Delta variant: Bring back masks: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bringing-back-mask-mandate-is-a-good-idea-doctor-on-delta-variant-135926196.html . Given the number of unvaccinated people, this is a reasonable idea. Unfortunately, now that masks have become a political issue, unruly behavior (including violence) is sure to follow.
WSJ: A Delta variant primer: https://www.wsj.com/articles/delta-variant-covid-19-11620722888 .
Delta variant causes review of health protocols: https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/29/health/us-coronavirus-tuesday/index.html . Continued US outbreaks approach, driven by the Delta variant and focused on the unvaccinated. The unvaccinated include rural residents, GOP members, minority groups and the young. We therefore have good indications of the location and potential severity of outbreaks.
The primary countermeasure will be to continue to encourage vaccination. Local influencers, particularly family doctors and religious leaders, will be a focal point. We should be ramping up testing, contact tracing and genomic testing. So far there is little sign of significant progress in these areas.
It is although worth noting that as temperatures rise, people will be indoors with air conditioning. This poses much greater risk than outdoor activities. The return of school in the fall is another potential flashpoint.
WSJ: US vaccinations lag: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-poised-to-fall-behind-europe-on-covid-19-vaccine-first-doses-11624961154 . The government’s talk of enabling local influencers must be converted into action.
Moderna vaccine effective against Delta variant in the lab: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/560725-moderna-says-covid-vaccine-performed-well-in-a-lab-against-delta-variant . However, note that it performed less well against the South African (Beta) variant.
WSJ: Contact tracing refocuses: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-contact-tracers-race-against-delta-variant-in-the-u-s-11624959000 . The US effort remains completely inadequate. Nothing in this article suggests we have a coherent national approach. We don’t even know how many tracers there are, as the article admits.
WSJ: Sanofi to join mRNA race: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sanofi-bets-on-mrna-vaccines-after-covid-19-pandemic-shows-worth-11624953601 . There is no doubt that mRNA technology is the future of vaccines for viral disease, and other diseases as well.
Stone Age plague bacteria discovered: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/5000-year-old-bacteria-is-the-oldest-strain-of-plague-ever-seen-scientists-found-it-in-the-ancient-bones-of-a-stone-age-man/ar-AALAisj?li=BBnb7Kz . It shows that the bacterium evolved over the next 4,000 years to become much more deadly. So please, enough already with the COVID-flu comparisons. The epidemiologists who are saying this are ignoring the basic evidence. We simply don’t know how COVID will evolve, except that it likely will reside in the human population for the foreseeable future.
WSJ: Opioid litigation continues in New York: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-opioid-trial-opens-with-emails-joking-about-epidemic-11625001834 .
WSJ: A flawed stock tout of Biogen: https://www.wsj.com/articles/despite-pressure-biogens-alzheimers-drug-still-a-likely-blockbuster-11624964401 . The drug and its price tag remain controversial. If the Lilly drug is more effective in trials than the Biogen drug, there is almost no reason to prescribe the Biogen drug.
Meanwhile, in economic news …
WSJ: United buys a boatload of planes: https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-places-its-biggest-jet-order270-boeing-and-airbus-planes-11624960800 . This huge bet on the Boeing 737 MAX seems ill-advised. Consumer resistance to the plane will harden with any more problems.
WSJ: US home prices spiral upward: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-home-price-growth-rose-to-record-in-april-11624972608 . One would think this upward price spiral is due for a correction.
Manchin supports additional infrastructure package through reconciliation: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/560686-manchin-says-hes-on-board-with-democratic-only-infrastructure-bill .
Arizona election audit increasingly a GOP embarrassment: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/29/arizona-ballot-audit-gop-biden-496908 . It was easy to predict this would fail. However, the level of goofiness has been surprising.
Why is the Miami condo collapse search taking so long?: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57652668 (link replaced 11/7/21). The article asks the question everyone wants answered. The answer is not forthcoming. We do learn that a large trench was dug underneath the rubble. Presumably that was felt to give the best chance of locating survivors. It didn’t. While the collapse risk is significant, the daily progress of rubble removal seems slow by any standard. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/miami-condo-collapse-rescue-fifth-day-11624887471 .
A grand jury will probe the collapse: https://apnews.com/article/building-collapses-7823b2d6cd5c81165e168c0da8eb3d07 (link replaced 11/7/21). WSJ: Meanwhile, the paperwork finger-pointing grows: https://www.wsj.com/articles/miami-area-condo-failure-years-of-warnings-but-mixed-signals-11624994509 .