About pharma
WHO to restart hydroxychloroquine trial after Chicago company’s data questioned: “An international trial using hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients will be restarted after questions arose about a study linking the antimalarial drug to increased death and heart risks….
The move adds to the confusion that’s erupted since more than 200 scientists began questioning the study published May 22 [in The Lancet]. Scrutiny has focused on Surgisphere Corp., the Chicago-based firm that provided data for the investigation, with demands for more transparency about its sources and methods of analysis.”
This afternoon, the authors of The Lancet study withdrew their article.
About the public’s health
The C.D.C. Waited ‘Its Entire Existence for this Moment.’ What Went Wrong?: This article from The NY Times has been widely cited in other media outlets and is a great review of the headline topic.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Emergency Department Visits — United States, January 1, 2019–May 30, 2020: From the CDC:
The National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) collects electronic health data in real time…
NSSP found that emergency department (ED) visits declined 42% during the early COVID-19 pandemic, from a mean of 2.1 million per week (March 31–April 27, 2019) to 1.2 million (March 29–April 25, 2020), with the steepest decreases in persons aged ≤14 years, females, and the Northeast. The proportion of infectious disease–related visits was four times higher during the early pandemic period.”
About health insurance
CMS Innovation Center Models COVID-19 Related Adjustments: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS is making changes to payment models, including bundled payments and ACOs. This chart is a great summary of the payment and quality assessment changes.