Leiter Reports: A Philosophy Blog

More on Sweden's failed COVID strategy: a mea culpa from the architect

Here; as the article notes:

At 43 deaths per 100,000, Sweden’s mortality rate is among the highest globally and far exceeds that of neighboring Denmark and Norway, which imposed much tougher lockdowns at the onset of the pandemic.

Legal issues facing colleges planning on reopening this fall--plus the difference social distancing can make

This is useful and the opinions quoted sensible; this is really the most important bit:

"Institutions will have a number of strong defenses available, including, among others, that their adherence to CDC and other guidance demonstrates that they have met the applicable standard of care and that, given the nature of the virus, it will be very difficult … to demonstrate what caused a particular individual to contract the virus," Warner said. "Institutions will also be informing their students and employees of the risks inherent in returning to campus given the very nature of the virus."

Any institution in  compliance with federal and state health guidelines will be in good shape legally, regardless of how much illness there is on campus.

Small Belgian study of 154 elderly patients finds benefits from use of statins...

...and possible benefits from use of blood pressure meds (ARBs and ACEIs).  Particularly striking (but too small a sample to inspire confidence) was that 6 of the 8 elderly patients taking both statins and blood pressure medications were asymptomatic despite testing positive for COVID (and only 1 of the 8 got seriously ill)--much lower than the rate of asymptomatic patients generally.

Incompetent COVID reporting, NY Times edition

This from yesterday:

In the weeks since America began reopening on a large scale, the coronavirus has persisted on a stubborn but uneven path, with meaningful progress in some cities and alarming new outbreaks in others.

A snapshot of the country on a single day last week revealed sharply divergent realities. As the United States marked the tragic milestone of 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday, the contrasting picture was unmistakable — a murky, jumbled outlook depending on one’s location.

Around Chicago, Wednesday was one of the most lethal days of the pandemic, with more than 100 deaths....In the Boston area, where an alarming crisis of a month ago has given way to cautious optimism, businesses were reopening that day and new cases numbered in the dozens, no longer the hundreds.

COVID peaked in Chicago three-four weeks ago, so of course deaths are still occurring.  In fact, yesterday saw the lowest number of new cases reported since early April (and last week saw about 3,000 new cases the entire week, less than half the number three weeks ago).  No doubt there are places where the pandemic is gaining steam, rather than losing it, but the example chosen is in fact irrelevant.

Public health measures and "freedom"

Les Green (Oxford & Queen's U) comments (amusingly and aptly); an excerpt:

Admittedly, there are disagreements about freedom.  Some philosophers say these turn on people having different ‘concepts’ of freedom; others say that we have various ‘conceptions of the concept’ of freedom. (It can only be a matter of time before someone says that we have different ‘concepts of a conception of a concept’ of freedom.)  My own view is parsimonious.  I think we are free to do what we can actually do, and not free to do what we cannot do because we are prevented from doing it or because the action has been made infeasible.  What we disagree about is why freedom and unfreedom matter.

Some people hate restrictions just because they hate anyone making them do things they don’t want to do. (Teenagers, and some libertarians, tend to fall into this class.)  For others, unfreedom is of concern only if it also limits their autonomy, the power to shape their lives to fit their needs and character, as JS Mill put it.  Being forced to wear a mask while shopping may outrage the first group, but not the second because (save in special cases) wearing a mask does not limit any further activities.  A third group have still narrower concerns.  They only chafe under unfreedoms they judge to be imposed arbitrarily or unreasonably, in which cases they think they are being ‘dominated’.  These are all real disagreements, but they are fundamentally disagreements about the value of particular freedoms, not about freedom’s nature.

More antibody testing results: 3% of people in Indiana have been exposed to the new coronavirus...

...and 45% had no symptoms from it.  As the article notes based on Indiana and other antibody studies, the infection fatality rate seems to be between .5 and 1%, which is still pretty awful, but not as awful as some of the very early figures tossed around.

How Vietnam avoided a COVID catastrophe

Pretty remarkable, given the size of the country and the proximity (and ties) to China.  Nothing like competent political leadership during a catastrophe.

