US: States scrambling as cases surge: https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/19/health/us-coronavirus-sunday/index.html .
AP: Global round-up: https://apnews.com/article/3f595fc278431a2e6c5b165d8b468a4c .
Florida: 49 hospitals have no ICU beds available: https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-07-19-20-intl/h_4568646d74f57c7a13f0215b05bb0054 .
Sunday talk shows: Best today was Meet the Press: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKGFz-ZCRSM . So if you don’t have time for the entire show, I recommend the segment starting at 7 minutes in. Dr. Frances Collins is the director of NIH (so technically Dr. Fauci’s boss) and on the Coronavirus Task Force. We rarely see him, which is too bad based on the sensible things he had to say.
Opinion from an eminent expert: https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/13/opinions/herd-immunity-covid-19-uncomfortable-reality-haseltine/index.html . Hate to disagree, but there is herd immunity: a vaccine. And yes, as noted here before, the virus may mutate and reappear, and that may create the need for annual (more accurately periodic) vaccines. But also obviously (in my view), the virus’ opportunity to mutate is reduced when the virus load in the population is reduced, and that’s achieved by global vaccination. Furthermore, the development of multiple vaccines (and production facilities) at this time increases the ability to rapidly respond to a mutated version of COVID-19. I am also hopeful that the COVID-19 vaccine development experience (including the virus’ suppression in China) will help us with other viruses, for example influenza.
CDC modifies quarantine guidelines: https://www.eatthis.com/covid-quarantine-cdc/ (link replaced 7/22/21). The key question here is how long people shed virus; early research was shedding up to 23 days.
CDC wellness tips: https://bestlifeonline.com/covid-safety-tips-cdc/ (link replaced 7/22/21).
More on the infectious nature of the COVID-19 strains: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/second-coronavirus-strain-may-be-more-infectious-but-some-scientists-are-skeptical/ . Earlier research indicated that the G strain had a more stable spike protein, which is the mechanism by which the virus invades cells; that doesn’t seem to be discussed here.
Challenge trials for Oxford vaccine?: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/jul/16/coronavirus-vaccine-oxford-team-volunteers-lab-controlled-human-challenge-trial . As previously discussed, challenge trials are typically done only when a rescue therapy exists, which is not the case for COVID-19. And if someone should die in a challenge trial, the researchers will be subject to increased ethical criticism.
Postponement of breast cancer care: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/breast-cancer-care-troubling-casualty-covid-19-pandemic/story?id=71864103 (link replaced 7/22/21). More details on the problem of deferral of care.
More on the next relief bill: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-administration-pushing-to-block-new-money-for-testing-tracing-and-cdc-in-upcoming-coronavirus-relief-bill/ar-BB16UnyK?ocid=msedgdhp . As you know, my long-held view is that the central failure in the US is inadequate testing in order to effectively implement contact tracing and isolation. That need persists even though we’ve currently lost control of the virus. I continue to not understand the political advantage in resisting this reality.
Market analysis: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/sp-500-stocks-post-their-biggest-gains-when-company-earnings-make-this-move-2020-07-17 (link updated 11/23/20). The data’s right and the analysis is a reasonable interpretation of the data. But the question is, Is this a Black Swan event?
Sweden: Do open schools spread virus?: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-sweden-schools/swedens-health-agency-says-open-schools-did-not-spur-pandemic-spread-among-children-idUSKCN24G2IS . But: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/05/how-sweden-wasted-rare-opportunity-study-coronavirus-schools . Data, DaTa, DATA …
Mexico: A longer road to recovery: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-18/mexico-finance-minister-says-recovery-to-take-longer-on-covid (link replaced 7/22/21). A very competent viewpoint.
Update from Thailand: Still good: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/world/asia/coronavirus-thailand-photos.html .
Sports: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-japan-sumo/face-masked-fans-attend-first-day-of-sumo-in-five-months-idUSKCN24K0FD . A worthy alternative to golf re-runs (or even golf).
Five of these were news to me, including New York Life: https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/19/us/us-slavery-connections-trnd/index.html .
COVID-19 language humor/wit: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/07/20/lexicon-for-a-pandemic .
An inspiring life: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-18/mexico-finance-minister-says-recovery-to-take-longer-on-covid (link replaced 7/22/21). There are heroes among us. In this attention-deficit Twitterverse in which we live, we must never forget.