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September 9, 2020 - Brief Issue 90

The Coronavirus Daily Brief is a daily news and analysis roundup edited by New America’s International Security Program and Arizona State University.

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Top Headlines

United States Sees Increase in Coronavirus Cases Across 22 States; Fauci Says U.S. Needs to Get Daily Case Number Down to 10,000; Universities and College Towns See Surges in Local Coronavirus Cases (Health & Science)

NIH Distributes $129.3 Million of Its $2.5 Billion Sum for Coronavirus Tests; U.S. Pivots on Efforts to Produce Viable Rapid Tests (Health & Science)

New Study Highlights Bridge Between Obesity and Severe COVID-19 (Health & Science)

Vaccine Makers Pledge to Uphold Vaccine Safety Amid Concerns About Pressure to Approve a Vaccine before November Election; Warp Speed Scientific Head Says Sufficient Data for Approval Unlikely by End of October (Health & Science)

In the Lab, Coronavirus Appears to Slice Heart Muscle Fibers, Adding to Growing Evidence That COVID-19 Can Attack the Heart (Health & Science)

Germany Sees Highest Daily Increases in Infections Since April (Around the World)

Sweden Sees Lowest New Infection Rate Since Beginning of Pandemic (Around the World)

Belarusian Prime Minister Receives Russian Vaccine (Around the World)

India Overtakes Brazil as Second Worst-Hit Nation (Around the World)

14 Vietnamese Soldiers Return Coronavirus Positive From Russian Army Games (Around the World)

Jordan Experiences First Coronavirus Cases in Syrian Refugee Camps (Around the World)

Senate Returns From August Recess; Little Evidence of Forthcoming Coronavirus Aid Deal (U.S. Government & Politics)

USAID Coronavirus Task Force to Shut Down (U.S. Government & Politics)

Mortgage Market Booms Despite Virus-Driven Economic Troubles (U.S. Economy)

Coronavirus Fears as Students Return to School (U.S. Society)

Conspiracies and Lack of Response Hampering Contact Tracing (U.S. Society)

Health & Science

There have been 6,328,051 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 189,680 people have died (Johns Hopkins). Around 2,359,111 people have recovered, and the United States has conducted 83,964,567 tests. Worldwide, there have been 27,598,479 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 898,020 deaths. At least 18,559,460 people have recovered from the virus.

United States Sees Increase in Coronavirus Cases Across 22 States; Fauci Says U.S. Needs to Get Daily Case Number Down to 10,000; Universities and College Towns See Surges in Local Coronavirus Cases

The United States is still battling the pandemic across the country, with about 40,000 new cases each day (CNBC). At the close of Labor Day weekend, the U.S. reported fewer than 25,000 new cases, which is the lowest in nearly 12 weeks, reports the Wall Street Journal. While this number is far below the peak of around 70,000 new daily cases in July, White House Coronavirus Task Force Member Anthony Fauci says the case numbers should be closer to 10,000 or less to stabilize (CNBC). In an interview with MSNBC, Fauci said, “We’re around 40,000 cases. That’s an unacceptably high baseline. We’ve got to get it down to, I’d like to see 10,000 or less.” Going into Labor Day weekend, Fauci cautioned that seven states in the Midwest should be on high alert over possible spikes in coronavirus cases as a result of residents taking less precaution over the long weekend. Fauci noted, “There are several states that are at risk for surging, namely North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois,” adding, “Those states are starting to see an increase in the percent positive of their testing; that is generally predictive that there’s going to be a problem” (Bloomberg).