More on the need for ventilation in indoor spaces--social distancing is not enough

A Dutch study, summarized here.

‘After a single cough, it takes about five minutes for the number of small droplets in the air to be halved,’ the researchers said. These tiny droplets are therefore much more dangerous when it comes to possible transmission of coronavirus. When the same experiments were repeated in a well-ventilated room, the results improved dramatically. With only mechanical ventilation turned on, half of the droplets disappeared within 2.5 minutes, but in a room that also had a door and window open, the number of droplets was halved after 30 seconds – ten times faster than in the unventilated room.

Read more at DutchNews.nl:

‘After a single cough, it takes about five minutes for the number of small droplets in the air to be halved,’ the researchers said. These tiny droplets are therefore much more dangerous when it comes to possible transmission of coronavirus. When the same experiments were repeated in a well-ventilated room, the results improved dramatically. With only mechanical ventilation turned on, half of the droplets disappeared within 2.5 minutes, but in a room that also had a door and window open, the number of droplets was halved after 30 seconds – ten times faster than in the unventilated room.

Read more at DutchNews.nl:

Sweden has highest rate of COVID-related deaths per capita in the world...

...according to this source, although one suspects Brazil, which is close, may not be testing or keeping track as thoroughly as Sweden.

Princeton Sociology Department will not accept PhD applicants in 2020-21

MOVING TO FRONT FROM YESTERDAY--SEE THIRD COMMENT WHICH  EXPLAINS WHAT PRINCETON IS DOING

Now this is a striking decision, not only because this is a top sociology PhD program, but because Princeton is far and away the richest university in the United States.  Have other PhD programs in philosophy or other fields announced that they are suspending admissions for a year?

Texas is opening up, so the Dallas Morning News asked some experts what activities would be safe

The answer is very little that is indoors, a bit more that is outdoors.

Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Governor's stay-at-home order on May 14...

...when the 7-day-average of new cases per day was about 300 for the state; 12 days later, it's now well over 400 new cases per day.   Correlation or causation?  I'll bet money on the latter.

UPDATE:   Today, May 28, Wisconsin recorded its second highest case total ever (the highest was less than a week ago).

Class action law firm filing suits around the U.S. against universities seeking tuition refunds

While many schools refunded prorated room and board, I'm not aware of any who have refunded tuition, but that's exactly what a growing number of lawsuits are seeking.  This will add to the serious financial woes of U.S. universities, especially if the plaintiffs are successful and online teaching continues into the coming academic year.

Coronavirus in Chicago (and Illinois): a timeline

MOVING TO FRONT, ORIGINALLY POSTED MARCH 14--VARIOUS UPDATES, MOSTLY FOR CHICAGO/ILLINOIS, FEWER NOW FOR NEW YORK CITY

Just a snapshot of what's going on in one metropolis, that hasn't (yet!) been hit as bad as NYC or Seattle or parts of Northern California; I'll update this periodically.  Illinois is doing a fair bit of testing, but not nearly enough.  Technically these are the numbers for Illinois, but almost all the cases are in the Chicago metropolitan area (9.5 million people are in the Chicago metro area, Illinois has 12.5 million altogether, Cook County, where Chicago is, has 5.2 million people; the data is broken out starting March 18):

States reopening but lying about their case counts and deaths?

Doubts about Georgia and Florida in this article.  State officials fudging on data this important should be fired or, better yet, jailed.

Impact of the pandemic on universities in the UK

This is a pretty sobering assessment; some excerpts:

Manchester University published what it considered its worst-case scenario about what might happen next year: 80 per cent of students from outside the EU and 20 per cent of UK and EU students could  defer or drop out. On that basis, they estimate, the university stands to lose £270m in a single year.

If you work through that scenario, it means the UK universities would be down by £6.7bn from tuition fees alone. Last year, excluding one-off pension costs, most institutions ran a narrow financial surplus. They made about 3.5 per cent more than they spent. Under the nightmare scenario, the lost fees would drive the average university to a 16 percentage point deficit.

