Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Wednesday-Thursday, July 1-2

by Anne Laurie| July 2, 20204:53 am| 24 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

MAGA: Make American Graves Again. https://t.co/Vr9LChuGDz
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) July 2, 2020

Johns Hopkins University: A 75% increase in #coronavirus cases in TWO WEEKS.
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) July 1, 2020

Dr. Fauci is gonna need to revise his estimate. Upward.
52,770 #Covid19 cases. In. One. Day. More than the Netherlands has had in total. https://t.co/OJPwWMeJhs pic.twitter.com/cdIcQ3dyKI
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) July 2, 2020

It is important to understand that he said this today. https://t.co/edxNO3wr9u
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) July 1, 2020

He’s BRANDING his great COVID response. Like his steaks, airline, bankrupt casinos, Trump U., that he’s a great businessman, etc.
It will be repeated until the Trump base is convinced it’s true.
— Tim Moran (@OnlyFactsNTruth) July 1, 2020

COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. may be 28% higher than official count, study estimates https://t.co/fkxAli1x3j
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) July 1, 2020

Here's a quick visual summary of what got us here: pic.twitter.com/1laEqsONvb
— Rishi Desai (@RishiDesaiMD) June 30, 2020

If you assume a 1% mortality rate, 100,000 new #COVID19 cases/day = 1,000 deaths/day. That's raw, of course, because lag time from infection to death is weeks. But it omens a doubling in the total US burden of death by September, or earlier. Take action now😷😷, slow this down. https://t.co/aO5oJq8FYk
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) July 1, 2020

Buckle up, folks. We are near 50k for daily cases and we are heading into July 4th with part of the country still thinking this pandemic is a hoax. https://t.co/OPPsHU0mh6
— Dr. Nahid Bhadelia "Masks,Tests,PPE & Leadership" (@BhadeliaMD) July 2, 2020

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#BREAKING More than 160,000 new #coronavirus cases reported every day for past week: WHO pic.twitter.com/kDDAz0p1Bd
— AFP news agency (@AFP) July 1, 2020

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The next wave: Japan and Asian neighbors walk COVID 'tightrope'https://t.co/YXXyq2yI6j pic.twitter.com/c1V6qAXXFd
— 𝕁.𝕁. 𝔸𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤 – Science Comms 🗯 (@JJ_Angelus) July 1, 2020

Japanese capital sees more than 100 new coronavirus cases Thursday, most in two months https://t.co/ebm7LrX73q pic.twitter.com/xf1YicgOMZ
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 2, 2020

India's coronavirus cases cross 600,000 amid easing of lockdowns https://t.co/Xc2ltf3GKr pic.twitter.com/XzjTnNQA72
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 2, 2020

In India, fake or misleading news about #coronavirus has had a real impact on livelihoods. Who's been most affected? https://t.co/i8bVCbOwal
— BBC Reality Check (@BBCRealityCheck) July 1, 2020

How lockdown is being lifted across Europehttps://t.co/ep5Whpve8g
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 1, 2020

As U.K. towns try to subdue COVID-19 clusters and avoid local lockdowns, critics accuse Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government of failing to share data on cases. https://t.co/AfIiXOvfFs
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) July 1, 2020

Russia's coronavirus case tally passes 660,000 https://t.co/bGWKo5JGET pic.twitter.com/mswlao16Ss
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 2, 2020

World Health Organization is warning that the Mideast has reached a 'critical threshold' in its #COVID19 fight. According to newly published figures, 22 countries from Morocco to Pakistan had recorded 1,077,706 coronavirus cases & 24,973 deaths https://t.co/DX367xCTJr pic.twitter.com/AfkFbL5sRV
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) July 1, 2020

Uganda opens border for DR Congo refugees who have been unable to seek safety because of coronavirus https://t.co/CBa4e3wc51
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 1, 2020

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Immunity to Covid-19 may be more widespread than antibody tests suggest https://t.co/yMZpQ0ka09
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) July 1, 2020

This is a disaster. When delays are 3 to 5 days, testing does nothing to remove infected people from public circulation. In other words, testing for mitigation is not possible. https://t.co/KlI0Slhah3
— Carl T. Bergstrom (@CT_Bergstrom) July 1, 2020

Could an ancient drug help fight severe #COVID19? Scientists now looking at recruiting chochicine, an anti-gout drug, into the COVID fight. It's derived from the autumn crocus, Colchicum autumnale (a poisonous European flowering plant) https://t.co/4Xa7ktFkAB pic.twitter.com/N3pMjoo76n
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) July 1, 2020

Cool cool cool. “If demand continues to accelerate and shortages are not resolved, then turnaround times for test results will rise, tests will effectively be rationed, and the number of infections that are never counted in official statistics will grow.“ https://t.co/t8HZGhDUSx
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) July 1, 2020

Health experts have slammed the U.S. decision to hog nearly the entire global supply of remdesivir, the only drug licensed so far to treat COVID-19. https://t.co/3SYYZixEUh
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) July 1, 2020

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40% said last week they think the country needs to be more aggressively social distancing. Now, almost half say the same – a 9-point increase. Since June 8, the share who say this has increased 17 points (32% ? 49%). pic.twitter.com/S1rMyPWePJ
— Navigator Research (@NavigatorSurvey) July 1, 2020

The coronavirus first hit Democratic areas in the U.S. These six charts show how it is now spreading into Republican territory. https://t.co/xNlFAfqvgh
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 1, 2020

Governor Cuomo says all New Yorkers can be tested for coronavirus now, regardless of symptoms or other factors.
"Get a test," he urges.
— Evan Dawson (@evandawson) July 1, 2020

California breaks #coronavirus record for second day in a row https://t.co/rCv3XW0OTJ
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) July 1, 2020

This, from the man who said on @TuckerCarlson in March:
"my message is let’s get back to work, let’s get back to living. Let’s be smart abt it & those of us who are 70+, we’ll take care of ourselves. But don’t sacrifice the country, don’t do that, don’t ruin this great America.” https://t.co/ZvfLzGzjMr
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) July 1, 2020

And despite that… “To tell you the truth, what worries me is not this week, where we’re still kind of handling it,” said one exec. “I’m really worried about next week.” https://t.co/phIDCSy38T
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) July 1, 2020

Texas and Florida have both seen a recent surge in coronavirus cases
How is affecting those that live there? https://t.co/dtqvecrG4n
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 1, 2020

I’d like to hope these kids were pranking the city counciler/reporters, but then again…

Tuscaloosa students diagnosed with COVID-19 have been attending parties as part of a disturbing contest to see who can catch the virus first, a city council member says. https://t.co/jTAafPMmru
— ABC News (@ABC) July 1, 2020

Sounds like they have new volunteers for clinical trials & specimen collection. ???????
— wait_wtf ?????????????????? (@waitwtf1) July 2, 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Wednesday-Thursday, July 1-2Post + Comments (24)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Tuesday/Wednesday, June 30-July 1

by Anne Laurie| July 1, 20204:56 am| 50 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

Recap of yesterday’s #COVID19 statements:
WHO Director General: “The worst is yet to come”
CDC Principal Deputy Director: “This is really the beginning”
White House Press Secretary: “We’re aware that there are embers that need to be put out.”
— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) June 30, 2020

With about 40,000 new cases being reported a day, Dr. Anthony Fauci says the U.S. is “going in the wrong direction” in some regions, putting the country at risk. If things don't turn around, Fauci says he wouldn't be surprised to see 100,000 cases a day. https://t.co/muJhUKd7eL
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 30, 2020

Another record high #COVID19 tally in the US today: 46k new cases.
Fourth time in the past week with a new single-day record.
And 8 states – Alaska, Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas – reported single-day records.https://t.co/mCmcW9Ffp7
— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) July 1, 2020

Pew asked the same people in March and June if they approved of Trump's job performance as president.
Over that period 1-in-6 of those who'd approved of Trump switched their views of him. 45% of that group lived in areas hardest-hit by covid. https://t.co/nbu92rwSu6
— Philip Bump (@pbump) June 30, 2020

Here's a 2007 CDC pandemic plan warning that erratic social distancing rules would cause economic and social damage without containing the disease https://t.co/Ak8xWcSQWb pic.twitter.com/F9eLhAUz9N
— Emily Kopp (@emilyakopp) June 30, 2020

The U.S. public health system was left ill-equipped to fight #covid19. A @KHNews @AP investigation finds more cuts are underway. @LaurenWeberHP @laura_ungar @MRSmithAP @hannah_recht @annabarryjester. [STATE MAP https://t.co/J6OP2UiGkC ]
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 1, 2020

COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on military recruiting, shuttering U.S. enlistment stations around the country and forcing thousands of recruiters to woo potential soldiers online. https://t.co/fpIY2c3mUx
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 30, 2020

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Coronavirus-related fatalities continue to pile up as the world passes half a million deaths https://t.co/YsnVVzgeLy pic.twitter.com/CtFvZgxBHl
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 1, 2020

BREAKING: The European Union announces that it will reopen its borders to travelers from 14 countries, but most Americans have been refused entry for at least another two weeks due to soaring coronavirus infections in the U.S. https://t.co/ynZliK5MDm
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 30, 2020

Sweden starts critical look at its pandemic response https://t.co/RsbZu6AL0K pic.twitter.com/NssOCM7ack
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 30, 2020

40% of #coronavirus carriers in the Italian town of Vo showed no symptoms, according to a newly published study. Vo, population 3200, recorded Italy's 1st #COVID19 death in late February. Vo was placed in a 2-wk lockdown at which time 85% of Vo was tested https://t.co/rECkCyy99d pic.twitter.com/b5Nnni6vm0
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) June 30, 2020

Coronavirus: Czechs hold party to 'farewell' pandemic https://t.co/Ze0XaG8xMB
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 1, 2020

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“The virus is out there, still circling like a shark in the water." Boris Johnson urged caution as a local outbreak forced authorities to lock down a city in England, but the British prime minister also called for a "New Deal" to kick-start the economy. https://t.co/hJy4JbD8r9
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) June 30, 2020

