WSJ: US round-up: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-latest-news-08-18-2020-11597739213 . News on New Zealand, Philippines and China is in last paragraphs.
Only 44% of American adults will definitely take vaccine: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/poll-less-half-americans-say-they-ll-get-coronavirus-vaccine-n1236971 . A stark difference emerges between those who have a college degree and those who don’t.
WSJ: The CDC February testing failure in detail: https://www.wsj.com/articles/us-coronavirus-covid-testing-delay-11597267543 . In the next installment, maybe WSJ will explain how we screwed up March through August (hints: no national coordinated response, inadequate testing).
Quest Diagnostics says it’s cut testing turn-around time, but could slip again: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/18/quest-diagnostics-says-it-cut-coronavirus-testing-turnaround-to-one-to-two-days-but-warns-it-could-slip.html .
WSJ: More on California farmworkers: https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-california-struggles-with-covid-19-farmworkers-are-among-most-affected-11597665116 . This continues to scream out that socio-economic status drives the pandemic, and that lower-paid essential workers, who are disproportionately Hispanic, continue to bear the brunt of COVID-19.
amfAR study shows lower infection rates in white counties: https://www.amfar.org/amfAR-Study-Shows-How-White-Counties-Have-Lower-Rates/. There’s a link to the study in this summary; here, housing situations (meaning residential discrimination and institutional racism) are seen as driving higher infection rates.
Utah minks have COVID-19: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/covid-19-hits-us-mink-farms-after-ripping-through-europe .
WSJ: Student “migration” raises issues: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-quarantine-rules-complicate-college-move-in-11597743008 . There are several points of interest here. (1) The charts. The first is pretty dubious because it’s dependent on the state’s current pandemic performance. So for example, every incoming student in Oregon is from a higher risk area while none are in Florida or Georgia. The next two charts are more interesting. Notice that these Eastern schools have many more newcomers from the Western states than from the redder Midwestern states, and this can’t be explained solely by state population. (2) What’s going to happen? These states and universities are apparently quarantining the kids, which may demonstrate the gravity of the situation to them. Did these students learn anything from the North Carolina experience, namely that bad behavior can get the campus shut down? Will there be outbreaks within the quarantine area? We’ll see.
Notre Dame follows UNC: https://www.wsj.com/articles/after-reopening-notre-dame-to-move-classes-online-due-to-coronavirus-spike-11597784400 .
Re-opened schools close: https://www.wsj.com/articles/schools-are-reopening-then-quickly-closing-due-to-coronavirus-outbreaks-11597700886 . All in all, this is looking pretty chaotic.
WSJ: Dealing with a sick child: https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-to-do-if-your-child-is-exposed-to-covid-19-11597684958 . I’m unimpressed with this advice; if the flu is indeed substantially reduced by masks, then an illness is more likely COVID-19 and should be treated as such. Always a good idea to get a flu shot. And once again, the solution is adequate, rapid turn-around testing.
Do zinc or Vitamin D help fight COVID-19?: https://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/info-2020/vitamins-covid.html . Not much science here, except that these things generally help the immune system.
Cuomo: NY gyms can re-open at 33% capacity, masks mandatory: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-cuomo-gyms-coronavirus-testing-daily-numbers-20200817-osy523qkcfcvzjx2i6xret6q4i-story.html . It’s a necessary precaution, but also it’s tough to really work out with an effective mask. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-gyms-cleared-to-re-open-with-masks-and-other-safety-protocols-11597683846 .
Depression among UK adults was 19.2% in June, double the rate before COVID-19: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/coronavirusanddepressioninadultsgreatbritain/june2020 . Could it be fifth grade math?
WSJ: More on California power grid problems: https://www.wsj.com/articles/california-blackouts-a-warning-for-states-ramping-up-green-power-11597706934 .
Senate Republicans plan scaled-down relief proposal: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/17/senate-republicans-coronavirus-package-postal-service-funding-397203 . In-person negotiations make more sense, but this may be necessary to focus Republican senators. It still looks like any bill passing the Senate will be a combination of most Democrats and some Republicans, so the Democrats have considerable leverage.
WSJ: More on the Post Office: https://www.wsj.com/articles/house-democrats-set-vote-on-bill-to-bolster-usps-11597690514 . I just don’t get the politics of this, especially when the Post Office is so important in rural areas and for medication delivery, and so popular in general. Voter suppression is not exactly an American ideal either.
WSJ: Sanofi to buy Principia: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sanofi-to-buy-principia-biopharma-11597641299 .
WSJ: China’s stumbles on COVID-19: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-cdc-built-to-stop-pandemics-stumbled-when-it-mattered-most-11597675108 . Enlightening article, but the perspective is troubling. The last sentence of the article is “On Jan 23, more than seven weeks after the first recorded case fell sick, authorities ordered Wuhan locked down.” Seven weeks seems like a blitzkrieg in comparison to the US performance. In the post-Trump era, whether 2021 or 2024, perhaps we can get past recriminations.
WSJ: China providing vaccine to other countries: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-seeks-to-use-access-to-covid-19-vaccines-for-diplomacy-11597690215 . It is indisputable that both China and Russia have gained regional and international power over the last 4 years at US expense. The trend continues as the US, requiring massive internal vaccination efforts in the wake of our missteps, is also less able to respond internationally.
WSJ: Lebanon surge continues in wake of blast: https://www.wsj.com/articles/after-beirut-explosion-lebanon-faces-surge-in-coronavirus-cases-11597697343 .
WSJ: Japan faces slow economic recovery: https://www.wsj.com/articles/japans-economy-shrinks-in-second-quarter-11597624339 .
WSJ: European insurers hit by COVID-19 claims: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-claims-hurt-shares-of-european-insurers-11597656600 .
WSJ: We do math, kinda: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-supporters-more-likely-than-trumps-to-vote-by-mail-poll-shows-11597683600 . So, the five states that vote by mail are heavily Democratic as a group, while red states in the South have the most restrictive rules for getting mail-in ballots. Unless the analysis for this type of question is done by state, it’s hard to make sense of the results.