The United States saw a quadrupling of new coronavirus cases between Memorial Day and Labor Day to 6.2 million infections (WaPo). Boston University Assistant Professor of Epidemiology Eleanor Murray told Bloomberg, “There is a lot of potential to see a huge explosion of infections in September and October,” adding, “We seem to go back and forth between people actually realizing that this is a thing that exists and taking precautions and then deciding it’s all over.” This is particularly alarming as the University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s (IHME) model predicts that the American death toll will be higher than 410,000 by the end of 2020 (NPR). However, Brown University School of Public Health Dean Ashish Jha believes this number is unrealistic because the IHME model uses the rate of death similar to that of the start of the pandemic. Jha believes that the older rate of death does not translate to future likely deaths due to new treatments and therapies. Jha told NPR, “The idea that everything we have learned in the last six months, we will have forgotten and that none of the new therapies will make a difference — I don't know any public health person who can look at this and think this is a credible estimate.” On September 3, Jha tweeted, “We opened up Memorial Day with 20,000 daily cases, 5.4% test positivity rate We peaked around July 22, we had about 75,000 daily cases, nearly 9% positivity rate As we enter Labor Day, we are at about 40,000 new cases, 6.3% positivity rate.”

According to a report by Reuters on Sunday, coronavirus cases in the United States are rising in 22 U.S. states. Three weeks prior, cases were increasing in only three U.S. states. For example, South Dakota saw the largest increase in confirmed new cases, up 126 percent to 3,700. This may be in large part to a motorcycle rally with nearly 500,000 participants that took place in the state in August, which one analysis suggests was a superspreader event that may have generated over 250,000 new cases and over $12 billion in public health costs (IZA Institute of Labor Economics). Iowa and North Dakota are two other states with sharp increases in the last two weeks, with 13,600 and 3,600 new infections respectively. A wedding in Maine that took place on August 7 has resulted in 147 infections and at least three deaths. Sixty-five people attended the wedding, 15 more than the state’s 50-person limit for indoor gatherings. At the end of the month, a little over 50 coronavirus cases were reported as a result of the wedding. Now, a little more than one week later, there were nearly 150 (NBC News). The three Maine residents who have died as a result were not attendees.

Universities and college towns have seen surges in new coronavirus cases across 100 college towns in the U.S. (NYT). According to the New York Times, in a “review of 203 counties in the country where students comprise at least 10 percent of the population, about half experienced their worst weeks of the pandemic since Aug. 1.” One-half of those locations are currently experiencing a peak in cases. For example, Texas A&M University’s Brazos County, Texas has recorded 742 new cases in the last week of August. East Carolina University’s Pitt County, North Carolina recorded over 800 new cases in the last week of August. Illinois State University’s McClean County, Illinois has recorded over 1,200 new coronavirus cases directly linked to the university. University of Iowa’s Johnson County has seen an increase in new cases of 4,000 since the start of August. Across the United States, 51,000 new coronavirus cases have been recorded across 1,000 universities.

There are positive developments in a number of states as well. On Sunday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York State’s coronavirus rate of infection rate has been below 1 percent for over one month (WaPo). This is a major milestone for the state, which was once the epicenter for the United States during the early period of the pandemic. As of Sunday, New York recorded 720 new infections, 410 hospitalizations and four deaths, reports the Washington Post. New York’s total coronavirus cases are over 439,000 since the start of the pandemic. On Monday, Florida reported its lowest daily number of new coronavirus cases in several months, at 1,838 and 22 deaths (Tampa Bay Times). However, the Tampa Bay Times notes that fewer coronavirus tests were processed on Sunday than usual. Forty-six thousand were processed, compared to 50,000 to 75,000 daily tests. Since the beginning of the pandemic, about 12,000 Floridians have died from COVID-19. According to the Miami Herald, Florida has recorded at least 650,092 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic. According to an analysis by Vox, four states across the U.S. meet four of five criteria for reopening (two-week reduction in new cases; fewer than four new cases each day for every 100,000 residents; ability to conduct 150 coronavirus tests each day for every 100,000 residents; a positivity test rate below five percent; and at least 40 percent of ICU beds free and available for COVID-19 patients)—Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.

