Coronavirus Daily Update: New Predictions Suggest US Death Toll Could Double by August

During this critical time, Home Health Care News remains committed to bringing you all the essential news related to home-based care operations. At the same time, we also recognize the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to our regular content, we’ll continue to highlight industry-related developments and mitigation strategies in this rolling bulletin.

What you need to know from Wednesday (May 6)

— Brookdale’s home health care segment has faced major disruption due to the fact COVID-19 hit during the transition to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM). CEO Cindy Baier provided a home health update during a Q1 earnings call Wednesday.

— Less than a day after the Trump Administration announced plans to phase out the coronavirus task force, which was created to monitor, contain and mitigate the coronavirus, the president walked back his comments. Instead of disbanding, the task force will shift its focus to developing vaccines and reopening the economy, President Trump said Wednesday.

— The coronavirus death toll in the U.S. has topped 71,000, though the daily number of deaths and new infections are falling. In New York alone, nearly 5,000 of those deaths have been connected to nursing homes or adult day care facilities.

— The latest numbers come as Vice President Mike Pence — who leads the coronavirus task force — says the country has made “the tremendous progress.” Still, the battle against the coronavirus is far from over, and the U.S. still has months of fighting left. In fact, new estimates suggest that COVID-19 deaths could double by early August, with infection rates expected to rise again as businesses reopen.

— In New York, more than a dozen children have been hospitalized with a mysterious illness that experts believe could be linked to the coronavirus. Symptoms are similar to those experienced with Kawasaki disease, a rare illness in children that involves inflammation of the blood vessels. Children in Europe have reported similar symptoms. The development may be something for pediatric home health providers to keep an eye on moving forward.

What you need to know from Tuesday (May 5)

— A new report out of Ohio suggests that many of the workers dubbed “essential” during the COVID-19 crisis live near the poverty line. That includes home health aides in the state.

— President Trump suggested on Tuesday the White House’s coronavirus task force could be shut down and replaced with “something in a different form,” The New York Times reported. The news comes as the U.S. moves into what the president called “Phase 2” of the country’s response strategy.

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— ConcertoHealth, a California-based provider of in-home care, is working with health departments in Washington state to expand community- and home-based COVID-19 testing for at-risk and vulnerable populations.

Respiratory therapists have played an outsized role in the fight against COVID-19. Not only are they critically important for patient care, but they also deal hands-on with vital equipment for the patients, which greatly increases their risk of contracting the virus.

— Home health and hospice deal flow has been uprooted due to the COVID-19 virus, according to Irving Levin Associates. April 2020 saw 66% less deals than the same month a year ago.

— The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the National Center for Assisted Living (NACL) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Tuesday to request $10 billion in emergency funding. The funding, the organizations said, would go to nursing homes and assisted living communities to assist them during the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally, they asked for further support in regards to testing and additional PPE.

— A 29-year-old single mother in Florida is recovering after battling COVID-19. The woman credits her primary care doctor, who helped establish home health services through Baptist Health. “The home health care nurses were just amazing and they truly are heroes,” she told Action News Jax reporters

What you need to know from Monday (May 4)

— The Trump administration announced Friday that it would be replacing the HHS inspector general, who had highlighted issues with its COVID-19 response in an early April report. The administration nominated Jason Weida to take over the position. Weida previously worked in the Office of Legal Policy.

— It’s not just the home health industry that is looking for more federal support. Last week, the CEO of the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) told Hospice News that while NHPCO has appreciated the Trump administration’s efforts thus far, more help is needed as the hospice community continues to deal with the COVID-19 crisis.

— Having amassed tens of thousands of deaths since March, nursing homes are pushing for states to grant them emergency protection against an influx of lawsuits claiming they provided insufficient care. According to AP News, at least 15 states have enacted some sort of protection against COVID-19-related lawsuits for nursing homes. Home health and home care providers may push for similar protections moving forward.

— Home-based care providers and their patients continue to be hit hard by the COVID-19 virus. But in-home care is still not given the attention it deserves, Politico reiterated.

— Though progress has been made, ensuring caregiver safety is still an issue nationwide. A Colorado home care worker, for example, claims she has not received coronavirus training and pays for her own PPE.

For daily updates from the week of April 27, click here.

For daily updates from the week of April 20, click here.

For daily updates from the week of April 13, click here.

For daily updates from the week of April 6, click here.

For daily updates from the week of March 30, click here.

For daily updates from the week of March 23, click here.

For daily updates from the week of March 16, click here.

HHCN encourages you to reach out to us individually or at [email protected] for story ideas, tips or general feedback.

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