A version of this story appeared in the November 2 edition of CNN’s Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction newsletter. Sign up here to receive the need-to-know headlines every weekday.
Just as the United States reported the highest number of new cases in any country in a single day — a record previously held by India — President Donald Trump took his feud with Dr. Anthony Fauci to a whole new level, suggesting he might fire the nation’s top infectious disease expert after the election.
The pandemic is undeniably getting worse in the US. At least 31 states reported at least one record-high day of new coronavirus cases in October, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 50,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with the virus.
But while Fauci tells it as it is, Trump continues to downplay the epidemic by lashing out at doctors, disputing science and attacking the press for highlighting rising coronavirus case counts.
The long-running rift between the White House and Fauci burst into the open this weekend. In an interview published by The Washington Post on Saturday, Fauci criticized the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic, including Dr. Scott Atlas, who the President has relied on for advice on handling the coronavirus.
“All the stars are aligned in the wrong place” as the country heads indoors in colder weather, Fauci said. “You could not possibly be positioned more poorly.”
Fauci has repeatedly told Americans that they can change the trajectory of the virus and save lives if they adhere to mask use, social distancing protocols and other safety precautions — advice the Trump White House blatantly ignores.
YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED
Q: Should I wear face shields instead of (or in addition to) face masks?
A: The CDC does not recommend using plastic face shields for everyday activities or as a substitute for face masks. There are a few exceptions, such as for those who are hearing-impaired and rely on lip-reading, or those who have physical or mental health conditions that would be exacerbated by wearing a cloth face mask.
Face shields worn in addition to masks can provide an added layer of protection and can also help people stop touching their faces.
Send your questions here. Are you a health care worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about the challenges you’re facing: +1 347-322-0415.
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY
England joins France and Germany in lockdown
England will go into a second national lockdown on Thursday after spiking infections forced British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to give up on his desire to control the virus through piecemeal local restrictions.
Johnson is expected to tell Parliament on Monday that coronavirus deaths in the winter could be twice as high as during the first wave of the outbreak. But for many, the action came too late — the government’s scientific experts suggested in September more measures were needed.
The Office for National Statistics now estimates that one in 100 people in England had Covid-19 in the week of October 17, compared to one in 2,300 in July and one in 200 at the start of October. The total number of confirmed cases has now surpassed 1 million.
Slovakia tests half its population in one day
Around 2.58 million Slovaks – half the country – were tested on the first day of nationwide coronavirus testing on Saturday. Of those tested, 25,850 – roughly 1% – tested positive for the virus.
The government decided to test everyone in the country after seeing increases in the number of people getting infected. The mass testing operation took place over the weekend across nearly 5,000 testing places. More than 6,000 soldiers and 14,500 health workers were involved.
The ‘dose’ of Covid you get may determine how sick you get
The difference between being asymptomatic, getting mildly sick or becoming critically ill could be down to the “dose” of the virus you receive. It’s not because you need a certain number of particles of virus to infect a cell. It just increases the odds that one of those viral particles will make it into the cell and infect it, setting off the chain reaction, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Andrea Kane explain.
There’s another dimension to viral dose and it has to do with time. It’s not the dose of the virus you get simply at one point in time that matters; it may also be the sum of viral doses you get over a certain period of time.
ON OUR RADAR
- World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is self-quarantining after being “identified as a contact of someone” who tested positive for Covid-19.
- Prince William, second-in-line to the British throne, reportedly tested positive for coronavirus earlier this year but didn’t tell the public.
- For the first time since June 9, Australia registered no new local Covid-19 cases on Saturday.
- The global death toll from the novel coronavirus surpassed 1.2 million Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University’s global tally.
- Cristiano Ronaldo returned to the pitch for the first time since contracting Covid-19 — and scored two goals in the space of 20 minutes.
- Tennis star Simona Halep says she is “recovering well” after testing positive for Covid-19.
- In the age of Covid-19, the suburbs are cool for the first time ever.
TOP TIPS
Are you finding yourself tossing and turning in the middle of the night, unable to stay asleep? A regular yoga routine can help with not only insomnia but also improved total sleep time and sleep efficiency.
So here’s a handy insomnia yoga routine just for you to focus on poses that bring inward calm to your nervous system and allow your body to relax.
TODAY’S PODCAST
“Making masks such a political issue in this country is something that still baffles me.” – CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Will things return to “normal” as soon as there is a vaccine? How can we vote safely? What do we know about the flu shot this year? As we head into the winter months, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta clears the air on some of the most common misconceptions about Covid-19. Listen Now.