1. "Coronavirus Live Updates: Nursing Home Deaths Hit Black and Latino Communities Hardest"
"The pandemic has devastated nursing homes in the United States, sickening staff members, ravaging residents and contributing to at least 20 percent of the nation’s Covid-19 death toll. But the virus has been particularly virulent toward African-Americans and Latinos in nursing homes where those groups make up a significant portion of the residents.
While the virus has been infecting and killing black people in the United States at disproportionately high rates — highlighting what public health researchers say are entrenched inequalities in resources, health and access to care — the nursing home disparities have been felt in cities and suburbs, in large facilities and small, in poorly rated homes and in those with stellar marks.
The race and ethnicity of the people living in a nursing home was a predictor of whether it was hit with Covid-19. But the Times analysis found that the federal government’s five-star rating system, often used to judge the quality of a nursing home, was not a predictor. Even predominantly black and Latino nursing homes with high ratings were more likely to be affected than were predominantly white nursing homes with low ratings, the data showed.
More than 60 percent of nursing homes where at least a quarter of the residents are black or Latino have reported at least one case, a Times analysis shows. That is double the rate of homes where black and Latino people make up less than 5 percent of the population."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/us/coronavirus-live-updates.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage#link-6dc48b01
2. "2.4 million workers filed for unemployment benefits last week."
An additional 2.4 million workers filed first-time claims for unemployment benefits last week, the U.S. government reported Thursday, representing a leveling in the weekly toll that the coronavirus lockdowns have had on the economy.
Still, the number of people losing their jobs remains vast. The latest report, for the period ending May 16, brings the total count of jobless claims over the past nine weeks to more than 38 million.
And the pain is widespread. A recent household survey from the Census Bureau found that nearly half of adults said they or a member of their household had lost employment income since mid-March. A recent Federal Reserve study found that approximately 40 percent of workers in households earning less than $40,000 had lost their jobs."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/us/coronavirus-live-updates.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage#link-a08dce9
"Many Jobs May Vanish Forever as Layoffs Mount
With over 38 million U.S. unemployment claims in nine weeks, one economist says the situation is “grimmer than we thought.”
"And while the Labor Department has found that a large majority of laid-off workers expect their joblessness to be temporary, there is growing concern among economists that many jobs will never come back.
“I hate to say it, but this is going to take longer and look grimmer than we thought,” Nicholas Bloom, an economist at Stanford University, said of the path to recovery.
Mr. Bloom, a co-author of an analysis of the coronavirus epidemic’s effects on the labor market, estimates that 42 percent of recent layoffs will result in permanent job loss.
“Firms intend to hire these people back,” Mr. Bloom said, referring to a recent survey of businesses done by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. “But we know from the past that these aspirations often don’t turn out to be true.”
In this case, the economy that comes back is likely to look quite different from the one that closed. If social distancing rules become the new normal, causing thinner crowds in restaurants, theaters and stores, at sports arenas, and on airplanes, then fewer workers will be required.
Large companies already expect more of their workers to continue to work remotely and say they plan to reduce their real estate footprint, which will, in turn, reduce the foot traffic that feeds nearby restaurants, shops, nail salons and other businesses."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/business/economy/coronavirus-unemployment-claims.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage
3. "Ex-NY Times reporter says NYC lockdown 'might have actually worsened things at the worst possible time'
Former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson told "The Ingraham Angle" Wednesday that there is an "increasingly plausible case" that coronavirus lockdowns are "at best irrelevant" and may even have worsened the effect of the pandemic in New York City, the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S."
[Speaking on conservative talk show.]
"Former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson told "The Ingraham Angle" Wednesday that there is an "increasingly plausible case" that coronavirus lockdowns are "at best irrelevant" and may even have worsened the effect of the pandemic in New York City, the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S.
"They might have actually worsened things at the worst possible time in New York City, for example, by driving people back into small apartments and by driving people to emergency rooms," Berenson told host Laura Ingraham.
"So, you know, this idea that lockdowns have saved tens or hundreds of thousands of people, frankly, there's essentially no evidence of that," he added.
New York state had reported more than 354,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and nearly 23,000 deaths as of Tuesday evening. More than 194,500 cases and 14,800 deaths occurred in New York City.
"All the places that have seen the most deaths, the deaths are very, very heavily skewed to older people, especially people over 80," said Berenson, who added that "there's been an effort made to try to scare people who are relatively low-risk here. And I guess that is to try to keep political support for the lockdowns."
