☕️ Track and trace

How is the president being treated for Covid? October 05, 2020 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( [Daily Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [Quick Base]( Good morning. This was a great weekend to have news push notifications turned off, if nothing else to save your phone battery. If you were among those lucky people, we’ll catch you up. MARKETS YTD PERFORMANCE NASDAQ 11,075.02 + 23.43% S&P 3,348.44 + 3.64% DJIA 27,682.81 - 3.00% GOLD 1,904.50 + 25.30% 10-YR 0.662% - 125.80 bps OIL 36.99 - 39.57% *As of market close - Markets: Stocks didn’t make any [dramatic moves]( on Friday following President Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis and a downer September jobs report. - 2020: Joe Biden leads Trump by 14 points nationally, according to a new NBC News/WSJ [poll]( released yesterday. This poll was conducted in the two days following the first presidential debate last Tuesday. PUBLIC HEALTH [President of the United Trace]( [President Trump announces his Supreme Court nominee in a crowded Rose Garden ceremony] Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images On a normal day, the president can't sneeze without generating breaking news alerts. Now that he's hospitalized with Covid-19, Trump's every handshake and passing "hello" from the last two weeks is facing intense scrutiny in the most prominent case of contact tracing to date. - How it works: Contact tracers make a list of everyone an infected person came in contact with. Then, they find those people and tell them to self-isolate before infecting others. A few gatherings stand out President Trump attended [at least 10 events]( while he may have been infectious, including a nomination ceremony for his Supreme Court pick. As you can see above, there weren't a lot of masks or distancing, and at least seven attendees later tested positive, including the first lady and Utah Sen. Mike Lee. These events have also disrupted private sector operations working close to the administration. A trio of White House journalists recently tested positive, and ABC News is [quarantining staff]( who came in contact with Christie during a post-debate broadcast. The president of the University of Notre Dame, one of 18 faculty who attended the nomination, [tested positive]( Saturday. Is that what happens when we get sick? Don't expect the national news cycle treatment, but 21% of Americans now have access to contact tracing tools. Last week, New York and New Jersey became the ninth and tenth states to [release tracing apps](, and seven more plus D.C. have apps in testing or development. - States are using a protocol [co-developed by Apple and Google]( that uses Bluetooth technology to sense close contact to other app users for an extended period of time. Unlike many foreign governments, the U.S. left contact tracing to individual states, igniting concerns about fragmented tracing that doesn't account for movement across state lines. New York and several surrounding states have become the first to make their apps talk to each other. Will it work? Researchers think an installation rate of just 15% of a population could help suppress the virus's spread. Virginia's app, which has been out the longest, has 11%. States are still fighting an uphill battle to convince the public these apps won't violate their privacy. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew!&body=Trump's%20Covid-19%20Diagnosis%20Kicks%20Off%20Prominent%20Contact%20Tracing%20Effort:%200A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%E2%80%94Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley,%20daily.%20 PHARMA [Inside Trump’s Medicine Cabinet]( [Trump in a motorcade] ALEX EDELMAN/AFP via Getty Images The president of the United States is in the hospital with the coronavirus. How is he being treated?  Remdesivir: The president received his first dose of remdesivir on Friday as part of a five-day course. Remdesivir might be a familiar name—it's made by Gilead Sciences and was [widely discussed]( back in the spring, during the first wave of this health crisis. - It hasn't received full FDA approval (just emergency use authorization). However, it has been shown in clinical trials to help hospitalized Covid patients. Antibody cocktail: Last Friday, the president's doctor Sean Conley said Trump received an experimental antibody cocktail from drugmaker Regeneron (whose [stock rose]( after hours following the disclosure). Dexamethasone: Yesterday, Conley said that the president was given a dose of the steroid dexamethasone, which has been shown to help Covid-19 patients with more severe cases. Trump also received supplemental oxygen Friday, the medical team disclosed. Looking ahead...Trump’s doctors said the president, who made a surprise motorcade appearance last night, could be discharged from the hospital as early as Monday. However, their credibility has been diminished following a series of [misleading statements]( made to the public this weekend around the president's health. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew!&body=President%20Trump%20Receives%20Experimental%20Drugs%20to%20Treat%20Covid-19:%200A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%E2%80%94Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley,%20daily.%20 QUOTES [Weekend Soundbites]( [Cam Newton] Adam Glanzman/Getty Images "Act fearlessly but with common sense."—British PM Boris Johnson [told the people of the UK]( things will likely be "bumpy" through Christmas and beyond. "GET IT DONE."—President Trump, tweeting from Walter Reed, [said]( the U.S. "WANTS & NEEDS" stimulus measures to keep the recovery going. Both parties have signaled progress, but there's no concrete deal on the table yet. "The fragility of world systems in the face of the pandemic has demonstrated that not everything can be resolved by market freedom."—Pope Francis called for economic reforms post-Covid in a [new encyclical](. "A 'breakup' of Facebook is thus a complete nonstarter."—Facebook's lawyers penned a [14-page document]( that gives a window into its defense against antitrust inquiries. The company is completely against sawing off WhatsApp and Instagram from FB. "I need a new quarterback."—a guy sitting next to us on the subway had to tweak his fantasy team's roster after learning Patriots QB Cam Newton tested positive for the coronavirus. The Patriots-Chiefs game was [postponed]( to tonight. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew!&body=Top%20Quotes%20From%20the%20Weekend:%200A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%E2%80%94Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley,%20daily.