WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. government advisory panel endorsed widespread use of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine Thursday, putting the country just one step away from launching an epic vaccination campaign against the outbreak that has killed close to 300,000 Americans.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?507053-2/fda-advisory-committee-votes-recommend-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine">CLICK here t</a>o watch Thursday's discussion on the vaccine.

Shots could begin within days, depending on how quickly the Food and Drug Administration signs off, as expected, on the expert committee’s recommendation.

In a 17-4 vote with one abstention, the government advisers concluded that the vaccine from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech appears safe and effective for emergency use in adults and teenagers 16 and older.

That endorsement came despite questions about allergic reactions in two people who received the vaccine earlier this week when Britain became the first country to begin dispensing the Pfizer-BioNTech shot.

Despite all the remaining unknowns, in an emergency, “the question is whether you know enough,” said panel member Dr. Paul Offit of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, who concluded that the shot’s potential potential benefits outweigh its risks.

The independent review by non-government experts in vaccine development, infectious diseases and medical statistics was considered critical to boosting Americans’ confidence in the safety of the shot, which was developed at breakneck speed less than a year after the virus was identified.

The decision came as COVID-19 cases surge to ever-higher levels across the U.S., with deaths hitting an all-time, one-day high of more than 3,100 on Wednesday.

Pfizer has said it will have about 25 million doses of the two-shot vaccine for the U.S. by the end of December. But initial supplies will be limited and reserved primarily for health care workers and nursing home residents, with other vulnerable groups next in line until the shots become widely available on demand, something that will probably not happen until the spring.

Experts estimate at least 70% of the U.S. population will have to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, the point at which the virus can be held in check. That means it could be several months before things start get back to normal and Americans can put away their masks.

The FDA next week will review a second vaccine, from Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, that appears about as protective as Pfizer-BioNTech’s shot. A third candidate, from Johnson &amp; Johnson, which would require just one dose, is working its way through the pipeline. Behind that is a candidate from AstraZeneca and Oxford University

All eyes now turn to the FDA staff scientists who will make the final decision on whether to greenlight use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Regulators not only in Britain but in Canada have already approved it for use in their countries, and President Donald Trump and White House officials have complained for weeks about the pace of FDA’s careful review.

FDA’s vaccine director Dr. Peter Marks said ahead of the expert meeting that a decision would come within “days to a week.”

“Americans want us to do a scientific review, but I think they also want us to make sure we’re not wasting time on paperwork as opposed to going forward with the decision,” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said before the meeting.

A positive vote for the vaccine was virtually assured after FDA scientists issued a glowing review of the vaccine earlier in the week. Agency staffers said data from Pfizer’s ongoing study of 44,000 people showed strong protection across different age groups, races and health conditions with no major, unexpected safety problems.

The Pfizer-BioNTech shot remains experimental because that final-stage study isn’t complete. As a result, the expert panel wrestled with a list of questions that have yet to be answered.

For example, while the vaccine is more than 90% effective in blocking the symptoms of COVID-19, the FDA’s advisers stressed it is not yet clear if it can stop the silent, symptomless spread that accounts for up to half of cases.

“Even though the individual efficacy of this vaccine is very, very, very high, you really as of right now do not have any evidence” that it will lower transmission, said Dr. Patrick Moore of the University of Pittsburgh. He urged Pfizer to take additional steps to answer that question.

And the advisers are worried that Pfizer will lose its opportunity to answer critical questions as it begins offering the real vaccine to study participants who had been getting dummy shots.

The company proposed gradually moving those patients to the vaccine group, with priority based on age, health conditions and other factors. Under that plan, 70-year-old participants would cross over before healthy 30-year-olds.

Pfizer must still show whether the vaccine works in children younger than 16 and in pregnant women.

On the safety front, as widespread vaccinations begin, the first recipients will be closely tracked by government health authorities since studies in tens of thousands of people can’t detect rare risks that strike 1 in a million. Hanging over the meeting were the British allergic reactions and a warning from authorities there that people with a history of serious reactions shouldn’t get the vaccine for now.

Pfizer representatives said they have seen no signs of allergic reactions in their trial. But some of the FDA advisers fear the British warning will deter millions of Americans with allergies who might benefit from the COVID-19 vaccine from giving it a try, and urged additional studies to try to settle the issue.

“This issue is not going to die until we have better data,” Offit said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607640634805.png" alt="Virtual FDA panel discussion Thursday image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Virtual FDA panel discussion Thursday image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. government advisory panel endorsed widespread use of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine Thursday, putting the country just one step away from launching an epic vaccination campaign against the outbreak that has killed close to 300,000 Americans.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?507053-2/fda-advisory-committee-votes-recommend-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine">CLICK here t</a>o watch Thursday's discussion on the vaccine.Shots could begin within days, depending on how quickly the Food and Drug Administration signs off, as expected, on the expert committee’s recommendation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607648760719.png" alt="Zoom vote Thursday afternoon on the vaccine" />
 <figcaption>Zoom vote Thursday afternoon on the vaccine</figcaption>
 </figure>In a 17-4 vote with one abstention, the government advisers concluded that the vaccine from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech appears safe and effective for emergency use in adults and teenagers 16 and older.That endorsement came despite questions about allergic reactions in two people who received the vaccine earlier this week when Britain became the first country to begin dispensing the Pfizer-BioNTech shot.Despite all the remaining unknowns, in an emergency, “the question is whether you know enough,” said panel member Dr. Paul Offit of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, who concluded that the shot’s potential potential benefits outweigh its risks.The independent review by non-government experts in vaccine development, infectious diseases and medical statistics was considered critical to boosting Americans’ confidence in the safety of the shot, which was developed at breakneck speed less than a year after the virus was identified.The decision came as COVID-19 cases surge to ever-higher levels across the U.S., with deaths hitting an all-time, one-day high of more than 3,100 on Wednesday.Pfizer has said it will have about 25 million doses of the two-shot vaccine for the U.S. by the end of December. But initial supplies will be limited and reserved primarily for health care workers and nursing home residents, with other vulnerable groups next in line until the shots become widely available on demand, something that will probably not happen until the spring.Experts estimate at least 70% of the U.S. population will have to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, the point at which the virus can be held in check. That means it could be several months before things start get back to normal and Americans can put away their masks.The FDA next week will review a second vaccine, from Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, that appears about as protective as Pfizer-BioNTech’s shot. A third candidate, from Johnson &amp; Johnson, which would require just one dose, is working its way through the pipeline. Behind that is a candidate from AstraZeneca and Oxford UniversityAll eyes now turn to the FDA staff scientists who will make the final decision on whether to greenlight use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Regulators not only in Britain but in Canada have already approved it for use in their countries, and President Donald Trump and White House officials have complained for weeks about the pace of FDA’s careful review.FDA’s vaccine director Dr. Peter Marks said ahead of the expert meeting that a decision would come within “days to a week.”“Americans want us to do a scientific review, but I think they also want us to make sure we’re not wasting time on paperwork as opposed to going forward with the decision,” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said before the meeting.A positive vote for the vaccine was virtually assured after FDA scientists issued a glowing review of the vaccine earlier in the week. Agency staffers said data from Pfizer’s ongoing study of 44,000 people showed strong protection across different age groups, races and health conditions with no major, unexpected safety problems.The Pfizer-BioNTech shot remains experimental because that final-stage study isn’t complete. As a result, the expert panel wrestled with a list of questions that have yet to be answered.For example, while the vaccine is more than 90% effective in blocking the symptoms of COVID-19, the FDA’s advisers stressed it is not yet clear if it can stop the silent, symptomless spread that accounts for up to half of cases.“Even though the individual efficacy of this vaccine is very, very, very high, you really as of right now do not have any evidence” that it will lower transmission, said Dr. Patrick Moore of the University of Pittsburgh. He urged Pfizer to take additional steps to answer that question.And the advisers are worried that Pfizer will lose its opportunity to answer critical questions as it begins offering the real vaccine to study participants who had been getting dummy shots.The company proposed gradually moving those patients to the vaccine group, with priority based on age, health conditions and other factors. Under that plan, 70-year-old participants would cross over before healthy 30-year-olds.Pfizer must still show whether the vaccine works in children younger than 16 and in pregnant women.On the safety front, as widespread vaccinations begin, the first recipients will be closely tracked by government health authorities since studies in tens of thousands of people can’t detect rare risks that strike 1 in a million. Hanging over the meeting were the British allergic reactions and a warning from authorities there that people with a history of serious reactions shouldn’t get the vaccine for now.Pfizer representatives said they have seen no signs of allergic reactions in their trial. But some of the FDA advisers fear the British warning will deter millions of Americans with allergies who might benefit from the COVID-19 vaccine from giving it a try, and urged additional studies to try to settle the issue.“This issue is not going to die until we have better data,” Offit said.