Tokyo confirms 67 new cases of coronavirus infection Wednesday: NHK https://t.co/GQVee3oqaq pic.twitter.com/88IKQFnqzN
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 1, 2020

Australia to lock down 300,000 in Melbourne suburbs after coronavirus spike https://t.co/BfnaIif2FL pic.twitter.com/V92ua4y2ux
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 1, 2020

Terrible numbers out of #Brazil:
– 1,271 deaths in 24 hours
– total of 59,656 deaths
– 1,408,485 confirmed cases
– 37,997 new cases in 24 hourshttps://t.co/fYeQucQLDQ>
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) July 1, 2020

Mexico registers 5,432 new coronavirus cases, 648 more deaths https://t.co/eMMlNOzlD4 pic.twitter.com/A97OjX9mC6
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 1, 2020

Canada extends COVID-19 international border closures, mandatory quarantine order https://t.co/Zd3bLyfoLW pic.twitter.com/d9h4GEPtkx
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 30, 2020

Airbus says it may be 2025 before air travel rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic. To survive the thin years ahead, the European aircraft manufacturer is quickly eliminating 15,000 jobs, mostly in Europe. https://t.co/oSn83y0NIp
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) June 30, 2020

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#COVID19 causes 'hyperactivity' in blood-clotting cells, according to researchers at Univ of Utah Health Sciences. Changes in blood platelets can contribute to the onset of heart attacks, strokes & other serious complications. Report in the journal, Blood https://t.co/xVWcWAJrf3 pic.twitter.com/cIFl7YR3ZI
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) June 30, 2020

FDA will require a covid-19 vaccine be at least 50 percent more effective than a placebo https://t.co/tNkrNvmPga
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 30, 2020

U.S. health officials are pushing a new pooling approach to boost screening for the coronavirus ⁠— run tests in batches instead of individually.https://t.co/31XF0GzPm3
— AP Health & Science (@APHealthScience) June 30, 2020

So… what happens if another country develops a successful Covid-19 vaccine first? I am sure this won't be forgotten! https://t.co/DqH0fRksz2
— Alexandra Sifferlin (@acsifferlin) June 30, 2020

FBI: Beware of scammers selling fake #COVID19 antibody tests. FBI said fraudsters are also trying to get people's personal information, such as names, birthdates & Social Security numbers as well as Medicare and/or private health insurance info https://t.co/91qNlMeDvt
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) June 30, 2020

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Analysis: More coronavirus tests are coming back positive, contrary to what Trump and the House Republican leader claim https://t.co/XEm1DrRVZO
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 30, 2020

New cases of the coronavirus are now on the rise in 39 states.
Here's the latest data: https://t.co/s93ZEpm0vL
— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) June 30, 2020

"Many politicians seem to rationalize reopening decisions in alignment with the cabin fever of their constituencies." — Data, not how fed up people are, have to drive decisions on when and how much to reopen, @DrRichBesser warns. https://t.co/TIVmy7bv8B
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) June 30, 2020

The "we're in trouble list" of states today, with extremes of positive tests, still led by Arizona pic.twitter.com/2XRMWSpsjv
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) June 30, 2020

2 govt reports: Most people w/ positive #coronavirus tests aren't sure how they caught it. In the1st study only 27% of 360+ Coloradans knew of a contact 2 wks before testing positive. 2nd study, 46% of 350 people were certain who may have infected them https://t.co/GsBIy5Jgmf
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) June 30, 2020

There were 6975 new cases reported in Texas as of 5pm — a record. Things are getting worse not better. Do not listen to the White House spokeswoman who says only a few embers need to be put out. A firestorm of #COVID19 cases is already burning across the country. https://t.co/56RpXpvaqI pic.twitter.com/eKPI8MdcQA
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) June 30, 2020

Cool, cool. Sorry Texans, you're on your own. https://t.co/pS8cQllyGK
— Dr. Tara C. Smith (@aetiology) July 1, 2020

"We’re not the problem": Texas bar owners sue over governor’s shutdown order https://t.co/ONzHEuLi0p
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 30, 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Tuesday/Wednesday, June 30-July 1Post + Comments (50)

No Sooner Than Time Open Thread: Who Are Those Masked Men?

by Anne Laurie| June 29, 202010:43 pm| 107 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

They didn't say this a month ago, but now that red states are having massive spikes, they've all of a sudden realized that their election fortunes are tied up in wearing a mask. The politicization of mask wearing has killed people. Horrifying. https://t.co/CevhN4AKO4
— Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) June 29, 2020

JUST IN: @GStephanopoulos: “Is it time to mandate the wearing of masks across the country?”
“Definitely long overdue for that,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi says, adding that the CDC recommended use of masks but did not mandate it as to “not offend" Pres. Trump. https://t.co/y2qk2iXUsd pic.twitter.com/GTJ8UUieKm
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 28, 2020

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN): "It would help if from time to time the President would wear one to help us get rid of this political debate." pic.twitter.com/cS1i9nWw8l
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) June 28, 2020

The policy has been to maximize confusion so accountability is lost. Seen that way, there is no shift. Just more of the same: Confusion. https://t.co/zVNfHaGmCO
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) June 28, 2020

Pence Shifts From Trump : ‘Wearing A Mask Is Just A Good Idea’ https://t.co/1Nn7sLsvqp pic.twitter.com/vFXaA2eSPo
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) June 28, 2020

Suddenly, it’s no longer un-American!

80% of US adults report wearing a mask all, most, or some of the time when in stores or other businesses. Only 7% say they never do. https://t.co/gD8sKziGFt pic.twitter.com/5JxcrYftgr
— Caitlin Rivers, PhD (@cmyeaton) June 28, 2020

Excellent news, regardless — because As above, so below…

Does this keep happening because all of the community theatres are closed, or https://t.co/91QVdSioOd
— Niccole Thurman (@niccolethurman) June 27, 2020

Again their was an entire pre-existing culture of tacticool face masks wildly popular among reactionary types before COVID. Anti-mask stuff is entirely about falling in line behind their weirdo cult leader's kneejerk opposition to them and triggering thuh libs by not wearing one. https://t.co/YKJrRGE5gQ pic.twitter.com/srriOQLN9T
— Viridian Forest Autonomous Zone (@weedlewobble) June 27, 2020

“We’ve reached the point of this polarized pandemic where our current plan for salvation is convincing certain recalcitrant men that wearing masks is the testosteroney thing to do.“ https://t.co/AepFLKWItl
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) June 27, 2020

If your masculinity is so fragile that it can’t survive wearing a mask, then it is already broken. https://t.co/Dr2AnMPPWD
— Peter Wolf (@peterawolf) June 27, 2020

I think the biggest mistake we made is telling Americans that wearing masks is to protect other people. Know your audience!
— Jenni Konner (@JenniKonner) June 26, 2020

My brother asked someone who wasn't wearing a mask to maintain 6 ft. behind him in a checkout line.
The guy reached out and grabbed my brother's mask, so my brother knocked him out.
If you live in Oak Cliff and see a guy who resembles me, maintain 6 ft. ??
— Jason Rogers (@Rogers4Texas) June 28, 2020

reporters please stop asking the proudly maskless if they’re afraid of getting covid and start asking them why they have such a sociopathic disregard for other people
— shauna (@goldengateblond) June 29, 2020

I did not know, until I read this @davidfrum piece, that Sebastian Gorka calls masks "COVID burqas." Which is… really something.https://t.co/eRlBmiQR5e
— Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) June 29, 2020

No Sooner Than Time Open Thread: Who *Are* Those Masked Men?Post + Comments (107)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Sunday/Monday, June 28-29

by Anne Laurie| June 29, 20204:55 am| 24 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

*NEW POLL* Americans offer some of their most dire views on the COVID pandemic to date: record numbers say efforts against the outbreak are going badly. More here: https://t.co/6ThHmclAw2 pic.twitter.com/AsjcenN27e
— CBS News Poll (@CBSNewsPoll) June 28, 2020

When the lines go parallel
The US now has reproduced its March-> April trajectory for new confirmed cases and #COVID19 spread pic.twitter.com/GkvpmKw9Vv
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) June 28, 2020

This story by ⁦@jdawsey1⁩ ⁦@yabutaleb7⁩ ⁦@ToluseO⁩ is spot-on. They just tell the story straight-up without feeling the need to soften the blame on ⁦@realDonaldTrump⁩ and the @GOP. It makes the @NYTimes story all the more worse. 1/ https://t.co/IQ5C0mmH6m
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) June 28, 2020

I could use this story in my class or in media literacy training to illustrate the genre of "he said, she said" journalism. https://t.co/czddSPRKLN But don't take my word for it. Read it and see.
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) June 28, 2020

If you're in the "call it what it is— lying" camp, this is for you. https://t.co/RVFTZdOK4h
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) June 27, 2020

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BREAKING: Confirmed coronavirus cases have surpassed the 10 million mark worldwide, according to a tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The United States has the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world, with more than 2.5 million infections. https://t.co/gB9rHTpRV3
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 28, 2020

How the world reached 10 million coronavirus infectionspic.twitter.com/4DenJ9J0Sq
— Alfons López Tena (@alfonslopeztena) June 29, 2020

Global coronavirus death toll surpasses half a million people, according to a @Reuters tally https://t.co/prDvlM8kJr pic.twitter.com/RqpOQcgxa1
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 29, 2020

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus https://t.co/lQmNK2jazB pic.twitter.com/I3gtCuTZoS
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 29, 2020

Discover how cases of coronavirus are spreading around the world, and find out why officials think these statistics are likely to be "the tip of the iceberg"
Read @DavidShukmanBBC’s analysis: https://t.co/GD5lSDFpbg
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) June 29, 2020

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China puts nearly 500k people in lockdown to fight new #COVID19 cluster. Hundreds infected in Beijing & cases have emerged in neighboring Hebei province in recent weeks. The lockdown is largely in Hebei. 1 person from each family is allowed out 1x p/day https://t.co/LwlTn6LGTt pic.twitter.com/LIYTt922aC
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) June 28, 2020

Australia sees biggest daily rise in COVID-19 cases in two months https://t.co/icXGQ3O4tg pic.twitter.com/wXmNrpDBX4
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 29, 2020

Workers in Russia’s regional health system say their safety has been neglected and they feel overworked and undervalued as they battle the world’s third-highest coronavirus caseload https://t.co/tRebiKMrIp
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) June 29, 2020

UK's Conservative government is pondering whether the English city of Leicester needs a local lockdown to halt a coronavirus outbreak. https://t.co/lxCRTZvba4
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) June 28, 2020

… The spike comes amid fears that the disease has been spreading through the city’s large Asian community, who often live in multi-generational households. The local outbreak underscores the disproportionate hit that the pandemic has had on Britain’s minority communities.
Britain has Europe’s worst confirmed coronavirus death toll, with some 43,600 dead and Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government has been strongly criticized for what has been seen as a slow, chaotic response to the pandemic.
Britain is now slowly emerging from a total national lockdown imposed on March 23, with plans to ease things further by early next month. That reopening plan has rested on the notion that local outbreaks could be tamped down through aggressive programs to track, test and trace those infected.

