Prognosis: Breakthrough

While wearing a mask, or refusing to wear one, has become politicized, there’s one Covid safety measure we seem to be comparatively united about: Everyone knows they should stand six feet away from other people in public. But where did this guidance come from? Kristen V. Brown reports that one simple number is already changing our behavior, and will soon change the places where we live, work and play.

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We’re learning more about how the virus that causes Covid-19 is spread from person to person. For the most part, it happens when we’re in close contact with an infected person, who emits tiny liquid particles by coughing, sneezing, speaking or singing. You get sick by inhaling the droplets, or having them travel into your ears or nose. But researchers are looking at another way it may be transmitted. Jason Gale reports that virus-laden aerosols, floating in gas clouds, might be capable of infecting us.

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With the start of school fast approaching, institutions from elementary schools to colleges are rushing to reinvent themselves for the coronavirus era. Some are shifting to a mix of in-person and virtual classes. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is pushing schools to reopen completely, regardless of safety. Emma Court reports that as schools become the latest political touchpoint in the Covid crisis, there are far more questions than answers about how to keep classrooms safe.

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In the almost 200 days since coronavirus cases were first reported in central China, health workers and researchers have raced to learn more about the brand new pathogen. As many as 1,000 Covid-19-related research papers are being released daily. Jason Gale reports that the research, and the experience of front-line health care workers, is informing better ways to diagnose, prevent and treat the disease. That’s helping to save lives.

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As a second Coronavirus wave threatens America, a wave of job losses since the disease first hit has left millions without health insurance. Reade Pickert explains that in other developed economies, the newly unemployed could rely on systems of universal health care. In America, they’ve had to navigate a bewildering menu of options to figure out if they have access to a patched-together safety net.

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The U.S. is home to the highest number of Covid-19 cases—2.6 million and counting—and the most deaths. The reasons for that are at least, in part, very American ones: Politicized science, a fragmented media landscape, and inequality. Executive Editor Brian Bremner reflects on how decades of political division have made the country a coronavirus superpower in the worst way--an outcome that was entirely avoidable. 

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Coronavirus continues its terrifying rampage of large swaths of the country. But the Trump administration has made a point of mentioning that even while cases are rising, deaths are declining. That disconnect is, he says, proof the Covid-19 pandemic is under control. But the mismatch could be an anomaly caused by quirks in how deaths data is collected and reported. It's not necessarily a sign the coronavirus is becoming less lethal or easier to treat. Robert Langreth and Emma Court report that it’s too soon to know for sure that deaths are still declining.

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Gilead Sciences announced today that it will charge the U.S. government and other developed countries $390 per vial for its coronavirus-fighting drug remdesivir. That begins to answer a big question as drug companies race to find treatments and develop vaccines for the virus: How much will it cost us? But Riley Griffin and Emma Court report that the Pharmaceutical industry is hoping Covid-19 will give it a chance to rebrand; and get the focus off drug prices.

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Around the world, nursing homes and assisted living facilities have been a hotbed for Covid-19 outbreaks. Because older people are particularly vulnerable, the facilities have had some of the deadliest outcomes during the pandemic. But some nursing homes have done much better than others at containing the virus. Angelica LaVito reports on a Seattle-area assisted living company that learned the lessons of the pandemic early, and has managed to keep outbreaks from raging out of control.

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In Houston, Texas, new Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations are surging. Some experts expect the virus outbreak to swamp the city’s medical infrastructure by July 4th. Emma Court and Joe Carroll report that if cases keep rising at their current pace in Harris County, which includes Houston, they will triple or quadruple by mid-July. The city’s hospital system may not be able to manage the crisis.

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