Immune To COVID? New Study Suggests Why

The coronavirus pandemic could double the number of people around the world who face severe hunger every day, according to a new report from CARE.

The report details how the pandemic has exacerbated food crises in many countries, especially for women and girls. For example, coronavirus curfews in Mali restrict the hours women can work in fields, and in other countries, aid programs have been shut down or scaled back.

UN agencies estimate more than 130 million people worldwide faced starvation before the pandemic. CARE predicts that number could be 270 million by the end of the year.

Overall, some 690 million people were short on food or undernourished at the start of 2020. Food insecurity has already increased since then in Latin America and Africa, according to CARE. Even in the U.S., where job losses from the pandemic hit record highs, at least 6 million people have registered for food benefits in recent months.

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Worldwide, more than 22 million people have been confirmed to have COVID-19 and at least 789,000 have died, according to data tracked by Johns Hopkins University. More than 5.5 million people have tested positive for the disease in the U.S. and more than 173,000 have died.

Latest Developments

United States:

-Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana has tested positive for COVID-19. Cassidy, who is a medical doctor, said in a statement Thursday that he would quarantine for 14 days and inform anyone he had been in contact with. “I am strictly following the direction of our medical experts and strongly encourage others to do the same,” Cassidy said.

-The University of South Carolina approved plans Thursday to allow spectators at all sporting events, with limited seating. Football games at the school's Williams-Brice Stadium, for example, will be capped at about 20,000 spectators, versus the full stadium capacity of about 80,000.

-While at least 20 states across the U.S. saw a decline in cases this week, a top White House health official warned that the nation should not let its guard down, CNN reported. "This could turn around very quickly if we're not careful," said Adm. Brett Giroir, the doctor overseeing U.S. coronavirus testing. "We saw that early on after Memorial Day and the couple weeks afterward that sort of started the current outbreak."

-The South Dakota Department of Health announced that some people who attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally earlier this month have tested positive for COVID-19, the Washington Post reported. An exact number wasn't released, but health officials said it was less than 25, including some who came from out of state.

-A working study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that air travel during the coronavirus pandemic may not be any riskier than typical daily activities like grocery shopping, assuming masks are worn and other protocols followed. An empty middle seat also decreases the risk of disease transmission, the paper noted.

-American Airlines announced it will suspend service to 15 cities starting in October due to low demand and other factors related to the coronavirus pandemic. The 15 cities are Del Rio, Texas; Dubuque, Iowa; Florence, South Carolina; Greenville, North Carolina; Huntington, West Virginia; Joplin, Missouri; Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, Michigan; Lake Charles, Louisiana; New Haven, Connecticut; New Windsor, New York; Roswell, New Mexico; Sioux City, Iowa; Springfield, Illinois; Stillwater, Oklahoma; and Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

-People in Philadelphia will be able to eat inside restaurants again starting Sept. 8. The city's restaurants closed in mid-March and reopened for limited outdoor dining in June, according to WCAU-TV. Indoor dining will be limited to 25% capacity. Movie theaters and other entertainment venues are also set to reopen next month.

-Colleges in at least 15 states are reporting COVID-19 outbreaks on campus as classes resume, CNN reported. Some, like the University of North Carolina, have done an about-face and canceled in-person classes for the semester shortly after reopening.

-Schools in Albuquerque will continue with remote learning only through at least the end of the first semester, the school board decided Wednesday.

Worldwide:

-The World Health Organization and UNICEF are urging schools in Africa to speed up reopening plans so children can be served at school feeding programs and receive other social services, according to the Associated Press. A survey of 39 countries by the two agencies found that only six have fully reopened schools. Remote learning is difficult, as 80% of students in Africa don't have access to the internet and electricity isn't reliable.

-India reported a record high of 69,000 new daily infections. The country has confirmed more than 2.8 million cases of COVID-19 overall, the third-highest in the world behind the United States and Brazil.

For the latest coronavirus information in your county and a full list of important resources to help you make the smartest decisions regarding the disease, check out our dedicated COVID-19 page.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.