AUSTIN, Texas The only antiviral drug currently used to treat SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, is remdesivir, but administering it is invasive and challenging. Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin are hoping to change that by using their novel thin-film-freezing technology to deliver remdesivir through dry powder inhalation, potentially making treatment more potent, easier to administer and more broadly available.

A team of researchers in UT Austins Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, led by Robert O. (Bill) Williams III, has investigated varying methods of drug delivery to repurpose existing drugs into more efficacious forms. Earlier this year, the team focused on niclosamide, confirmed to exhibit antiviral efficacy in COVID-19 infected cells. Since then, remdesivir has emerged as the only available antiviral treatment for coronavirus.

Remdesivir is authorized for emergency use in adult and pediatric patients hospitalized with severe disease. Originally developed to treat the Ebola virus disease, remdesivir has shown promising results treating COVID-19 in the human airway epithelial cells. However, limited effective delivery methods have hindered efforts to provide widespread treatment to a broad range of patients exhibiting life-threatening symptoms.

Unfortunately, remdesivir is not suitable for oral delivery since the drug is mostly metabolized by the body, Williams said. Intramuscular injection also faces challenges, since release rates from the muscles can vary widely.

To provide remdesivir for other patients beyond the most severely ill, more convenient and accessible dosage forms for different routes of administration must be quickly developed and tested so patients have more options to get treated. One way to overcome the poor absorption rates of remdesivir is to deliver it directly to the infection site. The research team, which includes Sawittree Sahakijpijarn, Chaeho Moon and John J. Koleng, has developed inhaled forms of remdesivir for protecting and treating the respiratory mode of infection, including an amorphous brittle matrix powder made by thin-film freezing. Not only would this delivery method allow for wider distribution of an essential antiviral in the fight against COVID-19, it could also make remdesivir more effective.

If patients can avoid a hospital visit to begin remdesivir treatment, it can lessen the current strains on our health system, lower cost and provide fewer points of contact with those who are still contagious, Williams said. More widely available early stage intervention methods could significantly lesson symptoms before they become potentially life-threatening, providing more hospital beds and ventilators to those who need them the most.

TFF Pharmaceuticals Inc. has acquired the patents regarding thin-film freezing and inhalation. The UT researchers findings were recently published as a preprint in bioRxiv. Upon final study results, the team will submit its full findings for peer review and publication.

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Dry Powder Inhalation Could Be a Potent Tool in COVID-19 Antiviral Treatment - UT News | The University of Texas at Austin

LANSING Ingham County Tuesday logged its 30th death from COVID-19.

An individual in their early 90s with underlying health conditions died from the virus, Ingham County Health Officer Linda Vail said. The death reported Tuesday is the first since June.

Of the deaths reported for Ingham County, 43% of those are people over 80 years old, according to the health department. People between the ages of 70 and 79 accounted for 27% of the deaths, 17% were between 60 and 69 years old and 13% were between 50 and 59 years old, the health department said.

A microscopic image from the first U.S. case of COVID-19.(Photo: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Ingham County has reported 1,370 positive cases since March.

Statewide, 6,170 people have died from COVID-19 and 79,176 positives cases have been reported, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

In Eaton County, seven people have died from COVID-19 and tests found 350 positive cases. In Clinton County, 12 people have died from the virus and tests found 315 positive cases.

More information on COVID-19 in Michigan is online atMichigan.gov/coronavirus.

Contact reporter Craig Lyons at 517-377-1047 or calyons@lsj.com.Follow him on Twitter @craigalyons.

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30th Ingham County resident dies of COVID-19 - Lansing State Journal

Now, Covid-19 is striking at the heart of the United Nations itself. And many diplomats, some speaking to CNN on condition of anonymity, believe that the old ways of doing business may be changed forever by the pandemic.

It's been a struggle on the world's highest diplomatic stage. How do you practice the fine arts of diplomacy when the conference rooms sit empty, meetings are via Zoom, and the entire staff is working from home?

"Obviously diplomacy needs contact. it needs presence," said Secretary General Antnio Guterres. We are doing our best through these virtual mechanisms."

"Of course, I miss intimacy ... hugging my dear colleagues or smiling with them together," Hungary's UN Ambassador Katalin Bogyay told CNN.

The pandemic has meant the UN-based diplomatic corps has had to function like uh, common civilians.

Gone are the face-to-face conversations that diplomats say can mean the difference in how a nation might vote or a resolution is written.

Typically, the 193 UN Ambassadors and deputies attend hundreds of receptions at each other's homes or offices annually, a tradition that has been upended.

The goal isn't to partake in fine food and drinks, said Belgium's UN Ambassador Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, but to meet a lot of people at the same time. "That is really useful as part of daily work," he said.

Now everything is virtual. "Cocktail receptions on Zoom are boring and sad," another diplomat conceded.

Listening while folding laundry

The Security Council's lack of unity on important issues, from Syria to Myanmar, has not improved in the pandemic era.

It took three months to even approve a resolution about the virus itself. And the recent vote on continuing the flow of humanitarian aid to Syria required five secret remote votes and concluded with many recriminations.

The diplomats do seem to have a coping mechanism that sometimes defies norms. After all they have to sit through numbing marathon hours of speeches during an average year.

French Ambassador Nicolas de Rivire said "as long as there is no vaccine we have to adjust to these realities."

Diplomats shelter inside their homes. and must adjust like all of us.

"You appreciate your own company," said Hungary's Bogyay. "I create every day as if it was a musical piece. I have etude, sonata or symphony days with some nocturnes depending on the topics we are covering."

Another diplomat confided that she and senior diplomats have shared tales of addressing the Security Council, the world's most significant international forum, in shorts and flip flops but with more formal attire on top.

This diplomat admitted "folding laundry" while listening to some conference calls. And, yes, diplomats, like many of us had to get up to speed on muting, unmuting and camera backgrounds.

Clearly, the stiff trappings of formal international behavior have slipped in the sudden work from home age.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, after 4 months taking questions from home, began one daily press briefing with "reminder, I'm in a really lousy mood today."

Covid-19 hits home at UN

Russia initially opposed online meetings but eventually went along as the coronavirus cases mounted in New York. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said early that the online experience was "more intense than normal life."

Other diplomats lamented the inability to read the body language of a colleague during face-to-face negotiations. "It's not the same as having a VTC conference," said Belgium's Pecsteen de Buytswerve. "You lack flexibility and nuance."

Hungary's Bogyay said it was a new type of diplomacy with everything now out in the open. "Lacking meta communication, you have to really have to concentrate on the screen and it is even more demanding physically and mentally than a normal day."

The United Nations could not escape the virus as it reported that 2 staffers died from coronavirus symptoms and more than 100 tested positive over the past six months

The organization told hundreds of staffers to work from home. A Security Council meeting on March 12 was marked by the technical jams that have afflicted many companies who have suddenly shifted to online gatherings. At one point, the panel heard its President at the time, Jos Singer from the Dominican Republic, pleading with ambassadors to shut off their microphones.

US Ambassador Kelly Craft took working from home to heart and retreated to her residence in Kentucky. A deputy had to finish her speech once when the picture failed. Still, dozens of Council meetings have occurred since and the current Council President, Germany's Heusgen, said "it was something very special for these last four months."

For all those who criticize the UN's performance, several diplomats thought the output has been improved. One diplomat not on the Security Council said "people are cutting to the chase more" and countries are finding new ways to work together.

Another diplomat noted: "UN people have been extremely productive with fewer meetings and without traveling. They are just working. They have no other choice."

Farewell to hugs and kisses?

The Security Council members did recently leave their residences to actually meet in person.

The Russians invited countries to their longtime compound in Glen Cove in Long Island, NY, where social distancing was observed on spacious outdoor grounds. Belgium's Ambassador said "everyone was very happy to see each other." There was barbeque and ambassadors discussed the upcoming goals.

But nowadays, simply calling a meeting has proved harder, diplomats said.

The UN General Assembly, with all 193 countries represented, can't meet in person because of social distancing. There needs to be pre-agreement that everyone is happy with a resolution for countries to say yes remotely by consensus.

At the Security Council, it takes more countries to find accord on the need to have a formal session, which is why some disputed issues end up being cast aside. "It's not great now dealing with substantive issues," a Security Council diplomat said.

Any in-person Council session also means hauling in interpreters and other UN staff who may count as essential services, but who do not live nearby in luxury apartments and would have to take riskier public transportation.

Still, Germany has joined with Russia in pressing for a return to UN headquarters as the virus toll dropped in New York. "You can do a lot virtually but nothing replaces person-to-person meetings," said Germany's Heusgen.

Four months after leaving the iconic Security Council chamber, diplomats returned to the UN building for a meeting on Colombia on July 14 -- but not to the Council chamber. To guard against the spread of the virus, the Council used a different, larger UN conference room, with far fewer aides and delegates allowed to watch in person.

The Security Council plans for a second meeting inside the UN on Tuesday to discuss Yemen. Not every country is enthusiastic.

British acting Ambassador to the UN Jonathan Allen said "while diplomacy works best in person, returning to meeting in the UN building involves an element of risk, including for the UN staff, so I think we have to try to find a balance."

France's De Rivire advised extreme caution, with the added guidance to all -- "Come with masks or stay away."

Regardless of the current concerns, some diplomats believe the UN, now in its 75th year, may actually change its ways because of the pandemic.

Hungary's Bogyay doesn't think hugs and kisses are returning anytime soon. "Actually I do not believe we will go back to where we left our life."

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'Cocktail receptions on Zoom are sad.' United Nations diplomacy in the age of Covid-19 - CNN

Aired 7/28/20 on KPBS News

Listen to this story by Tarryn Mento.

The first stop in a La Jolla laboratorys COVID-19 testing process is Bootes. Named for the star constellation and pronounced like the footwear, hes an automated liquid handling platform developed by the company Hamilton.

Bootes is the first in a series of automated machines at Helix laboratory running COVID tests from county sites, and they can be thrown off by inconsistencies. On a recent weekday, Bootes repeatedly refused to intake a batch of test tubes because a barcode on one vial was tough to read.

Lead clinical lab scientist Jason Nguyen, Bootes human handler, said the problem was hand sanitizer frequently used by county staff collecting specimens can sometimes cause the barcode to rub off.

We have some known issues with the alcohol, said Nguyen, who entered the sample ID manually, which always has to be verified by another person.

Machines like Bootes depend on uniformity to process thousands of COVID tests in a day, but their services and daily supplies needed to keep them running are in high demand across the country. Materials are becoming scarce a flashback to the pandemic's early weeks and some supply gaps are easier to navigate than others.

The problem trickled down to San Diego Countys public health lab earlier this month when a supplier couldnt provide its usual weekly shipment. Helix stepped in to help fill that gap and provide additional testing over the next few months. The genomics start-up that jumped into COVID testing as need grew in supplying the county with collection materials and processing for up to 2,000 daily tests.

David Becker, Helix vice president of quality and research and development, said uniformity is crucial when using machines like Bootes. That applies to something as seemingly insignificant as the size of the tube that carries swabs from testing sites to the lab.

You don't get a tube that is half an inch in diameter one day and three quarters of an inch in diameter the next day; that your robotic systems and your processes don't handle those very well, Becker said during an interview at the companys La Jolla lab.

