The U.S. needs a federal review of the Covid-19 response. Here's where it should start

As the Covid-19 pandemic rages on in the U.S., the country's catastrophic response to the crisis has some experts calling for a review commission akin to the one that was formed in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks. Nearly 126,00 people have died from Covid-19 in the U.S so far, and the commission could evaluate how prepared the U.S. was to handle the pandemic and where things went wrong. In a new story, STAT staff outline 10 issues that we think a commission like this would undoubtedly investigate, including how and why the CDC, as the country's top public health agency, was sidelined, and the FDA's decision to green light — and later revoke — the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, which was unproven for Covid-19. Read our take here.

Here's what else is new with Covid-19:

Global coronavirus cases have officially crossed the 10 million mark, and nearly 500,000 people have died. The U.S. still has the most cases and deaths of any country — more than 2.5 million cases and around 125,800 deaths. Still, Vice President Mike Pence touted late last week the White House's initiatives to contain the damage from the virus, and claimed that in the U.S., “We slowed the spread, we flattened the curve, we saved lives.”
The WHO, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance announced a plan to buy 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine for high-risk populations, including those over the age of 65 and those with conditions such as diabetes.
Brazil, which currently has the second-highest number of Covid-19 cases, is the latest to sign a deal with AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford for a Covid-19 vaccine. According to the agreement, Brazil will produce more than 30 million doses of Oxford's experimental Covid-19 vaccine, although the total deal will eventually be for 100 million doses.