Coronavirus parties for herd immunity are a bad idea | Coronavirus Newsletter

TL;DR: More than one million people worldwide have tested positive for the coronavirus and in preparing for a surge of local cases, Philly is setting up tent hospitals and bringing in extra staff. The shutdowns have a far-reaching economic impact, with a record 6.6 million Americans filing for unemployment last week and Pennsylvanians accounting for a significant share of those claims. In other national news, Democrats are delaying their July 2020 Milwaukee convention until the week of Aug. 17. And a few people asked us if coronavirus parties, where young people get sick on purpose for herd immunity, are a good idea. They are not.

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— Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com)

🛑 More than 1 million people worldwide have tested positive for the coronavirus.

🏥 In preparing for a surge of cases, Philly is setting up tent hospitals and bringing in extra staff.

🚮 Philly trash pickup is facing delays as sanitation employees call out from work.

💰A record 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment last week and Pennsylvanians accounted for a significant share of those claims.

🇺🇸 Democrats are delaying the July 2020 Milwaukee convention until the week of Aug. 17, but did not say whether it would be in person or virtual.

📈As of Thursday evening, there are more than 4,600 reported cases in the Philadelphia area. Track the spread here.

Pennsylvania’s unemployment claims over the last two weeks climbed to 783,331, behind only California. The state’s claims during this time are higher than all of last year’s claims, my colleague Andrew Maykuth reports.

Experts say Pennsylvania’s numbers are so high because of Gov. Tom Wolf’s early and aggressive shut down orders. For example, while most major construction sites in Pennsylvania have been idled, construction has largely continued in other states.

“Pennsylvania arguably has the most restrictive provisions as it relates to businesses continuing to operate,” said Gene Barr, president of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.

Nationally, more than 6.6 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week. That is double the amount of people who who sought this aid two weeks ago.

In Philly, there is a high concentration of low-wage service workers in the retail and hospitality industries — industries that have been hit hard by the shutdowns — leaving these employees without health-care benefits when they lose their jobs, my colleague Juliana Feliciano Reyes reports.

Many hourly workers don’t get health benefits through their jobs because it’s too expensive or not offered, so it’s hard to know exactly how many people are losing coverage.

"They just threw us to the curb,” said Phyllis Davis, 52, a concierge supervisor at the Hampton Inn near the Convention Center, who lost her job.

Some people have suggested young people should have a coronavirus party to intentionally get sick. Well, experts say that is a terrible idea.

The thinking of these pro-party people is that if young people get the virus, they will likely have mild symptoms, recover, and become immune. That would create “herd immunity,” they argue, meaning they would not be able to transmit the virus to more-vulnerable people.

A few people asked The Inquirer if this is a good idea, and my colleague Jonathan Lai set out to answer. Here’s what the experts say:

“This is a dangerous idea,” said Megan Culler Freeman, a pediatric infectious disease fellow at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. “This suggestion is a reckless approach to this disease.”

“Absolutely not,” said Jen Caudle, a family physician and professor at Rowan University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine. “It’s not that simple.”

“Young people can develop serious symptoms as badly as older people in terms of requiring hospitalization," said Jayatri Das, chief bioscientist at the Franklin Institute who received her Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Princeton University. "Not as many of them die, but in terms of hospital admissions and ICU care, we cannot assume that young people will be fine.”

So please everyone, do not get sick on purpose. And here is a gentle reminder that all of Pennsylvania has been ordered by the governor to stay at home.

🐶 Honey the dog brings joy and comfort to residents of this senior living center.

🏈 Two Philly sports talkers are launching a new show on SiriusXM’s Dan Patrick Radio channel.

📺 Here’s what’s on this weekend: Meghan Markle narrates a Disney show, LeVar Burton reads for grownups, and Kim Kardashian calls for justice.

If you start thinking irrational things as soon as your head hits the pillow, especially when isolated at home and worrying about the coronavirus, then my colleague Stacey Burling’s guide for how to actually get some sleep is for you.

She includes advice from experts like keeping a schedule, getting sun and exercise, and winding down hours before bedtime. Read more advice here.

Have a social distancing tip or question to share? Let us know at health@inquirer.com and your input might be featured in a future edition of this newsletter.

Lizzo is everyone’s inspiration, sending food to hospitals caring for COVID-19 patients all week.

Penn Medicine tweeted a video of the Grammy-winning singer today, in which she gives a shout out to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, thanks the workers for what they’re doing, and says “the least I could do is send y’all some lunch.”

“I loooooove you,” Lizzo sings in the video to the tune of her song “Cuz I Love You.”

Watch the video and read more about Lizzo’s lunch-sending here.

News about coronavirus is changing quickly. Go to inquirer.com/coronavirus to make sure you are seeing the newest information.