It takes time and people to reprogram the machines for these fluctuations, but that doesnt mean theyre always manageable.

Marc Laurent, Helix vice president of partnerships and operations, said the current situation has them in regular contact with the various producers behind their equipment and materials to plan far ahead of any supply changes.

We've been working directly with the manufacturer to listen to what options they have at that time for a given week to understand, OK, so the normal supply is constrained. You have another two that's close enough that we could adjust to and work with, Laurent said. These are the conversations we have weeks ahead so were not surprised.

Swabs that collect samples and the liquid in the tube that keeps the specimen viable can also be difficult to obtain, but the greater constraint is among materials needed for the actual processing.

Laurent said because the testing technology is often proprietary, certain components are not interchangeable, such as the reagents, or chemicals that help identify if coronavirus is present, and plastic tips called pipettes. About a dozen are required for every specimen because they help mix in the multiple reagents but are tossed in the trash after adding each one.

Companies may also be limited to certain materials based on their test application submitted to federal regulators.

This means labs cant always look to a different source when their suppliers are out.

The countys public health lab faced a similar dilemma earlier this month when officials nearly cancelled appointments at its testing sites because a supplier, Hologic, had to short the countys weekly shipment of collection supplies known as testing kits. Unlike Helix, Hologics testing process requires only one machine that is operated at the countys lab but requires the companys collection materials.

We were facing a real tough situation of needing to close down some of our county testing sites, county Health and Human Services Director Nick Macchione said during a July 13 news conference.

Hologic, which said it provides millions of COVID tests each month nationwide, told KPBS that manufacturing output varies by week and the reduction to the county was temporary. Michael Watts, the companys vice president of investor relations and corporate communications, said shipments of testing kits have since rebounded and the company plans to provide the countys health lab with 20,000 tests a month.

But at the time, Macchione said Helix provided a last-minute reprieve.

Our ability to test will stabilize because of this new partnership, but were always looking to bolster our resources, in fact thats how we found Helix, he said.

Helix CEO Marc Stapley said the company developed its test to require a type of swab thats more abundant, at least for now and it selected a transport media that can stay at room temperature instead of needing to be chilled.

You need the refrigeration either in the packaging or the transportation itself in order to keep everything at a stable ... temperature and so weve obviated that issue in the supply chain by picking the transport media we did, Stapely said.

Still, the company will have to further navigate the challenges as it plans to significantly expand its daily testing capacity to 10,000 by the fall. That later may even grow to 25,000 as Helix plans to use next-generation sequencing technology that can manage tens of thousands of tests a day.

Thatll require the use of their high-throughput machines called next-generation sequencers, which Helix staff have already nicknamed Vesuvius and Fuji. Bootes will still play his role in the process.

KPBS' daily news podcast covering local politics, education, health, environment, the border and more. New episodes are ready weekday mornings so you can listen on your morning commute.

Tarryn Mento Health Reporter

The health beat is about more than just illness, medicine and hospitals. I examine what impacts the wellness of humans and their communities.

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For Biotech Firms, Keeping Up With COVID-19 Testing Demand Is A Daily Struggle - KPBS

Health insurer Centene Corp. said Tuesday that its Medicaid enrollment isn't growing quite as fast as expected amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Researchers widely anticipated that enrollment in the public insurance program for low-income people would swell during the pandemic as employers laid off workers, who they expected would look to Medicaid as a replacement for job-based health coverage.

The Urban Institute estimated that nearly 12 million people could gain Medicaid coverage because of the pandemic if the unemployment rate hits 20%. The Kaiser Family Foundation projected 12.7 million people who likely lost their job-based coverage as of May 2020 and became uninsured would be eligible for Medicaid.

But so far, Medicaid enrollment growth has been muted. The latest national data from CMS shows that Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program enrollment was 72.3 million in April, an increase of just 1.7% since January and 2% since March. Centene is seeing similarly slow growth within its own plans.

"Membership is coming in at lower rates than initially anticipated and below what was expected based on unemployment trends," Centene CEO Michael Neidorff said during the company's second quarter earnings call.

Company officials said the slower-than-expected enrollment growth could stem from more employers choosing to furlough rather than lay off workers during the COVID-19 crisis. They also said enhanced unemployment benefits could be contributing to the lower enrollment.

To be sure, Centene still recorded higher Medicaid membership in the quarter, even if lower than the company expected. It covered nearly 12.6 million members at the end of June, an increase of about 6%, or 736,300 members, over the end of March, when the pandemic first began disrupting the U.S. economy. Membership in the public health insurance exchanges, which was also expected to accelerate during the pandemic, grew just 2% to 2.2 million over the same time period.

Jeffrey Schwaneke, Centene's chief financial officer, noted that Medicaid membership growth did not result from newly unemployed people signing up, but from states suspending eligibility redeterminations. He also said enrollment gains varied widely by state: "We saw good growth in Florida, but hardly any growth in California."

Centene now expects membership growth to peak during the fourth quarter at 1.4 million new members across its business lines, including Medicaid. Just a month ago, Centene said it expected to see membership growth hit 1.9 million in August.

As a result, Centene decided to lower its revenue expectations for this year by $500 million. It now expects to add $3.5 billion in revenue from COVID-related membership growth in 2020. Earlier this year, the company told investors it would bring in $4 billion in revenue from pandemic-driven membership gains. The company left its earnings guidance unchanged.

Overall, Centene's top and bottom lines were driven higher in the second quarter by its $17 billion acquisition of insurer WellCare Health Plans, which closed in January, as well as membership growth. Like other insurers, Centene also benefited from members' using fewer healthcare services during the pandemic as providers postponed elective procedures and routine appointments to conserve resources for COVID-19 patients.

Neidorff said that by the end of the second quarter, patients' use of healthcare services was back to normal, though it is has begun to slip again in July. He also said the company is now experiencing an increase in COVID-related costs.

Centene recorded net income of $1.2 billion in the three months ended June 30, up from $492 million at the same time in 2019. Its revenue grew 51% to $27.7 billion, while operating costs increased 45.1% to $25.7 billion. Membership totaled 24.6 million people, an increase of 64.1% from one year ago.

Centene's medical loss ratio, which illustrates the amount of premiums spent on medical care and quality improvement, fell to 82.1% in the second quarter from 86.7% a year ago.

Excerpt from:

Centene's Medicaid enrollment is growing slower than expected amid COVID-19 - Modern Healthcare

The BDN is making the most crucial coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and its economic impact in Maine free for all readers. Click here for all coronavirus stories. You can join others committed to safeguarding this vital public service by purchasing a subscription or donating directly to the newsroom.

A Hancock County company that processes and packages blueberries has detected five cases of the coronavirus among migrant workers it had hired to rake blueberries.

Hancock Foods tested the employees as a precautionary measure before they began work and interacted with other employees, said Kim Allen, an official with the company, which is located in the Washington Junction neighborhood of the town of Hancock, just east of the Ellsworth city line.

Additional testing is now underway and support services are being offered to employees of the company, said Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hancock Foods is owned by Allens Blueberry Freezer, based in Ellsworth.

We were bringing in a crew of migrant workers for the blueberry harvest, Allen said.

The workers are being quarantined under the supervision of the Maine Mobile Health Program, a nonprofit health care agency that serves seasonal farm workers.

Until those who tested positive get a clean bill of health, the company will have to find other workers, Allen said. Hancock Foods does not plan to bring in any more migrant workers, but intends to fill remaining raker positions with local residents, she said.

Hancock County has seen a low number of coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic. The county has the third lowest rate of coronavirus infections in the state, according to Maine CDC data. As of late Monday, the county had seen 18 cases total among residents, one death and two hospitalizations.

Coronavirus infections among migrant workers, however, have been common throughout the pandemic as they have gradually moved north to tend to different crops.

The outbreak at Hancock Foods was one of three new coronavirus outbreaks the Maine CDC reported Tuesday.

One of those outbreaks was at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, where 12 cases 10 among staff and two among patients were reported. The Maine CDC is still investigating that outbreak, but it appears that a patient introduced the coronavirus to the facility before it spread, Shah said.

The other outbreak, of three cases, was reported at Sappis paper mill in Westbrook.

The state has seen more outbreaks of the coronavirus at workplaces in recent weeks as Maines economy has gradually reopened. Earlier in the pandemic, outbreaks at nursing homes and group homes where people with intellectual disabilities live were more common.

More:

COVID-19 outbreak reported at Hancock County blueberry processor - Bangor Daily News

Also on Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot added Wisconsin, Missouri, North Dakota and Nebraska to the citys self-quarantine list. People entering the city from those states are asked to self-isolate for 14 days. There are now 22 states on the self-quarantine list.

Heres whats happening Tuesday regarding COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:

6:04 p.m.: US officials say Russian intelligence services are spreading disinformation about the coronavirus

Russian intelligence services are using a trio of English-language websites to spread disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, seeking to exploit a crisis that America is struggling to contain ahead of the presidential election in November, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

Two Russians who have held senior roles in Moscows military intelligence service known as the GRU have been identified as responsible for a disinformation effort reaching American and Western audiences, U.S. government officials said. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The information had previously been classified, but officials said it had been downgraded so they could more freely discuss it. Officials said they were doing so now to sound the alarm about the particular websites and to expose what they say is a clear link between the sites and Russian intelligence.

5:47 p.m.: With no perfect solution in sight, schools in Arlington Heights and Plainfield are latest to reject in-person classes this fall in favor of remote learning only

As the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of ceasing, school district officials in Arlington Heights and Plainfield said this week that their schools will be offering strictly remote learning in the fall.

While officials at Arlington Heights School District 25 had unveiled a preliminary plan earlier this summer that would have given families the choice between in-person or online learning, in a Monday letter to parents Superintendent Lori Bein said officials had reversed course.

There is no perfect solution for how to provide in-person instruction while also providing a 100% guarantee of safety for all students and staff, Bein said. The only thing that I know for certain is that plans will need to be flexible as there could be many changes throughout the school year.

5:07 p.m.: How to stay calm, optimistic, even happy during the COVID-19 pandemic Tribune readers share what works for them

Last week, we asked you to share the one thing that has provided joy in your life amidst the confusion and uncertainty of the coronavirus. You responded with simple yet meaningful items and activities that spark creativity, love and the desire to help other people.

4:25 p.m.: Gary will close Marquette Park Beach starting Wednesday, Mayor Jerome Prince said.

Concerned about COVID-19s spread, Prince said the beach will be closed for at least two weeks. The parks shelters and parking lots will also be closed, he said.

Gary cops will be patrolling the beach and kicking off anyone there, Prince said. Marquette Park will still be open for recreation as long as people are keeping apart, he said.

We continue to see almost daily double-digit increases in our new COVID-19 positive cases in Gary, Prince said. We also must ease the logistical strains on our public safety teams and our beach neighborhoods.

Gary has seen 63 virus deaths and 1,047 positive cases, spokesman Mike Gonzalez said.

4:14 p.m.: Berghoff closes temporarily, a month after reopening, blaming pandemic economic challenges

The Berghoff Restaurant, a historic German restaurant downtown, and Adams Street Brewery, its adjoining brewery, have temporarily closed, starting Tuesday, July 28. The Berghoff Cafe at OHare will remain open.

