First Edition: July 8, 2020
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
Analysis: How A COVID-19 Vaccine Could Cost Americans Dearly
Yes, of course, Americans’ health is priceless, and reining in a deadly virus that has trashed the economy would be invaluable. But a COVID-19 vaccine will have an actual price tag. And given the prevailing business-centric model of American drug pricing, it could well be budget breaking, perhaps making it unavailable to many. (Rosenthal, 7/8)
Kaiser Health News:
COVID Cuts A Lethal Path Through San Quentin’s Death Row
The old men live in cramped spaces and breathe the same ventilated air. Many are frail, laboring with heart disease, liver and prostate cancer, tuberculosis, dementia. And now, with the coronavirus advancing through their ranks, they are falling one after the next. This is not a nursing home, not in any traditional sense. It is California’s death row at San Quentin State Prison, north of San Francisco. Its 670 residents are serial killers, child murderers, men who killed for money and drugs, or shot their victims as part of their wasted gangster lives. Some have been there for decades, growing old behind bars. One is 90, and more than 100 are 65 or older. (Morain, 7/8)
Kaiser Health News:
COVID-Tracking Apps Proliferate, But Will They Really Help?
My 18-year-old daughter, Caroline, responded quickly when I told her that she’d soon be able to download an app to alert her when she had been in risky proximity to someone with COVID-19, and that public health officials hoped to fight the pandemic with such apps. “Yeah, but nobody will use them,” she replied. (Wolfson, 7/8)
Kaiser Health News:
In Texas, Individual Freedoms Clash With Efforts To Slow The Surge Of COVID Cases
The Fourth of July was a little different this year here in Texas’ biggest city. Parades were canceled and some of the region’s beaches were closed. At the city’s biggest fireworks show, “Freedom Over Texas,” fireworks were shot higher in the air to make it easier to watch from a distance. Other fireworks displays encouraged people to stay in their cars. After weeks of surging COVID-19 cases and dire warnings that Houston’s massive medical infrastructure would not be able to keep pace, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order on July 2 requiring Texans to wear masks in public, after previously reversing course on the state’s reopening by again closing bars and reducing restaurant capacity. (West, 7/8)
Reuters:
U.S. Tops 3 Million Known Infections As Coronavirus Surges
The U.S. coronavirus outbreak crossed a grim milestone of over 3 million confirmed cases on Tuesday as more states reported record numbers of new infections, and Florida faced an impending shortage of intensive care unit hospital beds. (O'Hare and Shumaker, 7/7)
The New York Times:
As Coronavirus Cases Top 3 Million, Fauci Warns Against Misreading A Falling Death Rate
“By allowing yourself to get infected because of risky behavior, you are part of the propagation of the outbreak,” [Fauci] said. “There are so many other things that are very dangerous and bad about this virus. Don’t get yourself into false complacency.” (7/7)
The Wall Street Journal:
New Coronavirus Cases Hit Daily Record In U.S., With 60,000
The U.S. reported 60,000 new coronavirus cases, a single-day record, with infections continuing to rise rapidly in states such as Florida and Texas. The total number in the U.S. neared three million on Wednesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Daily case numbers had fallen below 50,000 for several days before Tuesday, but public-health experts had cautioned that fewer tests take place on weekends and that coronavirus infections that are detected might not be reported until the following week. The U.S. death toll stands at more than 131,000, according to Johns Hopkins. (Hall, 7/8)
NPR:
Texas Sets State Record With More Than 10,000 New Coronavirus Cases Reported Tuesday
Texas reported more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, smashing its previous record for single-day increases and becoming latest state to reach this grim milestone. Florida did so earlier in this month and New York in April.Tuesday's 10,028 confirmed cases eclipse Texas' previous record of 8,258, which it set on Saturday. (Treisman, 7/7)
CNN:
US Coronavirus: Death Rates May Be Down, But Coronavirus Cases And Hospitalizations Are Surging
While the Covid-19 mortality rate may be on the decline, the nearly 3 million cases and ICUs at capacity show the US is still in the grips of a pandemic with no signs of slowing. "It's a false narrative to take comfort in a lower rate of death," the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci cautioned in a press conference Tuesday with Sen. Doug Jones, an Alabama Democrat. "There's so many other things that are very dangerous and bad about this virus, don't get yourself into false complacency." (Holcombe, 7/8)
The Hill:
Fauci Warns Against 'False Complacency' On COVID-19
Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, warned Tuesday the U.S. should not fall into “false complacency” because COVID-19 death rates have dropped, noting the virus can cause other severe health outcomes. “It’s a false narrative to take comfort in a lower rate of death,” Fauci said Tuesday during a livestreamed press conference hosted by Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) (Hellmann, 7/7)
