General
March 17 News: Coronavirus vaccine test opens, African Americans at increased risk of death from coronavirus, paid leave vs. the pandemic
For a whole host of economic, political and historical reasons, Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, says it’s a threat that African Americans need to take particularly seriously.
KCRW – Self-quarantine? Isolation? Social distancing? What they mean and when to do them
Depending on your health status, you may need to isolate, self-quarantine or simply practice social distancing. All these measures slow community transmission of the coronavirus.
When immigration officials rolled out their “public charge” rule last month, people who were sick were deemed a “burden” to the U.S. and their health conditions were counted against them when applying for a green card. Late Friday, part of that changed, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced. Any immigrant who gets tested or treated for the virus will not be negatively impacted.
NPR – US urges Americans to home-school; The WHO says: ‘test, test, test’
The United States has now begun its first week of widespread school closures and restrictions on restaurants, bars and other businesses, with the COVID-19 pandemic remaking daily life for millions of Americans. And the White House added new recommendations Monday, calling for millions of people to work from home and to home-school their children if that's possible.
Associated Press – US tells older people to stay home, all ages to avoid crowds
Racing to stall an expected surge of coronavirus cases, the White House on Monday released a series of sweeping guidelines that for the next 15 days will temporarily rewrite the norms of American society.
New York Times – The Coronavirus swamps local health departments, Already crippled by cuts
A widespread failure in the United States to invest in public health has left local and state health departments struggling to respond to the coronavirus outbreak and ill-prepared to face the swelling crisis ahead.
Associated Press – Coronavirus vaccine test opens with 1st doses
U.S. researchers gave the first shots in a first test of an experimental coronavirus vaccine Monday, leading off a worldwide hunt for protection as the pandemic surges.
STAT – Thermo Fisher to produce millions of coronavirus diagnostic tests
Thermo Fisher, the largest maker of scientific tools, said Friday it plans to produce up to 5 million of a new test to detect the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
NPR – Paid leave vs. the pandemic
On Friday night, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced that Congress had reached a bipartisan agreement on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), and President Trump subsequently tweeted his support.
