Coronavirus Briefing: Medical trials, the myth of hacks and the next Batman

More

Coronavirus Briefing: Medical trials, the myth of hacks and the next Batman Inbox x MPR and Haymarket Media <editor@email.empr.com> Unsubscribe May 14, 2020, 11:01 PM (13 hours ago) to me If you are having trouble viewing this email, click here.               CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING It’s only Thursday but this week in particular felt very long. Our black-hole ennui is no doubt a by-product of the conflicting chaotic directives coming at us daily: reopen/do not reopen, lift lockdowns/extend lockdowns, go back to work/stay home. Even the most independent among us, the type A personalities who demand control at all times, are seeking guidance. Today’s Coronavirus Briefing is 971 words and will take you five minutes to read. Top news Getty Images Half of all Americans believe it won’t be safe to gather with 10 or more people until midsummer; nearly one in four say it will not be safe until 2021 or later. Many cities have enacted phased approaches to reopening, but as the largest business district in the country, Manhattan faces a reckoning if working from home becomes the norm. Armed militia-style protesters are helping businesses across Texas defy lockdowns, citing their constitutional rights. Almost 3 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, pushing the two-month coronavirus job losses to 36 million. The World Health Organization warned that coronavirus may never go away. The Takeaway: Kids in school in history class studying the rise and fall of this terrible era can’t come soon enough.   Sponsored Content   Drugs and trials Getty Images The medical world agrees that tests, treatments and vaccines are paramount. It just has different ways of finding them. As the pandemic becomes the sole focus for nearly every major drug maker and government regulator, clinical trials have been suspended, sales reps benched and drug launches reevaluated. Medical Marketing & Media’s Alison Kanski takes a look at two pharma companies’ plans — one a major player, one smaller — for moving forward. Remdesivir, a drug made by biopharmaceutical company Gilead that has emerged as a potential COVID-19 treatment, was granted orphan drug status by the FDA. Loosely defined, the status is granted to drugs that treat a condition affecting fewer than 200,000 people and includes waived clinical trial requirements and years of market exclusivity. In early March, Gilead requested to rescind the orphan status, raising questions about the company’s plans to profit from the treatment. Alison Kanski reports for Medical Marketing & Media. A treatment regimen that includes remdesivir and the Janus kinase inhibitor baricitinib is being evaluated in adults hospitalized with COVID-19, reports Monthly Prescribing Reference. The primary point of the study is to assess recovery time, aka, when a patient no longer requires supplemental oxygen or ongoing medical care in hospital. Elsewhere in MPR, the FDA has cleared the initiation of a phase three trial evaluating INOpulse inhaled nitric oxide therapy in patients with COVID-19. Previous research suggested the use of nitric oxide could prevent viral replication, improve oxygenation, and halt the virus’ progression. Back in March, we wrote about veterinary hospitals donating their ventilators and respirator masks to hospitals. Today, a veterinary school diagnostic lab at Oklahoma State University is running more human coronavirus tests than any other lab in the state. A handful of other veterinary labs across the country are joining the cause, adding diagnostic capacity to a patchworked national testing effort beset by regulatory woes. The Takeaway: Doctors, nurses, scientists and veterinarians continue to be true soldiers in this “war.”   Guidelines and productivity Getty Images How to be productive, keep it together and shift from product selling to problem solving. The U.K. published its long-awaited guidance for employers looking to bring employees back into the workplace. People Management delves into the details of the government’s industry-specific guidelines, breaking down the stipulations employers need to be aware of. A long time ago, if you said you were overwhelmed with work, just so busy, it meant you weren’t successful enough to do nothing but drink martinis all day. Silicon Valley redefined being busy as proof of superiority — as in, everyone was blowing up your phone all the time because you were Very Important. More recently, non-FDA approved supplements and “productivity hacks” promise we can achieve more, in less time. But do we really need to get that much done and sleep so little or are we just getting a lot of meaningless fluff accomplished instead of focusing on the important things? In People Management U.K., Abigail Ireland, executive performance and business coach, examines the difference between being busy and being productive. Unsettling, overwhelming and intimidating are the terms Jim Joseph, global president of PR and communications firm BCW, used to define the vast uncertainties created by the pandemic. In this think piece for PRWeek U.S., Joseph asks brands how they can make people feel seen, protected, and understood, while highlighting the connections that are keeping us together. Claire Gillis, international CEO of marketing service holding company WPP’s health practice, writes in MM&M about our newfound love affair with science and scientists. In a world clouded by misinformation and politicization, people are turning to science for evidence-based answers. The Takeaway: “We’re letting the science lead us” has become something of a catchphrase, but also something of a Catch-22 for those who do not believe the evidence proffered.   Let us now pause We need a break. You need a break. Let’s take a break! This interview with Harry Bradbeer, who directed the fantastic TV show Fleabag, is filled with romance. This isolation profile of the new Batman Robert Pattinson is perfect in every possible way. What’s better than fantastic pop songs made between 1977 and 1983 you never knew existed? It’s time to (re)watch Girl Walk All Day. The Takeaway: That was truly necessary and we’re not ready to go back to work so…   Music Some cherry cola earworm songs with videos cribbed from movies to take you into the weekend. Jennifer Lopez, “I’m Glad” Arianne Grande, “thank u, next” Iggy Azalea, “Fancy” We’re not here tomorrow, so have a good one; we’ll see you Tuesday.