Case counts and deaths from the coronavirus are mercifully trending downward in the United States overall. There were about 43,000 new cases and about 1,000 deaths on Sept. 1, decreases of about 9% and 26%, respectively, compared to two weeks ago. But the story is different in the Midwest. The region, long mostly spared by the virus, is becoming a hotspot.
Even as the virus ebbs nationwide, the number of new daily cases is rising in almost every state in the Midwest, my colleague Jamie Ducharme reports. For now, the overall number of cases in Midwestern states remains much lower than other previous hotspots. South Dakota, for example, has recorded about 14,000 cases since the start of the pandemic, while New York City has recorded more than 230,000. But the area has been setting a worrying number of records. During the last full week of August, five states set single-day highs for new cases: North Dakota (374), Iowa (2,681), Minnesota (1,154), South Dakota (623) and Kansas (1,019).
“The public-health experts I consulted were not surprised that the epidemic has a new epicenter,” Ducharme says. “Until we get the virus under control, the question is when it will spread to new areas, not if.”
The return of tourism, businesses opening back up and schools and colleges resuming in-person classes are all to blame for the Midwest’s spike. The University of Notre Dame in Indiana and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have each recorded about 500 cases. A massive motorcycle rally in South Dakota held in early August certainly didn’t help; the event has been linked to nearly 250 cases and one death across 10 states.
Furthermore, the American Midwest may be set up for viral spread in other ways, too. “Small communities don't have high population density, but there tends to be a lot of intermingling between people, so it could actually make it easier for the virus to spread,” Ducharme says.
At this point in the pandemic, the recommended next steps are not a mystery: experts advise more testing, mask mandates in public places and restrictions on indoor dining and gatherings.
More than 25.7 million people around the world had been sickened by COVID-19 as of 12 p.m. ET today, and more than 857,000 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. 1, there were over 264,000 new cases and 6,480 new deaths confirmed globally. Here's how the world as a whole is currently trending:
Here is every country with over 300,000 confirmed cases to date:
A meta-analysis of multiple studies published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that cheap, widely available steroids reduce the risk of death among very sick virus patients by one third. The overview of several international trials found that, for patients in intensive care, inflammation-lowering corticosteroids—including dexamethasone, hydrocortisone and methylprednisolone—improve survival rates. The World Health Organization updated its treatment guidance today as a result of the studies.
German firm Adversis Pharma has started marketing a $59 at-home antibody test for the virus, the New York Timesreports. The test, called AProof, is among the first of its kind—users (who can order the test without a prescription) prick their finger, drop a small amount of blood on paper and send their sample to a lab, then receive results in 1-2 days. However, scientists aren’t sure whether COVID-19 antibodies protect people from future infections or how long such protection might last, making antibody tests less illuminating compared to other methods.
After a year marked by devastating wildfires and the pandemic, Australia officially entered into an economic recession today. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that the country’s GDP shrank 7% in the year’s second quarter compared to the first, as household consumption and spending on services, transportation, restaurants and more plunged. The drop marks the largest quarterly fall in Australia's GDP since records began in 1959.
A crowded refugee camp of about 12,000 people on the Greek island of Lesbos has reported its first confirmed case of the virus, Oxfam and the Greek Council for Refugees said today. The infected man, a 40-year-old Somalian refugee, is being treated at a local hospital. Evelien van Roemburg, Oxfam’s Europe migration campaign manager, called the arrival of COVID-19 a "disaster” for the tightly-packed facility. “Without immediate and drastic intervention, this will turn into a devastating health crisis that could cause the deaths of hundreds of already weakened people,” she said in a statement.
The Situation in the U.S.
The U.S. had recorded more than 6 million coronavirus cases as of 12 p.m. ET today. More than 184,000 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. 1, there were more than 43,000 new cases and 1,067 new deaths confirmed in the U.S. Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending:
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday made the unusual and unexpected move of wading into housing policy, banning evictions for many renters through the end of the year. The order is intended to curb the spread of the virus by keeping people home and out of shelters. Only people who have earned less than $99,000 this year, endured a substantial loss of income due to the outbreak and attest that they would likely be left homeless if evicted can qualify for the moratorium. Renters will also be expected to pay some amount of their monthly bill each month—and any back rent will still be due once the moratorium expires.
More than 170 countries are participating in a new WHO-led initiative to develop and distribute a vaccine, but the U.S. is not among them, CNN reports. The country’s absence is another result of the Trump Administration’s skepticism towards the WHO and international bodies more broadly. "The United States will continue to engage our international partners to ensure we defeat this virus, but we will not be constrained by multilateral organizations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China," said White House spokesperson Judd Deere.
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of September 2, 1 a.m. eastern time. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
What a Fast Vaccine Approval Really Means
Given that work on a COVID-19 vaccine only started a few months ago, getting approval for a safe and effective version sometime this fall—as some health officials keep suggesting is possible—may seem impossible. But it’s achievable if it’s done the right way, reports STAT’s Matthew Herper. Read more here.
Where Have All the Monkeys Gone?
New drugs are often tested in monkeys, our close genetic relative, as a last step before human trials begin. The pandemic has increased demand for research monkeys, but China, which exports most of the U.S.’s supply, isn’t exporting them due to the virus, writes The Atlantic’s Sarah Zhang. Read more here.
In Memoriam: Puppeteer and Activist Bernice Silver
Bernice Silver died in April after testing positive for COVID-19 at age 106. Known for her ability to entertain and educate audiences on environmental and social issues, "she was the most incontrovertible optimist I’ve ever met,” Silver’s friend Karen Clark told TIME. “She brought joy in her hands like a gift wherever she went." 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.
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Today's newsletter was written by Mandy Oaklander and edited by Alex Fitzpatrick.
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