This decision was strictly a business one, according to a recording on the Berghoffs main telephone line. No employee has tested positive for COVID-19 nor have the restaurants been cited for violating any COVID-19 policies or procedures.

Colleen Silk, brand manager, blamed the lack of customers downtown. In an email, she said that tourism in the Loop is down 68%, if not more, from last year and office buildings are still mostly closed. Since the restaurants re-opened June 30, they have seen an average of 15 to 20 customers a day, which is more than a 90% decrease since last year.

So we may hopefully reopen in the near future, and to save what capital is left, the family decided it is best to close our doors for the time being, she wrote. It was not a decision they made lightly and (they) contemplated over this extensively beforehand.

3:57 p.m.: Plan to slash $600 unemployment boost could mean big delays in jobless benefits, states warn

A Republican proposal to slash the $600 weekly benefit boost for those left jobless because of the coronavirus shutdown could result in weeks or even months of delayed payments in some states.

Older computer systems that took weeks to set up for the initial federal unemployment enhancement would need to be reprogrammed again twice under the GOP plan.

In Florida, state Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat from Orlando, said the state has not even gotten the original supplemental benefit to everyone entitled to it.

So the idea of changing the current process that has taken us months to put into place, that is still not even perfect, is a scary thought, she said. These changes, whatever they end up being, are going to create more bureaucratic layers for people to get the relief they need. Meanwhile, we have bills to pay, we have to put food on the table, we have medical expenses and a lot of people are suffering.

How to handle unemployment is a fiercely contested part of the debate as Congress negotiates the latest relief legislation.

Democrats want to bring back the federally funded $600-a-week unemployment bonus that is expiring, saying its a way to keep families and the economy afloat in a time when there are far more people out of work than jobs available.

Republicans argue the current amount is so high that it encourages people to remain on unemployment. They want to reduce it in two steps: First, by cutting the benefit by two-thirds to $200 a week through September. Then they want to switch that flat rate to a percentage in which the unemployed would receive benefits equal to no more than 70% of their previous incomes in November and December.

The debate isnt only about the economy and ideology. Its also about whats doable technologically, especially on software many states use that dates to the 1970s.

2:58 p.m.: Aldermen, advocacy groups call on City Council to pass ordinance to move medically vulnerable people out of shelters and jails

A coalition of groups voiced their support Tuesday for an ordinance sitting in the Chicago City Councils housing committee that would prioritize finding housing for medically vulnerable populations living in group living facilities such as shelters and jails during a pandemic like COVID-19.

The ordinance would amend existing housing regulations and is sponsored by Ald. Chris Taliaferro, 29th, and Ald. Walter Burnett Jr., 27th. It follows earlier reports about widespread COVID-19 cases in group settings such as homeless shelters, which health officials have called some of the most challenging outbreaks to stop.

Its unfathomable that we sit on unoccupied, ready-to-move-in homes while some are living on the street, and while some are even living in congregate shelters during a pandemic, Taliaferro said during a Tuesday news briefing.

1:50 p.m.: Democrats, Republicans are far apart as coronavirus aid talks intensify

Negotiations launched, the differences over the next coronavirus aid package are vast, a gulf between Democrats $3 trillion proposal and Republicans $1 trillion counteroffer, with millions of Americans jobless benefits, school reopenings and eviction protections at stake.

As top White House negotiators return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday the leverage is apparent: They are meeting at House Speaker Nancy Pelosis office. Republicans are so deeply divided over the prospect of big government spending its leaving Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell with a weakened hand.

It's unclear whether any agreement can be reached between Congress and President Donald Trump before Friday's deadline for expiring aid.

We cannot afford to fail, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said as the chamber opened.

The outcome will be a defining one for the president and the parties heading into the November election as an uneasy nation is watching and waiting for Washington to bring some end to the health crisis and devastating economic fallout.

12:45 p.m.: Cubs Jon Lester voices his concerns about the Marlins COVID-19 outbreak: Its a little scary. You have to trust in this process and trust in the protocols.

While COVID-19 hovered around baseball in the wake of the Miami Marlins multiple positive tests, Chicago Cubs left hander Jon Lester maintained his focus Monday night in pitching five no-hit innings in his 2020 debut.

After the Cubs held on for an 8-7 win over the Reds, Lester acknowledged the efforts of his teammates to follow the new health and safety protocols could go for naught if more teams are hit as hard as the Marlins.

It raises questions, Lester said late Monday night. Were all concerned about safety and the protocols. We have to continue to trust in what were doing, and hopefully were doing the right thing.

Lester, 36, reluctantly used the world bubble in stressing how the Cubs traveling party must continue to contain themselves.

As long as we can continue to get negative tests, obviously its good for us, Lester said. On the other hand, you dont want to see anybody get sick or have to deal with this thing.

Its a little scary. You have to trust in this process and trust in the protocols that we have in place.

12:20 p.m.: Study finds 6 COVID-19 symptom clusters that may inform clinicians about the severity of cases

The study identifies six symptom clusters, or subtypes, of COVID-19:

Subtype 1, flu-like with no fever: headache, loss of smell, muscle pain, cough, sore throat and chest pain.

Subtype 2, flu-like with fever: fever and loss of appetite in addition to headache, loss of smell, cough, sore throat and hoarseness.

Subtype 3, gastrointestinal: diarrhea and loss of appetite, no cough, headache, loss of smell, sore throat and chest pain.

Subtype 4, severe level one, fatigue: fatigue in addition to headache, loss of smell, cough, fever, hoarseness and chest pain.

Subtype 5, severe level two, confusion: confusion in addition to headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, cough, fever, hoarseness, sore throat, chest pain, fatigue and muscle pain.

Subtype 6, severe level three, abdominal and respiratory: shortness of breath, diarrhea and abdominal pain in addition to headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, cough, fever, hoarseness, sore throat, chest pain, fatigue, confusion and muscle pain.

11:45 a.m.: After heavy COVID-19 toll on Illinois nursing homes, top regulators depart state agency

With thousands of COVID-19 deaths linked to Illinois nursing homes, two top regulators are now gone from a state agency criticized at times for its oversight of the facilities during the pandemic.

The Pritzker administration confirmed Tuesday that two top staffers at the Illinois Department of Public Health Debra Bryars and Aimee Isham departed last week.

Agency spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said Bryars left July 20 while Isham began a leave that same day. She did not elaborate on reasons for the departures, saying she was not able to discuss personnel information. The departures were first reported by WBEZ.

A Tribune investigation early in the pandemic found a high percentage of Illinois nursing homes had been cited for poor infection control practices, prompting advocates to warn that the state needed to aggressively monitor and fight the virus.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and top leaders have repeatedly said their swift actions limited the virus spread and saved lives. Yet the agencys efforts have at times been broadly criticized as too timid and uncoordinated. Facilities complained they needed help getting more staff and protective gear as infections swept through hundreds of facilities.

11:30 a.m.: Bottled Blonde, controversial River North bar, closed permanently by coronavirus, but not violations

Bottled Blonde, the bar in the River North neighborhood of Chicago better known for its legal drama than pizza, closed permanently on Monday due to the coronavirus, but not COVID-19 violations.

Yesterday, Bottled Blonde surrendered their business licenses, permanently closing the River North bar after a series of serious nuisance conditions dating back to 2017, read a statement from the citys department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. The establishment has a history of egregious license violations, including over-occupancy, noise violations, public urination, vomiting and other problematic conditions that have had a serious impact on neighbors and the surrounding community. The City is pleased that yesterdays action will end three years of legal proceedings with the permanent closure of this problem business.

The bar had not received any COVID-19 related citations, wrote the department spokesperson. The city had conducted an investigation earlier this month, but did not find any COVID-19 violations at that time.

Bottled Blonde, opened in November 2015, was accused of a racist dress code and allegations of operating in violation of its liquor license, as well as rowdy patrons. In 2017, its business license was revoked, but the revocation was stayed. That revocation was removed last October, leading to the closing of the business, which reopened the next day when that closing was undone.

10:30 a.m.: Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman reportedly opts out of the 2020 season over COVID-19 concerns

Veteran Chicago Bears players are reporting to Halas Hall Tuesday for the first time to begin their COVID-19 intake testing to be cleared for training camp, but one fixture in the teams high-level defense wont be there.

Goldman, a second-round pick in 2015 who signed a $42 million, four-year contract extension two summers ago, has been an elite player in the middle of the defense. His absence would create a void in the middle of the line, creating more significant roles for Bilal Nichols and others.

The list of NFL players choosing to sit out the season over COVID-19 concerns is growing. ESPN reported that Patriots linebacker Donta Hightower is the fifth New England player to exercise that option.

Players have until Aug. 3 to opt out and one general manager said there are going to be more than we originally expected Tuesday morning. Players opting out in a high-risk category will receive a $350,000 stipend and an accrued season. Players not in the high-risk category will receive a $150,000 stipend but will not accrue a season. The contract of players in both categories will toll.

9:40 a.m.: Chicago-area house flippers surprisingly unaffected by COVID-19, but brace for mixed bag in months to come

Born from the burgeoning real estate market that preceded the Great Recession, flipping homes has become a national fascination over the past two decades. Thrifty bargain hunters scooped up foreclosed or decrepit properties, renovated them and quickly resold for a tidy profit.

The good news for those who have made a career out of the practice: It seems, at least for the time being, that house flipping has proven relatively pandemic-proof.

My business has been surprisingly unaffected, said Andy Goldman, whose family has been in the house-flipping business since the 1980s.

In the first three months of 2020, 7.5% of homes sold in the United States were flipped, according to a June report from real estate research firm ATTOM Data Solutions. Thats the highest rate since 2006 and a jump from 6.3% at the end of 2019.

Home flipping rates had dropped drastically in 2007 and began to gradually recover in 2010. The number of flipped homes sold in a quarter peaked around 100,000 in 2005, and while it was on the rise in recent years, a decline began in the second quarter of 2019. In the first quarter of 2020, 53,705 single-family homes and condos were flipped, according to the report.

Still, its too soon to fully grasp how the coronavirus pandemic will impact the house flipping market through 2020 and beyond, ATTOM chief product officer Todd Teta said in a statement.

Profits are down and are lower than theyve been since the dark days following the Great Recession, Teta said. Enter now the coronavirus pandemic, and the prospects for house flipping are notably uncertain, at least in the short term.

9:15 a.m.: Chicago adds Wisconsin, 3 other states to 14-day self-quarantine order, which now covers 22 states

Chicago added Wisconsin and three other states to Mayor Lori Lightfoots 14-day self-quarantine order on Tuesday.

There are now 22 states from which travelers are being told to self-quarantine upon arrival in Chicago due to coronavirus concerns. The requirement covering Wisconsin, Missouri, North Dakota and Nebraska goes into effect on Friday.

Lightfoots self-quarantine requirement was first implemented during the Fourth of July weekend but is not being actively enforced aside from signs and billboards telling people that they must self-quarantine.

The order figures to be particularly problematic with Wisconsin, given its proximity and the high number of people from Illinois who spend weekends and vacations there. Many Illinois and Chicago residents, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker, have homes there.

8:45 a.m.: MLB shortened season could be threatened, but games dont need to stop right now, says Dr. Anthony Fauci

The Miami Marlins coronavirus outbreak could endanger the Major League Baseball season, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday, although he doesnt believe games needs to stop now.

