While you, loyal reader, look forward to a beautiful new everlasting Friday Breeze author to start out breezing, welcome to this week’s rundown delivered to you from St. Louis by me, Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber.
I’m sadly right here to tell you the information is … nonetheless dangerous. So dangerous, in truth, that “doomscrolling” — the act of not with the ability to escape your smartphone feed of distress — was examined by The New York Times.
And that’s as a result of all it is advisable to know in regards to the present state of the coronavirus could be aptly summed up in famend infectious illness reporter Helen Branswell’s newest piece for Stat, titled “How to Fix the Covid-19 Dumpster Fire in the U.S.”
The Week’s Latest
But to be extra exact: New coronavirus instances within the U.S. shattered a single-day file with over 75,000 Thursday. That variety of day by day instances has greater than doubled since June 24. Deaths from COVID-19 are rising yet again whereas sizzling spots throughout the Sun Belt proceed to flare. The Center for Public Integrity uncovered an unreleased federal doc saying 18 states are within the “red zone” for COVID-19 cases and may contemplate stricter protecting measures.
And as outbreaks pressure lab capability nationwide, some individuals are ready seven or more days to get test results, hobbling potential containment responses. Now, the CDC is urging individuals to not be retested.
Masks, Schools and Tony Fauci
Mass masks confusion continued to drive the week, with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp suing Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms over her necessary masks order. Later, he urged all citizens to wear masks for 4 weeks — however stated he wouldn’t assist a mandate. Meanwhile, Georgia hospital staff are sounding the alarm and trying to send patients out of state as hospitals replenish. Across the nation, more than half of states have issued necessary masks orders right now. And this detailed map of simply who’s carrying masks within the U.S. is value your time.
The sharp divide over back-to-school plans for these in public and private school got here into focus (personal colleges have the cash to rent their very own epidemiologists!), all whereas Bloomberg reported the share of instances of youngsters and teenagers with COVID-19 is on the rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention postponed releasing further guidance on how students could safely return to school this week. That follows earlier complaints from President Donald Trump, who stated on Twitter the CDC’s initial recommendations have been too tough. Or, as White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday, “The science should not stand in the way of this.”
The massive distraction of the week needed to be the assaults on the popularity of America’s favourite scientist, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He withstood a White House assault on his credibility, led by Peter Navarro, Trump’s commerce adviser, in an op-ed in USA Today — one which USA Today has since stated “did not meet its fact-checking standards.” To his credit score, Fauci referred to as to “stop this nonsense” and concentrate on the coronavirus. For extra of a deep dive on the continuing fireworks, take a look at this week’s amazing-as-usual episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” podcast. And always remember that Fauci did handle to sneak on this InStyle digital cover with some killer shades and he read a college kid’s thesis on the facet throughout his tenure.
Speaking of op-eds, right here’s one value studying. Larry Hogan, Maryland’s Republican governor, wrote an op-ed about how he felt the Trump administration left his state to fend for itself amid the pandemic. Best half: how he and his spouse, who was born and raised in South Korea, have been capable of safe half one million exams by going exterior of the federal response, tapping into her contacts after which defending them from the feds with the state National Guard.
The disappearance of public information from the CDC web site created another firestorm this week. While the info has been restored, it’s one other chapter within the saga of stress among the many CDC, the administration and public entry.
Pocket Change
The insurer UnitedHealthcare posted its most profitable quarter — EVER — proving that, sure, you will get wealthy through the pandemic. Meanwhile, hospitals face the harsh reality of a surge colliding with their plans to renew worthwhile elective surgical procedure.
And, no, you received’t be getting on a cruise ship anytime quickly — the “no sail” order from the CDC has been prolonged via September 2020.
Long Reads and Graphics Worth Your Time
Racial inequities in COVID publicity, therapy and care persist at each degree, as this piece zeroing in on East St. Louis exhibits. And this week, over 1,000 workers of the CDC despatched a letter to its head calling out systemic racism within the agency.
I nonetheless can’t cease fascinated with this profile of Lorna Breen, an ER doc who took her personal life after changing into overwhelmed not solely by the coronavirus disaster however by an exacting medical tradition.
These New York Times graphics stress how drug overdose deaths hit a new high in 2019 — many fear the coronavirus is exacerbating their continued rise.
Finally, What’s Abuzz
In case you didn’t have anything to fret about, mosquitoes are flying into the blind spots of well being departments overwhelmed with COVID-19. The CDC is buzzing with concern, as Anna Maria Barry-Jester and I reported yesterday as a part of our Underfunded and Under Threat sequence with the AP.
And for a pace spherical, these guys tried actually arduous to hand out free masks at Huntington Beach, California; the within story of how a Qatari prince had USC at his beckoning takes many a flip; and also you simply might have been using hand sanitizer wrong this complete time.
Try to put off the booze, of us — specialists say it’s solely imagined to be a drink a day. Also perhaps, simply perhaps, take into consideration staying away from the bars altogether.
If we’ve a soccer season — a giant IF — right here’s what the “mouth shield” helmets would appear to be.
Plus superhero heartthrob Henry Cavill by some means spent his quarantine staying swole AND studying how to build computers?
But our favorite British superhero may simply be Tom Moore, newly knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. The centenarian captured the world’s coronary heart after elevating thousands and thousands for British well being care staff by strolling laps in his backyard together with his walker.
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