COVID-19 Update – April 2, 2020
New York State Statistics April 2
By the numbers: The state reported 92,381 confirmed cases and 2,373 deaths as of Thursday morning, including 51,809 cases in New York City, 11,567 in Westchester County, 10,587 in Nassau County, 8,746 in Suffolk County, 3,751 in Rockland County, 1,993 in Orange County, 667 in Dutchess County, 617 in Erie County, 420 in Monroe County and 253 in Albany County.
As of Wednesday night, New York City reported 1,374 deaths (deaths by borough) and 15,217 confirmed cases in Queens, 12,274 in Brooklyn, 8,607 cases in the Bronx, 7,022 in Manhattan, and 2,552 in Staten Island. More numbers here.
MSSNY President Dr. Fougner’s Press Statement re Ventilator Shortage
Based on information from Governor Cuomo’s press briefings, along with communications from our member physicians, hospitals in New York are getting to the point where ventilators as lifeboats are reaching capacity. At this point, the most difficult decisions facing physicians will have to be made. Already, some emergency physicians are reporting being told the equivalent of ‘Use your best judgement. You’re on your own.’ For sure, we will be seeing increasing depression and PTSD that will eclipse today’s physician burnout.
In 2015, NY State DOH’s Task Force on Life and Health published Guidelines on Ventilator Allocation. While DOH is reviewing the situation in light of COVID19, we suggest that our medical centers and health systems use this document as a framework to inform policy decisions. Additionally, each institution should empower its ethics committee to have in place a system to respond urgently to requests for guidance when the need arises so that no physician need bear this terrible burden alone.
Eight Things to Know About Drugs Touted as Coronavirus Game Changers
Two decades-old drugs designed to treat malaria, called chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, have been touted by the Trump administration as “game changers” in the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Eight things to know about them:
- Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine were approved in 1949 to treat malaria, but today are used commonly to treat autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Hydroxychloroquine is a safer, more commonly used version of chloroquine.
- Both drugs have shown to be somewhat effective in treating COVID-19 in preliminary trials, but there is no peer-reviewed clinical data showing this.
- The FDA granted emergency use authorization for both drugs March 28 to allow COVID-19 patients to be treated with them.
- The FDA has warned against taking chloroquine products without a prescription. A man died after taking chloroquine meant for his pet fish.
- Several state pharmacy boards have passed emergency rules restricting prescription of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in response to reports that some physicians and pharmacists were stockpiling the drugs for themselves and their families.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina said it would cover both chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for use in treating COVID-19.
- Sandoz has donated 30 million doses of hydroxychloroquine to the strategic national stockpile, and Bayer has donated 1 million doses of chloroquine.
(Becker’s Hosp Review, April 2)
Justice Department Will Send Seized Medical Supplies to New York, New Jersey
Hundreds of thousands of hoarded medical supplies, including 192,000 n95 respirator masks, are being sent to coronavirus hot spots New York and New Jersey, the Department of Justice and Department of Human and Health Services announced today.
The FBI located the supplies on March 30, as part of its work under the department’s Covid-19 Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force announced last week. HHS was then alerted and activated the Defense Production Act to seize the supplies and put them under U.S. government control.
Along with the n95 respirator masks, the FBI also discovered 598,000 medical gloves, 130,000 surgical masks and other supplies like gowns, disinfectant towels, hand sanitizers and disinfectant sprays, materials the Justice Department said are being distributed to states.
“If you are amassing critical medical equipment for the purpose of selling it at exorbitant prices, you can expect a knock at your door,” Attorney General William Barr said in a statement. “The Department of Justice’s COVID-19 Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force is working tirelessly around the clock with all our law enforcement partners to ensure that bad actors cannot illicitly profit from the COVID-19 pandemic facing our nation.” (Politico, April 2, 12:37)
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Information Sheet: Borrowers
The Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) authorizes up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses to pay their employees during the COVID-19 crisis. All loan terms will be the same for everyone. The loan amounts will be forgiven as long as:
- The loan proceeds are used to cover payroll costs, and most mortgage interest, rent, and utility costs over the 8-week period after the loan is made; and
- Employee and compensation levels are maintained. Payroll costs are capped at $100,000 on an annualized basis for each employee. Due to likely high subscription, it is anticipated that not more than 25% of the forgiven amount may be for non-payroll costs. Loan payments will be deferred for 6 months
What do I need to apply? You will need to complete the Paycheck Protection Program loan application and submit the application with the required documentation to an approved lender that is available to process your application by June 30, 2020.