%20 SPONSORED BY QUICK BASE [You See This Productive Looking Laptop Screen?](#) [Quick Base]( If you think the above photo looks like some [business leaders building customizable digital solutions in an outrageously efficient and easy manner](, then well, you just might be a Quick Base fan. Quick Base is the platform that helps businesses of all kinds [solve modern problems in a quick, secure, and organized manner](. (The “ooh la la” you just heard was from your IT department.) You see, digital transformation has gone from a nice-to-have to a must-have. And in an age where business leaders find themselves needing to customize big systems, buy specific-use point systems, and utilize a bunch of unorganized spreadsheets, Quick Base empowers employees to easily [build customizable solutions on their own, creating operational agility](. No more paying pro developers to spend months building in big systems. No more expensive, point-specific systems that IT can’t keep track of. No more error-prone, security-risking shared spreadsheets. [Click here for your free, personalized Quick Base demo](. ENTERTAINMENT [Time to Buy a Home Projector]( [Movie popcorn and a face mask] Francis Scialabba By tomorrow, major movie theater operator Cineworld could decide [whether to indefinitely close]( its Regal Cinemas in the U.S., as well as its theaters in the UK and Ireland. Why now? On Friday, MGM announced it's pushing the release of the newest James Bond flick, No Time to Die, to April 2021. Studios have delayed most major releases because of the pandemic, and 2020 had just three blockbusters left: No Time to Die, Wonder Woman 1984, and Dune. With Bond taking an extra vacation (and theaters potentially closing), the last two could be delayed as well, leaving movie theaters with a slimmer menu than In-N-Out. - Christopher Nolan's Tenet, the first big test for theater attendance during the pandemic, has earned a lackluster $40+ million in the U.S. since its September release. Big picture: Having lost $1.6 billion in the first half of 2020, Cineworld has been on rocky footing for a while. If it chooses to close theaters, thousands of jobs across 543 Regal Cinemas in the U.S. and 128 cinemas in the U.K. and Ireland will be put at risk. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew!&body=Cineworld%20Mulls%20Closing%20U.S.%20and%20UK%20Theaters:%200A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%E2%80%94Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley,%20daily.%20 CALENDAR [The Week Ahead]( Following President Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis, Kamala Harris and Mike Pence will reportedly be seated 12 feet apart at the VP debate this week (it was previously 7 feet). Monday: The U.S. Supreme Court begins a new term Tuesday: Trade balance report; Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) Wednesday: VP debate Thursday: Initial jobless claims; Domino's earnings Friday: FIFA 21 release; Nobel Peace Prize winner announced �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew!&body=The%20Week%20Ahead:%20October%205:%200A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%E2%80%94Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley,%20daily.%20 WHAT ELSE IS BREWING - [New York City]( is implementing new shutdowns of schools and businesses in nine neighborhoods with Covid-19 outbreaks. - [Airbnb]( will block one-night rentals during Halloween weekend to prevent unauthorized parties. - [California]( is set to reach a record 4 million acres burned by wildfires this year. - [Anthem and UnitedHealthcare]( are no longer waiving copays and deductibles for virtual visits not related to the coronavirus. - [Fighting]( between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces continued on Sunday. The conflict has killed dozens since it broke out Sept. 27. BREW'S BETS The devil’s lettuce could be a divine investment. [This little-known Canadian company]( could be the one stock pick you need to potentially capitalize on the coming cannabis boom. Learn about adding this company to your portfolio and [sign up for the Motley Fool Stock Advisor today](.* We hit the polyglot jackpot. With [Babbel](, we’re learning a new language in just 15 minutes a day. For a limited time you can [get up to 60% off your subscription to the #1 selling language-learning app in the world](.* Savvy, comfy, dreamy: Here are three recommendations from our lifestyle newsletter, [The Essentials](: - Our favorite [organization software]( - Everything you need to know about finding the [perfect couch]( - [35 magical tiny cabins]( worth dreaming about Definitely not half-baked: A scrumptious look at the [98 Ben & Jerry’s flavors]( around the world. *This is sponsored advertising content FROM THE CREW [Start Talking](#) Every Monday, we curate a handful of balanced resources about a hot-button business issue and encourage you to discuss with friends, family, or coworkers. This week's topic: Your colleague catches Covid-19—do you have a right to know? Should you have a right to know? Few workplaces will remain untouched by Covid-19, but disclosing that an employee tested positive can run afoul of privacy rules or norms. - Four approaches to telling employees someone got Covid-19. ([DealBook]() - How do workers feel about the safety vs. privacy tradeoff? ([HR Dive]() - What employers are actually allowed (and not allowed) to do. ([National Law Review]() - Workplace privacy can feel like it's at odds with public health. ([Politico]() - At colleges and universities, Covid-19 reporting is largely done on a case-by-case basis, leaving a patchwork of approaches. ([WSJ]() CROSSWORD Like finance? You'll love the theme to this week's Brew Crossword, brought to you by reader Glen Anderson. [Play the crossword here](. Think you have what it takes to make a puzzle? Check out our [crossword guidelines]( then submit your own.  SHARE THE BREW You only need 5 more referrals to receive Morning Brew stickers. If there’s one thing we know about laptops, it’s that they hate being naked. Get your comp some fresh Morning Brew stickers. [Click here to get free swag.]( Hit the button below to learn more and access your rewards hub. [Click to Share]( Or copy & paste your referral link to others: [morningbrew.com/daily/r/?kid=4904f90a](             Written by [Alex Hickey]( and [Neal Freyman]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. WANT MORE BREW?  Retail newsletter → [Retail Brew](  Tech newsletter → [Emerging Tech Brew](  Marketing newsletter → [Marketing Brew](  Quarantine newsletter → [The Essentials](  Business podcast → [Business Casual]( [ADVERTISE]( // [CAREERS]( // [SHOP]( Update your email preferences or unsubscribe [here](. View our privacy policy [here](. Copyright ©2020 Morning Brew. All rights reserved. 40 Exchange Pl., Suite #300, New York, NY 10005