Axios

The number of U.S. coronavirus cases exceeded 4 million on Thursday, Johns Hopkins data illustrates.

Why it matters: President Trump is pushing to reopen schools and return the U.S. economy to pre-pandemic normalcy. But infection numbers are rising and coronavirus hospitalizations have surged nationwide, adding to the pressure of a health care system that's been under immense strain for months. More than 143,000 Americans have died to date from COVID-19.

Go deeper: In photos: Life in the era of the coronavirus pandemic

The wide-ranging symptoms and many manifestations of COVID-19 are complicating efforts to treat the disease and stop its spread.

The big picture: There are very few diseases that everyone experiences the same. But the patterns of disease with COVID-19 are unusual compared to other recent pandemics, and it could usher in a new framework for thinking about disease.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said Thursday the U.S. needs a coordinated national response to better deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

The big picture: It’s difficult for any single state to contain the spread of the virus because of free movement between states, Polis said at an Axios virtual event.

Senate Republicans' upcoming coronavirus relief proposal will not include a payroll tax cut, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters Thursday.

Between the lines: Trump had recently said he wouldn't sign a new stimulus bill without a payroll tax cut — something many people expected he'd be forced to cave on, given its unpopularity among Senate Republicans.

In the Southern Hemisphere, where it's currently winter, there have been much fewer flu cases than normal — likely a result of the same measures being taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Why it matters: As bad as the pandemic is in the U.S., things could get a whole lot worse if the flu is spreading and straining health system resources at the same time during the fall and winter.

Americans are divided by race and party on the question of whether schools should open sooner or later, according to new polling by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Why it matters: Although reopening schools may exacerbate community spread of the coronavirus, keeping kids at home often causes learning loss and makes life much harder for working parents.

The unique characteristics of this pandemic may not allow people to completely eradicate it, but public health measures and good vaccines should bring "very good control," NIAID director Anthony Fauci said Wednesday.

Driving the news: "We are living, right now, through a historic pandemic outbreak. And, we are, right now, in a situation where we do not see any particular end in sight," Fauci told a panel hosted by the not-for-profit TB Alliance.

The pace of new coronavirus cases slowed over the past week, but things are still getting worse in most of the country.

The big picture: After weeks of explosive growth, the number of new infections in the U.S. is still climbing — but not quite as fast as it has been.

White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx told Fox News Wednesday the CDC will put out additional recommendations this week on reopening schools.

Why it matters: The role children play in spreading the novel coronavirus is still not known. Birx said U.S. officials had launched a study of all age groups that she hoped would address this.

President Trump said Wednesday that the reason health experts like Deborah Birx and Anthony Fauci no longer attend his coronavirus press briefings is because they brief him on "everything they know as of this point in time" and he passes the information on to the public.

Why it matters: Before they were canceled in April, Trump's daily briefings grew infamous for being rife with misinformation, which his health experts would be forced to carefully contradict.

California reported 12,807 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, setting a new record for daily infections and pulling the state past New York for most total confirmed cases in the United States, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The state of play: California is one of a number of hotspots that has seen a surge of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to slam the brakes on the state's reopening plan and tighten restrictions on indoor activities.

Health care systems must ensure that patients are not putting off in-person care due to fear of contracting coronavirus, Tuhina Neogi, chief of rheumatology and professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, said Wednesday during an Axios virtual event.

The big picture: The pandemic put patients severely behind in doctor's visits and their ability to manage chronic pain. Earlier in the year, patients were too afraid to seek treatment and were experiencing "diminishing quality of life" even in urgent instances, Neogi added.

Kim Kardashian West on Monday released a statement via her Instagram story regarding the mental health of her husband, Kanye West, who has bipolar disorder.

Why it matters: While it might be easy to write off West's attention-grabbing yet erstwhile presidential bid as a publicity stunt or joke, Kardashian West's statement highlights that his family and friends are genuinely concerned about his well-being.

