The COVID-19 History Project

This really happened.

This Day in COVID: October 2, 2020

What a Positive Test Won’t Change About Trump and the Pandemic

The President’s negligence about the coronavirus is of a piece with who he is—and during Tuesday night’s debate it was easy to wonder just how many forms of harm Trump might be willing to inflict on the country.

New Yorker

Global democracy is in crisis during the coronavirus pandemic, report finds

CNN

Trump not the first president to be infected in a pandemic, Woodrow Wilson was in the same spot a century ago.

“Wilson’s wife was able to conceal his illness by setting up a bubble around him,” one historian said.

NBC

Donald Trump’s positive coronavirus test puts him in the company of Boris Johnson and Jair Bolsonaro

CNN

Azar says HHS reviewing $300M pandemic ad campaign amid scrutiny

Trump's health secretary also refused to address whether the president ordered a slowdown in coronavirus testing.

Politico

Trump Has the Coronavirus. What Risks Does He Face?

New York Times

Trump campaign says in-person events will be made virtual or postponed

Bill Stepien's memo came less than 12 hours after Trump tweeted that he and the first lady had tested positive for Covid.

Politico

At least 33 states will ask voters to wear masks at polling stations

At least 33 states and Washington, D.C. will urge or require voters to wear masks at polling stations, an ABC News survey found.

ABC

Trump’s diagnosis throws election into chaos, threatens governing crisis

CNN

Michigan Supreme Court strikes down governor’s emergency Covid powers

CNN

Trump treated with experimental antibody cocktail for COVID-19

Reuters

From HIV to Covid-19: Fauci on his 'complicated relationship' with activist Larry Kramer

The iconic AIDS activist was once the public health official's toughest critic, even calling him a 'murderer,' but the two eventually became 'dear friends.'

NBC

Trump, downplaying virus, has mocked wearing masks for months

After months of downplaying the coronavirus and resisting wearing a mask, President Donald Trump wore one as he headed to the hospital Friday afternoon.

ABC

Mask myth debunked: Face coverings don't hurt lung function or cause CO2 buildup

Masks are particularly important for people with underlying breathing problems.

NBC

Germany's Merkel wishes Trump and his wife speedy recovery: spokesman

Reuters

Britain's Northumbria University suffers mass COVID-19 outbreak

Reuters

Madrid regional authorities to lock down city in coming hours, source says

Reuters

Trump says he's 'doing very well' in video posted after leaving for military medical facility

Reuters

Putin sends Trump a telegram to wish him speedy recovery from COVID-19 - agencies cite Kremlin

Reuters

barrett-coronavirus-court-trump/

Washington Post

Flash poll: Majority says Trump wasn’t taking proper coronavirus precautions

The survey was conducted prior to the announcement that Trump would be taken to the hospital.

Politico

Staying At Walter Reed Hospital, Trump Has Started Remdesivir Therapy

The president, who tested positive for the coronavirus, 'has completed his first dose and is resting comfortably,' physician Sean Conley said in a statement.

NPR

Kellyanne Conway tests positive for coronavirus

“My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I’m feeling fine,” Conway posted on Twitter.

Politico

Pence has tested negative for coronavirus, spokesperson says

The announcement from the vice president's office comes hours after Trump revealed he had contracted Covid-19.

Politico

Trump experiencing mild Covid-19 symptoms: Why the first week matters

Trump's age and weight have doctors worried the president is at risk for severe complications.

NBC

donald-trump-masks.html

New York Times

Timeline: How Trump Has Downplayed The Coronavirus Pandemic

Here is a sampling of what the president has said and when, including that time he said a 'miracle' might make the pandemic 'disappear.'

NPR

California enacts measures to reduce Covid rates in Latino, Black, Pacific Islander communities

Latinos make up about 40% of the state's population, but about 60% of California's more than 800,000 COVID-19 cases and almost half the nearly 16,000 deaths.

NBC

Trump campaign manager tests positive for Covid-19

Bill Stepien's diagnosis is the latest blow to a reeling reelection effort. He plans to maintain control of the campaign while in quarantine.

