Prognosis: Misconception

In the U.S., enthusiasm on the right is building for so-called herd immunity, as the public grows skeptical of coronavirus vaccines. These developments could dash hopes for containing Covid-19 in the months ahead.Proponents of herd immunity say exposing more people to the coronavirus will build protection broadly in the population. But experts say that will result in many more illnesses and deaths, and that vaccines are a safer route to herd immunity. Emma Court reports that the concept gained traction in the White House, due to the increasing influence of Trump medical advisor Scott Atlas. It was backed this month by a group of academics in a treatise titled the Great Barrington Declaration.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Millions of Europeans are facing tighter restrictions on their movements, with London, Paris, and Vienna enforcing stricter curbs. On Monday, the government of Wales announced a two-week “fire-break” lockdown designed to curb the spread of coronavirus. All non-essential retail outlets, including pubs and restaurants, will be closed from October 23rd to November 9th. Bloomberg reporter Catherine Bosley reports how Europe is hoping to control this new wave of coronavirus infections and whether another round of restrictions and lockdowns can offset the economic devastation in the region the pandemic has already caused.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Los Angeles Lakers took home the NBA championship this week. But the close of the season also marked a big victory for the league itself. The NBA played its finals in a unique environment that came to be known as the bubble. Players were frequently tested and social distancing was heavily enforced. And, the experiment worked. The NBA did not report a single positive coronavirus case from players or staff. Reporters Emma Court and Brandon Kochkodin describe how the league did it, and whether other organizations can replicate its success.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

States are racing the clock to meet a Friday deadline from the Federal government to submit their plans to distribute a vaccine, once an effective one is ready. But Angelica Lavito reports that they’re putting together their strategies effectively blindfolded. State health officials have no clue which vaccine they will be distributing, nor when — or even if — a vaccine will be forthcoming.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail today a little over a week after testing positive for the coronavirus. His campaign hopes to reverse polling trends that show him falling further behind Democratic nominee Joe Biden. But as the president prepares to address supporters amid record U.S. deaths from the pandemic, the virus stays with him, both literally and figuratively. Michelle Fay Cortez reports that Trump’s handling of his own infection, and the cluster of infections at the White House, is a microcosm of the country’s pandemic response.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Obesity is a known risk factor for severe complications of Covid-19. But scientists are learning that the link between extra pounds and severe Covid-19 may be even stronger than they thought. This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that people who are merely overweight, not just the obese, may be at high risk of serious disease from the infection. Emma Court reports that the warning means about two-thirds of Americans could face higher risks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been working for months to hammer out clear standards for vaccines seeking fast-track approval. Yesterday, The agency made a series of moves that all but assured that a shot won’t be widely available by Election Day. Senior editor for Health Care Drew Armstrong explains what that means for a fast vaccine, and for Trump’s re-election.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dozens of companies are rushing to test and produce a Covid-19 vaccine as fast as possible. But a fringe group of DIY scientists made a bet that without regulatory hurdles, they could produce a vaccine themselves a whole lot faster. But as Kristen V. Brown reports, they learned that making a vaccine that works reliably--and can be proven safe--is incredibly difficult.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump’s diagnosis of coronavirus has raised questions about everything from the Supreme Court nominating process to the possibility of future presidential debates. And of course, the unprecedented possibility of a candidate being removed from the ticket this late in an election year. Drew Armstrong and Michelle Fay Cortez discuss what we know, and still don’t, about what happens next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York City was hit hardest in the early months of the pandemic in the U.S. But after a strict lockdown, the city has enjoyed months of some of the lowest case rates in the country. But as schools reopen and the weather gets cooler, cases have begun to rise. The rate of positive cases exceeded 3 percent for the first time in months, and the mayor is considering shutting select schools and businesses in the ZIP codes driving the increase. Drew Armstrong describes the citry's efforts to recover from the outbreak’s devastating toll, and to safely repair its wounded economy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The race for a COVID-19 vaccine entered a new phase recently. Four different vaccine candidates, developed by Moderna, Pfizer, BionTech and Johnson & Johnson, entered final-stage trials, with two others close behind. But we won’t know exactly how these four vaccines work for months. Robert Langreth explains what we can, and, more importantly, can’t know about a vaccine developed at breakneck speed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six months into the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. is still hamstrung by testing efforts. There are not enough Covid-19 tests. But even when there are tests available, they aren’t always reliable. Kristen V. Brown reports on the free-for-all that U.S. coronavirus testing has become.