The COVID-19 History Project

This really happened.

Go to Timeline

This Day in COVID: July 21, 2020

Details

Using the right words to address racial disparities in COVID-19

The Lancet

FDA’s Ongoing Work to Support and Advance COVID-19 Diagnostic Test Accuracy and Availability

FDA's actions are providing stakeholders with more accurate information about diagnostic test performance and allowing for the rapid availability of new tests.

FDA

How Coronavirus Is Causing a Wave of ‘Broken Heart Syndrome’

It’s possible to die from a broken heart but highly unlikely. Strong emotions can lead to broken heart syndrome, high blood pressure and more.

Cleveland Clinic

9 controversial moments that led Trump to stop his White House coronavirus briefings

For the first time in nearly three months, President Trump is holding an evening briefing on the coronavirus crisis. Here are some controversial moments from the past.

ABC

Germany’s coronavirus response is a master class in science communication

Germany stood out for its strong science communication. For months, its top podcast was 'Der Coronavirus,' which provided an update on the disease from a top virologist.

CNBC

Trump shifts rhetoric as he urges mask-wearing, warns of worsening pandemic

Reuters

School reopening plans must ensure safety of custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and substitutes

We need millions more from the federal government to protect the most vulnerable school staff if we’re going to keep everyone safe in schools

Hechinger Report

Trump vs. Fauci: The president says, ‘He was wrong’; the doctor responds, ‘I don’t regret anything I said’

‘He’s a little bit of an alarmist,’ President Trump says of Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Marketwatch

Communicating with children about COVID-19

The Lancet

Dr. Anthony Fauci says he wasn’t invited to Tuesday’s White House coronavirus briefing

Fauci has faced criticism in recent weeks from President Donald Trump and other administration officials surrounding his response to the pandemic.

CNBC

Trump says coronavirus will ‘get worse before it gets better’

Financial Times

The virus and the fabulist in chief in the White House

Opinion — The U.S. urgently needs to change course on its federal response to the pandemic. But alas, there are no signs that Donald Trump wants to change.

Roll Call

Convent outside Detroit lost 13 nuns to Covid-19 with 12 dying in one month

CNN

‘These dead shall not have died in vain’: COVID’s Gettysburg moment

Those who have perished from the coronavirus cannot determine what their deaths will mean for the nation; it is, as it was amid the Civil War, for us to decide.

Rochester Beacon

Minnesota woman dies after giving birth on ventilator, battling COVID-19

Articles and videos about Minnesota woman dies after giving birth on ventilator, battling COVID-19 on FOX6 News Milwaukee | Wisconsin & Local Milwaukee News WITI.

Fox6Now

A $200 fine for not wearing a mask is fair, as long as free masks go to those in need

The Conversation

NIH delves into COVID-19 racial disparities with ‘All of Us’

LA Times

Important reason why you should never pull your face mask down to your chin

The East Midlands Ambulance Service has revealed the important reason why you should never pull your mask down to your chin

Mirror

Districts try to plan for back to school as Congress weighs additional funding

Additional coronavirus relief aid for schools is up for debate as districts race to finalize back-to-school plans for both virtual and in-person learning.

Roll Call

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: July 21, 2021

Details

AP FACT CHECK: Biden goes too far in assurances on vaccines

AP News

Antibodies offer clues about severe COVID-19 cases in children, adults | NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

NIH-funded study finds that both kids and adults with a severe COVID-19 infection may depend on the antibodies they have.

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine (.gov)

COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a rise in hunger in South Africa

Hunger is not the cause of the current social upheaval. But, taken along with other deep-rooted structural inequalities, it provides additional fuel for socio-political conflagration.

The Conversation

How the Delta variant achieves its ultrafast spread

Viral load is roughly 1,000 times higher in people infected with the Delta variant than those infected with the original coronavirus strain, according to a study in China.

Nature

Intranasal plus subcutaneous prime vaccination with a dual antigen COVID-19 vaccine elicits T-cell and antibody responses in mice - Scientific Reports

Nature

Eating disorders: The terrible impact of the pandemic on the young

Admissions soared during the pandemic, and NHS bosses warn they are running out of beds.

