White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on Monday defended President Donald Trump’s controversial claim that 99% of coronavirus cases are “totally harmless” as …
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on Monday defended President Donald Trump’s controversial claim that 99% of coronavirus cases are “totally harmless” as new U. S. infections rocket higher by the day.
“If you’re over 80 years of age or if you have three what they call co-morbidities – diabetes, hypertension, heart issues – then you need to be very, very careful,” Meadows said on “Fox and Friends.” “Outside of that, the risks are extremely low, and the president is right.”
FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn had deflected questions about Trump’s statement Sunday, saying only that federal health officials were “certainly concerned” about the fast-growing number of cases. More than 49,000 new cases were reported Monday.
Elsewhere, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said it was beginning “late-stage” trials for a cocktail for treatment and prevention of COVID-19. An outbreak at the University of Washington’s fraternity row has left more than 100 people positive for the coronavirus. And Broadway actor Nick Cordero,41, who was hospitalized for more than 90 days after contracting the coronavirus, died Sunday.
“I am in disbelief and hurting everywhere. My heart is broken as I cannot imagine our lives without him,” his wife Amanda Kloots confirmed on Instagram. “Nick was such a bright light.”
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New York has dodged a COVID-19 surge following police-brutality protests in recent weeks, but concerns remain that the massive rallies seeded clusters of outbreaks that could emerge in coming days, experts said. While New York’s COVID-19 infection rate steadily declined since thousands of demonstrators took to the streets daily after George Floyd’s death on May 25, it remains unclear if there has been a coronavirus spread undetected among the mostly young people in the crowds. Many young people suffer milder or no symptoms of COVID-19, complicating efforts to identify and contain the source of outbreaks, public health experts said.
“All it takes is at least one asymptomatic case that could potentially be a super spreader,” said Dr. Ravina Kullar, an Infectious Diseases Society of America expert.
– David Robinson
The number of high school seniors applying for U. S. federal college aid plunged as schools started sending students home in the spring, with the number of new applications falling by nearly half compared to last year’s levels, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data. The most precipitous decline was among students at low-income schools. Experts say thousands of students may be opting to delay or forgo college. Education officials are encouraging students to apply over the summer to see how much financial aid they could receive.
“The consequences are that kids are going directly into the workforce,” said David Nieslanik, principal of Southridge High School in Beaverton, Oregon. “They’re closing the door on post-high school learning.”
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals on Monday announced initiation of “late-stage clinical trials” for its cocktail for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. The Phase 3 trial, being run jointly with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is being conducted at approximately 100 sites and is expected to enroll 2,000 patients in the U. S., Regeneron said in a statement. A separate trial is testing the cocktail on patients already being treated for the disease. No timeline for possible release of the drug was provided.