Politico

U.S. job growth slows; nearly 4 million Americans permanently unemployed

Reuters

Trump-tests-positive-covid-48-hours-mocking-biden-wearing-mask/

For months, the president recklessly disregarded mask-wearing, and aides and supporters followed his lead. Now there’s an Oval Office outbreak.

The Intercept

Trump Takes 'Precautionary' Treatment After He And First Lady Test Positive For Virus

President Trump is 74, an age that makes him more vulnerable to the virus. The first lady, who's 50, also tested positive.

NPR

Trump Receives Experimental Drugs For COVID-19. Here's What Doctors Are Watching For

Trump has already received an infusion of Regeneron's experimental antibody cocktail. Here's a look at other treatments and tests he's likely to get as doctors monitor his condition in coming days.

NPR

Our Mission

The COVID-19 History Project is a curated archive of the events and policy decisions surrounding the emergence of COVID-19.

The pandemic era of 2020-2022 saw massive increases in restrictions on daily life—enforced by the government and by social stigma—accompanied social protests that roiled cities worldwide

In the United States alone, trillions of dollars were spent by the federal government to offset the forced closure of businesses and the devastation of normal life.

The impacts of these policy decisions are still being felt today.

Some would like us to forget the actions and people that played a significant role during the pandemic.

But we of the COVID-19 History Project don't want to forget. Through our work, we hope there will always be an archive to learn from and interpret this fascinating, disturbing, time in world history.

The Timeline

In order to learn from the mistakes of the past, and give COVID-19 decision makers the credit—both good and bad—they deserve, we have compiled a media timeline from every day of the pandemic.

We have endeavored to make the timeline comprehensive without being duplicative, following the major trends as they unfolded.

We provided analyses for each month highlighting major events, but encourage readers to make their own conclusions about these events as well.

This Day in COVID: October 2, 2021

Details

COVID-19 deaths eclipse 700,000 in U.S. as delta variant rages

It’s a milestone that by all accounts didn’t have to happen this soon. The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 700,000 late Friday — a number greater than the population of Boston. The last 100,000 deaths occurred during a time when vaccines — which overwhelmingly prevent deaths, hospitalizations and serious illness — were available to any American over the age of 12.

PBS

The summer coronavirus surge has started to ebb, but delta’s danger remains

The Washington Post

American, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue will require their employees to be vaccinated

The three airlines are joining United in mandating that workers be vaccinated against COVID-19, as the Biden administration steps up pressure on major U.S. carriers to require the shots.

NPR

UK to slash international travel ‘red list’ to just nine countries

Quarantine will no longer be required for fully vaccinated travellers from 45 other countries from later in October

The Guardian

Iranian Cleric: Coronavirus Is a Misunderstanding - Iran News Update

Iranian regime’s cleric Alireza Panahian, while insulting the entire nation, said that the coronavirus is a misunderstanding.

Iran News Update

As coronavirus cases mount and vaccine mandates spread, holdouts plague police and fire departments

The Washington Post

What would an antiviral pill mean for the fight against Covid-19? | CNN

CNN

California to Mandate Covid-19 Vaccines for All Students as Soon as Next Fall (Published 2021)

The New York Times

US mask guidance for kids is the strictest across the world

The United States’ strict mask guidance for kids goes against policies across much of the globe.

New York Post

Covid-19: Irish vaccine passports 'accelerated' jab uptake

An immunology expert says the scheme was a "a big incentive" for people to get vaccinated.

BBC

Health workers know what good care is. Pandemic burnout is getting in the way

The pandemic has intensified burnout among health care workers. They say it's eroding their passion for the job and the quality of patient care. Here's how some of them are trying to solve it.

NPR

What Even Counts as Science Writing Anymore?

The pandemic made it clear that science touches everything, and everything touches science.

The Atlantic

The psychologist who coined the phrase 'Great Resignation' reveals how he saw it coming and where he sees it going. 'Who we are as an employee and as a worker is very central to who we are.'

Texas A&M's Anthony Klotz came up with the term the "Great Resignation." He explains how the pandemic made workers rethink their lives.

Business Insider