NIH Distributes $129.3 Million of Its $2.5 Billion Sum for Coronavirus Tests; U.S. Pivots on Efforts to Produce Viable Rapid Tests

On the Wednesday before the long Labor Day weekend, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it was “providing nine more companies with $129.3 million from a $2.5 billion pot of money allocated last spring by the stimulus bill to support testing,” reports the New York Times. This new allocation amasses a total distribution of $372 million between 16 companies. This is a pivot in the approach from early on in the pandemic. Faster, cheaper coronavirus tests are sought across the country, especially after states have experienced crippling testing delays. Half of the $2.5 billion is distributed to the NIH program, Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics, and the other half resides in the Department of Health and Human Services. Ten of the 16 funding recipients require their tests to be processed in a laboratory. The Times reports that Bruce J. Tromberg, who directs test development for the NIH, said in an interview that the U.S. needs to get to 6 million tests each day. However, last month, ADM Brett P. Giroir, M.D., Assistant Secretary for Health, said that the United States is “doing the appropriate amount of testing now.” As we noted in previous briefs, a report by the Rockefeller Foundation said 3 million tests a week, gradually increasing to 30 million tests a week, are needed to effectively and safely open the American economy, while a study by Harvard University’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics said the U.S. needs 5 million tests a day, eventually increasing to 20 million tests a day (CNN, Vice, NYT). The Safra Center report was co-authored by New America CEO Anne-Marie Slaughter and was also endorsed by New America. According to the Wall Street Journal, “More than two dozen states, cities and tribes have partnered with the Rockefeller Foundation to acquire millions of antigen tests.”

According to the Times, no coronavirus test has been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for over-the-counter use. According to the Wall Street Journal, coronavirus tests without lab processing are typically less sensitive than those that are processed in a lab. This means “they are likely to miss more cases.” The FDA wants to ensure that the public conducting at-home tests understand how to conduct them accurately. Further, if people are taking tests who are asymptomatic, the Journal notes, the FDA wants even more standards set. Last month, Abbott received emergency use authorization from the FDA for an antigen test that costs $5 and can give results in 15 minutes (NYT). The FDA has given emergency use authorization for 180 antigen lab tests, less than 10 can be conducted outside of a lab setting. The United States government plans to purchase 150 million Abbott tests, and will distribute them to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities across the country. Ginkgo Bioworks, a recipient of NIH funding, is building a new lab to process 250,000 coronavirus tests every day. Their tests will cost $25, and consumers can ship their samples to the company, receiving their results within two days.

New Study Highlights Bridge Between Obesity and Severe COVID-19

An international team of researchers combined data of over 399,000 patients across the world and found that people who were considered obese “were 113% more likely than people of healthy weight to land in the hospital, 74% more likely to be admitted to an ICU, and 48% more likely to die” from COVID-19, reports Science Magazine. The study was published in Obesity Reviews last month. According to Anne Dixon, a physician-scientist at the University of Vermont, “We didn’t understand early on what a major risk factor obesity was. … It’s not until more recently that we’ve realized the devastating impact of obesity, particularly in younger people,” adding “[that] may be one reason for the devastating impact of COVID-19 in the United States, where 40% of adults are obese” (Science). People who are considered obese have “other diseases that are independent risk factors for severe COVID-19, including heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes. They are also prone to metabolic syndrome, in which blood sugar levels, fat levels, or both are unhealthy and blood pressure may be high,” reports Science.

The Centers for Disease Control state that a person is obese who has a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 and above, and a person is considered overweight between a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 (CDC). A person’s BMI is calculated by weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters or weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared and then multiplied by the conversion factor of 703. According to one study published last month in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in England increased based on a person’s BMI. The rate of hospitalizations started to increase as soon as a person was in the “overweight category,” reports Science. One factor identified is that abdominal fat puts pressure on the diaphragm, thus reducing airflow in the lungs. According to Dixon, “If you are already starting [with] this mismatch, you are going to get worse faster” from the virus. Another issue is blood clots. Obesity increases a person’s risk of blood clots, even without the complications of COVID-19. Immunity reduces in obese individuals as well. Fairfield University nutritional scientist Catherine Andersen says that fat cells move into the organs where immune system cells are stored. According to Andersen, “We are losing immune tissue in exchange for adipose tissue, making the immune system less effective in either protecting the body from pathogens or responding to a vaccine.” T-cells, as a result, are also less effective, notes Melinda Beck, a University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill researcher. Historically, obese individuals have not been included in clinical trials, so not enough research is available on how to treat obese patients with various therapies and medicines, compared to average weight individuals. According to National Center for Weight and Wellness physician and director Scott Kahan, individuals with high BMIs should be included in COVID-19 studies and trials as often as possible. 

