COVID-19 Small Business Resources
June 1-7, 2020
Little Rock’s COVID-19 meal program to expand, continue through summer
The meal program launched more than two months ago because of the COVID-19 crisis will expand and continue its operations throughout the summer, Little Rock city officials announced on Tuesday (May 26). To date, hundreds of thousands of meals have been provided to students, families, seniors, and other vulnerable communities across Central Arkansas. Beginning June 1, additional locations will serve as meal distribution sites through the summer.
Organizations partnering in this effort include Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Arkansas Foodbank, the Be Mighty campaign, Central Arkansas Library System, City of Little Rock, Clinton Foundation, Club Eco Kids, ECO Kids, Equal Heart, Fab 44, FEED First USA, Go Fresh, Little Rock School District, Pulaski County School District, Our House and World Central Kitchen.
An online map showing all distribution sites along with their days and times can be found at littlerock.gov/covid19 Members of the community can get involved and support the effort by signing up to volunteer at littlerock.gov/volunteer Those in need of transportation may use Rock Region Metro to reach many of the distribution locations. Find more information online at rrmetro.org Meals are grab-and-go to limit contact and congregating. Everyone is requested to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before picking up meals and to maintain a safe social distance of at least six feet between other people. Baptist Health Urgent Care offers two types of COVID-19 testing for individuals, employers Baptist Health Urgent Care now offers the antibody test to inform if a person has already had COVID-19, as well as testing for anyone who has active coronavirus symptoms. The tests are offered at all eight Baptist Health Urgent Care locations in Benton, Bryant, Cabot, Fort Smith, Jacksonville, Little Rock (two centers) and North Little Rock. “Baptist Health Urgent Care recognizes increased testing is imperative to our community members, as well as businesses,” said Tom Dent, Urgent Team’s CEO and Chairman. “We are dedicated to supporting our communities through this difficult time and providing clarity as to whether a person is currently infected or has been infected by coronavirus. This will help get the economy back on track and our citizens back to work.” Antibody/Serology Testing If a person does not have COVID-19 symptoms but is concerned he or she has previously had COVID-19, Baptist Health Urgent Care can perform a serology test, often called an antibody test. This test, done through a blood draw, checks for the antibodies that develop after exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. It is noted by healthcare professionals that antibody testing should not be the sole basis to diagnose or exclude infection. Results are available within 24 hours from the date the lab picks up the specimen. This test will assist in identifying patients with previous exposure to COVID-19 and who may have developed an immune response. This antibody typically shows up 7-10 days after symptoms. According to the test manufacturer, Diazyme, the test has a specificity rate of 98 percent, with a 91 percent sensitivity accuracy. PCR Testing If a person is currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, a nasal swab can be performed to indicate whether a person is currently positive. Testing is limited to people who are actively experiencing symptoms: fever, cough or shortness of breath; have had contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 or is awaiting test results; are at high risk due to underlying health issues, such as diabetes or a respiratory illness. The PCR (polymerise chain reaction) test can detect the genetic information of the virus, the RNA. This is present if the virus is in someone who is actively infected. The PCR test detects the presence of an antigen, rather than the presence of antibodies. By detecting viral RNA, which will be in the body before antibodies form or symptoms of the disease are present, the test can tell whether someone has the virus very early on. Results are available within 48 from the date the lab picks up the specimen. Both tests are offered as part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s notification Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) pathway that was outlined for COVID-19 diagnostic tests. Employers that want to test employees before returning to work, please contact your local Baptist Health Urgent Care center to discuss onsite testing. Individuals who want either type of test should call their local Baptist Health Urgent Care center. The PCR test will be taken either inside the center or inside the patient’s car, depending on conditions. Those who want the antibody test should just walk in, no appointment needed. Any patient who comes to a center for either test, must be evaluated by a provider to determine if testing is necessary. At present, most insurance plans cover the cost of these tests and treatment. Please check with your insurance plan. All Baptist Health Urgent Care’s locations will offer these two types of tests. For a full list of locations, visit BaptistHealthUrgentCare.net. U.S. Census Bureau releases Small Business Pulse Survey: Tracking Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic The Census Bureau today released the first results from its Small Business Pulse Survey on May 14. The results represent data collected between April 26 and May 2, 2020 and are available at www.census.gov/businesspulsedata. The experimental Small Business Pulse Survey (Business Pulse) measures the changes in business conditions on our nation’s small businesses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in near real time. Results will inform government response and recovery planning as well as help businesses make decisions. The Census Bureau, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, plans