2nd virus patient IDed; extent, duration of airport screening to be ‘re-evaluated’

The two U.S. residents who have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus had both traveled to Wuhan City, China, and arrived in the United States this month with no symptoms.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that it has investigated at least 63 U.S. residents in 22 states for the virus. Eleven of those individuals tested negative. One man in Washington state and a woman in her 60s in Chicago have both been diagnosed with the respiratory virus. Officials said the woman, who returned from Wuhan on Jan. 13, is in stable condition but remains hospitalized, primarily for infection control.
Health officials in Chicago said the woman had not used public transportation or attended major events once back in the city. Her “close contacts” are being monitored.
As of Jan. 24, officials have screened more than 2,000 people from about 200 flights in the active entry screening program under way at five U.S. airports. No cases were identified as part of the program.
“We first began entry screening with a very clear focus on the epidemic center, that we would continue to evaluate and balance the utility of a border entry screening based on the totality of the circumstances,” a CDC official said. “Circumstances have clearly changed…The concentration of resources and efforts needs to be focused on the tremendous work that our state and local partners are doing to rapidly identify cases and contacts.”
They also said they are “re-evaluating” the extent and duration of airport screening.

China has halted flights out of Wuhan, quarantined the city, and canceled major Lunar New Year celebrations. Travel history and symptoms, including fever and coughing, are the primary reasons why individuals should contact a health care provider if they are concerned about an infection.
Here’s what we know about the virus: Health officials said Friday that the incubation period for the new coronavirus is about 14 days. The incubation periods for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), both coronaviruses, are 2 to 7 days and about 5 days, respectively, according to the CDC. There are at least 881 confirmed cases and 26 deaths of the new virus, according to China Central Television, as cited by The Wall Street Journal.
Raymond James’ Chris Meekins wrote in a research note that it is likely that there are 10 times the number of cases and deaths that have been publicly reported by China. “We doubt it will become a major issue in the U.S.,” he wrote. “We suspect more cases will show up in the U.S. and a death is possible, though unlikely.” The World Health Organization has not called the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern although it met twice this week to discuss whether to do so.
Here’s how the CDC is testing for the virus: If a potential patient is identified, respiratory samples and sometimes blood are sent to the CDC in Atlanta. Once the sample is prepared, the test takes four to six hours. “Part of the delay is the sample getting to CDC,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a call with reporters.
Here’s how medical stocks are responding: A handful of vaccine developers and diagnostics firms have seen their shares soar, and some have used the rallies to raise money. It’s common for stocks of biotechnology firms and diagnostics makers to jump during disease outbreaks, Meekins said.
Co-Diagnostics Inc. CODX, -20.94%  on Friday said it had sold 3,448,278 shares of its common stock the day after it announced it is working on a screening test for the coronavirus. Its stock was down 18% in trading on Friday. Also, this week, Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. INO, +15.63%  and Moderna Inc. MRNA, -0.75%  separately said they had received grants from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to develop a vaccine. Earlier this week, J.P. Morgan analysts wrote that “a positive bias is appropriate on pharma stocks broadly and makers of diagnostic kits and protective equipment (like gloves).”
The S&P 500 SPX, -0.67%  has gained 10% over the last three months, while the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund XLV, -1.42%  is up about 12%.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/second-coronavirus-patient-identified-extent-and-duration-of-airport-screening-to-be-re-evaluated-2020-01-24?siteid=rss&rss=1

EHealth stock jumps after company outlook tops expectations

EHealth Inc. EHTH, +27.67% shares rose more than 15% in the extended session Thursday after online health insurance marketplace said it expects better-than-forecast fourth-quarter results when it reports in February. EHealth said it expects a GAAP profit between $53 million and $55 million, and quarterly revenue between $257.5 million to $259.5 million. Analysts polled by FactSet expect GAAP earnings of $2 a share on sales of $192 million. EHealth saw “record consumer demand to the eHealth platform allowing us to grow fourth-quarter approved Medicare members in excess of 85%,” Chief Executive Scott Flanders said in a statement. “We remain excited about the Medicare market opportunity and significant growth potential ahead of us and are looking forward to sharing our outlook for 2020 as part of our fourth quarter earnings release next month.” Shares of EHealth ended the regular trading day down 2.5%.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ehealth-stock-jumps-15-after-company-outlook-tops-expectations-2020-01-23

Intuitive Surgical down 4% after Q4 repor

Sell-side analysts weigh in after Intuitive Surgical (ISRG -4.1%) reported Q4 and 2019 results after the close yesterday.

Evercore ISI’s Vijay Kumar (Neutral): Gross margin guide for this year (will “fluctuate” according to CFO Marshall Mohr, 70 – 71% versus 72.2% last quarter) implicitly assuming geographical skew towards U.S. Price target cut to $595 from $600.

SVB Leerink’s Richard Newitter (Outperform/$670): Guidance “probably conservative” leaving room for share appreciation.

Cantor Fitzgerald’s Craig Bijou (Overweight/$690): Continued investment in imaging and analytics capability could slow EPS growth, but fundamentals remain strong.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3534386-intuitive-surgical-down-4-after-q4-report

Key events next week – healthcare

Noteworthy events during the week of January 26 – February 1 for healthcare investors.