FDA panel votes to approve Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

How the shortened quarantine period works

The Barton County Health Department, working in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, will shorten quarantine recommendations from 14 days to 10 days (with no symptoms) moving forward. While there is still potential to develop symptoms in days 11-14, the risk is reduced. This change is effective as of Dec. 7 and is not retroactive. Meaning, there will be no change on the duration of quarantine for orders issued before Dec. 7.

USD 428 will follow the 10-day quarantine recommendation for anyone determined to be a close contact with a confirmed case and has exhibited no symptoms during their quarantine.&nbsp; For added safety for staff and students, anyone returning from quarantine on day 11 will be asked to check-in with the nurse upon arrival at school for additional screening until past the 14-day mark. The nurse will do an additional temperature check beyond the door check and will ask a series of questions to make sure the student is not starting to exhibit symptoms. We also ask parents and students to screen before coming to school to avoid risking any additional exposure to other people.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Day 11-14 Return to School Procedure: Students will be temperature screened at the door, like all students. Upon arrival, students returning from quarantine will report to the nurse each day on day 11, 12, 13, and 14 for additional screening:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600896779586.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>From USD 428...The Barton County Health Department, working in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, will shorten quarantine recommendations from 14 days to 10 days (with no symptoms) moving forward. While there is still potential to develop symptoms in days 11-14, the risk is reduced. This change is effective as of Dec. 7 and is not retroactive. Meaning, there will be no change on the duration of quarantine for orders issued before Dec. 7.USD 428 will follow the 10-day quarantine recommendation for anyone determined to be a close contact with a confirmed case and has exhibited no symptoms during their quarantine.&nbsp; For added safety for staff and students, anyone returning from quarantine on day 11 will be asked to check-in with the nurse upon arrival at school for additional screening until past the 14-day mark. The nurse will do an additional temperature check beyond the door check and will ask a series of questions to make sure the student is not starting to exhibit symptoms. We also ask parents and students to screen before coming to school to avoid risking any additional exposure to other people.&nbsp;&nbsp;Day 11-14 Return to School Procedure: Students will be temperature screened at the door, like all students. Upon arrival, students returning from quarantine will report to the nurse each day on day 11, 12, 13, and 14 for additional screening:<ol>
 <li>Temperature check (ear, oral, etc.)</li><li>Are you experiencing any of the following symptoms:</li><li>Have you had a fever of 100 or more or symptoms of fever such as chills or shivering in the last 72 hours?</li><li>Have you had a cough not otherwise explained?</li><li>Have you had difficulty breathing?</li><li>Have you had a new loss of taste or smell?</li><li>Have you had other symptoms indicating an oncoming illness?&nbsp;</li><li>Have you had new exposure to anyone who has tested positive for Coronavirus?</li>
 </ol>

Great Bend school district adjusts quarantine duration & return

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine faces one final hurdle as it races to become the first shot greenlighted in the U.S.: a panel of experts who will scrutinize the company’s data for any red flags.

or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?507053-1/fda-holds-open-meeting-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine">CLICK here to watch</a>&nbsp;the hearing that begins at 8 a.m. CST

Thursday’s meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory panel is likely the last step before a U.S. decision to begin shipping millions of doses of the shot, which has shown strong protection against the coronavirus.

The FDA panel functions like a science court that will pick apart the data and debate — in public and live-streamed — whether the shot is safe and effective enough to be cleared for emergency use. The non-government experts specialize in vaccine development, infectious diseases and medical statistics. The FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-236677e5030e61b70ce432cfd9fd9b8b">is expected to follow</a>&nbsp;the committee’s advice, although it is not required to do so.

The FDA’s decision comes as the coronavirus continues surging across much of the world, claiming more than 1.5 million lives, including more than 289,000 in the U.S.

Hanging over the meeting is a warning from U.K. officials that people with a history of serious&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/allergy-reaction-vaccines-rare-explained-4ee5fb2f2553863d9d2659b1f06a0e21">allergic reactions</a>&nbsp;shouldn’t get the vaccine. Government officials there are investigating two reports of reactions that occurred when the country began mass vaccinations.

Still, a positive recommendation and speedy U.S. approval seem nearly certain after FDA scientists issued an overwhelmingly positive initial review of the vaccine earlier this week.

FDA said results from Pfizer’s large, ongoing study showed the shot, which was co-developed with Germany’s BioNTech, was more than 90% effective across people of different ages, races and underlying health conditions, including diabetes and obesity. No major safety issues were uncovered and common vaccine-related side effects like fever, fatigue and injection site pain were tolerable.

“The data presented in the briefing report were consistent with what we heard before and are really exciting,” said Dr. William Moss, head of Johns Hopkins University’s International Vaccine Access Center. “Nothing that I see would delay an emergency use authorization.”

The meeting also gives regulators an opportunity to try to boost&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-us-half-want-vaccine-shots-4d98dbfc0a64d60d52ac84c3065dac55">public confidence</a>&nbsp;in the breakneck development process that has produced the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and a string of other upcoming shots in less than a year. The FDA has also faced weeks of verbal abuse from President Donald Trump for not rushing out a vaccine before Election Day.

“There have been a lot of questions about why it takes us so long or ‘are we being rigorous enough?’” said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn in an interview. “I’m hoping that people will see with our transparency that we have taken a very rigorous stance on this.”

Hahn said the agency has already teed up the process to authorize the vaccine by filling out all the legal paperwork in advance, regardless of the ultimate decision.

The FDA uncovered no major safety issues in its review of Pfizer’s 44,000-person study, including no allergic reactions of the type reported in the U.K. But such studies can’t detect rare problems that might only affect a tiny slice of the general population.

FDA reviewers noted four cases of Bell’s palsy that all occurred among people getting the vaccine. They concluded the cases were likely unrelated to the vaccine because they occurred at rates that would be expected without any medical intervention. But the agency did say cases of the nerve disorder should be tracked, given that other vaccines can cause the problem.

“I think we have to be upfront, without scaring people, that we don’t know yet about any potential, rare, long-term adverse events,” Moss said.

The FDA found the vaccine highly effective across various demographic groups.

But it’s unclear how well the vaccine works in people with HIV and other immune-system disorders.

The study excluded pregnant women, but experts will tease apart the data for any hints in case women get vaccinated before realizing they’re pregnant.

A study of children as young as 12 is underway.

Answering some of these questions will require keeping Pfizer’s study going for many more months.

When the FDA panel met in October, experts warned against allowing trial participants who received placebos to switch and get the real vaccine immediately after it receives the FDA’s emergency OK. Doing that could make it impossible to get answers to long-term questions, including how long the protection lasts.

Pfizer and BioNTech say they want to allow such participants to get the vaccine either upon request or, at the latest, after six months of follow-up.

The FDA still hasn’t made clear if it will accept that approach.

