What you need to know about coronavirus on Friday, June 5

The coronavirus pandemic isn’t making everyone poorer.

A jobs report today is expected to show that US unemployment is now near 20% — the highest since 1948. But US billionaires have become $565 billion richer since mid-March, according to a study published yesterday.

The two reports are just the latest signs that the virus is deepening the divide between the haves and the have-nots. While almost 43 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits during the pandemic, Google is giving each employee a $1,000 allowance to spend on making working from home more comfortable.

As developed countries turn to technology to contain the virus through smartphone tracking apps, Yemen is shutting services in nearly half of its hospitals after the UN began cutting aid to the impoverished war-torn nation.

And as profits surge for multinational food companies following months of stockpiling in the west, the fear of going hungry competes with worries over catching coronavirus in remote villages in India.

While the virus may not discriminate biologically, the impact of the pandemic has not been felt equally.

YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED

Q: Do I need to wash fruits and vegetables with soap and water?

A: No. The US Food and Drug Administration says you don’t need to wash fresh produce with soap and water, but you should rinse it with plain water.

But it’s still important to wash your hands with soap and water frequently because we often touch our faces without realizing it. And that’s a very easy way for coronavirus to spread.

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

US will collect demographic data on coronavirus

The Trump administration will start requiring laboratories and other testing sites to report demographic data along with Covid-19 test results. While data collected so far show that people from black and Latino communities face a higher risk of dying from the virus, there are no comprehensive nation-wide statistics.

“As our country begins to reopen, access to clear and accurate data is essential … so that we can make the best evidence-based decisions that are critical to our phased reopening,” Admiral Dr. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health, said yesterday.

Meanwhile, a new forecast by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projects that more than 127,000 people will have died of Covid-19 in the United States by June 27.

Brazil’s death toll surpasses Italy

Brazil now has the third-highest number of coronavirus-related fatalities in the world, behind the US and the United Kingdom. Officially, more than 34,000 people have died of Covid-19 in Brazil, but public health officials are warning the real death toll is likely much higher. Paulo Menezes, coordinator of Sao Paulo’s health ministry, said low Covid-19 testing capacity meant that some cases were not recorded properly.

The number of new cases reported each day in the Americas has been higher than the rest of the world combined for weeks, according to the World Health Organization. Data from the WHO shows the number of new reported cases globally surpassed 100,000 on six out of the past seven days and the increases were driven largely by Latin America.

Two coronavirus studies retracted after questions emerge about data

Two influential medical journals retracted two separate coronavirus studies yesterday.

The authors of the studies requested the retractions after independent auditors were unable to access all the information needed to verify the data. Both studies used data from the analytics company Surgisphere Corporation.

The retracted Lancet study found that Covid-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine were more likely to die or suffer dangerous side effects. Still, several other studies also showed the drug doesn’t prevent the virus, doesn’t ease its effects and can lead to dangerous side effects.

The second retracted study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, had found that certain heart disease drugs, including ACE inhibitors, didn’t worsen the risk of death for coronavirus patients.

Tear gas makes people cough. Coughs spread the virus.

The tear gas used by law enforcement against protesters across the US could help coronavirus spread because it makes people cough, Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said during a House hearing yesterday.

Redfield said people who participate in the protests should “highly consider” getting tested for the novel coronavirus within 3 to 7 days and tell their loved ones that they were out in public.

We’re inching closer to vaccines. But what about anti-vaxxers?

AstraZeneca announced yesterday that it will make 300 million doses of a potential Covid-19 vaccine from Oxford University scientists by the end of 2020. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, along with the WHO, say they will make sure that the vaccine is fairly distributed across the world.

Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said the US could have 100 million doses of a different candidate vaccine by the end of the year.

But as the race to develop vaccines heats up, the director of the National Institutes of Health said he was concerned that vaccine “skepticism” could hinder the effort to immunize America.

ON OUR RADAR

• Face coverings will be mandatory on all public transport in England starting June 15, as the country continues to ease out of lockdown.
• Europe is throwing money at the region’s deepest downturn since the Great Depression. It still may not be enough to spur a strong recovery soon.
• Since Covid-19 shut his business, this frame shop owner has made more than 500 shopping trips for senior citizens.
• Patients with high blood pressure have twice the risk of dying from coronavirus, a new study shows.
• A Hong Kong restaurant group’s Covid-19 bible is being read by chefs the world over. The 17-page document covers everything from handwashing to face masks, hand sanitizer, cleaning procedures, physical contact, temperature checks, health declaration forms, cost management and how to communicate with concerned or disgruntled guests.
• Ten people who were home sick with Covid-19 may have found relief with a common over-the-counter heartburn remedy, according to a study published yesterday.
• The US postponed citizenship ceremonies for months due to the pandemic. That could keep thousands from voting in 2020.

TOP TIPS

In this new normal where everything is a calculation, summer vacation presents a whole host of questions, namely: Is (fill in anything fun) safe?

While there are few activities that are risk-free, thinking scenarios through goes a long way toward making summer travel plans that sound reasonably safe — and fun. Here are some of the big questions to consider

TODAY’S PODCAST

“I pray that people that a lot of people won’t get sick, but if they do it’s not for a frivolous thing.” — Dr. Camara Jones

Covid-19 isn’t the only health crisis threatening America right now. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to epidemiologist Dr. Camara Jones about the serious impact of racism on public health. Jones also shares important guidance for protesters to help reduce the spread of coronavirus. Listen Now.