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| White House Enlists Military to Import Swabs for Coronavirus Tests | White House Enlists Military to Import Swabs for Coronavirus Tests |
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| WASHINGTON — Faced with steep shortages of medical supplies to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the White House is scrambling to coordinate with the private sector to import and manufacture testing swabs, face masks and hand sanitizer. | WASHINGTON — Faced with steep shortages of medical supplies to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the White House is scrambling to coordinate with the private sector to import and manufacture testing swabs, face masks and hand sanitizer. |
| A lack of nasal swabs has been a pressing obstacle as the United States tries to accelerate testing for the coronavirus and gain a clearer view about the extent of the spread of the virus. Supply chains fractured by travel restrictions have hampered efforts to get crucial supplies, creating the need for the military to intervene even before President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act, which gives the federal government the power to force companies to make products for national security reasons. | A lack of nasal swabs has been a pressing obstacle as the United States tries to accelerate testing for the coronavirus and gain a clearer view about the extent of the spread of the virus. Supply chains fractured by travel restrictions have hampered efforts to get crucial supplies, creating the need for the military to intervene even before President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act, which gives the federal government the power to force companies to make products for national security reasons. |
| Mr. Trump has so far held back from prompting such an intervention, declaring at a news conference on Thursday that “the federal government’s not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping,” and adding, “You know, we’re not a shipping clerk.” | Mr. Trump has so far held back from prompting such an intervention, declaring at a news conference on Thursday that “the federal government’s not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping,” and adding, “You know, we’re not a shipping clerk.” |
| But this week, the White House did get into the shipping business, when the Defense Department sent a C-17 cargo aircraft to an air base in Italy to procure 800,000 swabs from Copan, a medical device manufacturer, and take them to Memphis. | But this week, the White House did get into the shipping business, when the Defense Department sent a C-17 cargo aircraft to an air base in Italy to procure 800,000 swabs from Copan, a medical device manufacturer, and take them to Memphis. |
| Because of the urgency of the situation, the White House personally asked the chief executive of FedEx, Frederick Smith, to offer the use of its airplanes to distribute the swabs, which arrived on Tuesday, to labs and testing centers in California, North Carolina, Ohio and New Jersey. | Because of the urgency of the situation, the White House personally asked the chief executive of FedEx, Frederick Smith, to offer the use of its airplanes to distribute the swabs, which arrived on Tuesday, to labs and testing centers in California, North Carolina, Ohio and New Jersey. |
| Peter Navarro, Mr. Trump’s trade adviser who has been increasingly focused on alleviating supply chain bottlenecks as quickly as possible, has been helping coordinate the multiagency effort to procure the swabs. | Peter Navarro, Mr. Trump’s trade adviser who has been increasingly focused on alleviating supply chain bottlenecks as quickly as possible, has been helping coordinate the multiagency effort to procure the swabs. |
| “You can do it in this case by expediting transportation,” Mr. Navarro, who put in the call to Mr. Smith, said in an interview. “You can do it by increasing domestic production by quickly opening new factories and you can do it by converting domestic facilities to alternative production like they did in World War II.” | “You can do it in this case by expediting transportation,” Mr. Navarro, who put in the call to Mr. Smith, said in an interview. “You can do it by increasing domestic production by quickly opening new factories and you can do it by converting domestic facilities to alternative production like they did in World War II.” |
| After a sluggish initial response to the coronavirus, the Trump administration is trying to leverage its relationships with corporate America to rapidly mobilize supplies such as swabs — a key component of test kits — face masks and hand sanitizer. The Trump administration has also been talking to car manufacturers that have suspended operations about using their facilities to build ventilators. | After a sluggish initial response to the coronavirus, the Trump administration is trying to leverage its relationships with corporate America to rapidly mobilize supplies such as swabs — a key component of test kits — face masks and hand sanitizer. The Trump administration has also been talking to car manufacturers that have suspended operations about using their facilities to build ventilators. |
| Another shipment of swabs from Italy is expected to land in the United States on Friday and the Trump administration hopes to run three such missions a week for the next month, obtaining 1.5 million swabs a week. | Another shipment of swabs from Italy is expected to land in the United States on Friday and the Trump administration hopes to run three such missions a week for the next month, obtaining 1.5 million swabs a week. |
| The White House contacted FedEx about the mission because its shipping hub in Tennessee can reach every part of the country. | The White House contacted FedEx about the mission because its shipping hub in Tennessee can reach every part of the country. |
| Richard Smith, the executive vice president of FedEx Express and the son of the company’s chief executive, said that FedEx helped manage the logistics of repackaging and labeling the swabs to prepare them for distribution. He said that the cost of coronavirus shipments was being covered by the federal government and the company’s charitable funds. | Richard Smith, the executive vice president of FedEx Express and the son of the company’s chief executive, said that FedEx helped manage the logistics of repackaging and labeling the swabs to prepare them for distribution. He said that the cost of coronavirus shipments was being covered by the federal government and the company’s charitable funds. |
