The Hill’s Coronavirus Report: Rep. Donna Shalala says America’s reopening plans are erratic; Fauci calls trial findings ‘quite good news’

VIEW BREAKING NEWS ON CORONAVIRUS

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

> Promising data on treating coronavirus; Fauci calls it “quite good news”

> Approval of Trump’s handling of crisis drops 10 points

> Trump orders meat plants to remain open amid health concerns 

> 3 in 4 Americans favor continued social distancing 

THE INTERVIEW

Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.), former Health and Human Services secretary, says America’s plans to reopen are erratic and need to be science-informed, says President Trump is ‘literally dangerous to our health,’ says Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is a’rookie’

Watch the full interview here.

ICYMI: Richard Edelman talks about TRUST. Worth the watch.

THE HILL’S CORONAVIRUS REPORT

Welcome to The Hill’s Coronavirus Report. It’s Wednesday, April 29.

Editor’s Note. 

Gilead roused the stock market because of promising results on one phase of a clinical trial of the drug, Remdesivir. Over the weekend, Oxford University released news about positive results of a potential vaccine in rhesus monkeys. Each day, we are waiting for some glimpse of promise in vaccines and antivirals that may quickly end this era of COVID-19. But this kind of hope is potentially destructive. It has led the president of the United States and some members of his team to quickly tout them in the hope that they might work. Witness hydroxychloroquine, which is being stockpiled by some nations around the world. What needs to temper hope is scientific method, double blind tests, control groups for vaccines and antivirals. As Sen. Christopher Coons (D-Del.) reminded me the other day, there has “never” been an FDA-approved, efficacious vaccine developed to fight any coronavirus. That’s not to say there won’t be. The world’s best minds and lots of economic and scientific resources are focused on the same vital challenge for mankind.

But a daily hit of news that ticks us up or down on what the scientists have found — before these results have been appropriately, scientifically vetted — will yield false hopes, illusion and I believe depression. What we can do in the meantime as we wait for real results is to focus on those damaged today — those who are ill, and those who are vulnerable like our seniors and homeless and those who have lost paychecks. My interview with Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.) will focus on paycheck protections in the next round of economic stimulus and also about how to manage a science-informed reopening of the American economy,  

And should you have time, check out the recording of a live event “The Hill Virtually Live” hosted this afternoon: Safeguarding Seniors: Healthcare in a Health Crisis with Reps. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.). (More details below.) 

We have a lot of gaps in our social safety net today that will remain whether a miracle drug is found tomorrow or not — and likely not — so it’s important to maintain a wide aperture in how we think of “curing ourselves” in this coronavirus era.

– Steve Clemons

Your Coronavirus Report team includes Steve Clemons, editor-at-large of The Hill, and researcher Andrew Wargofchik. Follow us on Twitter at @SCClemons and @a_wargofchik. CLICK HERE to subscribe to The Hill’s Coronavirus Report. To stay up-to-date on all things coronavirus, visit TheHill.com and SUBSCRIBE to our Overnight Healthcare newsletter for the latest developments from the daily White House coronavirus task force briefings.

THE HILL ‘VIRTUALLY’ LIVE

Earlier today, our 3D journalism platform — The Hill ‘Virtually’ Live — hosted Safeguarding Seniors: Healthcare in a Health Crisis with House members Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) and Fred Upton (R-Mich). 

Dr. Patrice Harris of the American Medical Association, AARP’s Nancy LeaMond, Karen Freeman-Wilson of the Chicago Urban League and Alliance for Aging Research’s Sue Peschin also joined us for a discussion on supporting seniors, tackling disparities and the role of innovation in the age of COVID-19. Watch this space for the full program video. 

Keep the conversation going using #TheHillVirtuallyLive and follow @TheHillEvents for news on upcoming programs. 

CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

There are 3,157,459 reported global cases of COVID-19. 219,611 people have lost their lives from the virus. 

The U.S. is reporting 1,023,304 cases, more than four times as many as Spain, whose 236,899 cases are the second most in the world. 203,591 cases in Italy. 169,053 in France. 162,357 in the U.K. 117,589 in Turkey. 99,399 in Russia. 73,235 in Brazil. 31,787 in India. 21,402 in Saudi Arabia. Sweden – whose unusual approach to not lock down and, instead, focus on protecting vulnerable groups and building “herd immunity” – is reporting 20,302 cases. 

58,471 have died in America from COVID-19. 

