What you need to know about coronavirus on Thursday, June 4

George Floyd had coronavirus before he was killed while in police custody last week in Minneapolis.

Floyd tested positive for the virus after his death. The autopsy report released yesterday says the disease played no role in his death and was likely a sign of a previous infection.

As a black man, Floyd had a higher chance of contracting Covid-19. Official data shows that while black people make up 13% of the general US population, they account for 23% of the country’s novel coronavirus deaths. This inequality has been seen elsewhere in the world: people from ethnic minority communities in the UK, for example, are up to 50% more likely to die of the virus than white people.

That Floyd survived the virus but died after a police officer had his knee on the unarmed 46-year-old’s neck for more than 8 minutes displays the deep racial inequality in America in 2020.

Several high-profile doctors’ groups have said this week that racism is a public health issue and called for police brutality to stop. Numerous studies have shown that experiences of racism or discrimination raise the risk of emotional and physical health problems, including cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, both of which are a serious risk factor in Covid-19 patients.

This pandemic has amplified existing inequalities. People of color are more likely to work on the frontlines and live in densely populated areas, they have worse access to healthcare and more underlying health conditions. And now, protesting these injustices amid the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak, they are again at risk.

YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED

Q: Is hand sanitizer as effective as soap and water in killing coronavirus?

A: Yes — as long as you use the right kind of sanitizer correctly.

Hand sanitizers “need to have at least 60% alcohol in them,” said Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventative medicine and infectious disease at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

Make sure to rub it all over your hands, between your fingers and on the back of your hands.

It’s always better to thoroughly wash your hands, if you’re able to. “Alcohol is pretty effective at killing germs, but it doesn’t wash away stuff,” said Dr. John Williams, a virologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

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

Sweden admits flaws in its strategy

The architect of Sweden’s coronavirus response has defended the country’s controversial decision not to go into lockdown, while admitting “improvements” could be made with the benefit of hindsight.

As the coronavirus pandemic swept across the world and governments scrambled to enact emergency lockdown measures, Sweden kept most schools, restaurants, salons and bars open. It asked people to refrain from making long journeys, placing an emphasis on personal responsibility. But three months later, Sweden’s Covid-19 death toll stands at 4,542, much higher than in other nordic countries.

Why strict lockdowns might be better for the economy

Sweden’s approach was hailed by those concerned about the impact of the lockdown on the economy. However, a new study suggests that strict lockdowns might be better for economies than longer, more moderate closures. Shorter but stricter lockdowns don’t hit businesses as hard, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Nature Human Behavior. Businesses can weather a short, extreme shutdown but run out of supplies and reserves as time goes on.

What’s new on the vaccine front

As the science community works at a breakneck speed to develop an effective vaccine, many are stressing that the race to find one needs to be one against the virus and not a competition between countries and companies. The Virtual Global Vaccine Summit hosted by the UK today will likely stress that message, with Bill Gates and Boris Johnson as keynote speakers.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has selected five companies that are the most likely to produce a Covid-19 vaccine, according to a White House coronavirus task force source. And the Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Oxford University in partnership with AstraZeneca pharmaceutical will now be tested in Brazil.

More questions around Trump’s drug of choice

A new study — the first of its kind — shows hydroxychloroquine doesn’t work to prevent coronavirus infection. President Donald Trump said he took the drug last month, shortly after he found out that his personal valet had been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Previous studies have shown hydroxychloroquine doesn’t help patients with Covid-19 and trials of the drug have been suspended after a large study suggested the drug might actually harm patients. That study, published in a renowned medical journal The Lancet has since been questioned and the World Health Organization said yesterday it was safe to restart the trials.

Fauci weighs the pros and cons of reopening schools

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the US National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he believes it’s a “bit of a reach” to keep schools closed in the fall because of coronavirus safety concerns for children.

Fauci said children tend to have milder symptoms — or even no symptoms — when they are infected with Covid-19. What’s not yet clear, however, is whether children get infected as frequently as adults and whether they pass the infection on to others as easily. Fauci said ultimately, the decision to reopen schools needs to be predicated on the level of infection in each community.

Concerns for Haiti

The World Health Organization said yesterday it was “very concerned” about coronavirus in Haiti “because of its unique circumstances, unique fragility and the fact that the disease is accelerating in a highly vulnerable population.” Haiti has reported at least 2,507 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and at least 48 deaths, according to the latest report by the Haitian Ministry of Health from June 1.

The Covid-19 crisis is spiralling out of control in much of Latin America. Brazil and Mexico both registered a record number of coronavirus-related deaths yesterday.

ON OUR RADAR

• For the first time in 30 years, Hong Kong authorities will not allow the city’s annual commemoration of Beijing’s Tiananmen Square massacre to go ahead. They say it’s because of coronavirus, but critics dismiss that argument.
• A new lawsuit targeting Amazon claims a lack of Covid-19 protections at its Staten Island facility has put workers — and their families — at risk.
• Just weeks after restarting domestic flights, Indonesian carrier Lion Air has canceled them again, citing issues with passengers not following Covid-19 regulations.
• ER visits for non-Covid emergencies have dropped 42% during the pandemic. Doctors are warning some people might be risking their life by putting off emergency care for serious health issues.
• UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma looked visibly unwell while giving a statement at the UK Parliament yesterday. Just hours later he began self-isolating and got a test for coronavirus,
• Food processing company Campbell got a lockdown boost as people stocked up on soup and Goldfish crackers.
• NBA is reportedly expected to approve a plan to continue the season — but only with 22 teams.
• A group of eighth graders had to cancel their end-of-year trip. Instead they used their $2,800 trip fund to purchase supplies, which were then delivered to members of Navajo Nation.

TOP TIPS

How to make good decisions when you’re paralyzed by the stress

“It’s crazy times, with protests and a pandemic and things at every level appearing untrustworthy,” said biochemist Bita Moghaddam, who chairs the behavioral neuroscience department in the school of medicine at Oregon Health and Science University.

Moghaddam, who studies how anxiety affects the brain, said it’s no wonder our stressed, overworked brains can’t spit out a decision. We have become victims of “analysis paralysis.”

So here are some tips on how to give your brain a break from its constant risk calculations.

TODAY’S PODCAST

TODAY’S PODCAST

“I just encourage people to bring their own chairs. While it’s nice to stand up and chat, we find people start to move closer and closer the more comfortable they feel. And if you’ve got a chair, you don’t drift.”

— CNN contributor and immunologist Erin Bromage

As the weather heats up, many of us are contemplating how to safely go out into the world and enjoy the summer. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to CNN contributor and immunologist Erin Bromage about what to consider before doing anything from hosting a cookout to going for a hike. Listen Now.