COVID-19 reinfection: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/11/13/covid-19-reinfection-vaccines-herd-immunity-health/6136943002/ .
WSJ: COVID, COVID everywhere: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-covid-surge-u-s-restrictions-11605466754 .
Cuomo threatens to sue Trump over vaccine distribution: https://thehill.com/homenews/news/526070-cuomo-threatens-to-sue-trump-administration-over-vaccine-distribution-plan . Whether or not Cuomo’s argument wins with Trump, it is a winner with a Democratic president. As a practical matter, this is one New Yorker telling another to stick the Sunday Times where the sun don’t shine.
Whitmer tells Atlas to crawl back under his rock: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/526089-whitmer-responds-to-atlas-i-wont-be-bullied-into-not-following-reputable . Now that Democratic governors don’t have to kowtow to Trump for PPE, they no longer feel the need to silently take his crap.
Trial of J&J vaccine begins in UK tomorrow: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/16/6000-uk-volunteers-to-be-injected-with-covid-vaccine-in-phase-3-trial .
WSJ: Small business grapples with pandemic: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-surge-tests-the-smallest-companies-11605456000 .
WSJ: The effect of COVID-19 on aging strategies: https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-covid-19-will-change-aging-and-retirement-11605452401 . The next two stories make clear why you’d be more and more reluctant to put Grandpa in a nursing home. This safety perception problem will outlast the pandemic.
In Kentucky veterans home owned by state, 24 dead since October: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/526023-kentucky-governor-24-veterans-have-died-in-long-term-care-facility-from .
WSJ: Rural nursing homes see COVID-19 surge: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-hits-rural-nursing-homes-which-are-among-those-least-equipped-to-fight-it-11605452400 . A Kansas home had an outbreak that sickened all 61 residents.
North Dakota nurses at breaking point: https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-bismarck-fargo-north-dakota-coronavirus-pandemic-c7680d009417c8cd66ffe9b8e3c53c47 . North Dakota: “Where moving to South Dakota is a step up”.
Persons with COVID-19 more likely to develop mental illness: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/people-with-covid-19-more-likely-to-develop-depression-anxiety-and-dementia . Sigh. This is not that surprising, but it is depressing – oops …
WSJ: The COVID-constrained Thanksgiving: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-hottest-ticket-in-town-this-year-is-your-familys-covid-constrained-thanksgiving-11605467122 . Is it just me, or this article completely irresponsible? Wearing a mask indoors is not going to help when you sit around the table for an hour eating and talking. The NYC councilman knows precisely nothing about public health.
Math run amok: The COVID Thanksgiving event predictor: https://www.nj.com/data/2020/11/here-are-the-odds-of-someone-bringing-coronavirus-to-your-thanksgiving-dinner.html . Good grief, how irresponsible is this? For one thing, historical rates, even over the past week, are not an accurate measure of current community infection rates, and you can’t reliably apply those rates to individuals. For another, how helpful is it to know that your 10-person event has an x% chance of having a COVID-infected individual present? As x is low, you then hold the event and Grandma dies.
These “professors” have no comprehension of the risk-reward equation here. To make this crap publicly available is just a publicity stunt. It could kill people if anyone takes it seriously. Lock them up! Well, since the Biden administration is coming, perhaps just send them to Gilligan’s Island.
WSJ: NYC schools stay open: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-city-schools-stay-open-after-shutdown-warnings-11605475077 . Best of luck with Thanksgiving.
Student loan pause: another Trump time bomb: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/15/trump-biden-student-loan-cliff-436470 . Biden presumably will act by executive order. There will a minimum of 3 weeks of uncertainty unless Biden speaks out before year-end.
WSJ: Where do people get infected?: https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-covid-19-surges-the-big-unknown-is-where-people-are-getting-infected-11605474874 . It’s apparently a big unknown that the primary vector is airborne transmission. This is substantially reduced by social distancing and wearing a mask. Would you buy a jigsaw puzzle with 4 pieces?
WSJ: Canada’s opioid deaths spike: https://www.wsj.com/articles/opioid-deaths-in-canada-were-falling-then-came-coronavirus-11605368112 .
WSJ: Italy: Pressure on hospitals: https://www.wsj.com/articles/italys-hospitals-face-rising-pressure-from-coronavirus-11605451475 .
WSJ: The pandemic transition: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-biden-medical-experts-urge-public-to-help-stop-covid-19-spread-11605463687 . More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-turns-up-pressure-for-administration-recognition-11605478527 .
WSJ: Government debt management: https://www.wsj.com/articles/governments-set-to-show-more-patience-in-tackling-pandemic-debts-11605452401 .
WSJ: Digital commerce accelerated by pandemic: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pandemic-speeds-americans-embrace-of-digital-commerce-11605436200 .
WSJ: Store closures don’t lead to online loyalty: https://www.wsj.com/articles/retail-chains-shed-stores-but-it-isnt-good-for-business-11605436204 .
WSJ: Conservatives seek a fact-check-free home: https://www.wsj.com/articles/parler-backed-by-mercer-family-makes-play-for-conservatives-mad-at-facebook-twitter-11605382430 . As mentioned previously, Facebook, Twitter and the internet industry in general should be regulated as utilities. Related: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-allies-explored-buyout-of-newsmax-tv-as-fox-news-alternative-11605464737 . It would be interesting to see how Fox positions itself if this happens.
WSJ: Asian pandemic recovery: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-zoom-boom-asia-leads-the-world-in-covid-19-economic-recovery-11605445200 .
Trump’s copter for sale: https://www.tmz.com/2020/11/08/president-trump-personal-helicopter-for-sale-s76b-sikorsky-best-offer/ . This is a personal copter Trump used in the 2016 campaign. It is not the copter which flew him to the hospital, which presumably was Marine One. It is now COVID One, of course. As to the auction estimate, the $1.5 million seems “conservative”. There are a lot of nuts with money.
WSJ: The Trump unwind from the White House: https://www.wsj.com/articles/he-won-trump-tweets-in-a-post-about-the-election-11605451766 . Again, this is all about publicity and fundraising to pay off campaign debts.
WSJ: The Trump unwind from financial scrutiny: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-family-business-faces-post-election-reckoning-11605436201 . This article fails to realize that Trump never intended to become President. The run was intended to gain him attention and create a lifetime annuity in media. His victory generated much more attention to his finances than a failed bid would have.
Pun of the Month: Particularly in light of Sean Connery’s recent passing, you have to admire SEC Football Commissioner Greg Sankey’s response after COVID-19 postponed 4 SEC games this week: “I’m certainly shaken, but not deterred”: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30298149/with-four-sec-games-postponed-commissioner-greg-sankey-calls-week-unlike-other (link replaced 5/10/21).