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Better education advocated for enforcing mask mandates

Wed, 2020-08-05 17:14 — mike kraft

America’s slow, painful shift to enforcing mask mandates Mask enforcement won’t work without education. Lois Parshley Vox

Though 33 states now have face mask mandates, Gov. Pete Ricketts says his state of Nebraska will not be joining them. On Monday, Ricketts doubled down on his conviction that a statewide mask mandate would be too “heavy-handed.”

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Virus testing in the US is dropping, even as deaths mount

Wed, 2020-08-05 16:50 — mike kraft

Virus testing in the US is dropping, even as deaths mount U.S. testing for the coronavirus is dropping even as infections remain high and the death toll rises by more than 1,000 a day, a worrisome trend that officials attribute largely to Americans... AP NEWS

U.S. testing for the coronavirus is dropping even as infections remain high and the death toll rises by more than 1,000 a day, a worrisome trend that officials attribute largely to Americans getting discouraged over having to wait hours to get a test and days or weeks to learn the results.

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There’s no national testing strategy for coronavirus. Seven states banded together to make one.

Wed, 2020-08-05 09:09 — mike kraft

There’s no national testing strategy for coronavirus. These states banded together to make one. Seven states formed a purchasing compact, hoping to pressure rapid-testing companies to quickly scale up supply. Erin Cox Washington Post

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Poll: Number of Americans who plan to get vaccinated falls to 42% — a new low

Tue, 2020-08-04 19:14 — mike kraft

So far, most of the conversation about COVID-19 vaccines has focused on the question of whether researchers can develop an effective vaccine in record time.

But maybe we should start asking another question as well: Will enough Americans actually get the vaccine for it to be effective?

“It’s not a vaccine that will save us,” says Harvard Global Health Institute director Ashish Jha. “It’s vaccination.”

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Local governments ‘overwhelmed’ in race to trace U.S. COVID contacts

Tue, 2020-08-04 10:47 — mike kraft

Many health departments losing race to warn contacts of COVID victims As the pandemic claims hundreds of American lives daily, many municipalities lack the money and staff to warn people who have been exposed, Reuters found. Reuters

The soaring number of COVID-19 cases in the United States has far outstripped many local health departments’ ability to trace the contacts of those infected, a step critical in containing the virus’ spread.

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Trump nursing home plan limits supply of free COVID-19 test

Tue, 2020-08-04 09:13 — mike kraft

Trump nursing home plan limits supply of free COVID-19 tests WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration's plan to provide every nursing home with a fast COVID-19 testing machine comes with an asterisk: The government won't supply enough test kits to check... AP NEWS

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration’s plan to provide every nursing home with a fast COVID-19 testing machine comes with an asterisk: The government won’t supply enough test kits to check staff and residents beyond an initial couple of rounds.

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Covid-19 is more widespread than ever in the US but there are some states doing things right

Tue, 2020-08-04 08:59 — mike kraft

Covid-19 is more widespread than ever in the US but there are some states doing things right US leaders have struggled to enforce social gathering rules and mask mandates as residents push for a return to normal life amid a rampant spread of coronavirus. But while people may be tired of the pandemic, there's still a long way to go, one world health official said Monday. Christina Maxouris, CNN CNN

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Coronavirus cases climb in Midwest states as Trump says U.S. is doing better than most other countries

Mon, 2020-08-03 20:46 — mike kraft

Coronavirus cases are climbing in Midwest states with previously low infections President Trump continues a push to reopen schools and predicts a vaccine this year, while the World Health Organization says there may never be a “silver bullet.” Anne Gearan, John Wagner, Jacqueline Dupree

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Johnson & Johnson’s Coronavirus Vaccine Protects Monkeys, Study Finds

Mon, 2020-08-03 15:14 — mike kraft

An experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson protected monkeys from infection in a new study. It is the second vaccine candidate to show promising results in monkeys this week.

The company recently began a clinical trial in Europe and the United States to test its vaccine in people. It is one of more than 30 human trials for coronavirus vaccines underway across the world. But until these trials are complete — which will probably take several months — the monkey data offers the best clues to whether the vaccines will work.

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Scientists Worry About Political Influence Over Coronavirus Vaccine Project

Mon, 2020-08-03 09:34 — mike kraft

In April, with hospitals overwhelmed and much of the United States in lockdown, the Department of Health and Human Services produced a presentation for the White House arguing that rapid development of a coronavirus vaccine was the best hope to control the pandemic.

“DEADLINE: Enable broad access to the public by October 2020,” the first slide read, with the date in bold.

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