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FDA commissioner grilled on Trump's "harmless" coronavirus claims

Photo: Al Drago - Pool/Getty Images

FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn didn't provide any evidence to support President Trump's claim that 99% of coronavirus cases are "totally harmless" while speaking with ABC's Martha Raddatz.

What he's saying: "Well, what I'd say is, you know, any case, we don't want to have in this country. This is a very rapidly moving epidemic. A rapidly moving pandemic. And any death, any case, is tragic. And we want to do everything we can to prevent that," Hahn said.

  • While speaking at a Fourth of July celebration on Saturday, Trump stated that the U.S. has tested almost 40 million people and "by doing so, we show cases 99% of which are totally harmless," per Politico.

The state of play: Many states, such as Texas, Florida and Arizona, are seeing huge surges in cases after they moved forward with reopenings.

Go deeper: Coronavirus cases skyrocketing among communities of color

Go deeper

Caitlin Owens, author of Vitals
Oct 13, 2020 - Health

Where the U.S. has been hit hardest by the coronavirus

Expand chart
Data: JAMA; Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios

There was a 20% increase over expected deaths in the U.S. between March 1 and Aug. 1., per a study published in JAMA on Monday.

Why it matters: Experts say that excess deaths are the best way to measure the true impact of the pandemic, as the number accounts for people who died of the virus itself without being counted and those who died of causes that could have been prevented in non-pandemic times.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Fadel Allassan
Updated Oct 12, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Fauci says it would be "outrageous" if Trump campaign used him in another ad

Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious diseases expert, told CNN on Monday that the Trump campaign should stop airing an ad that uses comments he made without his permission and out of context.

Why it matters: Fauci describes himself as apolitical and says he has never endorsed a political candidate in five decades of public service. He later told The Daily Beast there's "not a chance" that he would resign if the Trump campaign continued to feature him, but added, "By doing this against my will, they are in effect harassing me."

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Fadel Allassan
Oct 13, 2020 - Health

Scientists confirm first documented COVID-19 reinfection in the U.S.

Photo: Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

A 25-year-old man in Nevada has been identified as the first person in the U.S. to get COVID-19 twice, according to a study published in the medical journal The Lancet on Monday.

Why it matters: The finding indicates that being infected with the virus "might not guarantee total immunity in all cases," the study's researchers write. It also calls into question the value of any potential source or indicator of immunity — whether that's antibody testing, the use of blood plasma as a treatment, or perhaps even a vaccine, per Axios' Sam Baker.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow