60 million at-home coronavirus tests to be delivered by this summer, White House officials say

The feds are turning to the Defense Production Act to deliver 60 million at-home coronavirus tests to Americans throughout the summer — while also using the act to boost vaccine makers.

“The country is well behind where we need to be in testing, particularly the rapid at-home tests that will allow us all to get back to normal activities like work and school,” said Tim Manning, White House COVID-19 supply coordinator.

With use of the Defense Production Act, a law giving the president emergency authority to control domestic industries, the government is investing in seven suppliers to surge testing capacity and make the at-home tests available by the end of the summer.

Manning, in a Friday press briefing, said the act will also be used to get Pfizer more equipment and supplies the company needs to increase vaccine manufacturing and to increase PPE supply by building plants in the United States to make the necessary raw materials.

Additional support on the vaccine front may also be coming soon as Johnson & Johnson has submitted a request to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization of its single-shot coronavirus vaccine candidate.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet in three weeks to discuss the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. If the committee recommends it for emergency use, the FDA could authorize it very shortly afterwards.

The vaccine has an overall efficacy of 66% and protection against severe disease is over 80%, Fauci said Friday, adding that during the clinical trial, which was conducted in three countries, there were no hospitalizations or deaths.

When tested in South Africa where a coronavirus variant is the now the dominant strain, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine was slightly less effective, about 57%.

“So the sobering news is that we are dealing with variants, antigenic variation which does have clinical consequences,” said Fauci, adding that it’s time to double down on public health measures.

The United States continues to see decreases in case counts, hospitalizations and deaths following a grim peak shortly after the holidays.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said new coronavirus cases are down 61% since a peak on Jan. 8 and hospital admissions are down 42% since a peak on Jan. 5.

“While the data are moving in the right direction, context is important because cases, hospital admissions and deaths all remain high and well above the levels that we saw in the summer and early fall,” Walensky said.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3jlnLRx