South Africa’s current surge of COVID-19 cases is expected to dramatically increase in the coming weeks and press the country’s hospitals to the limit, says the health minister. https://t.co/bGgchzbsu1
— AP Africa (@AP_Africa) June 28, 2020

Brazil reports 30,476 new coronavirus cases, 552 new deaths https://t.co/ECr8I7kubi pic.twitter.com/jzZJnN4b1o
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 29, 2020

Mexico posts more than 4,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases: health ministry https://t.co/IYyB4dL3u0 pic.twitter.com/5i6ANuewX2
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 29, 2020

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In July, the U.S. is set to open the largest trial of a potential COVID-19 vaccine, with doses for 30,000 people. Other nations are also ramping up vaccine tests, but experts say an effective shot is unlikely to be widely available this year. https://t.co/1oHkbH1aJ5
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 28, 2020

A coronavirus vaccine may be only 75% effective, and many Americans say they won't get one. That could leave the US without herd immunity, Dr. Fauci says https://t.co/coIIyQj4Mx
— CNN (@CNN) June 29, 2020

Antibody tests for Covid-19 are suddenly everywhere. But they may pose more questions than answers https://t.co/QLqkLsgSXN
— Bloomberg (@business) June 28, 2020

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As temperatures rise in the U.S., states are seeing record spikes in the number of coronavirus cases https://t.co/HChKX8wphy pic.twitter.com/2nbJPCG7Nv
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 29, 2020

On Friday, Pence said America has “flattened the curve” and “all 50 states are reopening safely and responsibly”
On Sunday, Pence looked on as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott described his state’s continued descent into pandemic disaster https://t.co/o3Nl4OBQpa
— Mark Follman (@markfollman) June 29, 2020

Houston Chronicle scoop: Houston hospital executives’ sudden reversal on ICU capacity followed talks with Gov. Abbott in which “the governor expressed displeasure with negative headlines about ICU capacity.”
Hats off, @zachdespart @mmorris011 https://t.co/V49Sum8kJX
— Mike Hixenbaugh (@Mike_Hixenbaugh) June 28, 2020

Welcome to Texas Y'all. The next GOP convention is excited to have you here. Take a seat wherever. Masks? Nah, this is God's country and he's real excited to meet you. https://t.co/RhbOXG6AMz
— Heather Lander, PhD (@PathogenScribe) June 29, 2020

As the AZ #COVID19 crisis soars, some #Arizona demographics point to real causes for concern:
– a fast-growing State, now 7.4M ppl
– 80% of pop is [ ]'ed around Phoenix
– 30% of pop is LatinX; 5% is Native American
– BUT 76% of citizens are white
– 24% of the pop is >60 yrs old
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) June 28, 2020

FLORIDA COVID chart showing new reported cases more than *DOUBLE* what they were just a week ago.
26,957 cases last 3 days vs. 11,948 during comparable 3 days a week ago and 6,074 for comparable 3 days 2 weeks ago.
Exponential.
Testing positivity has also rocketed higher. pic.twitter.com/STUJeGi8VF
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) June 28, 2020

Today tied the second lowest % of positive Covid tests at 0.8% in Manhattan, NY… No sign of any upswing after protests + phased re-openings.
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) June 28, 2020

The tweets below don’t even mention the problem that leapt to my mind: It is a college bar, and patrons ‘aged 18-23’ were not following social distancing guidelines, but from the reporting I’ve seen so far most of the victims aren’t (yet) suffering the worst symptoms, so they’re extremely blase about doing things that could’ve killed them and very probably endangered people who aren’t in the magical youth demographic. Which is predictable, because they’re young and therefore believe themselves immortal! Given this predilection, how in the name of Murphy the Trickster God are ‘we’ supposed to open up college campuses in the next few months, without sparking more outbreaks?

FWIW, this place is more of a college bar than a restaurant, and it is very unlikely that there was any actual social distancing occurring. https://t.co/GpFTHzBy9d
— Jeff Ackermann (@Jeffrey_Ack) June 27, 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Sunday/Monday, June 28-29Post + Comments (24)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Saturday/Sunday, June 27-28

by Anne Laurie| June 28, 20204:25 am| 52 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

BREAKING: #60Minutes investigation reveals Trump knowingly allowed flawed #COVID19 antibody tests to circulate, leading to inaccurate data about virus spread, creating data to support re-openings, and potentially causing thousands more preventable deaths. https://t.co/n2dpGcklyu
— Richard Hine (@richardhine) June 27, 2020

THIS: "before his rally in #Tulsa, #Trump’s campaign directed removal of thousands of “Do not sit here, please!” stickers from seats in the arena that were intended to estab social distance between rallygoers, according to video and photos obtained by @washingtonpost . #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/y7JysjZzZR
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) June 27, 2020

“Measures to protect Trump from coronavirus scale up even as he seeks to move on” – CNNPolitics
The ultimate con man: https://t.co/1Q8Hmeu5ek
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) June 27, 2020

… Even as Trump attempts to move on, the protective bubble around him has grown thicker. Aides say the steps are necessary to allow the President — by all definitions an essential worker — to continue leading the country amid the pandemic.
But people familiar with the matter say the precautions also stem from Trump’s own insistence that he not contract the disease and his heightened awareness of how a sick President would affect both the country’s view of him and his ability to command a response to the pandemic.
After Trump told aides at the beginning of the outbreak he must avoid getting sick at all costs, efforts to prevent him from contracting the virus have progressively become more intensive and wide-ranging. Early steps such as keeping more hand sanitizer nearby eventually evolved into an intensive safety apparatus, including the testing regimen requiring dozens of staffers.
So far the efforts appear to have been effective, at least at preventing the President from contracting the virus. But events of the past week have also underscored the primacy of Trump himself to the safety measures, with the safety of staffers who compose his massive footprint coming second…

The United States has just reached 2.5 million coronavirus cases. Here's how fast each 500,000 cases has come:
First 500k cases: 80 days
Second 500k cases: 18 days
Third 500k cases: 20 days
Fourth 500k cases: 23 days
Fifth 500k cases: 17 days
— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) June 27, 2020

As of June 27 at 10:25 a.m. ET, @NBCNews has confirmed 2,482,014 COVID-19 cases in the US and 125,721 reported deaths.
27 states and territories have seen a greater than 25% increase in COVID-19 cases in the last 2 weeks. https://t.co/03e49RuQf7 pic.twitter.com/RBTEaiObRF
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 27, 2020

At least six U.S. states — Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Oregon, South Carolina and Utah — reported their highest one-day case totals, & Fauci, the country’s top infectious diseases expert, warned that outbreaks in the South and West could engulf the country. via @nytimes
— COVID19 (@V2019N) June 27, 2020

The current surge in #COVID19 cases in the USA is the largest day-on-day increase America, or any other country, has experienced since the #coronavirus crisis started in Wuhan in December.
MORE pic.twitter.com/xSdHsQcxh4
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) June 27, 2020

4/
World distribution of the #COVID19 #pandemic is clearly skewed to the USA, Brazil, Russia and India. Each of these countries' governments have failed to wrestle with the virus, while most of Europe, China, SE Asia, Canada & the Asia Pacific govts have found working strategies. pic.twitter.com/CueAD1T0pY
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) June 27, 2020

"The media has tried to scare the American people every step of the way, and these grim predictions of a second wave are no different."
–@VP on June 16 https://t.co/1q1bomof4V
— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) June 27, 2020

======

Global coronavirus cases exceeded 10 million on Sunday according to a Reuters tally, marking a major milestone in the spread of the respiratory disease that has so far killed almost half a million people in seven months https://t.co/BU3TYHU1D2 pic.twitter.com/msg4k0Ztpb
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 28, 2020

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⚡️ Russia confirmed 6,791 new coronavirus infections Sunday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 634,437 as its death toll surpassed 9,000 https://t.co/1IggPtGxdj
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) June 28, 2020

China extends COVID-19 tests to newly reopened salons amid a drop in cases, while South Korea continues to face new infections after it eased social distancing rules to lift the economy. https://t.co/p3wfOzO8CQ
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 28, 2020

As coronavirus sweeps through India's capital, experts say plans to stop it are "a waste of time." India passed the 500k #coronavirus case mark Saturday. Govt figures showed a record daily leap of 18,500 new infections. India claims 15685 overall deaths https://t.co/AJgFZ8xI7W
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) June 27, 2020

Coronavirus: How Delhi 'wasted' lockdown to become India's biggest hotspot https://t.co/ZkGfdrYtNB
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) June 28, 2020

See how quickly you can find Sweden on this map…. pic.twitter.com/bhXACObtnQ
— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) June 27, 2020

Many Australians have been stuck overseas due to strict lockdown measures, and have only just been able to get a flight home. All returning passengers undergo health checks and strict quarantine to ensure they do not spread #coronavirus. https://t.co/9HCn9WNJQe pic.twitter.com/8m9JnCKBB7
— Australian Government Department of Health (@healthgovau) June 28, 2020

