Researchers Work To Develop COVID-19 Treatments, Vaccines; Experts Discuss Disease Severity, Mortality Among Various Populations

AFP: Coronavirus drugs: Who’s doing what, and when they might come
“Pharmaceuticals and research labs across the world are racing to find vaccines and treatments for the new coronavirus, using a variety of different technologies…” (3/16).

Becker’s Hospital Review: 41% of adults at risk for severe coronavirus illness, KFF finds
“About 4 in 10 U.S. adults are at risk of severe illness if they contract COVID-19 due to their age or underlying health issues, according to an analysis from Kaiser Family Foundation. KFF analyzed data from the CDC’s 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to estimate the total number of U.S. adults and their relative risk of serious illness by state. Based on the CDC’s definition, KFF defined high-risk individuals as adults age 60 or older and younger adults with heart disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or diabetes…” (Bean, 3/16).

The Hill: More than 50 percent of most severe coronavirus patients in France are under age 60
“More than half of novel coronavirus patients in intensive care in France are younger than the age of 60, according to the country’s top health official. CNN reports Jerome Salomon, the director general for health, announced the statistics Saturday night as the country saw a jump in new virus cases. … Salomon did not specify the age range of those younger than 60 in intensive care…” (Guzman, 3/16).

Additional coverage of research efforts to develop COVID-19 treatments and vaccines, as well as information on disease severity and mortality, is available from CNBC, Devex, Reuters, and STAT (2).

The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.

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