News for October 14 — COVID-19 Long-haulers May Have PTSD

Update on unusual COVID-19 symptoms: https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/unusual-coronavirus-symptoms.html .

COVID-19 long-haulers may have PTSD: https://www.uclahealth.org/brain-fog-following-covid-19-recovery-may-indicate-ptsd . This isn’t exactly good news, but it may identify more effective treatments for some patients.

COVID-19 transmission risks low in day care centers: https://www.wsj.com/articles/daycare-centers-are-very-low-risk-for-covid-19-transmission-study-says-11602699914 .

COVID-19 vaccine race hits detours: https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/race-for-coronavirus-cure-hits-reality-as-clinic-complications-mount-120101401517_1.html .

COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment is a distribution nightmare: https://www.wired.com/story/trumps-miracle-cure-for-covid-is-a-logistical-nightmare/?mbid=social_tw_backchannel&utm_brand=wired&utm_medium=social&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=twitter . The supply cannot meet the demand. Eligibility is a huge issue. Cost is a huge issue. Rapid, accurate testing is a huge issue. Priorities and distribution are therefore huge issues.

COVID-19 feeds on institutional racism: https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/nation/2020/10/12/covid-segregation-killing-black-americans-new-jersey/5798587002/ .

Childhood obesity expected to jump: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/10/14/childrens-obesity-study-covid-fuels-eating-disorders-family-stress/5921953002/ .

Barron Trump has COVID-19 but is asymptomatic: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/10/14/melania-trump-says-son-barron-trump-tested-positive-covid-19/3656978001/ . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/barron-trump-president-s-youngest-child-tested-positive-for-covid-19-earlier-this-month-11602707651 .

WSJ: Wisconsin judge blocks governor’s order: https://www.wsj.com/articles/wisconsin-judge-temporarily-blocks-state-order-on-taverns-as-new-covid-19-cases-hit-record-11602694146 . Wisconsin COVID-19 cases are at record levels. Wisconsin has opened a field hospital: https://madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/field-hospital-for-wisconsin-covid-19-patients-opens-doors-as-inpatients-top-1-000/article_b5485f75-e939-5a67-8985-b4a6a73b7cf4.html .

White House hears herd immunity proposal: https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/520998-proposal-to-let-coronavirus-spread-naturally . Nuts run amok. Science is hardly a parlor game. And where did the 217,000 already dead fit into the presentation?

WSJ: GOP flounders in the healthcare arena: https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-supreme-court-case-on-affordable-care-act-looms-gop-divided-on-howand-whetherto-replace-it-11602676800 . Do GOP senators actually do anything?

The current US surge is a red-state phenomenon and closely follows the COVID-19 spread in Brazil: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2020/10/08/as-election-day-nears-covid-19-spreads-further-into-red-america/ (link replaced 11/29/20; original article in Washington Post). Sigh. And Bolsonaro is Little Trump. Denial has a price.

COVID-19 spike hammers rural Kansas county: https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-kansas-topeka-nursing-homes-00de6eb9b6733a7a97207aff2572434f .

Legionnaire’s disease returns: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/14/legionella-water-killing-americans-pandemic . Outbreaks have been in nursing homes (awful). But buildings that have been shut present this risk on reopening (also awful).

WSJ: Europe sees COVID-19 cases surge: https://www.wsj.com/articles/europe-overtakes-u-s-in-new-cases-of-covid-as-restrictions-tighten-11602669748 .

WSJ: Russia approves second vaccine: https://www.wsj.com/articles/second-covid-19-vaccine-approved-by-russia-11602704585 . What, me worry?

WSJ: Indonesia may approve Chinese vaccines: https://www.wsj.com/articles/indonesia-weighs-approving-chinese-covid-19-vaccines-for-emergency-use-11602686735 . Indonesia previously announced a deal for Sinovac vaccines.

Update on Qingdao: 4.2 million tests, no new cases: https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-india-china-asia-f8f4b7fe824dac5103969c36f94910a2 .

WSJ: China to students: Hey, shoot this up!: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-firm-gives-experimental-covid-vaccines-to-students-11602689538 .

Surprising eye facts: https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/10-eye-facts.html .

School ventilation: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/coronavirus-covid-19-press-conference-with-joseph-allen-09-02-20/ .

WSJ: Global round-up: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-latest-updates-10-14-2020-11602663471 .

WSJ: The data lessons from COVID-19: https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-cios-can-learn-from-the-race-to-understand-covid-19-data-11602717297 . I don’t disagree with Mr. Patil, but these are not the data lessons I would suggest. (1) There should have been a national standard, which acted as a minimum. (2) Ask at the front end, what could anyone want to know about risk factors, and revise the answer continuously. (3) Provide your insights back to the people in charge of the national standard. Ethnicity and co-morbidity data should have been collected from the start.

WSJ: AMC running out of cash: https://www.wsj.com/articles/theater-chain-amc-says-it-could-run-out-of-cash-by-year-end-11602593301 . As the end of the year is 2½ months away and major film openings have been deferred until 2021, this doesn’t look good for AMC.