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scientists in Hong Kong reported last month what many had long suspected could happen. Someone who had recovered from Covid-19 caught the coronavirus again. Since then, about a dozen cases of re-infection have been reported worldwide. These cases demonstrate that a natural infection doesn’t lead to lasting protection, and that the pandemic could persist in the human population. Bloomberg News senior editor Jason Gale talked to health experts about what this means for our ability to stop the virus and to produce an effective immunization.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2020 U.S. Census is about to draw to a close. Bureau field workers have until September thirtieth to avoid an undercount. They’ve been going door-to-door to confirm the number of people living in cities across the country. But Jordan Gass-Pooré reports that pandemic-scarred residents, fraudsters posing as census workers, and a lack of P.P.E. are standing in their way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. will top 200,000 deaths from the novel coronavirus in the next few days. It’s a devastating milestone that comes only weeks before a presidential election where the virus response is front and center. The virus first struck New York City the worst, then blazed through populous states like Texas, Florida and California this summer after New York contained its infection. Emma Court explains what Covid-19 in the U.S. looks like now, eight months after it was first found on American soil, and what we have learned about it since.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve heard there are many things we can do to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Staying six feet from someone else, washing our hands, and wearing a mask. But there’s something else we can also do: Talk less. Speaking is a powerful generator of aerosols -- the fine particles emitted from our mouths that can harbor the SARS-CoV-2 virus and potentially linger for hours in poorly ventilated spaces. Turns out, shutting up can help shut those particles down. And as Bloomberg senior editor Jason Gale found out, if you must speak, it’s safer if you do it softly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even after a vaccine is developed, the coronavirus is likely to remain with us for years. That means researchers must pursue efforts to find a cure for those who still fall sick. Viruses are tricky to fight, and prevention with vaccines has been far more successful than treatment with drugs. In fact, modern medicine has come up with a true cure for only one viral infection. For many serious infections, the best approaches are a cocktail of drugs that throw speed bumps in front of the infection. Michelle Fay Cortez reports that the best solution for fighting viruses is often letting our own bodies attack them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re learning constantly about SARS-CoV-2: what it does to the human body, how it spreads, and why it seems to transmit more readily in certain situations compared with others. Knowing how long the virus lives under different conditions is crucial for understanding the drivers of transmission and how to stop it. Jason Gale spoke with a scientist looking into some of these critical questions. And his answers don’t bode well for winter in the Northern Hemisphere.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An unsubstantiated claim two weeks ago by President Donald Trump — that the “deep state” was slowing approval of a Covid-19 vaccine — has set off an effort by government officials and private industry to ensure the White House doesn’t interfere with a methodical, careful scientific process.Leaders of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration leaders are trying to insulate the agency’s vaccine reviewers from outside political pressure, and drug companies have vowed to make a safe vaccine. Drew Armstrong reports on how government agencies and companies are doing to reassure the public a vaccine will be safe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How are educators and families navigating what we know, and don’t know, about the risks of restarting school during a pandemic? Today's special episode is a collaboration with Tradeoffs, a podcast about our costly, complicated and counter-intuitive health care system. Tradeoffs' Dan Gorenstein explores how scientists could ethically and safely infect people to speed up the fight against COVID-19.Subscribe to the Tradeoffs podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Or check them out at tradeoffs.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The global economy could lose up to $22 trillion in 2020 alone due to Covid-19, according to Australian economist Warwick McKibbin. He predicts that successive waves of coronavirus infections will mean the world will continue to count the cost of the pandemic for years. McKibbin explains to Jason Gale that the pandemic will result in lasting changes to the way we work, live and interact.