Mask guidelines criticized: https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/16/media/sanjay-gupta-cdc-mask-messaging/index.html . As readers know, I’m not a fan of this change. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/health-officials-seek-to-clarify-covid-19-mask-guidelines-11621184767 .
WSJ: Mask guidelines and office re-openings: https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-ponder-speeding-up-plans-to-bring-workers-back-to-offices-11621181598 . More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-rally-a-jittery-workforce-back-at-the-office-11621209601 .
Fauci says disproportionate effect of COVID on minorities driven by racism (socioeconomic disadvantage): https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-05-16/the-latest-100s-of-bodies-found-buried-on-india-riverbanks . Fauci made the remarks in a webcast to Emory University’s graduating class.
New England responses to the pandemic: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/maine/articles/2021-05-16/maine-eyes-permanent-telehealth-new-hampshire-court-reopens .
WSJ: COVID drugs on TV: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-drugmakers-take-on-your-favorite-tv-shows-to-tackle-vaccine-hesitancy-11621166403 .
US school opening strategies vary widely: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-education-health-us-news-ap-top-news-082ade974a5c3257b9f7baa35cb9eec2 . Biden has brought some federal order to the chaotic state and local government response to COVID. Even more uniformity would be desirable.
Post-pandemic immunity worries: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/16/how-will-isolation-affect-long-term-immunity . This is possible. However, we’ve screwed up by reopening too early so many times that many immune systems have not been truly isolated over the past year.
“COVID to COVID” double lung transplant a success: https://www.boston25news.com/news/trending/coronavirus-illinois-frontline-worker-1st-receive-covid-to-covid-double-lung-transplant/Q6DIUF2CAFGOTC6VWEHCZZKNPQ/ . Think about how amazing this situation is.
UK expects Indian COVID variant to become dominant: https://www.trtworld.com/life/india-s-coronavirus-variant-expected-to-dominate-uk-latest-updates-46741 . Once again, we lack sufficient testing data to evaluate what this variant means for the global pandemic. Indeed, we don’t know the nature of its spread in India. More: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/uk-confident-vaccines-protect-against-indian-covid-19-variant . The article quotes a government source that if the India variant is 50% more transmissible than the UK variant, they have a problem. The article also says this week’s cases are more than 2½ times the cases of the preceding week. London, you have a problem.
COVID kills Brazilian children: https://www.firstpost.com/world/why-is-covid-19-killing-so-many-young-children-in-brazil-doctors-are-baffled-9635471.html (link replaced 6/28/21). This is not that baffling. We believe variants are more infectious in women and children, and more deadly. Remote areas in Brazil have poorer access to medical care than in the US, and the quality of that care is poorer. Beyond that, the data is inadequate to address the details of what is happening in Brazil.
COVID fraud grows in India: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/16/world/asia/india-covid19-black-market.html (link replaced 6/28/21).
Will the truth wing of the Republican Party remain a minority?: https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/553761-maryland-gop-governor-trump-is-toxic-for-the-republican-party-and . For now, yes. The cleanest opportunity for change is a serious Republican defeat in 2022. Before that time, the drip, drip, drip of bad news (indictments of Orange Julius, Rudy Giuliani, Matt Gaetz, convictions of insurrectionists) will cause ongoing adjustments. The playing out of things like the Arizona vote “audit” is unlikely to change any minds. What happens if Republicans take a majority of the House and/or the Senate in 2022? What happens if (when) Biden makes a major misstep? Democracy remains at risk.
WSJ: Potential AT&T-Discovery media combination: https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-t-in-talks-to-combine-media-assets-including-cnn-with-discovery-11621183450 . This is actually about two companies being left behind in media’s evolution.
WSJ: The Gates divorce turns gossipy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/microsoft-directors-decided-bill-gates-needed-to-leave-board-due-to-prior-relationship-with-staffer-11621205803 .
Vodka receives glowing reviews: https://abcnews.go.com/International/ukraine-seized-vodka-made-chernobyl-apples-scientists-made/story?id=77687304 . Supposedly corruption is rampant in Ukraine. Yes, besides Rudy.
WSJ: Moneyball comes to English soccer: https://www.wsj.com/articles/barnsley-championship-promotion-moneyball-billy-beane-11621176691 . Mathematical modeling finds new frontiers.