More than a dozen Marlins players and staff members tested positive for COVID-19, stranding the team in Philadelphia and raising anew questions about MLB's attempts to conduct a season.

"This could put it in danger," said Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert. "I don't believe they need to stop, but we just need to follow this and see what happens with other teams on a day-by-day basis."

Fauci made his comments on ABCs Good Morning America.

A week after appearing to project a more serious tone about the coronavirus, President Donald Trump is back to pushing unproven claims that an anti-malaria drug is an effective treatment and challenging the credibility of the nations leading infectious disease expert.

Overnight, after returning from a trip to North Carolina where he promoted efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, Trump retweeted a series of tweets advocating for hydroxychloroquine.

YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have begun scrubbing the video from their platforms, saying it makes demonstrably false claims about the pandemic. The tweet the president amplified is, as of Tuesday morning, not visible on the platform but still atop his feed.

The video, published by Breitbart News, features a group of people wearing white lab coats calling themselves Americas Frontline Doctors, according to CNN. In front of the Supreme Court, they maintain the drug can cure the disease caused by coronavirus a claim which is contradicted by medical science. The speaker says masks are unnecessary and alleges a conspiracy by pharmaceutical companies.

The video went hugely viral on Facebook, with over 14 million views before it was removed Monday night for promoting misinformation, CNN reported.

Business did improve for McDonalds throughout the second quarter as restrictions lifted across the globe, but the fast food giant faces a bumpy and expensive recovery.

Of the chains 39,000 restaurants worldwide, 96% are now open, compared with 75% at the start of the second quarter. Comparable-store sales that were down 39% in April were down only 12% by June.

Last week, McDonalds said it will delay dining room reopenings for at least another month and will require face masks for anyone entering its restaurants.

McDonalds is also spending heavily to convince people to come back, particularly for breakfast. The Chicago company spent more than $200 million to support franchisee marketing during the second quarter. It also paid $31 million to distribution centers payments normally made by franchisees and $45 million to cover franchisees debts.

7:20 a.m.: CTA giving away Ventra cards, healthy travel kits during food distribution event at South Side grocery store

More here:

COVID-19 in Illinois updates: Heres whats happening Tuesday - Chicago Tribune

If you test positive for COVID-19 in Minnesota, youre going to get a phone call from a public health worker who wants to know who you are, where you likely picked up the virus and whom you might have spread it to.

These efforts to test, trace and isolate COVID-19 cases have been ongoing since the start of the pandemic, in which time the number of people making the calls has increased from about 20 to hundreds.

The good news is that the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) thinks it now has enough contact tracers to handle the states current caseload. The bad: The number of daily new cases in Minnesota is so high that contact tracing may be of little use in containing the epidemic.

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Contact tracing is nothing new its used routinely to intervene in measles, whooping cough and other outbreaks. But unlike those diseases, which vaccines and antibiotics fend off, there isnt a cure for COVID yet. All public health officials can do in this case is recommend to those who have been exposed to the novel coronavirus to distance themselves from others.

We have to rely on the non-pharmaceutical stuff. Its a little bit like turning back the clock to 1918, said Kathy Como-Sabetti, an MDH epidemiologist, referring to the flu epidemic.

The current contact tracing strategy revolves around phone calls. We call people, we do an interview, we ask for their contacts, we call their contacts, Como-Sabetti said.

So when someone tests positive, they can expect to get a phone call from a contact tracer asking them information about demographics like age, race and ethnicity, where they live, what their living situation looks like and where they might have acquired the virus.

Have you been out and about? Have you been to bars and restaurants, doing sports, whatever it may be, Como-Sabetti said.

When a tracer gets a case, they call, and leave a voicemail if the person doesnt pick up, asking them to return the call. Refusal rates are pretty low around 3 percent, Como-Sabetti said.

Tracers also ask about a persons contacts. Going back 48 hours before the person developed symptoms, or 48 hours before they were tested for those who are asymptomatic, the contact tracer determines whom the positive case was at risk of exposing to coronavirus.

Oftentimes, the main people exposed to a positive case are the people who live with them, and those household contacts are already aware that their family member or roommate has COVID-19.

But additional calls are made to others who may have been at risk of exposure. That typically includes anyone who was within 6 feet of a person for at least 15 minutes. But it obviously ranges kissing someone for 30 seconds is a more intimate, though shorter form of contact that could also transmit the virus.

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Tracers consider social contacts and workplace contacts. In some employment situations, such as if someone works at a child-care facility, public health officials coordinate with the employer to help determine who was exposed and how to best notify people.

The situation gets trickier in some social settings like bars, which have been catalysts for outbreaks in the last month-or-so.

There really isnt a good way to get ahold of every person who came to a bar, Como-Sabetti said. For that reason, we have been providing bar and restaurant names when we have evidence of transmission and they meet a certain threshold that we feel comfortable.

In the last month, for example, MDH has announced outbreaks stemming from bars including Cowboy Jacks and the Kollege Klub in Minneapaolis and Rounders Sports Bar and 507 in the Mankato area.

People who are deemed at risk of possible exposure to COVID-19 are asked to stay home and quarantine for 14 days after their last exposure to the positive case.

MinnPost photo by Peter Callaghan

The Kollege Klub in Dinkytown was implicated as a source of a recent outbreak of the coronavirus.

When the pandemic started, MDH had about 20 workers doing contact tracing. Today, between Minnesota Department of Health and local public health officials, plus a contractor with workers available to provide surge staffing, there are currently a potential 800 people making contact tracing phone calls in Minnesota.

How many contact tracers are needed to adequately manage a pandemic depends on whom you ask, and what the spread of COVID-19 looks like at any given time. A staffing calculator by researchers at George Washington University suggests a baseline of 15 tracers per 100,000 population, which suggests Minnesota would need about 882. But it also has a staffing output that takes into account current case loads and suggests Minnesota needs more than 3,000 contact tracers.

A mid-June report by National Public Radio found that only 14 states had the staffing levels or had reserve staff adequate to meet their states needs based on case counts, using the GW metrics. Minnesota wasnt one of them.

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The current staff in Minnesota has been enough to handle caseloads, Como-Sabetti said MDH has reported between about 500 and 862 new cases daily in recent days but MDH is planning for a potential worst-case scenario where cases rise in the fall, leading to a doubling or tripling of current staff levels. Como-Sabetti said MDH will likely make a proposal to the state for funds to reach those levels.

The department is also looking to add technology that would streamline the process for people who dont need as much guidance, including texting people or having part of their interviews done as a survey online.

Some people need more help and they need more information than others. Were trying to accommodate people who need a lower level of intervention, she said.

While contact tracing is one of the only tools to manage a pandemic that has no real pharmaceutical preventions or cures, it is not always very effective as a containment strategy.

Contact tracing as a means of preventing a virus spread works best when there isnt a lot of transmission of the virus in the community. Thats because when there are few infections, its easier to test, trace and isolate the people who have them and any potential contacts.

Thats part of what makes it so important to get the number of cases down. It actually becomes feasible to test, trace and isolate a large share of the cases when there are fewer of them, said Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

Osterholm listed Hong Kong, Singapore and some European countries as places where caseloads have been successfully reduced enough to effectively test, trace and isolate. But examples of places that have been successful arent just abroad.

One of the things I think the state of New York has demonstrated is when you do not just bend the curve but drive the case numbers down, you can do test and trace, he said.

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Here in Minnesota, case counts have been on an increasing trajectory since mid-June. On Sunday, MDH reported a record 862 new cases and about a third of the cases have no known source of transmission.

The numbers here are just way too high, Osterholm said. What we should be striving for is to see if we get our numbers to one-tenth of what they are today, then we have a real chance of doing contact tracing and follow up. If not, its going to be a challenge.

University of Minnesota

Michael Osterholm: One of the things I think the state of New York has demonstrated is when you do not just bend the curve but drive the case numbers down, you can do test and trace.

This complicates contact tracing. While people are asked to remain at home to limit exposure as they wait for test results, COVID-19 is thought to be most infectious before people who develop symptoms get them, which means exposure can occur before anyone suspects it.

Contact tracing is limited in what it can do when there is widespread transmission given both the issue of the impact that asymptomatic transmission has on overall transmission as well as just the sheer numbers and the timeliness of testing, how fast can you get test results back, Osterholm said.

Link:

Minnesota is contacting people who have been exposed to COVID-19 cases. At current infection rates, it might not do much good - MinnPost

Face masks are a simple way to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus through talking, coughing or sneezing, scientists and public-health specialists say. But they need to be worn properly.

While some types of masks are more effective than others, public-health officials say any face coveringeven a bandannais better than nothing.

Heres how different types of masks stack up, and how they are meant to be used.

Common masks fall into three categories: cloth masks or coverings like gaiters, intended to prevent an infected person from spreading the virus by catching large droplets; surgical masks, with a more sophisticated design also meant to prevent the wearer from spreading diseases; and N95 masks, which protect the wearer as well, and fit tightly to the face.

Cloth

- Typically homemade

- Style and materials vary widely

- Prevents wearer from spreading disease

- Work in herd-immunity: the more wear masks,

the more effective they are

- Wash after use

Surgical

- Loose fit

- Prevents wearer from spreading disease

- Dispose after use

- Made from a material called polypropylene

N95

- Tight fit, must be fit tested

- Protects wearer if fitted properly

- Limited quantity

Cloth

- Typically homemade

- Style and materials vary widely

- Prevents wearer from spreading disease

- Work in herd-immunity: the more wear masks, the more effective they are

- Wash after use

Surgical

- Loose fit

- Prevents wearer from spreading disease

- Dispose after use

- Made from a material called polypropylene

N95

- Tight fit, must be fit tested

- Protects wearer if fitted properly

- Limited quantity

A good cloth mask filters well and is comfortable to breathe through.

A cloth mask should consist of three layers: an inner layer near the mouth that can get moist, a middle filtration layer and an outer layer exposed to the outside environment. Here are the materials for homemade masks that do this best, according to the World Health Organization, using a scale that combines filter quality and breathability. A higher rating is better.

How a mask fits is as important as what it is made of.

1. Check for defects in the face mask, such as tears or

broken loops

2. Place one loop over each ear. Mask will contour to face,

but not as tightly as an N95.

3. Mask should sit on bridge of nose

1. Straps rest at the back of your head. An N95 will contour

tightly to face.

2. Mold metal strip to the shape of your nose

3. Re-adjust straps or nosepiece until a

proper seal is achieved

4. Place both hands over the respirator and breathe.

If theres leakage, there is not a proper seal.

5. If you cant get a proper seal, try a different N95 size

or model.

Surgical Mask

1. Check for defects in the face mask, such as tears

or broken loops

2. Place one loop over each ear. Mask will contour

to face, but not as tightly as an N95.

3. Mask should sit on bridge of nose

N95

1. Straps rest at the back of your head. An N95

will contour tightly to face.

2. Mold metal strip to the shape of your nose

3. Re-adjust straps or nosepiece until a

proper seal is achieved

4. Place both hands over the respirator and breathe.

If theres leakage, there is not a proper seal.

5. If you cant get a proper seal, try a different

N95 size or model.

Removing a mask properly is also important to prevent the spread of the virus.

Do not touch the front of the N95 to remove your mask. This can cause contamination.

Pull the straps from the back of your head. Discard while making sure to avoid touching the respirator.

