April 25, 2020
The worldwide death toll from Covid-19 passed 200,000, with 2.8 million people reported infected. In the US, 51,000 people have died, representing more than a quarter of all deaths globally
The World Health Organization is warning that people who have had Covid-19 are not necessarily immune by the presence of antibodies from getting the virus again. WHO’s scientific brief cautioned against governments that are considering issuing so-called “immunity passports” to people who have had coronavirus, assuming they are safe to resume normal life.
Covid-19 appears to be causing sudden strokes in adults in their 30s and 40s who are not otherwise terribly ill, doctors from NY’s Mount Sinai Health System said. There’s growing evidence that the virus seems to be causing increased clotting in the large arteries, leading to severe stroke which is not common for younger people who may also be reluctant to call 911 because of overwhelmed hospitals . The report shows a seven-fold increase in incidence of sudden stroke in young patients during the past 2 weeks.
Major meat produces in Brazil, Canada and the US (the 3 countries account for 65% of the global meat trade) have shut down because of coronavirus spread among plant employees. This has caused price surges and fears of shortages
Indonesia has temporarily banned domestic travel, as the nation with the world’s biggest Muslim population, marks the start of the holy month of Ramadan
The American Property Casualty Insurance Association said that as many as 30 million small businesses could submit virus-related claims worth up to $430 billion. Insurers say policies don’t cover virus outbreaks that bring economies to a standstill and the expectation is that insurers would continue to reject the vast majority of claims, triggering waves of lawsuits which could add to logjams in courts when they reopen after the pandemic eases.
University of Connecticut researchers found that ultraviolet rays could lower Covid-19 rates, though not enough to wipe out the virus entirely. The study projected that the disease would decrease in the summer and then return in the fall, though the researchers said that uncertainly around the study’s outcomes “remains high”
An analysis of state health department data shows that black and Latino Californians ages 18 – 64 are dying more frequently of Covid-19, relative to their share of the population. Among patients 18 – 49, black residents are dying nearly two and a half times as often. Coronavirus is also killing black and Latino people at higher rates in New York City and other cities and have highlighted socioeconomic inequities between races and unequal access to healthcare. Recent deaths also reveal the major role that underlying health conditions such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and asthma play in black and brown communities
Medical teams from the California National Guard have been dispatched to 5 nursing homes in LA County, bolstering staff and resources in facilities that are especially hard-hit by Covid-19 — 40% of the more than 800 deaths in LA County have been at nursing homes
LA County reported 607 new positive cases and 48 deaths in the last 24 hours. Totals are now 19,107 cases / 895 deaths. City Breakouts: City of LA 8,695; Long Beach 540; Carson 210; El Segundo 27; Gardena 134; Hawthorne 154; Hermosa Beach 23; Inglewood 267; Lawndale 50; Lomita 32; Manhattan Beach 64; PV Estates 37; Rancho PV 51; Torrance 233
Courtesy of Charlene Nishimura
Media Sources: Los Angeles Times; New York Times; Washington Post; Forbes Magazine; Business Insider; CBS Morning News; CNN; KTLA; ABC World News Tonight; Spectrum News 1; The Hill.com; WebMD; AP, daily televised briefings from the White House, Governor Newsom, LA County Health Department, Mayor Garcetti; City of Torrance press releases; Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce press releases
