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Key Points
Updated: August 28, 2020
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In today’s Recommendations for Industry, as the weekend approaches, we are continuing to see increases in cases around the world, so we are once again reiterating our advice: Stay the course. This also relates to testing. Read more here.
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The FDA has authorized the first diagnostic test that can be read directly from a testing card. The EUA was issued to Abbott for its BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card. [News Release].
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While the company plans to ship tests in September, Dr. Michael Osterholm (director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy) warned that while Abbott boasts that its tests pick up 97% of positive cases, the entire sensitivity sample was only conducted from 102 samples (of which 35 were positive).
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This test “might be used as a surveillance test”; however, it will require further study. Read Dr. Osterholm’s thoughts on CIDRAP here.
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The FDA is warning customers (and production facilities) to be vigilant of “alcohol-based hand sanitizers that are being packaged in containers that may appear as food or drinks and may put consumers at risk of serious injury or death if ingested.” [FDA News Release]
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Global cases of COVID-19 have topped 24 million.
Recommendations for Industry
"Only if we end the pandemic everywhere can we end the pandemic anywhere"
As TAG continues to keep a sharp eye on COVID cases, not only in the U.S., but also around the world, we are seeing that global COVID-19 risk is still high. As shown on the Our World in Data’s map, cases are continuing to climb – or are resurging – in many parts of the world, including areas of Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Given the lack of stability, variability within countries, and disruptions that COVID-19 can cause, supply chain risk control continues to be paramount. Supply chain risk control must remain a critical focus for food safety efforts throughout the industry.
In addition to monitoring and controlling your supply chain, TAG’s best recommendation is that which we have regularly repeated: Stay the Course! Keep doing what you are doing to protect your workers and your business, including increased and consistent communications with employees and customers.
Along those same lines, TAG has received many questions about the new CDC COVID testing guidelines which we discussed in Wednesday’s COVID-19 newsletter. While the CDC has reduced its considerations for testing to only those with symptoms, close contact, or physician referral, TAG’s recommendation (in this case) is to keep doing what you’ve been doing: If whatever you’re doing is working, don’t change it. Stay the course. Ensure you are doing whatever you can to help reduce spread within your business and your community.
One of the best quotes we’ve seen can be found on the map page of Our World in Data: “Only if we end the pandemic everywhere can we end the pandemic anywhere.” Are you doing your part?
Outbreak Updates
As of August 28, 2020 (10:12 ET), there are over 24,495,000 cases (>832,000 deaths) worldwide.
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Due to the increasing number of cases in the United States, TAG will move from reporting counts per country to focus on the United States, please see here for the data. For further information regarding worldwide numbers, please refer to John Hopkin University’s aggregate map.
Keep up to date with COVID-19:
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