Did the coronavirus escape from a lab? Not likely, says the World Health Organization. I’m Jeff Lagasse with Healthcare Finance News, and we’ll touch on that and other developments as we examine this week’s Top Stories.
The introduction of the coronavirus through a laboratory incident is considered an "extremely unlikely pathway," for the origin of the virus, according to a recent report from the World Health Organization's joint international team. Healthcare Finance News reports (https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/spread-coronavirus-lab-extremely-unlikely-who-report-says) that much more likely pathways include transmission from an animal to a human or through the cold food chain. This finding is in direct conflict with earlier statements made by virologist and former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield, (https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/coronavirus-likely-escaped-wuhan-lab-says-former-cdc-director-robert-redfield) who said it didn’t make sense for an animal-borne virus to jump to humans so quickly and efficiently. The WHO report gives no definitive answer to the origin of the virus that has killed over 2.7 million people worldwide.
Speaking of the virus, this week Amazon secured emergency use authorization from the FDA for a COVID-19 test kit with at-home sample collection. We see in MoiHealthNews (https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/amazon-lands-eua-covid-19-test-home-sample-collection) that the product is cleared for self-sample collection by nasal swab for those 18 and and over, and can be used either under the supervision of a healthcare provider or unsupervised at home. The new technology will fit into Amazon's employee screening program, with employees automatically given voluntary testing appointments about every two weeks. In October, Amazon reported that almost 20,000 employees had tested positive for the virus.
Finally this week, a global survey of digital health and wellness practitioners found that although many leaders feel optimistic about the future of the industry, the overwhelming majority also perceive the sector to be relatively high-risk. According to HealthcareITNews, (https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/89-digital-health-leaders-perceive-industry-risky-says-report), the Beazley survey found that 89% feel they’re operating in a "moderate to high-risk environment,” with top concerns including misrepresentation by online advertising, cyber attacks and technology shortcomings.
I’m Jeff Lagasse with Healthcare Finance News, and this has been Top Stories.