======

‘We thought this was only a respiratory virus. Turns out, it goes after the pancreas. It goes after the heart. It goes after the liver, the brain, the kidney and other organs’: Experts are just beginning to understand the many COVID-19 health problems https://t.co/SgoiTrsW4I pic.twitter.com/XFXuxMCNTK
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 27, 2020

New @CDCgov study merits real attn. Agency teamed w/ commercial blood testing labs that were taking samples for other reasons & screened samples for #SARSCoV2 . Based on antibodies against the #coronavirus they estimate true infection rates across US.
MOREhttps://t.co/FikEGMqV8n
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) June 28, 2020

The #SARSCoV2 virus is greedy. It's not satisfied with attacking our respiratory tracts. @sxbegle & @sayhitohyacinth explain. https://t.co/PJzauRPBMG
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) June 26, 2020

Given we can’t quarantine in the US, testing and tracing was never going to work. Given pre- or asymptomatic spread, it became even more unlikely. This is why we need effective PPE in the community. Saying this publicly since April. Works in healthcare need PPE everywhere
— 𝙀𝙡𝙞 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙝 🤚 🧼 (@eliowa) June 28, 2020

Latino&Black residents have died from COVID-19 at TWICE the rate of white residents in L.A. County
• Of every 100,000 Latino residents, 38 have died
• Of every 100,000 Black residents, 37 have died
• Of every 100,000 white residents, 19 have diedhttps://t.co/xCHvaQiVgg
— Ron Lin (@ronlin) June 27, 2020

======

Sobering story but the subhead here is misleading: The governors (and Trump) didn't "underestimate" anything. (It's not as if they were misled by rosy studies.) They acted recklessly *without regard* to every estimate in the world. https://t.co/IU3n3gNII3
— Marty Lederman (@marty_lederman) June 28, 2020

Puts in perspective how well Northeast has turned itself around, and how especially grim things look in Arizona. https://t.co/KKTtxsmm5g
— Zeddy (@Zeddary) June 27, 2020

After good start on #coronavirus response, California lost ground. The state is cracking down on scofflaw businesses & delays reopenings as coronavirus surges https://t.co/KrWNq45kDf
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) June 27, 2020

Florida's graph yesterday for new cases was eye-opening.
In one day it doubled its 7-day rolling, rapidly rising average.
And today it soared beyond that to >9,500https://t.co/JmVMp6u8NA pic.twitter.com/R3rCZrabjG
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) June 27, 2020

Arizona doctors talk about the #COVID19 'beast': 'I don't even know how to tell you how our hearts break' https://t.co/gLKcOFMbYf via @azcentral
— Crawford Kilian (@Crof) June 27, 2020

Again, what Abbott did was worse than nothing; he forced local governments to stop policies that were effectively containing the pandemic. https://t.co/V21QJ84rZo
— Scott Lemieux (@LemieuxLGM) June 27, 2020

Just got this text.
This is what happens when the Governor and President put politics over public health.
Stay safe. pic.twitter.com/YnvAh0txhD
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) June 28, 2020

Scene from Houston. We have to fix this….now https://t.co/eiwrqfeaiT
— Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) June 27, 2020

For those keeping track at home, Patrick went to El Paso with the president and said that if not for the fence cartel guys would be rolling decapitated heads like bowling balls through the city streets https://t.co/duGKCOg8S7
— Christopher Hooks (@cd_hooks) June 26, 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Saturday/Sunday, June 27-28Post + Comments (52)

Friday Morning Open Thread: March (the Squatter Out of the White House)

by Anne Laurie| June 26, 20206:47 am| 73 Comments

This post is in: Biden For President, Music, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

Joe Biden says President Trump's "senseless crusade" to end Obamacare would harm those with the coronavirus https://t.co/L4R6LNIc96 pic.twitter.com/R0YfRe8hl4
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) June 26, 2020

… “If Donald Trump won’t end his senseless crusade against health coverage, I look forward to ending it for him,” the presumptive Democratic 2020 presidential nominee said in a speech in Lancaster, Pennsylvania…
Biden linked Trump’s bid to undo Obamacare to the coronavirus pandemic, saying that those who suffer the virus could live caught in a “vise” between Trump’s “twin legacies.” Those, Biden said, are Trump’s “failure to protect the American people from the coronavirus, and his heartless crusade to take health care protections away from American families.”
“If Donald Trump has his way, complications from Covid-19 could become a new pre-existing condition. Some survivors will experience lasting health impacts — like lung scarring and heart damage. And if Donald Trump prevails in court, insurers would be allowed to strip away coverage or jack up premiums — simply because of their battle with the coronavirus,” Biden said.
The former vice president called Trump’s effort “cruel,” “heartless” and “callous,” and said he believes Trump’s motivation behind the long-term effort to repeal Obamacare is that “he can’t abide to let stand one of President Obama’s great achievements.”…
Biden accused Trump of reacting to the pandemic “like a child who can’t believe this has happened to him. All this whining and self-pity.”
“Well, this pandemic didn’t happen to him. It happened to all of us. And his job isn’t to whine about it, his job is to do something about it. To lead,” Biden said.
“Mr. President, drop the lawsuit,” he said. “Stop trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. Stop taking away people’s health care and their peace of mind.”…
The former vice president on Thursday sought to reassure Americans as the country faces the twin crises of a pandemic and the soaring unemployment it has caused.
“If you’re sick, if you’re struggling, if you’re worried about how you’re going to get through the day, I will not abandon you. I will not leave you to face these challenges alone. And we’re going to get through this together,” Biden said. “We’re going to build a health care system. We’re going to build on it. We’re going to build our economy — our country — back to better than it was before this God-awful crisis, that I promise you.”

if anything else, it is really an odd choice to attack universal health care during a literal pandemic, in which countries with universal health care are doing much better than the united "125k dead" states
— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) June 26, 2020

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Friday Morning Open Thread: March (the Squatter Out of the White House)Post + Comments (73)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Wednesday/Thursday, June 24-25

by Anne Laurie| June 25, 20204:55 am| 30 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

New #coronavirus cases in the U.S. reach their highest single-day total.
More than 36,000 new infections were reported by state health departments Wednesday — surpassing the previous single-day record of 34,203 on April 25.#COVID19 soaring.https://t.co/igMYmF3QVN
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) June 24, 2020

📰 Subscribe to our newsletter https://t.co/sr1rEEDzJ9 pic.twitter.com/yQnscjELpE
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 25, 2020

Researchers lower forecast for U.S. COVID-19 deaths even as cases climb https://t.co/k5Ca8rNrDJ pic.twitter.com/aDhivu6XO8
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 25, 2020

This rebound was preventable. pic.twitter.com/WoM0euDeFn
— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) June 24, 2020

You see that dip? That’s everyone staying home trying to buy time for a test-and-trace program that never happened because we elected a buffoon. https://t.co/1PMXOzTkiD
— Matt Goldberg (@MattGoldberg) June 24, 2020

Over the last 2 weeks, cases have risen by 84% in states that don't require wearing masks in public. In states where mask wearing is mandatory, cases have fallen by 25%. https://t.co/VJkKe7yEQ3 pic.twitter.com/2iXgg3ZwZ8
— John Duchneskie (@jduchneskie) June 24, 2020

At the current pace of growth in #COVID19 cases, this is a conservative hunch. I'll go out on a limb now — you can call me on it later — and predict that it key States remain open for business throughout July, America will see 200,000 deaths by Labor Day.
Hideous. https://t.co/JAQngdc23S
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) June 24, 2020

the 6 states with the highest positive test rates for coronavirus over the last week – exceeding 10%, compared to national average of 5.5% – all have Republican governors
https://t.co/Tahc9UHpFs
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) June 24, 2020

Americans likely to be shut out when Europe reopens its borders next week, due to rising coronavirus infections in the U.S. and Trump's ban on European visitors. https://t.co/u8cWqiapSH
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) June 24, 2020

From New York to the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, governments and businesses around the world are ramping up precautions as coronavirus case numbers surge. Infections are rising to dire new levels, wiping out two months of progress. https://t.co/ac6PJihlz4
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 25, 2020

The International Monetary Fund sharply lowers its forecast for global growth this year because it envisions far more severe economic damage from the coronavirus than it did just two months ago. The IMF predicts the global economy will shrink 4.9%. https://t.co/LuiPaiBoM5
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 24, 2020

China reports 19 newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus amid mass testing in Beijing, where a recent outbreak appears to have been brought under control. https://t.co/yUQ6FTzwEk
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 25, 2020

Virus-free Vietnam not ready to open doors to foreign tourists yet: PM https://t.co/mbePIDdbuW pic.twitter.com/titcaq1arf
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 25, 2020

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Social taboos hinder Indonesia's fight against the coronavirus https://t.co/DtVOaA0HY6 pic.twitter.com/kq5rcwTmwE
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 25, 2020

#India reported 15,968 new #COVID19 cases as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, the highest daily jump so far, according to health officials, and 465 people died overnight, marking the highest daily number of casualties.
There are over 456,000 cases in India, including 14,476 deaths. pic.twitter.com/TAN0AqtUfa
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) June 24, 2020

India has the fourth highest number of confirmed #coronavirus cases – over 470,000. But there are concerns the actual figure could be much higher https://t.co/clC5VQjKrs
— BBC World Service (@bbcworldservice) June 25, 2020

Australia reported its first COVID-19 death in more than a month, as concerns about a second wave of infections saw thousands of people queue, sometimes for hours, to be tested for the virus https://t.co/Go7Hce1YGL by @Colpackham pic.twitter.com/12kXaDIpuu
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 25, 2020

Russian parade defies pandemic as Putin stages power bid https://t.co/P29Q6ZFFr1
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) June 24, 2020

The @AfricaCDC is pushing robust anti-#COVID19 policies for the 55 African Union nations. Two charts stand out: One shows border shutdowns X-continent. The other shows mitigation measures & how many countries have implemented each one. @MoetiTshidi https://t.co/eoeM2Rsy5k pic.twitter.com/AFPYKHuuYN
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) June 24, 2020