"The problem is this comes at a huge cost in that states are not protecting the people that need to be protected," he added. "In fact, you see in Florida, where they've actually made a real effort to protect nursing homes in ways they [New York] didn't, in some of the more heavily locked up states, there's been far fewer deaths, even though there are many, many elderly people in Florida."
Read in Fox News: https://apple.news/AhDxDmSuSTpqMP-mC4PUZXQ
4. "Researchers: Nearly Half Of Accounts Tweeting About Coronavirus Are Likely Bots
Researchers culled through more than 200 million tweets discussing the virus since January and found that about 45% were sent by accounts that behave more than computerized robots than humans."
"Nearly half of the Twitter accounts spreading messages on the social media platform about the coronavirus pandemic are likely bots, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University said Wednesday.
Researchers culled through more than 200 million tweets discussing the virus since January and found that about 45% were sent by accounts that behave more like computerized robots than humans.
It is too early to say conclusively which individuals or groups are behind the bot accounts, but researchers said the tweets appeared aimed at sowing division in America.
"We do know that it looks like it's a propaganda machine, and it definitely matches the Russian and Chinese playbooks, but it would take a tremendous amount of resources to substantiate that," said Kathleen Carley, a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University....
Researchers identified more than 100 false narratives about COVID-19 that are proliferating on Twitter by accounts controlled by bots.
Among the misinformation disseminated by bot accounts: tweeted conspiracy theories about hospitals being filled with mannequins or tweets that connected the spread of the coronavirus to 5G wireless towers, a notion that is patently untrue.
Such bogus ideas on the Internet have caused real-world harm. In England, dozens of wireless towers have been set on fire in acts officials believe have been fueled by false conspiracy theories linking the rollout of 5G technology to the coronavirus.
"We're seeing up to two times as much bot activity as we'd predicted based on previous natural disasters, crises and elections," Carley said.
Using a so-called bot-hunter tool, researchers flagged accounts that tweet more than is humanly possible or claim to be in multiple countries within a few hours' period. Researchers say they examine a Twitter account's followers, frequency of tweeting and how often the user is mentioned on the platform in determining whether the tweeter is a bot account.
"When we see a whole bunch of tweets at the same time or back to back, it's like they're timed," Carley said. "We also look for use of the same exact hashtag, or messaging that appears to be copied and pasted from one bot to the next."
Read in NPR: https://apple.news/A7BVSkFhITviafxIsHPuArg
5. "How to stay safe from coronavirus while eating out: Restaurant advice from an infectious disease expert
It's hard to eat while wearing a face mask, and social distancing isn't easy in restaurants' normally tight quarters. An infectious disease expert offers some tips on what to look for to stay safe.
"As restaurants and bars reopen to the public, it’s important to realize that eating out will increase your risk of exposure to the new coronavirus.
There is nothing magical about 6 feet, the number we often hear in formal guidance from government agencies. I would consider that the minimum distance required for safe spacing.
The “6-foot” rule is based on old data about the distance droplets can spread respiratory viruses. These droplets tend to settle out of the air within 6 feet, but that isn’t always the case. Aerosols can spread the virus over larger distances, though there remains some uncertainty about how common this spread is. Particles generated by sneezes or someone running can travel up to 30 feet.
Talking alone has been shown to generate respiratory droplets that could be infectious.
If there is a fan or current generated in a closed space such as a restaurant, particles will also travel farther. This was shown in a paper from China: People in a restaurant downwind of an infected person became infected even though the distance was greater than 6 feet.
The closer the distance and the greater the time someone is exposed to a person who is infectious, the greater the risk.
If servers wear masks, that will afford a layer of protection, but customers eating and talking could still spread the virus.
One way to mitigate that risk in this imperfect situation, at least from a public health point of view, would be to have tables surrounded by protective barriers, such as plexiglass or screens, or put tables in separate rooms with doors that can be closed. Some states are encouraging restaurants to limit each table to only one server who delivers everything.
Restaurants could also screen guests before they enter, either with temperature checks or questions about symptoms and their close contacts with anyone recently diagnosed with COVID-19. It’s controversial, but restaurants in California have tried it. Washington state tried to require restaurants to record visitors’ contact information in case an outbreak is discovered, but it pulled back to only recommend doing so.
It’s easier to screen employees. In fact, guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend restaurants have employee screening in place before they reopen. But while screening employees for possible infection could decrease risk, it’s important to remember that people can be infectious six days before they develop symptoms.
