Thursday, May 7th, 2020
Who’s Getting Sick, Sports Comeback Plans & Drive-in Series
(+ When to Get Tested)
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.Blinkist.com/news
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...
Who’s Getting COVID-19
1.2 million people have now tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.S and there is new insight about who is getting sick. New York surveyed more than 1,200 coronavirus patients at more than 110 hospitals. It found only 17% of those patients were working when they got sick. Instead, most of them were apparently at home. Many were retired or unemployed. New York’s governor called the findings “shocking” since he expected to see a higher percentage of essential employees getting sick. Now, he says it’s clear it comes down to personal behavior.
Read More: NBC News, WSJ, NYT
Where People Stay Home
Data from around the country shows most people are staying home a lot of the time. Cell phone location information from SafeGraph shows Americans spent an average of 93% of their time at home during the first week in April (when stay-at-home orders were most strict). By the end of April, when some governors opened up businesses, that percentage dipped a bit. As of April 30, people were at home 89% of the time.
Read More: WaPo, SafeGraph
Coronavirus Death Toll Questioned
The latest figures from Johns Hopkins University show more than 73,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. However, a senior official in the Trump administration told Axios the president believes the real toll is lower. Some members of his team believe the numbers are distorted because the government created a financial incentive for hospitals to identify COVID-19 cases. However, Axios says there’s no evidence to support the idea that hospitals are exaggerating the numbers. Experts believe the number of COVID-19 deaths is higher than what’s been reported. They blame factors like testing shortages and inconsistent reporting from states.
Read More: Axios
Death Toll/Case Count: Johns Hopkins
Trump Changes Mind on Task Force
President Trump changed his mind about the coronavirus task force, deciding to keep it in place. For now, he says the task force will be around “indefinitely.” Instead of managing the outbreak, it will start focusing on how to safely reopen the country. The panel will also concentrate on COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.
Read More: Politico, WSJ
New College Sex Assault Rules
New rules will impact how colleges around the country will investigate sexual assaults on campus. Education Secretary Betsy Devos announced that starting in August, accused students will get certain protections, much like they would if they were changed in the legal system. Throughout the disciplinary process, they’ll be treated as if they are innocent. Also, both the alleged victim and the accused will have lawyers or other representatives cross-examine the other. However, advocates for sexual assault victims say they’re already planning to challenge the changes in court.
Read More: USA Today, NBC News, AP
NCAA Sports Return Plan
The NCAA is mapping out a plan to bring back college sports this fall. It released a three-phase strategy for schools. In phase one, virtual meetings will have to happen whenever possible and large sports teams will have to split up practices, so they don’t gather with more than 10 people at a time. The second phase loosens those restrictions to 50 people or more. In the third phase, gyms and common areas can reopen and everyone can get together again. The NCAA will require at least two weeks between each phase to make sure there’s no resurgence.
Read More: Yahoo Sports, AP, NCAA
NFL Reopening Protocols
The NFL will reportedly release its regular-season schedule tonight. Also, the NFL says it has a plan to reopen facilities when local governments allow, but the number of people inside will be limited. The league will require regular health screenings, as well as safety and hygiene training. For now, facilities are closed.
Read More: AP, CBS Sports
New Facebook Oversight Board
Facebook has a new global oversight board to regulate things like hate speech and harassment. It will review Facebook’s most controversial decisions and either uphold them or reverse them. Whatever the board decides goes. So far, 20 people are assigned to the board, including a Nobel peace prize laureate and a former U.S. federal judge.
Read More: The Verge, Politico, Facebook
Apple Users Sharing Medical IDs
Apple will soon let you automatically send your medical information to emergency dispatchers through your iPhone or Apple Watch. That means, when you call 911, the data you’ve stored in your health app under the “Medical ID” tab can be sent over right away. The auto-send feature only works if users want it to. They have to opt-in. It will be available with Apple’s upcoming iOS 13.5 upgrade.
Read More: Mashable, TechCrunch, Engadget
Clorox 500% Demand Increase
Clorox has seen a 500% increase in demand since March. The company says in one week, it sells as much disinfectant as it usually does in a month. Clorox reportedly has 5 plants operating around-the-clock and it added 250 new employees.
Read More: NBC News, USA TODAY
Summer Drive-In Movie Series
The company behind the Tribeca film festival is working on a movie series specifically for drive-ins. It’s partnering with IMAX and AT&T on this to create a curated selection of movies, both old and new. The series will also feature special music and sporting events. The film selections and ticket details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. The series is expected to kick off nationwide on June 25.
Read More: The Verge, Variety, Tribeca Enterprises
Closest Black Hole to Earth
Scientists say they’ve discovered a black hole in the same galaxy as Earth. It’s reportedly about 1,000 light-years away, which is too far to put humans in danger. It’s invisible, so astronomers only found out about it because they saw two stars dancing around it. The black hole is about four times the mass of the sun.
Read More: CNN, The Verge, CBS News
Thing to Know Thursday:
Hospital visits & COVID-19 testing
Guest:
Ari Bernstein, M.D.
Dr. Ari Bernstein is a board-certified physician. He has extensive knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms and testing through his position as an investor and advisor to Fruit Street Health’s new telemedicine platform designed specifically for the virus, CovidMD.com.
Dr. Bernstein graduated Magna Cum Laude from St. George’s University and completed his Internal Medicine residency at New York Hospital, Queens.