Tag: coronavirus

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FDA Withdraws Emergency Use Authorization Of Hydroxychloroquine For COVID-19

The first confirmed case of the omicron variant in the U.S. has been discovered in California.

The FDA has pulled the emergency authorizations for using hydroxychloroquine for treating COVID-19 due to concerns about effectiveness and safety. Donald Trump has spent the past couple of months heralding the drug as a miracle treatment for the novel coronavirus. Via Politico:

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday withdrew emergency use authorizations for two coronavirus treatments promoted by President Donald Trump despite concerns about their safety and effectiveness.

The agency revoked the authorizations for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine after a request from Gary Disbrow, acting director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

After reviewing new information from large clinical trials the agency now believes that the suggested dosing regimens “are unlikely to produce an antiviral effect,” FDA chief scientist Denise Hinton said in a letter announcing the decision.

Critics have accused the agency of caving to political pressure when it authorized use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in hospitalized Covid-19 patients in late March despite thin evidence.

More recent randomized controlled trials have found the drugs do not benefit coronavirus patients, and doctors have reported that hydroxychloroquine can cause heart problems.

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Florida Sets New Coronavirus Case Records 3 Days In A Row

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
The Tampa Bay Times reports the state of Florida has set new single-day records for new cases of coronavirus three days in a row. On Thursday, the state recorded 1,698 new cases. On Friday, it was 1,902 cases. On Saturday, it was 2,581. The state’s recorded infections now total 73,552, and the number of deaths stands now at 3,016. A Miami Herald analysis of public and non-public COVID-19 data found that as of June 3, new cases in the state had consistently been trending up since mid-May and the trends could not be attributed solely to increases in testing, which had been inconsistent and sometimes declining during that period. But keep opening up the state, Gov. DeSantis.

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New York State Making COVID-19 Picture Look Better Than It Is

(graphic via Axios)
Looking at national data, it appears the number of new coronavirus diagnoses are dropping, but that’s primarily due to the improving situation in New York and New Jersey. The two northeastern states were the hardest hit in April and May, and now that the situation there is definitely getting better, there’s a statistical illusion that the whole country is improving. Not true. As Axios reports, if you factor out New York and New Jersey, the number of new cases is holding steady (or increasing in some states) – not going down. Some states like Arizona, Texas, and Oregon have actually seen spikes in their communities. The local ABC News affiliate KVUE in Austin, Texas, notes that Texas reported 2,504 new cases and 32 new deaths on Wednesday this week. For the third day in a row, the state also reported a record-high number of new hospitalizations at 2,153. Only 16 states have seen steady declines in new cases over the past two weeks.

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News Round-Up: June 10, 2020

Paulo Batista (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy transgender bodybuilder Paulo Batista (above) is literally pumped to be back in the gym: “One of my first days back to a gym in a while! It felt great to get a real pump and sweat in!” • Buzzfeed News: Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling doubled down on her recent anti-transgender comments, releasing an extensive statement about her fears of “current trans activism,” which recycles dangerous anti-trans stereotypes and cliches. #DeeplyDisappointing • People: CNN anchor Anderson Cooper opens up about being a dad to adorable baby Wyatt. “This is a dream come true,” the veteran journalist says of parenthood. • Pride Month TV: The acclaimed documentary, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, celebrates one of the icons of the gay rights movement, and the self-described “street queen” of NY’s gay ghetto in the 1960s. When Johnson’s body was found in the Hudson River in 1992, police called it a suicide and didn’t investigate. David France’s film seeks to uncover the truth of her death while celebrating her legacy. Streaming now on Netflix.