Regular dishwashing of plates, glasses and utensils, and laundering of napkins and tablecloths, will inactivate the virus. No need for disposables here.
The table should also be cleaned and disinfected between uses and marked as sanitized.
Menus are a bit more problematic, depending on the material. Plastic menus could be disinfected. Disposable menus would be more ideal. Remember, even if someone touches a surface that has infectious virus, as long as they don’t touch their mouth, nose or eyes they should be safe. So, when in doubt, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.
Can I get the virus from food from the kitchen?
The risk of becoming infected with the new coronavirus from food is very low.
This is a respiratory virus whose primary mode of infection is accessing the upper or lower respiratory tract through droplets or aerosols entering your mouth, nose or eyes. It needs to enter the respiratory tract to cause infection, and it cannot do this by way of the stomach or intestinal tract.
The virus also is not very stable in the environment. Studies have shown it loses half its viral concentration after less than an hour on copper, three and a half hours on cardboard and just under seven hours on plastic. If food were to be contaminated during preparation, cooking temperature would likely inactivate much if not all of the virus."
Read in The Conversation US: https://apple.news/ANxKRpBieRD2TwQo9t3nOWg
6. "70% of Dubai companies expect to go out of business within six months, survey finds
Nearly half the restaurants and hotels surveyed by the Dubai Chamber and three-quarters of travel and tourism companies expect to go out of business in the next month alone."
Of the respondents, more than two-thirds saw a moderate-to-high risk of going out of business in the coming six months. Some 27% said they expected to lose their businesses within the next month, and 43% expect to go out of business within six.
Dubai, which has one of the most diversified and non-oil dependent economies in the Gulf, relies on sectors like hospitality, tourism, entertainment, logistics, property and retail. Its hotels and restaurants are internationally acclaimed, but nearly half the restaurants and hotels surveyed by the organization expected to go out of business in the next month alone. Some 74% of travel and tourism companies said they expected to close in that time, and 30% of companies in transport, storage and communications expect the same fate.
"Full and partial city-lockdown measures are bringing demand in key markets to a standstill ... The double-shock impact is pushing economic activity down to levels not seen even during the financial crisis,"
The UAE has just over 26,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 233 deaths as of Thursday. Dubai, the country's commercial and tourism hub, imposed a strict 24-hour lockdown for about three weeks beginning in early April.
For a country that relies on an 80%-expatriate population for much of its economic activity, the stakes are even higher: if residents can no longer find work, they will likely return to their home countries, depleting the consumer base needed to enable any economic recovery.
More than 150,000 Indian nationals and 40,000 Pakistani nationals had already left or registered to leave the UAE by early May, according to those countries' diplomatic missions.
"I so far think we're looking at a minimum population contraction of 10% for the year,"
Read in CNBC: https://apple.news/ANskx3w3RTECxQxH3W0wAXA
7. "Experts Agree That Swimming Is Safe During COVID-19, but You'll Need to Take Precautions
As summer approaches and stay-at-home orders are slowly being lifted in parts of the country, many people are understandably anxious to get outside to enjoy the fresh air and warm weather. But the spread of the novel coronavirus is far from over, and it's crucial to remain vigilant and educated in order to keep ourselves and others safe.
For people who love to swim and lounge in the sun, this raises the question of whether or not pools are safe during COVID-19.
The good news for those who live in areas where public pools have opened? The risk isn't the water itself.
Rather, the biggest risk at any public pool is your fellow pool goers."
According to the Centers For Disease Control, there's no evidence that the virus can be spread through pools or hot tubs. Sandra Kesh, MD, deputy medical director and infectious disease specialist at Westmed Medical Group in Westchester, NY, told POPSUGAR that surfaces like diving boards at public pools also aren't a major concern.
"The sequence of events that would need to happen for someone to leave a virus on a surface, like a diving board, and then another person pick it up and ingest it in some way to get infected is relatively unlikely," Dr. Kesh said.
Read in POPSUGAR: https://apple.news/ASDT4lRdbQsGR8B0jyvAsNw
8. "Emptier US roads more lethal in coronavirus pandemic, report says
March's fatality rates jump by 14% even though people are driving less due to virus restrictions.
[More deaths per mile driven, but less deaths overall due to less miles being driven.]
"US roads have become more lethal even though Americans are driving less due to coronavirus quarantine and stay-at-home orders, a new report has found.
