Covid-19: New digital tools could speed up Covid-19 contact tracing

(HYACINTH EMPINADO/STAT)

It has typically taken three days for health officials to track Covid-19 patients, trace their recent movements, and warn others who may have been exposed to the patient's infection. But that rate of tracking and tracing will never lead to the complete abatement of the illness, experts say. Researchers are now proposing a way to instantaneously track and trace through a mobile app. STAT's Sharon Begley has more here.

Big Tech companies such as Apple and Google have stepped up in the fight against Covid-19. Apple, for example, has released a website and app with information on the disease, and has donated 10 million masks. Read more about how the other tech giants have allocated resources.
In a First Opinion for STAT, Marc Lipsitch and Yonatan Grad liken the Covid-19 pandemic to a storm at sea that we are caught in. Intense measures that are currently being used against the disease are akin to a life raft, they write, cautioning that dry land — the end to the pandemic — is still far away.
And in case you missed the live chat with STAT reporters Sharon Begley, Helen Branswell, and Andrew Joseph on Covid-19 yesterday, you can read the archived transcript here.

Majority of physicians report not being able to test Covid-19 patients in a timely fashion

A survey conducted by Harvard Medical School and RAND Corporation of more than 2,600 physicians on Doximity's network finds a majority aren't able to test patients quickly enough for Covid-19, even though half of these physicians report having treated at least one such patient. Here's more:

Medical supplies: 73% of respondents said they were unable to test patients quickly. More than three-quarters believe their hospital or clinic doesn't have adequate supplies to fight the pandemic.
Precautions: Nearly 60% don't think there are enough precautions in place at their work. At the same time, around 29% reported that current social distancing measures in place in communities was likely an underreaction.
Government: Nearly 70% don't believe the government has taken enough actions to support the medical supply chain. The same number believe the government response to the crisis has been inadequate.

FDA asks manufacturers to recall heartburn drugs over traces of a possible carcinogen

Six months after regulators in Europe and the U.S. first began investigating a chemical known as N-nitrosodimethylamine — or NDMA — in heartburn medicines called ranitidine, the FDA just asked all manufacturers of the drug to pull it from shelves. The FDA's investigation found that levels of NDMA may gradually increase in ranitidine and can rise significantly when stored in higher heat than room temperature. Back in October, Sanofi announced that it was pulling its over-the-counter heartburn medication Zantac in the U.S. and Canada over fears of NDMA contamination, a chemical that the EPA has also classified as possibly causing cancer. Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens also announced last year that they were pulling the drug from their shelves.

Inside STAT: System to allocate ventilators gains traction for not counting any group out

As shortages of medical equipment such as ventilators sweep through hospitals across the U.S., a tough question that these facilities are having to answer is how they will prioritize which patients will get the equipment. Some state-level guidance on the question — such as excluding late-stage Alzheimer's disease patients — has already sparked criticism and resulted in federal civil rights investigations being opened. But a framework from bioethicists at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center recommends against excluding entire subgroups of patients, and instead suggests scoring patients on an eight-point scale, one that takes into account patients' survival odds and whether they have other life-threatening conditions. STAT's Rebecca Robbins has more here.

C. difficile infections have decreased by nearly 25%

The rate of infections caused by Clostridium difficile bacteria decreased by nearly 25% between 2011-2017, according to a new study. C. difficile bacteria most often cause gastrointestinal symptoms, but can be acquired by already sick patients in hospitals and be fatal. Looking at data from 10 U.S. cities, scientists found that the overall number of infections decreased by 24%, and the number of such infections acquired in hospitals decreased by 36%. At the same time, the number of deaths from these infections remained roughly stable over the eight-year-period. Researchers credited the decrease in infections to increased caution with using antibiotics. Updated figures about infection are helpful not only for public health agencies, but also for companies looking to develop therapies against C. difficile, writes STAT's Kate Sheridan in a new story for STAT Plus subscribers.

Around 40% of surgeons report workplace bullying

A small new survey of surgeons finds nearly 40% of surgical residents and faculty experience bullying at the workplace. Researchers received responses from 775 U.S. surgeons who were asked about negative experiences they may have experienced or witnessed at work — including having rumors or gossip spread about them and intimidation with threatening behavior. An equal percentage of surgery residents and surgery faculty — about 40% — reported being bullied, but more than half of both groups reported witnessing bullying. Female surgeons were nearly twice as likely to report being bullied as their male counterparts. A majority of residents and nearly half of faculty didn't report any incidents to the administration, often because they said it would have a negative effect on their career and lead to further bullying.

What to read around the web today

Why I am volunteering to get the coronavirus vaccine. MIT Technology Review
Hospitals, doctors feel financial squeeze as coronavirus sweeps U.S. The Wall Street Journal
Two companies bet on ‘chemogenetics’ to sidestep challenges with neurological drug development. STAT Plus
12 fraught hours with EMTs in a city under siege. The New York Times
“I’m terrified”: Pregnant health care workers at risk for coronavirus are being forced to keep working. ProPublica