CNN:
Texas And Arizona ER Doctors Say They Are Losing Hope As Hospitals Reach Capacity
As concerns over the capacity of hospitals resurface amid surging Covid-19 cases, two emergency room doctors say they worry about where the pandemic could take them next. Dr. Mina Tran, an emergency room doctor in Texas, said 70 to 80% of her patients have been admitted with upper respiratory or coronavirus complaints. In Arizona, which saw its lowest-ever number of available ICU beds Tuesday, Dr. Murtaza Akhter told Lemon so many patients are coming in that he is already having to make tough decisions over resources. (Holcombe, 7/8)
CNN:
US Coronavirus: 56 Florida Hospital ICUs Have Hit Capacity
The worsening coronavirus pandemic hit a series of somber peaks across the United States on Tuesday, renewing fears that more hospitals could be overloaded with Covid-19 patients. At least 56 intensive care units in Florida hospitals reached capacity on Tuesday, state officials said. Another 35 hospitals show ICU bed availability of 10% or less, according to the Agency for Health Care Administration in that state. (Chavez and Holcombe, 7/7)
Reuters:
Dozens Of Florida Hospitals Out Of Available ICU Beds, State Data Shows
More than four dozen hospitals in Florida reported that their intensive care units (ICUs) have reached full capacity on Tuesday as COVID-19 cases surge in the state and throughout the country. Hospital ICUs were full at 54 hospitals across 25 of Florida’s 67 counties, according to data published on Tuesday morning by the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration. More than 300 hospitals were included in the report, but not all had adult ICUs. (Caspani and Borter, 7/7)
The Washington Post:
Birx Says U.S. Underestimated Community Spread Among Young People
The Trump administration’s covid-19 response coordinator acknowledged Tuesday that the country was not prepared for the spread of the disease among young Americans — a key factor in recent spikes of infection across several states. On a video conference hosted by the Atlantic Council think tank, Deborah Birx, the physician who oversees the White House pandemic response, said leaders in states that were not hard-hit early on “thought they would be forever spared through this,” and when they reopened their economies, they didn’t expect a surge in cases spurred by a cohort of mostly millennials. (Shammas, Taylor, Denham, Kornfield, Thebault, Brice-Saddler, Sonmez, Knowles and Shepherd, 7/7)
The Hill:
Trump Administration Moves To Formally Withdraw US From WHO
President Trump has repeatedly assailed the organization for alleged bias toward China and its slow response to the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. But public health experts and Democrats have raised alarms that the decision may be short-sighted and could undercut the global response to the pandemic, which has infected 11.6 million people worldwide. The U.S. has the highest number of reported cases in the world at nearly 3 million. (Samuels, 7/7)
AP:
US Notifies UN Of Withdrawal From World Health Organization
The withdrawal notification makes good on President Donald Trump’s vow in late May to terminate U.S. participation in the WHO, which he has harshly criticized for its response to the coronavirus pandemic and accused of bowing to Chinese influence. The move was immediately assailed by health officials and critics of the administration, including numerous Democrats who said it would cost the U.S. influence in the global arena. (Lee, 7/7)
The New York Times:
Trump Administration Signals Formal Withdrawal From W.H.O.
The Trump administration has formally notified the United Nations that the United States will withdraw from the World Health Organization, a move that would cut off one of the largest sources of funding from the premier global health organization in the middle of a pandemic. “The United States’ notice of withdrawal, effective July 6, 2021, has been submitted to the U.N. secretary general, who is the depository for the W.H.O.,” a senior administration official said on Tuesday. (Rogers and Mandavilli, 7/7)
The Washington Post:
It's America Vs. World As Coronavirus Pandemic Spreads And Hospitalizations Rise
Amid a resurgent pandemic and rising hospitalizations, President Trump pitted America against the world on Tuesday, moving to pull the United States out of the World Health Organization while his FBI director accused China of hacking U.S. health-care companies that are researching the novel coronavirus. (Partlow, 7/7)
The Hill:
Trump WHO Withdrawal Could Boomerang On US
The Trump administration's decision to begin a formal withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) will forfeit substantial power and leverage at the leading global public agency at exactly the moment when the United States held its greatest strength. At the same time, public health experts and officials warned, America's exit will put more people around the world at risk of disease and death, and it could even put Americans at a disadvantage at a time when a pandemic is raging. (Wilson, 7/7)
Reuters:
U.S. Withdrawal From WHO Over Claims Of China Influence To Take Effect July 2021: U.N.