• The Hill: The final testing stage for a potential coronavirus vaccine developed by Moderna is set to begin in July. John Mascola, the director of the vaccine research center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the Wall Street Journal the trials will involve about 30,000 people at more than 50 sites, which will mostly be within the U.S. • Washington Post: Last week, the hashtag #LadyGraham exploded on social media in response to allegations made on Twitter by gay adult-film star Sean Harding against Sen. Lindsey O. Graham of South Carolina. The hashtag purportedly refers to Graham’s nickname among male sex workers. What followed has been a mixed bag of political commentary, wanton speculation and downright trolling. • Politico: The Trump administration is preparing to open the door to oil and gas drilling off Florida’s coast — but will wait until after the November election to avoid blowback in a swing state whose waters both parties have long considered sacrosanct, according to four people familiar with the plan. • Out Music: Acclaimed out singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright drops his latest music video, “You Ain’t Big,” from his upcoming album Unfollow the Rules. “I originally wrote the song “You Ain’t Big” about the strange fact that in the music business worldwide until recently (our estimation has fallen considerably) no matter how well you’ve done anywhere else, if you couldn’t make it in the heartland of the US you weren’t really considered a true star,” shares Wainwright. “Think Little Richard, Elvis, the Beatles, and Julio Iglesias.” “Its vintage sound harkens back to the classical American country music sound of the 40s and 50s and with the help of opposing images in the video of how different life was for white people compared to black people in the 1950’s, as it has sadly remained,” adds the two-time Juno Award winner. “I think it rings appropriate for this time and professes a certain truth.”

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CGI May Replace Physical Romance As Hollywood Ramps Up Again

L-R Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer in ‘Call Me By Your Name’
As of June 12, movie production in Hollywood will be allowed to resume. But the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will still be felt as actors get back into character. Not only will social distancing be required, but sexual distancing will also be the name of the game as well. A leaked 22-page document authored by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, a group comprised of Hollywood studios, as well as Dr. Daniel Uslan, an infectious disease specialist at UCLA Medical Center, contains a list of guidelines that affect everyone working on a set. According to the document, “close contact moments” like romantic interludes or sex scenes should “either be rewritten, abandoned or CGI (computer-based imagery) fixes them.” The guidelines also advise that any fight scenes be reconsidered. In addition to the new rules for on-screen action, crew members will have to wear protective gear onset and every set will have to have a ‘coronavirus compliance officer’ present. Minors who might be overactive are to be relocated to off-set locations, and it’s suggested that actors and crew members keep petting animal actors to a minimum. TV shows will continue to broadcast without live audiences present. Plus, casting directors will be required to conduct auditions behind plexiglass barriers. Production in Hollywood came to an abrupt halt in mid-March as the coronavirus health threat spread across the country. Since then, several TV talk shows have turned to CGI for more creative backgrounds as hosts broadcast from their homes during the shelter-at-home orders in California.

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Will COVID-19 Halt The Love Scenes & Ball Sequences on POSE?

L-R Dyllon Burnside, Billy Porter (screen capture)
As Pride Month 2020 has begun amid ongoing concerns for dealing with the COVID-19 health threat, this certainly would be a good time to serve up a new season of the critically-acclaimed FX series Pose. But alas, while the first two seasons of the diverse, queer-themed series premiered in time for Pride, this year we are without our fix of ballroom fierceness as production was shut down early in the coronavirus pandemic. Series star Indya Moore, who plays aspiring model ‘Angel Evangelista,’ recently told Variety, “When production paused, I wasn’t shocked — I knew it would happen — but it was a bittersweet moment for me.” “On the one hand, if anyone had gotten sick, it surely would have spread fast,” they added. “On the other hand, most folks working on a production are living paycheck to paycheck. So I was worried about how they are going to survive.” Co-creator Steven Canals shared with the venerable Hollywood outlet that the show will definitely return – it was renewed for Season 3 after just one episode of the second season had aired – but how the storytelling is handled may shift.

“Things like kissing — we will likely forgo those moments,” said Canals. “The place on our show where the biggest impact will be felt will be the ball scenes,” he added referring to the massive number of background actors featured in the dance sequences. “Those scenes have 125 to 150 background actors,” explained Canals. “That’s tricky because that’s such an important and critical part of our show and the narrative. We’re just, only now, having conversations of ‘Is there a world where we forgo these things?’”

Canals shares that the entire season hadn’t been fully scripted yet when the production shut down. “I haven’t had anybody reach out asking for those scripts,” said Canals. “It’s all been about family and really caring for each other’s well-being.” But Canals does guarantee there will be another season of Pose, and one that will put the powerful LGBTQ politics of the series “upfront and center,” where they always have been. “So in terms of the narrative of Season 3 and the way we’re moving forward, I think it will inherently address what’s happening currently with COVID-19,” adds the openly queer screenwriter. “All of that was already baked into the DNA of the show.” It’s hard to imagine the series without the now-iconic ballroom scenes depicting so much LGBTQ tribal pride. Or groundbreaking love scenes between Emmy Award-winner Billy Porter’s ‘Pray Tell’ and Dyllon Burnside’s ‘Ricky Evangelista.’ But trust and believe, the creative powers that brought us the most diverse LGBTQ cast of actors and writers will find a way. Season 1 of Pose is currently available on Netflix with Season 2 joining the lineup on the streaming platform on June 11.

