September 28, 2020

The WHO says official COVID-19 death counts underestimate the true toll, a statement that cuts both ways: it supports the argument that the pandemic is more severe than reported, but it also raises questions about what counts as a COVID death and who decides. The Lancet publishes a paper on the hidden problems and costs of false-positive COVID-19 results, a technical issue with enormous practical implications as testing volumes increase and the probability that a positive result reflects a true infection depends heavily on the background prevalence. Rapid 15-minute test kits, described as a “game-changer,” begin arriving in New Jersey, offering a path toward the frequent, cheap testing strategy that some experts have advocated since spring.

Fresno teachers say students are “already” falling behind despite good attendance in remote learning, and an Inquirer opinion piece argues that juvenile lifers should be considered for release during the pandemic. The economic toll continues to accumulate: Marion County’s jail population drops 28% as inmates are released to reduce density, while New York’s iconic Century 21 department store prepares to close permanently, another casualty of the retail apocalypse the pandemic accelerated. Newsom warns of increased spread in Southern California as the outbreak shifts yet again.