If you need to re-use an N95 mask, store it in a paper bag for five days. Then you can re-use it.

N95 masks filter out at least 95% of very small particles when worn properly, including droplets carrying viruses. Versions with a plastic valve at the center, which makes the mask easier to exhale through, are intended for industrial workers and offer protection only to the wearer.

True N95s arent easy to wear properly. They must have a tight seal to the face to ensure that all air goes through the filter instead of around the edges. But they offer the best protection against the coronavirus, which is why the WHO recommends these masks be reserved for health-care workers.

A manufacturer business name

or logo should be printed on

the mask

NIOSHname

should appear on

an official N95 respirator

N95 respirators manufactured

after September 2008, must

have a TC-Approval number

The LOT number is an identification

number that may also include the

date the mask was made. Its

recommended, but not required.

1. NIOSHname should appear on an official N95

respirator

Original post:

How Face Masks Work and Which Types Offer the Best Covid-19 Protection - The Wall Street Journal

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This is a South Carolina summer like no other.

Sure, July days in the South are still sweltering. And the promise of sunshine is still enough to lure people out of their homes on a weekend.

But unlike summers past, this one is shaped by COVID-19.

Reminders to be socially distant. To wash hands. To wear masks.To gather virtually instead of in crowds.

Nearly two months have passed since the state's public health agency identified Greenville as a hotspot for the coronavirus, thrusting the city and the Upstate into a limelight nobody wanted.

Last week, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 2,006 new COVID-19cases in Greenville, Anderson, Spartanburg and Pickens counties. That's a 19% drop from the week before.

But, while new cases dropped,South Carolina is seeing its highest death counts: 231 last week, 222 the week before that, according to DHEC's latest numbers.

Here's a map: Look at COVID-19 cases by county and zip code in South Carolina

Since March, at least1,436 people in South Carolina have died of COVID-19, the agency said.Greenville County leads the state in that grim statistic, with at least 153people who have died of COVID-19.

Emergency orders requiring masks are popping up in cities and towns across the state, including Greenville, Anderson and Clemson.

Mask or maskless: The politics of measuring individual responsibility in South Carolina

It is against this backdrop that USA Today Network reporters and photographers from The Greenville News, Anderson Independent Mail and Spartanburg Herald-Journal spread out across the Upstate this past weekend to see what 48 hours of life looks like as ordinary people struggle to define "normal" during a pandemic.

Here iswhat we found.

Downtown Greenville

People strolled in and out of restaurants in downtown Greenville on Friday evening. Few wore masks and even fewerpaid attention to the five protestersstationed at One City Plaza who were advocating a statewide mask mandate.

David Herrick speaks during a rally for mask wearing in downtown Greenville Friday, July 25, 2020.(Photo: JOSH MORGAN/Staff)

The demonstration might have been small because ofheavy rainjust before the rally. It might have been small because it was organizers' first such effort. Either way, Lydia Freund had hoped for a larger turnout.

Freund, who works in meal service for Greenville County Schools, said she felt she needed to be there.

Federal response has been lacking, the state response has been lacking and now the county council refuses to weigh in on a mask mandate, Freund said.

Although the city of Greenville enacted a mask mandate for grocery stores and pharmacies, the county has not.

Stephen Dreyfus, who also was at the rally, has seen what a mask requirement can do, even if it isnt strictly enforced. Thats why he drives to the city for groceries instead of to his usual stores, near where he lives in the county.

If we overreact, the worst that happens is its very inconvenient. If we underreact, it could cost people their lives, he said.

Signs are displayed during a rally for mask wearing in downtown Greenville Friday, July 25, 2020.(Photo: JOSH MORGAN/Staff)

Dreyfus, whos running as a Democrat for the District 20 seat on the state House of Representatives, said it was a mistake for Gov. Henry McMaster to reopen South Carolina when he did.

People make mistakes. Wise people correct them, Dreyfus said.

Activist Bruce Wilson spoke to passersby through a bullhorn at the gathering. He said he is concerned that the lack of a mask mandate will hurt minority communities the most.

Science proves that a mask is effective, and so we definitely need a mandate in this state, Wilson said. Is a mandate an enforceable law? Maybe not. But it helps to remind individuals to wear a mask.

Caine Halter Family YMCA

Nineteen people spread out around the tennis courts outside the Caine Halter Family YMCAon Cleveland Street for a morning boot camp class.

The instructor, Ray Papke, has held this class for years. The people mostly know each other, and their banter is jovial, a mix of discussion about kidsand some good-natured razzing from Papke.

This is the biggest group Papke has had since the pandemic began. Heused to teach eight in-person classes at the YMCA each week. Now, he teaches five. Four are virtual andnot affiliated with the YMCA and one is the boot camp class, whichhe now does only outside.

Meanwhile golf: As COVID-19 changes other businesses, golf sees a surge in Greenville

Papke doesnt know when hell return to doing classes inside the Y again. There are too many unknowns right now, he said.

Were outside at the Y because there are a lot of people including myself that arent comfortable going back in, especially to small closed spaces, Papke said, glistening with sweat, post-class. Ive got family where Im particularly careful because theyre in that age and category both so I try to keep it to grocery shopping and thats it."

Papke said the pandemic has changed his habits, and not just because he sleeps a half-hour later now and gets up at 5 a.m.

"Its kept me conscious of what Im doing, where Im going, what I didnt need to be doing," he said.

He said he thinks the pandemic will pass, but that it may be a year or two before people's lives seem normal again.

I look at 9/11, for a good few months everybody was bonded and then it went to crap. Right now were at a crap moment but were going to be bonded again."

Anderson Area YMCA parking lot

Nine officers from the Anderson Police Department gather for roll call 15 minutes before their shift begins. They have been doing roll calls outside at various locations in the cityfor weeks now.It helps them to stay socially distant from one another.

Anderson police Alpha shift conduct the roll call in the parking lot of the YMCA in Anderson Saturday, July 25, 2020. Police gather outside for roll call six-feet apart as they discuss topics, including the city mask ordinance. (Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)

COVID-19 has hit close to home for them. Police Chief Jim Stewart had it in late June and has recovered.

Six of the nine officers are wearing masks.

Four people jog by and, noticing the gathering of officers at YMCA, the joggers all crane their necks and briefly study the parking lot, never breaking stride.

Anderson police Alpha shift's Tiffany Ray, left, listens as Jared Burris speaks during the roll call in the parking lot of the YMCA in Anderson Saturday, July 25, 2020. Police gather outside for roll call six-feet apart as they discuss topics, including the city mask ordinance. (Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)

The officers talk briefly about enforcing the mask requirement that the Anderson City Council passed Thursdayfor restaurants, retail, salons and some other businesses.

Officer Jared Burriss recounts thatsomeone already had asked him about it at Walmart on Liberty Highway.

The officers say they plan to educate people about the mask requirement first and try not to issue citations on their first encounter with someone who isn't complying.

TD Essential Market on Main Street, Greenville |Anderson County Farmers' Market, Anderson

The TD Essential Market in Greenville was limited to 40 vendors.

All the vendors and most of the customers wore masks. Free masks were offered to customers upon entrance. The city used cones in the middle of Main Street, signs and several banners to illustrate and encourage 6feet of social distance between people. Tables with large bottles of hand sanitizer were also placed in the middle of Main Street.

Devin Byrne was there selling products from Blue Ridge Creamery, not his usual gig.

Byrne, 30, said he had been laid off from his full-time job as a baker because of the pandemic and has had to move in with his parents.

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He said he is thankful that the people at Blue Ridge Creamery have helped him. He was selling their products at the market.

Its been great to learn a new trade, to kind of get an idea of how to make cheese, he said. Id never done that before, also being from Wisconsin, its kind of nice to get an idea of my ancestors.

At thefarmers' market in downtown Anderson, an electronic sign flashed messages related to COVID-19, reminding people to wear masks and practice social distancing. Signs taped to tables bore the message: "Shop with your eyes, not your hands. Please allow the grower to handle produce."

Rev. Emmanuel Donaldson, left, stamps a senior farmer's market nutrition program 2020 voucher for five dollars of produce from Linda Wells of Belton at the Anderson County Farmer's Market in Anderson Saturday, July 25, 2020.(Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)

While other vendors sold tomatoes, cucumbers and homemade bread, Karen Brandt sold homemade cloth masks. She started making them about four years ago when her sister battled cancer.

She started making them again in February because of COVID-19. She said her business at the market has been steady.

Anderson Jockey Lot

This open-air flea market between Anderson and Belton draws thousands from the Upstate and from neighboring Georgia and North Carolina on a typical weekend.

On Saturday, hundreds of cars filled the gravel lot. Only about 20% of the people who were there late morning were wearing masks.

Customers browse at booths in the Jockey Lot flea market near Anderson on Saturday, July 25, 2020.(Photo: Kirk Brown/Greenville News)

Table space sells cheap for dozens and dozens of vendors, so variety here abounds. Last weekend, the mix included a booth with only socks, a stand with tomatoes and cantaloupes, a woman offering Simply Tide detergent, a table with jewelry and a man selling fried Oreos.

Among them was Dwight Hauser, who had driven from Hickory, North Carolina, to sell Trump 2020 T-shirts and yard signs. Hauser was also selling masks, but was not wearing one.

"I don't really think that masks do any good," he said. "If I'm required to have one to go in a store, I'll wear one."

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Greenville Convention Center

The parking lot of the Greenville Convention Center has dozens of cars, vans and larger vehicles in it.

They bear license plates from New Jersey, Illinois, Wisconsin, Idaho, Virginia, Mississippi, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Alabama.

Some of the plates are personalized, with word like "Labrador," "Bernese" and "Rotts."

People are here for the Carolina Foothills Dog Show Cluster, an event that this year is not open to the public, but still draws participants and judges from a swath of the United States.

Dave King traveled from Corinth, Mississippi, to show Yorkshire terriers and to be a vendor of crates and other items.

He said he had done one other show in Oklahoma about three weeks ago, but before that, most of the dog shows dried up in mid-March.

He took a break from loading his vehicle in the parking lot.

"Things are different this year, that's for sure," he said. "Even in there. There's social distancing, there's no obedience portion, there's no rally. Still, it's good for us and good for the dogs to be doing what they are used to doing."

King, who was wearing a mask, said he wasn't concerned about being at the event during the pandemic.

"You have to do what you can to take care of yourself, wash your hands, get your Vitamin D being out in the sun," he said.

John Wilusz, the general manager of the Convention Center, said in an email that the show would normally need a group event license, but that wasn't necessary this year because it was closed to the public.

" Keep in mind that the event is taking place in 230,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, so social distancing is very workable. The show organizers have been diligent in enforcing a policy requiring face coverings."

He said that city staff had worked closely with event organizers.

"We have taken a very measured and responsible approach to the resumption of business," he said. "So far we are pleased with the results."

Twelve Mile Recreation Area, Central

The gatekeeperkeeps close count of the people driving into and out of Twelve Mile Recreation Area, a docking and beach area on one of Lake Hartwells tributaries near Daniel High School.

The smell of charcoal from a familys barbecue fills the air and the sounds of children splashing in the swimming area filter through the trees.