“FDA is adamant that they want these trials completed,” said Norman Baylor, former director of FDA’s vaccine office, adding that its expert panel members “know that too.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607605686018.png" alt="During a news conference Wednesday, KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman shows the packaging container used to ship the vaccine to the state from Pfizer. It contains a probe to monitor the cold temperature necessary to store the vaccine." />
 <figcaption>During a news conference Wednesday, KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman shows the packaging container used to ship the vaccine to the state from Pfizer. It contains a probe to monitor the cold temperature necessary to store the vaccine.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine faces one final hurdle as it races to become the first shot greenlighted in the U.S.: a panel of experts who will scrutinize the company’s data for any red flags.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FFDA%2Fvideos%2F849134789187196%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?507053-1/fda-holds-open-meeting-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine">CLICK here to watch</a>&nbsp;the hearing that begins at 8 a.m. CSTThursday’s meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory panel is likely the last step before a U.S. decision to begin shipping millions of doses of the shot, which has shown strong protection against the coronavirus.The FDA panel functions like a science court that will pick apart the data and debate — in public and live-streamed — whether the shot is safe and effective enough to be cleared for emergency use. The non-government experts specialize in vaccine development, infectious diseases and medical statistics. The FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-236677e5030e61b70ce432cfd9fd9b8b">is expected to follow</a>&nbsp;the committee’s advice, although it is not required to do so.The FDA’s decision comes as the coronavirus continues surging across much of the world, claiming more than 1.5 million lives, including more than 289,000 in the U.S.Hanging over the meeting is a warning from U.K. officials that people with a history of serious&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/allergy-reaction-vaccines-rare-explained-4ee5fb2f2553863d9d2659b1f06a0e21">allergic reactions</a>&nbsp;shouldn’t get the vaccine. Government officials there are investigating two reports of reactions that occurred when the country began mass vaccinations.Still, a positive recommendation and speedy U.S. approval seem nearly certain after FDA scientists issued an overwhelmingly positive initial review of the vaccine earlier this week.FDA said results from Pfizer’s large, ongoing study showed the shot, which was co-developed with Germany’s BioNTech, was more than 90% effective across people of different ages, races and underlying health conditions, including diabetes and obesity. No major safety issues were uncovered and common vaccine-related side effects like fever, fatigue and injection site pain were tolerable.“The data presented in the briefing report were consistent with what we heard before and are really exciting,” said Dr. William Moss, head of Johns Hopkins University’s International Vaccine Access Center. “Nothing that I see would delay an emergency use authorization.”The meeting also gives regulators an opportunity to try to boost&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-us-half-want-vaccine-shots-4d98dbfc0a64d60d52ac84c3065dac55">public confidence</a>&nbsp;in the breakneck development process that has produced the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and a string of other upcoming shots in less than a year. The FDA has also faced weeks of verbal abuse from President Donald Trump for not rushing out a vaccine before Election Day.“There have been a lot of questions about why it takes us so long or ‘are we being rigorous enough?’” said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn in an interview. “I’m hoping that people will see with our transparency that we have taken a very rigorous stance on this.”Hahn said the agency has already teed up the process to authorize the vaccine by filling out all the legal paperwork in advance, regardless of the ultimate decision.On Thursday’s agenda:RARE ADVERSE REACTIONSThe FDA uncovered no major safety issues in its review of Pfizer’s 44,000-person study, including no allergic reactions of the type reported in the U.K. But such studies can’t detect rare problems that might only affect a tiny slice of the general population.FDA reviewers noted four cases of Bell’s palsy that all occurred among people getting the vaccine. They concluded the cases were likely unrelated to the vaccine because they occurred at rates that would be expected without any medical intervention. But the agency did say cases of the nerve disorder should be tracked, given that other vaccines can cause the problem.“I think we have to be upfront, without scaring people, that we don’t know yet about any potential, rare, long-term adverse events,” Moss said.EFFICACY QUESTIONSThe FDA found the vaccine highly effective across various demographic groups.But it’s unclear how well the vaccine works in people with HIV and other immune-system disorders.The study excluded pregnant women, but experts will tease apart the data for any hints in case women get vaccinated before realizing they’re pregnant.A study of children as young as 12 is underway.IMPACT OF EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATIONAnswering some of these questions will require keeping Pfizer’s study going for many more months.When the FDA panel met in October, experts warned against allowing trial participants who received placebos to switch and get the real vaccine immediately after it receives the FDA’s emergency OK. Doing that could make it impossible to get answers to long-term questions, including how long the protection lasts.Pfizer and BioNTech say they want to allow such participants to get the vaccine either upon request or, at the latest, after six months of follow-up.The FDA still hasn’t made clear if it will accept that approach.“FDA is adamant that they want these trials completed,” said Norman Baylor, former director of FDA’s vaccine office, adding that its expert panel members “know that too.”___

🎥  Countdown to vaccine: FDA approval hearing 

Barton County coronavirus update: 196 active cases

LONDON (AP) — Shipments of the coronavirus vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech were delivered Sunday in the U.K. in super-cold containers, two days before it goes public in an immunization program that is being closely watched around the world.

Around 800,000 doses of the vaccine were expected to be in place for the start of the immunization program on Tuesday, a day that Health Secretary Matt Hancock has reportedly dubbed as “V-Day,” a nod to triumphs in World War II.

“To know that they are here, and we are amongst the first in the country to actually receive the vaccine and therefore the first in the world, is just amazing,” said Louise Coughlan, joint chief pharmacist at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, just south of London.

“I’m so proud,” she said after the trust, which runs Croydon University Hospital, took delivery of the vaccine.

Last week, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-authorizes-vaccine-emergency-use-ea0170c978eb281a905866e5bd78bbdf">U.K. became the first country to authorize the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine</a>&nbsp;for emergency use. In trials, the vaccine was shown to have around 95% efficacy. Vaccinations will be administered starting Tuesday at around 50 hospital hubs in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also begin their vaccination rollouts the same day.

Governments and health agencies around the world will be monitoring the British vaccination program, which will take months, to note its successes and failures and adjust their own plans accordingly. The U.S. hopes to start vaccinations later this month. British regulatory authorities are also examining data on the vaccines from American biotechnology company Moderna and AstraZeneca-Oxford University.

Russia on Saturday began vaccinating thousands of doctors, teachers and others at dozens of centers in Moscow with its Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine, which was approved over the summer after being tested in only a few dozen people.

The excitement in Britain, which has Europe’s highest virus-related death toll at more than 61,000, was palpable.

“Despite the huge complexities, hospitals will kickstart the first phase of the largest scale vaccination campaign in our country’s history from Tuesday,” said Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England’s national medical director.

Patients aged 80 and above who are already attending hospitals as outpatients and those being discharged after a stay in the hospital will be among the first to receive the jab. Hospitals will also start inviting over 80s in for a vaccine shot and will work with nursing homes to book staff into vaccination clinics. Any appointments not taken up will be offered to those health workers deemed to be at the highest risk of COVID-19. Everyone who is vaccinated will need a booster jab 21 days later.

Buckingham Palace refused to comment on speculation that Queen Elizabeth II, 94, and her 99-year-old husband, Prince Philip, will soon be vaccinated and then make it public, a move that could reassure anyone nervous about getting a vaccination.

“Our goal is totally to protect every member of the population, Her Majesty, of course, as well,” Dr. June Raine, chief executive of Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which authorized the vaccine, told the BBC.

The U.K. has secured 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which can cover 20 million people. Since the British government will only immunize people over 16, around 55 million people in the U.K. will be eligible. In total, Britain has procured 357 million doses of seven vaccine candidates, including 100 million of the much cheaper Oxford vaccine, which has a lower efficacy rate than the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

Now that the first tranche of the vaccine has arrived from Pfizer’s manufacturing plant in Belgium, checks are being conducted by a specialist medical logistics company to ensure there was no damage in transit. This could take up to a day.

Each box containing the vaccines, which includes five packs of 975 doses, will need to be opened and unpacked manually at specially licensed sites. After that, the vaccines will then be made available to hospitals.

Delivering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is complicated because it needs to be stored at super-chilled temperatures: about minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit). Fortunately, the vaccine is stable at normal refrigerator temperatures, between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius (35.6 to 46.4 F), for a few days, meaning it can be stored locally. After defrosting the vaccine, which takes a few hours, additional time is required to prepare it to be given in a shot.

Public Health England has secured 58 special Twin Guard ultra-low temperature freezers that provide sufficient storage for approximately five million doses. The fridges, which are not portable, each hold around 86,000 doses.

The vaccine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-germany-immunizations-coronavirus-pandemic-3ac7e19981b7937f0f08a29667ddf09e">won’t just be provided by hospitals</a>. Local doctors’ offices and other local health care centers are being put on standby to start delivering the vaccine, with a small number expected to do so the week of Dec. 14. More medical practices in more parts of the country will be phased in during December and in the coming months.

There are plans for vaccination centers treating large numbers of patients in sports areas and conference centers and for local pharmacies to be able to offer the jabs as they do with annual influenza shots.

Although nursing home residents top the prioritization list given to the British government by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, they won’t be getting the vaccinations straight away, as the vaccine packs of 975 doses cannot yet be divided, making it very difficult to deliver vaccines to individual care homes.

The NHS hopes authorities will soon approve a safe way of splitting up the dose packs so the shots can get to nursing homes during December.

