Monday, April 27th, 2020
Immunity After Infection?, More States Reopening & “Quarandreams”
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.FunctionofBeauty.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 to review the latest happenings...
CDC Updates Symptoms
More than 5 million tests have been conducted in the U.S. and they’ve confirmed nearly a million COVID-19 infections. Now, the CDC is updating its list of coronavirus symptoms. Already, we knew about fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Now, six more are officially on the list: chills, muscle pains, a headache, sore throat, and a loss of taste or smell. If the symptoms are mild, the CDC says it’s best to stay at home, self-isolate and monitor your symptoms. If you have trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure on your chest, or lips that look blue, see the doctor right away.
Case Count & Death Toll: Johns Hopkins
CDC Expands Symptoms List: USA Today, Axios, CDC
No Evidence of Immunity
The World Health Organization says people who have recovered from COVID-19 aren’t necessarily immune to the virus. Even if you’ve had a blood test showing you’ve developed antibodies, they might not protect you. The W.H.O. warned the pandemic could be made worse if people start issuing they’re immune and ignore public health guidelines.
Read More: NBC News, BBC, WHO
More States Reopen
The White House coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, said we should expect to continue social distancing through the summer. Even still, a few more states are starting to get back to business. In Tennessee, sit-down restaurants will reopen today, although they can’t have as many customers inside as they usually do and new hygiene practices will be in place. In Mississippi, most retailers will be able to open at 50% capacity today. However, businesses that require touching, like salons and tattoo studios, will have to stay closed. Montana and Colorado’s governors are allowing businesses to reopen today, including those for hair, nails, and massages. They too will follow guidelines to cut back on the number of customers.
Read More: NY Post, Denver Post, NY Times, NPR, Check Your State
Kim Jong Un Health
It’s been weeks since anyone has seen North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un. Around the world, people are starting to wonder whether he’s sick, injured, or even dead. North Korea hasn’t released any kind of official statement, so we don’t know anything for sure. We also don’t know who would be next in line to take over for Kim. Analysts believe it could be his younger sister, Kim Yo Jong.
Read More: Al Jazeera, Fox News, NY Times
Boris Johnson Back to Work
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is back at work full-time today. For the past three weeks, he’s been recovering from COVID-19. Before he went to the hospital, Johnson had been criticized for moving too slowly in his response to the pandemic. Now, he’s been encouraging people all around the UK to take social distancing seriously. He’s expected to discuss plans to modify, but not lift, those guidelines soon.
Read More: BBC, NPR, Sky News
Contact Tracing Technology
Australia launched a coronavirus contact tracing app to help people figure out if they may have been exposed to the virus. It works by creating a “digital handshake” when devices with the app get within five feet of each other. Then, if users stay near an infected person for longer than 15 minutes, they get a notification. The Australian government says only health authorities would have access to the data stores on the app, but civil liberties groups are still worried about privacy. Rivals Google and Apple are working together on a similar program to be used around the globe.
Australia’s Contact Tracing App: Reuters, The Verge, Bloomberg
Apple/Google Tracker Update: The Verge, TechCrunch
Facebook Video Conferencing
Facebook is rolling out a new video conferencing service, similar to Zoom. It’s called Messenger Rooms. It will let users host video calls with up to 50 people at once. It will be free, no matter how long the call goes. Messenger Rooms will launch over the next few weeks on Facebook’s main platform and on the Facebook Messenger app. After that, it will roll out to the company’s other applications, like Instagram and WhatsApp.
Read More: CNN, Vox, Press Release
Nintendo Accounts Breached
Nintendo says 160,000 accounts were breached since the beginning of April. Hackers may have gotten access to PayPal accounts or credit cards. Already, some users have reportedly noticed their Nintendo accounts had funds missing, so hackers are likely buying things on the gaming platform. Nintendo says its emailing users who may have been affected. It says they can request refunds if they notice any unauthorized transactions.
Read More: CNN, The Verge
NFL Draft Sees Record Viewership
The 2020 NFL draft set records in viewership. An average 8.4 million people tuned in over all three days, smashing last year's record of about 6 million. The first night of the draft was the biggest when 15 million people tuned in for round one. No one was sure how this year’s draft would pan out since it was virtual for the first time, but it was still a hit.
Read More: AP, Press Release
NBA Practice Facilities Reopen
The NBA says basketball players can return to some team training facilities this Friday in states where restrictions are being loosened. Still, the league is only allowing individual training sessions, so group practices are off the table.
Read More: WaPo, ESPN
“Quarandreams”
More people have been reporting vivid and bizarre dreams lately and remembering more details about them. Some experts say they’re likely triggered by lockdown stress or by the sudden loss of familiar comforts. However, they say there’s no reason to be alarmed. It’s likely only a temporary effect of people getting out of normal routines.
Read More: NBC News, The Guardian
Monday Monday - Savings Withdrawals
The Federal Reserve decided to make it easier for people to access their money. It told banks to allow customers to make unlimited savings withdrawals and transfers. Usually, the Fed sets a limit of six per month. Still, just because it’s now allowed doesn’t mean the banks are required to change the rules. So, you’ll want to check with your bank to see your options.
Read More: CNN, Bankrate, Federal Reserve