The central tension of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States has involved the ultimate American value: freedom. For some people, freedom has meant pushing back on rules set by others, like refusing to wear a mask or protesting against social distancing. For others, it’s meant making short-term sacrifices to keep their families and communities safe, with the knowledge that what they’re doing will more quickly free us all of the virus's grasp.
For many people, the ultimate form of freedom from COVID-19 takes the form of a safe and effective vaccine. We’re getting closer to that goal; several vaccines are making headway in clinical trials. But for those trials to be successful, researchers need more volunteers—at least one million more, as Dr. David B. Agus, a professor of medicine and engineering at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and Viterbi School of Engineering, writes for TIME.
To make sure the coronavirus vaccines work for as many people as possible, Agus writes, it’s essential that the people who volunteer to test them represent the general population. It’s especially important that the vaccines are tested among the people who are the most likely to become seriously ill from the virus, including Black, Latinx and Indigenous people, older people and those with preexisting conditions. But scientists are warning that the existing volunteer pool is inadequately diverse.
Some of the obstacles to recruiting diverse volunteers are problems of science’s own making. For many people of color, a legacy of racist behavior by doctors and researchers have undermined faith in science and health care. Meanwhile, systemic inequality makes it more challenging for many non-whites to have the time and other resources needed to take part in a study. However, if whatever coronavirus vaccines get approved turn out to be less effective for the very communities who have suffered the most from the pandemic, it would only add to the tragedy.
Fortunately, this isn’t inevitable. As a video shared by the COVID-19 Prevention Network shows, many different kinds of people are already stepping up to participate in the trial—from health care workers to flight attendants to grocery store clerks. Each of these volunteers' commendable bravery will take us a little closer to a post-pandemic world—but we still need more people like them to take part.
Nearly 34 million people around the world had been sickened by COVID-19 as of 1 a.m. E.T. today, and more than 1 million 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. 30, there were 239,719 new cases and 5,225 new deaths confirmed globally. Here's how the world as a whole is currently trending:
Here is every country with over 400,000 confirmed cases to date ("per cap" is number per 100,000 people):
The European unemployment rate rose for the fifth consecutive month, from 8% in July to 8.1% in August among the 19 Eurozone countries, the Associated Press reports. The economic situation may only get worse as countries enact new restrictions to stem the rising tide of infections across the continent. Officials in Spain, for instance, voted yesterday to impose restrictions in areas that meet certain criteria; the list includes Madrid. In Italy, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said today he intends to ask Parliament to extend the country’s state of emergency order until the end of January, according to Reuters.
Gavi: The Vaccine Alliance, a public-private partnership aiming to improve vaccine access in poor countries, is providing $150 million to low- and middle-income countries to help get them ready to deliver coronavirus vaccines, the organization said today. The funds will be distributed in the form of planning and technical assistance as well as equipment. At the same time, the organization’s Covax Project, which aims to bring the vaccine to the poor, is facing major challenges, including issues with vaccine supply, financial shortfalls and shortages of cargo planes and refrigeration, the Associated Press reports.
South Africa is allowing international flights for the first time in more than six months, the AP reports, a step forward in the country’s effort to lift its strict lockdown. The country is still barring travelers from more than 50 countries—including the U.S.—and visitors must present a negative test result from no more than 72 hours before their departure. South Africa has seen a sharp drop in new cases since the country’s peak in July.
The Situation in the U.S.
The U.S. had recorded more than 7.2 million coronavirus cases as of 1 a.m. E.T. today. More than 206,900 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. 30, there were 42,812 new cases and 946 new deaths confirmed in the U.S. Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending:
Dr. Anthony Fauci is pushing back after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Facui said “masks are not good” early in the pandemic. In an appearance on the ABC News podcast Start Here, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director said that Trump took his comments out of context. He added that masks were not recommended early in the pandemic due to supply concerns, and that more evidence has since emerged showing that both medical-grade and cloth face masks are useful for curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
President Trump is likely the biggest single driver of pandemic-related misinformation in traditional media, according to a study released today from Cornell University and Cision Global Insights. The researchers, who analyzed 38 million news articles, said the media often amplifies false claims by covering prominent people who are considered newsworthy despite the inaccuracies of their claims. Mentions of Trump make up nearly 40% of the conversation about misinformation, “well ahead of any other topics,” the authors write.
American Airlines and United Airlines are furloughing a combined 32,000 employees as the CARES Act’s Payroll Support Program ends today, according to NPR. The companies, both of which have been hammered by the pandemic, say they can no longer afford to keep the employees on payroll. However, American CEO Doug Parker said his company could end the furloughs if a new federal business aid package arrives. The cruise industry is also under threat—the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday that it’s extending its ban on cruises from U.S. ports until Oct. 31, citing recent outbreaks on ships.
New York City public schools reopened this morning for the first time since March, the New York Times reports, becoming the first schools in a major city to do so in the pandemic era. The reopening posed major challenges for the city; Mayor Bill de Blasio twice delayed the move amid safety concerns from teachers and administrators. Still, it’s a major milestone for a city that just a few months ago was the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak.
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of October 1, 1 a.m. E.T. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
The Pandemic Recession Isn’t Over—and it Could Get Worse
The United States may be in the midst of a “K shaped” recovery from the recession caused by the pandemic, write TIME’s Abby Vesoulis and Alana Abramson—the well-off are doing better, but millions of other Americans are being left behind. While unemployment has been dropping somewhat, many of the emergency measures intended to help financially vulnerable Americans are drying up, including the Payroll Support Program. Read more here.
Most Americans Plan to Vote in Person
Concerns about the postal service’s reliability and President Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting have led many people to decide to vote in person, NPR reports. New polling found that only 35% of Americans plan to vote by mail, while half plan to vote in-person on Nov. 3. That could create major logistical problems for polling places, which must take precautions to prevent viral spread. Read more here.
COVID-19 Severity Linked to Air Quality
A new study from Georgia State University has linked reduced air pollution with better outcomes from COVID-19. “Our paper shows that by keeping current air pollution low, it’s possible to help offset the disease burden created by reopening,” said one of the researchers. Read more here.
In Memoriam: Adeline Fagan, 28-Year-Old Medical Resident
As an OB-GYN medical resident in Houston, most of Adeline Fagan’s work involved delivering babies. But as coronavirus cases rose in Texas, she began to treat COVID-19 patients in the emergency room. Fagan herself died from the disease on Sept. 19; her father is now urging others to honor her by being "passionate about helping others less fortunate, have a smile on your face, a laugh in your heart, and a Disney tune on your lips." 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 Tara Law and edited by Alex Fitzpatrick.
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