News for August 22

Bloomberg: Global round-up: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/global-deaths-pass-800000-cases-above-23-million-virus-update/ar-BB18gzFT?li=BBnb7Kz . Spain is closing brothels in Castillo-La Mancha, home of 80% of the country’s brothels, to fight a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Vaccines administered nasally could offer more protection than those administered by injection: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00502-w .

Symptom order in COVID-19: fever, cough, upper GI (nausea, vomiting), lower GI (diarrhea): https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00473/full . This is important because the first flu symptom is typically cough, while in SARS and MERS, lower GI symptoms typically precede upper GI symptoms. Thus symptom order can be an indicator of the disease actually present.

Could the common cold help explain asymptomatic COVID-19 cases?: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/covid-symptoms-common-cold-reason/story?id=72442666&cid=referral_taboola_feed .

Why cancer is more aggressive as we age: https://www.insidescience.org/news/byproduct-digestion-helps-explain-why-cancer-gets-worse-we-age . The new culprit is a digestive by-product, MMA.

Sturgis-related COVID-19 cases reported by 3 states: https://www.businessinsider.com/officials-report-rise-in-covid19-cases-after-sturgis-motorcycle-rally-2020-8 .

Ongoing testing, PPE shortages for hospital workers: https://news.yahoo.com/hospital-staff-members-cant-coronavirus-084330118.html .

Miami COVID-19 deaths: https://apnews.com/c1b338cfa0d37d3858e711794b367156 . Again, every death has a face; the pandemic is taking an enormous emotional toll on health care workers.

NYC faces new risks with school re-openings: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-new-york-city/new-york-city-ahead-of-curve-on-covid-19-but-faces-risks-going-into-fall-experts-idUSKBN25H1F2 .

US teachers face PPE shortages: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/teachers-prepare-for-school-with-donations-and-wishlists-2020-8 .

WSJ: Colleges warn students to stop partying: https://www.wsj.com/articles/partys-over-colleges-beg-threaten-students-to-change-behavior-as-coronavirus-cases-rise-11598034028 . Best of luck with that …

Billions in appropriated testing funds remains unspent: https://www.wsj.com/articles/billions-in-federal-covid-19-testing-funds-still-unspent-11598014623 .

Epidemic of depression and anxiety among young adults: https://www.bloombergquint.com/gadfly/coronavirus-millennials-are-suffering-an-epidemic-of-depression . Which, along with an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex, is why college administrations must work hard to protect students from their own behavioral mistakes. More: https://www.livescience.com/depression-anxiety-increase-covid-19.html .

WSJ: Nursing homes need aggressive federal approach: https://www.wsj.com/articles/billions-in-federal-covid-19-testing-funds-still-unspent-11598014623 .

WSJ: Husband moves into wife’s nursing home: https://www.wsj.com/articles/i-want-to-be-with-her-when-covid-closed-nursing-homes-one-husband-moved-in-11598024821 .

Canada turns away American and other foreign students: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/22/canada-united-states-student-visa-400107 .

House passes $25 billion in emergency funding for USPS: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/22/usps-news-house-passes-postal-service-funding-bill.html .

USPS asks employees not to speak to reporters: https://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-usps-memos-tells-employees-not-to-speak-to-media-2020-8 . This would be questionable in private industry; in this situation, it is utterly appalling. It’s no wonder DeJoy is not trusted. WSJ: Details on USPS: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-postal-service-and-the-2020-election-what-you-need-to-know-11597619119 . Postal delivery is indeed slowing.

WSJ: Firms reversing white collar pandemic pay cuts: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-salary-cuts-are-coming-to-an-end-at-some-companies-11598048667 .

WSJ: COVID-19 is dividing the American worker: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-is-dividing-the-american-worker-11598068859 . The concept of a K-shaped recovery is useful if also terrifying: the shifting economy may generate a recovery that leaves a lot of people out.

WSJ: US home sales surge 24.7% from June to July: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-existing-home-sales-rose-24-7-in-july-from-june-11598018897.

WSJ: Companies battle skyrocketing hacking attempts: https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-battle-another-pandemic-skyrocketing-hacking-attempts-11598068863 . A clear risk of remote work.

Germany sees highest daily case numbers since April: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/germany-registers-biggest-surge-in-covid-19-cases-since-april/story-yMy46iGvYfzvIRNs4HFFaI.html .

WSJ: South Korea: More on current surge: https://www.wsj.com/articles/south-koreas-coronavirus-return-looks-familiar-with-a-church-at-the-center-11598008941 .

Indonesia makes deal for Sinovac vaccine: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesia-signs-agreement-with-sinovac-for-covid-19-vaccine .

WSJ: More on Bannon: https://www.wsj.com/articles/former-senior-trump-advisor-steve-bannon-charged-with-alleged-fundraising-scheme-11597931727 . The article notes that over 500,000 donors are involved, including $22,000 raised by an 8 year old. The article confirms that Bannon was indeed arrested on Guo’s yacht. The judge instituted travel restrictions on Bannon, including private yachts.

WSJ: Summary of 100 years of women’s suffrage: https://www.wsjplus.com/offers/100-years-of-womens-suffrage-ebook . Subscribers can log in and download the PDF.

WSJ: College football without college: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-is-turning-college-football-into-football-without-college-11598012279 . Was there ever a clearer demonstration that the players are being financially exploited?

The story of how the pumpkin became New Hampshire’s state fruit: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5168210#:~:text=The%20Pumpkin%3A%20Official%20Fruit%20of%20New%20Hampshire%3F%20%3A%20NPR. Is the pumpkin a fruit? https://fruitsandveggies.org/expert-advice/pumpkins-fruit-vegetable-difference-two/ . Given that a tomato is considered a fruit (same issue), I agree with the botanists.