During the first phase of the immunization program, Britain has created nine separate groups in its prioritization list down to those aged 50 and above. Overall, it hopes that up to 99% of people most at risk of dying from COVID 19 will have been immunized during the first phase.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600861747887.png" alt="Photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — Shipments of the coronavirus vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech were delivered Sunday in the U.K. in super-cold containers, two days before it goes public in an immunization program that is being closely watched around the world.Around 800,000 doses of the vaccine were expected to be in place for the start of the immunization program on Tuesday, a day that Health Secretary Matt Hancock has reportedly dubbed as “V-Day,” a nod to triumphs in World War II.“To know that they are here, and we are amongst the first in the country to actually receive the vaccine and therefore the first in the world, is just amazing,” said Louise Coughlan, joint chief pharmacist at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, just south of London.“I’m so proud,” she said after the trust, which runs Croydon University Hospital, took delivery of the vaccine.Last week, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-authorizes-vaccine-emergency-use-ea0170c978eb281a905866e5bd78bbdf">U.K. became the first country to authorize the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine</a>&nbsp;for emergency use. In trials, the vaccine was shown to have around 95% efficacy. Vaccinations will be administered starting Tuesday at around 50 hospital hubs in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also begin their vaccination rollouts the same day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605532171471.png" alt="Photo courtesy Moderna" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Moderna</figcaption>
 </figure>Governments and health agencies around the world will be monitoring the British vaccination program, which will take months, to note its successes and failures and adjust their own plans accordingly. The U.S. hopes to start vaccinations later this month. British regulatory authorities are also examining data on the vaccines from American biotechnology company Moderna and AstraZeneca-Oxford University.Russia on Saturday began vaccinating thousands of doctors, teachers and others at dozens of centers in Moscow with its Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine, which was approved over the summer after being tested in only a few dozen people.The excitement in Britain, which has Europe’s highest virus-related death toll at more than 61,000, was palpable.“Despite the huge complexities, hospitals will kickstart the first phase of the largest scale vaccination campaign in our country’s history from Tuesday,” said Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England’s national medical director.Patients aged 80 and above who are already attending hospitals as outpatients and those being discharged after a stay in the hospital will be among the first to receive the jab. Hospitals will also start inviting over 80s in for a vaccine shot and will work with nursing homes to book staff into vaccination clinics. Any appointments not taken up will be offered to those health workers deemed to be at the highest risk of COVID-19. Everyone who is vaccinated will need a booster jab 21 days later.Buckingham Palace refused to comment on speculation that Queen Elizabeth II, 94, and her 99-year-old husband, Prince Philip, will soon be vaccinated and then make it public, a move that could reassure anyone nervous about getting a vaccination.“Our goal is totally to protect every member of the population, Her Majesty, of course, as well,” Dr. June Raine, chief executive of Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which authorized the vaccine, told the BBC.The U.K. has secured 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which can cover 20 million people. Since the British government will only immunize people over 16, around 55 million people in the U.K. will be eligible. In total, Britain has procured 357 million doses of seven vaccine candidates, including 100 million of the much cheaper Oxford vaccine, which has a lower efficacy rate than the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.Now that the first tranche of the vaccine has arrived from Pfizer’s manufacturing plant in Belgium, checks are being conducted by a specialist medical logistics company to ensure there was no damage in transit. This could take up to a day.Each box containing the vaccines, which includes five packs of 975 doses, will need to be opened and unpacked manually at specially licensed sites. After that, the vaccines will then be made available to hospitals.Delivering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is complicated because it needs to be stored at super-chilled temperatures: about minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit). Fortunately, the vaccine is stable at normal refrigerator temperatures, between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius (35.6 to 46.4 F), for a few days, meaning it can be stored locally. After defrosting the vaccine, which takes a few hours, additional time is required to prepare it to be given in a shot.Public Health England has secured 58 special Twin Guard ultra-low temperature freezers that provide sufficient storage for approximately five million doses. The fridges, which are not portable, each hold around 86,000 doses.The vaccine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-germany-immunizations-coronavirus-pandemic-3ac7e19981b7937f0f08a29667ddf09e">won’t just be provided by hospitals</a>. Local doctors’ offices and other local health care centers are being put on standby to start delivering the vaccine, with a small number expected to do so the week of Dec. 14. More medical practices in more parts of the country will be phased in during December and in the coming months.There are plans for vaccination centers treating large numbers of patients in sports areas and conference centers and for local pharmacies to be able to offer the jabs as they do with annual influenza shots.Although nursing home residents top the prioritization list given to the British government by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, they won’t be getting the vaccinations straight away, as the vaccine packs of 975 doses cannot yet be divided, making it very difficult to deliver vaccines to individual care homes.The NHS hopes authorities will soon approve a safe way of splitting up the dose packs so the shots can get to nursing homes during December.During the first phase of the immunization program, Britain has created nine separate groups in its prioritization list down to those aged 50 and above. Overall, it hopes that up to 99% of people most at risk of dying from COVID 19 will have been immunized during the first phase.

Huge coronavirus vaccine rollout set to begin

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and DANICA KIRKA, Associated Press

British officials authorized a COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on Wednesday, greenlighting the world’s first shot against the virus that’s backed by rigorous science and taking a major step toward eventually ending the pandemic.

The go-ahead for the vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech comes as the virus surges again in the United States and Europe, putting pressure on hospitals and morgues in some places and forcing new rounds of restrictions that have devastated economies.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, which licenses drugs in the U.K., recommended the vaccine could be used after it reviewed the results of clinical trials that showed the vaccine was 95% effective overall — and that it also offered significant protection for older people, among those most at risk of dying from the disease. But the vaccine remains experimental while final testing is done.

“Help is on its way,″ British Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC, adding that the situation would start to improve in the spring.

“We now have a vaccine. We’re the first country in the world to have one formally clinically authorized but, between now and then, we’ve got to hold on, we’ve got to hold our resolve,” he said.

Other countries aren’t far behind: Regulators in the United States and the European Union also are vetting the Pfizer shot along with a similar&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moderna-asks-regulators-ok-virus-shots-a65a00cdf9725c9104886ded9052a85d">vaccine made by competitor Moderna Inc</a>. British regulators also are considering another&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/astrazeneca-vaccine-third-cheaper-oxford-c99d26eb2946f6fde45a1edc002ff028">shot made by AstraZeneca and Oxford University</a>.

Hancock said Britain expects to begin receiving the first shipment of 800,000 doses “within days,″ and people will begin receiving shots as soon as the National Health Service gets the vaccine.

Doses everywhere are scarce, and initial supplies will be rationed until more is manufactured in the first several months of next year.

A government committee will release details of vaccination priorities later Wednesday, but Hancock said nursing home residents, people over 80, and healthcare workers and other care workers will be the first to receive the shot.

Pfizer said it would immediately begin shipping limited supplies to the U.K. — and has been gearing up for even wider distribution if given a similar nod by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a decision expected as early as next week.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called the U.K. decision “a historic moment.”

“We are focusing on moving with the same level of urgency to safely supply a high-quality vaccine around the world,” Bourla said in a statement.

While the U.K. has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, enough for 20 million people, it’s not clear how many will arrive by year’s end. Hancock said the U.K. expects to receive “millions of doses” by the end of this year, adding that the actual number will depend on how fast Pfizer can produce the vaccine.

One concern about the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is that it must be stored and shipped at ultra-cold temperatures of around minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit), adding to the challenge of distributing the vaccine around the world.

Pfizer says it has developed shipping containers that use dry ice to keep the vaccine cool. GPS-enabled sensors will allow the company to track each shipment and ensure they stay cold, the company says.

“Pfizer has vast experience and expertise in cold-chain shipping and has an established infrastructure to supply the vaccine worldwide, including distribution hubs that can store vaccine doses for up to six months,” the company said in a statement.

The company also says it has agreed to work with other vaccine makers to ensure there is sufficient supply and a range of vaccines, “including those suitable for global access.”

Every country has different rules for determining when an experimental vaccine is safe and effective enough to use. Intense political pressure to be the first to roll out a rigorously scientifically tested shot colored the race in the U.S. and Britain, even as researchers pledged to cut no corners. In contrast, China and Russia have offered different vaccinations to their citizens ahead of late-stage testing.

The shots made by U.S.-based Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech were tested in tens of thousands of people. And while that study isn’t complete, early results suggest the vaccine is 95% effective at preventing mild to severe COVID-19 disease. The companies told regulators that of the first 170 infections detected in study volunteers, only eight were among people who’d received the actual vaccine and the rest had gotten a dummy shot.

“This is an extraordinarily strong protection,” Dr. Ugur Sahin, BioNTech’s CEO, recently told The Associated Press.

The companies also reported no serious side effects, although vaccine recipients may experience temporary pain and flu-like reactions immediately after injections.

Final testing must still be completed. Still to be determined is whether the Pfizer-BioNTech shots protect against people spreading the coronavirus without showing symptoms. Another question is how long protection lasts.

