- Telemedicine takes off in Southern Nevada with rise of COVID-19 (reviewjournal.com)
Within the last month or so, more Las Vegas Valley medical offices have started offering telemedicine appointments in response to the COVID-19 outbreak — part of a nationwide trend that has seen an explosion in use of the technology. A big selling point is that many patients are uneasy about going to a doctor’s office because of the risk of getting infected or infecting others…Some doctors and telemedicine experts say the COVID-19 outbreak is spurring more acceptance of telemedicine — a change that could have a long-lasting impact on the nation’s health care system… Telemedicine took off in Nevada after Gov. Steve Sisolak’s stay-at-home order and social distancing guidelines, cardiologist Dr. Jeffrey Levisman said. “It’s an attempt to continue to provide medical care, especially for patients who are sick and elderly who are at a higher risk of getting the virus and (experiencing) a bad outcome.”…READ MORE
- State lab has plenty of capacity to test under status quo, not for widespread ‘surveillance;’ antibody tests coming soon (thenevadaindependent.com)
Though the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory has enough resources to continue testing at current levels, its capacity remains well below the level needed to conduct widespread disease surveillance to keep the spread of the novel coronavirus under control as governments begin easing restrictions on citizens, lab director Dr. Mark Pandori said...the lab is planning to bring additional equipment online in mid-May that could allow the lab to quadruple its current ability to test...“If we were to quadruple our throughput here at this lab and several other labs then we would be approaching a moment when we could start to screen well beyond just contacts of known cases and symptomatic people,” Pandori said...READ MORE
- Federal government approves Nevada’s request for major disaster declaration, allowing access to additional resources (thenevadaindependent.com)Sisolak: More PPE, tests needed to combat COVID-19, state may need stricter enforcement of social distancing (thenevadaindependent.com)
Nevada’s request for a major disaster declaration, opening up additional paths for federal assistance under the national emergency proclamation, has been approved, Gov. Steve Sisolak announced Saturday afternoon...The declaration, which was requested by the state on Tuesday, will allow federal dollars to flow to Nevada to support Carson City and local governments’ ongoing responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal funding is expected to be made available to governmental agencies and certain private nonprofit organizations for emergency protective measures...READ MORE
- Q+A: DR. BRIAN LABUS: UNLV expert advises community on how to react to and prepare for coronavirus (lasvegassun.com)
The World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic last week, with more than 120,000 cases around the world. As new coronavirus cases spread around the globe, questions surrounding this new virus grow exponentially as well...We asked Dr. Brian Labus of the UNLV School of Public Health questions about what you should know about the virus and how you should prepare for it...READ MORE
- Where do coronaviruses come from and how do they spread?
- Can the coronavirus spread through animal products imported overseas?
- Should I be worried about my pets contracting the virus?
- Who is most vulnerable to the virus?
- Should I avoid the Strip or other heavily populated areas in Las Vegas?
- Why do health experts advise people not to stock up on masks?
- Who is qualified to get tested?
- Why are we so limited in our capacity to test for the virus?
- Do you think we’ll see cases slow down as the weather warms up?
- Should I cancel my vacation plans?
- If I am flying, how can I protect myself from getting infected?
- How likely is it that a city like Las Vegas could go into lockdown?
- How prepared do you think Clark County is to handle a pandemic?
- How does the response to COVID-19 compare with other past global pandemics, such as H1N1 in 2009?
- Do you think social media has played a role in how most of the public has responded to the illness?
- What lessons can we use from global pandemics that have happened in history?
- What else can I do to protect myself?
- Should I still get my flu shot?
- Is there any estimate on when this will all be over?
- Do you think U.S. response (i.e. canceling travel, public sporting events) is appropriate? Is it over the top or should we be doing more?
- Do we know how long the virus can live on a surface?
- Is there anything you think is missing from the overall public discourse on COVID-19 you'd like to note?