Early data indicate a year-on-year 14% jump in fatality rates per distance driven in March, the document by the National Safety Council (NSC) says.
The number of miles driven during the month dropped by more than 18%.
However, the overall number of roadway deaths across the US in March fell by 8% to 2,690.
Deaths for the current year have so far totalled 8,460.
Speeding - key factor
The mileage death rate per 100 million vehicle miles driven was 1.22 in March compared with 1.07 in March 2019, the NSC report said.
"Disturbingly, we have open lanes of traffic and an apparent open season on reckless driving," said NSC President Lorraine M Martin."
Read in BBC News: https://apple.news/AToSHphRmT2m89AXd81pU6g
9. "Dr Fauci taking over Julia Roberts Instagram account to spread coronavirus awareness
Dr. Anthony Fauci is set to participate alongside other experts in a worldwide campaign to spread Covid-19 awareness, and takeover Julia Robert’s Instagram in the process."
"Dr. Anthony Fauci is set to participate alongside other experts in a worldwide campaign to spread Covid-19 awareness, and takeover Julia Robert's Instagram in the process.
The American actress is among multiple A-listers who will hand over their social media accounts to leading experts on coronavirus amid the pandemic as part of the #PassTheMic campaign.
Dr Fauci, who has advised the White House since the start of the US pandemic as an infectious diseases expert, will start the social media takeovers on Ms Robert's Instagram on Thursday.
The three weeks long campaign will put both frontline workers and experts in front of millions, and provide global perspectives on how to beat the pandemic."
Read in The Independent: https://apple.news/Asmfji8CSQiCQzx8vYoaDHw
10. "'We've never seen this': wildlife thrives in closed US national parks
Deer, bobcats and black bears are gathering around parts of Yosemite national park typically teeming with visitors"
"Earlier this month, for the first time in recent memory, pronghorn antelope ventured into the sun-scorched lowlands of Death Valley national park. Undeterred by temperatures that climbed to over 110F, ....
“This is something we haven’t seen in our lifetimes,” said Kati Schmidt, a spokesperson for the National Parks Conservation Association. “We’ve known they’re in some of the higher elevation areas of Death Valley but as far as we’re aware they’ve never been documented this low in the park, near park headquarters.”
The return of pronghorns to Death Valley is but one of many stories of wildlife thriving on public lands since the coronavirus closures went into effect a month and a half ago.
In Yosemite national park, closed since 20 March, wildlife have flocked in large numbers to a virtually abandoned Yosemite Valley).
“The bear population has quadrupled,” Dane Peterson, a worker at the Ahwahnee Hotel [in Yosemite.]
Similar behaviors have been documented in other national parks including Rocky Mountain, in Colorado, and Yellowstone, in Wyoming. “Without an abundance of visitors and vehicles, wildlife has been seen in areas they typically don’t frequent,” said the National Park Service spokesperson Cynthia Hernandez, “including near roadways, park buildings and parking lots, spending time doing what they usually do naturally: foraging for food”.
Read in The Guardian: https://apple.news/AS6Et2Ar_TFmdPVRwXRIN7A
11. "Harold Hamm, Fracking Pioneer, Faces a Career Reckoning
Founder of oil giant Continental Resources revolutionized the industry and helped usher in the U.S. energy boom. Now he’s slashing production and ripping up delivery contracts to try to survive the price collapse from coronavirus shutdowns."
[Continental was active in the early Bakken Formation, and may still be. He tried to strike a deal with my tribe, Fort Peck, but the tribe didn't have receptive leadership at the time. Big mistake, in my view.]
"Harold Hamm, the wildcatter who helped usher in the American fracking boom, has weathered his share of oil busts. None of them matched this one.
The 13th child of Oklahoma sharecroppers, Mr. Hamm rose from the bottom of the oil business to become a self-made billionaire. He is one of the pioneering prospectors who turned the U.S. into the world’s leading oil producer by using hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques to unlock huge volumes from rock formations.
As an oil rout fueled by the coronavirus pandemic forces energy companies to take drastic measures, Mr. Hamm has more to lose than nearly anyone. He owns nearly 80% of the company he founded, Continental Resources Inc., CLR -1.22% an unusually large stake among publicly traded oil-and-gas companies.
As its shares have plunged, so has his net worth. Mr. Hamm lost more than $3 billion in just a few days in March after Saudi Arabia and Russia triggered oil’s crash by flooding the world with crude in a poorly timed war for market share.