After more than 70 years of membership, the United States moved to quit the WHO amid escalating tensions with China over the coronavirus pandemic. The virus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. The WHO has denied assertions by Trump that it promoted Chinese “disinformation” about the virus. (Nichols, 7/7)
The Hill:
Trump's WHO Decision Raises Bipartisan Concerns In House
President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) has raised concerns among a number of top House lawmakers on both sides of the aisle as the U.S. grapples with a rising death toll from COVID-19. The administration announced the decision — slated to go into effect on July 6, 2021 — on Tuesday after months of slamming the WHO’s initial handling of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. (Brufke, 7/7)
The Hill:
GOP Health Committee Chair Says He Disagrees With Trump's WHO Decision
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said Tuesday he disagrees with President Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO) in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Alexander, who is retiring when his term is up in January, acknowledged the WHO has stumbled in its response to the pandemic but said the time to take action would be after COVID-19 has been “dealt with.” (Axelrod, 7/7)
The New York Times:
Trump Presses Schools To Reopen
President Trump demanded on Tuesday that schools reopen physically in the fall, pressing his drive to get the country moving again even as the coronavirus pandemic surged through much of the United States and threatened to overwhelm some health care facilities. In a daylong series of conference calls and public events at the White House, the president, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and other senior officials opened a concerted campaign to lean on governors, mayors and others to resume classes in person months after more than 50 million children were abruptly ejected from school buildings in March. (Baker and Green, 7/7)
The Hill:
Trump Says White House Will Pressure Governors To Open Schools
Safely reopening schools relies strongly on administrators implementing and students complying with social distancing protocols, wearing face coverings and washing hands regularly. But [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert] Redfield acknowledged the government has had difficulty convincing younger people of the importance of those steps. (Samuels and Hellmann, 7/7)
NPR:
As Coronavirus Cases Spike, Trump Pushes Reopening Schools
The president spoke alongside first lady Melania Trump, administration officials and teachers as part of planned programming from the White House to push for the reopening of schools. Despite Trump's comments, senior administration officials said on a background call with reporters Tuesday morning that the decision to reopen public schools remains a local one. (Sprunt, 7/7)
AP:
Trump Pushes State, Local Leaders To Reopen Schools In Fall
President Donald Trump launched an all-out effort pressing state and local officials to reopen schools this fall, arguing that some are keeping schools closed not because of the risks from the coronavirus pandemic but for political reasons. “They think it’s going to be good for them politically, so they keep the schools closed,” Trump said Tuesday at a White House discussion on school plans for the fall. (Binkley, 7/8)
Politico:
DeVos Blasts School Districts That Hesitate At Reopening
President Donald Trump in a ramped-up push to reopen schools vowed Tuesday to “put pressure” on reluctant governors, while Education Secretary Betsy DeVos blasted education leaders who won’t accept risk and “gave up and didn’t try” to launch summer instruction. But the result was intensifying tensions with teachers unions and leading school groups, including the PTA, who charged that the Trump administration in a "vacuum of leadership" has "zero credibility in the minds of educators and parents when it comes to this major decision." The dispute leaves the White House deeply at odds with many involved in making major decisions in the next few weeks about reopening schools. (Gaudiano, 7/7)
The Hill:
DeVos Demands 'Fully Operational' Schools In The Fall: 'Not A Matter Of If'
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday told the country's governors in a conference call that she expects schools to be "fully operational" come the fall, regardless of the coronavirus pandemic. “Ultimately, it’s not a matter of if schools need to open, it’s a matter of how," DeVos told governors, The Associated Press reports. "School[s] must reopen, they must be fully operational. And how that happens is best left to education and community leaders." (Johnson, 7/7)
NPR:
States Sue Education Department Over Allocation Of Pandemic Funds To Schools
Several Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia have joined in a lawsuit against Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, accusing the Trump administration of trying to unlawfully divert pandemic relief funds from public schools to private schools. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Michigan, Maine, New Mexico and Wisconsin have also joined. (Neuman, 7/7)
The New York Times:
Chief Justice Roberts Was Hospitalized Last Month With A Head Injury
