WSJ: US, global round-up: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-latest-updates-07-17-2020-11594976178 . Record case numbers everywhere … globally, US, India …
Merck CEO warns against expectation of vaccine before end of 2020: https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/07/15/big-pharma-exec-says-lawmakers-touting-vaccine-by-years-end-doing-grave-disservice/24561819/ .
More on US cases of apparent re-infection: https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/07/14/is-it-possible-to-get-reinfected-with-the-coronavirus/24561133/ .
More on the roles of B and T white blood cells: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/can-our-immune-system-remember-coronavirus-scientists-hope-so-n1232794 .
WSJ: Another no on hydroxychloroquine: https://www.wsj.com/articles/hydroxychloroquine-didnt-help-patients-with-early-and-mild-covid-19-study-finds-11594934367 . Non-inquiring WSJ readers apparently want to know, over and over again.
WSJ: Testing inequities: https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-it-a-problem-that-sports-gets-fast-test-results-and-you-dont-11594897200 .
Increasing stress on US hospitals: https://www.vox.com/2020/7/15/21317776/covid-19-coronavirus-florida-arizona-texas-california-hospitals?nr_email_referer=1 . Because urban hospitals are near capacity, rural hospitals are forced to keep seriously ill patients, filling their beds more rapidly. This of course exacerbates access to care problems in rural communities.
More on federal data suppression: https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/07/16/white-house-power-grab-of-covid-19-data-deeply-worries-experts/24563642/ .
Churches challenge California public health rules: https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/07/17/evangelical-churches-sue-california-governor-over-ban-on-singing-during-services/24564128/ . There are multiple examples of mass outbreaks from this exact situation.
WSJ: Texas doctor: “I cry every day”: https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-texas-a-doctor-fights-the-surge-and-gets-covid-19-i-cry-every-day-11594891801 .
WSJ: Mask use in Europe: https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-europe-mask-wearing-is-the-norm-but-for-how-long-11594921596 .
WSJ: Mask enforcement in US: https://www.wsj.com/articles/mandatory-mask-laws-arent-enforced-as-coronavirus-continues-to-spread-11594978200 .
WSJ: Russia hackers after vaccine research: https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-hackers-blamed-for-attacks-on-coronavirus-vaccine-related-targets-11594906060 .
WSJ: South Korea’s use of smartphones: https://www.wsj.com/video/south-koreas-key-weapon-to-stop-the-pandemic-smartphones/C2E0ABEA-059E-48D5-8BBA-0160D80857EB.html?mod=djemHL_t
WSJ: More no’s on US school re-openings: https://www.wsj.com/articles/will-schools-reopen-on-time-more-leaders-are-saying-no-11594908275 .
WSJ: Problems in reopening daycare: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-day-care-centers-show-how-hard-it-is-to-reopen-11594900800 .
WSJ: State Department allows European students to return to US: https://www.wsj.com/articles/state-department-says-students-from-europe-are-exempt-from-coronavirus-travel-ban-11594937736 . As previously noted here, more than 30% of foreign students are from China. Relative to infection rates, this makes no sense.
WSJ: Retail sales surged before COVID-19 cases began rising: https://www.wsj.com/articles/us-retail-sales-report-data-june-2020-11594846181 . For the umpteenth time, control the virus to restore the economy.
WSJ: Abbott revenue up over testing: https://www.wsj.com/articles/abbott-laboratories-gets-boost-from-u-s-covid-19-testing-11594908297 . Um, aren’t these the machines with accuracy problems?
WSJ: J&J vaccine plans: https://www.wsj.com/articles/johnson-johnson-raises-2020-earnings-guidance-11594897686 . (Insert “put a band-aid on it” joke here).
WSJ: Senate split on vaccine pricing: https://www.wsj.com/articles/us-retail-sales-report-data-june-2020-11594846181 .
WSJ: Republicans prioritize limiting corporate liability: https://www.wsj.com/articles/gop-senators-move-ahead-with-coronavirus-liability-plan-11594929198 . Tone-deaf.
John Lewis passes: https://www.france24.com/en/20200718-us-congressman-john-lewis-civil-rights-icon-dead-at-80 . Edmund Pettus was a senior officer in the Confederate Army and an enthusiastic supporter of slavery. Selma needs to rename that bridge the John Lewis Bridge.
Football: 72 NFL players have tested positive for COVID-19: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2020/07/16/72-nfl-players-test-positive-covid-19-nflpa-association/5452557002/ . The fall is looking like golf re-runs.
Ending on a high note today: this story’s so big you’ve likely already heard. Captain Tom Moore, through his backyard challenge walks before his 100th birthday, raised $39 million (33 million pounds) for NHS health workers (his original goal was 1,000 pounds): https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tomswalk . He was knighted in May, and received his own ceremony with the Queen today, the general ceremony delayed because of COVID-19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQsyVLtmAdg . As noted in the video, he now holds two Guinness world records, for most money raised by an individual charity walk, and for oldest person to reach No. 1 on the UK record charts.