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future of the commercial real estate market has been under serious question. That’s thanks to the virus itself, a potential mass migration out of cities, and the new realities of working from home. For Bloomberg’s Odd Lots podcast, hosts Tracy Alloway and Joe Weisenthal spoke with Mosaic Real Estate Partners Managing Partner Ethan Penner, who has been described as the father of Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, Sweden won praise from the World Health Organization for its unusual approach to battling Coronavirus. The Nordic nation imposed far fewer restrictions on movement than other countries, and instead relied on Swedes to act responsibly and embrace the guidelines laid out by the country’s health authorities.The strategy has been controversial. Sweden’s Covid-19 death rate is considerably higher than in many other countries, at 57 per 100,000. But the pace of new infections and deaths has slowed markedly since the end of June. Stockholm based reporter Niclas Rolander explains where the country has gone right--and wrong.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The coronavirus has swept through South Africa. But the country was already carrying a heavy burden of chronic and infectious diseases. Its healthcare system is fragile. Johannesburg-based reporter Janice Kew explains what happened when the country went into a strict lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19 from overwhelming its medical facilities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This weekend, Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, attracted criticism when he substantially overstated the benefits of an experimental Covid-19 therapy. At a press conference with Trump, Hahn said that a treatment using blood plasma from recovered patients could save 35 of every 100 people who would have died. Those high-profile remarks were incorrect, and they were repeated by others in the Trump administration. Hahn late Monday clarified some of what the data on blood plasma actually show.But the episode has raised questions about how the agency will review a vaccine, as well as its scientific independence. Senior Editor for Health Care Drew Armstrong spoke to Hahn about the agency’s role in an increasingly politicized federal virus response.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump expanded access to a coronavirus treatment that involves blood plasma donated by people who’ve recovered from Covid-19. But while convalescent plasma, as it’s known, is a promising therapy, researchers don’t yet fully understand how well it works. Michelle Fay Cortez explains what the announcement means, and the concerns that agencies like the FDA are letting pressure from the White House, rather than science, guide their decisions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One thing the pandemic seems to have rendered obsolete, at least for now, is mass tourism. Beach towns lined with hotels that boast hundreds of rooms are struggling in a socially distanced age. Jeannette Neumann reports one tourist hotspot in Spain that once drew throngs of young people is trying to reinvent itself for a future of tightly controlled and intimate trips.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before the novel coronavirus, the world was focused on another killer respiratory virus: influenza.The flu kills hundreds of thousands of people globally each year. The Covid-19 pandemic hit the U.S. after flu cases had peaked. But with the next flu season only a couple of months away, doctors are worried that a flu epidemic on top of a Covid pandemic could stretch medical resources to the breaking point. Jason Gale reports that countries like Australia and New Zealand can be a model for dealing with the flu.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About a dozen student athletes have experienced heart inflammation after being diagnosed with the disease. The NCAA’s chief medical officer discussed the cases of myocarditis, a heart condition that can cause sudden death in young athletes, at a briefing last week. His remarks came two days after the Big Ten and Pac-12 announced they would postpone fall sports. Angelica LaVito reports that the new complication is casting a shadow over college athletics, and creating questions about what the disease does to young people.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the fight against COVID-19, so many are pinning their hopes on a vaccine. But how long will it take? Russia’s super-fast-tracked COVID-19 one is technically the first in the world. But the first vaccine may not be the best one. And even with other vaccine trials underway around the globe, it would be wrong to think we can resume normal life as soon as we have one. Bloomberg healthcare reporter Michelle Fay Cortez explains why Russia’s approach to vaccine development is so different, and why the world may be expecting way too much from an inoculation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the rush to develop a vaccine or treatment for Covid-19, drug companies are fast-tracking clinical trials. But those trials have a major diversity problem. Participants in major drug trials range from 70 percent to 89 percent white. This is a big problem, considering it’s a disease that disproportionately affects people of color. Kristen V. Brown reports that failing to account for minority groups could potentially impact how well a drug eventually works for those that the virus has harmed the most.