Vaccine Makers Pledge to Uphold Vaccine Safety Amid Concerns About Pressure to Approve a Vaccine before November Election; Warp Speed Scientific Head Says Sufficient Data for Approval Unlikely by End of October

In a highly unusual public letter on Tuesday, the CEOs of nine major pharmaceutical companies pledged to “uphold the integrity of the scientific process” and “always make the safety and well-being of vaccinated individuals our top priority.” Specifically, they agreed not to seek emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their coronavirus vaccines before they have completed their Phase III clinical trials (Bloomberg, Bloomberg, CNN, Hill, NPR, NYT, WaPo, WSJ). Last week, BIO,  the biopharmaceutical industry group signed a similar open letter that also called for “[o]ur nation’s leaders” to “reassure the public that politics will not influence the development and approval of new medicines.” These moves follow President Trump’s push for an authorized vaccine before the November 3 election date (WaPo), his claim that “deep state” elements at the FDA are delaying vaccines until after the election (Twitter), and public concerns that the FDA may yield to political pressure to authorize a vaccine (STAT).

“It’s unprecedented in my experience that industry would do something like this,” pharmaceutical industry watcher Ira Loss of Washington Analysis told STAT. “But we’ve experienced unprecedented events since the beginning of COVID-19, starting with the FDA, where the commissioner has proven to be malleable, to be kind, at the foot of the president.”

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hanh raised concerns when he told the Financial Times last month that the FDA was prepared to authorize a vaccine before the Phase III clinical trials were complete (FT). While Hahn has said that he will not yield to political pressure, the FDA authorized Trump’s much-touted drug hydroxychloroquine on what scientists have called thin evidence and then later withdrew authorization in the face of accumulating evidence that the drug was ineffective. Similarly, President Trump has inaccurately hailed convalescent plasma as a medical success and the FDA has granted a controversial emergency use authorization which has drawn criticism from former senior FDA officials (BioCentury) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH’s COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel advised that convalescent plasma “should not be considered standard of care” because there was “insufficient data to recommend either for or against the use of convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19” (BioCentury). The FDA authorization relied on a study whose results Hahn overstated and later recanted unofficially, saying the “criticism is entirely justified” on Twitter but not in an official statement.

Of the nine companies who signed the vaccine safety pledge, four have vaccine candidates in Phase III trials in the United States: one vaccine candidate each by Moderna; Pfizer with BioNTech; and AstraZeneca with Oxford University. On Tuesday, AstraZeneca halted its clinical trials worldwide to investigate a serious illness in one participant; it is unclear whether the illness is related to the vaccine (NYT, STAT). Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said Thursday, “We will not cut corners.... If we have any doubts from the Phase III study, we will not submit either for approval or for authorization” (BioCentury). The other companies who signed the pledge are Merck, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, and Novavax.

Estimating the chances of a vaccine before November, Moncef Slaoui, the scientific head of Operation Warp Speed, told NPR in an interview last week, “There is a very, very low chance that the trials that are running as we speak could read before the end of October” (NPR). The comments came as Trump has repeatedly suggested that a vaccine would be available by October, contrary to health officials’ views (Politico). In a press briefing on Friday, for example, Trump commented that the U.S. might have a vaccine “before the end of the year and maybe even before Nov. 1. I think we can probably have it sometime in October.” Slaoui said “there is no intent” to file for an emergency use authorization “before a demonstration of efficacy and safety in the Phase III trials.” Describing the process, he said the trials “will be completed when an independent data safety monitoring board looks into the data, and they are, of course, separate from the operation, from the NIH, from the government, from everyone involved.”

