Weekend Reads 3/28/20

Trump, in Tweet, Says He’s Considering Plan that Would Kill a Lot of People

It’s not wrong that this is real economic pain, and it’s not wrong that economic pain has health consequences for individuals. But the wondrous thing of living in the world’s richest country — especially a country that, at present, can borrow money at near-zero interest rates — is that we can spend to blunt the economic damage. What we can’t do, now matter how much we spent, is bring people back to life.

Can’t Get Tested? Maybe You’re in the Wrong Country

But experts say that the decisive moment, when aggressive testing might have allowed officials to stay ahead of the disease, passed more than a month ago. It was not a question of science. Researchers say a viral test is relatively easy to develop. Rather, scientists say, the chasm between the testing haves and have-nots reflects politics, public health strategies and, in some cases, blunders.

Plague Inc. rolling out new mode where you fight to contain the outbreak

“Eight years ago, I never imagined the real world would come to resemble a game of Plague Inc. or that so many players would be using Plague Inc. to help them get through an actual pandemic,” Plague Inc. creator James Vaughan said in a statement. “We are proud to be able to help support the vital work of the WHO and CEPI as they work towards finding a vaccine for COVID-19."

Bill Gates On COVID-19: ‘Best-Case Scenario Is Six To Ten Weeks Of Total Isolation In U.S.’

“There really is no middle ground; It’s very tough to say, ‘Keep going to restaurants, go buy new houses, ignore that pile of bodies in the corner.’ It’s very irresponsible to suggest to people they can have the best of both worlds,” said Gates.