Featured Headlines

Coronavirus deaths on the rise in almost every region of the U.S. – Washington Post

New U.S. coronavirus cases reached record levels over the weekend, with deaths trending up sharply in a majority of states, including many beyond the hard-hit Sun Belt.

Immunity to covid-19 could disappear in months, a new study suggests – MIT Tech Review

Immunity to covid-19 may be short-lived, according to a new longitudinal study of people who have caught the disease and recovered. [Related pre-print study]

An American Failure’: New Surge in Coronavirus Cases Strains U.S. Testing Capacity – Wall Street Journal

Covid-19 testing system is reaching a brink as growing demand surpasses what the nation’s labs can handle, sparking supply shortages and backlogs

The Covid Death Rate in Majority-Black Counties Is Getting Worse – Bloomberg

If you’re Black in America, Covid-19 is more likely to kill you, and the disparity has only widened as cases have surged across the U.S.

If the coronavirus is really airborne, we might be fighting it the wrong way – MIT Technology Review

This was the week airborne transmission became a big deal in the public discussion about covid-19. Over 200 scientists from around the world cosigned a letter to the World Health Organization urging it to take seriously the growing evidence that the coronavirus can be transmitted through the air. WHO stopped short of redefining SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes covid-19) as airborne but did acknowledge that more research is “urgently needed to investigate such instances and assess their significance for transmission of COVID-19.”

‘We’re just overwhelmed’: The view from inside hospitals as coronavirus surge hits – Los Angeles Times

For months, California hospitals avoided the dreaded surge in coronavirus patients that threatened to overwhelm wards and stretch thin staff and supplies. But now, with coronavirus hospitalizations in the state at an all-time high, doctors and nurses at some hospitals say the nightmare has arrived.

Back to school: What doctors say about children and COVID-19 – NBC

Evidence suggests that children aren’t as susceptible as adults to COVID-19, but the risks aren’t the same for all young people.

Why R0 Is Problematic for Predicting COVID-19 Spread – The Scientist

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has revealed the limitations of R0 as no other disease outbreak has before, at a time when policymakers need accurate forecasts.

Hong Kong’s New Virus Measures Include $645 Fine for No Mask – Bloomberg

Hong Kong ordered gyms and bars to close for a week, restored strict limits on public gatherings and introduced fines for anyone refusing to wear a mask on public transport in a fresh bid to prevent the resurgent coronavirus from spiraling out of control.

Ideas For Reopening Schools; Evidence Of Airborne Spread – NPR

10 Minute Audio at the link – The Australian state of Victoria, which includes Melbourne, just started a new six-week lockdown. The state just recorded a record number of new daily cases: 191. Education and public health experts agree it’s important that kids get back to school in the fall. The question is how to do it safely. NPR’s Anya Kamenetz reports on some radical ideas for reopening.

Celebrate the good news – New York City Reaches Milestone With No Reported Virus Deaths Bloomberg

New York City, once the epicenter of the nation’s coronavirus outbreak, has just reported its first day with zero confirmed or probable virus deaths since the pandemic hit New York State.

Clinical Considerations

Coronavirus doctor’s diary: Why are people remaining ill for so long? – BBC

Four months after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, doctors are still on a steep learning curve. One surprise is just how long symptoms seem to last, for some patients. Dr John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) talks to two young women who are still tired and breathless many weeks after falling ill.

COVID-19 Has Been Linked to a Rare Neurological Disorder. Here’s What We Know So Far – Science Alert

The patient in the case report was 54 and in good health. For two days in May, he felt unwell and was too weak to get out of bed. When his family finally brought him to the hospital, doctors found that he had a fever and signs of a severe infection, or sepsis.

1 in 3 Young Adults May Face Severe COVID-19, UCSF Study Shows – UCSF

The heart: Before, during and after COVID-19 – ABC News

As the coronavirus pandemic rapidly evolved into a public health crisis of global proportions, doctors and scientists embarked upon a real-time journey to uncover how the virus mercilessly attacks various parts of the body and what to do about it. While medical experts have been troubled by the respiratory virus’ tendency to wreak havoc on the lungs, perhaps more puzzling has been its relationship with the heart.

Virology Podcast: Do, there is no try

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical update on COVID-19, then Viviana Simon joins to review serological assays developed at Mt. Sinai for SARS-CoV-2 infection, tracking the outbreak in NYC, and listener questions.

Official Reporting for July 13, 2020