Brazil registers 42,725 new cases of coronavirus, 1,185 deaths https://t.co/KffmhmfP49 pic.twitter.com/bcEv4LxrMc
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 25, 2020

Peru has reported the world’s sixth-highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases. But with its economy struggling, it went ahead this week and opened many of the country’s largest shopping malls.https://t.co/NfiCqePeCQ
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 25, 2020

Mexico registers 947 new deaths from coronavirus and 5,437 new cases https://t.co/T3iW8AQLVS pic.twitter.com/mNCBqoEMgV
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 25, 2020

New #Covid19 vaccine update on @WHO's website. There are now 16 vaccines in human trials — so fast! — & 125 in preclinical work. Vaccines in the clinic are being developed in China (6), US (4), UK (2) & Australia, South Korea, Russia & Germany (1 each) https://t.co/Tcff0xs20T
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) June 24, 2020

Africa's participation in a COVID-19 vaccine trial has begun. Officials say the continent of 1.3 billion people cannot be left behind as the pandemic is 'picking up speed very quickly.' https://t.co/5Y8c3YRBqU
— AP Africa (@AP_Africa) June 24, 2020

Statin use linked to lower death rate in hospitalized #COVID19 patients. The use of these cholesterol-lowering drugs also linked w/ a lower incidence of ventilator use. It's a puzzle. Statins increase ACE2 receptor activity. Virus enters cells via ACE2 https://t.co/TPmSInrMz0 pic.twitter.com/5F5UC6scxw
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) June 24, 2020

CAUTION:

Scientists had reported the 1st drug to reduce deaths among critically ill #COVID19 patients: #dexamethasone.
Now the full study is posted online. It shows the drug may be risky for patients with milder illness & the timing of the treatment is critical.https://t.co/cAuM9dPkwI
— Microbes&Infection (@MicrobesInfect) June 25, 2020

New for the literature on #Covid19 immunity: South Korean scientists report finding neutralizing antibodies in 7/7 completely asymptomatic patients 8 weeks after lab diagnosis. "Seroconversion in asymptomatic patients might take longer." https://t.co/TVeStKvGyE
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) June 25, 2020

Trump sued for threat to pull Covid-19 funding over Indian blockade https://t.co/RTNrBO5Vcz
— Bloomberg (@business) June 24, 2020

Coronavirus infections are climbing among young Americans in several U.S. states where bars, restaurants and stores have reopened. https://t.co/0CpedznNxA
— AP Health & Science (@APHealthScience) June 24, 2020

California hospitalizations surge with new COVID-19 cases https://t.co/7PEhlOfpyW pic.twitter.com/VpkzslhX5h
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 25, 2020

Suddenly Ted Cruz is a supporter of big-gubmint federal intervention:

The Trump admin. plans to end federal funding and support for coronavirus testing sites at the end of this month, @NBCNews has learned. pic.twitter.com/6JPPHra2Xk
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) June 24, 2020

Florida sees 5,500 new coronavirus cases, shatters one-day record https://t.co/tUCp4ZKXKA pic.twitter.com/81pn210D8F
— The Hill (@thehill) June 24, 2020

#BREAKING: Governor Sisolak issues an order requiring Nevadans to wear a face-covering or mask when in public spaces. It goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. Watch the video to see the governor issue the mandate. pic.twitter.com/uuwIRiuPEt
— 8 News NOW (@8NewsNow) June 25, 2020

In order keep our economy open and moving forward we need to #MaskUpNV. ?? Do it for your fellow Nevadans. #StaySafe#StayOpen pic.twitter.com/CItuRfr7cH
— Marilyn Kirkpatrick (@MKNVspeaks) June 25, 2020

Nobody’s going to Disneyland:

California Disneyland delays reopening as the state is hit by a huge spike in new coronavirus cases https://t.co/fx4WL5lNC4 via @mrbhargav_ pic.twitter.com/9WPGEbRTyR
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 25, 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Wednesday/Thursday, June 24-25Post + Comments (30)

Tuesday Evening Open Thread: Sportsball, Maybe?

by Anne Laurie| June 23, 20208:03 pm| 148 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You, Sports

NEW – In call with WH, DeSantis, Abbot and Ducey all say that folks in their states are not respecting the relaxed public health guidelines.
"some bars are not following those rules and are crowded just like they were before the pandemic occurred"https://t.co/ifVFxCf9mp
— Sam Stein (@samstein) June 23, 2020

Problem with getting anything done around here is that people remain… people. CBS Sports, “MLB players agree to report for 60-game 2020 season; Opening Day to be set for July 24”:

The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) informed the league Tuesday that players will comply with the league’s imposed outline for a 2020 season. Players will report for another version of “spring” training on July 1, and the league’s imposed 60-game season will start July 24, CBS Sports HQ’s Jim Bowden reported Tuesday. The two sides are still working to finalize health and safety protocols, per Bowden, and there has not yet been an official announcement from the league.
MLB owners voted unanimously Monday night to have commissioner Rob Manfred impose a season. In a statement, Manfred had requested on Monday night that the players respond by 5 p.m. ET so that the league could proceed with scheduling that imposed season.
The league and players failed to reach a modified agreement for a 2020 season after weeks of negotiations. Those talks stalled when it came to the length of the season and the financial compensation players would receive. The union’s ability to file a grievance against the league, which could result in a substantial cash windfall, also became a matter of importance later in the talks.
The league is expected to wrap up its regular season by the end of September and its postseason — which will feature its usual, 10 teams — by the end of October…
It’s worth noting that 40 MLB players and staff members reportedly testing positive for the novel coronavirus in recent days. MLB has reportedly ordered all spring training sites to be closed and sanitized, and personnel must test negative for COVID-19 before being allowed to return…

Maybe American baseball fans are more conscientious and rule-abiding than Croatian / Serbian tennis buffs? You’d think a sport like tennis would be relatively amenable to social distancing, but… NPR:

Novak Djokovic, the world’s No. 1-ranked men’s tennis player, has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Serbian tennis star released a statement on his diagnosis, saying that he and his wife have both contracted the virus after he organized a series of exhibition matches in southeastern Europe.
The events, called the Adria Tour, have been widely criticized for not maintaining significant social distancing protocols.
The stands were packed with fans, as The Associated Press noted. Tennis.com reported that players were seen mingling without proper social distancing, playing in basketball and soccer games, and visiting a nightclub.
Djokovic was photographed in close contact with tennis player Grigor Dimitrov, who has also tested positive for the virus…
Djokovic recently held events in Serbia and Croatia. Serbia has seen more than 13,000 confirmed cases and more than 260 deaths due to the coronavirus, while Croatia has seen more than 2,000 confirmed cases and just over 100 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University…

Just over a month till July 24th — I’m sure there will be developments.

Tuesday Evening Open Thread: Sportsball, Maybe?Post + Comments (148)

Sunday Evening Open Thread: Not Looking Good for Professional Sports

by Anne Laurie| June 21, 20209:43 pm| 81 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You, Sports

Not gloating, I swear. But perhaps it is really not the best time?

I cannot stress this enough: There is always next year. https://t.co/YjFJKOJZhG
— Zeddy (@Zeddary) June 19, 2020

Major League Baseball is temporarily shutting down every single spring training facility for a deep cleaning after several players tested positive for COVID-19. https://t.co/Gi5Cn9wjkd
— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) June 20, 2020

why in god’s name were they practicing in florida are there any adults left https://t.co/phQSOGNoVG
— kilgore trout, a ramp with no steps (@KT_So_It_Goes) June 19, 2020

For the second time in 3 months we need the NBA to take the lead, cancel their season and shake the rest of us out of apathy. https://t.co/yaBlWUXsq7
— Zeddy (@Zeddary) June 19, 2020

Maybe not this fall, either?

they did so well with head trauma, I'm sure the virus stuff will be fine https://t.co/IzT99Nu9AS
— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) June 19, 2020

This Tweet has it all:
– denounce #TonyFauci
– praise @NFL ????
– assert it's safe to end #COVID19 #lockdowns
– condemn #ColinKaepernick & other Black players
– cheer the ????????????
– and bring it all back to the Self, @realDonaldTrump and his fav pastime ?????? https://t.co/PSeRmonta7
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) June 19, 2020

Professional sports writer chimes in:

I seriously want all those people who have liked and retweeted my thread to please focus on its main point. Which is “reopening sports now is madness.” Teams will inevitably get sick and you’ll either have to shut it down again or stumble through a series of clusterfucks…
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) June 20, 2020

… and the Russians’ tendency to fly by the seat of their pants, a fuckup was inevitable.
In America, the president also has a vested interest in reopening and downplaying. He needs the Dow to go up to win his reelection. Americans also tend to disbelieve science…
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) June 20, 2020

Got good examples too. Korean baseball, the Bundesliga. But ask yourselves: “Is my government as competent and well-run as Germany’s?” and “Are my people as disciplined as Korea’s?” If the answer to either question is a “no”, then sit the fuck down and play XBox.
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) June 20, 2020

Sunday Evening Open Thread: Not Looking Good for Professional SportsPost + Comments (81)

Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Tomb Looter Hopes Own Tomb Will Be Looted

by Anne Laurie| June 10, 20206:42 pm| 223 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Open Threads, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You, Riveted By The Sociological Significance Of It All

I don't believe that Forrest Fenn's treasure has really been found. And I'm certain that if it has been found, the finder has no idea what he or she is holding. I'll explain, but first here's the news today: https://t.co/MW1AnqcJ6f
— Tony Dokoupil (@tonydokoupil) June 8, 2020

But I didn't come to Fenn for the story everyone knows today, the tale of a twinkly-eyed gentleman who buried treasure so kids could fall in love with the outdoors. On the contrary. I learned about Fenn from the FBI. On a grave-robbing case.
— Tony Dokoupil (@tonydokoupil) June 8, 2020

But there had been questions for years about where Forrest had made his money. When I visited his compound in Santa Fe, I found a house that operates like a museum, but with no guards, better inventory, and a price list.
— Tony Dokoupil (@tonydokoupil) June 8, 2020