MONDAY (1/27): European Medicines Agency advisory group CHMP monthly agenda due.

TUESDAY (1/28): ASM Biothreats Conference, Arlington, VA (3 days). Tonix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TNXP): Preclinical data on synthetic chimeric horsepox virus vaccine.

PARP and DDR Inhibitors Summit, Boston (3 days).

Annovis Bio (ANVS): IPO expected to price.

WEDNESDAY (1/29): Tabula Rasa HealthCare (NASDAQ:TRHC): Investor & Analyst Day, NYC.

Black Diamond Therapeutics (BDTX): IPO expected to price.

Avadim Health (AHI): IPO expected to price.

BioCardia (OTCQB:BCDA): IPO lockup expires.

THURSDAY (1/30): T-cell Lymphoma Forum, La Jolla, CA (3 days).

1Life Healthcare (ONEM): IPO expected to price.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics (ARQT): IPO expected to price.

FRIDAY (1/31): Approximate FDA action date for Aimmune Therapeutics‘ (NASDAQ:AIMT) Palforzia (AR101) for peanut allergy.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3534323-key-events-next-week-healthcare

Parties unite over Taiwan’s exclusion from WHO anti-virus planning

Taiwan’s exclusion from World Health Organization meetings on the coronavirus outbreak has united the island’s political parties, who normally agree on little, especially to do with China.

Taiwan is not a member of the WHO due to the objection of China, which considers it a Chinese province with no right to participate in international organizations as a separate entity.
Taiwan was not allowed to participate in an emergency WHO meeting on Wednesday about the new virus, which has killed at least 25 people since originating in the Chinese city of Wuhan last month.
Taiwan has reported three cases, two of which it only confirmed on Friday – a Chinese tourist and a Taiwanese businessman who had returned to the island from China.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, re-elected by a landslide this month on a platform of standing up to China, this week called on the WHO to set aside political considerations and grant it full access to virus updates.
“Taiwan is at the forefront of global epidemic prevention. There needs to be room at the WHO for Taiwan’s participation,” she told reporters.
Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang, which favors close ties with China, expressed its anger saying that epidemic prevention should know no boundaries.
“Please could the WHO cast aside political considerations. If Taiwan is alone in being left out of epidemic prevention work it will leave a gap, and is not beneficial to promoting epidemic prevention work around the world,” it said in a statement.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, a doctor by training who is no friend of either Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party nor the Kuomintang, added his voice of disapproval.
“In recent years, Taiwan has been placed outside the world’s epidemic prevention system, and has no way of getting first hand information. This is a problem,” said Ko, whose Taiwan People’s Party won its first parliamentary seats this month.
China says such concerns are nonsense. China’s foreign ministry said this week nobody cares more about Taiwan’s people than China’s central government.
Taiwan’s Centres for Disease Control also say they have smooth channels with China, though it has also complained about its inability to get first hand information from the WHO.

Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO emergencies programme, told a news conference in Geneva on Thursday they work closely with technical partners in what he termed “China, Taiwan”.
“And I believe the authorities in Taiwan are working very closely with China in the mainland and I believe there have been joint missions and joint approaches to the response,” he said.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-taiwan/parties-unite-over-taiwans-exclusion-from-who-anti-virus-planning-idUSKBN1ZN0QG

Neovasc up on advancement of new valve

Nano cap Neovasc (NASDAQ:NVCN) is up 6% premarket on increased volume in reaction to its announcement that it has finalized the design concept for a fully retrievable transfemoral trans-septal Tiara heart valve that includes a lower profile and steerable delivery system.

Development will now proceed into a design freeze phase review.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3534356-neovasc-up-6-premarket-on-advancement-of-new-valve

High-tech robot doctor treats first US coronavirus patient

The first US patient to contract the deadly coronavirus is being treated by a robot doctor in a tiny secured room to reduce the risk of the disease spreading, according to a report.
Decked out with a stethoscope, camera and microphone, the cutting-edge automaton has been tending to the 30-something man in a 20-by-20-foot “isopod” at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Wash., a hospital chief told The Guardian.
The unnamed patient — who recently returned from a trip to central China — was picked up at his home, taken to the hospital by ambulance and placed in the closed isolation unit Monday, according to Dr. George Diaz, chief of infectious diseases.
Once the room was secured, Diaz said he sat outside the window to operate the futuristic physician in order to avoid coming in contact with the disease.
The patient, who is in “satisfactory condition,” was allowed to move around inside the pod once it was secured, Diaz said.
It’s the first time the medical center has admitted someone into its special pathogens unit, which was built in 2015 as a response to the Ebola virus.
“The wheels were greased enough that it wasn’t hard to get the process rolling to activate all the procedures that we had put in place,” Diaz said. “Every few weeks [we’re] doing drills and training like you would for an earthquake or fire drill or something like that, and so you’re always trying to maintain a state of readiness.
The virus, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan, in Hubei province, has killed at least 17 people in China and infected hundreds more.

The World Health Organization has been considering declaring a public health emergency but CDC officials say the risk of contracting the disease in the US is low.
https://nypost.com/2020/01/23/high-tech-robot-doctor-treats-first-us-coronavirus-patient/