There are over 6 million global cases. The US has nearly 1.8 million cases. Cases have grown by over 21,000 in the US since yesterday, with nearly 1,100 deaths in that same period. There have been over 366,000 deaths around the world.
In one prison in Michigan, over 92% of inmates test positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Over 1,000 inmates were tested. Many are symptomatic, though a precise count of symptomatic inmates is not given. Scores of corrections officers have also tested positive at that facility.
Bringing cases down to a controllable level—it can, and has, been done. It required prompt, considered, and effective leadership:
Some Countries Have Brought New Cases Down To Nearly Zero. How'd They Do It? https://t.co/5wsEzQrACv
— NPR Goats & Soda (@NPRGoatsandSoda) May 27, 2020
Florida is having a “pneumonia” problem. It’s possible they (and other states) are misclassifying COVID-19 cases as other diseases. Sometimes misclassification happens by accident. The trend is easy to spot:
Here is Justin’s work and sources. pic.twitter.com/FgGLAJUmhD
— Andy Slavitt 🇺🇦 (@ASlavitt) May 29, 2020
Monkeys in India grab COVID-19 + serum samples and go on the lam. The samples were recovered intact and it is hoped that the primates will not be infected. The last thing India needs is a large animal COVID-19 reservoir comprised of aggressive and gregarious pests—especially if possibly contagious. Macaques can become infected with the virus and their immune response to the virus has been studied. Although it’s not known for sure if these monkeys could infect humans, they do shed large amounts of live virus.
Quest Diagnostics plans to offer home PCR testing. Users will collect samples at home and ship the samples to the labs for results. The FDA has given an Emergency Use Authorization for these tests to the respective companies.
200 years ago, most people died of infectious diseases long before they could develop the chronic, degenerative diseases that cull us in old age now. What can we learn from this history? The current pandemic is not as severe as previous pandemics, like the 1918 flu. We will likely overcome it and be much better prepared for the next, and potentially more lethal, pandemic.
NY plans to re-open soon:
BREAKING: NY Gov. Cuomo says "NYC is on track to begin reopening June 8th."
— Tony Morrison (@THETonyMorrison) May 29, 2020
Hospitals experiencing “all hands on deck” COVID-19 battles pull clinicians from across the board to help out. As you can imagine, it’s been an interesting time in hospitals. We all appreciate the work and grit that clinicians have shown the world over in this fight. You may have seen some humorous memes that describe the situation—“Stay home unless you want to be intubated by a gynecologist.”:
Hospitals inundated with coronavirus patients pulled in cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and other workers to help in ICUs https://t.co/20juPOshuk
— Business Insider (@BusinessInsider) May 29, 2020
Tennessee Governor’s free sock masks were sprayed with a silver compound registered as a pesticide. It’s unclear if it’s safe to breathe through this fabric—the silver treated cloth might be fine on your feet, but is it safe if those particles are inhaled? Perhaps not.
The US has now pulled out of the WHO:
Coronavirus: Trump terminates US relationship with WHO https://t.co/AJn63n4uWb
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) May 29, 2020