When I asked Fenn about the FBI case, he told me that he couldn't discuss it because his lawyer told him, "if you talk about it, you could lose it." (Then later he told me he misspoke.)
— Tony Dokoupil (@tonydokoupil) June 8, 2020

Fenn told me he filled the treasure box with ancient figurines, a Spanish ring, turquoise beads, American eagle gold coins, gold nuggets, a vial of gold dust, two gold discs, and "a lot of jewelry," including rubies, sapphires, and diamonds. But Fenn wasn't done.
— Tony Dokoupil (@tonydokoupil) June 8, 2020

Where would he get such an idea? Well, it turns out that Fenn's plans for death mirrored the way he lived. (And I promise this is all coming back around to why I don't believe the treasure has been found.)
— Tony Dokoupil (@tonydokoupil) June 8, 2020

You can read the rest here, but if you click on any tweet above, the comments are kinda interesting, too:

Hi, please find the unroll here: @tonydokoupil: I don't believe that Forrest Fenn's treasure has really been found. And I'm certain that if it has been… https://t.co/N8T3uWbPJA Share this if you think it's interesting. 🤖
— Thread Reader App (@threadreaderapp) June 9, 2020

Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Tomb Looter Hopes Own Tomb Will Be LootedPost + Comments (223)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Monday/Tuesday, June 8-9

by Anne Laurie| June 9, 20204:55 am| 27 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

i can't pretend this ad from Nashville public library isn't a lil dope. if you're gonna do curbside, this seems like an ok system. pic.twitter.com/QlGXVzgTq1
— 𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚊𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚎 (@blackgirldating) June 7, 2020

(More details in the replies here)

Just as twitter is not real life, real life is uh…also not real life. Those pictures you see of people out in the streets, either at protests or in Vegas casinos, hide a whole lot of national unease with returning to daily life mid-pandemic https://t.co/znTbgtU21b pic.twitter.com/SnNm4PoNW1
— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) June 8, 2020

Shutdowns prevented 60 million coronavirus infections in the U.S. alone, according to a new study https://t.co/uPAu9JFbLQ
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) June 8, 2020

The World Health Organization said the pandemic is still worsening globally, with more than 136,000 new cases reported worldwide on Sunday, the most in a single day so far https://t.co/H4WI5MNMbx pic.twitter.com/5zSZQweOhF
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 9, 2020

With almost 7M #COVID19 cases & 400K deaths globally, this is not the time for any country to take its foot off the pedal. We urge active:
-surveillance to ensure the virus does not rebound
-finding, isolating, testing & caring for every case
-tracing & quarantining every contact https://t.co/B7po1dAN3F
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) June 8, 2020

Trending on twitter, as of 2:30am:

This letter comes on the day after the chief clinical officer of #Arizona's largest health system — Banner Health — said ICU bed occupancy was growing, and that if current trends continued would exceed capacity @stephanieinnes reports https://t.co/s224Yj6stf
— Andrew Oxford (@andrewboxford) June 8, 2020

*Now* they figure it out!

This past weekend, @AZDHS reported the highest number of #COVID19 inpatients in Arizona hospitals.
77% of ICU beds are in use and we need your help to keep our hospitals from being overwhelmed.
You can help flatten the curve with these prevention tips from the CDC: (1/2) pic.twitter.com/nbMCRMh6lk
— Gilbert, Arizona (@GilbertYourTown) June 8, 2020

BREAKING: Texas has never had more people hospitalized for COVID-19 than it is reporting today. We have 1,935 people hospitalized and over the last 7 days are averaging 1,836 patients per day. During the previous 7 days we we averaging 1,681 over 7-day period.
— Jeremy Wallace (@JeremySWallace) June 8, 2020

This comes less than a week after Gov. Greg Abbott announced bars, amusement parks and carnivals could open to 50 percent capacity.
— Jeremy Wallace (@JeremySWallace) June 8, 2020

New analysis.
Texas re-opened early, without requiring masks. Things are looking bad.
NB: chart shows hospitalizations, not cases, so this is not a side-effect of increased testing. pic.twitter.com/wKNMUL56BY
— Jeremy #Masks4All Howard (@jeremyphoward) June 8, 2020

Judge dismisses lawsuit against Michigan governor over coronavirus orders https://t.co/EF9iCCh4bz pic.twitter.com/QN8lL3NLdk
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 9, 2020

CDC wants states to count ‘probable’ #coronavirus cases & deaths, but most aren’t doing it, leading to a possible undercount. Although probable cases were traditionally counted in other infections, many CDC procedures have changed for the worst under Trump https://t.co/VRqLk2xubf
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) June 9, 2020

A U.S. Navy investigation has found that around 60% of sailors aboard the Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier had antibodies for the coronavirus, suggesting a far higher infection rate than previously known https://t.co/ew7lnyuM0X pic.twitter.com/soBoJLm2tl
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 9, 2020

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Lockdowns have saved more than three million lives in Europe, study estimates https://t.co/EcMufgSUsf
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) June 9, 2020

Russia has declared victory over Covid, even though new cases in Moscow are still around 2,000 daily.
The final restrictions will be lifted just before voting begins on Putin's constitutional changes that could let him rule until 2036 – a politically expedient end to lockdown. https://t.co/zBPqbCYpIn
— max seddon (@maxseddon) June 8, 2020

As Moscow lifts its #coronavirus lockdown, one Russian paper today declares "Life returns". But other papers are warning that the lifting of lockdown is "for political, not medical reasons” & that the R number in Moscow (0.93) remains high. #ReadingRussia @BBCNews @BBCWorld pic.twitter.com/TavLRUeXkt
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) June 9, 2020

Over half of people tested in Italy's Bergamo have COVID-19 antibodies https://t.co/Px06rRqOvP pic.twitter.com/GPqCkHmx2c
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 9, 2020

Vietnam plans to resume flights to some virus-free countries https://t.co/ZsE9uc8AoS pic.twitter.com/3Sk9p0ex7q
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 9, 2020

South Africa's president says he is worried over the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases and says his country is racing to prepare for increased hospitalizations and deaths. https://t.co/eal7RX42ZU
— AP Africa (@AP_Africa) June 8, 2020

In an ominous sign, countries with millions of poor people and shaky health care systems are easing their coronavirus lockdowns even as their outbreaks are still raging. https://t.co/neLRSxORoX
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) June 9, 2020

Mexico reports nearly 3,000 new coronavirus cases, total infections at 120,000 https://t.co/hht0mDebVR pic.twitter.com/Wa3XUP11Vw
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 9, 2020

Coronavirus: New Zealand cuts research in Antarctica to keep it virus free https://t.co/RMiCKupttv
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) June 9, 2020

Test developed in the UK now confirms #COVID19-linked syndrome that triggers rare Kawasaki-like symptoms in children. Newly emerged condition is called pediatric inflammatory multi-system syndrome. A few months ago it didn't exist. Condition can be fatal https://t.co/oWTqzYbxTZ pic.twitter.com/Q07PjdJwaQ
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) June 8, 2020

The novel coronavirus might have been spreading in China as early as August 2019, according to Harvard research based on satellite images of hospital travel patterns and search engine data https://t.co/SXsxYVH3Ny pic.twitter.com/Ux08aHixMn
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 9, 2020

A new mother had to wait 55 days to meet her baby because she kept testing positive for #Covid19. Testing recovered patients by PCR isn't giving us the information we need about when people who've had covid stop being infectious. https://t.co/ECbbUCcZpa
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) June 8, 2020

MUST READ analysis of the U.S. "Warp-Speed" #COVID19 #vaccine effort, warns that rushing may be dangerous and: "An effective vaccine that is too complex to make in bulk, or is difficult to formulate, is highly unstable without
refrigeration or freezing, is challenging…"
MORE
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) June 7, 2020

3/
"…are best tackled by the melding of minds irrespective of wherever the bodies are geographically located. Will this happen? We hope so, but fear it may not."
From John Moore @WeillCornell @GaviSeth @sciencecohen @greg_folkers https://t.co/s8pkdinBMk
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) June 7, 2020

This is the kind of nightmare I’m talking about:https://t.co/H0JXYPR22H
— Dx Mx (@venivelovici) June 8, 2020

What an interesting rabbit hole to take a tumble into: When do epidemiologists expect to be able to resume activities we used to take for granted. #Covid19 https://t.co/HpWlYCCwmn
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) June 8, 2020

“I don’t know if it’s ever going to be like it was." New York City gradually began reopening Monday in a turning point in the three-month-long pandemic crisis and an important test of the city’s discipline. https://t.co/4cV6J2xHnW
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 8, 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Monday/Tuesday, June 8-9Post + Comments (27)

The Fire This Time: Programming Notes

by Anne Laurie| May 30, 20206:11 pm| 60 Comments

This post is in: Civil Rights, Racial Justice, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

Tomorrow evening:

On Sunday, May 31st at 8pmET, @donlemon will host a two-hour special taking a hard look at the violence and racism faced by black people in the United States today. pic.twitter.com/Ml8mNmWIoT
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) May 29, 2020

Next month:

Let's turn our mourning into movement! Plan now to join us for June 20th Mass Poor People's Assembly & Moral March on Washington: Digital Justice Gathering. RSVP now & invite 20 friends to join you: https://t.co/QvSXvLXybx
— Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II (@RevDrBarber) May 28, 2020

The Fire *This* Time: Programming NotesPost + Comments (60)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Sunday/Monday, May 24-25

by Anne Laurie| May 25, 20204:55 am| 22 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

What is Japan’s secret? If only they’d tell us pic.twitter.com/2ON39IeSG1
— Pinboard (@Pinboard) May 25, 2020

Follow live updates: https://t.co/GG1FaUfHEk and subscribe to our newsletter: https://t.co/fDq9xEDP89 pic.twitter.com/pkmiZrPMSs
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 24, 2020

I'm having trouble squaring polls showing 80% of Americans wear and support the wearing of masks with what I actually see on the ground, which has never been anywhere near that level.
I know there are gonna be selection effects especially in large crowds, but man…
— Zachary Binney, PhD (@zbinney_NFLinj) May 25, 2020

Oh there's a massive selection effect for sure.
— Zachary Binney, PhD (@zbinney_NFLinj) May 25, 2020

That the majority of people in the US have so rapidly changed their behaviors in such a short time is a HUGE story. There will always be refusers. Don’t give them attention. Talk about how many *are* wearing masks (by @aedwardslevy). Social influence is *powerful*… pic.twitter.com/1jg0lamGj3
— Elaine Hernandez (@e_hernandez8) May 23, 2020

Its U.S. spread may have started mainly in the coastal cities, but #Covid19 is spreading to the heartland. https://t.co/ZiR2o8WKNZ
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) May 24, 2020

(This is very much a “Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You” situation; rural counties, desperate for funding & jobs, leapt at the chance to permit penitentiaries and meat-packing plants rejected by more urbanized areas with better financial options… and the prisons / plants were happy to base themselves in areas where fewer residents and cash-strapped local officials were less likely to complain about shoddy standards. But those same rural counties still don’t have the funds, or the personnel, to fight a pandemic — and the big corporations responsible for the ‘hotspots’ have damned little incentive to help out.)

