Tag: coronavirus

Posted on

AstraZeneca Aims For 30 Million UK Vaccine Doses By September

The FDA has approved updated versions of COVID-19 vaccines

AstraZeneca plans to make as many as 30 million doses of coronavirus vaccine available to the U.K. by September and has committed to delivering 100 million doses this year. The U.K. would be the first country in the world to get access to the AstraZeneca vaccine. From Bloomberg News:

The vaccine being developed at the University of Oxford will get 65.5 million pounds ($79 million) of funding, U.K. Business Secretary Alok Sharma said today in a statement.

The inoculation is already being studied in humans and could reach late-stage trials by the middle of the year. Another 18.5 million pounds will go to Imperial College London as trials accelerate.

Drugmakers are scaling up to make a Covid vaccine before the shots are fully tested, so inoculations will be ready as soon as possible. No vaccine exists yet for Covid-19, which has killed more than 312,000 people globally and infected 4.7 million.

The U.K. has the second-deadliest outbreak after the U.S.

Posted on

Obama: Pandemic Has Torn Back Curtain On Idea Folks In Charge Know What They’re Doing

Former President Barack Obama (screen capture)
During a virtual commencement address to the graduates of 74 historically black colleges and universities across the United States on Saturday, former President Barack Obama took a veiled swipe at the nation’s leaders for the inconsistent handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying “a lot of them are not even pretending to be in charge.” He also referenced the shooting death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, a black man shot in Georgia while jogging through a white neighborhood when two white men attempted to stop him.

“You’re being asked to find your way in the world in the middle of a devastating pandemic and terrible recession. The timing is not ideal. And let’s be honest. A disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country.

“We see it in the disproportionate impact of covid-19 on our communities, just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog, and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn’t submit to their questioning.

“Injustice like this isn’t new. What is new is that so much of your generation has woken up to the fact that the status quo needs fixing; that the old ways of doing things don’t work; that it doesn’t matter how much money you make if everyone around you is hungry and sick; and that our society and democracy only works when we think not just about ourselves, but about each other.

“More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that the folks in charge know what they’re doing. A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge.”

Cue the Trump Twitter rant in 3, 2, 1…

Posted on

News Round-Up: May 15, 2020

(via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Alexis (above) made me laugh with his observation, “I used to smile in all my mirror selfies…. now I just have to raise my eyebrows.” Life in the pandemic era LOL. Follow him here. • EW: VH1 will broadcast the finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race on Friday, May 29 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, in what will be its most technically challenging finale yet. The episode will feature the remaining queens competing in a revolutionary lip-sync for the crown and a $10,000 prize. • MetroWeekly: NYC Pride has announced a 50th-anniversary broadcast special on Sunday, June 28, featuring Dan Levy, Janelle Monáe, Billy Porter, and a host of other celebrities and LGBTQ activists. The special replaces the annual Pride March, which was canceled last month due to COVID-19. • KIT212: Kenneth’s round-up of the what’s what in local LGBTQ publications includes BTL’s cover story on Broadway icon Patti LuPone. • NY Post: A new study found men are less likely to wear face masks because they’re ‘not cool’ and ‘a sign of weakness.’ Ironically, men appear to be more severely impacted by the virus. In places such as China, Italy, Spain, and New York City, men have died from COVID-19 at far higher rates than women did. • South China Morning Post: Researchers at the University of Hong Kong, led by Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, recently found that blood plasma from coronavirus survivors could kill 99 percent of the virus in patients still fighting Covid-19 because they contain the necessary antibodies to fight the infection. • New Music: Seven-time Grammy Award-winner Toni Braxton is ready to kick off the summer vibes with her sizzling new track “Dance,” remixed by legendary dance producer Dave Audé. “Instead of being sad about a relationship not working out,” Toni Braxton explains, “you decide to dance your troubles away in the club or alone at home. It’s just about moving forward from a negative situation, whether that’s a relationship, your job or something else holding you back.” The remix for “Dance” comes on the heels of her recently released single “Do It,” which scored the highest radio chart debut of her solo career with record-breaking adds on impact, and is currently closing in on Top 10 at Urban AC.

Posted on

NY Barber Tests Positive For Covid After Continuing To Cut Hair

(stock image via Unsplash/Andi Whiskey)
A barber in Kingston, New York, has tested positive for COVID-19 after he continued to cut hair for weeks in violation of the state’s stay-at-home orders. From NBC News:

In a statement Wednesday, the county health commissioner advised anyone who received a haircut in the past three weeks at a barbershop on Broadway in the city of Kingston, about 20 miles north of Poughkeepsie, to seek testing for the coronavirus. The statement did not identify either the barber or the shop.

Nonessential businesses have been closed since March 22 under an order issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo that is set to expire Friday, when certain parts of the state that have met public health metrics will be allowed to begin a phased reopening.