| “What we’re focused on is expediency and stepping up to do whatever is needed to get these test kits out,” Mr. Smith said. | “What we’re focused on is expediency and stepping up to do whatever is needed to get these test kits out,” Mr. Smith said. |
| Norman Sharples, the chief executive of Copan’s American subsidiary, said that its plant in Italy had doubled its weekly shifts to keep up with soaring demand for testing swabs. | Norman Sharples, the chief executive of Copan’s American subsidiary, said that its plant in Italy had doubled its weekly shifts to keep up with soaring demand for testing swabs. |
| “You’ve got an expansion in demand and an expansion of people testing,” Mr. Sharples said. “So we’ve increased our output.” | “You’ve got an expansion in demand and an expansion of people testing,” Mr. Sharples said. “So we’ve increased our output.” |
| Working to facilitate imports is a change for Mr. Navarro, a China hawk who is among the biggest protectionists in the Trump administration. Since a trade truce was reached in January, he shifted his focus from ratcheting up tariffs on Chinese goods to policing counterfeit products shipped from China. In recent weeks he has been working on a “Buy American” executive order that would reduce the United States’ reliance on foreign countries for pharmaceutical production. | Working to facilitate imports is a change for Mr. Navarro, a China hawk who is among the biggest protectionists in the Trump administration. Since a trade truce was reached in January, he shifted his focus from ratcheting up tariffs on Chinese goods to policing counterfeit products shipped from China. In recent weeks he has been working on a “Buy American” executive order that would reduce the United States’ reliance on foreign countries for pharmaceutical production. |
| The executive order, which has not yet been formally presented to the president, has rankled some of the free traders in the administration who believe that supply chains must remain as open as possible as a pandemic shuts off parts of the global economy. | The executive order, which has not yet been formally presented to the president, has rankled some of the free traders in the administration who believe that supply chains must remain as open as possible as a pandemic shuts off parts of the global economy. |
| Updated June 22, 2020 | |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| In the meantime, Mr. Navarro, who oversees the White House’s Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, said that he had been trying to work across government agencies to cut red tape to make medical products available. | |
| The White House has also been coordinating with the American division of Pernod Ricard, the French spirits company, so that its facilities in the United States can be used to make hand sanitizer. The company said that it would produce and bottle more than 5,000 gallons of sanitizer in the next two weeks at facilities in West Virginia and Arkansas and that it was considering doing so in Kentucky and Texas next month. | The White House has also been coordinating with the American division of Pernod Ricard, the French spirits company, so that its facilities in the United States can be used to make hand sanitizer. The company said that it would produce and bottle more than 5,000 gallons of sanitizer in the next two weeks at facilities in West Virginia and Arkansas and that it was considering doing so in Kentucky and Texas next month. |
| Ann Mukherjee, the chief executive of Pernod Ricard’s business in North America, said that the White House helped the company get regulatory approval to make hand sanitizer and sell over the counter products within just 48 hours and that it was working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to distribute the bottles where they were most needed. | Ann Mukherjee, the chief executive of Pernod Ricard’s business in North America, said that the White House helped the company get regulatory approval to make hand sanitizer and sell over the counter products within just 48 hours and that it was working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to distribute the bottles where they were most needed. |
| Mr. Navarro said that he also helped Honeywell get regulatory approval last week to set up a manufacturing facility in Rhode Island where it can ramp up production of the N95 face masks that have been widely used by hospital workers helping patients with the coronavirus. Honeywell did not immediately respond to a request for comment. | Mr. Navarro said that he also helped Honeywell get regulatory approval last week to set up a manufacturing facility in Rhode Island where it can ramp up production of the N95 face masks that have been widely used by hospital workers helping patients with the coronavirus. Honeywell did not immediately respond to a request for comment. |
| Thomas Bollyky, the director of the global health program at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that the United States produces only 800,000 to one million swabs a week, making imports critical as demand for virus testing surges. He noted, however, that the United States might have to bolster its domestic production if European countries moved ahead with export restrictions on scarce medical products. | Thomas Bollyky, the director of the global health program at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that the United States produces only 800,000 to one million swabs a week, making imports critical as demand for virus testing surges. He noted, however, that the United States might have to bolster its domestic production if European countries moved ahead with export restrictions on scarce medical products. |
| “We are going to see a need for a dramatic ramp up in testing,” Mr. Bollyky said. “That is going to have to broaden beyond the current producers of these swabs to the United States.” | “We are going to see a need for a dramatic ramp up in testing,” Mr. Bollyky said. “That is going to have to broaden beyond the current producers of these swabs to the United States.” |
| Mr. Navarro, who has been the biggest proponent of tariffs in the Trump administration, concurred that eventually such products would need to be made in the United States. | Mr. Navarro, who has been the biggest proponent of tariffs in the Trump administration, concurred that eventually such products would need to be made in the United States. |
| “Over time, what you need to do is bring the production and supply chains home, and we’re working on that as well,” he said. | “Over time, what you need to do is bring the production and supply chains home, and we’re working on that as well,” he said. |