with his parents and 1-year-old brother in January, about a month after the boy fell out of a shopping cart. (Merchant, 2/5)
The Washington Post:
VA's Wilkie Calls Deputy's Sudden Firing A 'Simple Business Decision' But Provides Few Answers
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie on Wednesday defended his abrupt firing this week of his deputy secretary, calling the dismissal a “simple business decision” to oust a leader “who was not jelling with other members of the team.” Wilkie also said he wants to work with authorities to review the case of a senior Democratic congressional aide who said she was sexually assaulted at the VA Medical Center in Washington. The secretary, whose characterization of the allegations has been criticized, said he was working to get more answers about how the case was handled. (Rein, 2/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Lawmakers Blame CEOs For Rise In Youth Vaping
Lawmakers chastised top executives of five vaping companies at a hearing here Wednesday, blaming them for causing an epidemic of e-cigarette use among young people through targeted marketing. The senior executives said they didn’t now market to young people, and some said they never have. But some congressmen rejected those claims. “Saying you are responsible men, and have integrity, that is not true,” said Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D., N.J.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “I’m upset by hearing constant reference to your integrity.” (Burton, 2/5)
Stat:
Juul And Other E-Cig Makers To Congress: FDA, Not You, Should Regulate Us
When the CEOs from Juul and four other leading e-cigarette makers came before a House investigative panel Wednesday, they had a united message for Congress: Don’t do anything, the Food and Drug Administration will sort this out. All five of the executives, which also came from Reynolds American, Njoy, Fontem, and Logic, used the FDA to parry questions from lawmakers, insisting that the issue of youth vaping is being controlled. At some points they even bragged about their compliance with regulators and the potential impact e-cigarettes could have on public health. (Florko, 2/5)
The Washington Post:
Most Flavored E-Cigarette Pods Banned As Of Feb. 6: FAQ
The hotly debated Trump administration partial ban on flavored e-cigarettes takes effect Thursday. Which vaping products will be affected? Which will still be available? And what happens next in the administration’s efforts to reduce teen vaping? Here are some answers. (McGinley, 2/5)
The New York Times:
Justice Dept. Opens Civil Rights Investigation Into Mississippi Prisons
For weeks, Mississippi’s prisons have been gripped by crisis. At least a dozen inmates have been slain or killed themselves, and feuding gangs have forced lockdowns. Images and videos taken on smuggled cellphones have highlighted deteriorating conditions, and legislators and activists have asked for federal intervention. The Justice Department responded to the turmoil on Wednesday by announcing a civil rights investigation to explore whether prison officials have done enough to protect inmates from one another and the quality of mental health care and suicide prevention efforts. (Rojas, 2/5)
The Associated Press:
Feds Investigate Mississippi Prisons After String Of Deaths
The investigation by the Justice Department's civil rights division will specifically focus on conditions at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, the South Mississippi Correctional Institution, the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility and the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, the Justice Department said. The Wilkinson facility holds state prisoners, and the state pays a private company, Management & Training Corporation, to operate it. (Balsamo and Pettus, 2/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Four Mississippi Prisons Draw U.S. Justice Department Probe
The investigation will be handled by the department’s Civil Rights Division, with help from the U.S. attorney’s offices for the Northern and Southern districts of Mississippi. In addition to the Parchman prison, the probe will look at South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville, Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl and Wilkinson County Correctional Facility in Woodville. “We are grateful that President Trump’s administration has taken a focused interest in criminal justice reform and that they care enough about Mississippi to engage on this critical issue,” said Renae Eze, a spokeswoman for Republican Gov. Tate Reeves. “As we continue our own investigations, we look forward to cooperating with them and working together to right this ship.” (Campo-Flores, 2/5)
The Associated Press:
Fights, Isolation: Feds Say SC Doesn't Protect Young Inmates