The vaccine also has been tested in only a small number of children, none younger than 12, and there’s no information on its effects in pregnant women.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604926559777.png" alt="Photo courtesy Pfizer" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Pfizer</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURAN NEERGAARD and DANICA KIRKA, Associated PressBritish officials authorized a COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on Wednesday, greenlighting the world’s first shot against the virus that’s backed by rigorous science and taking a major step toward eventually ending the pandemic.The go-ahead for the vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech comes as the virus surges again in the United States and Europe, putting pressure on hospitals and morgues in some places and forcing new rounds of restrictions that have devastated economies.The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, which licenses drugs in the U.K., recommended the vaccine could be used after it reviewed the results of clinical trials that showed the vaccine was 95% effective overall — and that it also offered significant protection for older people, among those most at risk of dying from the disease. But the vaccine remains experimental while final testing is done.“Help is on its way,″ British Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC, adding that the situation would start to improve in the spring.“We now have a vaccine. We’re the first country in the world to have one formally clinically authorized but, between now and then, we’ve got to hold on, we’ve got to hold our resolve,” he said.Other countries aren’t far behind: Regulators in the United States and the European Union also are vetting the Pfizer shot along with a similar&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/moderna-asks-regulators-ok-virus-shots-a65a00cdf9725c9104886ded9052a85d">vaccine made by competitor Moderna Inc</a>. British regulators also are considering another&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/astrazeneca-vaccine-third-cheaper-oxford-c99d26eb2946f6fde45a1edc002ff028">shot made by AstraZeneca and Oxford University</a>.Hancock said Britain expects to begin receiving the first shipment of 800,000 doses “within days,″ and people will begin receiving shots as soon as the National Health Service gets the vaccine.Doses everywhere are scarce, and initial supplies will be rationed until more is manufactured in the first several months of next year.A government committee will release details of vaccination priorities later Wednesday, but Hancock said nursing home residents, people over 80, and healthcare workers and other care workers will be the first to receive the shot.Pfizer said it would immediately begin shipping limited supplies to the U.K. — and has been gearing up for even wider distribution if given a similar nod by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a decision expected as early as next week.Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called the U.K. decision “a historic moment.”“We are focusing on moving with the same level of urgency to safely supply a high-quality vaccine around the world,” Bourla said in a statement.While the U.K. has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, enough for 20 million people, it’s not clear how many will arrive by year’s end. Hancock said the U.K. expects to receive “millions of doses” by the end of this year, adding that the actual number will depend on how fast Pfizer can produce the vaccine.One concern about the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is that it must be stored and shipped at ultra-cold temperatures of around minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit), adding to the challenge of distributing the vaccine around the world.Pfizer says it has developed shipping containers that use dry ice to keep the vaccine cool. GPS-enabled sensors will allow the company to track each shipment and ensure they stay cold, the company says.“Pfizer has vast experience and expertise in cold-chain shipping and has an established infrastructure to supply the vaccine worldwide, including distribution hubs that can store vaccine doses for up to six months,” the company said in a statement.The company also says it has agreed to work with other vaccine makers to ensure there is sufficient supply and a range of vaccines, “including those suitable for global access.”Every country has different rules for determining when an experimental vaccine is safe and effective enough to use. Intense political pressure to be the first to roll out a rigorously scientifically tested shot colored the race in the U.S. and Britain, even as researchers pledged to cut no corners. In contrast, China and Russia have offered different vaccinations to their citizens ahead of late-stage testing.The shots made by U.S.-based Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech were tested in tens of thousands of people. And while that study isn’t complete, early results suggest the vaccine is 95% effective at preventing mild to severe COVID-19 disease. The companies told regulators that of the first 170 infections detected in study volunteers, only eight were among people who’d received the actual vaccine and the rest had gotten a dummy shot.ADVERTISEMENT“This is an extraordinarily strong protection,” Dr. Ugur Sahin, BioNTech’s CEO, recently told The Associated Press.The companies also reported no serious side effects, although vaccine recipients may experience temporary pain and flu-like reactions immediately after injections.Final testing must still be completed. Still to be determined is whether the Pfizer-BioNTech shots protect against people spreading the coronavirus without showing symptoms. Another question is how long protection lasts.The vaccine also has been tested in only a small number of children, none younger than 12, and there’s no information on its effects in pregnant women.___

First COVID-19 vaccinations expected next week

By JODI FORTINO <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-12-01/coronavirus-deaths-in-missouri-top-4-000-as-hospitals-worry-about-capacity-for-rising-number-of-patients">Kansas News Service</a>

COVID-19-related deaths in Missouri hit 4,006 in updated data 
released by the state Tuesday, as officials on both sides of the state 
line worried that hospitals in rural and metropolitan areas were 
reaching capacity.

In Missouri, 19,716 new cases, including 60 deaths, were reported in the last seven days, according to <a href="https://showmestrong.mo.gov/data/public-health/" target="_blank">a public health dashboard run by the state</a>. In all, there have been nearly 303,000 total cases. In Kansas, there have been a total of 157,446 cases and 1,560 deaths, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1529/Nov-30-case-summary?bidId=" target="_blank">according to a state website</a>.

In the nine-county Kansas City area (which encompasses both sides of the state line) 1,088 have died, according to the <a href="https://marc2.org/covidhub/" target="_blank">Kansas City Region COVID-19 Data Hub</a>.

The
 University of Kansas Health System announced at its daily briefing 
Tuesday that 101 patients have active COVID-19 cases, of which 53 are in
 the intensive care unit and 24 are on ventilators.

KU experts 
said the increase of patients in the intensive care unit was a reason 
for concern as the hospital’s capacity continues to dwindle. Around 47% 
of ICU beds in Kansas City are taken up by coronavirus patients, 
according to the <a href="https://marc2.org/covidhub/" target="_blank">Kansas City Region COVID-19 Data Hub</a>.

“In
 general, the data tells us that we're in for at least a couple of weeks
 more of challenges with the hospitalizations at this point,” said David
 Wild, KU’s vice president of performance improvement.

Wild said 
he believes the dip in the case numbers the week of Thanksgiving was 
likely a result of less people getting tested over the holiday weekend. 
The hospital tested around 1,000 over the four-day period, a number it 
normally tests in a day.

Now that people are back to work, Wild 
said lines are forming at the system’s testing centers. If case numbers 
don’t begin to decrease soon, he anticipates another lockdown will take 
place.

“I think that there's a need for further intervention for 
our community risk mitigation and whether that's a full lockdown or 
whether that's additional sort of restrictions on how we move and 
gather, especially in the places that we know by data are likely to be 
hotspots for transmission,” said Wild.

Rural counties, many of 
which still do not have mask mandates, will have a harder time accepting
 more restrictions, said Bob Moser, dean of the University of Kansas 
School of Medicine-Salina.

While the university has managed to keep case numbers down through mask-wearing and social-distancing, <a href="https://www.saline.org/Coronavirus" target="_blank">Saline County</a> jumped from five to 34 hospitalizations in just four weeks.

As
 Kansas City-area hospitals also begin to fill up, Moser said rural 
hospitals are struggling to find open rooms for critical patients. <a href="https://www.kansashealthsystem.com/about-us/community/care-collaborative" target="_blank">The University of Kansas Health System Care Collaborative</a> spent nearly eight hours this month finding an available hospital for just one patient, said Moser.

As a result, smaller hospitals are holding on to more COVID-19 patients rather than facing the challenges of transferring.

“That
 means other health conditions, chronic conditions that we deal with 
every day, may have to suffer because they don’t have the capacity for 
that. It's getting pretty critical,” said Moser.

Moser said 
another one of his biggest concerns is how rural communities will fit 
into the state’s plan to distribute vaccines. During the H1N1 crisis, 
Moser said rural counties were given very few vaccines because the state
 based area’s needs on their population size.

There is no plan yet
 for when rural areas will receive the vaccine, but KU health experts 
said it will first go to those at highest risk, first responders and 
healthcare workers.

“That's why we need more companies, because we
 know that through Operation Warp Speed, there has been a buildup of 
supply from those other companies that will help as well, if they do get
 approved. So this first batch is going to be a range, but it will be a 
small range,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease expert at 
the University of Kansas Health System.