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Wisconsin: Record High COVID-19 Deaths 2 Weeks After Striking Down Stay At Home Order

(screen capture via CBS News)
From Yahoo News:

Wisconsin saw a record number of new coronavirus cases and deaths reported in a single day on Wednesday, two weeks after the state’s Supreme Court struck down its statewide stay-at-home order.

The state reported 599 new known COVID-19 cases on Wednesday with 22 known deaths, according to Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services, the highest recorded daily rise since the pandemic began there. As of Wednesday, the state had more than 16,460 known cases and 539 known deaths, according to the department.

The previous record in new coronavirus cases was 528 the week prior.

Gov. Tony Evers (D) implored his constituents to wear face masks when out in public to keep others safe from the coronavirus. “One of the most important things you can do to help others is to wear a mask or other face-covering in public,” he said. “Wearing a mask shouldn’t be a political statement. It isn’t controversial, and it’s not hard to do.” Immediately after the state Supreme Court struck down the stay-at-home order, the media reported Wisconsinites flocking to bars. Of course, none of those folks chose to wear a face mask or practice any health guidelines.

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Alabama: New COVID-19 Cases On The Rise As Citizens Ignore Health Guidelines

As the death toll from COVID-19 nears 100,000 in the U.S., Reuters reports that 20 states saw an increase in new cases of COVID-19 for the week ended May 24, up from 13 states in the prior week. Alabama had the biggest weekly increase at 28%, Missouri’s new cases rose 27% and North Carolina’s rose 26%, according to the analysis of data from The COVID Tracking Project. As folks in Alabama celebrated the Memorial Day weekend by hitting the beaches in droves with little-to-no social distancing or face masks. Even with the state’s relaxed guidelines, groups are supposed to be six feet away from each other. Groups are also supposed to consist of only people who live in the same household. CNN’s Gary Tuchman spoke to several beach-goers about any concerns they may or may not have about the coronavirus. The responses were eye-opening.

“I’m just here just to have fun and meet everybody and be cool, you know,” said the first young man. “When it’s my time to go, it’s just my time to go.” “Everybody’s gotta go somehow. I don’t wanna die, but I mean, if that’s what God has in store for my life then that’s okay,” said a 21-year-old woman. Said another 20-something: “My family has the same mindset as me. We kind of just agreed that if we get it we get it. We’re gonna handle it as a family and just get over it because that’s what a family does.” “Just like the flu, right,” said one woman. “People die from the flu also. To me, that’s just the way I look at it.” Asked if she was concerned about so many people being at the beach, one woman replied, “No, not at all. There’s enough wind and air that it’ll clear it all out.” “I just feel comfortable that we’re going to be ok,” said an older man when asked why he doesn’t wear a face mask. “The survival rate is so high…We’re all gonna get sick from something eventually.” And in a demonstration of presidential leadership, a bearded young man said he was taking his cues from Donald Trump. “I mean, if he’s not wearing a mask, I’m not gonna wear a mask. If he’s not worried, I’m not worried.” And there you have it. But it wasn’t just Alabama flouting the rules. Over in Missouri, public pool parties were just as busy. Several videos taken from the Lake of the Ozark Saturday showed people not social distancing. Hundreds of people were packed into a pool and no one was seen wearing a mask. Check out the report from local CBS News affiliate KMOV.

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Spain Will End Tourist Quarantine July 1

Tourists in Sitges, Spain during summer 2019
Spain will end its current quarantining of international tourists at the end of June allowing the country to take advantage of some of the summer tourism season. From the Washington Post:

The move comes after Italy and Greece — which vie for Mediterranean tourism — announced they will welcome foreign travelers starting June 1.

Spain is the second most visited country in the world, behind France. In 2019, some 83.7 million international tourists spent over $100.54 billion. Tourism accounts for nearly 13 percent of Spain’s gross domestic product and an estimated 12.7 percent of the country’s jobs.

Spain has moved to relax one of Europe’s strictest nationwide lockdowns, slowly easing measures by region. The daily dose of new infections has slowed to 0.1 percent, with 235,772 confirmed coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with 28,752 deaths.