Assume, too, that universities might lose two terms of housing, catering and conference income. Social distancing is cancelling events, preventing full occupancy of buildings – and has already cost them one term of rent. That would add another £1.5bn to the losses, and the average deficit could drift out to 20 per cent. Even if that were a one-off hit, and institutions could be sure that the good times were coming back, it would mean a lot of debt for the sector to carry. For some institutions, it would mean the end....

The hardest hit institutions in our scenario in absolute terms include a lot of very famous institutions: UCL would lose £115m in fees. Manchester, King’s, Edinburgh, Leeds and Warwick more than £60m....

New CDC estimates on COVID

35% of cases are asymptomatic (but still infectious), while the fatality rate for those with symptoms is .4% (so four times worse than the standard estimate for flu mortality); from a CNN article:

The fifth scenario is the CDC's "current best estimate about viral transmission and disease severity in the United States." In that scenario, the agency described its estimate that 0.4% of people who feel sick with Covid-19 will die.

For people age 65 and older, the CDC puts that number at 1.3%. For people 49 and under, the agency estimated that 0.05% of symptomatic people will die.

The article goes on to note one expert's skepticism about the fatality numbers as being too optimistic.

Developing herd immunity: an interactive tool

The title of this piece is misleading--depending on variables like how long immunity lasts and how many others each infected person infects, herd immunity may be possible--but what's useful here is the tool that allows you to adjust he variables to see how that affects herd immunity, and how many would die in the process.

(Thanks to Jerry Dworkin for the pointer.)

Penn's tentative plans for next academic year

Realistic and instructive, probably a useful model for urban campuses; some excerpts:

In light of the challenges before us, we want to share four major scenarios currently under consideration. Some of these could be productively combined.  The four scenarios are:

A hybrid experience with some in-person instruction. In a mostly online learning environment, classroom instruction would be offered for small seminars, research group meetings, experiential clinics, studios, and other courses enrolling no more than 25 students. These classes could be offered in lecture halls and other large venues that accommodate physical distancing and facial coverings and could even include newly installed Plexiglas barriers for separating lecturers from the audience. All larger classes of more than 25 students would be delivered online, even for those living on campus.

An in-person experience ending at Thanksgiving break. In this scenario—compatible with the hybrid experience described above—the fall semester would begin and end on schedule, but all on-campus activities would conclude as Penn breaks for Thanksgiving. After Thanksgiving, the remainder of the fall semester would be conducted online. In some cases, in order to ensure the required hours of instruction, some classes might schedule additional meetings in the early evening and/or on Saturdays.

More robust summer course offerings in 2021. To maintain flexibility for our students, we could offer expanded class options, in addition to our current strong summer programming, during the summer of 2021, providing greater opportunities for earned academic credits and cohort-based experiential learning. This scenario is also compatible with the first two scenarios above and would enable us to accommodate an even wider range of educational needs and preferences.

An entirely online experience for the fall semester. In the event that the pandemic precludes us from bringing students back to campus in the fall, we would then conduct all fall semester instruction, mentoring, and advising at a safe distance via technology. In this scenario, we would make every effort to bring students back to campus as soon as possible and to preserve class traditions, including for our entering Class of 2024. This scenario is distinct from the first two scenarios above but compatible with the third....

Anthony Fauci on colleges reopening

Cautious, but sensible; here is his take on how to reopen in the fall:

I don’t think it’s going to be one size fits all. I think it’s going to depend on the location of where the particular university or place of higher education is, what the demography of the students is, where they’re coming from. All of these things have to be taken into account.

A number of presidents of universities have been in discussions with us at the task force, with the vice president and with others, talking about creative ways where they could continue the education and yet safeguard the safety and the health of the students. There are a variety of models.

One of the models has been to essentially test all the students before they come in, just so that you know what the baseline of infection is. Test them both to see if they’re actually infected with tests for the virus, as well as — depending upon the technology at the time — antibodies to see if they had been previously exposed.

