Thursday, April 16th, 2020
Relaxing Restrictions, Low-Cost Ventilators & New iPhone
(+ Talking Treatments & Testing)
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.Rothys.com/newsworthy
Story Summaries
All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want perusing the latest happenings...
Trump Guidelines for Reopening
Today, President Trump is expected to unveil new federal guidelines for reopening the country. He says the data shows the U.S. has “passed the peak” of the coronavirus outbreak, so now is the time. However, the president did say individual governors will make final decisions about how and when to reopen their states. The director of the CDC says he believes 19 or 20 states may be ready to open as soon as May 1. He didn’t list which ones but said they’ll be the states that still haven’t been impacted by COVID-19 much. Still, health officials and business leaders warned this week more testing is needed to convince the public to get back to work.
Trump Recommendations: CNN, CNBC
CDC Director Guidance: Reuters, GMA
More Testing Needed: NYT, WSJ, WaPo
Worldwide Case Count Surpasses 2 Million
The coronavirus pandemic has now infected more than two million people worldwide. The actual number could be much higher due to testing shortages, unreported cases, and suspicions that some governments are hiding the true scope of their nations’ outbreaks. Here in the U.S., New York is the state most affected. Gov. Cuomo issued an executive order saying everyone must have a face covering over their mouths and noses while in public. Maryland’s governor issued a similar order, saying coverings need to be worn in all stores and on public transportation.
COVID-19 Cases/Death Toll: Johns Hopkins
Face Coverings Exec. Orders: Maryland Gov, New York Gov
Reaction to W.H.O. Cuts
One day after President Trump cut funding to the World Health Organization, its leader is responding, saying he doesn’t think Trump’s stance will last too long into the future. He also said now is the time to be united against COVID-19 and his focus will stay on ending the pandemic. The U.S. is the biggest overall donor to the W.H.O., but President Trump accused the organization of making costly mistakes in its initial response and being too heavily influenced by the Chinese government. It’s not clear when, or if, funding will resume.
WHO Reacts to Trump’s Cuts: Axios, Bloomberg, Reuters
Leaders Condemn Cuts: AMA
Pompeo Defends Trump: Fox News
China Warning Delay
The Associated Press found six days in which China did not warn its people about the spread of COVID-19. The AP obtained internal documents that showed the head of China’s health commission determined a pandemic was forming on January 14, and he relayed that information to top Chinese officials, including President Xi. However, the public wasn’t warned until January 20. Apparently, during that time, the city of Wuhan hosted a mass banquet for tens of thousands of people, millions of people were traveling for Lunar New Year and 3,000 new people were infected. China’s health commission responded, denying it purposely suppressed information.
Read More: AP
Warren Endorses Biden & VP Considerations
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is the most recent ex-presidential candidate to throw her support behind the presumptive Democratic nominee. Warren posted a video, saying former Vice President Joe Biden has a good heart and that’s what the country needs in a leader. She also told MSNBC she would accept the job as his running mate if Biden asked her.
Read More: AP, WaPo, NBC News
New Planet Discovered
Astronomers found a new Earth-sized planet that might be able to support life. They named it Kepler 1649c. It’s about 300 lightyears away, orbiting a star in the “habitable zone.” That means it’s just the right distance from the star where liquid water can exist on the surface. Still, it doesn’t get as much light as Earth and scientists don’t know what kind of atmosphere it has, so that could shift the temperature. For now, astronomers will keep researching.
Read More: TechCrunch, Engagdet, CNN
FDA Approves Low-Cost Ventilator
A new, first-of-its-kind ventilator just got emergency approval from the FDA. The Conventor costs about $1,000 to produce. That's compared to $20,000-$25,000 for existing ventilators. That could speed up production and make them more affordable to hospitals who need them now. The University of Minnesota came up with the design. It says it will make the specifications open-source so they can be manufactured anywhere.
Read More: University of Minnesota, TechCrunch
Lyft Essential Deliveries
Rideshare company, Lyft, is now delivering things like food, medical supplies, and other necessities through a pilot program called “Essential Deliveries.” Drivers are basically running errands for healthcare and government agencies as well as businesses and nonprofits. Deliveries are contact-free to keep drivers safe. Right now, the service is available in nearly a dozen cities like Atlanta, San Francisco and Dallas. Lyft says it plans to expand in the coming weeks.
Read More: TechCrunch, Fast Company, Press Release
New iPhone
Apple has officially announced a new iPhone SE. It starts at around $400. It reportedly looks like an iPhone 8, so it has the home button with Touch ID, but it also has more modern specifications, like a better camera and processor. Online orders start Friday. They’ll ship out later this month.
Read More: The Verge, AP
Social Distancing Tool
Apple Maps is now tracking social distancing by anonymously tallying how often people ask for directions. It uses that to recognize how often people are out and about. Anyone can follow along on a website, but it’s really meant for healthcare workers and government agencies to predict potential upcoming outbreaks.
Read More: CNBC, Press Release, Website, TechCrunch
Fighting COVID-19 Grants & Donation
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda Gates, are giving another big boost to the coronavirus fight. The Gates Foundation announced a $150 million grant. It will be used to get essential supplies to poorer nations and help companies produce medical products and vaccines. This is the third big commitment from the Gates Foundation.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are contributing as well. They’re donating more than $100,000 to Feeding Britain to help alleviate hunger during this pandemic. Harry and Meghan reportedly used the money they made from broadcasting their royal wedding.
Gates Foundation Grants: Business Insider, Gates Foundation
Harry and Meghan Donation: NBC News, Fox News
Thing to Know Thursday:
treatments & Testing for COvid-19
Read more: Consumer Reports, CNN, STAT News
Guest:
Dr. Aruna Subramanian
Dr. Aruna Subramanian is a Clinical Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Immunocompromised Host Infectious Diseases service at Stanford University School of Medicine. She is involved in medical education and directs an immunocompromised host ID fellowship program, providing dedicated clinical and research training in transplant and oncology ID. Her academic interests are focused on respiratory viral infections in immunocompromised hosts, tuberculosis in transplant donors and recipients, HIV and HCV in transplant, and optimizing prophylaxis and prevention strategies in transplantation.
She is currently the Stanford site Principal investigator for Phase 3 trials studying the antiviral drug, Remdesivir, for treatment of COVID-19.