Boaters gather on Lake Hartwell at Big Water Marina for the Meals on Wheels of Anderson Hartwell Lake 2020 Poker Run in Anderson Saturday, July 24, 2020. The event with 110 preregistered boaters benefits Meals on Wheels Anderson helps the organization provide meals to 400 elderly and disabled homebound in the county.(Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)

Kayla Motes came to spend a day in the water with her daughter. Its a normal Saturday activity for the family from Easley.

And during a pandemic, normal is needed, she said.

Everything is different. If youre in a store, people look at you crazy if you go down the aisle in the wrong direction, she said as she put a neon yellow pool float in her car.

Motes wasnt wearing a mask, nor was anyone else on the beach.

Im away from people ... I really treat this situation the same way I do with the flu. I dont see a difference.

Near Ice Cream Station, Simpsonville

See original here:

48 hours of COVID-19: What pandemic life looks like in the Upstate - Greenville News

On January 8th, I asked The Verges science team to keep an eye on early reports of a new virus that had recently emerged in China. When I dropped an article about that new virus from The Washington Post in Slack, someone joked that 2020 was off to a strong start, clearly jinxing the entire year for the rest of humanity. Whoops.

Jokes aside, this past decade, year, six and a half months has featured a disturbing flood of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad news. More than half a year in and not only do we still not know when this will all end, were also seeing a tsunami of new cases in the US and record-high hospitalizations.

Theres so much we still dont know, but we do know that this is going to keep going for a long, long time. Weve got to pace ourselves if were going to make it. Thats why were starting with a weekly format for this column instead of bombarding you with a daily dose of news. Hopefully we can give you some context for the big headlines and help you keep track of our collective scientific progress as we stumble our way toward the future. Its still an experiment, but these are a few things well keep an eye on:

We might also throw in a bit of non-coronavirus news just to remind you that there are other things going on in the world. Lets get started.

Immunology experts have also been cautious, and so have other pharmaceutical executives. I think when people tell the public that theres going to be a vaccine by the end of 2020, they do a grave disservice to the public, Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier said in an interview published by Harvard Business School last week. I think at the end of the day, we dont want to rush the vaccine before weve done rigorous science.

Want to help researchers find a vaccine? The National Institutes of Health (NIH) created a new network called the COVID-19 Prevention Trials Network (COVPN) that will help connect volunteers with some of the large clinical trials that are needed to test potential coronavirus vaccines.

Each of the Phase 3 clinical trials that the COVPN will conduct will require thousands of volunteers, NIH director Francis Collins said in a statement. Community engagement, particularly with the communities most vulnerable to COVID-19s severe outcomes, will be critical to the success of this research endeavor.

If you want to volunteer, youll be asked to complete a short survey of personal questions, including where you live. If youre a good candidate for one of the many studies going on across the country, a researcher will reach out to you and give you more information on the study. You can then decide whether you want to participate.

Lopez drives to his fourth stop of the day, a body in the back, a cigarette in his hand. Hes reflecting on the virus and how the calls to pick up bodies started coming all of a sudden, one after the other. He takes his job personally. It could be one of my family members, it could be a friend of mine.

Shannon Najmabadi and Miguel Gutierrez Jr. report for The Texas Tribune on what its like to be one of last responders in the Rio Grande Valley, where deaths and case numbers remain high.

To the more than 15,762,392 people worldwide who have tested positive, may your road to recovery be smooth.

To the families and friends of the 640,278 people who have died worldwide 145,556 of those in the US your loved ones are not forgotten.

Stay safe, everyone.

Correction 7/27: After publication, Merck communications reached out to clarify that while the Harvard Business School interview with Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier was published on July 13, the interview took place on June 30. This story has been updated to reflect the new information.

Read more here:

Antivirus: A weekly digest of the latest COVID-19 research - The Verge

The UK locked down on March 23 in an attempt to slow the spread of Covid-19, and while most courts in England and Wales have since reopened, many trials are now subject to lengthy delays, leaving victims and their families in limbo and many defendants -- who remain innocent until proven guilty -- in custody.

Kellie Meir said she first heard of the change to her son's case in June, when friends shared local news articles about the decision on social media.

"That's the worst thing -- we had to read it on Facebook," she told CNN. "Nobody told us. We didn't have a letter. [I] just opened up Facebook and saw his picture all over the place."

Meir said her son was a great motorcycle enthusiast. "I know he was [on his motorbike] when he died, but he loved that thing, from such a young age."

Danny's sudden death left his mother, four younger brothers, younger sister, long-term girlfriend and grandparents devastated. "My mum took it particularly hard [because] they were very close," Meir added.

"It's been two years now, and it'll be three by [the time of the trial.] We can't move on with our lives, we haven't got closure," she said.

Trial by jury is a cornerstone of democratic legal systems around the world, especially those based on English common law -- also known as Anglo-American law.

Meanwhile the Crown courts, where more serious cases are heard, face a backlog of 40,526 outstanding cases as of the week ending May 24, according to preliminary data from the British government. That's up from a pre-coronavirus caseload of 39,214, though not as high as a peak of 55,000 cases recorded in 2014.

Lawyers working in the court system in England and Wales criticized the mounting caseload -- which they say is the result of years of underinvestment, cuts and court closures -- long before the pandemic. Coronavirus has only exacerbated the situation.

For victims and their families, the additional delays caused by Covid-19 have made an already stressful situation unbearable.

"It's not just the delay, it's everything around it," said Alex Mayes, external affairs manager at rights group Victim Support. "Before, victims were feeling anxious. Now they have added anxiety around coronavirus itself."

Penelope Gibbs, an ex-magistrate and the founder of NGO Transform Justice, agrees. "It's going to be backlog on backlog, and the problem is in human terms," Gibbs, an advocate for the rights of defendants being held in custody, told CNN.

"The concern is that those on remand are innocent until and if they are proven guilty," she said. "They may well be acquitted and they are losing their liberty when they may well be innocent. For that to go on for months threatens human rights."

"What I fear is that people on remand may change their plea ... from not guilty to guilty. In some cases they may then be released from prison," she added.

And experts say some cases which have been postponed may end up never going to trial because of the lengthy delays.

"The quality of evidence declines over time," veteran British barrister Michael Wolkind told CNN. "There will be certain cases where the victim won't be able to bear the further wait and withdraws. And [there will be] smaller cases where the prosecuting authorities will drop [charges]."

There are 77 crown court centers in England and Wales that can host a trial by jury. Fifty-four have reopened since the UK's lockdown was eased, according to the Ministry of Justice, but distancing measures mean many of the courts that are open still have limited capacity for trials. In some courts, rooms required for the trial are rendered useless because of their size.

CNN spoke to lawyers involved in trials who were concerned about the court estate in England and Wales, and its suitability for social distancing.

Michael Auty is a barrister and Queen's Counsel -- a title awarded by the British monarch to particularly respected advocates. Auty has seen many trials delayed because of the pandemic, including that of his client Magdalena Kissova.

Kissova, 47, is charged with murdering a 67-year-old man in Derby, in England's Midlands, in February. She denies the charge. Kissova has been held in custody since her arrest -- her trial was due to begin later this month, but delays caused by the pandemic mean it has been pushed back until October.

"We didn't know if Derby Crown Court was going to be suitable for dealing with jury trials or not," Auty told CNN. "We couldn't carry out the changes [needed] to spread the jury out physically. And there are a host of other things -- the jury have to walk through lots of narrow passages, and their retiring room can't accommodate social distancing. It was not built for a world where that was necessary."

"You couldn't begin to contemplate socially distanced trials," in Derby's modern court building, Auty said. "We could possibly accommodate social distancing in the courtroom itself, beyond that it would be impossible."

The realities of a return to a full trial schedule are a worry for many lawyers.

"I think it's quite scary," Danielle Manson, a junior barrister based in London, told CNN. "I don't feel confident or comfortable about going back to work. The courts estate is crumbling -- and that was before Covid-19."

The UK's opposition Labour Party believes a long-term lack of investment in the legal system has worsened the current crisis in the courts.

"The justice system has been brought to its knees by a decade of austerity that cut funding to the Ministry of Justice by a quarter in real terms," David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, told CNN in a statement.

"The result of these cuts is victims of violent crimes who are unable to see their attackers in court, wrongly accused defendants detained indefinitely while waiting for a trial, and a public unable to see justice served in a timely manner."

Lammy says Labour wants the government "to requisition empty public buildings to be used as temporary courts to beat the backlog," and "to provide the funding necessary to keep the justice system functioning in this crisis and make sure it is never left so vulnerable again."

As pressure mounts, the UK's Ministry of Justice is setting up new "Nightingale Courts" to help ease the backlog.

The Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland, announced on July 19 that he had identified 10 sites for such courts, and that the government would increase its investment in the legal system. The first court opened on July 20, and officials hope all 10 sites will be open by August.

"[The Nightingale courts] idea is wise," Auty told CNN. "Places like university lecture theaters could be turned into a makeshift courtroom -- they're big enough. But there's no silver bullet," he said, pointing out the enormous logistical challenge involved in converting regular buildings into temporary courts.

"You have to move people who are in remand into court, so [...] you need a secure building," he said. "You can't take [defendants] past the jury. And how do you manage witnesses? Where do they wait? How do you keep them apart from defendants' families?"

"With a drugs trial you may have 20 or more defendants. With sex [assault] trials you absolutely cannot have a woman walking past a man who is accused of raping her. You have to keep all sorts of people separate, and [need to] have a mechanism to do so," he added.

The administrative tangle caused by Covid-19 has left British officials racing to find alternative solutions.

In March, British lawmakers passed the Coronavirus Act, granting the government emergency powers as the pandemic hit. Among other things, the legislation allows more video and audio link technology to be used in courts.

Since then, new technology has been installed in many Crown Courts across England and Wales, enabling some criminal hearings to be held via video link. Hearings are separate proceedings to jury trials but are often used for sentencing those already convicted.

Last month, Buckland told a parliamentary select committee that another option would be to have certain cases heard by a judge and two magistrates, rather than a 12-person jury. For this to go ahead, it would require lawmakers to pass new legislation.

"We are working closely with the judiciary on a range of measures to keep the justice system running, such as additional venues to allow better social distancing," a Ministry of Justice spokesperson told CNN. "This does not include judge-only trials in the Crown Court."

For victims' rights advocates such as Alex Mayes, the use of video technology in courts is vitally important.

"Business as usual just isn't an option," he said. "There needs to be change -- it could be something like pre-recorded video cross-examination of victims. It's about utilizing technology."

But some lawyers balk at the thought of virtual courtrooms encroaching further on physical ones.

"I don't think we can be parachuted into a digital system when people's life and liberty are at stake and we're asking members of the public to make enormous decisions," said junior barrister Danielle Manson.

"I think the use of video links is something we should be anxious about, because everything ... is about people and human reaction. It's about how witnesses react and how jurors react," she said. "There's something about being in the same room as someone and feeling an atmosphere. Jury trials are incredibly theatrical."

The crisis in England and Wales is replicated in legal systems around the world that use jury trials. The coronavirus pandemic has forced delays to trials in New Zealand, the US, Canada, Australia and Ireland.

"I haven't heard of any system that has [coped]. It's inherently difficult to hold a trial in this situation," Crosby told CNN.

Providing justice in the time of coronavirus may lie in some combination of technology, larger courtrooms and longer hours. But as with many public institutions, the pandemic has exacerbated the existing flaws of the English legal system.

