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Patchwork approach to contact tracing hampers national recovery

A patchwork approach to contact tracing across state health departments is making it increasingly difficult to know where people are getting exposed to COVID-19.

While some states like Louisiana and Washington state publicly track detailed data related to COVID-19 cases in bars, camps, daycares, churches, worksites and restaurants, most states do not, creating obstacles to preventing future cases.

The extensive spread of the virus, combined with the country's 50-state approach to pandemic response, has led to a dearth of information about where transmissions are occurring. Those shortcomings are in turn complicating efforts to safely open the economy and to understand the risks associated with certain activities and settings.

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IN DEPTH: U.S. Will Revive Global Virus-Hunting Effort Ended Last Year

A worldwide virus-hunting program allowed to expire last year by the Trump administration, just before the coronavirus pandemic broke out, will have a second life — whatever the outcome of the presidential election.

Joseph R. Biden Jr. has promised that, if elected, he will restore the program, called Predict, which searched for dangerous new animal viruses in bat caves, camel pens, wet markets and wildlife-smuggling routes around the globe.

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In contrast to US, WHO backs testing people without symptoms

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization said Thursday that countries should actively test people to find coronavirus cases even if they don’t show symptoms — a stance that comes after the U.S. health agency switched its policy to say that asymptomatic contacts of infected people don’t need to be tested.

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COVID-19 lockdowns blocked flu in some places but fall looms

 

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Winter is ending in the Southern Hemisphere and country after country -- South Africa, Australia, Argentina -- had a surprise: Their steps against COVID-19 also apparently blocked the flu.

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COVID-19: How South Korea Prevailed While the U.S. Failed

COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death in the United States. The U.S. accounts for about 25 percent of COVID-19 cases (4.4 million) and deaths (170,000) in the world today while comprising less than 5 percent of the population.

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Facing 2nd virus wave, Spain tracks infections with soldiers

MADRID (AP) — Under strain from Europe’s fastest-growing wave of coronavirus infections, the Spanish government cleared the way for more localized lockdowns Tuesday and deployed the military to bolster the country’s faltering attempts to trace infections.

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