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arne Duncan, the former US secretary of education, recently warned a House panel against opening schools prematurely. He’s one of a growing chorus of voices sounding the alarm about opening schools without properly funding safety measures. The schools, they say, simply don’t have the money they need to make their buildings safe for students and teachers. At that same house panel, witnesses said public schools would need $200 billion in federal aid to open safely with the virus continuing to circulate. Skylar Woodhouse reports on costs, and challenges, of creating safe classrooms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The coronavirus has been spreading worldwide for over seven months now, and more than 18 million people are known to have been infected by it. Over that time, we’ve come to understand that, in most people, the virus causes mild symptoms or none at all -- at least at the time they have the virus. But even asymptomatic patients may suffer lingering effects. Jason Gale reports that it may contribute to the pandemic’s significant, long-term social and economic costs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this year, school gates around the world slammed shut. The drastic measure worked in many places. Now, as fall approaches, attention is turning back to a pillar of a pandemic-resilient society: schools. The role of children in driving transmission of the coronavirus isn’t clear, and what we know about past respiratory infections isn’t a lot of help. But, as Bloomberg senior editor Jason Gale finds out, some clearer trends are emerging.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The drug company Eli Lilly is about to start testing its Covid-19 antibody drug in nursing homes. Vaccines may not work as well on elderly people or those with compromised immune systems. Since these are the very groups most at risk for severe disease or death if they contract the coronavirus, a successful antibody treatment could have a marked effect on lowering the pandemic’s death toll. Riley Griffin talks about the new drug, and the promise of antibody treatments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the race to study immunity to the virus, scientists first focused on antibodies -- proteins that stick to and disable foreign invaders. That’s because creating antibodies is the basis for most successful vaccines, so scientists are interested in learning who develops coronavirus antibodies, how long they stick around, and how effective they are at keeping people from getting infected again. But recent studies show there may be another weapon inside the human body that can rouse fresh antibody soldiers long after the first have left the battlefield. Bloomberg senior editor Jason Gale explains that T cells may be part of the key to blunting the coronavirus contagion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than a month into a resurgence of the novel coronavirus that has besieged Sun Belt states, flooded hospitals and strained public-health infrastructure, the U.S. still lacks a complete picture of the reality on the ground. That’s because the U.S. doesn’t have ANY real-time system to track the virus’s spread. At times, even the federal government has had to rely on third-party databases. Emma Court reports on the danger of a Covid-19 data black hole. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An effective vaccine is seen as the world’s greatest hope for achieving some kind of return to normal, and the timeline for developing one has been sped up dramatically. But as hard as it’s going to be to make a vaccine quickly, once we do, we’ll have a new problem: Getting it to billions of people. Brendan Murray explains how difficult it will be for the global supply chain to distribute and administer the drug.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few places in the U.S. are still relatively unscathed by the virus, but they haven’t been able to escape the economic devastation. Esmé E. Deprez reports on why the fallout from Covid-19 is devastating Maine's lobster business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When physicians and hospitals became overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases, other medical services, from routine tests to emergency room visits, fell dramatically. The long-term consequences of Americans putting off basic medical care may be disastrous. John Tozzi reports on a new push by the health-care industry to stop so-called "Medical Distancing.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The small South American nation of Uruguay is best known for its grass-fed beef and Atlantic beaches. But the country of 3.5 million people has another distinction: It seems to have dodged the worst of the Covid-19 outbreak despite being nestled between hotspot countries. The country has seen just 1,000 or so cases since the pandemic began, and only 33 deaths. Ken Parks reports the reasons may have as much to do with its policies from years past, as its present day virus response.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An experimental Covid vaccine from Australia joined almost two dozen candidates in clinical trials this week. Development-wise, it’s months behind some of the frontrunners. Jason Gale explains that speed isn’t everything when it comes to fighting the pandemic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The killers of Berta Caceres had every reason to believe they’d get away with murder. More than 100 other environmental activists in Honduras had been killed in the previous five years, yet almost no one had been punished for the crimes. Bloomberg’s Blood River follows a four-year quest to find her killers – a twisting trail that leads into the country’s circles of power.Blood River premieres on July 27.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.