Countermeasures
Remdesivir has been shown to shorten the recovery time for patients suffering from COVID-19, and as a result, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has begun a clinical trial to see how it fairs when paired with the anti-inflammatory baricitinib.
“We now have solid... Read More »
The United States’ preparedness and response capabilities have buckled under the stress of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and proactive work is needed to meet the next infectious disease before it strikes, said experts during the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense May 8 virtual... Read More »
Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduce legislation designed to improve accountability and bolster investigative priorities of the U.S. Secret Service.
The U.S. Secret Service Mission Improvement and Realignment Act of 2020 would move the Secret Service to its original... Read More »
A bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate that would expand national service programs like AmeriCorps to help the United States recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pandemic Response and Opportunity Through National Service Act would provide funding for 750,000 national service positions over... Read More »
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials said employees must wear facial protection while at screening checkpoints to minimize COVID-19 spread and raise the airport environment's overall health and safety level.
“TSA is making this change to protect our employees and travelers as... Read More »
Industrial technology firm FLIR Systems has secured a $20.6 million Army contract to deliver Black Hornet 3 Personal Reconnaissance Systems in support of surveillance capabilities.
“Black Hornet has proven to be a game-changing technology – a small package that can deliver a big edge on the... Read More »
As more of the country reopened for business, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) used a recent Senate Health Committee hearing to press top health officials on the need for rapidly developing and scaling up production of COVID-19 tests and supplies.
The hearing, titled Shark Tank: New Tests for... Read More »
Nearly $583 million has been dispatched to 1,385 Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded health centers throughout the United States and its territories to bolster COVID-19 testing, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced last week.
“Widespread... Read More »
Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have developed smart, breathable fabric designed to protect against biological and chemical warfare agents.
The material could be used by healthcare workers and first responders in clinical and medical settings as well as military... Read More »
Representatives from private industry and the federal government have joined forces to combat fraud and other illegal activity surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.S. Homeland Security Investigations National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) is working with... Read More »
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials said the agency has updated guidance regarding distributing personal protective equipment (PPE) to VA health care workers assisting veterans amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Ensuring our VA health care workers’ safety during this global pandemic must... Read More »
A report from the independent, nonpartisan policy institute Center for American Progress (CAP) maintains the proposed fiscal year 2021 defense budget should more than adequately offer national security protections.
CAP officials said the analysis offers eight reasons why the $740 billion defense... Read More »
Beginning October 2020, the U.S. government will benefit from an additional 26 million N95 medical-grade masks per month, as part of a new deal struck between the Department of Defense (DoD) and 3M.
The $126 million contract was funded through the CARES Act, which was passed by Congress and... Read More »
Siemens Smart Infrastructure this week released the Siveillance Thermal Shield, a product capable of rapid, contactless temperature measurement at building entry points, as a means of adding potential illness tracking to general security.
The package consists of thermal imaging cameras capable... Read More »
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health expect to shortly begin two trials of convalescent plasma – plasma taken from recovered COVID-19 patients – next week, with an eye on reducing hospital strain and helping both high-risk populations and those getting sick at... Read More »
Clinical trials on four potential vaccine candidates to prevent infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 disease.
The first U.S. patients have been dosed in a clinical trial conducted by Pfizer and BioNTech. They are being held at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the University of... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) will introduce a bill that would create a new agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Medical Command (NMC).
This new independent agency would be charged with preparing for, monitoring, and responding to pandemics. Further, it would... Read More »
One of the areas the United States has struggled with during the COVID-19 pandemic is testing capacity, but now, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is moving to expand testing, testing sites and supplies, and federal reimbursement efforts.
All of this is meant to be in line with the... Read More »
The search for potential COVID-19 vaccines continues, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has issued a call for proposals that could put funds in the hands of organizations with plans to boost development, manufacturing and geographic reach of vaccine candidates.
The... Read More »
Security agencies from the United States and the United Kingdom are warning healthcare policymakers and researchers to be on the lookout for cybersecurity threat campaigns amid the COVID-19 response.
Officials representing the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said the recent inspection of express-consignment shipments at the Rochester New York Airport yielded seizure of counterfeit COVID-19 test kits.
“I’m proud of the continued efforts of our CBP officers here in Rochester,” Rochester Port Director... Read More »
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced legislation to fund the increased production of health care equipment in the fight against COVID-19.
The Emergency Medical Supplies Procurement Act would provide $75 billion for the Trump administration to purchase or manufacture... Read More »
An overwhelming bipartisan majority in the U.S. House of Representatives is calling on the Trump Administration to extend the United Nations arms embargo on Iran.
The embargo is set to expire in October of this year.
A group of 387 members of Congress -- including Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick... Read More »
Northern Arizona University researchers have developed computer modeling systems designed to predict outcomes of the regional spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.
The approach is being implemented across Coconino, Navajo, Apache, and Mohave counties in response to the Flagstaff... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office has issued a series of recommendations to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding efforts to strengthen national preparedness.
The GAO indicated while FEMA uses several scenarios, including pandemic influenza similar to COVID-19, to allow... Read More »
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is collaborating with the Mayo Clinic on an expanded access program that will get patients hospitalized with COVID-19 access to convalescent plasma.
Convalescent plasma’s use is built on the idea that those who recover from... Read More »
The first American participants in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of the BNT162 vaccine program, created by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, have been dosed as the companies ramp up manufacturing capabilities to meet 2020/2021 capacity needs.
That vaccine is meant to treat COVID-19, the disease that... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to Roche for its Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2, or COVID-19, antibody test.
The test is designed to help determine if a patient has been exposed to the virus and if the patient has developed antibodies against... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) introduced legislation that would establish a committee of experts to analyze the impact of U.S. dependence on the foreign manufacturing of lifesaving drugs.
The Prescription for American Drug Independence Act would require the National... Read More »
Reps. Ami Bera (D-CA) and Ted S. Yoho (R-FL) recently forwarded correspondence to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, stating that America should participate in and lead global initiatives to coordinate COVID-19 vaccine production and distribution.
“The U.S. should consider participating in the... Read More »
Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) introduced Friday legislation initiating a $100 million grant program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to mobilize coronavirus testing and contact tracing.
COVID-19 Testing, Reaching and Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act grantees would... Read More »
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently launched a national viral genomics consortium to better map the genome of SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic.
The SARS-CoV-2 Sequencing for Public Health Emergency Response, Epidemiology and Surveillance (SPHERES)... Read More »
Following the results of two clinical trials for the experimental antiviral drug remdesivir, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) last week, opening it to use as a treatment for those with severe cases of COVID-19.
“Based on evaluation of the... Read More »
A group of 14 Democratic U.S. senators is calling on Congress to include $8 billion in new funding for contact tracing to fight the COVID-19 virus.
Contact tracing is the process of tracking infected people to find out who they have been in contact with to stop the spread of the virus.... Read More »
The U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) placed a new order under the contract awarded in 2017 to Bavarian Nordic for the manufacturing and supply of Jynneos, a smallpox and monkeypox vaccine.
The new award is for $202 million. It is in addition to the existing... Read More »
