“When there’s a vaccine” has become a measure of time during the pandemic. I’ll feel comfortable traveling when there’s a vaccine, people say. My office will reopen when there’s a vaccine. Life will go back to “normal” when there’s a vaccine.
But, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s boasts that a vaccine will be ready by Election Day, no one really knows when one will actually arrive. First, one (or, hopefully, several) of the many trials currently in progress has to yield a safe and effective shot. Then the company has to ramp up manufacturing and distribution without compromising the product. Even then, there are numerous factors that affect when you, personally, will get one: your age, where you live, your health status, your job, your access to health care. It’s an equation with almost too many variables to think about.
My intrepid colleague Alice Park was up for the challenge. In her latest story, she broke down the international race to immunize the world against COVID-19.
Pharmaceutical companies around the world have condensed a development process that typically takes years into just months, as Park reports. Their approaches differ—some companies are building vaccines using the coronavirus’ genetic material, while others are using different viruses to deliver the material necessary to trigger an immune response—but their goals are the same: making a safe and effective vaccine very quickly, with the whole world watching.
“This is really an unprecedented effort, from actually developing the vaccines to figuring out how to manufacture and distribute them at the scale that's needed to inoculate the world,” Park says. “These aren't trivial things on their own, and put together they're a monumental test for already strained health systems.”
Park (wisely) declined to guess when these efforts might start to yield results, saying only that “in order for any vaccines to be available—even in limited numbers—any time soon, a lot of things will have to go right.”
More than 28.1 million people around the world had been sickened by COVID-19 as of 2 a.m. EDT today, and more than 909,000 people have died. Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
On Sept. 10, there were almost 299,000 new cases and almost 5,800 new deaths confirmed globally. Here's how the world as a whole is currently trending:
Here is every country with over 350,000 confirmed cases to date ("per cap" is number per 100,000 people):
Israel may become the only developed country so far to fully lock down twice to slow the spread of coronavirus, Bloomberg reports. After quelling the virus enough to reopen in May, the country of 9 million residents now records about 4,000 new cases each day. Some Israeli cabinet ministers yesterday approved a two-week nationwide lockdown, to be followed by two more weeks of limited movement and slow reopening, but their plan must be approved by the full cabinet on Sunday. Some ministers oppose the plan, since it would infringe on upcoming Jewish holidays.
Meanwhile, France yesterday recorded almost 10,000 new cases of coronavirus, the country’s highest single-day total since it began widespread testing. French officials were set to meet today to determine how the country will get its surging caseload under control, France 24 reports.
The Situation in the U.S.
The U.S. had recorded almost 6.4 million coronavirus cases as of 2 a.m. EDT today. Nearly 192,000 people have died. Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
On Sept. 10, there were more than 35,000 new cases and 900 new deaths confirmed in the U.S. Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending:
The 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks looks very different from commemorations of previous years. Coronavirus precautions have forced some ceremonies to shrink dramatically in size—the Pentagon event, for example, won’t even be open to victims’ families. Family members also won’t be able to read the names of the dead on stage at the New York City memorial, as has become tradition.
New U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that U.S. adults who tested positive for coronavirus were about twice as likely to report dining at a restaurant during the prior two weeks, compared to people who tested negative. Eating at a restaurant, particularly inside, is risky—research suggests unmasked people can exhale viral particles that linger in indoor air, where they may be inhaled and get people sick. But the statistic likely also speaks to individual risk tolerance, since people who feel comfortable going out to eat may have more all-around contact with other people compared to those who don’t.
After some discouraging early outbreaks, Major League Baseball appears to have gotten its coronavirus situation under control, even without resorting to an enclosed “bubble” like the National Basketball League. MLB officials reportedly ran more than 11,500 COVID-19 tests this week and only one came back newly positive. None of the players tested positive.
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of September 11, 1 a.m. eastern time. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Americans Are Worried About a Rushed COVID-19 Vaccine
In a new poll, more than 60% of American adults said they’re worried political pressure will lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve a coronavirus vaccine before it’s been thoroughly vetted—a concerning sign that some people may resist getting the vaccine even when it’s available. Read more here.
A Sobering Reminder for Fall and Winter
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top COVID-19 expert, reminded Americans yesterday that fall and winter are going to be tough, as colder weather eliminates many outdoor activities and flu season complicates coronavirus response, CNN reports. His advice: prepare to hunker down. Read more here.
Medical Supplies Are Still Running Short
Six months into the U.S. coronavirus epidemic, hospitals are still struggling to get crucial supplies like N95 masks, the Associated Press reports. Part of the problem? The White House hasn’t made long-term investments to ramp up manufacturing capacity. Read more here.
What’s the Deal with Brain Fog?
If your mental state has been less-than-sharp during the pandemic, welcome to the club. Dana Smith from Elemental explains why your brain is so foggy and what to do about it. Read more here.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com.
If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily, click here.
Today's newsletter was written by Jamie Ducharme and edited by Alex Fitzpatrick.
沒有留言:
張貼留言