Have we reached the eye of the COVID-19 storm?
Key Takeaways
Easter Sunday, and Christian churches the world over sat empty. Well, mostly empty. Pope Francis delivered a televised Easter Sunday mass behind closed Vatican doors. He called for a “contagion of hope.” Regardless of creed, or lack thereof, perhaps that’s what all healthcare providers could use right now. If the Easter Sunday news had a theme, it was perhaps best summed up by Dr. Anthony Fauci: “cautious optimism.”
What you missed from the weekend
Here are some of the stories you might have missed this weekend while you were hopefully resting and recovering:
The United States has overtaken Italy with the highest COVID-19 death toll. The number stands at about 20,000 and is rising. More than 2,000 Americans died on Friday alone.
A new CDC report shows that coronavirus can travel as far as 13 feet when aerosolized, and that it can be carried on shoe soles.
The federal government has invoked the Defense Production Act to make millions of N95 respirators.
Google and Apple are looking to roll out an innovative way of tracking the spread of COVID-19 next month, reported here by Ars Technica. It has some privacy experts concerned.
Coronavirus is having a profound impact on how Americans spend their money. There are clear winners and loserswhen looking at individual industries, according to a New York Times report. Stimulus checks have begun to hit American bank accounts, the IRS says, hopefully taking some of the economic sting out of the pandemic.
COVID-19 patients are worried about when their sense of smell will return. The answer, it seems, is, we don’t know.
The UK research team developing a COVID-19 vaccine says they’re 80% confident they’ll have a functioning vaccine by September. In the U.S., NIH and Inovio vaccines are under development. Both are in Phase I testing.
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is out of the hospital. His brother was apparently not happy about the care Johnson received at 10 Downing Street. The UK death toll has surpassed 10,000.
In India, COVID-19 appears to have sparked acts of violence against Muslims.
Looking ahead
We don’t have a COVID crystal ball here at PhysicianSense, but reviewing last week’s news, here’s what we’re keeping an eye on this week.
The peak
There’s a bright spot in the data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). This is the data that the White House appears to be using. As of writing this, the data show that we are 1 day past peak hospital demand and 2 days past the projected peak of deaths per day. If the data are accurate, the situation in American hospitals and physician practices may improve this week. However, it looks like the total death curve will not flatten until June, the projections suggest.
The federal government also seems to see some silver lining. On Sunday morning, White House health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci expressed “cautious optimism” on CNN’s State of the Union that the spread of the virus was slowing and we could see “gradual reopening” of businesses next month. Fauci added that the U.S. might see relaxation of social distancing in areas that weren’t hard hit as soon as next month, but it would have to be gradual and managed by local officials.
The Takeaway: “Cautious optimism” that a slowed spread of the virus might mean less strain on HCPs and U.S. hospital resources this week.