A South Carolina juvenile prison violates the civil rights of its young inmates by failing to protect them from fights, forcing them to spend days or weeks in isolation for minor offenses and failing to get them mental health when they threaten to harm or kill themselves, federal investigators said. The U.S. Department of Justice ordered South Carolina juvenile prison officials to begin making seven changes in the Department of Juvenile Justice in less than two months or face a lawsuit, according to the report from the federal agency's Civil Rights Division released Wednesday. (2/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Merck To Spin Off Slow-Growth Products Into New Company
Drugmaker Merck & Co. will spin off $6.5 billion in assets, including women’s-health products and cholesterol treatments that have lost patent protection, that are equal to 15% of its prescription drug sales. The move to shed the products will allow Merck to focus on faster-growing cancer drugs, vaccines and animal-health items, Merck Chief Executive Ken Frazier said. (Hopkins, 2/5)
Stat:
Merck To Spin Off New $6.5B Firm Focused On Women's Health, Older Drugs
Merck joins rivals including Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline, which have made similar moves. Carving off 14% of Merck’s sales into what it is still calling “NewCo” should allow the core company to grow faster, attracting investors who want to bet on the rising sales of the company’s cancer drug, Keytruda, which by itself generates $11 billion in annual sales and grew at a 55% clip in 2018, as well as its businesses in vaccines and hospital drugs. (Herper, 2/5)
Stat:
Biogen Wins Patent Challenge To Key Multiple Sclerosis Drug
A U.S. appeals panel on Wednesday denied a patent challenge against Biogen’s multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera, putting off the early launch of a generic version by Mylan and sending shares of Biogen surging. Mylan, the generic drug maker, had filed an inter partes review seeking to overturn the last remaining patent on Tecfidera, Biogen’s most important multiple sclerosis drug. That patent was not set to expire until 2028. (Feuerstein, 2/5)
Stat:
CODA Biotherapeutics Just Bought Three Failed Drugs. Here’s Why
On Wednesday, South San Francisco-based CODA announced its acquisition of Attenua, another venture-backed, early-stage biotech company. In exchange for an undisclosed amount, CODA got three of Attenua’s drug candidates. Attenua had hoped they would work as therapies for chronic cough. (Sheridan, 2/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Zantac Recall Weighs On Sanofi’s Earnings
Sanofi SA swung to a loss in the fourth quarter as the recall of heartburn drug Zantac over cancer concerns offset strong sales of newer treatments. The French health-care giant on Thursday posted a net loss of €10 million ($11 million) for the last three months of 2019, compared with a profit of €254 million a year earlier. That was partly driven by a €169 million write-down related to Zantac, which it voluntarily recalled in the U.S. and Canada amid concerns it—and other products containing the same active ingredient—could contain small amounts of probable human carcinogen NDMA. (Roland, 2/6)
Stat:
Gilead Loses Challenge To Two Patents Over An HIV Prevention Pill
In a setback to Gilead Sciences (GILD), a federal panel rejected its bid to invalidate a pair of patents owned by the U.S. government for using the Truvada pill to prevent HIV, a drug that has sparked controversy due to its cost and the extent to which taxpayer dollars funded crucial research. The Patent Trial and Appeals Board ruled that Gilead failed to demonstrate it was likely to win its argument for overturning the patents held by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which helped fund academic work into HIV prevention that later formed the basis for the best-selling medicine that is also known as PrEP (here is one ruling and here is the other). (Silverman, 2/5)
The Associated Press:
1 Dead, 2 Sick From Legionnaires' At Illinois Senior Center
An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease at a senior living center in suburban Chicago has left one resident dead and two others sickened, health officials said Wednesday. The Lake County Health Department said in a news release that it has confirmed three cases of the disease, a type of severe pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria, at Brookdale Senior Living in Vernon Hills. (2/5)
The Associated Press:
Suit: Failed Nursing Homes' Operators Stole From Employees
The former operators of a failed multi-state nursing home chain stole more than $2 million from employees' paychecks that was supposed to pay for their health insurance, according to a lawsuit. The suit filed last week in U.S. District Court names Joseph Schwartz and wife Rosie Schwartz and their company, Skyline Health Care, which operated more than 100 nursing homes under numerous subsidiary companies. Dozens of those facilities have been taken over by states in the last two years after the company was unable to pay vendors. (2/5)
The Washington Post:
Federal Officials Sweep Franklin Square While Targeting Homeless Encampments
Mike Adams slept Wednesday morning on a bench in Franklin Square. When he awoke, he headed to a nearby church for a shower. By the time he returned to the block-long park along K Street NW, between 13th and 14th streets, two trash bags holding his possessions were gone. (Hermann, 2/5)