Archives: Morning Breakouts

A lack of a national allocation system has created a patchy landscape of unequal testing access. In some places anyone can get a test. In others it's a struggle. The divide threatens to worsen disparities that are already influencing the crisis. Meanwhile, Japan reports success in bucking the "test, test, test" model that's being championed by public health experts worldwide. In other news: not everyone is rushing to get a test; should people get one even without symptoms?; costs continue to be a factor even with the promise of a free test; and more.

President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. will terminate its relationship with the global health agency, which has become a scapegoat for the administration when questioned about its own response in the early days of the pandemic. Experts say that the move will deeply hurt world-wide public health efforts beyond the pandemic. Meanwhile, WHO launches a voluntary pool to collect product patent rights, regulatory test data and other information that could be shared to develop drugs, vaccines and diagnostics to combat the virus.

The Washington Post looks at what unfolded within the White House during May, from President Donald Trump's announcement he was taking an experimental and dangerous drug to his social media gambit at the end of the month. Meanwhile, the White House is reportedly divided over whether to address the rising racial tensions in the country. And Trump postpones the G-7 summit amid the pandemic.