Central US data source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html . It’s worth clicking around the CDC site – for example, there is a projection of US hospitalizations under a variety of models and tracking of “excess deaths” in 2020 versus an average of recent years. Also, the link above is to just the CDC COVID-19 data; here is the link to CDC data on a wide variety of medical conditions: https://www.cdc.gov/az/a.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Faz%2Findex.html .
“Lessons learned” from Ebola: Here is a 2016 government document tracing the Ebola outbreak, the US response to it, and recommendations concerning future pandemics: https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/6823-national-security-counci-ebola/05bd797500ea55be0724/optimized/full.pdf#page=1 . This paragraph is indicative of the report’s conclusions: “While reform at the WHO and in other multilateral institutions is vital, the United States cannot wait until deployable international capability comes online. The United States and willing partner nations should maintain an interim global response capability as a bridge to whatever investments are ultimately made at the international level. Merely maintaining the current scale of response activities as a standing capability is likely not sufficient. Capacity during the Ebola response was stretched so thin that at certain points in 2014 and 2015 USAID and CDC’s standing and reserve capacity were maxed out. Had another disaster or disease outbreak occurred, there would have been no one left to deploy. Moreover, future epidemics, especially those that are airborne and transmissible before symptoms appear, are plausibly far more dangerous than Ebola, which is hard to catch, easy to test for, and occurred in a region of the world with minimal air connectivity.” (Page 4; emphasis added). If you can skip past the politics, here is a detailed play-by-play of the US response to Ebola from Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/08/06/susan-rice-pandemic-ebola-391469 .
Turns out there has been extensive planning for a global pandemic, but we didn’t follow the planning. Here’s the story of Event 201: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02277-6 .
Why kids know more than adults: https://www.insider.com/georgia-high-school-packed-hallway-photo-closes-multiple-coronavirus-cases-2020-8 . Facts matter.
Europeans see a “fragile” US: https://apnews.com/2a03a4e685316eb7d5a6e7181000fbfe .
COVID-19 billing: https://www.propublica.org/article/how-a-covid-19-test-led-to-charges . “This is boilerplate B.S.,” she said, “and I don’t mean ‘bachelor of science.’”
Forbes on the executive orders relief package: https://www.forbes.com/sites/camilomaldonado/2020/08/09/stimulus-checks-not-included-in-trumps-executive-measures-here-is-what-youd-get/#3685f09567c2 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/legality-of-trump-stimulus-plan-debated-11596986469 . Bootom line is that negotiators did not return to the table today.
US COVID-19 drug research is disorganized, panicky: https://www.statnews.com/2020/07/06/data-show-panic-and-disorganization-dominate-the-study-of-covid-19-drugs/ .
Millennials hurt by financial crisis: https://www.wsj.com/articles/millennials-covid-financial-crisis-fall-behind-jobless-11596811470 .
Being safe on the beach: https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-reduce-coronavirus-risk-on-the-beach-11596994242 . Seems like the most important tip is not going in a car with people you don’t live with.
Children and COVID-19: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/97000-kids-tested-positive-for-the-coronavirus-in-just-two-weeks-in-july-2020-08-10 . School re-openings are not going to help this figure, especially given asymptomatic transmission. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/latest-research-points-to-children-carrying-transmitting-coronavirus-11596978001 .
WSJ: Chief Medical Officers in the C-Suite: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-is-elevating-new-type-of-executive-chief-medical-officer-11597051800 .
WSJ: Life insurers to access medical records: https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-want-access-to-your-medical-files-to-speed-up-life-insurance-purchases-11596965400 . This seems like a terrible idea; data security is a major issue.
Kerfuffle in Kansas government over COVID-19: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas/articles/2020-08-06/university-of-kansas-to-require-covid-19-tests-on-campus .
WSJ: Virus delays JFK make-over: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-delays-jfk-airports-15-billion-makeover-11596985225 . With reduced travel, it would seem possible to accelerate the project. A federal loan would put a lot of people to work.
Uber, Lyft rides down 75% in April: https://www.nationthailand.com/auto/30392790 .
Global updates from London-based New Scientist magazine: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2237475-covid-19-news-coronavirus-not-seasonal-and-will-bounce-back-says-who/ .
One-third of UK employers expect to cut jobs in the fall: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53717464 . Reported estimate is 139,000 jobs, five times the year-earlier (June 2019) report.
“Anti-vaxxers are nuts”: https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-poll-says-third-of-brits-would-definitely-get-vaccine-2020-8 . This still represents a problem for herd immunity, which is why the suggestion for an emphasis on cheap, rapid home testing has considerable merit on a long-term basis, not just until vaccines are available (see 8/9 post).
WSJ: Brazil passes 100,000 deaths: https://www.wsj.com/articles/brazil-faces-somber-covid-19-milestone-at-100-000-deaths-11596898801 .
Saudi Arabia plans trial of Chinese vaccine: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-saudi-cansinobio/cansino-to-start-phase-iii-trial-of-covid-19-vaccine-in-saudi-idUSKCN2550L9 .
Self-driving car projects advance in China: https://www.wsj.com/video/coronavirus-pandemic-fuels-chinas-self-driving-cars/C88A4535-BAA5-4F8F-A9D5-17CEA7A86DA7.html . Makes sense that 5G gives these projects an infrastructure advantage.
Some detailed research on American voting patterns: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/08/brace-blue-shift/615097/ . This is a reasoned piece on how election controversy may emerge after November 3, 2020. At the moment, this most likely would be an issue over Senate control, but the election is still almost 3 months out.