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. sustained a head injury last month that required a night at the hospital, a spokeswoman for the Supreme Court said on Tuesday. “The chief justice was treated at a local hospital on June 21 for an injury to his forehead sustained in a fall while walking for exercise near his home,” the spokeswoman, Kathleen Arberg, said in a statement. (Liptak, 7/7)
The Washington Post:
Chief Justice John Roberts Hospitalized After Injuring His Head In A Fall
The 65-year-old chief justice was taken by ambulance to a hospital after the June 21 incident at the Chevy Chase Club, which was serious enough to require sutures. He stayed at the hospital overnight for observation and was released the next morning. (Barnes, 7/7)
The Wall Street Journal:
Chief Justice Roberts Hospitalized Overnight Last Month After A Fall
The injury was reported Tuesday by the Washington Post, which said it received a tip about it. Several people witnessed the incident at the Chevy Chase Club, located in the Maryland suburb near the chief justice’s home, the newspaper said. The court didn’t disclose the incident before the newspaper’s inquiry. (Bravin, 7/7)
Politico:
Chief Justice Roberts Was Hospitalized After Head Injury
“The Chief Justice was treated at a local hospital on June 21 for an injury to his forehead sustained in a fall while walking for exercise near his home,” a Supreme Court spokeswoman, Kathleen Arberg, said in statement. “The injury required sutures, and out of an abundance of caution, he stayed in the hospital overnight and was discharged the next morning.” Roberts, 65, has a history of seizures, but Arberg said that was not believed to have been what led to the chief justice’s injury last month. (Gerstein, 7/7)
AP:
US Government Launches Campaign To Reduce High Suicide Rates
The federal government launched a broad national campaign Tuesday aimed at reducing high suicide rates, urging the public to reach out to others, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, and acknowledge daily stresses in people’s lives. Known as REACH, the government campaign is the core part of a $53 million, two-year effort announced by President Donald Trump to reduce suicide, particularly among veterans. (Yen, 7/7)
The Washington Post:
Trump Administration Seeks To Continue Detaining Parents After U.S. Judge Orders ICE To Free Migrant Children
The U.S. government told a federal judge Tuesday that it might separate detained immigrant families by continuing to hold parents after another federal judge ordered their children released because of the spreading coronavirus pandemic. U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg of Washington, D.C., gave the Trump administration until Thursday to decide whether it would oppose a similar order releasing parents and set a hearing for Monday. (Hsu, 7/7)
The Washington Post:
In New Guidance, CDC Recommends Alternatives In Addition To In-Person Voting To Avoid Spreading Coronavirus
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that voters consider alternatives to casting their ballots in person during upcoming elections, as states expand absentee and early voting options for November amid fears of spreading the coronavirus. The guidance was issued with little fanfare on June 22 and suggested that state and local election officials take steps to minimize crowds at voting locations, including offering “alternative voting methods.” President Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that one popular alternative — mail-in ballots — promotes widespread voter fraud. (Ye Hee Lee, 7/7)
The Washington Post:
Republicans Split Over Attending Convention
Politicians, donors and party officials, especially seniors at higher risk of complications from the disease, now face a difficult choice between a personal risk to their health and a potential backlash from the president and his supporters. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), 78, indicated Tuesday he will attend the convention, but two other top Senate Republicans, Iowa’s Charles E. Grassley, 86, and Tennessee’s Lamar Alexander, 80, are taking a pass. (Scherer and Dawsey, 7/7)
The Hill:
Romney, Collins, Murkowski Won't Attend GOP Convention
Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) will not attend the GOP convention next month in Florida, aides for the senators confirmed to The Hill. An aide for Collins noted that she was never planning to attend the GOP convention because she does not go when she herself is up for reelection. Collins is in a tight race this year that could be pivotal in determining who holds the Senate majority in the next Congress. Spokespeople for Romney and Murkowski didn't immediately respond to follow-up questions about whether their plans were related to the coronavirus as the country sees an increase in cases. (Carney, 7/7)
NPR:
Some Republican Senators Plan To Skip GOP Convention
As for Collins, an aide said she's skipping as part of a long-running tradition not to go during reelection years. Collins "never made plans to attend the convention because she has never attended the national convention in years when she is up for election," the aide said. In 2016, Collins attended the convention despite saying she would not support President Trump. (Grisales, 7/8)
AP:
Trump 'Flexible' On Size Of Convention As Lawmakers Shy Away
