Forbes - America Votes While Covid Surges

Plus: WHO Director Dr. Tedros isolates after Covid-19 contact

It’s November 2nd, which means that in the United States it’s Election Day eve. While everybody seems to be talking about politics right now, it’s still impossible to forget that we are in the middle of an unprecedented global pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic has been an important point of contention during the election season, and even until the last possible moment Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, are criticizing President Trump’s handling of the crisis. President Trump meanwhile seems to be interested in making some changes should he get reelected this week. At a rally in Florida late last night, the President suggested that he might fire popular NIAID Director Anthony Fauci soon after the election. 

While the election is front-of-mind for Americans, other countries are facing their own battles. With Covid-19 cases surging around the world, several countries including Italy, England and Colombia have had to implement more restrictive lockdown measures again.

Business

The Dow rebounded 400 points today, but full economic recovery is still a long way off. 

The U.S. government announced that pharmacy technicians and interns will be allowed to administer Covid-19 vaccines, a major win for drug stores like CVS and Walgreens.

Science & Health

A team of German scientists found that about 50% of citizens in that country are in favor of mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations. 

Both NIAID Director Anthony Fauci and former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb have warned in recent days that the pandemic will only continue to get worse during the upcoming winter. 

Researchers at MIT are working on a new AI model that can tell if coughs are due to Covid-19 or some other illness.

On The Upside

Voting From The Hospital: A surge of Covid-19 cases means that thousands of Americans are in the hospital -- but that doesn’t mean they can’t vote. Here’s all you need to know about how hospitals are helping patients participate in the election.