COVID bubbles: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/11/pandemic-pod-bubble-concept-creep/617207/ . Unfortunately, the COVID bubble can burst fairly easily. The relative lack of surface transmission does make the concept more workable than was thought early on in the pandemic.
Viral shedding primer: https://www.deseret.com/u-s-world/2020/12/2/21718978/covid-19-viral-shedding-spread-pandemic-symptoms-cdc-data .
Anti-virus research pathways broaden: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2020-12-02/coronavirus-pandemic-boosting-anti-virus-research-around-the-world .
WSJ: COVID-19 testing “guidelines”: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-should-i-get-a-test-11595524771 . I just “love it” when a WSJ Q&A has lots of A’s starting with “it depends”. Not.
WSJ: Pharmacy chains vaccinating nursing homes: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cvs-walgreens-gear-up-to-deliver-covid-19-vaccines-to-nursing-homes-11606921201 .
Feds project 100 million vaccinations, 450,000 deaths by February 1: https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2020-12-02/federal-officials-project-100-million-vaccinated-450-000-dead-in-us-by-february . Sadly, the death projection is more likely than the vaccination projection. If we begin vaccinations December 14, it’s seven weeks to February 1. The US would have to average over 2 million vaccinations a day, and this period includes the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Hope we make it, but I’m skeptical. Update: The article does assign “end of February” to the vaccination count, so this math is off. I would still have questioned the February 28 date, but in any event 11 days later the fellow making this prediction revised it to end of March.
US exceeds 100,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-hospitalizations-top-100000-united-states/ . Obviously, facility and staff stress is increasing.
Rural hospital stress: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/02/coronavirus-surge-devastating-rural-america .
California daily cases explode to over 20,000: https://deadline.com/2020/12/california-coronavirus-daily-case-record-newsom-issuing-shutdown-order-1234636607/ . Sacramento’s top health official resigns: https://www.capradio.org/articles/2020/12/02/sacramentos-top-health-official-to-resign-amid-recording-breaking-coronavirus-case-surge/ .
Swingers’ event in New Orleans is superspreader: https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/new-orleans-swingers-event-becomes-superspreader-after-41-test-positive-for-coronavirus/ . Oh, COVID-19, right … Quite the headline …
Flying while diseased is a crime: https://abc7.com/san-francisco-hawaii-couple-coronavirus-covid-travel-kauai-quarantine-restrictions/8447042/ . Apparently they figured quarantining in jail was cheaper than a hotel …
CDC’s “rough winter”: https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-usa/update-4-cdc-chief-warns-americans-face-rough-winter-from-covid-19-surge-idUSL1N2II1R6 .
Mask mandate status by state: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/these-are-the-states-with-mask-mandates .
Quarantine period shortened by CDC: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-shortens-quarantine-period-10-days-no-symptoms-n1249704 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cdc-shortens-recommended-quarantine-period-to-seven-to-10-days-11606925722 . See the viral shedding primer above.
More on the dark chocolate/green tea study: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-in-dark-chocolate-and-green-tea-compounds-that-block-coronavirus-enzyme-7075654/ .
WSJ: Cell-grown chicken: https://www.wsj.com/articles/california-companys-cell-grown-chicken-gets-nod-from-singapore-11606973635 . The important idea here is to produce meat without animal slaughter. The work now will be to cut the cost below butchered chicken. The hope is to do this for all animal meats.
WSJ: Will Biden’s health care plan pass a GOP Senate?: https://www.wsj.com/articles/bidens-planned-health-care-law-reboot-could-stall-under-gop-controlled-senate-11606921559 . See Georgia Senate race status below.
More stimulus talk: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2020-12-01/coronavirus-relief-package-sees-new-life-in-congress . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-stimulus-efforts-show-momentum-11606930258 . What the hell is WSJ’s concept of “speed”?
WSJ: Latest PPP distribution data: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-ppp-data-show-coronavirus-aid-flowed-to-large-and-small-firms-alike-11606938131 .
WSJ: UPS imposes shipping limits: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ups-slaps-shipping-limits-on-gap-nike-to-manage-e-commerce-surge-11606926669 .
Mark Kelly sworn in, Senate now 52-48: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/2/former-astronaut-mark-kelly-sworn-as-newest-us-senator . WSJ: Shelton nomination falls out of Earth orbit: https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-moves-to-confirm-trump-fed-nominee-waller-but-sheltons-candidacy-hits-likely-dead-end-11606936087 .
WSJ: Defense bill advances without Trump media request: https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-republicans-move-ahead-with-defense-bill-despite-trumps-veto-threat-11606942882 .
In 4 years, Trump has trashed the federal government: https://news.yahoo.com/trump-is-leaving-biden-a-broken-government-180510360.html .
WSJ: More on the Trump Census follies: https://www.wsj.com/articles/census-delays-would-prevent-trump-immigrant-exclusion-plan-11606951208 . Previous reporting here was January 26, but January 23 is still after January 20. Also, the Trump plan is unconstitutional.
Pompeo fiddles while awaiting second Trump administration: https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/02/politics/state-department-parties-coronavirus-mike-pompeo/index.html . This should “thin out the individuals in all spaces at one time”, all right. Pompeo graduated from Harvard Law …
WSJ: UK first Western country to approve a vaccine: https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-the-u-k-beat-the-u-s-and-europe-to-a-covid-19-vaccine-11606924155 . More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-biontechs-covid-19-vaccine-approved-in-the-u-k-what-you-need-to-know-11606905307 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-and-biontechs-covid-19-vaccine-wins-u-k-authorization-11606893360 .
WSJ: North Korea targets vaccine companies: https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korean-hackers-are-said-to-have-targeted-companies-working-on-covid-19-vaccines-11606895026 .
Trump behavior poll: https://thehill.com/hilltv/what-americas-thinking/528393-poll-majority-of-voters-say-trump-has-behaved-poorly-post . So who are the 33% who think Biden has behaved poorly? Presumably they are in the 38% who think Trump has behaved well post-election. It’s helpful to know the poll was online and the demographic data. 30% of respondents are from the South. The best news is that in 49 days, no one will be conducting Trump behavior polls.
“Call off the election”: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-tells-georgia-governor-call-off-election-it-wont-needed-1551474 . No idea what this means.
Fact-free fantasy continues: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/12/02/trump-allies-urge-georgia-republicans-sit-out-senate-runoffs/3800126001/ . So if Trump is going to Georgia this weekend to campaign for these 2 senators, why would his allies promote a boycott? Is it to get coverage for Trump? The logical mind grasps for straws here. But, if it helps Biden get a Democratic Senate, it’s fine.
Pardon me: https://www.bloombergquint.com/gadfly/pardoning-giuliani-would-put-trump-in-legal-jeopardy (link replaced 1/1/2021). Here’s another contender in the “you can’t make this stuff up” category for 2020. The author is a Harvard law professor and former clerk for Justice Souter. This is a real legal issue. It’s just another day in Trump Bizarro-World.
Pay for pardons under investigation: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/doj-investigating-potential-white-house-bribery-pardon-scheme-n1249609 .
Sidney Powell, just another nut in the Trump bin: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/12/01/wisconsin-republican-says-he-used-without-permission-trump-suit/3786051001/ . Has the light bulb gone on yet about Edison County?