But one of the things that I have heard — and I’m not necessarily saying I’m advocating it because I think it’ll be appropriate variably depending on where you are — is to get at least a baseline and intermittently survey the students. By baseline, meaning you know when you start on Day 1 what you’re dealing with and intermittently do random surveillance every couple of weeks or what have you. You have to have the capability when students get infected, which they will, to then get them to a situation where they would be able to be comfortably isolated if in fact they’re just waiting out a relatively mild infection. Or, if they get ill, to have the health care available for them.

As this IHE article confirms, it is likely that there will be more than enough testing available by fall, although the cost may be prohibitive for some schools.

Detailed plans from the University of North Carolina about fall opening

Here; some excerpts from the Chancellor's message:

[W]e will ask you to practice physical distancing, wash your hands often, use hand sanitizer, maintain clean spaces and wear appropriate face coverings/masks (provided by the University for those who need them), among other best practices....

The College of Arts & Sciences, along with our schools and units, are reconfiguring in-person course instruction to include physical distancing provisions. These considerations mean that small classes will meet in larger spaces, and large lecture classes may be split into smaller sections, delivered remotely or consist of a combination of both. Our goal is to offer as much flexibility for students and faculty as possible.

Under guidance from our infectious disease and public health experts, we have revised the academic calendar to begin classes a week earlier and conclude before Thanksgiving. We made the difficult decision to eliminate fall break not only to finish sooner but also to minimize possible virus spread associated with travel....

Sweden's approach to the pandemic hasn't worked very well

An interesting thread, with links, from Yale's Professor Christakis.

After the "war" against COVID-19, we'll also need "war crimes" trials for...

...Governor Cuomo of New York and Mayor DiBlasio of New York City.  See, for example, this and this, but especially this damning ProPublica report contrasting their performance with the performance of San Francisco's Mayor and California's Governor.  Having screwed up the initial response, Governor Cuomo has certainly shown himself to be an adept public communicator, but that doesn't change the fact that people died because they didn't get going soon enough.

Pharmaceutical giant spending $1 billion on vaccine development, aiming for the fall

And Pfizer isn't alone in such efforts.  This is another reason to be hopeful that science and modern medicine may save us from the incompetence of the political leadership in the U.S. and other backwards countries.

Open letter from Fordham graduate students seeking better university support during the pandemic

Like their peers at Villanova, the Fordham students are also in need.

(Thanks to Ricky DeSantis for the pointer.)

Cambridge University announces *lectures* will be on-line next year...

...but that still leaves open the possibility of in-person teaching in small groups and tutorials.

Some skepticism about the initial reports on Moderna's vaccine

A propos this, see this; an excerpt:

The company’s statement led with the fact that all 45 subjects (in this analysis) who received doses of 25 micrograms (two doses each), 100 micrograms (two doses each), or a 250 micrograms (one dose) developed binding antibodies.

Later, the statement indicated that eight volunteers — four each from the 25-microgram and 100-microgram arms — developed neutralizing antibodies. Of the two types, these are the ones you’d really want to see.

We don’t know results from the other 37 trial participants. This doesn’t mean that they didn’t develop neutralizing antibodies. Testing for neutralizing antibodies is more time-consuming than other antibody tests and must be done in a biosecurity level 3 laboratory. Moderna disclosed the findings from eight subjects because that’s all it had at that point. Still, it’s a reason for caution.

Wearing masks at all times when indoors with others has to become the new normal...

...and it makes a difference.  This is going to be especially true at colleges and universities that attempt to reopen this fall.

38% of church attendees in Arkansas got COVID-19

Another indication of the problem of groups in enclosed spaces for extended periods of time:

The two [index] cases occurred in a husband and wife; the husband is the pastor at a local church (church A). The couple (the index cases) attended church-related events during March 6–8, and developed nonspecific respiratory symptoms and fever on March 10 (wife) and 11 (husband). Before his symptoms had developed, the husband attended a Bible study group on March 11. Including the index cases, 35 confirmed COVID-19 cases occurred among 92 (38%) persons who attended events held at church A during March 6–11; three patients died. The age-specific attack rates among persons aged ≤18 years, 19–64 years, and ≥65 years were 6.3%, 59.4%, and 50.0%, respectively....

