The Latest: Is it safe to reopen?
Dear Reader,
Some states are starting to relax stay-at-home orders. Florida begins its reopening strategy today. There’s plenty of debate over when and how easing distancing measures is appropriate. On Friday, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said he changed his mind about reopening after the state reported its largest increase in new cases. It’s a complicated issue, and I’ve pulled together a reading list of stories to help you navigate the evolving situation.
Here’s something you won’t find anywhere else: Theranos whistleblower Tyler Shultz posted a warning about how the current diagnostic and antibody testing landscape for Covid-19 is not setting the U.S. up for quality tests.
What’s New:
- The FDA issued an emergency use authorization for remdesivir: The drug can be given to adults and children with severe forms of Covid-19.
- J. Crew files for bankruptcy: This marks the first major retailer to fall victim to the pandemic.
- Tips for pets: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advice for pet safety during the pandemic, writing, “Treat pets as you would other human family members — do not let pets interact with people or animals outside the household. If a person inside the household becomes sick, isolate that person from everyone else, including pets.”
- Seven Northeastern states are in agreement to buy supplies together: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island will jointly purchase masks, personal protective equipment, ventilators, and more to fight the virus. By combining orders, the governors believe they will secure lower prices, stabilize the supply chain, and avoid bidding wars.
Follow our Medium Coronavirus Blog for regular updates, and read some of the essential stories we’ve curated below.
Be well,
Alexandra Sifferlin
Editor, Medium Coronavirus Blog
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A Word From a Whistleblower:
“While there is certainly value in moving as fast as possible during this crisis, I am worried that we are creating an environment that facilitates many of the same mistakes Theranos made.” — Tyler Shultz, Theranos whistleblower and CEO of Flux Biosciences
New on the Blog
States Are Reopening. Here’s What You Should Read.
A ‘99% Accurate’ Antibody Test
Five Important New Coronavirus Findings
Essential Reads and Explainers
What If Covid-19 and Flu Both Flare Up This Fall?
Wearing a Mask While Running Sucks. You Might Have to Do It Anyway.
Leaving Lockdown: A Covid Guide to Dining
Smart Reads
How The Pandemic Will Alter American Cities
The Coronavirus Puts Restaurants at the Mercy of the Tech Industry
‘We’re Nowhere Near Where We Need To Be’
Price Gouging Could Actually Fix Our Face Mask Shortage
The Hidden Cost of Covid-19 Recovery? More Traffic Deaths
34 Days of Pandemic: Inside Trump’s Desperate Attempts to Reopen America (The Washington Post)
Everyone Is Focusing on the Wrong Problem With the PPP Program (Business Insider)
Personal Pandemic Stories
My Parents Can’t Afford to Retire Early, and I’m Terrified They’ll Have to Start Working Again
The Anxiety and Burden of Accepting Face Masks Sent From Home