New York has reported 299,691 cases. New Jersey 113,856. Massachusetts 58,302. 48,102 in Illinois. California is reporting 46,483 cases. 45,928 in Pennsylvania. 10,052 in Tennessee. 8,247 in Rhode Island. 4,375 in Kentucky. 4,345 in Utah. 1,433 in Puerto Rico. 57 cases in the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

5,795,728 people have been tested in the U.S. for the virus, and 116,133 of them have reported full recoveries from COVID-19.

WASHINGTON WATCH

Trump orders meat plants to stay open in pandemic. President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday evening compelling meat processors to remain open to head off shortages in the nation’s food supply chains, despite mounting reports of plant worker deaths due to COVID-19. Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to classify meat plants as essential infrastructure that must remain open. (Washington Post) 

Approval for Trump’s handling of coronavirus drops 10 points. President Trump’s approval rating for his handling of the coronavirus dropped 10 points from last month after an initial bump, according to a new Emerson College poll. The president’s overall approval rating has also ticked downward since last month, dropping from 46 percent to 41 percent. (The Hill)

GOP faces pressure to get tougher with Trump. Republicans in the Senate are under growing pressure to take the administration to task for its response to the coronavirus. GOP senators, with a few exceptions, have been reluctant to criticize the administration, but they are starting to re-evaluate that kid-glove treatment amid public frustration over the lack of virus testing kits and protective equipment and reports of taxpayer dollars going to questionable causes. (The Hill) 

House Democrat unveils bill requiring coronavirus materials to be translated into multiple languages. Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) introduced a bill Tuesday that would require all coronavirus information released by the federal government be provided in at least 19 languages. “It is unacceptable that federal agencies have not provided all these translations, but the passage of my bill would ensure that they finally do,” Meng said. (The Hill)

LAWMAKERS TWEET

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) 

@SenatorBaldwin Today I introduced the Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act with 

@ChrisMurphyCT, @SenSchumer  and 43 Senate Democrats to require @POTUS  to unlock the full power of the DPA to mobilize a federal response to COVID19 that increases production of testing supplies and #PPE.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.)

@SenRickScott Congress shouldn’t shield states from the consequences of their own bad budgetary decisions over the past few decades. States will need to make some tough choices, which is what grown-ups do in tough economic times.

Rep. Frank Palone Jr. (D-N.J.) 

@FrankPallone I’m glad @Apple and @Google are taking privacy seriously and have made important changes to how their program works. Your privacy should not be arbitrarily sacrificed in the search for ways to leverage technology to mitigate the spread of #COVID19.

ACROSS THE NATION

Poll: 3 in 4 favor continued social distancing. Nearly 3 out of 4 Americans questioned in a new poll said they are in favor of continued social distancing to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, despite multiple states starting to reopen parts of their economies. In the Politico/Morning Consult poll of registered voters, 73 percent of respondents said that they are in favor of continued social distancing, while 15 percent said that it should be ended to help the country’s flailing economy, even if it contributes to the further spread of COVID-19. (The Hill)

Half of Americans say they or someone in their household has been financially impacted by the pandemic: poll. Half of Americans in a new poll say they or someone in their household has been financially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released Wednesday shows that 50 percent of Americans, excluding those not employed or retired, say they or someone in their household has been let go or has had their hours reduced at work because of the pandemic. (The Hill)

Where all 50 states stand on reopening. More than 97 percent of the U.S. population is currently under a stay-at-home or shelter-in-place order as the coronavirus pandemic continues to upend life as we know it. Nearly 60,000 people have died in America. But worries for the economy — and people’s mental health — are raising the question: When will things go back to normal? And what will that normal even look like? (CNN)

WORLD VIEW

Airborne coronavirus detected in Wuhan Hospitals. Adding to growing evidence that the novel coronavirus can spread through air, scientists have identified genetic markers of the virus in airborne droplets, many with diameters smaller than one-ten-thousandth of an inch. That had been previously demonstrated in laboratory experiments, but now Chinese scientists studying real-world conditions report that they captured tiny droplets containing the genetic markers of the virus from the air in two hospitals in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak started. (New York Times)

“Life has to go on.” How Sweden has faced the virus without a lockdown. Trust is high in Sweden — in government, institutions and fellow Swedes. When the government defied conventional wisdom and refused to order a wholesale lockdown to “flatten the curve” of the coronavirus epidemic, public health officials pointed to trust as a central justification. Swedes, they said, could be trusted to stay home, follow social distancing protocols and wash their hands to slow the spread of the virus — without any mandatory orders. And, to a large extent, Sweden does seem to have been as successful in controlling the virus as most other nations. (New York Times) 

