Coronavirus Quick Hits: The First U.S. Coronavirus Death Was Almost a Month Earlier Than We Thought, and More
Here are some of the major coronavirus developments that are making headlines right now . . .
1. The first coronavirus deaths in the U.S. were much earlier than we thought. According to the coroner’s office in Santa Clara, California, there were deaths on February 6th and 17th that were both the result of coronavirus.
Until now, the first confirmed death was believed to be in Washington on February 29th.
2. Carolyn Goodman, the mayor of Las Vegas, had a wild interview on CNN yesterday where she offered up her city as a, quote, “control group” to see how many people get infected and die without social distancing.
3. President Trump has been one of the biggest proponents of “re-opening” the country as soon as possible, but even HE thinks Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp is going too far by allowing salons, gyms, and tattoo parlors to re-open tomorrow.
4. White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow wants to set up a plan where businesses can’t get sued if their employees or customers get sick because they’ve prematurely re-opened.
Also, the CEO of Life Time gyms is defending his decision to re-open as soon as states allow. He says the virus can be fought with, quote, “a few hundred dollars’ worth of drugs.” Which isn’t true.
5. Only 5% of small business owners say they were approved for PPP loans, even though 60% applied . . . and of the people who’ve been approved, only 5% have gotten their funding.
And TWO-THIRDS of restaurant employees have lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.
6. Dr. Rick Bright, who was removed as the head of the federal agency in charge of finding and distributing vaccines, says it was because he resisted an all-out push toward hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug President Trump was touting.
A new study just found that drug was linked to a higher rate of death in coronavirus patients.
Dr. Bright says, quote, “Placing politics and cronyism ahead of science puts lives at risk.” He’s calling for an investigation into his firing and has hired a whistleblower lawyer.
7. Westport, Connecticut is using DRONES to monitor social distancing and to look for symptoms of coronavirus.
8. Two cats in New York have tested positive for coronavirus. Those are the first confirmed cases in any pets in the U.S.
Oh, and it turns out the person who was appointed to run the Department of Health and Human Services’ response to coronavirus had been working as a dog breeder for the six years before he’d joined the department.
9. Coronavirus can cause sudden STROKES in younger adults . . . and some won’t call 911 because they’ve heard hospitals are overwhelmed. You NEED to call 911. Signs of a stroke are your face drooping, arm weakness, and speech difficulty.
They aren’t the only ones waiting, either. Trips to the emergency room for things like heart attacks and other serious conditions are down . . . and doctors are afraid people are avoiding important hospital trips because of coronavirus.
10. Shocker: Facebook groups for anti-distancing protesters are filled with misinformation.