- Las Vegas hospital blazes own path with malaria drug to treat COVID-19 (reviewjournal.com)
University Medical Center…began prescribing hydroxychloroquine to high-risk emergency room patients who test positive for COVID-19 but do not require immediate hospitalization…In doing so, UMC became the first Las Vegas-area hospital to dispense it on an outpatient basis, taking a cutting-edge position nationally in the use of the controversial experimental drug… Dr. Thomas Zyniewicz, an emergency medicine physician at UMC, said the drug, which is frequently used to treat malaria and autoimmune diseases, has shown promising results in thwarting the progression of COVID-19… Dr. Thomas Zyniewicz, an emergency medicine physician at UMC, said the drug, which is frequently used to treat malaria and autoimmune diseases, has shown promising results in thwarting the progression of COVID-19…READ MORE
- Data shows Southern Nevada hospitals using higher percentage of beds, ventilators than rural, northern counterparts (thenevadaindependent.com)
Hospitals in Nevada are still not near their maximum capacity as the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus grow, though Southern Nevada hospitals appear to be experiencing the most strain so far, according to a Nevada Hospital Association report shared with government officials...The data...shows that Southern Nevada hospitals have a higher percentage of occupied beds, occupied ICU beds and ventilators in use than their counterparts in northern and rural Nevada. In Southern Nevada, 65 percent of hospital beds are occupied, 79 percent of ICU beds are occupied and 56 percent of ventilators are in use, compared to 57 percent occupied beds, 43 percent occupied ICU beds and 30 percent of ventilators in use in Washoe County...READ MORE
- Sisolak signs restriction order for 2 drugs (reviewjournal.com)Emergency regulation on prescribing and dispensing chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine during COVID 19 pandemic (bop.nv.gov)UPDATE: Gov. Sisolak tries to prevent 'drug hoarding' in new emergency regulation (ktnv.com)Nevada Governor Bars Gatherings of More Than 10 People (usnews.com)
Gov. Steve Sisolak has signed an emergency measure to safeguard the threatened supply of two drugs being hoarded for possible use in the treatment of COVID-19...The governor signed the emergency regulation Tuesday on the recommendation of the state Board of Pharmacy...The drugs, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, are used to treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis and are being studied by the Food and Drug Administration for possible use in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19...The governor’s order prohibits the prescribing and dispensing chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for a COVID-19 diagnosis, requires the appropriate prescription coding for their “legitimate medical purposes” and limits prescriptions to a 30-day supply...The order doesn’t limit use of the drugs in hospitals, only in outpatient settings where hoarding is evident, the governor’s office stressed. Doctors may continue to prescribe them to hospitalized COVID-19 patients at their discretion...READ MORE
- Data show rapid spread of COVID-19 in Nevada nursing homes (reviewjournal.com)Facilities with Reported Covid-19 Cases (app.powerbigov.us)
Institutional living facilities that serve seniors and others at higher risk of the most serious infections, as well as prisons, where it is difficult to adhere to social distancing guidelines, have been hard hit by the easily spread virus...HHS analysts, compliance officers and epidemiologists are attempting to use the data “to identify, control and contain the spread of COVID-19 among our most vulnerable residents living within skilled nursing and assisted living facilities,” according to a news release from the state’s COVID-19 response team...According to initial data state investigators are compiling, poor hand hygiene has emerged as the No. 1 factor in the spread of COVID-19 in skilled-nursing homes and similar communal care facilities in Nevada...READ MORE
- State working to fix Nevada’s coronavirus test supply shortage (reviewjournal.com)
Nevada’s northern and southern labs are out of coronavirus testing swabs, but officials expect to get more kits this week, including rapid-result test kits, Gov. Steve Sisolak said Monday...At a coronavirus briefing, Sisolak said the state has received 4,000 test swabs from the federal government and 3,000 reagent liquid kits that are used to test the samples...Sisolak said that while federal officials provided test components, “we did not get complete kits.”...State health workers continue to struggle to find enough kits to fill growing patient demands, and some clinics have shut down temporarily in Las Vegas as they wait for new supplies...READ MORE
- Ex-MGM Resorts CEO Jim Murren to lead Nevada coronavirus task force (msn.com)
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced Sunday afternoon a statewide task force to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19...The task force will be led by Jim Murren, former CEO of MGM Resorts International...to focus "immediately marshalling and organizing all of Nevada’s private sector resources in support of the local and State Government’s already robust efforts to tackle COVID-19."...READ MORE