A lot of people in the US are wondering if they got the coronavirus in January. @rachgutman answers that question in a thoroughly reported piece that instead of shooting for easy answers, does the much harder task of delineating uncertainty. https://t.co/mAHpBQBZGa
— Ed Yong (@edyong209) May 23, 2020

New study finds Covid19 patients are no longer infectious after 11 days of getting sick even though some may still test positive. The data from Singapore adds to a growing body of evidence showing people don’t transmit the infection once they’re recovered. https://t.co/adRCousXYa
— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) May 24, 2020

Public health officials say robust testing for the coronavirus is essential to safely lifting stay-at-home orders and business closures, but states are creating confusion in the way they are reporting the data. By @MRSmithAP https://t.co/vJLHjKFhU6
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 24, 2020

The @US_FDA blocked ongoing use of SCAN, a #COVID19 test that's been key to analyzing Seattle's epidemic. People self-swab & send it in. #FDA says self-testing is unreliable. Tell that to pregnant women & HIV+ folks who learned their status w/home tests.https://t.co/3pmlWbcVM2
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) May 24, 2020

BREAKING: The U.S. will restrict the entry of non-U.S. citizens traveling from Brazil, where coronavirus cases are spiking https://t.co/0P1bDzY7cP
— Bloomberg (@business) May 24, 2020

May 24, pandemic watch
The big 5 (BRIM-US)
Brazil's horrifying trajectory, within days of overtaking the US as leading daily toll of cases & deaths
Still no travel ban, watching this dramatic rise > 3 wks
Persistent ascent in cases and/or fatalities in Mexico, India and Russia pic.twitter.com/4ZWWZj9OIF
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 24, 2020

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Qatar virus contact tracing app stirs rare privacy backlash and forces officials to offer reassurance and concessionshttps://t.co/w0yZMUNA0D
📸 Karim Jaafar pic.twitter.com/6DvWc0dIQU
— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 25, 2020

… The apps use Bluetooth radio signals to “ping” nearby devices, which can be contacted subsequently if a user they have been near develops symptoms or tests positive, but the resultant unprecedented access to users’ location data has prompted fears about state surveillance.
Qatar’s version goes considerably further — it forces Android users to permit access to their picture and video galleries, while also allowing the app to make unprompted calls.
“I can’t understand why it needs all these permissions,” wrote Ala’a on a Facebook group popular with Doha’s large expat community — one of several such forums peppered with concerns over the app…
The government launched the “Ehteraz” app, meaning “precaution”, in April and on Friday it became mandatory for all citizens and legal residents to install it on their phones.
Non-compliance is punishable by up to three years in jail — the same term as for failing to wear a mask in public — in a state battling one of the world’s highest per capita infection rates…

As #SARSCoV2 resurges in China doctors say it's different: incubation time is longer, & patients remain infectious after recovery. This might force changes in China's #COVID19 control strategies. Caveat: they offer no genetic info that could support the idea of a changed virus. https://t.co/KKuwi2zDih
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) May 24, 2020

should be clear here: the message is that japan is a mysterious outlier, not that "no one knows what works against the virus." if nothing else, one common element in good responses: acting fast https://t.co/7yfozB5xWy
— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) May 25, 2020

… An early grassroots response to rising infections was crucial. While the central government has been criticized for its slow policy steps, experts praise the role of Japan’s contact tracers, which swung into action after the first infections were found in January. The fast response was enabled by one of Japan’s inbuilt advantages — its public health centers, which in 2018 employed more than half of 50,000 public health nurses who are experienced in infection tracing. In normal times, these nurses would be tracking down more common infections such as influenza and tuberculosis…
While countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. are just beginning to hire and train contact tracers as they attempt to reopen their economies, Japan has been tracking the movement of the disease since the first handful of cases were found. These local experts focused on tackling so-called clusters, or groups of infections from a single location such as clubs or hospitals, to contain cases before they got out of control.
“Many people say we don’t have a Centers for Disease Control in Japan,” said Yoko Tsukamoto, a professor of infection control at the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, citing a frequently held complaint about Japan’s infection management. “But the public health center is a kind of local CDC.”
The early response was also boosted by an unlikely happening. Japan’s battle with the virus first came to mainstream international attention with its much-criticized response to the Diamond Princess cruise ship in February that led to hundreds of infections. Still, the experience of the ship is credited with providing Japanese experts with invaluable data early in the crisis on how the virus spread, as well as catapulting it into the public consciousness.
Other countries still saw the virus as someone else’s problem, said Tanaka. But in Japan, the international scrutiny over the infections onboard and the pace at which the virus raced throughout the ship raised awareness and recognition that the same can happen across the country, he said. “For Japan, it was like having a burning car right outside your house.”

For a deep dive into how South Korea is actually performing its contact tracing (sans apps), read this. https://t.co/nwz5HWvN5j
— Mark Zastrow (@MarkZastrow) May 25, 2020

India among 10 worst-hit COVID-19 nations as cases jump; air travel reopens https://t.co/rAkoly2sxb pic.twitter.com/Ayu1Vpbuct
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 25, 2020

More patients than beds in Mumbai as India faces surge in virus cases https://t.co/yhmHozv2YS pic.twitter.com/NyS3nqaXLD
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 25, 2020

Russia's coronavirus infections pass 350,000 https://t.co/4CzJsoogtT pic.twitter.com/QVE5RHupT2
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 25, 2020

Today’s Russian papers are predicting a major economic crisis post-pandemic. One paper warns of “a wave of bankruptcies”. Another: “It looks like the end for small businesses and the middle class.” #ReadingRussia @BBCNews @BBCWorld pic.twitter.com/DWqjAtFWWO
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) May 25, 2020

Let's check in with Sweden, the Control Group. How are they doing? pic.twitter.com/9HuvdWP07n
— #TestAndTrace Smith 🐇 (@Noahpinion) May 25, 2020

Meanwhile, fewer than 8% of people in Stockholm have been infected, so herd immunity is not close to being achieved.https://t.co/TQYAcM2QrC
— #TestAndTrace Smith 🐇 (@Noahpinion) May 25, 2020

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 289 to 178,570: RKI https://t.co/DjX9ln4qSS pic.twitter.com/bNKh8ZnNve
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 25, 2020

“As a result, this nation of 16 million people has had only 30 deaths.
Each death has been acknowledged individually by the government, & condolences paid to the family.
You can afford to see each death as a person when the numbers are at this level.” https://t.co/oHbSMpPh2X
— Dr. Oni Blackstock (@DrOniBee) May 22, 2020

South African president warns coronavirus outbreak will get much worse, as he announces lockdown measures are to be eased https://t.co/Hn98euriIh
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 24, 2020

The world's deepest gold mine closes after an outbreak of coronavirus among workershttps://t.co/ewnEEr3LLV
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 24, 2020

Coronavirus: Chile's president says healthcare system 'very close to the limit' https://t.co/xaPChyB28K
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 25, 2020

National parks hope visitors comply with virus measures https://t.co/Y8itONIKs8 via @medical_xpress
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) May 25, 2020

The winner of this year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is still waiting to return to his home in Norway. Thomas Waerner and his 16 dogs have been stranded in Alaska by travel restrictions and flight cancellations caused by the coronavirus pandemic. https://t.co/iFttfKyVxC
— AP West Region (@APWestRegion) May 25, 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Sunday/Monday, May 24-25Post + Comments (22)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Saturday / Sunday, May 23-24

by Anne Laurie| May 24, 20203:49 am| 49 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

pic.twitter.com/iz5EZLRjWY
— Your Rideshare Driver (@ride_trips) May 22, 2020

Sunday's entire @nytimes front page is a partial list of Covid-19 victims. "The 1,000 people here reflect just 1% of the toll. None were mere numbers." pic.twitter.com/oh86xAUdRL
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 23, 2020

Coronavirus testing in the United States is disorganized and needs coordination at the national level, infectious disease experts say in a new report https://t.co/4qwvbyQWQA
— CNN (@CNN) May 24, 2020

#Coronavirus cases pass 5.25 million worldwide https://t.co/Mjx9nHehgl
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) May 23, 2020

#UPDATE In Europe the number of #COVID-19 victims was stabilising in many countries, prompting governments to move away from lockdowns towards lighter social distancing measures – even as the virus toll was rising in Latin Americahttps://t.co/Zz6rHVb3Kg pic.twitter.com/9BzdI5mfiB
— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 23, 2020

May 23, pandemic watch
The big 5 (BRIM-US)
The tragedy in Brazil is unchecked, very soon to be #1 in cases and deaths/day
Still no travel ban ????->????, which is incredible.
The other 3 countries are still ascending.
The US being part of this group speaks volumes. pic.twitter.com/ptGGsxmAn6
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 23, 2020

