WSJ: Artificial blood: https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-covid-19-depletes-blood-supplies-scientists-test-an-alternative-11599225003 . This seems like a significant technical challenge, but if the product could be made at a reasonable cost, the benefits to society would be enormous. This article gives an excellent history of efforts to develop artificial blood: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2738310/#:~:text=Artificial%20blood%20is%20a%20product,carbon%20dioxide%20throughout%20the%20body .
Can COVID-19 cause sudden diabetes?: https://www.eatthis.com/covid-diabetes/ . Here’s an article on COVID-19 symptoms: https://elemental.medium.com/every-covid-19-symptom-we-know-about-right-now-from-head-to-toe-bd1d47584096 . Note the cellular damage in key organs; it’s not out of the question that the same thing happens in the pancreas. The root of this may be the bradykinin hypothesis discussed in the September 2 newsletter.
WSJ: The future of healthcare after COVID-19: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19s-lasting-effects-on-health-care-11599314400 . Telemedicine, failing hospitals, and data privacy will all be evolving issues in the near future.
Vaccine distribution chain: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/09/06/covid-vaccine-complex-distribution-supply-chain-follow-approval/5712053002/ .
WSJ: How BioReference Labs made it through a testing backlog: https://www.wsj.com/articles/labs-struggled-with-surge-in-covid-testing-demand-how-one-made-it-through-11599404581 . This is so logical; it’s disturbing that other labs have not done this to clear out their backlog.
Over 200 UN staff in Syria infected with COVID-19: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/09/06/covid-vaccine-complex-distribution-supply-chain-follow-approval/5712053002/ . “Scores” of health workers in Syria have died in recent weeks.
WSJ: Juul shelves plans for e-cigarette puff-tracker: https://www.wsj.com/articles/juul-shelves-plan-for-feature-that-counts-puffs-11599211801 . Juul is planning to lay off over half of its workforce: https://www.wsj.com/articles/juul-to-cut-more-jobs-explore-exiting-europe-and-asia-11599091500 .
WSJ: How the pandemic is remaking the 2020 election: https://www.wsj.com/articles/voters-face-a-complicated-election-as-the-pandemic-remakes-voting-11599298200 . Expect a concerted effort to end voter suppression if Biden is elected. Companies are offering workers paid time off on Election Day to recruit 350,000 poll workers: https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-recruit-350-000-poll-workers-for-u-s-election-11599384600 . An excellent adventure in civic duty.
WSJ: The problems with remote learning: https://www.wsj.com/articles/remote-schooling-makes-taking-attendance-a-challenge-11599384601 . Wait, schools lost track of 20% to 40% of the students who were absent from online classes? What kind of an estimate is that? There is the indication here of very deep problems that could hurt affected students for years.
WSJ: The problems with free speech: https://www.wsj.com/articles/land-of-free-and-fettered-speech-11599231635 . This article tackles an incredibly important topic in today’s society – how does one “navigate the unwritten rules of socially acceptable speech”? “Speech on the internet may be free, but it is also cheap and unaccountable. Only against this background can we understand why political speech in real life is becoming more costly.” This is another take on a topic appearing in these newsletters – “the medium is the message”. The Internet encourages a form of charged speech which would not occur in in-person discussions, at least not in the past.
The Trump investment in disinformation: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-and-allies-ratchet-up-disinformation-efforts-in-late-stage-of-campaign/ar-BB18LGhP?ocid=msedgdhp . Plain and simple, this should be illegal.
WSJ: National debt to exceed 100% of US GDP for the first time since WWII: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-debt-is-set-to-exceed-size-of-the-economy-for-year-a-first-since-world-war-ii-11599051137 .
WSJ: Domino’s succeeding with contactless delivery: https://www.wsj.com/articles/most-businesses-were-unprepared-for-covid-19-dominos-delivered-11599234424 . A report card on 12 large business’ 2020 performance: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-business-report-card-how-12-key-companies-have-fared-in-2020-11599278401 . It’s rather surprising that Boeing is mentioned as considering moving jet production out of the Seattle area. While a move to Charleston would help them break the union, the significant quality control problems in Charleston would not be a confidence-builder for airliner customers or the flying public.
More on Berlusconi’s COVID-19 hospitalization: https://apnews.com/3f2d5ad6755593e5fa3f48cca3244d52 .
WSJ: Mexico: Shortage of death certificates indicates severe undercount of COVID-19 deaths: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-scourge-leaves-mexico-short-of-death-certificates-11599326802 . How sad is this – death certificates being sold to the highest bidder so people can bury their family members?
An update on the issues facing international students in the US: https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/education/2020/09/06/covid-quarantine-college-fall-semester-international-students/5693142002/ .
WSJ: Baseball’s experience with COVID-19 as a teachable moment for the general public: https://www.wsj.com/articles/mlbs-coronavirus-tutorial-for-america-11599402203 .
Trump takes home art from US ambassador’s residence in Paris: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8704345/Donald-Trump-takes-home-three-works-art-worth-750-000-ambassadors-residence-Paris.html . This doesn’t have anything to do with the pandemic, it’s just really weird. So is this: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-donald-trump-barack-obama-apprentice-video-20200906-cpxoamynhjfu7ov6b65dtjpebe-story.html . Perhaps fear of an October surprise from the White House is leading to a September flood of stories on Trump’s weirdness.
The history of Labor Day: https://theconversation.com/have-we-forgotten-the-true-meaning-of-labor-day-64526 . Noting the suggestion of the last paragraph (if you work all the time, take the day off), the US has taken some steps backward in worker protection since the union movement was strong. Enjoy the holiday!