Spring Break Is Coming, But Study Says Teens More Likely To Catch Covid
A new multistate study shows that teens and young adults are more likely to catch coronavirus than older people. The news comes as a California university offers to pay students to stay home and skip spring break.
Salt Lake Tribune:
Teens More Likely To Catch The Coronavirus Than Older Adults, According To A Study That Included Utah Kids
Teens and young adults have a higher chance of getting infected with the coronavirus than older adults, according to a new study that uses data from Utah and five other states, and contradicts past research and conventional wisdom. “It was a surprise that the effect was so high, because at the time people were saying, ‘Oh, children are not susceptible; you hardly see it in kids,’” said Dr. Barbara Rumain, lead author on the study that was published Wednesday in the open-access medical journal PLOS ONE. Rumain said she and her co-authors — Mosche Schneiderman at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, and Allan Geliebter at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — didn’t expect to see results showing children would catch the virus more frequently than older adults. (Means, 3/10)
AP:
University Offers Students $75 To Avoid Spring Break Travel
The University of California, Davis is offering students $75 to be used for “staycations” to encourage them to avoid nonessential travel during spring break. Students who choose to stay home during the March 22-26 break will get the money in gift cards. Student response has been “awesome,” the university said in statement. (3/10)
Axios:
Exclusive: YouTube Removed 30,000 Videos With COVID Misinformation
YouTube has taken down more than 30,000 videos that made misleading or false claims about COVID-19 vaccines over the last six months, YouTube spokesperson Elena Hernandez said, offering the company's first release of numbers for such content. Multiple polls show that roughly 30% of Americans remain hesitant or suspicious of the vaccines, and many of those doubts have been stoked by online falsehoods and conspiracy theories. (Gold, 3/11)
New York Post:
Why These Masks Are More Effective At Stopping COVID Spread
Cotton face masks are proving more effective against the spread of the coronavirus than previously thought, a new study found. Even under humid conditions — which is typically the case, as the mask covers the mouth and nose — 100% cotton performed significantly better than synthetic fibers, including nylon, polyester and rayon. In fact, the humidity provided by one’s breath was shown to actually improve filtration in cotton masks. Across the nine types of cotton flannel masks researchers tested, humidity increased efficacy on average from 12% to 45%. (Sparks, 3/10)
Also —
USA Today:
Citigroup Employees To Take Part In Study Of Rapid, Cheap COVID Tests
Citigroup Inc. has joined a study to evaluate whether frequent and rapid at-home COVID-19 tests for about 6,000 employees can help the banking conglomerate reduce virus transmission among workers. The study could provide evidence on whether at-home rapid testing helps large workplaces safely reopen, one year after the pandemic shut down large employers and sent workers home to work remotely. The Citigroup study, led by Harvard epidemiologist and rapid testing advocate Dr. Michael Mina, will monitor employees who use Innova's rapid test at home every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. (Alltucker, 3/10)
The Wall Street Journal:
AMC Reopening More Theaters Closed By Covid-19
AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. has reopened many of its theaters in recent weeks after a winter surge of coronavirus cases prompted the company to re-close several cinemas at the end of 2020 when sales fell 89%.The world’s largest movie theater chain said roughly 527 out of its 589 domestic theaters were open as of Friday, including those in New York City. Cinemas in Los Angeles are expected to open shortly, Chief Executive Adam Aron said Wednesday. Internationally, only around 78 out of its 356 theaters were open, according to the company. (Maidenberg, 3/10)
CBS News:
Child Care A Major Factor In Women Leaving Jobs During The Pandemic
More than 2 million women have left their jobs in the past year, bringing women's participation in the labor force to the lowest level in more than 30 years. For many, child care was a major factor. Nicole Johnson worked as a full-time teaching assistant in Scarsdale, New York, until the coronavirus pandemic shuttered her school. She was out of a job, surviving on unemployment. (Battiste, 3/10)
Idaho Statesman:
Idaho Man Thought ‘The Virus Would Disappear The Day After The Election.’ He Was Wrong.
[Paul] Russell once thought the coronavirus wasn’t a real threat. He didn’t believe in masks. All that has changed. “Before I came down with the virus, I was one of those jackasses who thought the virus would disappear the day after the election. I was one of those conspiracy theorists,” he said. Instead, he was in the hospital with COVID-19 a week after the election. “All these people that are saying that it’s fake, blah blah blah, they’re lying to themselves,” he said. (Dutton, 3/9)
AP:
Shirts Or Skins? Teams Need Only 5 To Be Eligible For NCAAs
All a team needs to play in this year’s NCAA Tournament is five healthy players. How about a coach? The NCAA will get back to you on that. The fluid nature of a March Madness played amid the coronavirus pandemic was spelled out Wednesday, hours before the NCAA selection committee began meeting to hash out a 68-team bracket that could remain in flux up until the games tip off next week. (Pells, 3/10)
