Week 35 | Aug 25, 2020
The Novel Science Newsletter
The latest headlines, research updates, and policy changes you should know.
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The Latest
Global Numbers
- 23,677,221 cases
- 813,802 deaths
- 15,358,658 recovered
United States Numbers
- 5,924,778 cases
- 181,486 deaths
- 3,220,168 recovered
Note: Almost half of all cases confirmed in the US are active now, with just over 54% recovered.
Schools
How many children have asymptomatic coronavirus infections?
From Christopher Sampson, MD, FACEP from Brief19:
“New data released. A new study suggests that children with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection is relatively low in many parts of the United States. But the numbers are high enough that school closures may result, if children are as contagious as some recent studies imply.
As schools and other institutions reopen in the United States, one of the many debates has been centered on whether similar to influenza, children will serve as spreaders of covid-19, thereby exposing their fellow classmates and more importantly at-risk adult teachers. Aggressive screening methods may hopefully identify children who are ill without the need for universal testing, but what about those with asymptomatic infections who are still capable of spreading covid-19?
What is unclear is whether a small number of infected children might contribute to a large number of infections. So-called “super-spreaders” could portend a very short school year.”
Competing Protocols for Terrifying Scenarios
Yet another issue US teachers must contend with this school year: COVID-19 safety measures that are at odds with plans for active shooter scenarios. Teachers have been advised to take classes outdoors or mimic outdoor spaces by keeping windows and doors open. But some of these protocols conflict with active shooter policies — which focus on teaching with doors shut.
The Quote:
“Do I keep my classroom door open to improve air circulation or close it to protect my students from an active shooter? This is just one of the impossible questions teachers are facing this year,” tweeted high school English teacher Tiffany Munn.
Key Developments
The first cases of COVID-19 community transmission in Gaza, among four family members, triggered a 48-hour lockdown of the Palestinian territory, including the al-Maghazi refugee camp, where the family lives. Al Jazeera
Anthony Fauci warned that rushing a COVID-19 vaccine into distribution under an emergency use authorization before we deem it safe and effective could thwart the testing of other vaccines. Reuters
Online reports detail China’s harsh measures to contain a COVID-19 outbreak in Urumqi capital of the semi-autonomous Xinjiang region, including forcing residents to take traditional Chinese medicines and a months-long quarantine. The Guardian
In the early months of the pandemic, online searches for anxiety-related keywords reached record-high levels, according to a University of California San Diego study published in JAMA.
Dr. Subra on leaders ignoring science during a pandemic do so at their peril
Former Minister of Health of Malaysia warns that if leaders do not heed the scientific facts during a pandemic, do so at the peril of their citizens. They will risk losing the confidence of the people and will be less effective leaders.
U.S., China Forge Ahead on Trade Deal Despite Souring Relations
Despite rising tensions in other areas, the United States and China reiterated their commitment (WSJ) to the so-called phase one trade deal reached earlier this year.
Both countries’ representatives discussed China’s efforts to uphold the agreement (CNBC) and future actions on a call, a U.S. statement said. China’s Commerce Ministry said the “constructive dialogue” included a commitment to continue implementing the deal. Financial markets improved (Reuters) after news of the discussion.
Still, China lags behind on its obligation to buy more U.S. goods under the deal
The Council on Foreign Relations timeline tracks U.S.-China relations.
Headline Roundup
FDA‘ Grossly Misrepresented’ Blood Plasma Data, Scientists Say
Experts discuss a statistic used by administration officials when announcing the FDA’s emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma treatment. The number has no clear origin.
Prisoners and guards agree about federal coronavirus response: ‘We do not feel safe.’
Prisoners and guards don’t always find themselves on the same team, but in a pandemic, everyone’s fates are intertwined as both groups face the risk of infection.
How China Controlled the Coronavirus
During the lockdown, the Chinese government never trusted people to set the terms of their behavior, but it depended heavily on their willingness to work hard for various organizations that fought the coronavirus.
Emergency plasma authorization sparks concern for those leading charge on treatment
In the high-pressure push to combat COVID-19, two things have become abundantly clear: 1) we need effective treatment, and 2) we need further data to inform our findings.
FDA Head Walks Back Claim of Dramatic Benefit From Covid Therapy
The head of the US Food and Drug Administration has reversed the claim that an experimental therapy had provided a dramatic benefit to Covid-19 patients. “What I should have said better is that the data show a relative risk reduction, not an absolute risk reduction,” said Stephen Hahn.