Hawkinson said the system 
is now working with Wyandotte County on a plan to get vaccinations to 
the area’s most vulnerable populations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1606851264919.png" alt="Health experts in rural counties of Kansas said routine treatment and care is being put on hold because of the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Health experts in rural counties of Kansas said routine treatment and care is being put on hold because of the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By JODI FORTINO <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-12-01/coronavirus-deaths-in-missouri-top-4-000-as-hospitals-worry-about-capacity-for-rising-number-of-patients">Kansas News Service</a>COVID-19-related deaths in Missouri hit 4,006 in updated data 
released by the state Tuesday, as officials on both sides of the state 
line worried that hospitals in rural and metropolitan areas were 
reaching capacity.In Missouri, 19,716 new cases, including 60 deaths, were reported in the last seven days, according to <a href="https://showmestrong.mo.gov/data/public-health/" target="_blank">a public health dashboard run by the state</a>. In all, there have been nearly 303,000 total cases. In Kansas, there have been a total of 157,446 cases and 1,560 deaths, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1529/Nov-30-case-summary?bidId=" target="_blank">according to a state website</a>. In the nine-county Kansas City area (which encompasses both sides of the state line) 1,088 have died, according to the <a href="https://marc2.org/covidhub/" target="_blank">Kansas City Region COVID-19 Data Hub</a>. The
 University of Kansas Health System announced at its daily briefing 
Tuesday that 101 patients have active COVID-19 cases, of which 53 are in
 the intensive care unit and 24 are on ventilators.KU experts 
said the increase of patients in the intensive care unit was a reason 
for concern as the hospital’s capacity continues to dwindle. Around 47% 
of ICU beds in Kansas City are taken up by coronavirus patients, 
according to the <a href="https://marc2.org/covidhub/" target="_blank">Kansas City Region COVID-19 Data Hub</a>.“In
 general, the data tells us that we're in for at least a couple of weeks
 more of challenges with the hospitalizations at this point,” said David
 Wild, KU’s vice president of performance improvement.Wild said 
he believes the dip in the case numbers the week of Thanksgiving was 
likely a result of less people getting tested over the holiday weekend. 
The hospital tested around 1,000 over the four-day period, a number it 
normally tests in a day.Now that people are back to work, Wild 
said lines are forming at the system’s testing centers. If case numbers 
don’t begin to decrease soon, he anticipates another lockdown will take 
place.“I think that there's a need for further intervention for 
our community risk mitigation and whether that's a full lockdown or 
whether that's additional sort of restrictions on how we move and 
gather, especially in the places that we know by data are likely to be 
hotspots for transmission,” said Wild.Rural counties, many of 
which still do not have mask mandates, will have a harder time accepting
 more restrictions, said Bob Moser, dean of the University of Kansas 
School of Medicine-Salina.While the university has managed to keep case numbers down through mask-wearing and social-distancing, <a href="https://www.saline.org/Coronavirus" target="_blank">Saline County</a> jumped from five to 34 hospitalizations in just four weeks.As
 Kansas City-area hospitals also begin to fill up, Moser said rural 
hospitals are struggling to find open rooms for critical patients. <a href="https://www.kansashealthsystem.com/about-us/community/care-collaborative" target="_blank">The University of Kansas Health System Care Collaborative</a> spent nearly eight hours this month finding an available hospital for just one patient, said Moser.As a result, smaller hospitals are holding on to more COVID-19 patients rather than facing the challenges of transferring.“That
 means other health conditions, chronic conditions that we deal with 
every day, may have to suffer because they don’t have the capacity for 
that. It's getting pretty critical,” said Moser.Moser said 
another one of his biggest concerns is how rural communities will fit 
into the state’s plan to distribute vaccines. During the H1N1 crisis, 
Moser said rural counties were given very few vaccines because the state
 based area’s needs on their population size.There is no plan yet
 for when rural areas will receive the vaccine, but KU health experts 
said it will first go to those at highest risk, first responders and 
healthcare workers.“That's why we need more companies, because we
 know that through Operation Warp Speed, there has been a buildup of 
supply from those other companies that will help as well, if they do get
 approved. So this first batch is going to be a range, but it will be a 
small range,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease expert at 
the University of Kansas Health System.Hawkinson said the system 
is now working with Wyandotte County on a plan to get vaccinations to 
the area’s most vulnerable populations.

Virus deaths in Missouri top 4,000 as hospitals worry about capacity

Defining what is a 'close contact' of someone with COVID-19

Barton County coronavirus update: 241 active cases

HOLTON, KAN. (AP) —&nbsp;Small rural hospitals in&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;and&nbsp;Missouri&nbsp;are increasingly spending hours searching for facilities they can transfer patients to because they are struggling to cope with the surge in coronavirus cases.

As the region's hospitals fill up with COVID-19 patients, smaller hospitals like the one in Holton, Kansas, are finding it difficult to treat patients who don't have the disease but still need care.

“People don’t just stop having heart attacks or those sorts of things,” said Carrie Saia, CEO of the hospital in Holton, which is about 30 miles north of Topeka, Kansas. “I just worry that we’re going to be so consumed that we’re not really able to care for some emergency that comes in.”

The urban and rural health care systems in Missouri and Kansas are intertwined, with smaller hospitals identifying which patients need more advanced care and transferring them to larger facilities in bigger cities, the Kansas City Star reported. But lately, smaller hospitals have been spending hours searching for beds for their patients in larger facilities in places such as Wichita, Kansas City, St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri.

When COVID-19 patients stress the capacity of smaller hospitals, it makes it harder to care for patients with heart attacks, strokes or other serious conditions.

“Those patients, when they come through our doors, honestly that’s a little more scary than COVID,” said Valarie Davis who is the administrator of Mercy’s smaller hospitals in Cassville and Aurora, Missouri. “We have to get them somewhere as quick as we possibly can.”

And rural hospital administrators increasingly worry about how the surge in patients is affecting their nurses and doctors.

“I’ve had one of the nurses literally break down right in front of me because of her concern for one of the patients, which is a wonderful thing but it takes a toll on the staff,” said Dennis Franks, CEO of the 25-bed Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute, Kansas. “They’re working a lot.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606685988313.png" alt="Holton Community Hospital is 30 miles north of Topeka" />
 <figcaption>Holton Community Hospital is 30 miles north of Topeka</figcaption>
 </figure>HOLTON, KAN. (AP) —&nbsp;Small rural hospitals in&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;and&nbsp;Missouri&nbsp;are increasingly spending hours searching for facilities they can transfer patients to because they are struggling to cope with the surge in coronavirus cases.As the region's hospitals fill up with COVID-19 patients, smaller hospitals like the one in Holton, Kansas, are finding it difficult to treat patients who don't have the disease but still need care.“People don’t just stop having heart attacks or those sorts of things,” said Carrie Saia, CEO of the hospital in Holton, which is about 30 miles north of Topeka, Kansas. “I just worry that we’re going to be so consumed that we’re not really able to care for some emergency that comes in.”The urban and rural health care systems in Missouri and Kansas are intertwined, with smaller hospitals identifying which patients need more advanced care and transferring them to larger facilities in bigger cities, the Kansas City Star reported. But lately, smaller hospitals have been spending hours searching for beds for their patients in larger facilities in places such as Wichita, Kansas City, St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri.When COVID-19 patients stress the capacity of smaller hospitals, it makes it harder to care for patients with heart attacks, strokes or other serious conditions.“Those patients, when they come through our doors, honestly that’s a little more scary than COVID,” said Valarie Davis who is the administrator of Mercy’s smaller hospitals in Cassville and Aurora, Missouri. “We have to get them somewhere as quick as we possibly can.”And rural hospital administrators increasingly worry about how the surge in patients is affecting their nurses and doctors.“I’ve had one of the nurses literally break down right in front of me because of her concern for one of the patients, which is a wonderful thing but it takes a toll on the staff,” said Dennis Franks, CEO of the 25-bed Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute, Kansas. “They’re working a lot.”

Surge in virus cases stresses rural hospitals across Kansas

The Barton County Health Department, in conjunction with NIC and the State of Kansas, is offering a new COVID-19 PCR testing site in Barton County to allow residents more opportunities to be tested. 

Tourhealth will be operating a drive through facility at Barton Community College, 245 NE 30 Rd, Great Bend, beginning Saturday, Nov. 28.

This service is funded through the State of Kansas, provided at no cost, and available to anyone, symptomatic or not. Test results will be available approximately 3 days after collection. 

The hours for testing are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., every day of the week, including weekends. No appointment is necessary; however, one may be obtained through the Tourhealth app, or at Tourhealth.com. 

For further information, visit Tourhealth.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588297826823.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Barton County Health Department, in conjunction with NIC and the State of Kansas, is offering a new COVID-19 PCR testing site in Barton County to allow residents more opportunities to be tested. Tourhealth will be operating a drive through facility at Barton Community College, 245 NE 30 Rd, Great Bend, beginning Saturday, Nov. 28.This service is funded through the State of Kansas, provided at no cost, and available to anyone, symptomatic or not. Test results will be available approximately 3 days after collection. The hours for testing are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., every day of the week, including weekends. No appointment is necessary; however, one may be obtained through the Tourhealth app, or at Tourhealth.com. For further information, visit Tourhealth.com.

Barton County offering free COVID-19 testing 7 days a week

BEIJING (AP) — China says it has detected the coronavirus on packages of imported frozen food, but how valid are its claims and how serious is the threat to public health?

Frozen shrimp imported from an Ecuadorian company was banned for one week on Tuesday in a continuing series of such temporary bans.

While experts say the virus can survive for a time on cardboard and plastic containers, it remains unclear how serious a risk that poses. Like so many issues surrounding the pandemic, the matter has swiftly become politicized.