Still full of fire at age 74, the man who once called OPEC a “toothless tiger” didn’t take the losses lying down. Mr. Hamm made numerous calls to President Trump, urging him to take a more forceful role in persuading Saudi Arabia and Russia to end their standoff, according to people familiar with the matter."
https://www.wsj.com/articles/harold-hamm-fracking-pioneer-faces-a-career-reckoning-coronavirus-shutdown-11590074165?mod=hp_lead_pos10
12. "U.S. States Don’t Agree on How to Determine When It Is Safe to Reopen
Local officials weigh different data points to judge control of the coronavirus spread"
"The Wall Street Journal reviewed the metrics outlined by 10 states that have significant case numbers and published clearly defined reopening plans. The differences in the data they consider—and the conclusions they draw from it—show a stark divide in the governments’ priorities."
[Lots of great graphics. Sign up for $1 for a free month, and look at this article.]
https://www.wsj.com/articles/states-dont-agree-on-how-to-determine-when-it-is-safe-to-reopen-11590075635?mod=hp_lista_pos1
13. "As the Coronavirus Lockdown Eases, Italy Confronts an Epidemic of Poverty
Few major economies are likely to fall as far or take longer to recover—leaving millions without money for basics like food"
"Giovanni Bruno first realized Italy was dealing with an unprecedented crisis when the food bank he runs started getting calls for help from middle-class Italians.
“We are talking about educated people, people who are able to track us down on the internet,” says Mr. Bruno, the head of Banco Alimentare, Italy’s largest food bank. “Each time it’s like getting stabbed in the heart.”
The coronavirus pandemic has precipitated one of the worst economic downturns in generations across the world. But few major economies are likely to fall as far as Italy’s, or take longer to recover.
Although Italy’s lockdown officially ended on May 18, many restrictions remain, and the economic impact will be long lasting. The new poor include small-business owners such as shopkeepers, restaurateurs and market vendors, as well a vast number of workers employed in sectors such as tourism and entertainment, which have little prospect of reviving any time soon.
The health emergency has left hundreds of thousands of Italians unable to pay for their own food for the first time, the biggest jump in poverty since the aftermath of World War II.
So far, around 12 million workers have applied for relief payments, according to Italy’s pension agency, more than half the country’s overall workforce.
The Italian economy is expected to contract by 9.5% this year,
Since the financial crisis, the number of people living in absolute poverty has continued to increase, doubling to a record high five million in 2018, according to Italy’s statistics agency. That number is expected to rise much more rapidly now, with the Italian trade union UGL estimating it could soar above nine million people over the next few months.
Millions of people’s livelihoods depend on tourism, a sector that accounts for around 13% of Italy’s gross domestic product and won’t rebound fully for a long time due to new restrictions and the virus’s deterrent effect on travelers."
https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-the-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-italy-confronts-an-epidemic-of-poverty-11590058801?mod=hp_listb_pos1
13. "Higher Education At The Covid-19 Crossroads"
[Very interesting article.]
"The Covid-19 pandemic is placing many universities under extreme budget pressure, owing to the loss of high-margin international students. And, if schools cannot open on campus this fall, many may be forced to discount their tuition to students. Some observers think it likely that many universities will be forced to close, as a result of these pressures.[1]
The longer term picture is not much better. Higher education costs have been rising at an unsustainable rate for decades. Tuition at four year private schools now runs above $40,000 per year, while tuition at public universities runs above $15,000 per year, not including living costs.
So this very expensive campus asset, real estate, is woefully underutilized.
Another area of the university that is overdue for a rethink is the bundling of research with teaching. There are universities like Berkeley that are known first and foremost for their research. Small liberal arts colleges are known for their teaching. But the modern university bundles these two functions together, and it isn’t clear that they need to be bundled in this way. There are outstanding researchers who are also great teachers. But there are many great researchers who are not such great instructors. More to the point, there are many great instructors who never publish any research in academic journals, who nonetheless deliver a great experience to students in the classroom. Splitting this bundle apart could promote greater specialization and better experiences.
The status quo is unsustainable, even after the Covid-19 crisis passes. The university desperately needs ways to reset its spending, without sacrificing its core mission and values. Unbundling research from teaching, disconnecting faculty from dedicated offices, and embracing digital technology together provide a new basis for a more affordable, sustainable education. "
https://www.forbes.com/sites/henrychesbrough/2020/05/19/higher-education-at-the-covid-19-crossroads/#37cd8d3ebee3
