COVID-19 News from Around the Web

New coronavirus infections hit record highs in six U.S. states on Tuesday, marking a rising tide of cases for a second consecutive week as most states moved forward with reopening their economies. Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas all reported record increases in new cases on Tuesday after recording all-time highs last week. Nevada also reported its highest single-day tally of new cases on Tuesday, up from a previous high on May 23. Hospitalizations are also rising or at record highs. At Arizona’s Tucson Medical Center on Monday, just a single intensive care unit (ICU) bed designated for COVID-19 patients was available, with the other 19 beds filled, a hospital representative said.

China raised its emergency warning to its second highest level and canceled more than 60% of the flights to Beijing on Wednesday amid a new coronavirus outbreak in the capital — a sharp pullback for the nation that declared victory over the virus in March and a warning for the rest of the world about how tenacious this virus really is. …. European nations, which embarked on a widescale reopening this week, looked on with trepidation as the Americas struggled mightily to contain the first wave of the pandemic and Asian nations like China and South Korea reported new outbreaks, giving rise to fears of a second wave. Chinese officials described the situation in Beijing as “extremely grave.”

Flushing the toilet with the lid up creates a cloud of spray that can be breathed in and may spread infection, such as coronavirus, say researchers. Chinese scientists calculate that flushing can propel a plume of spray up and out of the toilet bowl, reaching head height and beyond. Droplets can travel up to 3ft - or 91cm - from ground level, according to the computer model used by the scientists from Yangzhou University. Shutting the lid would avoid this. The work is published in the journal Physics of Fluids.

The Trump administration on Tuesday pledged to provide a future Covid-19 vaccine for free to “vulnerable” Americans unable to afford it. The remarks constitute the federal government’s most concrete pledge to date about vaccine affordability, which has emerged as a sticking point in recent congressional hearings and in legislation to address the pandemic. “For any American who is vulnerable, who cannot afford the vaccines, and desires the vaccine, we will provide it for free,” said a Trump administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, on a conference call with reporters.

UK experts say the low-dose steroid treatment is a major breakthrough in the fight against the deadly virus. It cut the risk of death by a third for patients on ventilators. For those on oxygen, it cut deaths by a fifth. The drug is part of the world’s largest trials testing existing treatments to see if they also work for coronavirus. Researchers estimate that if the drug had been available in the UK from the start of the coronavirus pandemic up to 5,000 lives could have been saved. Because it is cheap, it could also be of huge benefit in poorer countries struggling with high numbers of of Covid-19 patients. About 19 out of 20 patients with coronavirus recover without being admitted to hospital. Of those who are admitted to hospital, most also recover, but some may need oxygen or mechanical ventilation. These are the high-risk patients whom dexamethasone appears to help. The drug is already used to reduce inflammation in a range of other conditions, and it appears that it helps stop some of the damage that can happen when the body's immune system goes into overdrive as it tries to fight off coronavirus.

Death rates are 12 times higher for coronavirus patients with chronic illnesses than for others who become infected, a new U.S. government report says. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Monday highlights the dangers posed by heart disease, diabetes and lung ailments. These are the top three health problems found in COVID-19 patients, the report suggests. The report is based on 1.3 million laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases reported to the agency from January 22 through the end of May. Information on health conditions was available for just 22% of the patients. It shows that 32% had heart-related disease, 30% had diabetes and 18% had chronic lung disease, which includes asthma and emphysema. Among patients with a chronic illness, about 20% died compared with almost 2% of those who were otherwise healthy. Virus patients with a chronic condition were also six times more likely to be hospitalized — 46% versus almost 8%.

U.S. airline passengers who refuse to wear facial coverings during the novel coronavirus pandemic could have their flying privileges revoked, the industry’s main lobby group said on Monday. Major U.S. airlines may prevent anyone not wearing a mask from boarding and provide the coverings to passengers who have none. Once on board, however, flight attendants have little power to enforce the policy if passengers remove their masks. The airlines will clearly inform passengers about their individual policies on face coverings before flying, followed by an announcement with specific details onboard, it said.

The United States could see more than 200,000 deaths from Covid-19 by October 1, a closely watched model predicted Monday as states continue to reopen. More than 2 million have been infected by the virus and 116,125 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Though many states are seeing improved conditions, the pandemic has not yet reached its conclusion. The projection comes as 18 states are still seeing an upward trend in new cases.