China has rejected complaints from the U.S. and others, saying it is putting people’s lives first. Experts say they generally don’t consider the presence of the virus on packaging to be a significant health risk.

A look at the issue and some of the conclusions so far:

Packaging first became a major issue with outbreaks in China linked to wholesale food markets, including one in June on the outskirts of Beijing. That prompted the removal of smoked salmon from supermarket shelves and has snowballed into multiple cases nationwide involving chicken, beef and seafood from nearly two dozen countries. At some supermarkets, imported meat now comes with a sticker declaring it to be virus-free.

Infections among freight handlers have also placed suspicion on packaging. Person-to-person transmission hasn’t been ruled out, however, and China has yet to release evidence that packaging was indeed the route of infection.

Trading partners, including the U.S., New Zealand, Canada and the EU, say they’re unclear on China’s methodology and have seen no solid evidence that their products carried the virus. The U.S. has questioned whether China’s crackdown is scientifically based and suggested the bans may amount to an unfair trade barrier.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian called the U.S. accusations “totally groundless and unreasonable.” China’s measures are “necessary following the spirit of putting people’s lives first and protecting people’s health,” he said last week.

In a statement to The Associated Press, the World Health Organization said cases of live viruses being found on packaging appear to be “rare and isolated.” While the virus can “survive a long time under cold storage conditions,” there is no evidence of people contracting COVID-19 from consuming food, it said.

The virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 is overwhelmingly transmitted through respiratory droplets and smaller sized particles passed through the air, underscoring the importance of mask-wearing.

Yet the virus can also be present on surfaces, and public health officials have urged people to wash their hands carefully and avoid physical contact with others. In general, the colder and dryer that conditions are, the longer the virus can survive on surfaces.

Wiping down countertops, handrails and other surfaces is a common way to ensure safety. Some people have also gone to the extreme of disinfecting packages brought into their homes, both by themselves or by delivery services.

Virus traces found on packaging can be infectious or non-infectious. The extremely sensitive tests being used can detect both active viruses and their remnants, without being able to distinguish between them, said Timothy Newsome, a virologist at the University of Sydney.

“It is possible and may represent some risk, but it’s certainly at the lower end of risk for transmission,” he said. “We know low temperatures do stabilize the virus. Nonetheless, I think things which have been transported and surface transmission — there’s a low risk of it.”

A positive test “doesn’t indicate infectious virus, just that some signal from the virus is present on that surface,” said Andrew Pekosz of Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“I’ve seen no convincing data that SARS-CoV-2 on food packaging poses a significant risk for infection,” he said.

BEIJING (AP) — China says it has detected the coronavirus on packages of imported frozen food, but how valid are its claims and how serious is the threat to public health?Frozen shrimp imported from an Ecuadorian company was banned for one week on Tuesday in a continuing series of such temporary bans.While experts say the virus can survive for a time on cardboard and plastic containers, it remains unclear how serious a risk that poses. Like so many issues surrounding the pandemic, the matter has swiftly become politicized.China has rejected complaints from the U.S. and others, saying it is putting people’s lives first. Experts say they generally don’t consider the presence of the virus on packaging to be a significant health risk.A look at the issue and some of the conclusions so far:CHINA’S CRACKDOWNPackaging first became a major issue with outbreaks in China linked to wholesale food markets, including one in June on the outskirts of Beijing. That prompted the removal of smoked salmon from supermarket shelves and has snowballed into multiple cases nationwide involving chicken, beef and seafood from nearly two dozen countries. At some supermarkets, imported meat now comes with a sticker declaring it to be virus-free.Infections among freight handlers have also placed suspicion on packaging. Person-to-person transmission hasn’t been ruled out, however, and China has yet to release evidence that packaging was indeed the route of infection.OVERSEAS COMPLAINTSTrading partners, including the U.S., New Zealand, Canada and the EU, say they’re unclear on China’s methodology and have seen no solid evidence that their products carried the virus. The U.S. has questioned whether China’s crackdown is scientifically based and suggested the bans may amount to an unfair trade barrier.Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian called the U.S. accusations “totally groundless and unreasonable.” China’s measures are “necessary following the spirit of putting people’s lives first and protecting people’s health,” he said last week.In a statement to The Associated Press, the World Health Organization said cases of live viruses being found on packaging appear to be “rare and isolated.” While the virus can “survive a long time under cold storage conditions,” there is no evidence of people contracting COVID-19 from consuming food, it said.SURFACE TRANSMISSIONThe virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 is overwhelmingly transmitted through respiratory droplets and smaller sized particles passed through the air, underscoring the importance of mask-wearing.Yet the virus can also be present on surfaces, and public health officials have urged people to wash their hands carefully and avoid physical contact with others. In general, the colder and dryer that conditions are, the longer the virus can survive on surfaces.Wiping down countertops, handrails and other surfaces is a common way to ensure safety. Some people have also gone to the extreme of disinfecting packages brought into their homes, both by themselves or by delivery services.WHAT EXPERTS SAYVirus traces found on packaging can be infectious or non-infectious. The extremely sensitive tests being used can detect both active viruses and their remnants, without being able to distinguish between them, said Timothy Newsome, a virologist at the University of Sydney.“It is possible and may represent some risk, but it’s certainly at the lower end of risk for transmission,” he said. “We know low temperatures do stabilize the virus. Nonetheless, I think things which have been transported and surface transmission — there’s a low risk of it.”A positive test “doesn’t indicate infectious virus, just that some signal from the virus is present on that surface,” said Andrew Pekosz of Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health.“I’ve seen no convincing data that SARS-CoV-2 on food packaging poses a significant risk for infection,” he said.___

China claims coronavirus found on frozen foods

Barton County coronavirus update: 321 active cases

LONDON (AP) — Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said Monday that late-stage trials showed its coronavirus vaccine was up to 90% effective, giving public health officials hope they may soon have access to a vaccine that is cheaper and easier to distribute than some of its rivals.

The results are based on interim analysis of trials in the U.K. and Brazil of a vaccine developed by Oxford University and manufactured by AstraZeneca. No hospitalizations or severe cases of COVID-19 were reported in those receiving the vaccine.

AstraZeneca is the third major drug company to report late-stage results for a potential COVID-19 vaccine as the world anxiously waits for scientific breakthroughs that will bring an end to a pandemic that has wrought economic devastation and resulted in nearly 1.4 million confirmed deaths.

Pfizer and Moderna last week reported preliminary results from late-stage trials showing their vaccines were almost 95% effective. But, unlike its rivals, the AstraZeneca vaccine doesn’t have to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures, making it easier to distribute, especially in developing countries.

“I think these are really exciting results,” Dr. Andrew Pollard, chief investigator for the trial, said during a news conference. “Because the vaccine can be stored at fridge temperatures, it can be distributed around the world using the normal immunization distribution system. And so our goal … to make sure that we have a vaccine that was accessible everywhere, I think we’ve actually managed to do that.”

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is also cheaper. AstraZeneca, which has pledged it won’t make a profit on the vaccine during the pandemic, has reached agreements with governments and international health organizations that put its cost at about $2.50 a dose. Pfizer’s vaccine costs about $20 a dose, while Moderna’s is $15 to $25, based on agreements the companies have struck to supply their vaccines to the U.S. government.

All three vaccines must be approved by regulators before they can be widely distributed.

Oxford researchers and AstraZeneca stressed that they aren’t competing with other projects, and that multiple vaccines will be needed to reach enough of the world’s population and end the pandemic.

“We’re not thinking about vaccinations working in terms of one person at a time. We have to think about vaccinating communities, populations, reducing transmission within those populations, so that we really get on top of this pandemic,″ said Sarah Gilbert, a leader of the Oxford research team. “And that’s what it now looks like we’re going to have the ability to contribute to in a really big way.″

The results come as a second wave of COVID-19 hits many countries, once again shutting businesses, restricting social interaction and pummeling the world economy.

AstraZeneca said it will immediately apply for early approval of the vaccine where possible, and it will seek an emergency use listing from the World Health Organization, so it can make the vaccine available in low-income countries.

The AstraZeneca trial looked at two different dosing regimens. A half-dose of the vaccine followed by a full dose at least one month later was 90% effective. Another approach, giving patients two full doses one month apart, was 62% effective. The combined results showed an average efficacy rate of 70%.

The vaccine uses a weakened version of a common cold virus that is combined with genetic material for the characteristic spike protein of the virus that causes COVID-19. After vaccination, the spike protein primes the immune system to attack the virus if it later infects the body.