During March 6–8, church A hosted a 3-day children’s event which consisted of two separate 1.5-hour indoor sessions (one on March 6 and one on March 7) and two, 1-hour indoor sessions during normal church services on March 8. This event was led by two guests from another state. During each session, children participated in competitions to collect offerings by hand from adults, resulting in brief close contact among nearly all children and attending adults. On March 7, food prepared by church members was served buffet-style. A separate Bible study event was held March 11; the pastor reported most attendees sat apart from one another in a large room at this event. Most children and some adults participated in singing during the children’s event; no singing occurred during the March 11 Bible study. Among all 94 persons who might have attended any of the events, 19 (20%) attended both the children’s event and Bible study....

Notre Dame to start two weeks earlier than planned in order to finish by Thanksgiving

Basically every school in the U.S. should be doing this.  As I noted back in early April, it's beyond insane during a pandemic to think of sending thousands of students home for a few days and then bringing them back in December for some more school!  Starting Winter or Spring terms are going to be hard enough; I strongly suspect it will be impossible to start those terms normally, but perhaps things will evolve in such away that at least some of the following term can be live.

(Thanks to Stephen Woodside for the pointer.)

Moderna's COVID vaccine generates appropriate immune response in early testing

Hopeful, but there's quite a way to go:

In a Phase 1 trial, eight patients who received two doses of the vaccine at the lowest and middle doses tested — 25 and 100 micrograms — developed neutralizing antibodies to the virus at levels similar to people who had recovered from infection, the company said in a statement.

The data were limited and from only a small number of participants in the trial, led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. But they are still likely to be seen as encouraging. Research aimed to develop a vaccine against SARS, a related virus responsible for a 2002-2003 outbreak, showed that neutralizing antibodies are pivotal for achieving protection.

Links to other informed analyses of these results welcome.

Immune response to the new coronavirus suggests a COVID-19 vaccine should work

Report on a new study.

Illinois shut down, Iowa did not...

...and those on the Illinois side of the Illinois/Iowa border fared better as a result.  We are lucky to have had an adult and rational Governor who acted early.

(Thanks to Dr. David Ozonoff for the pointer.)

Marquette adopts new calendar, with fall term ending before Thanksgiving

A good plan (hopefully it will work!).

(Thanks to Gregory Mayer for the pointer.)

COVID-19 is much worse than flu (plus Diamond Princess, redux)

No doubt most readers already know this, but this article makes the point forecefully:

The CDC, like many similar disease control agencies around the world, presents seasonal influenza morbidity and mortality not as raw counts but as calculated estimates based on submitted International Classification of Diseases codes.² Between 2013-2014 and 2018-2019, the reported yearly estimated influenza deaths ranged from 23 000 to 61 000.³ Over that same time period, however, the number of counted influenza deaths was between 3448 and 15 620 yearly.⁴ On average, the CDC estimates of deaths attributed to influenza were nearly 6 times greater than its reported counted numbers. Conversely, COVID-19 fatalities are at present being counted and reported directly, not estimated. As a result, the more valid comparison would be to compare weekly counts of COVID-19 deaths to weekly counts of seasonal influenza deaths.

During the week ending April 21, 2020, 15 455 COVID-19 counted deaths were reported in the US.⁵ The reported number of counted deaths from the previous week, ending April 14, was 14 478. By contrast, according to the CDC, counted deaths during the peak week of the influenza seasons from 2013-2014 to 2019-2020 ranged from 351 (2015-2016, week 11 of 2016) to 1626 (2017-2018, week 3 of 2018).⁶ The mean number of counted deaths during the peak week of influenza seasons from 2013-2020 was 752.4 (95% CI, 558.8-946.1).⁷ These statistics on counted deaths suggest that the number of COVID-19 deaths for the week ending April 21 was 9.5-fold to 44.1-fold greater than the peak week of counted influenza deaths during the past 7 influenza seasons in the US, with a 20.5-fold mean increase (95% CI, 16.3-27.7).^5,6

Also interesting was this tidbit about the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which I had not seen before:

At present, the Diamond Princess cruise ship outbreak is one of the few situations for which complete data are available. For this outbreak, the case fatality rate as of late April 2020 was 1.8% (13 deaths out of 712 cases); age adjusted to reflect the general population, the figure would have been closer to 0.5%.

