Jul 22, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Kevin McCarthy will use WHOOP fitness trackers to monitor for COVID symptoms while campaigning

Photo: Caleb Smith

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.

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Dan Primack, author of Pro Rata

Updated Oct 27, 2020 - Economy & Business

Winter coronavirus threat spurs new surge of startup activity

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

U.S. coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are surging, with cold weather arriving before even the best-case scenario for a widely distributed vaccine. Now we're also beginning to see an increase in coronavirus-related startup funding, focused on both testing and pharma.

Driving the news: Gauss, a Silicon Valley computer vision startup focused on health care, tells Axios that it's raised $10 million to accelerate development and commercialization of an at-home rapid antigen test for COVID-19.

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Fadel Allassan

Oct 27, 2020 - World

Putin mandates face masks as Russia combats second COVID-19 wave

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday instituted a nationwide mask mandate, as the nation tries to combat a second spike of COVID-19 cases, according to an order published by Rospotrebnadzor, the federal health watchdog agency.

By the numbers: Russia currently has the fourth-most coronavirus cases in the world, with 1,537,142, according to Johns Hopkins data, behind the U.S., India and Brazil. Russia has reported 26,092 deaths to date.

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Axios

9 mins ago - World

Europe faces "stronger and deadlier" coronavirus wave

Paris under curfew. Photo: Kiran Ridley/Getty Images

The coronavirus is still winning: Now even Germany is entering another national lockdown, joined by France.

Why it matters: France has been "overpowered by a second wave,” President Emmanuel Macron said in a nationally televised address today. Macron said the "new wave will be stronger and deadlier" than the first.