4/1/22 – Covid-19 Weekly Update

CHAP’s COVID-19 Weekly Update
In this “one-stop shop” update, CHAP will provide a roundup of important COVID-19 information from various federal sources.

All health care providers should be monitoring COVID-19 incidence rates in their state/county on an ongoing basis.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC provides weekly data about case rates, deaths, testing, and vaccine administration on their COVID tracker webpage.

 

CDC Recommends Additional Boosters for Certain Individuals (3/29/22)
Following  FDA’s regulatory action, the CDC is updating its recommendations to allow certain immunocompromised individuals and people over the age of 50 who received an initial booster dose at least 4 months ago to be eligible for another mRNA booster to increase their protection against severe disease from COVID-19. Separately and in addition, based on newly published data, adults who received a primary vaccine and booster dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months ago may now receive a second booster dose using an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.  These updated recommendations acknowledge the increased risk of severe disease in certain populations including those who are elderly or over the age of 50 with multiple underlying conditions, along with the currently available data on vaccine and booster effectiveness.

 

CDC Quarantine and Isolation (3/24/22)
The CDC updated its Quarantine and Isolation Calculator for the general public.  The calculator is a tool to help determine how long you need to isolate, quarantine, or take other steps to prevent spreading COVID-19.

 

FDA updates
The FDA announced the COVID-19 treatment sotrovimab is no longer authorized for use at this time in the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) regions 1 and 2 due to the high frequency of the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant and data showing that the authorized dose of sotrovimab is unlikely to be effective against that sub-variant. Therefore, sotrovimab may not be administered for treatment of COVID-19 in these regions under the emergency use authorization until further notice by the agency:

  • Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont (HHS Region 1)
  • New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands (HHS Region 2)
  • As part of the FDA’s effort to protect consumers, the agency issued warning letters jointly with the Federal Trade Commission to seven companies for selling CBD products using research studies to claim or imply misleadingly that their CBD products will cure, mitigate, treat or prevent COVID-19. Consumers concerned about COVID-19 should consult with their health care provider.  The FDA has not approved or authorized any drug containing CBD for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19.

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-roundup-march-29-2022

 

White House Press Room:  Biden Administration Launches COVID.gov, a New One-Stop Shop Website for Vaccines, Tests, Treatments, Masks, and the Latest COVID-⁠19 Information (3/30/2022)
The Biden Administration is launching COVID.gov, a new one-stop shop website to help all people in the United States gain even better access to lifesaving tools like vaccines, tests, treatments, and masks, as well as get the latest updates on COVID-19 in their area.  COVID.gov will be available in English, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese and is accessible for those using assistive technologies. Since the launch earlier this month, there are now over 2,000 Test-to-Treat locations nationwide, including in pharmacy-based clinics, federally qualified community health centers (FQHCs), and long-term care facilities. As has been the case since December, people can still be tested and treated by their own health care providers who can appropriately prescribe these oral antivirals at locations where they are being distributed, now more easily identified than ever by the Test to Treat locator.

 

Unwinding and Returning to Regular Operations after COVID-19
The expiration of the continuous coverage requirement authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) presents the single largest health coverage transition event since the first open enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act. As a condition of receiving a temporary 6.2 percentage point Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) increase under the FFCRA, states have been required to maintain enrollment of nearly all Medicaid enrollees. When the continuous coverage requirement expires, states will have up to 12 months to return to normal eligibility and enrollment operations.

Additionally, many other temporary authorities adopted by states during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), including Section 1135 waivers and disaster relief state plan amendments (SPAs), will expire at the end of the PHE, and states will need to plan for a return to regular operations across their programs. CMS will continue to update this page as additional tools and resources are released.

 

HHS/ASPR – New COVID-19 Treatment Locator Now Available! (3/30/22)
The recently launched Test to Treat program supports this priority effort by creating an additional pathway for fast access to lifesaving COVID-19 treatments. A web-based site ​locator is now available to make it easier to find Test to Treat locations.