Top U.S. Officials Defend Virus Response Despite Funding Issues

(Bloomberg) -- Federal health officials testifying before a House panel agreed that the Trump Administration’s response to the pandemic has been hampered by a lack of funding but insisted they’ve done the most they can within those confines.

“Within the context with what we have, what’s available to us, we’re doing everything we possibly can,” Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during the Friday hearing before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.

The officials, who also included Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, inventoried measures taken to improve testing and develop therapeutics and vaccines. But their remarks didn’t discuss what many health experts say is needed and the hearing was called to discuss: A national strategy to contain the coronavirus to replace the current state-by-state piecemeal effort.

The U.S. marked another grim milestone this week, with total fatalities from Covid-19 topping 150,000. More than four million Americans have been infected. A recent surge in cases in Sun Belt states has shown signs of moderating, though deaths have continued to rise, with Florida, Arizona and Texas posting records on Thursday.

Little new ground was broken during the questioning as the hearing bounced across multiple topics, many politically charged. Representative Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, challenged Fauci over protests over racial inequality.

Representative James Clyburn, the Democratic chairman of the panel, urged health officials to “prioritize science over politics,” distribute tests and provide clear guidance to Americans to stop the spread of the virus.

“It is clear that the administration’s approach of deferring to the states, sidelining the experts and rushing to reopen has prolonged this virus and led to thousands of preventable deaths,” Clyburn said. “We do not need to lose another 150,000 American lives. But if we don’t make drastic changes now, this tragic outcome is well within the realm of possibility.”

Representative Steve Scalise, the panel’s top Republican, said there is a national plan that’s already working.

“Let’s not forget the things that have already been done as part of this plan that have saved millions of lives,” Scalise said. “We mourn every loss but let’s also recognize the lives that would’ve been lost if you weren’t on the job carrying out President Trump’s plan to contain this.”

Testing Plans

President Donald Trump has defended his administration’s response and says the government is making progress. He said at a White House briefing on Thursday that “we know a great deal about the virus and how to treat it and who it targets.”

On testing, the officials outlined a framework for diagnosing and mitigating disease. They acknowledged limitations in supply that have handicapped capacity in many parts of the country, but said “federal leadership has guided efforts to combat these challenges in close collaboration with states, local jurisdictions, and the private sector.”

Evidence of improving test capacity, however, is mixed. While one major laboratory said this week that turnaround times had improved, another said the average time to produce results for non-priority patients remained seven days, on average.

Vaccine Work

Fauci highlighted the NIAID’s work on vaccines, including its long collaboration with Moderna Inc. that led to the start of the first U.S. final-stage trial of a candidate on Monday.

“We feel cautiously optimistic that we will have a vaccine by the end of this year and as we go into 2021,” Fauci said.

NIAID also plans to start a series of human studies to test antibodies against the virus. At least 21 companies are developing monoclonal antibodies against the disease, according to testimony.

“We have a lot of anticipation that this going to be something that is an important tool in the armamentarium to treat Covid-19 patients,” Fauci said. An armementarium refers to the medical resources available to practitioners.

CDC’s Redfield was asked about a new HHS requirement for hospitals to redirect Covid-19 data to the department rather than the the CDC. Redfield said earlier this month that CDC proposed the idea as a way to streamline the system. On Friday, he said that CDC wasn’t involved in the final decision.

“I was told once the secretary’s office made the decision that that was the decision,” he said.

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