Threats
Oxford-developed COVID-19 vaccine protected monkeys from virus-caused pneumonia in study
Research conducted last month by scientists from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Oxford showed promise for the investigational SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, at least when used on rhesus macaques. The vaccine, which was created by the University of Oxford Jenner... Read More »
Leaders of Costa Rica, Chile launch effort with WHO to create COVID-19 platform
The leaders of Costa Rica and Chile, working with the World Health Organization (WHO), are spearheading an effort to create a technology platform that aims to lift access barriers to effective vaccines, medicines, and other health products against COVID-19. “Our proposal relies on... Read More »
Senate bill seeks to strengthen the nation’s bioeconomy
A bipartisan group of Senators introduced May 15 legislation designed to strengthen the nation’s bioeconomy. The Bioeconomy Research and Development Act of 2020 seeks to advance research and development, advance biomanufacturing, develop the future bioeconomy workforce, and support various... Read More »
TSA addresses transportation insider threats
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has crafted a structure the agency said is designed to combat potential transportation sector insider threats. The TSA Insider Threat Roadmap streamlines processes, identifies requirements and capabilities, and leverages partnerships to... Read More »
GAO issues chemical facility protection recommendations
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a series of recommendations regarding chemical facility cybersecurity oversight. Officials said DHS’s Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program evaluates high-risk chemical... Read More »
NIAID begins clinical trial examining hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin as COVID-19 treatments
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) started last week a clinical trial to evaluate if a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin could treat COVID-19 in mild or moderate cases. Adults meeting that description can express interest in participating by email.... Read More »
FDA warns Abbott ID NOW test for COVID-19 may give inaccurate results
Another COVID-19 is being investigated for faults, resulting in the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to warn people that the Abbott ID NOW point-of-care test may return inaccurate, false negative results. The warning stems from some scientific studies that have identified... Read More »
Bipartisan legislation seeks to improve federal cybersecurity
U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced legislation that will facilitate innovation and breakthroughs in cybersecurity. The Cyber Leap Act of 2020 would establish cybersecurity grand challenges on improving the economics related to federal... Read More »
Reps. Pallone, DeGette seek answers from CDC on keeping food production workers safe
U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) are asking officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the steps taken to further protect food production workers from the coronavirus. There have been a series of COVID-19 outbreaks in food production... Read More »
FBI, CISA issues warning for COVID-19 research organizations
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have issued a warning to organizations conducting research on the COVID-19 pandemic. These agencies are warning that healthcare researchers are prime targets from fraudsters from the... Read More »
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions members push for HHS transparency on remdesivir
Concerned about the level of transparency being provided by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over the distribution of the antiviral remdesivir, senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee are pressing for information. Remdesivir is a therapeutic... Read More »
DHS S&T releases predictive modeling tool to chart natural decay of SARS-CoV-2
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) released this week a predictive modeling tool intended to chart the downfall of COVID-19 under natural conditions. Specifically, the tool tracks the natural decay of SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus that causes COVID-19 --... Read More »
Smiths Detection launches airport checkpoint sanitizing tool
Security screening firm Smiths Detection has introduced an ultraviolet (UVC) light kit it maintains is capable of destroying up to 99.9 percent of microorganisms present at airport security checkpoints. Smiths Detection UVC kits automatically disinfect baggage trays as they are being transported... Read More »
Boeing secures $3.1 billion in Navy missile systems contracts
Boeing has secured a combined $3.1 billion Navy contract for Harpoon and Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM ER) weapon systems in support of Foreign Military Sales (FMS). Officials indicated about $2.6 billion of the agreement was recently contracted, with the remainder having... Read More »
HEROES Act to provide additional $3 trillion in COVID-19 aid and relief
Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a $3 trillion aid package that would provide relief for Americans, fund COVID-19 testing, and bolster state and local health infrastructure and funding, among other initiatives. The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions... Read More »
DoD, HHS award contract enabling prefilled syringes for future COVID-19 vaccine