With coronavirus cases surging in Florida, President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he’s “flexible” on the size of the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville. The president spoke as a growing number of Senate Republicans said they’d skip the event, and even as the White House tried to tamp down nationwide concern about the virus’s spread. (Kellman, 7/8)
Politico:
Trump’s Convention Bash Upended By Florida’s Coronavirus Crisis
President Donald Trump redirected the Republican National Convention to Florida after North Carolina's Democratic governor couldn’t “guarantee” a full venue in August because of the coronavirus pandemic. But with coronavirus cases skyrocketing in Florida as Trump's poll numbers drop in his must-win battleground state, it looks like the president won't get his full-blown festivities there, either. (Caputo and Fineout, 7/7)
AP:
Biden Wants US To Produce More Of Its Own Pandemic Supplies
Joe Biden is promising to shift production of medical equipment and other key pandemic-fighting products “back to U.S. soil,” creating jobs and bolstering a domestic supply chain he says has been exposed as inadequate and vulnerable by the coronavirus outbreak. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s campaign released a plan Tuesday to reinforce stockpiles of a “range of critical products on which the U.S. is dangerously dependent on foreign suppliers” in places like China and Russia. (Weissert, 7/7)
The Washington Post:
Florida Invited The Nation To Its Reopening — Then It Became A New Coronavirus Epicenter
As the coronavirus savaged other parts of the country, Florida, buoyed by low infection rates, seemed an ideal location for a nation looking to emerge from isolation. The Republican National Convention moved from Charlotte to Jacksonville, the NBA eyed a season finale at a Disney sports complex near Orlando and millions packed onto once-empty beaches. Weeks later, the Sunshine State has emerged as a coronavirus epicenter. (Wootson Jr., Stanley-Becker and Rozsa, 7/7)
The New York Times:
Novavax Gets $1.6 Billion For Coronavirus Vaccine From Operation Warp Speed
With this deal, the federal government has now invested nearly $4 billion in companies pursuing vaccines, but has provided little information about how Operation Warp Speed is spending money, which agencies the funding is coming from or how decisions are being made. That money has gone to six companies with varying track records and, in many cases, promising but untested technologies. (Thomas, 7/7)
Stat:
Novavax, Maker Of Covid-19 Vaccine, Is Backed By Operation Warp Speed
Novavax has joined the ranks of Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers being supported by the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration announced Tuesday. The Gaithersburg, Md.-based biotech has been awarded $1.6 billion to support late-stage clinical trials and expansion of its manufacturing capacity. In return, Novavax will supply the U.S. government with 100 million doses — likely enough product to vaccinate 50 million people, assuming the product is safe and effective — starting in late 2020. (Branswell, 7/7)
The Hill:
Coronavirus Surge Puts Renewed Strain On Testing Capacity
The surge in coronavirus cases across the country has put a strain on U.S. testing capacity — again. Six months into the pandemic, the U.S. has significantly increased its testing abilities. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said the nation averages about 600,000 tests per week, and the country conducted about 15 million diagnostic tests in June alone, according to the COVID Tracking Project. (Weixel, 7/7)
AP:
N.C. Residents Won't Need A Doctor's Order For A COVID Test
North Carolina announced Tuesday that residents will no longer need a doctor’s referral to get a coronavirus test. The order, lasting until Gov. Roy Cooper’s current state of emergency is rescinded, aims to encourage more Black, Hispanic and Native American residents to get tested. (Anderson, 7/7)
AP:
Protective Gear For Medical Workers Begins To Run Low Again
The personal protective gear that was in dangerously short supply during the early weeks of the coronavirus crisis in the U.S. is running low again as the virus resumes its rapid spread and the number of hospitalized patients climbs. A national nursing union is concerned that gear has to be reused. A doctors association warns that physicians’ offices are closed because they cannot get masks and other supplies. And Democratic members of Congress are pushing the Trump administration to devise a national strategy to acquire and distribute gear in anticipation of the crisis worsening into the fall. (Mulvihill and Fassett, 7/7)
NPR:
More States Require Masks In Public, But Enforcement Is Uneven
A growing number of governors and mayors are working to slow the spread of the coronavirus by requiring people to wear masks in public places. Experts say these public health rules will reduce the risk of people getting sick. But some local police and sheriffs are refusing to enforce the rules. (Mann, 7/8)
The Washington Post:
Face Shields Vs. Masks: What To Wear On An Airplane During The Coronavirus Pandemic