The age adjustment is needed because the age of people on cruise ships skews much higher than the population at large.

(Thanks to Dr. David Ozonoff for the pointer.)

How to study COVID-19 and racial disparities

This is sensible; from the concluding parts of the essay:

In addition, when SES [Socio-economic status] is controlled for and does not explain all Covid-19 racial disparities, we should clearly state why that might be the case. One possible explanation is the role of stress and what public health researcher Arline Geronimus has termed “weathering,” or advanced aging caused by bodily wear and tear from fight-or-flight responses to external stressors, especially racial discrimination. Weathering has been linked, in turn, to cardiovascular disease and diabetes, two conditions that have been associated, in preliminary research, with elevated risk for severe Covid-19.

Finally, to counter territorial stigmatization, one can highlight place-based risks and resource deficits that might explain spatial distribution, along racial lines, of Covid-19. Examples include the uneven geographic distribution of preventive care services or the concentration of respiratory hazards and toxic sites in low-SES, minority-heavy areas.

In sum, to mitigate myths of racial biology, behavioral explanations predicated on racial stereotypes, and territorial stigmatization, Covid-19 disparities should be situated in the context of material resource deprivation caused by low SES, chronic stress brought on by racial discrimination, or place-based risk.

Duke University to suspend retirement contributions for one year...

...like Johns Hopkins, but it is going further and reducing by 10% the portion of the salary of highly-compensated employees that is above $285,00.   That will mostly hit faculty in the law and business schools, although it will no doubt hit some faculty in fields like economics and the actual sciences like physics and chemistry, which tend to have some faculty in that salary range.  (The medical school at Duke, like most medical schools, has its own budget and will make its own cost-cutting decisions.)

Looks like Illinois will need to build a border wall with Wisconsin...

...given this bizarre decision.  Hopefully most people will continue to take precautions.

How countries are doing battling COVID

Striking set of charts here.  Makes clear how badly the U.S., among others, are doing compared to places like New Zealand and Greece, which were both proactive.

(Thanks to Jerry Dworkin for the pointer.)

California State University system announces on-line classes for the fall

NYT story here.   Given how many students they serve, and how many are commuter students on some campuses, this isn't surprising; the Cal State systems also lacks the resources, I expect, for the kinds of safety and health measures that some state universities (like Purdue and South Carolina) have announced.

More on coronavirus transmission: the choir case from Washington

This is an informative, detailed report on a case that has been noted in some prior studies mentioned in earlier posts; some excerpts:

Among 61 persons who attended a March 10 choir practice at which one person was known to be symptomatic, 53 cases were identified, including 33 confirmed and 20 probable cases (secondary attack rates of 53.3% among confirmed cases and 86.7% among all cases). Three of the 53 persons who became ill were hospitalized (5.7%), and two died (3.7%). The 2.5-hour singing practice provided several opportunities for droplet and fomite transmission, including members sitting close to one another, sharing snacks, and stacking chairs at the end of the practice. The act of singing, itself, might have contributed to transmission through emission of aerosols, which is affected by loudness of vocalization (1). Certain persons, known as superemitters, who release more aerosol particles during speech than do their peers, might have contributed to this and previously reported COVID-19 superspreading events (2–5)....

