The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, November 17.
Provider Relief Fund
The Provider Relief Fund web page has been updated with the following notice:
The application deadline for the Provider Relief Fund Phase 3 General Distribution was Nov. 6, 2020. You must have submitted your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) for validation by 11:59 p.m. ET on Nov. 6, 2020 for Phase 3 relief funds. If you submitted your TIN for validation by the deadline and your TIN is validated by Nov. 13, you will be able to proceed with submitting your revenue documentation to complete your application by 11:59 p.m. ET on Nov. 27, 2020.
Department of Health and Human Services
- HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response has posted information about high-flow nasal cannulation, an oxygen therapy that is a non-invasive resuscitation therapy for COVID-19 patients. HHS has purchased kits to use when administering this therapy and health care facilities can work through their local and state health departments to secure a supply. Go here to learn more about the therapy and how to acquire supplies.
- HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response presents a speaker series focused on how the COVID-19 pandemic can affect health care professional stress and resilience. Topics in this series include acute and chronic stressors, identifying at-risk employees, and fostering resilience. Go here for further information.
- HHS has entered into partnerships with large chain pharmacies and networks that represent independent pharmacies and regional chains to improve access to eventual COVID-19 vaccines. Participating pharmacies will counsel customers about vaccines and order and administer vaccines at no cost to those customers. Learn more in this HHS announcement.
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Calls
CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the health care community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts.
Nursing Homes
Wednesday, November 18 at 4:30 – 5:00 PM (eastern)
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820
Access Passcode: 1335116
Audio Webcast link: go here
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- The CDC has published a scientific brief that for the first time states that wearing masks can protect the wearer, and not just those with whom mask wearers come into contact, from the spread of COVID-19.
- The CDC has updated its COVID-19 guidance for in-home social service providers such as caregivers and aides, teachers and tutors, social workers, and resettlement agency personnel who visit the homes of their clients. Find the updated guidance here.
- The CDC has updated its guidance on point-of-care COVID-19 testing.
- The CDC has updated its FAQs about the spread, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with COVID-19.
- The CDC has updated its FAQs for laboratories that perform COVID-19 tests.
- The CDC has posted information about current research on the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy.
Food and Drug Administration
- The FDA has updated its guidance on investigational COVID-19 convalescent plasma. The updated guidance extends the period of enforcement discretion through the end of February 2021. This extension will permit continued access to convalescent plasma for the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients while blood establishments develop the necessary operating procedures to manufacture the plasma consistent with the emergency use authorization. The guidance also includes a new recommendation that authorized COVID-19 convalescent plasma not be collected from individuals who have received an investigational COVID-19 vaccine.
- The FDA has updated its FAQs on the development of COVID-19 tests.
- The FDA has established a new webpage, A Closer Look at COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing, to provide health care providers and other public health professionals, including those who might purchase COVID-19 tests, with more technical information and resources.