Evidence over hysteria – COVID 7/23
Reopening/ Lockdown Updates
Back to School? “No Thanks” Say Millions of New Homeschooling Parents
https://fee.org/articles/back-to-school-no-thanks-say-millions-of-new-homeschooling-parents/
“After several months of learning at home with their children, parents may not be so willing to comply with district directives and may prefer other, more individualized education options… pushed into homeschooling this spring by the pandemic.”
The risks of keeping schools closed far outweigh the benefits
“All around the world, children’s minds are going to waste.”
New York City’s latest reopening phase leaves much of the economy still frozen
“New York City entered the fourth and final scheduled phase of its coronavirus reopening on Monday, but Mayor Bill de Blasio said there’s no timeline for when still-shuttered indoor facilities like restaurants, museums, theaters and malls will be able to open.”
Listen to the science and reopen schools
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/07/20/opinion/listen-science-reopen-schools/
“Reopening schools should not be an us-versus-them argument. It’s not a Demvs. Rep argument. It’s about our children and about the evidence. We should be following the science that says in-person schooling for our kids is too valuable to give up.”
Summarizing Recent Academic Research
The COVID-19 Panic Shows Us Why Science Needs Skeptics
https://mises.org/wire/covid-19-panic-shows-us-why-science-needs-skeptics
“The dumpster fire of COVID predictions has shown exactly why it’s important to sustain and nurture skeptics, lest we blunder into scientific monoculture and groupthink.”
Study suggests undetected cases help speed COVID-19 spread
“Using modeling to reconstruct the outbreak in Wuhan, researchers found that up to 87% of cases in the city during that time may have gone undetected.”
Nordic Study Suggests Open Schools Don’t Spread Virus Much
“Contact tracings in primary schools in Finland found hardly any evidence of children infecting others…There’s no increased risk for teachers, according to a Swedish comparison of cases…compared with risk levels in other professions.”
Studies provide glimpse at efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines from Oxford-AstraZeneca and CanSino
“A Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Oxford University and the drug giant AstraZeneca generated an immune response in a study of roughly 1,000 patients, according to interim results published Monday.”
China’s “V” shape recovery
Bankruptcies are rising fast and reaching 2008 levels.
The decline in initial jobless claims is stalling.
Texas, AZ, Florida, and California
Continuing recent downward trend, Arizona COVID hospitalizations fall to lowest level in two weeks
“A steady downward trend in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the state of Arizona continued on Saturday as the state reported a two-week low of the number of inpatient coronavirus infections.”
Dozens of Florida labs still report only positive COVID tests, skewing positivity rate
“The positivity rate of COVID-19 tests is a key metric for understanding how the virus is spreading, and how prevalent infections are in the community.”
One month after statewide mask mandate, California’s daily COVID case average has increased by 162%
“One month after California Gov. Gavin Newsom unilaterally ordered state residents to wear masks in most public settings, the average daily number of coronavirus cases in the state has increased by over 160%.”
International News
Sweden’s pandemic ends
Sweden’s health agency says open schools did not spur pandemic spread among children
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-sweden-schools-idUSKCN24G2IS
“Sweden’s decision to keep schools open during the pandemic resulted in no higher rate of infection among its schoolchildren than in neighboring Finland, where schools did temporarily close, their public health agencies said in a joint report.”
BREAKING NEWS: Terrifying new coronavirus cluster emerges in New South Wales – with anyone who attended a popular pub ordered to self-isolate immediately
“A further six cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed and linked to a cluster at the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club on the south coast of New South Wales.”
Universities face ‘wipeout’ if Beijing bans students
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/universities-face-wipeout-if-beijing-bans-students-f8pg8pndt
“Some of our leading institutions risk an income fall of up to 30% if the lucrative Chinese market is closed off.”
Coronavirus: Barcelona beaches packed after fed-up locals ignore stay-at-home advice amid COVID-19 spike
“The region of Catalonia has had the worst incidence of COVID-19 cases in Spain since the lifting of the national lockdown.”
Death and hospitalization updates
Rio Grande Valley hospitals also treating Mexican nationals seeking COVID-19 treatment
“Dr. Ivan Melendez, the Health Authority of Hidalgo County says Mexican nationals are coming due to the lack of medical resources in Mexico.”
Coronavirus: Government suspends publication of daily UK-wide death toll over accuracy concerns
“Currently the daily deaths measure counts all people who have tested positive for coronavirus and since died, with no cut-off between time of testing and date of death…We are therefore pausing the publication of the daily figure while this is resolved.”
New York’s coronavirus hospitalizations fall to lowest number since early March
“Coronavirus hospitalizations in New York state, once the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S., have dropped to 743, its lowest level since mid-March.”
COVID News
Jumbled Covid-19 Border Rules Baffle Companies, Stymie Tourism
https://www.wsj.com/articles/jumbled-covid-border-rules-baffle-companies-stymie-tourism-11594651375
“It’s not so much that people don’t want to travel. They want to, they are even in a position where they still can afford it, despite the economy in America being so bad. It is just that they don’t want to commit to something and then have it canceled.”
Record Numbers of Americans Try to Buy Guns
https://www.wsj.com/articles/record-numbers-of-americans-try-to-buy-guns-11594719000
“During most big sales increases, buyers tend to be gun aficionados or Second Amendment supporters. But this time, sales of handguns, which are used for personal safety, are the strongest.”
American Airlines sending 25,000 furlough notices as U.S. demand sags
“American Airlines said it is sending 25K notices of potential furloughs to frontline workers and warned that demand for air travel is slowing again…”
Fauci holds up New York as model for fighting coronavirus — ‘They did it correctly’
“White House health advisor Anthony Fauci has praised New York for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying the state responded ‘correctly’ to bring its outbreak under control.”
Man charged with fraudulently claiming $9m in coronavirus relief and gambling with it in Las Vegas
“A California man was arrested and on Thursday for fraudulently obtaining about $9 million in coronavirus relief funds and using some of the money to gamble in Las Vegas.”