update the data every Thursday through July 9. The release includes national, state, and sector results. Business Pulse complements existing U.S. Census Bureau data collections by providing high-frequency, detailed information on small business-specific initiatives such as the Paycheck Protection Program. Results from the survey could provide useful information to policymakers as they seek to address some of the challenges faced by small businesses. In addition, the information may aid businesses in making decisions and assist researchers studying the impact and responses to COVID-19. To learn more, visit https://portal.census.gov/pulse/data/. NIH clinical trial shows Remdesivir accelerates recovery from advanced COVID-19 Hospitalized patients with advanced COVID-19 and lung involvement who received remdesivir recovered faster than similar patients who received placebo, according to a preliminary data analysis from a randomized, controlled trial involving 1063 patients, which began on Feb. 21. The trial (known as the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial, or ACTT), sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, is the first clinical trial launched in the United States to evaluate an experimental treatment for COVID-19. An independent data and safety monitoring board (DSMB) overseeing the trial met on April 27 to review data and shared their interim analysis with the study team. Based upon their review of the data, they noted that remdesivir was better than placebo from the perspective of the primary endpoint, time to recovery, a metric often used in influenza trials. Recovery in this study was defined as being well enough for hospital discharge or returning to normal activity level. Preliminary results indicate that patients who received remdesivir had a 31% faster time to recovery than those who received placebo (p<0.001). Specifically, the median time to recovery was 11 days for patients treated with remdesivir compared with 15 days for those who received placebo. Results also suggested a survival benefit, with a mortality rate of 8.0% for the group receiving remdesivir versus 11.6% for the placebo group (p=0.059). More detailed information about the trial results, including more comprehensive data, will be available in a forthcoming report. As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s commitment to expediting the development and availability of potential COVID-19 treatments, the agency has been engaged in sustained and ongoing discussions with Gilead Sciences regarding making remdesivir available to patients as quickly as possible, as appropriate. The trial closed to new enrollments on April 19. The first trial participant in the ACTT trial was an American who was repatriated after being quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that docked in Yokohama, Japan, and volunteered to participate in the study at the first study site, the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine, in February 2020. A total of 68 sites ultimately joined the study—47 in the United States and 21 in countries in Europe and Asia. Remdesivir, developed by Gilead Sciences Inc., is an investigational broad-spectrum antiviral treatment administered via daily infusion for 10 days. It has shown promise in animal models for treating SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) infection and has been examined in various clinical trials. More than 675 organizations in 67 counties received $1,000 COVID-19 mini-grants from Arkansas Community Foundation Two months after the creation of its COVID-19 Relief Fund to assist in pandemic relief, Arkansas Community Foundation has awarded $1,000 rapid response mini-grants to 678 organizations in 149 cities and towns located in 67 counties. “These mini-grants support immediate, essential community needs in human services, food, health, housing and education,” said Heather Larkin, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. “Recipients range from youth basketball leagues distributing food to hungry families to summer reading programs opening early, to the purchase of software that allows child abuse hotline staff to accept calls at home.” A list of the organizations who have received mini-grants is available at www.arcf.org/covid19. Community Foundation Phase Two Adaptation Grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 are now being processed and will be awarded by the end of May. These grants will continue to help organizations who are adapting their organizations to meet the ongoing needs of Arkansans affected by the pandemic and shore up critical systems like healthcare, education and food distribution. The total amount raised for the COVID-19 Relief Fund has topped $3.4 million, with donations coming from the Community Foundation, other Arkansas foundations, businesses and individuals. Called the Gratitude Report, a list of donors to the fund is available at www.arcf.org/covid19. “The response of the public to requests for donations has been amazing,” said Larkin. “Just as impressive has been the response of the Community Foundation staff, Board and volunteers who have faithfully reviewed grant applications every day since we started accepting applications. Our finance staff members have processed and mailed grant checks at a record pace.” The COVID-19 Relief Fund was created March 18, 2020. Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced the Community Foundation’s fund as a way for Arkansans to best help those in need during the pandemic. In addition, the Arkansas Republican and Democratic Parties jointly requested donations to the fund. Donations are still being accepted online at www.arcf.org/covid19 or by mailing a check to Arkansas Community Foundation, 5 Allied Drive, Suite 51110, Little Rock, AR 72202. All donations to this fund will be granted to Arkansas organizations working to serve the state’s most vulnerable populations and those disproportionately affected by the coronavirus and its economic fallout.
