C19 top stories for Monday
Headlines for the day are below, but first, please consider joining us for this event Tuesday:
Much to report today. I’ve skipped the obvious headlines on rising case counts and focused on stories that may influence decision-making. Questions, comment or feedback are always welcome. And if you like this, please share and encourage freinds to subscribe.
Warning to pet owners: The CDC updated its guidance for pet owners, adding that pet owners should not allow their animals to interact with people outside of their own household because of COVID-19 risk. Although the agency says there still is no evidence of pet-to-human transmission, the risk cannot be ruled out.
The CDC updated its mask guidance over the weekend, adding “Your cloth face covering may protect them. Their cloth face covering may protect you.” Several federal officials went on Sunday public affairs shows to make this point, based on more than a dozen recent studies that support mask use. But another CDC page still says “A cloth face covering may not protect the wearer, but it may keep the wearer from spreading the virus to others.”
Medical practices may never fully recover from Covid-19, according to a report in JAMA. Of greatest concern: children are not getting routine care or immunizations at alarming rates.
The rapid roll-out of virtual healthcare, a form of “telemedicine,” may result in many future medical appointments conducted online instead of in-person, even when Covid-19 really is in the rear-view mirror. A lengthy article in the New Yorker goes over the history and the technology, as well as what telehealth does well — and where it falls short.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said health officers throughout the state are frustrated that family gatherings in the past month appear to be a significant factor in the recent dramatic uptick in Covid-19 infections throughout the state. Family gatherings where “people let their guard down” as well as crowds in bars are why 15 counties are reversing some of the reopening orders.
Mask Confusion: While federal officials attempted to clarify mask recommendations — with even Vice President Pence seen wearing a mask in public on Sunday, the public still sees masks as partisan. Many elected sheriffs throughout the country are openly opposing mask orders or refusing to enforce them. Marketing author Blake Morgan offers five tips for businesses on how to enforce/support mask wearing by customers.
San Quentin State Prison near San Francisco went from 0 cases on May 30 to over 1,000 infected men today — almost 1 out of every 3 men in the prison’s general population. The outbreak occurred after inmates from another prison were transferred in to San Quentin, where social distancing is impossible because of small cells, narrow walkways and buildings that are among the oldest prison structures in the country. (Editor’s note: I volunteer as an adviser to the prison journalists of the San Quentin News, which has been suspended due to the coronavirus quarantine that has shut down the prison newsroom. Politico published an excellent story about the San Quentin News over the weekend.
The role of asymptomic (or presymptomatic) spread of COVID-19 infections is traced in detail by this New York Times article.