Updates
Which States Had The Best Pandemic Response?-Politico
Vermont locked itself down early and reopened gradually. Washington state paid workers who couldn't do their jobs while quarantined. And Louisiana zeroed in on students who were most at-risk of falling behind and prioritized help for them first. When President Donald Trump decided to delegate the pandemic response to the states, he gave them a chance to call their own shots. Some states acted aggressively to contain Covid-19, others far less so. Politico, … Continue Reading
October 14, 2020
Found: Genes That Sway The Course Of The Coronavirus-Science Magazine
It’s one of the pandemic’s puzzles: Most people infected by SARS-CoV-2 never feel sick, whereas others develop serious symptoms or even end up in an intensive care unit clinging to life. Age and preexisting conditions, such as obesity, account for much of the disparity. But geneticists have raced to see whether a person’s DNA also explains why some get hit hard by the coronavirus, and they have uncovered tantalizing leads. Science Magazine, … Continue Reading
October 14, 2020
World Bank Approves $12B To Finance Virus Vaccines, Care-The Associated Press
The World Bank has approved $12 billion in financing to help developing countries buy and distribute coronavirus vaccines, tests, and treatments, aiming to support the vaccination of up to 1 billion people. The $12 billion “envelope” is part of a wider World Bank Group package of up to $160 billion to help developing countries fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the bank said in a statement late Tuesday. The Associated Press, … Continue Reading
October 14, 2020
'On Brink Of Disaster': Shaken Europe Battles COVID Surge-Reuters
European nations are extending restrictions well beyond social life to close schools, cancel surgeries and enlist legions of student medics as overwhelmed authorities face their nightmare scenario of a COVID-19 resurgence at the onset of winter. Reuters, … Continue Reading
October 14, 2020
NIH Paused Eli Lilly Covid-19 Antibody Trial Because Of Safety Concerns-STAT
It could be two weeks until there is news on a paused trial of Eli Lilly’s closely watched monoclonal antibody treatment for Covid-19. The National Institutes of Health said late Tuesday that it paused the trial because one of the two groups in the study — one had received the antibody, the other a placebo — was doing better than the other. Both groups also received remdesivir, a Covid-19 treatment from Gilead Sciences. STAT, … Continue Reading
October 14, 2020
Americans Are Dying In The Pandemic At Rates Far Higher Than In Other Countries-NPR
During this pandemic, people in the United States are currently dying at rates unparalleled elsewhere in the world. A new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that over the last 5 months per capita deaths in the U.S., both from COVID-19 and other causes have been far greater than in 18 other high-income countries. NPR, … Continue Reading
October 09, 2020
World Food Program Wins Nobel Peace Prize As Hunger Surges-The Associated Press
he World Food Program won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for its efforts to combat hunger in regions facing conflict and hardship and at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has driven millions more people to the brink of starvation. The Associated Press, … Continue Reading
October 09, 2020
China Joins WHO-Backed Vaccine Programme COVAX Rejected By Trump-Reuters
China has joined a global scheme for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine backed by the World Health Organization (WHO), it said on Friday, giving a major boost to an initiative shunned by U.S. President Donald Trump. Reuters, … Continue Reading
October 09, 2020
Behind Vietnam's COVID-19 Success Story-Devex
With one of the lowest number of cases and deaths worldwide, Vietnam’s COVID-19 journey has stood out in Southeast Asia and across the world. As of Oct. 9, Vietnam counted 1,100 COVID-19 cases and 35 deaths, and it has recorded no local transmission now for over a month. Devex, … Continue Reading
October 09, 2020
7 Looming Questions About The Rollout Of A Covid-19 Vaccine-STAT
The race to develop Covid-19 vaccines could well see some Americans vaccinated before the end of 2020 — less than a year after the world first learned a new virus was causing a dangerous new form of pneumonia in China. The design, testing, and mass production of multiple vaccines has never been attempted on this type of timeline, making this moment a turning point in the development of vaccines to respond to new disease threats. Some of the looming problems aren’t foreseeable. But here are … Continue Reading
