Covid-19: Health agencies will need an army of coronavirus trackers

At a time when many industries are in hiring freezes, coronavirus contact tracers are in high demand. In Boston, San Francisco, and other cities around the country, health agencies are looking to hire people who can track down contacts of Covid-19 patients and inform them of the risk they may pose to others and have them take precautionary measures. STAT contributor Maggie Fox has more here. 

Here's what is else is new: 

• Health tech startups are increasingly at odds with the FDA over at-home tests for the novel coronavirus. STAT's Erin Brodwin has the story here. 
• As Covid-19 spreads rapidly through San Francisco's homeless population, doctors are finding it increasingly hard to treat and discharge this already vulnerable population. 
• Companies that offer mental health treatment through apps or other virtual means are striving to meet the increasing demand for such services in the wake of Covid-19. STAT's Rebecca Robbins has the story here. 
• Some drugs that are being repurposed for possible use against Covid-19 could also be cheap to make, according to a new study. Remdesivir, which Gilead is testing for Covid-19, could be made for as low as 93 cents for a day's supply, writes STAT's Ed Silverman. 
• As the idea of giving out "immunity certificates" for those who have recovered from Covid-19 infection gains traction, bioethicist Henry Greeley takes a look at the practical and ethical considerations for handing out such certificates in a new First Opinion for STAT.