Fortune August 7, 2024
It’s that time of year again, the season of road trips, pool parties, afternoon thunderstorms—and skyrocketing COVID-19 infections. The virus has spread far and wide this summer; President Joe Biden tested positive in July and, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 40 athletes at the Paris Olympics have been infected with COVID or other respiratory illnesses.
“COVID-19 is still very much with us,” Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO interim director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said during a news conference Tuesday. “Data from our sentinel-based surveillance system across 84 countries reports that the percent of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 has been rising over several weeks.”
In the U.S., infections, emergency room visits, and deaths...