Covid-19 Pandemic
 Here’s the latest news from the global pandemic: France rules out new shutdown as European cases surge Fires and virus converge on California in multiplying crisesJapan opposition set to merge to challenge Abe after virus criticism A dress rehearsal for Covid inoculation If everything goes according to plan, the U.S. will have a Covid-19 vaccine approved late this year or next. After clearing that daunting scientific hurdle, the country will face a logistical one: how to get the shots to millions of Americans as the pandemic’s disruption of normal routines persists. For health officials, this year’s flu vaccine campaign is a dry run for delivering an eventual Covid-19 inoculation. In Denver, public-health officials plan to send “strike teams” into schools to administer both flu shots and childhood vaccines. They also are rolling out mobile flu shot clinics that can pull up at construction sites to inoculate workers, as well as campaigns targeted at hard-to-reach communities, including people who are homeless. “This whole model that we’re building can then be moved into Covid,” said Judith Shlay, a physician and associate director at Denver Public Health. Pharmacy chains expect to administer up to twice the amount of flu shots they normally do. Some retailers are planning outdoor flu shot deliveries in tents or drive-throughs, drawing from their experience performing Covid tests in similar settings. Even those that are welcoming people inside say this will help prepare them for a vaccine rollout. “Flu season will allow us to continue to sharpen our skills on immunizing with PPE,” said Jocelyn Konrad, Rite Aid Corp.’s chief pharmacy officer, adding it will also give the drugstore a list of people to target once a Covid shot becomes available.  Photographer: JOEL SAGET/AFP Photographer: JOEL SAGET/AFP The medical and public-health communities are trying to increase confidence in vaccines broadly, to reassure worried patients about their safety and counter harmful misinformation that proliferates on social media. One-third of Americans in one Gallup survey said they wouldn’t take an FDA-approved Covid vaccine. The stakes are high for flu season. The country has almost 200 million doses on the way to clinics and pharmacies. If America succeeds in getting a vast share of the population inoculated against influenza, that will protect people from illness and death and help avert a collision of flu and Covid that could swamp hospitals. But if the U.S. fails to get enough people immunized to stem the flu, it won’t bode well for any Covid vaccine we may get.—John Tozzi and Angelica LaVito Track the virus The Pandemic During Flu Season Doctors worry 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.  Sponsored Content by Siemens America’s factories, power plants, transportation and hospitals all need technology and our technology is only as powerful as the people deploying and maintaining it. Keeping America moving takes more than technology alone. It takes a human touch. Siemens Ingenuity for life. What you should read Wearable Tech Enters the Fight Against Covid-19 Fitbits and smartwatches can help detect virus before symptoms appear. America’s Streets Are Getting Rougher States, metros skimp on infrastructure spending as pandemic guts budgets. Make Cruises Safe Again? Operate in a Bubble Adventure cruise operator cracks code for safe travel during a pandemic. Crunch Time for European Workers After Job Cuts They may be about to get another batch of bad news amid fresh outbreaks. Ships Skipping Hong Kong Due to Virus Rules Vessels are utilizing other ports in China and South Korea to refuel. Know someone else who would like this newsletter? Have them sign up here. Have any questions, concerns, or news tips on Covid-19 news? Get in touch or help us cover the story. Like this newsletter? Subscribe for unlimited access to trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world and gain expert analysis from exclusive daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close. Follow Us Get the newsletter You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg’s Coronavirus Daily newsletter. Unsubscribe | Bloomberg.com | Contact Us Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022 |
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