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10.08.20

COVID-19 Update | October 8, 2020

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COVID-19 Update

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  • COVID-19
  • Disease Management

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coronavirus COVID-19

Coronavirus Disease 2019

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October 8, 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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Government Action
Education
Noteworthy
Legal & Regulatory Updates
Testing, Reporting & Treatment
Vaccine Updates

 

COVID-19 REPRODUCTIVE RATE (Re) BY REGION AS OF OCTOBER 7, 2020

KC

STL

NE

NW

Central

SE

SW

Red Down Arrow1.11

Red Down Arrow1.03

N/A

Red Down Arrow1.26

Red Down Arrow1.17

Red Down Arrow 1.11

Red Down Arrow 1.11

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

Government Action


CMS Announces New Terms For Medicare Accelerated Payments

Staff Contact: Daniel Landon or Andrew Wheeler

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released guidance that implements new Medicare Accelerated and Advanced Payment program terms as prescribed in the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act. The new guidance prescribes that one year after the Medicare AAP was issued, Medicare will “automatically recoup 25% of Medicare payments otherwise owed to the provider or supplier for 11 months. At the 11-month period, recoupment will increase to 50% for another six months. If the provider or supplier is unable to repay the total amount of the AAP during this time period (a total of 29 months), CMS will issue letters requiring repayment of any outstanding balance, subject to an interest rate of 4%.”

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Azar Extends Public Health Emergency

Staff Contact: Jane Drummond or Sarah Willson

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar once again extended the federally declared public health emergency associated with COVID-19. Under the Public Health Service Act, a public health emergency only may be declared in 90-day increments. Azar previously extended his Jan. 31 declaration twice. The new extension takes effect on Friday, Oct. 23, and will allow for continuation of federal waivers until January 2021.

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Education


ACHI Offers Webinar Highlighting Hospital-Community Partnerships

Staff Contact: Stephen Njenga

The American Hospital Association Community Health Improvement is offering a webinar at 11 a.m. CDT Wednesday, Oct. 21, on how hospital-community partnerships have played a role in meeting health and social needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Engaging in sustainable, effective and equitable partnerships is crucial in meeting community needs related to COVID-19 and its associated economic fallout, as well as for accelerating racial and social equity. This webinar highlights AHA members’ approaches to addressing community and population health as the field moves from pandemic response to recovery to rebuilding.

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Noteworthy


Operation Thank You Honors Health Care Heroes

Staff Contact: Mary Becker

Operation Thank You event in Jefferson City, Mo.
The Spirit of Liberty Foundation organized a national fly around to honor the nation’s health care heroes. Their latest stop was today in Jefferson City, where our health care heroes also were honored during an airport visit from Governor and First Lady Mike and Teresa Parson. Also in attendance was Missouri State House Representative Sarah Walsh and Missouri State Senator Jeanie Riddle. As Missouri’s health care workers – who stand on the front line daily — continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, they also continue to provide compassionate care and support to all Missouri hospital patients. Pictured are Gov. Parson and health care workers from SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital and Capital Region Medical Center.

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CDC Updates Guidance On Airborne Transmission Of COVID-19 Virus

Staff Contact: Terrie Bauer

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance on how COVID-19 spreads to acknowledge published reports showing “limited, uncommon” circumstances where people with COVID-19 infected others who were more than six feet away.

“In these instances, transmission occurred in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces that often involved activities that caused heavier breathing, like singing or exercise,” the agency said. “Such environments and activities may contribute to the buildup of virus-carrying particles. CDC’s recommendations remain the same based on existing science and after a thorough technical review of the guidance. People can protect themselves from the virus that causes COVID-19 by staying at least six feet away from others, wearing a mask that covers their nose and mouth, washing their hands frequently, cleaning touched surfaces often, and staying home when sick.”

The guidance notes that, based on available data, it is “much more common” for the virus to spread through close contact with a person who has COVID-19 than through airborne transmission.

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Legal & Regulatory Updates


CMS Releases Hospital Reporting Enforcement Guidance

Staff Contact: Sarah Willson or Jackie Gatz

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released new regulatory requirements for all hospitals and critical access hospitals at 42 C.F.R. §§482.42(e) and 485.640(d), respectively, related to the reporting of information during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Failure to report the specified data may lead to the termination of a provider’s participation from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. QSO 21-03-Hospitals/CAH outlines the reporting requirements and enforcement activities related to the new conditions. CMS also released the Hospital Mandatory COVID-19 Reporting Enforcement Workflow document to accompany the guidance. The interim final rule specifying these new regulations is open for comment until Monday, Nov. 2. In commenting, refer to file code CMS-3401-IFC. Comments can be submitted electronically, by general mail or overnight delivery.

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Testing, Reporting & Treatment


NIH Awards More Contracts To Develop New Testing Technologies

Staff Contact: Terrie Bauer

The National Institutes of Health’s Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics initiative awarded $98.4 million in contracts to scale up and manufacture new COVID-19 testing technologies. “The current round of awards supports five technologies that can be delivered to the point of care and a powerful laboratory test,” said Bruce Tromberg, director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. “The technologies include an antigen test that provides results in 15 minutes; a viral RNA test deployed in mobile vans that can travel to COVID-19 hotspots; and tests that require only saliva, nasal swabs or blood from a finger prick.”

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Vaccine Updates


Update Available For Potential COVID-19 Vaccination Program Providers

Staff Contact: Meghan Henderson or Jackie Gatz

On Sept. 24, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services invited potential COVID-19 vaccinators to complete a survey to gauge interest in the program. DHSS received the results of the survey and is utilizing these results as part of the Missouri planning efforts. DHSS currently is working on creating a portal to enroll interested providers as COVID-19 vaccinators. MHA will notify hospitals once the portal is open, and DHSS will email the points of contact listed in the survey responses. Any updates also will be posted on the Missouri COVID-19 Vaccinator web page, and DHSS plans to update the web page as more information becomes available. Until the portal is available, DHSS asks that interested providers continue to enroll in ShowMeVax if your facility is not already enrolled.

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FDA Issues Guidance On Data Needed To Support COVID-19 Vaccine Safety, Efficacy

Staff Contact: Terrie Bauer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released guidance and a briefing document outlining the key data needed to support an emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine candidate and further explaining the EUA process. Both the EUA and standard approval processes require the sponsor to demonstrate a vaccine candidate’s safety and effectiveness. The agency plans to convene an open session of its vaccine advisory committee to discuss each EUA request, and whether the available safety and effectiveness data support authorization. The committee scheduled a meeting on Thursday, Oct. 22, to discuss COVID-19 vaccine development, authorization and licensing generally.

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Fight Flu: Get Vaccinated Against Flu This Season.

 

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