Under the order, barbershops, beauty salons, nail salons and other businesses that provide personal care services are not allowed to be open and operated to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

It goes without saying that the state of New York has been the epicenter of the pandemic, the guy knowingly put himself and his customers at risk. The report didn’t mention if the barber followed any safety guidelines like sanitizing or wearing a mask or limiting the number of clients in his shop at any given time. Restrictions in Nevada were lifted this past week allowing for haircuts if such guidelines were followed. I saw my guy, Phil, who has his own one-man barbershop and was doing double-duty on sanitizing and only allowed one customer in the shop at a time.

Posted on

Medical Journal: Trump’s ‘Inconsistent And Incoherent’ COVID-19 Response

Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House (screen capture)
As the U.S. COVID-19 death toll passes 85,000, one of the world’s oldest and best-known medical journals published an op-ed calling out the Trump administration’s ” inconsistent and incoherent national response to the COVID-19 crisis.” The new editorial by The Lancet notes that, following two months of stay-at-home restrictions, infection and death rates have declined in those states hardest hit like New Jersey and New York. But recent outbreaks in Iowa and Minnesota raise disconcerting questions regarding the effectiveness of the federal response. The op-ed accuses the administration of, among other things, minimizing top officials at the CDC, as well as creating an “intelligence vacuum” in China when it pulled the last CDC officer from the country in July 2019. “The Administration is obsessed with magic bullets — vaccines, new medicines, or a hope that the virus will simply disappear,” it continued. “But only a steadfast reliance on basic public health principles, like test, trace, and isolate, will see the emergency brought to an end, and this requires an effective national public health agency.” The editorial closes with a call for new leadership in the White House writing, “Americans must put a president in the White House come January 2021, who will understand that public health should not be guided by partisan politics.” Meanwhile, during a press event today, Trump told reporters the country will overcome the COVID-19 crisis with or without an effective vaccine, claiming that the disease will “go away at some point” either way.

Posted on

Medical Expert: Coronavirus Could Lead To ‘Darkest Winter In Modern History’

Dr. Rick Bright testifies before Congress
Former immunologist at the Department of Health and Human Services Rick Bright, who until recently was leading the agency tasked with developing a vaccine for coronavirus, testifed before Congress today offering a dire message about the pandemic. From the New York Times:

Dr. Rick Bright, the whistle-blower who was ousted as head of a federal agency involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine, warned Congress on Thursday that the Covid-19 outbreak will “get worse and be prolonged” if the United States does not swiftly develop a national testing strategy and devise a plan for distributing a vaccine.

“The window is closing to address this pandemic because we still do not have a standard, centralized, coordinated plan to take this nation through this response,” said Dr. Bright, who was abruptly removed last month from his position as head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

He told lawmakers on a House health subcommittee that the country could be facing “the darkest winter in modern history” if the administration did not act swiftly, as Americans become “restless” to leave their homes.

Bright was removed from his position because he refused to promote an anti-malaria drug championed by Donald Trump as a treatment for COVID-19. Numerous studies have shown the drug can have negative effects on patients with the coronavirus.

Posted on

Wisconsin High Court Strikes Down Stay At Home Orders (Via Remote Video)

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has cleared the way for a state ban on the harmful practice of conversion therapy

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court has struck down the state’s stay-at-home orders from behind the safety of remote video conferencing. From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has struck down Gov. Tony Evers’ order shutting down daily life to limit the spread of coronavirus — marking the first time a statewide order of its kind has been knocked down by a court of last resort.

The state’s highest court, which is controlled by conservatives, sided with Republican lawmakers Wednesday in a decision that curbed the Evers administration’s power to act unilaterally during public health emergencies.

The 4-3 decision was written by four of the court’s conservatives – Chief Justice Patience Roggensack and Justices Rebecca Bradley, Daniel Kelly and Annette Ziegler.

The court’s fifth conservative, Brian Hagedorn, wrote a dissent joined by the court’s two liberals, Ann Walsh Bradley and Rebecca Dallet.

The ruling, for now, immediately throws out the administration’s tool to control the disease for which there is no vaccine and comes at a time when Evers has already begun lifting some restrictions as the spread of the virus slows down for now.

During oral arguments, Justice Rebecca Bradley reportedly compared Wisconsin’s stay-at-home orders to the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Seriously. Chief Justice Patience Roggensack downplayed a flare-up of coronavirus cases at a major meatpacking plant in the state saying it didn’t impact “regular folks.” As of Tuesday, Wisconsin had over 10,902 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 421 confirmed deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally of cases in the United States.

