COVID-19 News from Around the Web

President Donald Trump on Tuesday called an abrupt end to negotiations with Democrats over additional COVID-19 relief, delaying action until after the election despite ominous warnings from his own Federal Reserve chairman about the deteriorating conditions in the economy. … “I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business,” Trump tweeted. … Early rounds of COVID relief passed by overwhelming margins as the economy went into lockdown in March. After that, Trump and many of his GOP allies focused more on loosening social and economic restrictions as the key to recovery instead of more taxpayer-funded aid.

Six states reported record numbers of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, including Wisconsin, where officials on Tuesday issued a new order limiting the size of indoor public gatherings. … The spike in reported hospitalizations on Monday hit states in the Midwest the hardest, with Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming reporting their highest figures, according to a Reuters tally. Wisconsin has 782 hospitalized coronavirus patients, compared with 433 two weeks ago.

Facebook and Twitter took measures to screen against misinformation after President Trump put posts on both sites that falsely claimed COVID-19 is less deadly than the flu in "most populations." Facebook took down Trump's post, saying that users are not allowed to make false claims about the severity of the pandemic. The social network says the post broke its rules against harmful misinformation. Twitter allowed the president's tweet to stay up with a warning label.

Wearing a face mask cannot lead to carbon dioxide poisoning, even in people with lung disease, researchers report. The findings counter claims that wearing face masks to prevent spread of the new coronavirus may put some people's health at risk. … The study -- published online Oct. 2 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society -- found "that the effects [of wearing masks] are minimal at most even in people with very severe lung impairment," said lead author Dr. Michael Campos.

Misplaced notions of manliness and invincibility may be motivating American men to ignore experts' guidance about masks and social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study suggests. The research, published Sunday in the in the peer-reviewed journal “Behavioral Science & Policy,” found women are more likely to report embracing expert-backed behaviors such as wearing a mask and social distancing. The study helps add credibility to previous research that resulted in similar findings, including that men were more likely to see masks as a sign of weakness.

The odds of a clot are highest for the most critically ill patients. Analysis of 66 studies found that 23% of COVID-19 patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) developed a blood clot in the leg, known as a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Overall prevalence of a DVT was 14% among ICU and non-ICU COVID-19 patients, and 8% among those with mild-to-moderate disease risk who were not admitted to the ICU.

A new nationwide poll shows that one in every four rural U.S households have been unable to get medical care for serious problems. Among those households that had trouble getting care, more than half reported that a family member experienced negative health consequences as a result. … Only 14% of the U.S. population lives in rural counties, but last week 20% of new cases and 23% of COVID-19-related deaths were in rural counties, according to an analysis by The Daily Yonder, an online newspaper that covers rural America.

Telemedicine has rapidly grown as a way to get medical care in the era of COVID-19, but a new study reveals that a doctor's evaluation by phone or video may miss crucial clues to impending health problems. Telemedicine visits accounted for about 35% of primary care visits between April and June … At the same time, office-based visits declined by half compared to the year before, researchers found. … The frequency of blood pressure checks on patients dropped by about 50% during the shift to telemedicine, and cholesterol assessments declined by 37%, researchers found.

Covid is taking an emotional toll across Europe with rising levels of apathy among some populations, the WHO is warning. Survey data reveals the scale of this "pandemic fatigue", estimated to have reached over 60% in some cases. Many people are feeling less motivated about following protective behaviours after living with disruption and uncertainty for months, says the WHO. Although weary, people must revive efforts to fight the virus, it says.

Gyms, health clubs and workout studios began reopening in late spring following government-ordered shutdowns aimed at halting the coronavirus spread. But most are only allowed to have a fraction of their regular clientele onsite at one time. And some clients are staying away for fear of catching the virus. The International Health Racquet & Sportsclub Association, an industry group, estimates that gyms, health and fitness clubs lost an aggregate $13.9 billion during shutdowns as of Aug. 31. The group warns that without government help, at least a quarter could close by Dec. 31 as limits on indoor workouts continue.

Universities are generally employing familiar measures to fight the coronavirus: distancing, testing, tracing, and isolating. But the rollout of these policies — and their success in fighting outbreaks — varies widely from school to school. At some schools, all students must get tested at least once a week if they want to remain on campus. At others, even students with Covid-19 symptoms have difficulty getting tested at all. Some schools are providing single-occupancy rooms for students who should quarantine after being exposed to the virus, while others send students back to their dorms to wait to see if they get sick.