"Swaminathan, chief scientist @WHO, believes an
optimistic scenario is a #vaccine produced in the 'tens of millions' next year…mainly distr'ed to hlthcare workrs & far larger volumes in 2022. To inoculate the world & defeat #Covid19 cld take 4 to 5 yrs."https://t.co/fs0I8RFNBi
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) May 23, 2020

🆕The WHO has published a #COVID19 Monitoring & Evaluation Framework listing the key #publichealth & essential #health services & systems indicators to monitor preparedness, response & situations during the COVID-19 #pandemic. #BeatTheVirus #TogetherWeCan https://t.co/CWPGHic1ja pic.twitter.com/rDedMqaDVo
— Dr. Melvin Sanicas 🩺🔬 (@Vaccinologist) May 23, 2020

Re 1) above –A recent article @NEJM showing almost 50% drop in hospitalizations from heart attacks https://t.co/ZBRtOlmrO9
Similar other reports exist from US, Italy and Spain. Shows changes in healthcare seeking behavior due to pandemic. Secondary costs of pandemic.
— Dr. Nahid Bhadelia (@BhadeliaMD) May 23, 2020

What have we learned from autopsies of patients who have died from #COVID19?
A lot.
My summary of > 200 from 10 reports
The prominence of clot, vascular micro-thrombi, involvement of organs besides lungs, especially heart and kidneys, possible/? unique features in lung pic.twitter.com/JPDiRauBV9
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 23, 2020

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Placentas from #COVID19-positive pregnant women show signs of injury, mostly abnormal blood flow between the mother & fetus The finding points to a new COVID complication & could help inform how pregnant women are monitored during the pandemic https://t.co/C7UULLQt7M pic.twitter.com/m7WtFkV20p
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) May 22, 2020

NEW hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine study with 96,032 coronavirus patients from 671 hospitals across six continents (!!!) finds exactly what everyone should expect by now:
– no benefit
– cardiac toxicity
– decreased in-hospital survivalhttps://t.co/f8L6ExaQ7L
— Nsikan Akpan (@MoNscience) May 22, 2020

2/ NY State set criteria for reopening all schools and businesses a few weeks ago, and all trends point toward a late June or early July achievement of targets for cessation of most, if not all, #COVID19 #lockdown requirements, after 9 weeks (so far) of collective hardship.
MORE pic.twitter.com/VzKDLhBm55
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) May 23, 2020

More than 160 contenders in the race for a COVID-19 vaccine @AFP pic.twitter.com/QkjtC4R1dA
— AFPgraphics (@AFPgraphics) May 22, 2020

This is the kind of screwball mistake you expect from a 1st year public health grad student, not what is supposed to be the world's premier disease-fighting institution.
C.D.C. Test Counting Error Leaves Epidemiologists ‘Really Baffled’#COVID19 @CDCgov https://t.co/hYDEE5ojRw
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) May 24, 2020

The @CDCgov + 11 states mix results from #SARSCoV2 antibody tests and tests that measure viral mRNA. But Ab tests measure whether you have ever been exposed to the virus, while RNA tests tell if you have the virus right now. HUGE apples-&-oranges screw-up.https://t.co/b78lW1dfNn
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) May 24, 2020

Someone compared remdesivir’s effect on coronavirus to that of tamiflu on influenza, and there’s new evidence to support that hypothesis:

Antiviral drug remdesivir effective against #coronavirus according completed research on the drug: 1000 patients; 10 countries. Published in New Engl Jrnl of Medicine. Given by IV for 10 days, drug accelerated recovery of COVID patients compared w/ placebo https://t.co/BWnFzHRdmz pic.twitter.com/yaIeixkPbr
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) May 23, 2020

Muslims around the world begin marking a sombre Eid al-Fitr, many under #coronavirus lockdown, but lax restrictions offer respite to worshippers in some countries despite fears of skyrocketing infections https://t.co/8KrcNJdeI6 pic.twitter.com/Ek55yQc2Cq
— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 24, 2020

China reports three new coronavirus cases after first day with none https://t.co/l8RPUPP7Dl pic.twitter.com/pYtHz1gqDd
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 24, 2020

India will organise special trains to get at least 3.6 million migrant workers stranded by the pandemic lockdown back home, authorities said Saturday as fresh coronavirus cases in the country hit a new daily high @AFP https://t.co/VjRPHwMcHO via @YahooNews
— AFP South Asia (@AFPSouthAsia) May 23, 2020

Coronavirus: Why reopening French schools is a social emergency https://t.co/colF4zL8Ei
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 24, 2020

Dozens of anti #COVID-19 lockdown demos were held across Germany, part of a growing movement that includes conspiracy theorists, extremists, anti-vaxxers and people concerned about a curtailment of civil libertieshttps://t.co/A8dOsVoC8p pic.twitter.com/dP7UBThHGm
— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 23, 2020

Spain's far-right party Vox called for large demos as its leader alleged the country's leftist government "has been incapable of protecting its people, its elderly and its health care workers" during the #coronavirus crisis https://t.co/Uh3Zwpjf4c pic.twitter.com/OfrOdG9Lcf
— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 23, 2020

ICYMI: Sun-seekers in Greece returned to the beaches with umbrellas placed four meters apart practicing social distancing pic.twitter.com/0rM4uSejgF
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 24, 2020

Citing a threat of the coronavirus from Mexico, the Trump administration banned hundreds of thousands of people from crossing the southern border. But in Mexican border cities, many are worried about the disease coming in from the other direction. https://t.co/isp2Gmsurk
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 23, 2020

Rest of World🌍 to America🇺🇸: Terrific, more for us!
New U.S. poll: "50% of respondents said they plan to get vaccinated for the virus, 'if and when a #coronavirus #vaccine becomes available,' 23% said they won't get vaccinated & 27% said not sure."https://t.co/KpGq4uPmNI
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) May 23, 2020

Anatomy of a shitshow. https://t.co/ggAZQs15oZ
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) May 23, 2020

Trump has not budged when it comes to stopping flights from Brazil, now the second-leading country in the world for #coronavirus cases. So many people are dying of COVID in Brazil, there aren't enough gravediggers to bury the dead https://t.co/7DZatakDOl
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) May 23, 2020

Every big industry's proposal to how to fire things back up despite the lack of any meaningful management of the pandemic is just the first act of a slightly different horror movie. https://t.co/7IpUM3ARhp
— David Roth (@david_j_roth) May 23, 2020

Florida man, at his finest. (From the photo, he fits each mask with a proper respirator — I wondered how anyone could breathe through a tanned snakeskin… )

"I took something that's very serious and turned it into a fashion statement," says the Florida craftsman who makes face masks to tackle the #coronavirus pandemic out of the skin of invasive pythons and iguanashttps://t.co/8bHS3jK4Ef pic.twitter.com/e1C9sX8zjs
— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 23, 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update: Saturday / Sunday, May 23-24Post + Comments (49)

Our New Pandemic Reality: ‘Harm Mitigation’

by Anne Laurie| May 14, 20206:00 pm| 216 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Excellent Links, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You, World's Best Healthcare (If You Can Afford It)

Coronavirus may never go away, World Health Organization warns https://t.co/Jofa7T8PIS
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 13, 2020

Emergency physician & former Baltimore health commissioner Leana Wen, in the Washington Post — “We’re retreating to a new strategy on covid-19. Let’s call it what it is”:

… At the beginning of the outbreak, the United States had a chance to contain the novel virus by identifying each person bringing the infection into the country and stopping it before it spread in the community. We failed, with a lack of testing largely to blame. Instead of individual-level containment, which would have had minimal effect on the economy, we had to employ societal-level lockdowns to slow the explosive spread of the virus and buy us time until we developed the capacity to rein it in. The idea was that restrictions would be lifted once we reduced the number of infections far enough and built up the public health infrastructure needed to find new positive cases, trace contacts and quarantine those exposed.
Unfortunately, due to a late start, inconsistent state actions and a lack of federal direction, most states have yet to see a consistent decline in cases, much less reduced them to low enough levels for this to work. No state has achieved sufficient testing and contact tracing. Reopening under these circumstances means we are giving up on containing covid-19.
What’s next, then? The administration has yet to use these words, but it appears that we’re adopting a strategy that I recognize from other aspects of public health: harm reduction.
Harm reduction was initially developed as a public health approach to reduce the negative consequences of drug use. It recognizes that while stopping drug use is the desired outcome, many people won’t be able to do that. For those individuals, needle-exchange programs can reduce their risk of acquiring HIV and hepatitis and transmitting these infections to others. Such programs do not promote or condone drug use, as some critics contend. Rather, they face the reality that if a behavior with harmful consequences is going to happen regardless, steps should be taken to reduce the risk for both individuals and others around them. Think, too, of safe-sex campaigns, or motorcycle helmet laws.
And this seems to me where we are with covid-19: We’re no longer trying to eliminate the virus. Instead, we are accepting that Americans will have to live with it.
If that’s the case, then our efforts should pivot from justifying why reopening is a good idea to figuring out how best to reduce the harm it is certain to cause. If employees have to go to work, let’s at least come up with evidence-based practices that help them do so more safely. Should workplaces all get regular deep cleaning, close off any communal areas and meet new standards for ventilation? Can employees be mandated to wear masks, work six feet apart and keep a contact diary?
We know that covid-19 is most likely to be transmitted when a lot of people are in an enclosed area for a prolonged period. I would not have advised that hair salons and gyms open for business, but since they have in some states, we should aim to stop the highest-risk practices — prolonged treatments and crowded indoor fitness classes, for example. If people are going to get together in large groups despite the danger, we should at least advise that they do so outdoors, for shorter periods of time, and avoid practices with a higher likelihood of disease transmission, like sharing utensils and group contact sports…
I wish the United States had taken a different path. We could have contained the virus earlier, and we still had a chance to do it until we reopened against the guidance of public health experts — including the Trump administration’s own top doctors. But now that we are where we are, we should at least be honest and call our new strategy what it is. It’s our best hope left for saving lives.

Our New Pandemic Reality: ‘Harm Mitigation’Post + Comments (216)

Yes we did.

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We Survived Breitbartpocalypse!

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Our New Pandemic Reality: ‘Harm Mitigation’