Contagion Live News Network: Coronavirus Updates for March 30, 2020

Welcome to the Contagion Live News Network. I’m Grant Gallagher and this is the COVID-19 update for Monday, March 30th, 2020.

The United States has extended social distancing measures through the end of April, after reassessment of an earlier timeline floated which would begin to reopen the country by Easter.

Over the weekend, Contagion covered the need to prepare for patients to recover from COVID-19.

Harvard Medical School’s Daniel Grabowski, PhD noted that “Many patients with COVID-19 will need post-acute care to recuperate from their infection, however, post-acute care facilities currently lack the capacity and capability to safely treat patients with COVID-19 as they transition from the hospital to other care settings or to their homes."

The US Food and Drug Administration began working with diagnostic developers in January and to date has engaged with 230 test developers who have or are expected to submit requests for emergency use authorization. As of March 30^th, 20 authorizations have been granted. Among these was a 5-minute diagnostic from Abbott. Additionally, more than 110 laboratories have notified the FDA that they have begun using their own tests.

The total number of cases in the US has now passed 153,000 with over 2800 deaths.

Around the world, there are over 760,000 cases. There have been over 36,000 reported deaths, but also at least 158,000 recoveries.

For other stories relevant to COVID-19 and the latest infectious disease news, visit ContagionLive.com. To track the spread of infectious diseases in the United States and abroad, be sure to use the Contagion Outbreak Monitor.

For the Contagion Live News Network, I’m Grant Gallagher. Thanks for listening.