Posted on

News Round-Up: May 12, 2020

Bremen Minelli (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: I love fitness guy Bremen Menelli’s (above) caption for this – “You have to know how to do both.” • US News & World Report: A new study shows lesbian, gay, and bisexual members in the U.S. military are at higher risk for sexual harassment, sexual assault, and stalking. Researchers say that sexual victimization can trigger mental health problems such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, and suicidal behavior. • The Advocate: An arrest has been made in the case of a gay man killed over 30 years ago. Police in the Australian state of New South Wales have charged a 49-year-old man with the murder of Scott Johnson, an American living in Sydney who was 27 at the time he died on December 8, 1988. • NBC News: An unreleased White House report shows coronavirus infection rates are spiking to new highs in several metropolitan areas and smaller communities across the country. The 10 top areas, recording surges of 72.4 percent or more over a seven-day period, include Nashville, Tennessee; Des Moines, Iowa; Amarillo, Texas; and — with a 650 percent increase — Central City, Kentucky. • Politico: Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) is reportedly emerging as a front-runner to become former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate in the 2020 presidential election. Major Biden supporters see her as the best fit, although Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is a leading contender, too. • NY Post: More insiders come forward to say Ellen DeGeneres isn’t all that nice.  One former associate producer says one day, when she couldn’t find her eyeglasses and was unable to read a text on her phone, she called Apple CEO Steve Jobs in front of staff to complain iPhones should have “a bigger font.” Because she could. • Talking Points Memo: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman has been hospitalized due to the coronavirus. Russia has reported more than 232,000 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Tuesday. • InstaHunks II: As I close this post, how about a quick peek down in Brazil? Tourism professional Kiko Riaze is pensive pondering quarantine life. Nice view, right? #YouKnowWhatIMean

Posted on

A New Study Finds Coronavirus In Semen Of Infected Patients

A bill introduced in Oklahoma would make it a crime to text a nude photo to someone

(image via Eddy Billard/Unsplash)
Another reason why it might be a good idea to hit pause on dating apps during the COVID-19 pandemic. A new study by researchers in China found evidence of the coronavirus in the semen of infected men raising concerns that the virus could be sexually transmitted. The study, by doctors at China’s Shangqiu Municipal Hospital, found six men in a group of 38 patients being treated for severe coronavirus infections tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in their semen. Of the six, four men were still infected and two were recovering. The results seem to contradict an earlier study released in April in which no traces of the virus were found in a group of 34 men with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19. The researchers working on the new study say the findings were ‘preliminary’ and based on a small number of patients. “Further studies are required with respect to the detailed information about virus shedding, survival time and concentration in semen,” the team wrote in their study. Independent experts, pointing to the small size of the study group, say the new findings are ‘interesting’ but don’t necessarily mean the virus can be transmitted through sex. Dr. Ryan Berglund, a urologist with the Cleveland Clinic’s Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, told CBS News the report doesn’t “constitute concrete evidence that COVID-19 can be sexually transmitted.” “I think that’s premature,” added Berglund. “You have to look at this as a sign that semen, as along with a number of other body fluids, can contain the virus.” Allan Pacey, a professor of andrology at Britain’s Sheffield University, told Reuters the study didn’t conclusively find whether the virus found was active and capable of causing infection. “However, we should not be surprised if the virus which causes COVID-19 is found in the semen of some men since this has been shown with many other viruses such as Ebola and Zika,” he said. It’s worth noting that earlier studies have found traces of the virus in stool as well, which means rimming could put people at risk. So, when it comes to having sex, keep in mind the guidance from the New York City Health Department when considering having sex. First, you are your safest sex partner as masturbation will not spread COVID-19. Second, the next safest partner is someone you live with. Having close contact with only a small circle of people helps prevent spreading the virus. And remember, kissing can easily pass the virus on to someone else. (sources: CBS News, Reuters)

Posted on

Broadway To Remain Shuttered Through Summer

(photo: Ludovic Bertron/Flickr)
The Broadway League has announced the current closure of Broadway theaters will now extend to September 6, 2020.

With the ongoing suspension of Broadway performances due to COVID-19 continuing until further notice, the Broadway League is updating information regarding performance cancellations and ticketing protocol. While a date to resume performances is yet to be determined, Broadway theatres are now offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased for performances through September 6, 2020.

“While all Broadway shows would love to resume performances as soon as possible, we need to ensure the health and well-being of everyone who comes to the theatre – behind the curtain and in front of it – before shows can return. The Broadway League’s membership is working in cooperation with the theatrical unions, government officials, and health experts to determine the safest ways to restart our industry,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League.

“Throughout this challenging time, we have been in close communication with Governor Cuomo’s office and are grateful for his support and leadership as we work together to bring back this vital part of New York City’s economy – and spirit.”

Those holding tickets for performances through September 6, 2020 will receive an e-mail from their point of purchase with detailed information regarding refund and exchange options. Any customers holding tickets through September 6, 2020 that have not received an e-mail by May 18th are advised to contact their point of purchase for assistance after this date.