And the longer officials take to work out the logistics of holding trials, the longer families are having to wait for their day in court.

Kellie Meir told CNN the lockdown has made her grief over Danny's death worse. "I couldn't wait to go back to work," she said. "I didn't go out during the full lockdown and [he] was on my mind."

As lockdown conditions are lifted, Meir wants to know why she is still waiting for the trial to begin.

"You need a jury there -- why can't they just spread them out?" Meir asked. "Why can't [jurors] wear masks? I thought masks protected you? I don't know about the virus ... I don't really understand it all."

"It's really hard," she said. "I have got other kids, I have my mum [and] you have [to] get on with it. But my heart's broken. He was 22, you know? He was too young. How can we move on?"

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Jury trials were meant to deliver justice. Covid-19 brought them to a halt - CNN

A health officer in Istanbul, Turkey, wears protective clothing before collecting swab samples from ... [+] confined people who may be infected with the Covid-19 coronavirus and thus may be infected. (Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)

You may be able to lose a guy in 10 days, based on the 2003 rom-com movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. That also may be time that it takes for you to lose enough of the Covid-19 coronavirus so that you are no longer contagious, based on updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC is now saying that if you have mild-to-moderate Covid-19, keep yourself isolated from other people for at least 10 days after you first noticed symptoms. You can discontinue this isolation after the 10-day mark if you havent had a fever for at least 24 hours and your other symptoms have improved. Note that not having a fever because you took a fever-reducing medication like Tylenol doesnt count. That would be cheating. The fever has to have naturally disappeared. Still having a fever after 10 days means that you may need not only more cowbell but also more isolation.

This is a bit different from what the CDC was saying back in April, which was about three missed haircuts ago. As I wrote for Forbes at the time, the threshold back then was seven days rather than 10 days for discontinuing isolation. Also, the previous threshold for being fever-free was 72 hours instead of 24 hours. So in the words of Guns N Roses, youll need a have little more patience. Wait three days longer before exposing yourself to others. Actually, that came out wrong. Wait three days longer before interacting in any way with others.

Isolation much more than social distancing. Social distancing should be maintained even after ending ... [+] isolation. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

Keep in mind that isolation is not the same as social distancing. You should still social distance after ending isolation. As Ive indicated previously, social distancing means staying at least one Ryan Gosling away from everyone else. As actor Gosling is approximately six feet tall, this would be keeping at least one lying Gosling apart. A Gosling lying on the floor, that is.

Isolation, instead, entails staying in a room or rooms by yourself away from others. That means no Ryan Goslings, no Ryan Reynolds, no Ryan Chappelles, no Dave Chappelles, no David Crosses, no Marcia Crosses, no Marcia Bradys. Nobody else should be there. No one should enter that room unless they have are wearing a full set of personal protective equipment, known affectionately as PPE. It also involves not sharing any items that you may have contaminated with others, including that mountain of toilet paper that you have amassed around your bed.

Isolation is different from quarantine as well. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website includes the following easy-to-remember phrases:

As you can see, its all about the might. Isolate yourself when you already know that you are infected. By contrast, quarantine yourself when you think that you may have been exposed to the virus. Another way to remember when to quarantine is the q. Quarantine when theres a question whether you are infected. Isolate when you say I am infected. Quarantine does not become isolation until you have either had a positive test for the RNA of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or developed symptoms that suggest Covid-19.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that individuals who have traveled ... [+] to New York from higher-risk states should quarantine for 14 days. (Photo by Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)

The recommended quarantine duration is still at least 14 days because thats how long the incubation period may potentially last. The incubation period is the time from when you are exposed to when you first develop symptoms and may last anywhere from two to 14 days, based on studies so far. So if you think you got exposed to the Covid-19 coronavirus during that ill-advised Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in-person watch party, youll have to view the show for the next two weeks by yourself, far away from anyone else, except for perhaps that massive pile of toilet paper next top your bed.

If you have more severe Covid-19 or a weak immune system then you could remain contagious for longer than 10 days. More severe cases may shed more virus for longer periods of time. The CDC is now recommending that those with severe-to-critical illness or a very weak immune system stay isolated for at least 20 days after the onset of symptoms. Of course, if you have severe-to-critical Covid-19, you really should be in the hospital. So this guidance is more for health care workers taking care of patients with Covid-19.

What if you tested positive for the SARS-CoV2 but never developed any symptoms? Well, the threshold is still 10 days. But for asymptomatic infections, staying isolated for 10 days after symptom onset would mean that you would stay isolated forever, which would be a really long time.

Instead, the guidance is to stay isolated for 10 days from the date of your first positive test for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. In this case, RNA stands for ribonucleicacid rather than rations not available or really not avocado. RNA is the viruss genetic material. A SARS-CoV-2 RNA test is when someone sticks that cotton swab way up your nose or to the back of your throat or both to get samples to test for the presence of the virus genetic material. This is probably an experience that you would remember. It is not the blood test that checks for antibodies to the SARS-CoV2.

Covid-19 coornavirus RNA testing typically involves sticking a cotton swab up your nose, although ... [+] alternatives such as spit testing are emerging. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Speaking of testing, heres another change in the CDC guidance. The CDC used to recommend that health care workers with Covid-19 stay isolated until they have a negative test for SARS-CoV2 RNA. However, studies have been showing that you can still have a positive test but no evidence of replication-competent virus in your upper respiratory tract. Replicate means reproduce, just in case you havent seen the word replicate used on someones dating profile. Therefore, a replication-competent virus means a virus that is able to reproduce and thus infect someone.

Finding virus RNA is not necessarily the same as finding whole live versions of the virus. In fact, virus RNA can still be found in specimens from your upper respiratory tract for as long as three months after you first noticed symptoms. This can be a bit like finding someones bling without finding that person himself or herself. Its still not clear what finding such RNA means without detecting replication competent virus, whether it represents fragments of the virus, weakened versions of the virus, inactivated virus, hide-and-go-seek virus, or something else.

These updated guidelines are based on studies showing that the chances of finding replication-competent virus in respiratory tract specimens steadily goes down with passing time after symptom onset. In other words, your infectiousness may go down each day that you have symptoms. In these studies, researchers were not able to find replication-competent virus in patients with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 after 10 days had elapsed since their symptoms first manifested.

In a study thats posted on MedRxiv and hasnt yet undergone peer-review, researchers were able to find replication-competent viruses between 10 and 20 days after symptom onset in patients with severe Covid-19. However, 10 and 15 days after symptom onset, already about 88% and 95% of the specimens, respectively, in this study no longer had replication-competent virus. Of course, take any study thats just on MedRxiv with a grain or even a toilet paper roll package of salt until its been published in a reputable peer-reviewed scientific journal.

So 10 and 20 are now the numbers to remember when it comes to contagiousness and isolation. These thresholds are based on studies to date, so they could change as more evidence emerges. The Covid-19 coronavirus is like that person that you just met on Tinder. It still is rather mysterious, may not be completely what it seems, and could make you very sick.

Also, consider these numbers to be rough estimates rather than exact deadlines. Dont set your timer so that you can start panting on other people right after the 10- or 20-day mark has passed. It cant hurt to stay cautious for a little extra time. After all, viruses, like some guys, could end up hanging around a little longer than expected.

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How Long Are You Contagious With Covid-19 Coronavirus? Heres A CDC Update - Forbes

Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker on Friday signed a new executive order requiring people arriving from outside the state to fill out a travel form and comply with a 14-day quarantine in order to control the spread of the coronavirus.

The order, which will take effect on August 1, also applies to Northeastern students, faculty, and staff planning to return to the Boston campus from out of state, as well as anybody accompanying them.

The new rules exempt students and other travelers from states where both the average number of new cases and the percentage of positive tests are low. At the time when governor Baker signed the order, those states included New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Hawaii.

The state has said for educational institutions, people can come in and be tested immediately upon arrival, or they have to quarantine until they are tested, said David Luzzi, senior vice provost for research and vice president of Northeasterns Innovation Campus. Because we have a robust testing facility on campus that will be spun up and operating by the time anybody arrives, we will be implementing that approach right away.

The order also exempts people who can provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test based on samples taken no longer than 72 hours prior to their arrival.

Faculty, staff, and students who commute to campus from out of state are exempt from the order, as are family members and other people who are helping students move back to Northeastern in the fall, but who do not stay in Massachusetts overnight.

People who can produce a negative COVID-19 test within the 14-day period after arriving in Massachusetts will be allowed to stop their quarantine.

Northeastern is already requiring all students, faculty, and staff returning to the Boston campus this fall to be tested for the virus. Those tests will be free, and provided on campus.

Northeasterns testing facility is certified by the state, registered with CLIA certification with the Food and Drug Administration, so we have all the certifications, Luzzi said, referring to the federal licensing needed for a laboratory to conduct testing on samples from humans. We are a testing facility that can test anybody for this virus.

Under the new rule, members of the Northeastern community will be able to break their quarantine to receive a COVID-19 test. And if that test result is negative, they will not need to continue quarantining.

The executive order comes in the midst of increased activity of travelers in Massachusetts, Baker said.

Everyone who chooses not to quarantine must be able to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test. And failure to comply with the new order will result in a fine of $500 per day.

Every traveler coming to Massachusetts, no matter where theyre from, has a responsibility to help keep COVID-19 out of the commonwealth, Baker said on Friday at the Massachusetts state house. I have every confidence that if we all work together and keep doing our part, we can continue to fight COVID, and can continue to reopen the commonwealth.

For media inquiries, please contact media@northeastern.edu.

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Massachusetts has announced a new COVID-19 travel order. Here's what it means for college students. - News@Northeastern

DILLON While most locals are familiar with COVID-19 restrictions, policies and guidelines in Summit County, groups and officials as well as individual businesses are working to educate visitors before they arrive.

The Breckenridge Tourism Offices website, GoBreck.com, has a what to know page for visitors who plan to come to Breckenridge this summer. Spokeswoman Austyn Dineen said that the page is frequently updated as new information comes out and that it is the most visited page on the website. Dineen explained that local businesses are now being given the code to plug the page onto their website to take some of the education workload off of local businesses.

(Businesses) dont have to be continually updating information on whats happening with COVID, Dineen said. Well do that on behalf of the businesses. They just have to have it on their pages so that its constantly being updated.

The webpage includes information on local public health orders and includes top things for visitors to know when visiting Breckenridge, such as that masks are required in public and that there is a mandatory mask zone.

To alert anyone in Summit County of mask requirements, the county is sending out emergency phone alerts every Saturday. Summit County Director of Communications Julie Sutor said that the county has information related to COVID-19 and current public health orders posted on the county website, and they have been working through messaging plans with the Summit County Chamber of Commerce and the general business community. Residents may also have noticed message boards on roads throughout the county reminding people of mask and other COVID-19 related requirements and suggestions.

Brian Bovaird, Summit Countys director of emergency management, said that the county relies on two delivery methods when it comes to emergency alerts: Summit County Alert, an opt-in service, and the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, which people will receive an alert from if they have a cell phone and are in the targeted area.

For COVID, we have been using wireless emergency alerts on Saturday mornings, one, because it does fit the parameters of public protective actions and life safety, Bovaird said. The wireless emergency alert is our most effective tool to reach those people that probably otherwise would never sign up for SC Alert and might not be familiar with our orders.