Click HERE for the application.
10 K Disaster Grant: Does Not Impact Qualification for Forgivable Loan) 75% Reserved; File Now! Do NOT Wait
Apply for a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan NOW! https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/
In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, small business owners in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories are eligible to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance of up to $10,000. To apply for a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan, https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/
The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. The loan advance will provide economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. Funds will be made available within three days of a successful application, and this loan advance will not have to be repaid. DO NOT WAIT!
White House Expected to Recommend All Wear Cloth Masks
The White House is expected to announce a new policy, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that would urge Americans to wear cloth masks in an effort to prevent coronavirus spread, according to a federal official familiar with the policy.
Lessons from The Front Lines: COVID-19
CMS Administrator Seema Verma, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, MD, and the White House Coronavirus Task Force, invites MSSNY members to the next call in the new CMS series for physicians: Lessons from The Front Lines: COVID-19. The call will take place on Friday, April 3rd from 12:30 – 2 PM EST and the topic of discussion is: COVID-19 Flexibilities. Please join us to share your ideas, strategies, and insights with one another. Please see dial-in details below. Conference lines are limited, so we highly encourage you to join via audio webcast, either on your computer or smartphone web browser.
Participant Dial-In: (877) 251-0301
Webcast Streaming: https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=4be5adfc-17b0a42c-4be59cc3-0cc47a6a52de-f8b939daf2762cc0&u=https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=1794
CAIPA Foundation “CAIPA Task Force on COVID-19” Donation and Supplies Drive
CAIPA, CAIPA MSO and CAIPA Foundation greatly appreciate your support and donations during this challenging time.
The Task Force Committee and Leadership sincerely ask for your continued support to this donation drive effort due to the increasing and pressing needs of our frontline healthcare providers. For your information, in the past weeks, we have already delivered protective supplies to our partner hospitals, including NY Presbyterian-Queen, NYU Langone Brooklyn, Maimonides Medical Center, Northwell Health, Stony Brook University Hospital, NYP-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, The Brooklyn Hospital Center and Interfaith Hospital to help ease the needs of our frontline heroes who are fighting COVID-19 for our communities.
We want to assure you that the monetary donations and protective suppliers received will be put to the best use for our partner hospitals in the communities throughout the city, which we jointly take good care of our patient population. The money and supplies will also be used to support CAIPA’s initiatives in assisting our staff and provider-members in our fight against COVID-19.
CAIPA has dedicated a webpage, “CAIPA Task Force on COVID-19”, on CAIPA.net https://www.caipa.net/caipa/caipa-task-force-on-covid-19/, where you can see our weekly update, media activities, donation report, educational materials, and resources to keep you, our providers and community posted on the progress and milestones that we achieved so far on this campaign.
FOR MONETARY DONATIONS:
Please kindly make check payable to:
CAIPA FOUNDATION, INC.
202 CANAL ST STE 500
NEW YORK, NY 10013
Or use PAYPAL and pay to acct@caipa.net.
FOR PROTECTIVE SUPPLIES:
Please kindly contact Task Force Project Lead Lisha Xiang at lxiang@caipa.net, who will make arrangements to be delivered to the following locations:
- Manhattan: 202 Canal St., Suite 500, New York, NY 10013 (entrance on Mulberry St.)
- Brooklyn: 5721 6th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11220
- Queens: 136-33 37th Ave., Flushing, NY 11354
Thank you again for your support and commitment to this meaningful cause.