Election Undecided | Decoding Covid-19 Diagnostics | Dog Cancer Treatment

Plus: Study Links Trump Rallies To Over 700 Covid-19 Deaths, But There Are Caveats

The presidential election is undecided as of this morning, as several states continue to count ballots. The state-by-state results so far can be found here. Both candidates spent a lot of air time discussing the Affordable Care Act with President Donald Trump wanting to dismantle it and former Vice President Joe Biden wanting to strengthen it. But the future of the law is actually in the hands of the Supreme Court, which is set to hear arguments on November 10. 

Nine states had healthcare-related measures on the ballot this year, ranging from medical marijuana to taxes on tobacco products to fund healthcare programs. Colorado citizens rejected proposition 115, which would have banned abortion after 22 weeks of gestation. Colorado is one of the few states where there are no time restrictions on abortions. In California, votes are still being counted on proposition 14, which would authorize $5.5 billion in bonds for stem cell research in the state. Those in favor are in the lead as of this morning. You can find a roundup of the state ballot measures here.

Any questions? Send me an email at kjennings@forbes.com.

The recent White House Covid-19 outbreaks illustrate the limits of what diagnostics can and can’t tell us. There will always be lag time from virus exposure to a positive test result—and this window varies depending on the type of test. That’s concerning because it’s possible someone might be infectious before it shows up on a test, but the truth is, we just don’t know yet when exactly a person starts to be contagious. But that doesn’t make tests a useless tool in containing the pandemic. Far from it. Experts say what’s more important is the overall strategy and combining different tests. Plus, the rapid development of new technologies means the testing landscape—and resulting public health strategies—could look very different in a few short months. 

Noteworthy

Here’s a breakdown of the hidden costs of Covid-19 hospitalizations, including $73,000 for the average hospital stay. 

Not everyone is a Covid-19 expert. Learn about “epistemic trespassing,” where an expert in one field moves into a different field and passes judgment.

If you or someone you know finds themselves in the hospital during a future election, be sure to get in touch with non-partisan Patient Voting, which can help with emergency absentee ballots. 

One Health has raised $10 million to improve cancer treatments for dogs—in ways that could improve care in humans as well.

Eric Green, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, explains how genome sequencing went from $1 billion a pop to under $1,000. 

Health insurer Humana saw profits nearly double to $1.76 billion in the third quarter with enrollees still not seeking medical treatment during the Covid-19 pandemic quite like they have in the past.

An international group of researchers sequenced and analyzed DNA from 426 individuals across Africa, finding more than three million previously undescribed variants.

Across Forbes

• Silver Lining: How Covid-19 Pushed A 150-Year Old Thread Maker To Pivot From Anti-Stink Clothes To Virus Fighting

• Black Women Were Among The Fastest-Growing Entrepreneurs—Then Covid-19 Arrived

• Did A Black Hole Give Birth To Our Universe?

• Scientists Report First Case Of Cancer In An Extinct Non-Human Mammal

What Else We Are Reading

• The life and death of a boy whose diagnosis brought hope to other patients (STAT)

• J. Michael Lane, epidemiologist who helped conquer smallpox, dies at 84 (The Washington Post)

• Hims Built a $1.6 Billion Online Empire By Pushing Prescriptions (Bloomberg)