National COVID-19 Update

April 16, 2020

Current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) figures show a total of 632,548 confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. in 55 states and U.S. territories, with 27,012 deaths. New York state leads the nation with more than 211,000 cases, followed by New Jersey which has more than 71,000 cases and Massachusetts which has more than 29,000 cases.

Study findings released from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) show that N95 respirators can be decontaminated effectively and maintain functional integrity for up to three uses. The study was conducted in a controlled laboratory setting, and the results were posted to assist the public health response to COVID-19.

A CDC COCA call takes place on April 17 from 1-2 p.m. on COVID-19 Insights from Healthcare Systems. During this call, presenters will discuss the current impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare systems in the U.S., including key successes and challenges from the hospital response perspective. More details on how to access the call are available here.

On April 17 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. CT, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be hosting the next edition of their call series CMS Lessons from the Front Lines: COVID-19. These calls are held weekly on Fridays at 11:30 a.m. (CT) and specific topics vary. To join the call, dial 1-877-251-0301, access code 8672948. Conference lines are limited, and CMS encourages participants to consider joining via audio webcast via computer or smartphone. The webcast can be accessed here.

The American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) and their national and international partner societies are hosting weekly COVID-19 webinars every Wednesday at 2 p.m CT. Subject matter experts and practitioners, many of whom are caring for COVID-19 patients, will present on emerging issues related to COVID-19, provide updates on what they are facing in their clinics and hospitals, and participate in a Q and A session. To find out more information, such as recordings of previous webinars, upcoming webinar topics, how to register for upcoming webinars, and how to subscribe to receive emails about upcoming webinars, visit the ACMT COVID-19 website.

The latest WHO situation report shows nearly 2 million COVID-19 cases globally, with over 130,000 deaths. The European Region leads the world in cases and deaths, with more than 1 million confirmed cases with over 89,000 deaths. The Region of the Americas (includes the U.S.) follows, reporting more than 707,000 cases and more than 30,000 deaths.