Sutor said that the alerts began over the Fourth of July weekend and that they will continue to be sent out on Saturday mornings through August, when it will be evaluated whether or not the alerts should continue through September.

While Sutor and Bovaird said it is difficult to quantify the effect of individual messaging methods, overall Bovaird said there seems to be an increase in compliance with mask-wearing among visitors since the county first started to reopen. Sutor pointed out that any kind of behavior change will take more than one impression of a message, which is why reinforcement of messaging is important. She added that the county will soon launch a campaign via digital advertising about ways people can prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Since a lodging company is often one of the first points of contact for a visitor planning a trip to Summit County, the local lodging community is also helping to educate those visiting the area on requirements through pre-arrival messaging. Breckenridge Lodging Association President Toby Babich explained that most lodging companies already have setups for pre-arrival communications for guests, and have integrated information about new requirements and expectations at their properties and in the area as a whole.

At Babichs business, Breckenridge Resort Managers, arrival letters that are given to guests have especially pertinent messaging bolded and at the top of the letters. Arrival information also includes documents from the county and state regarding masks and physical distancing, and guests are alerted of rules and regulations in communications prior to their stay.

We try to hit them from all angles and make sure long before they even get in the car or on their plane to come here that theyre fully informed of the new way of operating here at Breckenridge, Babich said.

Babich said that guests have generally been successfully reached with the necessary information about requirements for visiting the area during the pandemic and have been receptive to the changes.

I think it gives people a lot of peace of mind to be able to come to a place like Breckenridge where we are so adamant about keeping people healthy through social distancing, wearing a mask and improved cleaning protocols, Babich said. I think people are happy to see it.

Babich added that the state mask mandate has cleared up some confusion about where masks are required. Looking forward, Babich feels it is important to set the expectation for future fall and winter guests that these restrictions will likely be in place for quite some time.

Visit link:

County, towns and businesses work to inform visitors of COVID-19 requirements - Summit Daily News

As of 25 July, the number of reported confirmed COVID-19 cases in Yemen had reached 1,678 with 475 associated deaths and 782 recoveries. Men constitute 73 per cent of all reported cases and most COVID-19 cases and deaths are reported among people aged 45 and above. The highest number of confirmed cases continue to be reported in Hadramaut (663 cases, 203 deaths and 182 recoveries), followed by Taizz (288 cases, 80 deaths and 169 recoveries) and Aden (270 cases, 32 deaths and 194 recoveries). Indicators continue to suggest that the virus is spreading rapidly, that the number of confirmed cases and deaths reported fall below actual numbers, and that people who are symptomatic delay seeking treatment for reasons that include stigma, difficulty accessing treatment centres, and the perceived risks of seeking care. Following the recent refresh of the COVID-19 strategy the response has shifted to focus on testing, surveillance and case management, and over 1,000 tests were conducted during the last week. For mild cases, the focus is on home care supported by risk management communication. For moderate and critical cases in COVID-19 treatment centres, the response includes training on infection protection and control, triage and clinical case management. Procuring and distributing oxygen and personal protective equipment (PPE) remains a priority. The ongoing fuel and funding crises continue to threaten the operation of health facilities and the broader COVID-19 and humanitarian responses.

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Yemen COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Snapshot - As of 25 July 2020 [EN/AR] - Yemen - ReliefWeb

Note: The Shawnee Mission Post is making much of its local coverage of the coronavirus pandemic accessible to non-subscribers. (If you value having a news source covering the situation in our community, we hope youll consider subscribing here).

Johnson County public health officials Joseph LeMaster, MD, MPH, and Sanmi Areola, PhD, have joined their counterparts from the neighboring Core 4 jurisdictions in issuing a warning that if current COVID-19 trends continue, another round of shutdowns will be necessary.

In a jointly signed letter, the officials from Johnson County, Wyandotte County, Jackson County and Kansas City, Mo., say that recent data suggest we are now again losing the battle with COVID-19 and that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of new cases across the entire metropolitan area, and our front-line workers are having difficulty keeping up with the vast and increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases.

You can find the full letter here.

The officials note that mask mandates are an extremely important part of our efforts to once again flatten the curve, and that they hope businesses will provide curbside and outdoor service options due to the increased risk of transmission when people are indoors and in close proximity.

If we do not act quickly as a community and region, future shutdowns will be inevitable, said the officials. It may be important in the coming days to limit the interactions of individuals in bars, restaurants, and other indoor shopping venues particularly where masks cannot be worn when eating and drinking.

The letter also highlights the lack of ready access to information about COVID-19 hospitalizations, an issue that was recently the subject of discussion among the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners.

The federal government changed the system for collecting and reporting COVID-19 hospital data in June. Last week, the data on hospital capacity usage that regional officials had been able to access went offline.

Last weekthe hospital data stream became unavailable based on decisions made at the Federal level, said the officials. This decision has hobbled the efforts of local medical officers and front-line workers to track the spread of COVID- 19 and respond accordingly to our regions needs.

Originally posted here:

Warning that KC region is 'losing the battle with COVID-19,' health officials stress masks, social distancing - Shawnee Mission Post

"The president has come to areas throughout Wisconsin, and theyve understood that you cant just leave a pocked of the state untouched and hope that they turn out and then think theyre going to carry the state," he said.

Still, Republican candidates and volunteers are out knocking on doors in most of the state, though Jefferson noted it was more of a challenge in urban areas "and we've tried to be respectful of that, too."

In-person events are fewer than in past cycles, Jefferson said, and include both indoor and outdoor gatherings hosted at the county level, with leaders making masks available for those who want them.He added the party is also working to implement an "aggressive social media plan" that was already in the works ahead of the COVID-19 crisis.

"People observe social distancing. They don't want to be in there for hours at a time if they're getting together," he said. "It's different, there's no question about that."

Democrats, though, reiterated their commitment to reaching people virtually, rather than engaging in traditional door-to-door and in-person outreach efforts.

Biden's Wisconsin state director Danielle Melfi said residents "want to have their health and safety be respected."

Though unique from others, this cycle, Melfi said, is similar in the sense that the priority remains the same: "always meeting voters where they are."

See the article here:

Campaigns in Wisconsin adjust to COVID-19 conditions as they prep for November - Madison.com

DALLAS (NEXSTAR) A new study of COVID-19 from researchers at Londons Kings College found there are six distinct types of the virus with different symptom groups. The data was uncovered using a tracking app following 1,600 patients in the U.K. and United States during March and April.

The researchers behind the study hope the data helps doctors treat people and more accurately predict the type of medical care they might need.

Here are the six clusters of symptoms outlined in the study, according to CBS News:

I think its very, very interesting, Dr. Bob Lahita told CBSN. Among the patients I see, those who recovered, many of them present different ways: some people with fever and some without fever, and some with nausea and vomiting, some people with diarrhea, etc.

The researchers have been able to predict the likelihood patients suffering from each of the symptom clusters might need breathing support. For example, the first type, flu-like with no fever, has a 1.5% chance of needing breathing support such as a ventilator. To contrast, the second type, flu-like with fever, has a 4.4% likelihood.

According to CBS News, the most severe type of COVID-19, severe level three, abdominal and respiratory, carries a 20% chance patients would need breathing support.

The U.K. researchers discovered patients in the severe clusters trended older and often had pre-existing conditions.

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Study: These are the six COVID-19 symptom clusters to watch for - WANE

Launching today, the COVID-19 Law Lab initiative gathers and shares legal documents from over 190 countries across the world to help states establish and implement strong legal frameworks to manage the pandemic. The goal is to ensure that laws protect the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities and that they adhere to international human rights standards.

The new Lab (at http://www.COVIDLawLab.org) is a joint project of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the ONeill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University.

Well-designed laws can help build strong health systems; evaluate and approve safe and effective drugs and vaccines; and enforce actions to create healthier and safer public spaces and workplaces. Critically, they are key to effective implementation of the WHO International Health Regulations: surveillance; infection prevention and control; management of travel and trade; and implementation of measures to maintain essential health services.

Laws and policies that are grounded in science, evidence and human rights can enable people to access health services, protect themselves from COVID-19 and live free from stigma, discrimination and violence, says Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator. The COVID-19 Law Lab is an important tool for sharing good practices on laws and policies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a vast increase in urgent legislative action to control and reduce the pandemic.

Strong legal frameworks are critical for national COVID-19 responses, said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.Laws that impact health often fall outside the health sector. As health is global, legal frameworks should be aligned with international commitments to respond to current and emerging public health risks. A strong foundation of law for health is more important now than ever before.

However, laws that are poorly designed, implemented, or enforced can harm marginalized populations, entrench stigma and discrimination, and hinder efforts to end the pandemic.

Harmful laws can exacerbate stigma and discrimination, infringe on peoples rights and undermine public health responses, according to Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. To ensure responses to the pandemic are effective, humane and sustainable, governments must use the law as a tool to uphold the human rights and dignity of people affected by COVID-19.

The COVID-19 Law Lab is a database of laws that countries have implemented in response to the pandemic. It includes state of emergency declarations, quarantine measures, disease surveillance, legal measures relating to mask-wearing, social distancing, and access to medication and vaccines. The database will continue to grow as more countries and themes are added.

It will also feature research on different legal frameworks for COVID-19. These analyses will focus on the human rights impacts of public health laws and help countries identify best practices to guide their immediate responses to COVID-19 and socioeconomic recovery efforts once the pandemic is under control. It builds off the work of the UHC Legal Solutions Network, which was established to help countries achieve universal health coverage through the implementation of rights-based legal frameworks.

We need to track and evaluate how laws and policies are being used during the Pandemic to understand what works, said Dr. Matthew M. Kavanagh, faculty in Georgetown Universitys Department of International Health. Katie Gottschalk, Executive Director of the ONeill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University Law Center added, We must learn lessons from the early stage of pandemic policies to implement the most effective laws going forward the COVID-19 Law Lab allows us to do just that.

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with ourbroad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.

Learn more atundp.orgor follow at @UNDP.

The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices,to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing. For updates on COVID-19 and public health advice to protect yourself from coronavirus, visitwww.who.intand follow WHO onTwitter,Facebook,Instagram,LinkedIn,TikTok,Pinterest,Snapchat,YouTube

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizationsUNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bankand works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more atunaids.organd connect with us onFacebook,Twitter,InstagramandYouTube.

The ONeill Institute, housed at Georgetown University, was established to create innovative solutions to the most pressing national and international health concerns, with the essential vision that the law has been, and will remain, a fundamental tool for solving critical health problems. The Georgetown University Department of International Health is home to scholarship in public health, economics, political science, and medicine. Georgetowns Global Health Initiative serves as a university-wide platform for developing concrete solutions to the health challenges facing families and communities throughout the world. Read more at oneillinstitute.org and connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.

The COVID-19 Law lab is a product of the UHC Legal Solutions Network is a collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and the ONeill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University. The initiative aims to support countries to achieve universal health coverage by working with policymakers, civil society groups and other stakeholders to craft laws ensure that all people and communities have the right to access the promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services they need, of sufficient quality to be effective, while also ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the user to financial hardship.

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New COVID-19 Law Lab to provide vital legal information and support for the global COVID-19 response - World Health Organization