A version of this story appeared in the October 14 edition of CNN’s Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction newsletter. Sign up here to receive the need-to-know headlines every weekday.
(CNN)The US is now grappling with a new Covid-19 surge, one that could overwhelm hospitals, kill thousands of Americans a day by January and leave even young survivors with long-term complications, Christina Maxouris and Holly Yan write.
At least 36 states are now reporting increased cases of the virus and hospitalizations are on the rise nationwide in the “fall/winter surge that everyone was worried about,” Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, said yesterday. The US is now averaging 49,000 new infections a day, according to Johns Hopkins University data, with cases accelerating in the Midwest and northern states. “But it’s going to be nationally soon enough,” Hotez added. Small gatherings are a growing source of the spread, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told US governors on a call, according to audio obtained by CNN.
The warning comes just weeks before the election, which has seen thousands of people brave hours-long waits, glitches and politically motivated obstruction to cast early ballots, Stephen Collinson writes.Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is promising multiple rallies a day, potentially risking the health of his supporters and their communities. It is really up to Americans to turn the tide, or a devastating winter awaits. A further 135,000 Americans could die in the next three months, according to the latest projection from the University of Washington. “This winter — this November, December, January, February — could be the worst time in our epidemic,” Hotez said. “Get ready to hunker down.”Read More
YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED
Q. Can antimicrobial fashion protect me from the coronavirus?A: While cloth masks made of traditional materials can help slow the spread of Covid-19, some labels are marketing new accessories, and in some cases entire clothing lines, as having antimicrobial properties — applications that inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, or reduce viral activity.Without sound scientific testing by brands across the board, it is difficult to assess whether antimicrobial treatments can protect wearers from the novel coronavirus, said experts. “The challenge is that sometimes claims are made, but they aren’t tested on the actual masks or with the actual virus,” Amy Price, a senior research scientist at Stanford Anesthesia Informatics and Media (AIM) Lab who has advised the WHO on its mask guidelines. “So they’re like gimmicks.” Send your questions here. Are you a health care worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about the challenges you’re facing: +1 347-322-0415.
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY
Eli Lilly pauses trial of its monoclonal antibody treatment over safety concerns Drugmaker Eli Lilly said Tuesday it is pausing its trial of a combination antibody treatment for coronavirus due to safety reasons. The news comes a day after Johnson & Johnson paused its advanced clinical trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine because of a sick volunteer.Usually, clinical trials are paused because a volunteer has suffered a side effect or become ill, but the company did not say what happened. It said the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB), an independent group of medical experts who monitor clinical trials, had recommended the pause.The company is testing a combination of two lab-engineered immune system proteins called monoclonal antibodies to treat severely ill Covid-19 patients. It is similar to the treatment made by Regeneron that was given to Trump earlier this month.Governments are using the pandemic to crack down on digital rights, report findsIn their fight against the coronavirus, some governments are introducing digital surveillance and data collection tools that could pose a lasting threat to citizens’ rights, according to a new report by research institute Freedom House.Nowhere has that approach been more apparent than in China, rated the worst country for internet freedom for a sixth year in a row, according to the Freedom on the Net 2020 report. Since the outbreak began, China has deployed every tool in its internet control arsenal — from digital surveillance, to automated censorship, and systematic arrests — to stem the spread, not only of Covid-19, but of unofficial information and criticism of the government. Governments from Bangladesh to Belarus have followed China’s lead, blocking reporting and websites that contradicted official sources, revoking credentials and detaining journalists who challenged their statistics, Eliza Mackintosh writes. The first death from Covid-19 reinfection reported in the Netherlands An elderly Dutch woman has become the first known person to die after catching Covid-19 twice, according to researchers in the Netherlands, raising serious questions about how long immunity and antibodies can last.The woman, who suffered from a rare type of bone marrow cancer, first tested positive for the virus earlier this year, after being admitted to hospital with a severe cough and fever. She was discharged five days later. Nearly two months after her first Covid-19 episode, the woman developed symptoms again while she was in chemotherapy treatment. She once again tested positive for Covid-19, and no antibodies were detected in her blood system when tested on days four and six. Her condition deteriorated on day eight. Her immune system was compromised due to the cell-depleting therapy she was receiving, but researchers wrote that her natural immune response could still have been “sufficient” to fight-off Covid-19, as the type of treatment she received for cancer “does not necessarily result in life threatening disease.”
ON OUR RADAR
Mink peer out from their cages at a farm in Denmark — one of the world’s largest producers of mink skins
- More than 1 million mink will be killed to help contain a series of Covid-19 outbreaks on Danish farms.
- Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for Covid-19.
- After recovering from Covid-19, CNN’s Richard Quest thought he was safe. Now his antibodies are waning.
- Cases emerge of rare hearing loss have emerged following Covid-19 diagnoses.
- Bill Gates said it “blows the mind” that the US is trying to silence its top scientists.
- Boris Johnson has split from his top scientists on the coronavirus.
- Pfizer will start testing its Covid-19 vaccine in children as young as 12.
- A Long Island venue fined for a ‘super-spreader’ Sweet 16 party has been linked to nearly 40 cases.
TODAY’S TOP TIP
Seasonal affective disorder, also known by its acronym, SAD, is a form of depression that could hit particularly hard during fall and winter — especially after months of social distancing and limited contact with family or large groups. Click here to find out how to tackle the winter blues during the pandemic.
TODAY’S PODCAST
“They get to look at the data. They know who got the vaccine, who got the placebo. They’re the ones who figure out whether it is time to say: ‘this is working.'” — CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta In today’s episode, Gupta looks into the group of independent experts who have the power to stop a vaccine trial in its tracks. That’s the Data and Safety Monitoring Boards, or DSMB, and they’re the only ones who get a look at the data during the trials. Listen Now.
Source: edition.cnn.com