‘Rolling hotspots’ are the new normal: Sun Belt states see progress on coronavirus as rates drift up in the Midwest
Just as states start getting coronavirus cases under control in one geographic area, they rise in another. Sun Belt states hit hard by the coronavirus in summer — including Florida, Texas, Arizona — have finally seen their numbers go down, only to have cases insidiously creep up across parts of the Midwest.
Colleges need COVID-19 tests to reopen, scientists say. Some have little for plans.
COVID-19 outbreaks are already interrupting colleges’ plans to reopen their campuses across the country. But just how significant those interruptions are — and whether schools can contain the outbreaks — hinges in part on colleges’ plans to test students rapidly.
Inaccurate results from rapid COVID tests raise concerns about widespread screening
As companies and universities create their strategies to widely test employees and students — even those with no symptoms of COVID-19 or no known exposure to the virus — experts warn such confusion over conflicting results is inevitable.
Experts see progress on a COVID vaccine but worry about who gets it first and how it gets to them
A coronavirus vaccine or even several could be ready in just a few months, so experts are beginning to worry about how to get it into people’s arms.
How the Current Administration let Covid-19 win
The virus rages on, affecting every aspect of American life, from the economy to education to entertainment. Nearly 180,000 Americans are dead. Schools are closing down again after botched attempts to reopen, with outbreaks in universities and K-12 settings.
Colleges struggle to balance housing needs with quarantine rules
Coordinating students’ return to campus during the pandemic is challenging anywhere, though especially for schools in states with stringent quarantine requirements.
In FDA’s green light for treating COVID-19 with plasma, critics see thin evidence — and politics
The authorization for convalescent plasma could allow more hospitalized patients to receive the antibody-rich plasma, which is donated by people who have recovered from the disease. But in the wake of Trump’s announcement, which came a day before the start of the Republican National Convention, researchers struggled to sort the politics from the medical and scientific import of the EUA.
The US braced for a political row over who gets first Covid-19 vaccines
Poor and minority communities must be among the first to receive a COVID-19 vaccine once it is approved for use in the US, the head of the national vaccine distribution committee has said, ahead of what public health experts warn could become a politicized fight over who gets vaccinated.
The EPA approves long-lasting disinfectant to kill COVID-19, but experts call potential impact ‘modest.’
Over the past few months, the Environmental Protection Agency has added to its list of disinfectants that are approved for use to kill SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. But now there’s a new disinfectant the agency has approved that — and it has much bigger claims than its predecessors.
Health experts urge Md. educators to deepen plans for coronavirus cases
School officials should do more to plan for potential cases of COVID-19, according to researchers with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The advice comes as school systems around Maryland prepare to pick up the new academic year in virtual classes, much the same as when the 2019–2020 year ended.
Can you blow out a birthday candle? How to tell if your mask is effective
Cloth mask? Disposable mask? Gaiter? With so many face coverings available, it may seem overwhelming to figure out which one will provide the best protection against the coronavirus. This test may help determine which type of mask or covering is the right choice.
Does reopening UNCW increase COVID-19 risk for Wilmington?
UNCW has branded their reopening campaign “Best for the Nest,” a nod to their Seahawks mascot. But is what’s “best for the nest” also what is best for the “rest” — meaning the 235,000 residents of New Hanover County?
FDA OKs convalescent plasma for COVID-19 amid questions about its usefulness
The FDA allowed the emergency use of convalescent plasma as a therapy for patients hospitalized with COVID-19, saying the “known and potential benefits” of the technique outweigh any risks. However, others questioned the timing of the emergency use authorization (EUA), while trials assessing convalescent plasma for COVID-19 therapy are ongoing.
App Expected to Help in Pennsylvania Virus Tracing Efforts
The race to track the novel coronavirus’ spread through the state has been hampered by the need for more contact tracers. State health officials hope the release of a voluntary smartphone app will bolster their efforts.
8 Flu Shot Side Effects You Should Know About, According To Doctors
Even though we’re dealing with the impending flu season on top of the seemingly never-ending coronavirus pandemic, experts say there’s a silver lining: mask-wearing and social distancing measures may help to minimize the spread of the flu this season, too.
Ohio’s Forgotten Epidemic
Many of the worst-hit regions in Ohio have suffered from economic uncertainty, job loss and poverty for decades. In 2016, most non-college-educated white Ohioans from these areas voted for Trump. As we head into November, the opiate crisis in this key battleground state has only gotten worse, amplified by a pandemic that shows no sign of stopping.
