It is vital that Congress understand how many labs have the required capacity and capability for conducting research on COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. To this end, I sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Republican Leader Brett Guthrie (R-KY) requesting that the CDC share full, updated data on domestic lab capacity with BioSafety Level 3 status.
National Updates The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a fact sheet showing how CARES Act supplement resources are advancing public health data and surveillance systems, which have led to faster and more accurate case reporting.
The CDC updated considerations for breastfeeding women with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, reflecting evidence that breast milk is not a likely source of COVID-19 transmission.
The Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the Lucira COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit, the first diagnostic test that provides rapid results from self-collection at home.
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn released a statement regarding transparency of Emergency Use Authorizations relating to COVID-19.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recognized over 1000 nursing homes where at least 50 percent of their staff completed CMS COVID-19 trainings on infection control, vaccine distribution, etc. A special congrats to the nursing homes in Texas for their diligence on this matter!
Duke University conducted a study on pooled testing of asymptomatic students on its campus. The study has contributed to a better understanding of how surveillance testing can be used to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in congregate environments.