Slaoui estimated that “We may have enough vaccine by the end of the year to immunize probably, I would say, between 20 and 25 million people,” with “enough vaccine to immunize the U.S. population by the middle of 2021” based on plans for ramping up production and distribution. Bonus Reads: “Leader of U.S. Vaccine Push Says He’ll Quit if Politics Trumps Science” (Science); “Operation Warp Speed Promised to do the Impossible. How Far Has it Come?” (STAT); “Why COVID-19 Vaccines Need to Prioritize ‘Superspreaders’” (Conversation).

In the Lab, Coronavirus Appears to Slice Heart Muscle Fibers, Adding to Growing Evidence That COVID-19 Can Attack the Heart

In studies in lab dishes, the SARS-CoV-2 virus appears to dice up the long fibers in cardiac muscle that allow the heart to contract, scientists at Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco reported in a preprint manuscript (bioRxiv). COVID-19 causes cardiac problems in up to 50 percent of patients, they wrote, but the mechanism was not clear. A growing body of evidence shows that COVID-19 can cause long-term heart problems (Arstechnica), including reports that athletes are suffering from COVID-19 related cardiac problems (Scientific American). A German study found that 78 percent of recovered COVID-19 patients had cardiac involvement or inflammation (JAMA); while the JAMA paper has been amended, its main conclusions still hold.

The Gladstone research sheds a possible new light on the subject, showing that in the lab, the virus left the fibers in cardiac muscle looking as if they were surgically sliced. The damage looked like “carnage,” said co-author Bruce Conklin, adding, “Nothing that we see in the published literature is like this in terms of this exact cutting and precise dicing. We should think about this as not only a pulmonary disease, but also potentially a cardiac one” (STAT).

While preprint manuscripts do not have the benefit of peer review by experts in the field, who can often point out flaws or areas for revision, preprints are an important vehicle for getting new information out quickly, if sometimes imperfectly. “When we saw this disruption in those microfibers… that was when we made the decision to pull the trigger and put out this preprint,” said co-author Todd McDevitt. “I’m not a scientist who likes to stoke these things [but] I did not sleep, honestly, while we were finishing this paper and putting it out there” (STAT). 

The scientists found damage in autopsy samples that was similar to but not as severe as the damage they saw in the lab, and they call for further post-mortem research. They also call for high-throughput screening of available drugs that might be of benefit and hope their work will help lead to new drug discoveries, possibly targeting the as yet unknown enzyme that slices through the muscle fibers. Meanwhile, doctors can test COVID-19 patients for heart problems through MRIs and a test for a protein called troponin, which is released by damaged cardiac tissue. 

Around the World

Europe

Germany Sees Highest Daily Increases in Infections Since April

Germany’s daily count of new coronavirus infections on Tuesday morning reached its highest level since April at 1,898 new cases. As is the case elsewhere in Europe, Germany has seen an uptick of new cases since August as social gatherings increase and travelers return from abroad amid relaxed restrictions. Chancellor Angela Merkel has ruled out new easings of public health measures as she warned that the situation will likely get worse. Public opinion polls in Germany have shown majority support for social distancing and hygiene rules despite well-publicized anti-lockdown protests in major cities. Despite the new rise, daily infections are still far lower than the almost 7,000 new cases experienced in late March. Germany’s total case count currently stands at 254,957 cases, with 9,409 deaths (Bloomberg).

Sweden Sees Lowest New Infection Rate Since Beginning of Pandemic

Swedish health officials reported that last week’s testing had a 1.2 percent positive rate, the lowest since the start of the pandemic, as the virus surges elsewhere in Europe. With 1,300 new infections discovered in last week's 120,000 tests, Sweden now has the lowest rate of spread in Scandinavia. Sweden’s high death rate and lax approach to the pandemic has for months spawned controversy both at home and abroad as public health authorities have from the beginning declined to implement a lockdown. With 5,838 dead since the pandemic’s start, its death toll has been proportionately several times greater than other Scandinavian nations. Jonas Ludvigsson, professor of epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet, told Reuters that Swedes likely have a higher level of immunity than other countries due to the government’s approach (Reuters). Such proclamations in the past have been controversial, and government administered studies conducted over the summer suggested that only six percent of Swedes have COVID-19 antibodies (BBC).

