On Philadelphia local television, Michael Levy, PhD, elaborated on the difficulties of mixing data from COVID-19 genetic tests and antibody tests.

An update to data from a team that includes Jing Huang, PhD, and Gregory Tasian, MD, MsC, MSCE, shows that a cautious, incremental reopening strategy can help mitigate risk for a second wave. But some areas that have too quickly relaxed social distancing face high risk for resurgence. 

Per Michael Levy, PhD, a contrast between the rates in a high-income zip code and, say, Chester City would be glaring.

Michael Z. Levy, PhD, commented in Spanish on regional station Telemundo 62 about COVID-19 in the Philadelphia area. His message: “The first wave hit us hard; we weren't ready. Now we can prepare and get our balance for the next one.”

With COVID19 testing not available for all, “there’s no way to calculate your risk right now between households,” comments Michael Levy, PhD.

The US and France have seen far fewer transplantations w/the advent of COVID-19, found a team including Peter Reese, MD, MSCE. Among the many reasons: An organ donor takes up an ICU bed and a ventilator.

Susan Ellenberg, PhD, commented today on ABC’s Good Morning America about good clinical trial practice: As we race toward a

COVID-19 clinical trials to develop treatments will get answers faster if people collaborate, Susan Ellenberg, PhD, commented.  “As some treatments show evidence of benefit, we will be moving to studies of drug combinations, and these trials will require larger sample sizes — meaning, in most cases, multicenter trials.”

Ebbing Lautenbach, MD, MPH, MSCE, commented on sudden second-week decline in some patients with COVID-19. Two and a half months into the pandemic, it’s well documented, “but we’re still not sure why it happens,” he said.

Jing Huang, PhD, commented that in Lehigh County, PA, a previously high rate of COVID-19 transmission appeared to drop—perhaps because, as suggested by cell phone data, residents began more effectively social distancing. But comparisons between cities, said Michael Levy, PhD, are difficult, given the lack of comparable rigorous data.