COVID-19 News from Around the Web

We have reasons to celebrate, but—and you knew there was a but—a devastating surge is now under way. And worse, we are entering this dreadful period without the kind of leadership or preparation we need, and with baseline numbers that will make it difficult to avoid a dramatic rise in hospitalizations, deaths, and potential long-term effects on survivors.

A tidal wave of grief and loss has rolled through long-term care facilities as the coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 91,000 residents and staffers — nearly 40% of recorded COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. And it’s not over: Facilities are bracing for further shocks as coronavirus cases rise across the country. … In response, nursing homes and assisted living centers are holding memorials for people who’ve died, having chaplains and social workers help residents and staff, and bringing in hospice providers to offer grief counseling, among other strategies.

Covid’s long, dark winter has already arrived in the upper Midwest, as cases and deaths surge, snatching lives, overwhelming hospitals, exhausting health-care providers and raising fears that the region’s medical system will be completely overwhelmed in the coming days. As coronavirus cases grow exponentially across the United States — up 70 percent on average in the past two weeks, with an average of 130,000 cases per day nationally — the situation is particularly acute now in the upper Midwest and Plains states, with North and South Dakota leading the nation in new cases and deaths per capita over the past week, according to Washington Post data.

Federal health officials have reached an agreement with pharmacies across the U.S. to distribute free coronavirus vaccines after they are approved and become available to the public. The goal eventually is to make getting a COVID-19 vaccine like getting a flu shot. Thursday’s agreement with major chain drug stores, grocery market pharmacies and other chains and networks covers about 3 in 5 pharmacies in all 50 states and U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico.

Only 55 people attended the Aug. 7 reception at the Big Moose Inn in Millinocket. But one of those guests arrived with a coronavirus infection. Over the next 38 days, the virus spread to 176 other people. Seven of them died. None of the victims who lost their lives had attended the party.

The CDC predicts there will be 260,000 to 282,000 coronavirus deaths by December 5, according to a forecast published Thursday. … Unlike some individual models, the CDC's ensemble forecast is based on a group of forecasts the CDC received and only offers projections a few weeks into the future. The previous ensemble forecast, published November 5, projected up to 266,000 coronavirus deaths by November 28.

[It’s] a monumental undertaking that must distribute hundreds of millions of doses, prioritize who’s first in line and ensure that people who get the initial shot return for the necessary second one. The push could begin as early as next month, when federal officials say the first vaccine may be authorized for emergency use and immediately deployed to high-risk groups, such as health care workers. “The cavalry is coming,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” He said he hopes shots will be available to all Americans in April, May and June.

In the US, COVID-19 now kills about 0.6% of people infected with the virus, compared with around 0.9% early in the pandemic, IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray told Reuters. He said statistics reflect that doctors have figured out better ways to care for patients, including the use of blood thinners and oxygen support. Effective treatments, such as the generic steroid dexamethasone, have also been identified.

President Donald Trump has publicly disengaged from the battle against the coronavirus at a moment when the disease is tearing across the US at an alarming pace. Trump, fresh off his reelection loss to President-elect Joe Biden, remains angry that an announcement about progress in developing a vaccine for the disease came after Election Day. And aides say the president has shown little interest in the growing crisis even as new confirmed cases are skyrocketing and hospitals intensive care units in parts of the country are nearing capacity. Public health experts worry that Trump’s refusal to take aggressive action on the pandemic or to coordinate with the Biden team during the final two months of his presidency will only worsen the effects of the virus and hinder the nation’s ability to swiftly distribute a vaccine next year.

The explosive surge in U.S. coronavirus cases this fall has left a question hanging: When will the economy take its own turn for the worse? It may be starting. Red flags are appearing across a range of high-frequency measures of retail foot traffic, small business hiring and other data, and even previously bullish forecasters are increasingly concerned consumers may buckle in the face of rising health risks.

Disruptions to daily life during the pandemic, anxiety about contracting Covid-19 and social isolation are all taking a toll on children's mental health, a report released Thursday by the CDC suggests. … From March to October, the proportion of emergency department visits related to mental health increased 24 percent for children aged 5-11 and spiked 31 percent among adolescents aged 12-17, compared to the same period the previous year.

Temperature and symptom-based screening programs don't help catch coronavirus cases, the CDC said in a new report that took a closer look at the programs used at US airports until mid-September … Between January 17 and September 13, the CDC screened more than 766,000 travelers. Nearly 300 met the criteria for public health assessment, 35 were tested for the coronavirus, and nine tested positive. That means the program identified about one case per 85,000 travelers screened, the CDC reported Thursday in the agency's weekly report.

Prisoner's rights advocates are pleading for more action to help stop the deadly toll taken by the pandemic that has ravaged America's jails and prisons. … The advocates want faster, early release of older and medically vulnerable inmates, those nearing their parole date, as well as non-violent prisoners with a track record of good behavior. … Nationally, more than 1,300 inmates and correctional staff have died so far, according UCLA Law's Covid-19 Behind Bars Project.

Despite efforts ICE says it has implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in detention facilities, detainees are still infected at a much higher rate than the rest of the country. Researchers analyzed data from 92 of the nation’s 135 ICE detention centers and found the case rate among detainees was on average more than 13 times the rate of the U.S. population each month from April to August, according to the report published late last month in JAMA.

The FTC, which enforces consumer protection laws against fraud and deceptive business practices, issued 20 warning letters to companies and individuals for allegedly making "unsubstantiated" claims that their products could prevent or treat the disease. Among the FTC's targets are several companies and medical practices that marketed an injectable drug called thymosin alpha-1 as a purported treatment for COVID-19.

Will this year’s Thanksgiving gatherings lead to more viral spread in the U.S.? For a decent prediction, we need only look to our friends to the north, as Canada celebrated its version of Thanksgiving almost exactly a month ago, on Oct. 12. While Canada was already on an upward trajectory for COVID-19 even before Thanksgiving, several Canadian experts told me that, yes, the holiday almost definitely made things even worse.