England to Ban Gatherings Of More Than Six People

The English government on Tuesday announced a ban of all gatherings of more than six people in an attempt to avoid a SARS-CoV-2 resurgence. While current rules already limit gatherings to six, a vaguely defined-exemption intended for occasional gatherings such as community events and weddings has allowed for up to 30 people. With police effectively unable to enforce the nominal ban on gatherings of more than six, government officials have complained that the exemptions were being abused. When the tightened rules go into effect on Monday, it will apply to all public and private places as well as to all age groups. Gatherings will still be allowed, however, for professional and educational purposes as well as for organized sports and weddings. Rules in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland thus far remain unchanged (Guardian).

Belarusian Prime Minister Receives Russian Vaccine

A spokeswoman for Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said on Monday that her boss received a controversial Russian vaccine for COVID-19. Golovchenko, who is nominally Belarus’ head of government but a de-facto deputy to the president, reportedly felt fine after receiving the vaccine, known as Sputnik V, on Thursday. Plans for the inoculation had previously been announced by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (TASS). Sputnik V was approved for use within Russia in August despite still being in the early phases of testing. Experts around the world have derided the vaccine’s quick turnaround, arguing that it was declared safe and effective far too early in the trials. The Russian Health Ministry announced on Monday that the first batch of the vaccine has entered into public circulation (Al Jazeera). Belarus, which has reported 73,208 cases and 721 deaths, has imposed virtually no public health restrictions in response to the pandemic. President Lukashenko has described the global reaction as “psychosis,” arguing that the virus can perhaps be cured with home remedies such as a hot sauna or vodka. He reportedly tested positive for the virus over the summer without showing major symptoms (VOA).

Asia-Pacific

India Overtakes Brazil as Second Worst-Hit Nation

India overtook Brazil on Monday to become the country with the second-highest number of coronavirus infections amid fears that it will overtake the U.S. to take first place. With around 80,000 new cases reported every day, India is currently seeing the pandemic spread faster within its borders than any other country in the world. Experts widely believe the official number of cases is an undercount as the virus spreads through underserved rural communities in the country of 1.3 billion people. While the government imposed a nationwide lockdown in March, it began lifting restrictions in June as millions of impoverished city dwellers struggled to survive with neither work nor safety nets. The resulting exodus of urban migrants back to their home villages after public transportation resumed has only exacerbated the pandemic’s spread in the countryside (Bloomberg). In the past month, the total case count doubled from two to four million. India’s GDP plunged 23.9 percent in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the previous year, making it the world’s worst-affected national economy amid the pandemic (CBS).

Xi Honors “People’s War” Against Pandemic 

Chinese President Xi Jinping honored the fallen “heroes” in the “people’s war” against COVID-19 at a ceremony on Tuesday in a speech at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. In spite of criticism from the U.S. and elsewhere that China was slow to respond in the pandemic’s crucial early phases, Xi’s defiant speech took credit for saving tens of millions of lives around the world through early action. The speech shifted focus toward economic recovery, applauding China as the first major economy to return to growth amid the pandemic. Xi also awarded Zhong Nanshan, the public health official at the center of China’s response, the Order of the Republic, the country’s highest honor for Chinese citizens. China, where the novel coronavirus first emerged late last year in the city of Wuhan, has come under criticism abroad for covering up the virus’ existence in its early stages and then later downplaying its significance. Li Wenliang, a Wuhan doctor who died of COVID-19 in February, was reportedly called in for questioning by police and forced to sign a confession in early January for publishing “untrue” information after his early warnings of the new disease went public on social media (Reuters).

