FDA speeds boosters to immunocompromised: https://www.salon.com/2021/08/06/doj-notes-revealed-trumps-coup-was-longer-in-the-making-than-we-thought/ . Vaccines have decoupled cases from deaths. The government is right to focus on the most vulnerable.
WSJ: The booster shot debate continues: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-third-shot-booster-11623421703 .
Vaccination raises immunity for COVID survivors: https://apnews.com/article/science-health-coronavirus-pandemic-ad52011f4ca1853fad6eee41a7310c2e . Given the growing risks of reinfection, this is an important study. Even one vaccination shot provides a major boost. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/unvaccinated-more-than-twice-as-likely-to-get-covid-19-again-cdc-says-11628276064 .
Unvaccinated are “big highway of transmission”: https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/06/health/us-coronavirus-friday/index.html . The administration is certainly working hard on its messaging. Let’s hope it has some impact.
Fear in Sturgis: https://www.thedailybeast.com/sturgis-motorcycle-rally-death-cult-pits-nurses-against-panicked-docs . So this literally is the big highway of transmission. With Delta, the result is likely to be worse than last year. While some commentary last year seemed overblown, older adults behaving like teenagers is a recipe for superspreading.
Fears about Delta variant continue to grow: https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2021-08-06/vaccines-less-protective-in-colorado-county-with-delta-variant-surge-cdc-study .
Dr. Jha’s primer on Delta variant risks and protection: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/virus-expert-just-issued-tragic-warning/ss-AAN0FtO?li=BBnb7Kz#image=7 . WSJ: Doctors’ changes in personal behavior due to Delta variant: https://www.wsj.com/articles/should-the-delta-variant-change-your-decisions-heres-what-doctors-are-doing-11628254802 .
Vaccination encouragement moves from incentives to restrictions: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/months-vaccine-incentives-nation/story?id=79223933 . Unfortunately, fear is often the most powerful motivator. It’s too bad education has not worked.
WSJ: JP Morgan mandates masks for US employees: https://www.wsj.com/articles/jpmorgan-makes-masks-mandatory-to-combat-delta-variant-spread-11628274797 . Ditto for United Airlines: https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-airlines-to-require-all-u-s-employees-to-get-covid-19-vaccines-11628249400 . And for nursing home workers: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-vaccine-mandates-are-on-the-rise-for-nursing-home-workers-11628254164 .
Fauci: Expect a flood of vaccine mandates after full FDA approval: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/08/06/anthony-fauci-covid-vaccine-mandates-fda-full-approval/5513121001/ . That seems right. Also, because most large employers are multistate, this will have a significant impact in red states.
COVID surges in South Carolina: https://www.thestate.com/news/charleston/article253316248.html .
More bad news on the Delta variant from the UK: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/6/nearly-35-percent-of-uk-delta-hospitalisations-fully-vaccinated . However, with 3/4 of the adult population vaccinated, this means 2/3 of the hospitalizations come from ¼ of the population (the unvaccinated).
EU may reimpose travel curbs on US: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/eu-expected-to-discuss-reimposing-travel-restrictions-on-us/ar-AAN1jQs?li=BBnb7Kz .
WSJ: South African trial shows J&J vaccine to be effective against the Delta variant: https://www.wsj.com/articles/j-j-vaccine-highly-effective-against-delta-variant-in-south-african-trial-11628292645 .
COVID surges in Myanmar: https://time.com/6087689/myanmar-military-weaponizing-covid-19/ .
Democrat sues to stop Governor DeMentis: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/congressional-candidate-files-suit-against-desantis-over-banning-of-school-mask-mandates/ar-AAN1kYn?li=BBnbfcL . Again, putting children at risk makes no sense as a political strategy. Meanwhile, the White House keeps up the pressure: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/jen-psaki-blasts-gov-ron-desantis-for-fundraising-off-his-ongoing-spat-with-the-white-house-over-covid-19-restrictions/ar-AAN1nDr?li=BBnb7Kz . DeMentis painted himself into this corner. However, he is apparently unable to think his way out.
WSJ: Judge temporarily blocks Arkansas mask mandate ban: https://www.wsj.com/articles/arkansas-judge-blocks-state-from-enforcing-mask-mandate-ban-11628269793 .
College students ask Supreme Court to block vaccine mandate: https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-health-religion-supreme-courts-courts-2e65561279fc050cb9b2df452d506208 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/universities-face-student-lawsuits-over-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-11628242202 . So, not happening. Private institutions clearly have the right to follow public health guidance. There is no particular argument that demands a different result for public institutions.
Student loan repayment pause extended: https://news.yahoo.com/student-load-repayment-pause-extended-193813837-200013743.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-administration-extends-pause-on-federal-student-loan-repayments-until-jan-31-11628281435 . We now have the federal unemployment benefits ending at the end of this month, the eviction ban extended until October, and the student loan pause ending in January 2022. We also have millions who have not returned to employment. So there is a lot of severe economic disruption coming in the next 6 months. Many people have piled up debt from which they will be unable to escape. WSJ: And then there are small landlords: https://www.wsj.com/articles/eviction-moratoriums-renewal-squeezes-small-landlords-11628247601 .
Economy adds almost a million jobs in July: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jobs-report-july-2021-184922622.html . And the unemployment rate drops from 5.9% to 5.4%. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/july-jobs-report-unemployment-rate-2021-11628196413 .
WSJ: Global M&A puts Australia on offer: https://www.wsj.com/articles/australia-takes-center-stage-in-global-deals-spree-11628242201 .
DOJ corruption over the Big Lie: https://www.salon.com/2021/08/06/doj-notes-revealed-trumps-coup-was-longer-in-the-making-than-we-thought/ . So for now, the Big Lie does remain an organizing principle in many conservative circles. We should not think it will just blow over.
First insurrectionist guilty pleas for assaulting an officer: https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-9fe7a03f8cc2dd121e2f81cff4e90c47 . The prosecutors are building a sentencing baseline before working their way up the food chain.
Huge new Milky Way feature discovered: https://www.sciencealert.com/this-new-structure-in-the-milky-way-is-so-big-we-aren-t-sure-it-isn-t-a-spiral-arm . We get regular reminders of how much we don’t know.