The March 10 choir rehearsal lasted from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Several members arrived early to set up chairs in a large multipurpose room. Chairs were arranged in six rows of 20 chairs each, spaced 6–10 inches apart with a center aisle dividing left and right stages. Most choir members sat in their usual rehearsal seats. Sixty-one of the 122 members attended that evening, leaving some members sitting next to empty seats. Attendees practiced together for 40 minutes, then split into two smaller groups for an additional 50-minute practice, with one of the groups moving to a smaller room. At that time, members in the larger room moved to seats next to one another, and members in the smaller room sat next to one another on benches. Attendees then had a 15-minute break, during which cookies and oranges were available at the back of the large room, although many members reported not eating the snacks. The group then reconvened for a final 45-minute session in their original seats. At the end of practice, each member returned their own chair, and in the process congregated around the chair racks. Most attendees left the practice immediately after it concluded. No one reported physical contact between attendees. SCPH assembled a seating chart of the all-choir portion of the March 10 practice (not reported here because of concerns about patient privacy).

Another look at comorbitidies contributing to death in COVID-19 cases

This is a preprint of a study by a large group of UK researchers.  One striking finding is that hypertension is not, in fact, a significant co-morbidity for serious illness and death, it rather seems to be a proxy for age, which is a factor (something we wondered about previously).   From the paper:

There was no association between hypertension (defined as a recorded diagnosis, or high blood pressure at the last measurement) and outcome (HR 0.95, 0.89-1.01). However, in sensitivity analyses, diagnosed hypertension was associated with slightly increased risk (HR 1.07, 1.00-1.15) while high blood pressure (≥140/90 mmHg) at the most recent measurement was associated with lower risk (HR 0.61, 0.56-0.67).

This chart below the fold summarizes the findings:

And a COVID milestone in Chicago

377 new cases reported yesterday in Chicago proper, the first time the number was under 500 since April 7. 

Another milestone for New York City today: fewer than 1,000 positive test results...

...the first time since March 18!

American College Health Association issues new guidelines for reopening colleges

Here.  I have not had a chance to digest this, so reader comments welcome.

What we know about the evolution and mutation of the new coronavirus

Informative popular account.

(Thanks to Dr. David Ozonoff for the pointer.)

After the pandemic: disability and the right to work from home

Philosopher Leslie Green (Oxford/Queen's U) comments.

Another state flagship university announces sensible reopening plans

The University of South Carolina; an excerpt:

We will begin by phasing in an increased presence on campus this summer of selected populations of students and faculty, even as summer courses remain online. This transitional, phased approach will allow us to test our mitigation measures, pilot our initiatives and further build our confidence and capacity to open our doors to the University community safely in August. 

While we would like as many students, faculty and staff members as possible to return in person, doing so would not be mandatory, as we recognize that some would be uncomfortable coming back to campus in August. We respect each person’s decision to either return or delay their return, and we will expand our online course offerings to accommodate those who choose to remain away.

For those who are returning to campus, plans for academics, housing, dining and every aspect of student and campus life for the fall semester are being meticulously formed by the FPG and an increasingly broad group of campus leaders. Plans include the following:

• We will have the capacity to test every Student, Faculty and Staff member for COVID-19 upon return the campus
• We have the capacity to sustain a robust testing program throughout the entire semester
• We are reviewing several comprehensive tracing and tracking apps for early and thorough identification of at-risk contacts
• We have designated ample student housing for those who may require isolation and quarantine, and we are putting in place the support services to provide for their meals, education, and other needs
• We will increase on campus single-occupancy rooms in on-campus residence halls
• We will modify our dining practices in order to reduce close student contact in student dining facilities through “grab and go” meals
• We will make accommodations for high-risk individuals and others who choose to continue online instruction with safeguards for protection against discrimination and stigma
• We will follow clear public health protocols, including social distancing within classrooms, lecture halls, meeting rooms and sports venues, with strong encouragement of proper social distancing off campus
• We will ensure that large class sections will either meet in smaller sections or in online formats and create alternative academic offerings to accommodate safe class gatherings
• We will provide advising over the summer to help all students adjust their course schedules as needed
• And finally, as stated, no student, faculty or staff member will be required to return

COVID affecting young children?

This is a very disturbing development.  It will change the prospects for opening lower schools in the fall as well if it turns out to be more than a freak occurrence.

Federal government turned down offer from private company to produce millions of N95 masks

People really should hang for this.