COVID-19 UPDATE
5-21-2020
I n an effort to keep Delaware's medical community current on the latest information regarding the coronavirus crisis, the Medical Society of Delaware is sharing the following:
DPH Announces 192 New Positive Cases / Seven Additional Deaths

According to the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH)  192 new Delawareans have been diagnosed with COVID-19, taking the total number of lab-confirmed cases to  8,386, including  220 who are hospitalized,  39 of whom are critically ill.

Three hundred seventeen individuals have died due to COVID-19 in Delaware with ages ranging from 21 to 103 years old. A total of 144 individuals were from New Castle County, 55 were from Kent County, 117 were from Sussex County, and one individual’s county of residence is unknown at this time.

The most recent deaths ranged in age from 62 to 88. Six were New Castle County residents, and one was a Sussex County resident. All the individuals had underlying health conditions and six of the individuals were residents of long-term care facilities.

Latest statistics on positive cases:

  • New Castle County cases: 3,053
  • Kent County cases: 1,281
  • Sussex County cases: 4,006
  • Unknown County: 46
  • Age range: 0 to 103:
AstraZeneca Partners with HHS to Produce 300 Million Doses of Coronavirus Vaccine

The Trump administration announced it is partnering with drugmaker AstraZeneca for at least 300 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and committing up to $1.2 billion to the effort.

Through its partnership with AstraZeneca, the Department of Health and Human Services can provide up to $1.2 billion to speed up development and manufacturing of the coronavirus vaccine called AZD1222, with the first doses delivered as early as October, the health agency said. Read more.
AMA Sends Strong Message to
United States Senate

The U.S. House has taken the first step by passing its version of “phase four” coronavirus relief legislation. The American Medical Association (AMA) is urging the U.S Senate to now take critical steps to protect patient access to care by preserving the viability of physician practices. Recommended legislation includes:

  • Continue the expansion of and add flexibility for Medicare accelerated and advanced payments to give physicians greater ability to deal with the current crisis
  • Better address Medicare and Medicaid payment policy to account for the lack of positive updates to further assist America's doctors caring for patients during the pandemic
  • Include direct financial support to help sustain physician practices through the COVID-19 crisis including access to small business loans recently authorized by the Small Business Administration
  • Continue support for the expansion of telehealth by requiring ERISA group health plans to provide the same telehealth services being covered by Medicare
  • Increase support for resident physicians and students through federal loan forgiveness and tuition relief, including third and fourth year medical students
  • Institute broader liability protection for physicians and clinicians as they continue their front-line fight against COVID-19

Please consider contacting Delaware's senators today and tell them that their phase four coronavirus relief legislation must include the physician and patient protections outlined above. Read more.
Coronavirus Testing 101

With the constant stream of information regarding testing options for COVID-19, it is easy to be overwhelming by what types of tests there are and how they work. Bayhealth has put together an easy to understand and helpful explanation of the various types of tests, how they are administered, what they detect, and how they work. Read more.
Get Your Work Published in the
Delaware Medical Journal

The Medical Society of Delaware is actively looking for scientific and educational articles for publication in the Delaware Medical Journal. These articles can be case reports, clinical experiences, observations, and information on matters relevant to the practice of medicine. For more information contact Mary Fenimore at 302-521-7650 or email [email protected]. Read Instructions to Authors.
Interested in Being Interviewed by the Media?

The Medical Society of Delaware often receives requests from reporters looking to interview physicians on various health related topics. If you are interested in being considered, please email your name, specialty, and best contact information to [email protected] or call 302-521-7650.
For more information and resources regarding COVID-19, MSD has created a coronavirus resource page on our website.  View resource page .   
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