Nigeria’s coronavirus cases jump by single-day record of 195 cases. Nigeria on Tuesday confirmed a total number of new 195 coronavirus cases in the country. Nigeria’s economic hubs Lagos and Kano have the highest numbers. Although Africa seems to have been largely spared from the initial wave of the virus, experts worry that the continent’s health systems will be quickly overwhelmed should the virus roar its head on Africa as it has the rest of the world. (The Guardian)

SCIENCE

Gilead touts “positive data” on drug as coronavirus treatment. Gilead Sciences said Wednesday it is aware of “positive data” emerging from a clinical trial studying one of its drugs as a potential treatment for COVID-19. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’s (NIAID) study of Remdesivir, an experimental antiviral, has reached its primary endpoint, Gilead said, meaning the drug was found to be effective in the trial. (The Hill) 

Fauci calls results “good news.”  NIAID Director Anthony Fauci on Wednesday reacted to the findings, calling it “quite good news.” (The Hill)

Early studies show some promise in coronavirus immunity. Some early studies seem to suggest that the coronavirus leaves behind antibodies that have made close relatives to humans such as macaques immune, at least in the short run. Two studies of macaques that had been infected, recovered and then exposed to the virus again failed to find any monkeys who got sick a second time. “In general, we would not expect potential for immediate reinfection. That would be novel as hell,” said Nita Bharti, a biologist at the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Penn State. (The Hill)

BUSINESS

US GDP shrank 4.8 percent in first quarter amid biggest contraction since the financial crisis. Gross domestic product fell 4.8 percent in the first quarter, according to government numbers released Wednesday that provide the first detailed glimpse into the deep damage the coronavirus has wreaked on the U.S. economy. (CNBC)

US Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced sports recommendations for COVID-19 era. In response to a growing need among athletes and sports organizations, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has announced new recommendations for safe athlete training and sports event planning around COVID-19. Dr. Jonathan Finnoff, the organization’s chief medical officer, said during a virtual townhall today, “Until COVID-19 is either eradicated, a vaccine is developed, or a cure is found, there is no way of completely eliminating the risk of fatal infection. Our advice is to be careful, be systematic, and work closely with your public health officials.”

IDEAS, CAUSES, PASSION

The pandemic’s lesson: Going it alone does not work. Obviously, we cannot be naive about the immediate prospects for seamless international cooperation. But the big lesson of the pandemic is that going at it alone can have universally devastating economic, health and social effects. Our national leaders — and our voters — need to recognize that the alternative to global unity of effort may be widespread and catastrophic effects on our health, our food, our physical safety and our security. (Michael Chertoff for The Hill)

GENEROUS SPIRITS

TikTok, Bill Gates donating $20M to help coronavirus fight in Africa. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and social media platform TikTok have donated $20 million to a global health partnership that will deploy vaccines for the novel coronavirus in Africa after they are developed.  (The Hill)

ICYMI: STEVE’S INTERVIEWS, 15 MINUTES EACH

> Steve interviews former Senate Majority Leader BILL FRIST 

> Steve interviews NATO Deputy Secretary General MIRCEA GENONA 

> Steve interviews Vanda Pharmaceuticals President and CEO MIHAEL POLYMEROPOULOS

> Steve interviews Seattle Mayor JENNY DURKAN

> Steve interviews Pfizer’s chief scientist MIKAEL DOLSTEN 

> Steve interviews UAE Ambassador to U.S. YOUSEF AL OTAIBA 

> Steve interviews Sen. CHRISTOPHER COONS (D-Del.) 

> Steve interviews Edelman Public Relations CEO RICHARD EDELMAN 

Watch all Coronavirus Report interviews here. 

YOUR WORLD, YOUR STORIES

SEND US YOUR OWN PICS – from your own walks or adventures – during this time of physical distancing but social connection. And SEND US YOUR STORIES of how teleworking is going, what you have learned from homeschooling, new ways to exercise, and special moments or standout heroism you want to share. What’s working for you? What’s comic in these dark days? 

Send to YourStories@TheHill.com. Our thoughts are with you, our readers, and we hope and trust that no matter the weight of burdens on you now — and it’s not a good story for everyone we know — that we all stand together, resilient and confident, on the other side of this. There will be another side.

CLICK HERE to subscribe to The Hill’s Coronavirus Report. To stay up-to-date on all things coronavirus, visit TheHill.com and SUBSCRIBE to our Overnight Healthcare newsletter for the latest developments from the daily White House coronavirus task force briefings.

VIEW ALL – CORONAVIRUS REPORT ARCHIVE