14 Vietnamese Soldiers Return Coronavirus Positive From Russian Army Games

Vietnam has isolated 14 soldiers after they tested positive for the coronavirus upon their return from the Russia-organized 2020 International Army Games. The soldiers, who had competed at the games at venues in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Uzbekistan from August 23 to September 5, are currently in quarantine at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. The hospital is also quarantining 11 other members of the delegation, whose tank crew was the Group 2 champion team in the Tank Biathlon. Vietnam has almost entirely shut its borders, with commercial air traffic in and out of the country shut down since April 1. The country has been largely successful in containing the pandemic, with no community spread reported for a 99-day period until a resurgence was detected in July. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s two largest cities, have currently been free of community spread for 23 days and 37 days respectively. The total case count stands at 1,054 with 35 deaths (VNExpress).

Middle East

Jordan Experiences First Coronavirus Cases in Syrian Refugee Camps

The first two cases of the coronavirus diagnosed at a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan were reported on Tuesday by the UN Refugee Agency. Both cases were detected at the Azraq camp, which houses 40,000 of the 650,000 Syrians refugees in Jordan who have fled the almost decade-long war in Syria. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also announced that all those living with or near the two refugees have been isolated at a center within the camp as health workers trace and test those whom the patients may have come in contact with. The diagnoses have raised concerns that spread of the virus within the camps would be devastating owing to poor sanitation conditions and inability to socially distance. Around 120,000 Syrians are living inside refugee camps in Jordan, with the rest living outside the camps’ perimeters. Four refugees living outside the camps previously tested positive, with three recovering. Jordan has reported 2,478 cases and 17 related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic (Al Jazeera). 

U.S. Government & Politics

Senate Returns From August Recess; Little Evidence of Forthcoming Coronavirus Aid Deal

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate returned from its August recess, but there is little evidence that it will be able to strike a deal on further coronavirus-related economic aid (Politico). As Politico writes, the Senate has “only days to reach a deal before lawmakers head back home to campaign.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has been seeking to organize support for a narrow aid package. Politico writes, “The $500 billion-plus proposal includes $300-per-week federal unemployment payments on top of regular state benefits, another round of funding to aid small and medium-sized businesses, liability protections for businesses, schools and charities, and $105 billion for education, among other provisions.” Yet, it is not clear that McConnell can even gather 51 Republican votes let alone get Democratic support for the package. Democrats are seeking at least $2 trillion in the next aid package and are threatening to block a vote on any other plan that comes to the floor this week.

USAID Coronavirus Task Force to Shut Down

The U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Coronavirus Task Force is scheduled to shut down on Wednesday, according to an internal note sent to staffers and reported upon by Politico (Politico). The note read, “As we approach the deactivation of the Task Force on Sept. 9, the entire team is focused on ensuring a smooth transition of key functions back to Bureaus and Independent Offices.” Politico reports, “The decision to end the task force also comes as President Donald Trump and his aides downplay the pandemic in the run-up to November’s elections.” The task force will reportedly hand responsibilities over to other agencies, and a USAID spokesperson said that a new “Readiness Unit” would aid with the transition. USAID had worked on the distribution of American coronavirus aid for other countries.

U.S. Economy

Mortgage Market Booms Despite Virus-Driven Economic Troubles

Even as the broader U.S. economy continues to struggle, the U.S. mortgage market “recorded its best quarter in years this spring,” according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Home loans totaling $1.1 trillion were issued by lenders between April and June 2020, according to data from Black Knight, a mortgage data firm. That represents the highest level of lending since Black Knight began keeping records in 2000. According to the Journal, while many Americans struggle to pay rent and worry about eviction, “many wealthier Americans with steady jobs, stuck at home with fewer places to spend money, are faring well. The pandemic and record-low rates have nudged many of them to buy second homes in more-rural areas or to shop for houses with more space” helping to drive up lending. Home sales rose 25 percent in July 2020, the largest increase on record. However, Ralph McLaughlin, the chief economist at the home-finance startup Haus, warns “This boom in mortgage originations isn’t necessarily going to be that awesome for the broader economy.”