Even with the many companies that are working tirelessly to produce a vaccine to treat COVID-19, Rep. Ann Kuster (D-N.H.) said she wants to resolve any inequities in production and distribution for Americans who need it most, during an Axios virtual event on Wednesday.

What they're saying: "We have the best science in the world and we have terrific manufacturing in place. What we really need is leadership. Leadership from the top. ... I want to make sure they have the support of Congress, and that people like Dr. Fauci at the NIH and Dr. Redfield at the CDC are the people we’re taking our cues from, not to politicians that may not be honest with the American people."

Watch the Axios event live

HCA Healthcare, the largest for-profit hospital chain in the country, smashed Wall Street's second-quarter profit expectations even though the coronavirus outbreak forced hospitals to halt elective procedures for several weeks during the quarter.

The bottom line: Medical claims and revenues noticeably declined among hospitals during the height of the pandemic, which has benefited health insurers. But that didn't prevent hospitals from making a lot of money, a large chunk of which was directly subsidized by taxpayers in the form of bailout funds.

Yoshiro Mori, president of the organizing committee for the Tokyo Olympics, said Wednesday that the summer games rescheduled for next July won't be possible if the coronavirus pandemic continues in its current state, AP reports.

The state of play: The International Olympic Committee and Tokyo organizers have expressed confidence that the games will take place, but said that another delay would not be possible and that the Olympics would instead be canceled.

The Trump administration has agreed to pay Pfizer $1.95 billion for 100 million doses of the experimental coronavirus vaccine the company is developing along with German biotech company BioNTech. The deal also gives the government the right to buy another 500 million doses.

Why it matters: The federal government is betting that Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine will effectively stave off the coronavirus and therefore is worth buying before more definitive clinical trial data come out. The Department of Health and Human Services made a similar deal for Novavax' vaccine.

United Airlines announced Wednesday that it will require customers to wear face masks in all airport spaces, warning that those who do not comply could face a ban as long as mask requirements remain in place.

The state of play: The rule — in addition to United's inflight mask mandate — applies throughout customers' time in the airport, including while checking in, spending time in lounges, at service counters and during boarding.

To get back on the campaign trail this summer and fall, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has procured dozens of WHOOP fitness trackers — which monitor respiratory rate as a clue to COVID — for his political and fundraising staff in D.C. and across the country.

Why it matters: McCarthy, who represents Bakersfield and works closely with California's tech community, will wear a WHOOP sensor and band himself, harnessing wearables to help keep aides and supporters safe. 

Coronavirus testing capacity could crumble under the combined demand of the pandemic and the fall flu season, Quest's executive vice president James Davis told the Financial Times.

Why it matters: Turnaround times for coronavirus tests are already at roughly a week. Labs only have the capacity to focus on people who are symptomatic, and that will get worse with the cold and the flu, Davis said.

Neighbors are banding together to hire private instructors as a way to secure child care and make up for some of the gaps online-only classes will leave in their kids' educations.

Why it matters: Parents just want to be sure their children don't fall too far behind, but this trend could deepen the educational divide along racial and class lines.

A nurses' union placed shoes on the Capitol lawn Tuesday in memory of all their colleagues who've died of the novel coronavirus and to demand the Senate pass House Democrats' $3 trillion pandemic recovery package.

The big picture: The nurses say the HEROES Act would provide necessary workplace protections, per ABC News. Nurse Stephanie Simms told AFP union members lay 88 pairs of shoes at the White House two months ago to represent colleagues killed by COVID-19. "Today we have 164 pairs of shoes," she said. "They clearly show how this administration and this Congress has failed nurses who continue to die." Republicans are preparing their own coronavirus stimulus bill this week.

Go deeper: What health care workers are going through in the coronavirus pandemic

59 NFL players have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Tuesday, per the NFL Players Association.

Why it matters: The positive cases come amid negotiations between the league and players' association over what the preseason and regular season will look like during the pandemic, Axios' Kendall Baker reports. On Tuesday, the NFL agreed to have no preseason games in 2020.