The Trump campaign almost ran out of cash: https://usanewssite.com/news/trumps-campaign-nearly-went-broke-for-the-2020-home-stretch-amid-brad-parscales-200-million-budgeting-misfire-republicans-tell-insider/ .

WSJ: Voting follies continue: https://www.wsj.com/articles/court-extends-virginias-voter-registration-deadline-11602691157 .

WSJ: Early voting in Texas crushes records: https://www.wsj.com/articles/early-voting-in-texas-breaks-records-11602695848 .

WSJ: City property: https://www.wsj.com/articles/abandoned-city-offices-are-still-a-safer-property-bet-11602666730 . Not really. Remote work is here to stay. Many building owners are highly leveraged, so there is downward pressure on rents. Oh, and commuting sucks. It still seems likely that some of these buildings will convert to residential use.

WSJ: Snowbirds have to fly to avoid freezing: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-strands-canadian-snowbirds-winter-travel-florida-11602691585 .

WSJ: UnitedHealth: Service utilization returning to normal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/unitedhealth-profit-declines-reflecting-return-to-more-usual-health-care-levels-11602691639 .

WSJ: Chicken with all the fixin’s: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pilgrim-s-pride-reaches-plea-agreement-with-justice-department-on-chicken-price-fixing-allegations-11602649655 . The gravy train may be coming to an end.

WSJ: Wells Fargo fires corrupt employees: https://www.wsj.com/articles/wells-fargo-fires-employees-who-applied-for-sba-pandemic-loans-11602717075 . This violated the bank’s policy that corruption among employees must be solely for the bank’s benefit.

WSJ: Data management deal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/aws-cohesity-announce-partnership-aimed-at-tackling-data-silos-11602669600 .

WSJ: The Trump economy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-economic-record-is-divided-before-covid-and-after-11602684180 . Um, this view is not mine. The only major economic action of the Trump enterprise has been the reverse-Robin-Hood tax cut. The indiscriminate slashing of government regulation will need to be reversed relatively soon to save the planet.

WSJ: Fed continues support for additional relief package: https://www.wsj.com/articles/feds-clarida-says-continuing-support-will-be-needed-to-sustain-recovery-11602680446 .

WSJ: Fed continues market support: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fed-official-wonders-whether-treasury-market-can-handle-massive-issuance-alone-11602713864 . The level of babbling in this article is rather disturbing. Of course Fed bond purchases support the market. What that means is keeping interest rates low and bond prices high. With interest rates near zero, there is little additional stimulus available. So the key issue becomes, what does it mean for the Treasury to issue debt and the Fed to purchase it? Who is the market-maker?

WSJ: Hopes for stimulus continue to dim: https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stock-markets-dow-update-10-14-2020-11602666990 . WSJ: Negotiation status: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pelosi-mnuchin-disagree-on-coronavirus-testing-continue-stimulus-talks-11602693608 .

WSJ: Global public debt roughly equal to annual global GDP: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pandemic-response-will-drive-up-global-public-debt-to-a-record-imf-says-11602676800 .

WSJ: Apple hoping for 5G bump in China: https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-counts-on-5g-to-boost-iphone-fortunes-in-china-11602680984 .

WSJ: Chinese banks’ IPO windfall: https://www.wsj.com/articles/an-unpopular-ipo-rule-hands-chinese-banks-big-windfalls-11602668134 .

WSJ: Another effect of a state-planned economy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/australia-worries-coal-is-chinas-next-target-as-ties-fray-11602665386 .

WSJ: United pulls in its wings: https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-airlines-hunkers-down-for-long-air-travel-drought-11602710121 .

WSJ: Asian travel bubbles deflate: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-travel-bubbles-were-set-to-restore-flying-but-havent-taken-off-11602676868 .

WSJ: Google: Friend and foe: https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-a-longtime-ally-of-travel-sites-is-now-a-powerful-rival-11602671340 .

WSJ: Update on record early voting: https://www.wsj.com/articles/mail-balloting-is-fueling-historic-early-voting-in-the-2020-election-11602591220 .

WSJ: COVID-19 meets international soccer: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-cristiano-ronaldo-and-the-risks-of-international-soccer-11602669601 .

WSJ: COVID-19 meets the SEC: https://www.wsj.com/articles/alabama-coach-nick-saban-tests-positive-for-covid-19-as-virus-disrupts-sec-11602719304 .

Saturday church in jeopardy: https://www.gainesville.com/story/football/2020/10/13/florida-football-team-reports-5-new-covid-19-cases/3641187001/ . The coach insists he wants 90,000 fans in the stadium: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/oct/12/florida-gators-coach-dan-mullen-full-stadium-fans-the-swamp-covid-19 . Hey, it’s “The Swamp”, okay?

Mario Molina: A life well lived: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/12/mario-molina-obituary . “Saved the planet” is a pretty good result. A Nobel Prize ain’t bad either.

Survival of the friendliest: https://www.popsci.com/story/science/survival-of-the-friendliest/ . There are a couple of serious points here worth some reflection. “Fittest” does not just mean physical fitness. Friendliness can devolve into tribalism, which by the way has been identified as a key distinguisher between Republicans and Democrats: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/10/the-threat-of-tribalism/568342/ . (There is a ton of American political research on this topic.)