Trump administration requests daily COVID-19 data from hospitals: 5 things to know

The Trump administration is requesting data on COVID-19 testing from hospitals across the nation as well as information on bed capacity and supplies.

Five things to know:

1. CMS sent a letter on behalf of Vice President Mike Pence requesting hospitals report COVID-19 testing data to HHS to enhance the administration's surveillance efforts of the coronavirus. The letter also asks hospitals to report bed capacity and supply data to the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network COVID-19 Patient Impact and Hospital Capacity Module to help the administration identify supply and bed capacity needs.

2. The data should be reported without personal identification information to protect patient privacy.

3. The White House Coronavirus Taskforce currently collects COVID-19 testing data from public health labs and private laboratory companies but doesn't have access to the thousands of tests performed each day at academic, university and in-house labs. The administration plans to use the data to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency and CDC COVID-19 response efforts.

4. Shared data from the hospital and university labs can help the federal and state government direct needed resources from FEMA and mitigate the effects of COVID-19, states the letter.

5. The administration is asking hospitals to report this data each day to help the administration monitor the spread of severe COVID-19 illness and death as well as the impact of COVID-19 on hospitals.

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