Hospital-Acquired COVID; New Antibody Data; In FDA We Trust?

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An average of 120 patients a day contracted COVID-19 inside U.S. hospitals, according to about 9 weeks of previously unpublished federal data provided by the CDC to the Wall Street Journal.

As of 8:00 a.m. ET Wednesday, the unofficial U.S. COVID-19 tally stood at 6,606,674 cases and 195,961 deaths — up 51,431 and 1,414, respectively, in the past 24 hours.

Texas will change the way it calculates its COVID-19 positivity rate after testing backlogs skewed coronavirus data. (Texas Tribune)

One dose level of its monoclonal antibody for symptomatic COVID-19, but not the others, met the primary endpoint of change in baseline in viral load at day 11 in interim analysis of phase II data, Eli Lilly said.

Pfizer told investors that the trial of its coronavirus vaccine is showing mostly mild-to-moderate side effects to date. (Reuters)

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, MD, said the agency plans “very significant work” investigating the AstraZeneca vaccine trial in which a Britain participant developed symptoms consistent with transverse myelitis. The U.K. study has resumed, but the U.S trial still is on hold. (Reuters)

The United Arab Emirates approved a Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine for its frontline workers. (CNBC)

Two coronavirus vaccine candidates may be more effective inhaled rather than injected, British researchers said. (AP)

The WHO announced a worldwide COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan, emphasizing “global equity” and saying that so-called vaccine nationalism will prolong the pandemic. (ABC News)

Fifteen families filed lawsuits against a New Mexico nursing home for COVID-19 deaths, saying the facility downplayed the severity of the virus. (KRQE News 13)

Nearly 40% of Americans know a coronavirus patient who was hospitalized or died, new Pew research showed.

Only 57% of Americans said they have some degree of trust in the FDA: 8% a “great deal” of trust and the rest “a fair amount,” the latest Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index reported.

We should have treated COVID-19 as a natural disaster, not a public health crisis, an ER doc argued. (Slate)

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) called for HHS Secretary Alex Azar to resign, saying he failed to stand up to President Donald Trump in his response to coronavirus. (The Hill)

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