The U.S. Departments of Defense (DoD) and Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded a $138 million contract to ApiJect Systems America for Project Jumpstart and RAPID USA, two programs designed to expand U.S. production of medical-grade injection devices. The contract will create a U.S.-based... Read More »
Sen. Murkowski requests joint efforts to allocate PPE, COVID-19 tests for fire crews
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has requested four government agencies combine efforts to allocate personal protective equipment (PPE) and rapid COVID-19 tests for federal wildland fire crews. Murkowski recently forwarded correspondence to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the... Read More »
Day Zero Diagnostics secures $6.2M in CARB-X funding
Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) recently awarded up to $6.2 million to the infectious disease diagnostics firm Day Zero Diagnostics to accelerate early research of and develop treatments for superbug infections. “There has never been a more... Read More »
CEPI expands Novavax collaboration with additional $384M investment into COVID-19 vaccine efforts
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced an additional $384 million investment into Novavax Inc. this week, as a means of accelerating development and manufacture of its NVX-CoV2373 COVID-19 vaccine candidate. This extends ongoing collaboration between the two... Read More »
Sen. Peters urges Trump administration to secure medical supplies for eventual coronavirus vaccine distribution
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) pressed the Trump administration this week to secure the medical supplies necessary to help immunize Americans against COVID-19 once such a vaccine is created. These include things like needles, syringes, or other delivery devices. Such supplies have been compromised... Read More »
CBP seizes shipments of illegal PPE, COVID-19 pharmaceuticals
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Ports of Entry working within the Baltimore Field Office seized several shipments of counterfeit and unapproved coronavirus personal protective equipment (PPE) and pharmaceuticals. Since March 23, CBP officers at the ports in Philadelphia,... Read More »
House Democrats seek briefing from AG Barr on state stay-at-home restrictions
Several Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are asking Attorney General William Barr for a briefing on legal action the Department of Justice has taken – or has threatened to take -- against state governments that have imposed strict public health and safety restrictions to combat... Read More »
FDA further streamlining review, advice process for COVID-19 treatment options
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week moved to further development of prevention and treatment options for COVID-19 by providing new guidance with recommendations for innovators and researchers. The FDA previously launched the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program to help... Read More »
Health experts advise coordinated strategy to accelerate multiple COVID-19 vaccine candidates
While many vaccine and treatment prospects have been put forward for dealing with COVID-19, health experts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have advised in a new Science-published paper that a collaborative strategy for testing, scale-up, and distribution of candidates is... Read More »
Fauci warns against premature reopening amid pandemic as health officials testify to U.S. Senate
Top U.S. health officials testified before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Tuesday, discussing the potential for future response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for and capabilities of testing, and the dangers of reopening workplaces and schools too... Read More »
Senate bill would provide $9B to support global fight against COVID-19
U.S. Senate Democrats introduced legislation to provide an additional $9 billion to support international efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 International Response and Recovery Act (CIRRA) seeks to compel the Trump Administration to engage with other countries and... Read More »
At-home COVID-19 saliva sample collection approved
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Rutgers Clinical Genomics Laboratory for its COVID-19 laboratory developed test (LDT). The action allows the testing of samples self-collected by patients at home using the Spectrum Solutions LLC... Read More »
Gilead Sciences donates more than 600K vials of remdesivir for hospital use
Under a plan finalized on May 3, 607,000 vials of the drug remdesivir were donated for use in United States hospitals hosting COVID-19 patients by the drug’s creator, Gilead Sciences, Inc. These shipments began to roll out on May 7, packed into cases and dispatched to Connecticut (30 cases),... Read More »
NIAID begins clinical trial to evaluate safety and efficacy of remdesivir and baricitinib on COVID-19
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 »
Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense delves into preparedness, response for next pandemic
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 »
Senate bill would create new positions for AmeriCorps and national service posts
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 »
TSA implements additional COVID-19 safety measure at US airports
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 »
U.S. Sen. Collins pushes health officials toward increased COVID-19 testing capacity during Health Committee hearing
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 »
HHS awards nearly $583M to US health centers to expand COVID-19 testing
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 »