The vaccine can be transported under “normal refrigerated conditions” of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit), AstraZeneca said. By comparison, Pfizer plans to distribute its vaccine using specially designed “thermal shippers” that use dry ice to maintain temperatures of minus-70 degrees Celsius (minus-94 degrees Fahrenheit).

Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said the finding that a smaller initial dose is more effective than a larger one is good news because it may reduce costs and mean more people can be vaccinated.

“The report that an initial half-dose is better than a full dose seems counterintuitive for those of us thinking of vaccines as normal drugs: With drugs, we expect that higher doses have bigger effects, and more side-effects,” he said. “But the immune system does not work like that.”

The results reported Monday come from trials in the U.K. and Brazil that involved 23,000 people. Late-stage trials are also underway in the U.S., Japan, Russia, South Africa, Kenya and Latin America, with further trials planned for other European and Asian countries.

AstraZeneca has been ramping up manufacturing capacity, so it can supply hundreds of millions of doses of the vaccine starting in January, Chief Executive Pascal Soriot said earlier this month.

Soriot said Monday that the Oxford vaccine’s simpler supply chain and AstraZeneca’s commitment to provide it on a nonprofit basis during the pandemic mean it will be affordable and available to people around the world.

“This vaccine’s efficacy and safety confirm that it will be highly effective against COVID-19 and will have an immediate impact on this public health emergency,” Soriot said.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he felt “a great sense of relief” at the news from AstraZeneca.

Britain has ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, and the government says several million doses can be produced before the end of the year if it is approved by regulators.

Just months ago, “the idea that by November we would have three vaccines, all of which have got high effectiveness … I would have given my eye teeth for,” Hancock said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602590971875.png" alt="Photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said Monday that late-stage trials showed its coronavirus vaccine was up to 90% effective, giving public health officials hope they may soon have access to a vaccine that is cheaper and easier to distribute than some of its rivals.The results are based on interim analysis of trials in the U.K. and Brazil of a vaccine developed by Oxford University and manufactured by AstraZeneca. No hospitalizations or severe cases of COVID-19 were reported in those receiving the vaccine.AstraZeneca is the third major drug company to report late-stage results for a potential COVID-19 vaccine as the world anxiously waits for scientific breakthroughs that will bring an end to a pandemic that has wrought economic devastation and resulted in nearly 1.4 million confirmed deaths.Pfizer and Moderna last week reported preliminary results from late-stage trials showing their vaccines were almost 95% effective. But, unlike its rivals, the AstraZeneca vaccine doesn’t have to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures, making it easier to distribute, especially in developing countries.“I think these are really exciting results,” Dr. Andrew Pollard, chief investigator for the trial, said during a news conference. “Because the vaccine can be stored at fridge temperatures, it can be distributed around the world using the normal immunization distribution system. And so our goal … to make sure that we have a vaccine that was accessible everywhere, I think we’ve actually managed to do that.”The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is also cheaper. AstraZeneca, which has pledged it won’t make a profit on the vaccine during the pandemic, has reached agreements with governments and international health organizations that put its cost at about $2.50 a dose. Pfizer’s vaccine costs about $20 a dose, while Moderna’s is $15 to $25, based on agreements the companies have struck to supply their vaccines to the U.S. government.All three vaccines must be approved by regulators before they can be widely distributed.Oxford researchers and AstraZeneca stressed that they aren’t competing with other projects, and that multiple vaccines will be needed to reach enough of the world’s population and end the pandemic.“We’re not thinking about vaccinations working in terms of one person at a time. We have to think about vaccinating communities, populations, reducing transmission within those populations, so that we really get on top of this pandemic,″ said Sarah Gilbert, a leader of the Oxford research team. “And that’s what it now looks like we’re going to have the ability to contribute to in a really big way.″The results come as a second wave of COVID-19 hits many countries, once again shutting businesses, restricting social interaction and pummeling the world economy.AstraZeneca said it will immediately apply for early approval of the vaccine where possible, and it will seek an emergency use listing from the World Health Organization, so it can make the vaccine available in low-income countries.The AstraZeneca trial looked at two different dosing regimens. A half-dose of the vaccine followed by a full dose at least one month later was 90% effective. Another approach, giving patients two full doses one month apart, was 62% effective. The combined results showed an average efficacy rate of 70%.The vaccine uses a weakened version of a common cold virus that is combined with genetic material for the characteristic spike protein of the virus that causes COVID-19. After vaccination, the spike protein primes the immune system to attack the virus if it later infects the body.The vaccine can be transported under “normal refrigerated conditions” of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit), AstraZeneca said. By comparison, Pfizer plans to distribute its vaccine using specially designed “thermal shippers” that use dry ice to maintain temperatures of minus-70 degrees Celsius (minus-94 degrees Fahrenheit).Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said the finding that a smaller initial dose is more effective than a larger one is good news because it may reduce costs and mean more people can be vaccinated.“The report that an initial half-dose is better than a full dose seems counterintuitive for those of us thinking of vaccines as normal drugs: With drugs, we expect that higher doses have bigger effects, and more side-effects,” he said. “But the immune system does not work like that.”The results reported Monday come from trials in the U.K. and Brazil that involved 23,000 people. Late-stage trials are also underway in the U.S., Japan, Russia, South Africa, Kenya and Latin America, with further trials planned for other European and Asian countries.AstraZeneca has been ramping up manufacturing capacity, so it can supply hundreds of millions of doses of the vaccine starting in January, Chief Executive Pascal Soriot said earlier this month.Soriot said Monday that the Oxford vaccine’s simpler supply chain and AstraZeneca’s commitment to provide it on a nonprofit basis during the pandemic mean it will be affordable and available to people around the world.“This vaccine’s efficacy and safety confirm that it will be highly effective against COVID-19 and will have an immediate impact on this public health emergency,” Soriot said.British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he felt “a great sense of relief” at the news from AstraZeneca.Britain has ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, and the government says several million doses can be produced before the end of the year if it is approved by regulators.Just months ago, “the idea that by November we would have three vaccines, all of which have got high effectiveness … I would have given my eye teeth for,” Hancock said.___

Cheaper COVID-19 vaccine headed for approval

U.S. health officials agreed to allow emergency use of a second antibody drug to help the immune system fight COVID-19, an experimental medicine that President Donald Trump was given when he was sickened last month.

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, Associated PressU.S. health officials agreed to allow emergency use of a second antibody drug to help the immune system fight COVID-19, an experimental medicine that President Donald Trump was given when he was sickened last month.The Food and Drug Administration authorized use of the <a href="https://www.gilead.com/news-and-press/press-room/press-releases/2020/10/us-food-and-drug-administration-approves-gileads-antiviral-veklury-remdesivir-for-treatment-of-covid19">Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. drug to </a>try to prevent hospitalization and worsening disease from developing in patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms.The drug is given as a one-time treatment through an IV. The FDA allowed its use in adults and children 12 and over who weigh at least 88 pounds and who are at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 because of age or certain other medical conditions.Emergency authorization allows use of the drug to start while studies are continuing to establish safety and effectiveness. Early results suggest the drug may reduce COVID-19-related hospitalization or emergency room visits in patients at high risk for disease progression, the FDA said.Regeneron said that initial doses will be made available to roughly 300,000 patients through a federal government allocation program. Those patients will not be charged for the drug but may have to pay part of the cost of giving the IV.Initial supplies will likely be vastly outstripped by demand as the U.S. has surged past 12 million reported cases, with the country facing what health experts say will be a dark winter due to uncontrolled spread of the virus.Antibodies are proteins the body makes to target and help eliminate viruses, but it can take weeks for the best ones to form after an infection occurs. The drugs are concentrated versions of ones that proved best able to do this in lab and animal tests, and in theory help the body start to fight the virus right away.The Regeneron drug is a combo of two antibodies to enhance the chances it will prove effective. Earlier this month, the FDA gave emergency authorization to a single-antibody drug from Eli Lilly that also is still being studied.There’s no way to know whether the Regeneron drug helped Trump recover; he received a host of treatments and most COVID-19 patients recover on their own.FDA regulators authorized the Regeneron drug using their emergency powers to quickly speed the availability of experimental drugs and other medical products during public health crises.In normal times the FDA requires “substantial evidence” to show that a drug is safe and effective, usually through one or more large, rigorously controlled patient studies. But during public health emergencies the agency can lower those standards and require only that an experimental treatment’s potential benefits outweigh its risks.The emergency authorization functions like a temporary approval for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. To win full approval, Regeneron will have to submit additional research to fully define the drug’s safety and benefit for patients.The White House cast the decision as a victory for Trump’s efforts “to deliver cutting-edge treatments with highly promising results to protect the health and safety of the most vulnerable Americans,” according to a statement from spokesman Michael Bars.___

Coronavirus Update