October 09, 2020
White House Physician Expects Trump's 'Safe Return To Public Engagements' Saturday-NPR
White House physician Sean Conley said in a memo Thursday that "I fully anticipate the president's safe return to public engagements" on Saturday, based on the date he tested positive for the coronavirus and his response to treatment. NPR, … Continue Reading
October 08, 2020
What China’s Speedy COVID Vaccine Deployment Means For The Pandemic-Nature
In the race for a coronavirus vaccine, China is making bold promises. A Chinese health official has publicly pledged that an effective coronavirus vaccine will be available by the end of the year. The country has also committed to sharing its vaccines with more than a dozen nations, particularly low-income countries that it has close ties with. But even if a vaccine is ready soon, some scientists question whether the country will be able to produce enough doses to meet its international … Continue Reading
October 08, 2020
How Senegal Has Set The Standard On COVID-19-Devex
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, health experts warned of a ticking time bomb in Africa as many feared that the coronavirus would overwhelm the continent’s fragile health care systems, resulting in massive fatalities. But nearly eight months after the first confirmed case on the continent, African countries appear to be coping. One notable case is Senegal, the West African country with roughly 7 doctors for every 100,000 people. Despite its relatively limited resources, it was ranked … Continue Reading
October 08, 2020
Regeneron Antibodies In Demand After Trump Treatment, Doctors Seek More Data-Reuters
Patients are asking to join clinical trials of antibody-based COVID-19 drugs after U.S. President Donald Trump was treated last week with an experimental therapy from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, and on Wednesday he promised to make it free to Americans while touting its benefits. Reuters, … Continue Reading
October 08, 2020
Harris And Pence Square Off On Whether — And When — To Trust A Covid-19 Vaccine-STAT
Sen. Kamala Harris of California made clear Wednesday that President Trump’s word, alone, would not be enough to earn her trust in the safety and effectiveness of a future Covid-19 vaccine. Vice President Mike Pence’s quick retort implored her to “please stop undermining confidence in a vaccine.” STAT, … Continue Reading
October 08, 2020
Ironic Twist: In Spring, Trump Halted Research Key To COVID-19 Drug He's Now Taken-NPR
President Trump has credited the apparent improvement of his coronavirus infection to, as he put it in one tweet, "some really great drugs" that were "developed, under the Trump Administration." The assertion carries special irony for researcher Peter Daszak. For years Daszak led a U.S.-funded project that played an important role in the emergence of one of those drugs — remdesivir — as a promising treatment for COVID-19. NPR, … Continue Reading
October 07, 2020
White House Lifts Block On FDA's Stricter Vaccine Requirements-Politico
The FDA on Tuesday told coronavirus vaccine developers that it will hold them to strict standards for emergency authorization, releasing new guidelines that the White House had fought against for weeks. Politico, … Continue Reading
October 07, 2020
With 239 Deaths, Iran Hits Its Highest Daily COVID-19 Toll-The Associated Press
Iranian state TV said the country has hit its highest number of daily deaths from the coronavirus, with 239 new fatalities reported on Wednesday. The latest death toll brought the total number of fatalities to 27,658. The ministry spokesperson said healthcare professionals recorded 4,019 new confirmed cases since Tuesday, brining the total number of confirmed cases in Iran to 483,844. The Associated Press, … Continue Reading
October 07, 2020
White House Says 'Not Optimistic' About COVID-19 Aid, Talks With Congress Are Off-Reuters
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Wednesday said he was not optimistic that a comprehensive deal could be reached on further COVID-19 financial aid and that the Trump administration backed a more piecemeal approach, even as he said negotiations with Congress were over. Reuters, … Continue Reading
October 07, 2020
Eli Lilly Says Its Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail Is Effective In Treating Covid-19-STAT
Eli Lilly said Wednesday a monoclonal antibody treatment is effective in reducing levels of the virus that causes Covid-19 in patients, and also appears to prevent patients from visiting the emergency room or hospital. STAT, … Continue Reading