Coronavirus Pandemic Hits Vulnerable Farm Workers

The coronavirus pandemic is impacting America’s farmworkers, about half of whom are believed to be undocumented immigrants, challenging the Trump administration’s policies on immigration, according to a report in Politico on Tuesday (Politico). Politico writes, “For several weeks, many of the places that grow the nation’s fruits and vegetables have seen disproportionately high rates of coronavirus cases — a national trend that, as harvest season advances in many states, threatens already vulnerable farmworkers, their communities and the places they work.” For example, California’s Imperial County has the state’s highest per capita coronavirus rate of 5,930 cases per 100,000 people and is home to a “fertile valley that grows vast quantities of vegetables as well as melons and chili peppers.” Politico reports that advocates and others worry that the administration’s harsh rhetoric on immigration has made it more difficult to prevent the pandemic’s spread among the farmworker population.

JPMorgan Probes Misuse of Coronavirus Funds

On Tuesday, JPMorgan Chase & Co. said it would probe misuse of coronavirus relief funds by its employees in a memo sent to staff by the company’s senior leadership (Bloomberg). The memo mentioned “instances of customers misusing Paycheck Protection Program Loans, unemployment benefits and other government programs” adding, “employees have fallen short, too.” The memo noted some of the activity may have been illegal.

U.S. Society

Coronavirus Fears as Students Return to School

On Tuesday, more than 1.8 million American students returned to school amid debates and concerns over safety of in-person schooling and effectiveness of alternatives (CNN). The largest school districts are generally operating entirely online but some districts are open for in-person classes. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association, as of August 27, more than 476,000 children have been infected with the novel coronavirus, and the number jumped by 70,330 in the last two weeks of their study, a time period that also saw many school children returning to class. Bonus Read: “It’s Not Easy to Get a Coronavirus Test for a Child,” (NYT).

Conspiracies and Lack of Response Hampering Contact Tracing

Conspiracy theories and an overall lack of responsiveness are hampering contact tracing efforts across the United States (Politico). Politico writes, “Contact tracing data provided to POLITICO shows more than three-quarters of people interviewed in hard-hit states like California and Louisiana refused to cooperate with efforts to identify relatives or acquaintances who may have been exposed to the disease.” Kirstin Short, bureau chief of epidemiology at the Houston Health Department, commented, “We’ve had people worry that we’re the FBI or other government agencies.” Lori Freeman, chief executive officer of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, told Politico, “The more you begin to politicize the public health part of this response, the more likely it is that you will come up against some really strong public opinion about what it is you are trying to do.” Some conspiracies have suggested that tracing is part of an effort to impose gun control. Legislation penned by Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL) to help fund contact tracing efforts has received criticism conspiracy theorists who assert its an effort to force Americans into quarantine and even as some QAnon followers assert that the bill H.R. 6666 (116) is part of a Satanic conspiracy.

Bonus Read: “The Opioid Crisis, Already Serious, Has Intensified During Coronavirus Pandemic,” (WSJ).

Analysis & Arguments

Contrary to expectations, the pandemic has challenged authoritarian systems, argues Ivan Krastev (NYT).

Lyra Walsh Fuchs writes on the rise of tele-health during the pandemic (Dissent).

Amanda Mull explores the impact of losing the ability to go to the gym during the pandemic (Atlantic).

Bryce Covert writes on the delay and denial of workers comp claims during the pandemic (Intercept).

New America Fellow Daniela J. Lamas explores convalescent plasma therapies for COVID-19 patients (NYT).

Nature highlights three questions scientists are looking for answers to as they relate to the novel coronavirus. 

STAT outlines how the pandemic plays with a person’s perception of time.

 Readers can send in tips, critiques, questions, and suggestions to coronavirusbrief@newamerica.org.

The Brief is edited by Melissa Salyk-Virk and David Sterman and co-edited by Emily Schneider and Narisara Murray, and Bennett Murray with Brianna Kablack and Senior Editor Peter Bergen.

Read previous briefs here and stream and subscribe to our weekly podcast here.

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