October 13, 2020

This report from the Missouri Hospital Association is designed to help you stay abreast of recent developments related to COVID-19.

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Advocacy
Data & Analytics
Testing, Reporting & Treatment

The effective reproductive rate, represents the effective transmission rate for COVID-19. Ideally, the Re should be less than 1. Click the Re rate above or visit our website to view the weekly regional dashboards and learn more.

Source: Washington University Institute for Public Health

Advocacy

Gov. Parson Engages With MHA Members On COVID-19

Staff Contact: Daniel Landon

Gov. Mike Parson and key members of his administration participated in a conference call with the MHA membership on the state’s response to the COVID-19 emergency. This was the 20th such call since the pandemic began. They provide an opportunity for an update on state activities and hospital issues, and for hospital executives to ask questions and make comments. The governor and his officials offered updates on the development of a detailed COVID-19 vaccination plan, the influenza vaccination campaign, the governor’s participation in a recent ceremony honoring the state’s health care workers and state efforts to resolve COVID-19 data reporting anomalies. State Health Director Randall Williams, M.D., indicated that there continues to be about 1,400 COVID-19 cases per day in Missouri, with stable ICU capacity. Member questions addressed access to Abbott ID NOW rapid testing technology given new guidelines and supply constraints, and the need for a state masking mandate for schools. MHA will distribute follow-up information provided by Dr. Williams regarding hospital questions. The conference call was recorded.

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MHA, Gov. Parson Attend Briefing On Vaccine Planning Efforts

Staff Contact: Jackie Gatz or Meghan Henderson

Today, MHA staff attended a final briefing of Missouri’s COVID-19 vaccine planning efforts with Gov. Parson. This briefing culminates a whole-government planning effort that engaged private sector partners to develop a plan in advance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention target date of Friday, Oct. 16. MHA staff remain engaged in the planning process and will continue to provide guidance to members as information becomes available. During the briefing, MHA was thanked for their engagement and partnership.

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More U.S. Senators Weigh In On Provider Relief Fund Repayment Standards

Staff Contact: Daniel Landon

Twenty-two U.S. Senators wrote Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar urging him to replace HHS’ new standards for using and repaying COVID-19 Provider Relief Funds with the agency’s June directives. They join Sen. Josh Hawley and 30 other senators, who wrote Azar last week expressing their concerns, as did Sen. Roy Blunt in a separate letter. Informed by state and national advocacy, a majority of the U.S. Senate has contacted Secretary Azar on the topic.

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Hawley Calls For COVID-19 Assistance To “High-Impact” Hospitals

Staff Contact: Daniel Landon

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley wrote Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar calling for additional distribution of COVID-19 Provider Relief Funds to “high-impact” hospitals with large numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations. His letter notes that Missouri’s recent rapid increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations has not been captured by previous “high-impact” fund distributions.

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Data & Analytics

MHA, HIDI Release ILI Dashboard

Staff Contact: Mat Reidhead or Jackie Gatz

Yesterday, MHA and the Hospital Industry Data Institute released a new tab within the COVID-19 interactive dashboard, providing data on influenza and influenza-like illness. The data will help hospitals manage health care resources during a flu season that will occur as COVID-19 continues to progress through Missouri communities.

This new addition to the dashboard also includes information on statewide vaccination rates, and flu and ILI prevalence throughout the past five years. “Missourians should receive their influenza vaccination as soon as possible,” said Gov. Mike Parson. “Vaccination is an essential tool in keeping virus rates low and maintaining our hospital and health care resources through the end of flu season.”

This historical data confirms that our most severe flu outbreak years also were the years we had the lowest level of vaccination rates.

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Testing, Reporting & Treatment

FDA Recommends Clearer Patient Instructions

Staff Contact: Terrie Bauer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended that health care providers give written or video step-by-step instructions, in addition to verbal instructions, to patients who are self-collecting anterior nares (nasal) samples for COVID-19 testing in a health care setting. Without clear instructions, patients “may not collect an adequate sample for testing, which may decrease the sensitivity of the test,” the agency said. Examples of written instructions are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Audere, a nonprofit that has granted a general right of reference to use their instructions at a testing site.

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NIH Launches Clinical Trial For Hospital Patients, Antibody Research Network

Staff Contact: Terrie Bauer

The National Institutes of Health launched a global clinical trial to test a potential COVID-19 treatment that combines remdesivir with a highly concentrated antibody solution. The phase 3 trial will enroll 500 hospitalized adults who have had COVID-19 symptoms for 12 or fewer days and no serious organ dysfunction, and compare their health status after the combination treatment with participants receiving remdesivir and a placebo. The agency also announced a research network to study the immune response to COVID-19 and increase antibody testing capacity.

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