As mask rules have caused some controversy on U.S. airlines in recent months, Qatar Airways is taking an even stronger stance by requiring economy passengers and cabin crew to wear both face masks and face shields on board. In its recent announcement, the airline says it will provide passengers with a complimentary kit of disposable protective gear that includes a shield, surgical mask, gloves and hand sanitizer gel. (Compton, 7/7)
CNN:
The Right (And Wrong) Way To Wear A Mask
So, about masks -- they do next to nothing if you don't wear them properly. Yep, even the cloth coverings touted as the best thing since social distancing have instructions. We've laid them out below, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. (Andrew, 7/7)
AP:
Iowa Governor Decries Local Mandatory Mask Wearing
Local officials don’t have the authority to require that residents use masks to halt spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday, a day after the mayor of Muscatine issued such an order. Asked at a news conference about Muscatine Mayor Diana Broderson’s order, which took effect Monday, Reynolds said local officials need the governor’s approval to implement such rules. (Pitt, 7/7)
CNN:
Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Governor, Calls For 'Mask-Up Campaign' Amid Coronavirus Surge
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday called for a "national mask-up campaign," saying it is necessary for everyone, even those in the White House, to wear masks to stem the spread of coronavirus as the number of cases surge across the US. "It's incumbent on every one of us to mask-up, from the White House, to the state house, everywhere in between," Whitmer said. "We are seeing this play out across the country. We have to do our part to make sure that doesn't happen." (Duster, 7/7)
Reuters:
WHO Acknowledges 'Evidence Emerging' Of Airborne Spread Of COVID-19
The World Health Organization on Tuesday acknowledged “evidence emerging” of the airborne spread of the novel coronavirus, after a group of scientists urged the global body to update its guidance on how the respiratory disease passes between people. (7/7)
The New York Times:
W.H.O. To Review Evidence Of Airborne Transmission Of Coronavirus
After hundreds of experts urged the World Health Organization to review mounting scientific research, the agency acknowledged on Tuesday that airborne transmission of the coronavirus may be a threat in indoor spaces. W.H.O. expert committees are going over evidence on transmission of the virus and plan to release updated recommendations in a few days, agency scientists said in a news briefing. (Mandavilli, 7/7)
CNN:
'Emerging Evidence' Of Airborne Transmission Of Coronavirus, Says WHO
The World Health Organization confirmed there is "emerging evidence" of airborne transmission of the coronavirus following the publication of a letter Monday signed by 239 scientists that urged the agency to be more forthcoming about the likelihood that people can catch the virus from droplets floating in the air. Dr. Benedetta Alleganzi, WHO Technical Lead for Infection Prevention and Control, said during a briefing Tuesday, that the agency has discussed and collaborated with many of the scientists who signed the letter. (Erdman, 7/8)
The New York Times:
Novavax Gets $1.6 Billion For Coronavirus Vaccine From Operation Warp Speed
The federal government will pay the vaccine maker Novavax $1.6 billion to expedite the development of a coronavirus vaccine. It’s the largest deal to date from Operation Warp Speed, the sprawling federal effort to make coronavirus vaccines and treatments available to the American public as quickly as possible. The deal would pay for Novavax to produce 100 million doses of its new vaccine by the beginning of next year — if the vaccine is shown to be effective in clinical trials. That’s a significant bet on Novavax, a Maryland company that has never brought a product to market. (Thomas, 7/7)
Reuters:
GSK To Develop Plant-Based COVID-19 Vaccine With Canada's Medicago
The world’s largest vaccine-maker GSK has put its vaccine booster technology to work in a potential new COVID-19 shot, to be developed with a Canadian biopharmaceutical company backed by tobacco company Philip Morris. Rather than developing its own vaccine in the global race to combat the pandemic, GSK has instead focused on contributing its adjuvant technology to at least seven other global companies, including Sanofi and China’s Clover. (7/7)
CNN:
Can The AC Filter In Your Home, Office Or Local Mall Protect You From Covid-19?
When New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced last week that malls in New York could not reopen until they installed high-efficiency particulate air filters capable of trapping the virus that causes Covid-19, Harvard environmental health researcher Joseph Gardner Allen was thrilled. "I've been writing consistently since early February about how healthy buildings should be the first line of defense against the novel coronavirus," said Allen, who directs the Healthy Buildings program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (LaMotte, 7/7)
AP:
'Desperation Science' Slows The Hunt For Coronavirus Drugs
Desperate to solve the deadly conundrum of COVID-19, the world is clamoring for fast answers and solutions from a research system not built for haste. The ironic, and perhaps tragic, result: Scientific shortcuts have slowed understanding of the disease and delayed the ability to find out which drugs help, hurt or have no effect at all. (Marchione, 7/8)