As states like Texas and Georgia open up, there’s a popular idea making the rounds about herd immunity, one that’s even been heard on Australian TV from the former state epidemiologist of Sweden. It goes like this: The latest antibody studies from places like Santa Clara and New York show that COVID-19 is more widespread
A recently leaked recording caught Texas governor Greg Abbot admitting that the state’s May 1 reopening will result in a surge COVID-19 cases. On appearances, the clip confirms many people’s worst fears: that there is no plan at work in these reopenings. Governors are just throwing everything back open and letting ‘er rip, no matter how
Incredibly good news. Scientists conclude people cannot get coronavirus twice Also very good news. FDA approves coronavirus antibody test that boasts near-perfect accuracy Coronavirus Antibody Tests: Can You Trust the Results?. “A team of scientists worked around the clock to evaluate 14 antibody tests. A few worked as advertised. Most did not.”” A bombshell if
We might be a few weeks into lockdown, but most of us still don’t know much about what it’s actually like to have coronavirus symptoms. And yet, some estimates say that up to 214 million Americans could eventually fall ill. That means many of us will end up needing to care for ourselves at home
Face masks are about to become the new normal for functioning outside our homes. Thanks to the novel coronavirus, it’s unavoidable and inevitable at this point. The CDC is recommending that we as a society adapt to wearing some version of a cloth face mask during any public excursion. Either virus droplets from sick or
Scientists published a preprint manuscript Thursday with genetic evidence that a new mutation of SARS-CoV-2, known as Spike D614G, is more transmissible than the original strain first identified in Wuhan in December. Although a comparison of hospital records from English COVID-19 patients with the two strains did not yield any evidence that the new strain
There are roughly 3.4 million global cases. The US has over 1.1 million cases, gaining over 34,000 new cases and over 1,800 deaths since yesterday. Of note: I keep seeing media posts to the effect that we’re over the hump, but that simply isn’t true. This is a large one-day increase. At best we’re plateauing.
The world has 3.3 million cases. Cases have grown by about 600,000 in the last week, just as they did the week before. The US has nearly 1.1 million cases. The US has had over 2,200 deaths since yesterday. Even though 50% of adults in the US have experienced job loss or work hour reductions,
Demand for face masks is high, but until now, it’s been hard to know what materials work best for the ‘cloth face coverings’ the CDC recommends all Americans wear in public. We know that the tiniest droplets of SARS-CoV-2, called aerosols, can easily make their way through cloth fabrics. But with N95s in short supply
On Tuesday, three agricultural economists released a report meant to guide public thinking about meat shortages and availability. In the report, these economists say that while there isn’t a shortage in livestock, we are facing some monumental issues with our supply chain. We at The Prepared have been writing about those supply chain issues for
The results of a pair of randomized controlled clinical trials were announced today, both showing antiviral drug Remdesivir to be effective in treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients. As a result, the FDA is expected to issue an emergency approval for Remdesivir very soon. It’s still unclear how much this will matter in the overall course of
There are now more than 3.2 million global cases. The US gained more than 27,000 since yesterday, for a total of 1,063,351. There have been over 2,300 deaths in the US in the last 24 hours. There have been nearly 228,000 deaths around the world from the pandemic virus. It’s possible that recovered COVID-19 patients
Drug shortages in the United States have begun. We don’t have a medication for treating coronavirus (and we might not have a vaccine for some time), but supply chain issues in the United States are making it hard for hospitals and patients to get their hands on diabetes and asthma medications patients need for chronic health
There are over 3.1 million global cases. Cases have grown by over 600,000 since this time last week. The US has over 1,000,000 cases with nearly 60,000 deaths. Nuclear risks thanks to the pandemic? Plants can’t operate properly if their workers are sick, and these plants require operations to run 24/7. The folks who run
Millions of Americans have received stimulus payments from the CARES Act, but many still haven’t. Here’s who’s eligible: US citizens, permanent residents, and qualifying resident aliens… …who aren’t claimed as dependents on another tax return… …have a valid Social Security Number, unless one half of a married couple is in the armed forces… …and whose