BBC

Home or office? Survey shows opinions about work after COVID-19

The World Economic Forum

Texas has seen nearly 9,000 COVID-19 deaths since February. All but 43 were unvaccinated people.

Preliminary data shows 99.5% of COVID-related deaths in Texas were among unvaccinated people, according to the Department of State Health Services.

The Texas Tribune

SARS-CoV-2 damages ciliated cells and inhibits mucociliary clearance in the airways

COVID-19 is a viral disease with respiratory symptoms that can induce fatal pneumonia. Understanding how SARS-CoV-2 spreads in the respiratory tract can help scientists identify the parameters controlling the severity of infection. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, the CNRS and Inserm found that SARS-CoV-2 multiplies efficiently in the respiratory tract, and that it primarily targets ciliated cells in the epithelium and destroys their motile cilia.

Institut Pasteur

Minority Mental Health Worsened During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Nearly half of all Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American and LGBTQ+ individuals say they have personally experienced increased mental health challenges over the past 12 months, but few received treatment, according to a new survey by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Do I need to wear a mask indoors in my community? Rules vary across California

One-third of California counties are now urging even fully vaccinated people to wear masks indoors as coronavirus cases continue to rise.

Los Angeles Times

‘I’m sorry, but it’s too late’: Alabama doctor on treating unvaccinated, dying COVID patients

“And now all you really see is their fear and their regret. And even though I may walk into the room thinking, ‘Okay, this is your fault, you did this to yourself,’ when I leave the room, I just see a person that's really suffering, and that is so regretful for the choice that they made.”

AL.com

Nation’s largest hospital group supports mandatory coronavirus vaccines for health workers

Washington Post

You got a coronavirus vaccine. But you still became infected. How did that happen?

Washington Post

What happens when an athlete tests positive for the coronavirus at the Olympics?

Washington Post

The Elderly vs. Essential Workers: Who Should Get the Coronavirus Vaccine First? (Published 2020)

The New York Times

Officially, the pandemic recession lasted only two months. (Published 2021)

The New York Times

Is N.Y.C. Doing Enough to Slow 3rd Virus Wave? Experts Raise Doubts. (Published 2021)

The New York Times

Time to Escalate U.S. Leadership on Covid-19 and Beyond

CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies

Why the Delta variant is spreading so much faster than other coronavirus strains | CNN

CNN

Tracking Global COVID-19 Vaccine Equity | KFF

This analysis looks at global COVID-19 vaccination efforts by income-level and region to assess the equity gap in both vaccination coverage and rates of administration. Overall, we find that low-income countries and countries are lagging behind, and based on current rates, are unlikely to meet global vaccination targets.

KFF

Coronavirus: Worst affected care homes revealed by watchdog

Figures from Care Quality Commission lay out the pandemic's 'devastating impact' on care homes in England.

BBC

Future unclear for Italy’s COVID-19 vaccine

ReiThera has released encouraging data on its vaccine candidate, but with competitors forging ahead, uncertainty about public funding, and limitations to the use of adenovirus-based vaccines, it’s been a difficult start.

Nature

Kentucky lawmaker tweets meme comparing Anthony Fauci to cult leader Jim Jones

The lawmaker said the tweet was to criticize recommendations that students wear masks in school.

NBC News

Effectiveness of Covid-19 Vaccines against the B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant

The New England Journal of Medicine

SARS-CoV-2 Human Challenge Studies — Establishing the Model during an Evolving Pandemic

The New England Journal of Medicine

Coexisting with the Coronavirus

COVID-19 is likely to become an endemic disease. How will our immune systems resist it?

The New Yorker

U.S. Life Expectancy Fell By 1.5 Years In 2020, The Biggest Drop Since WWII

The CDC says COVID-19 was the largest factor, along with drug overdoses, homicides, diabetes and chronic liver disease. The decline was even greater for Hispanic men.

NPR

Tokyo Reports Its Highest COVID-19 Numbers Since January As First Olympic Games Start

"There is an urgent need to prepare crisis management systems for hospital care," the the Tokyo Metropolitan Government says.

NPR

1st U.S. Athlete Set To Compete In Olympics Tests Positive For Coronavirus In Japan

USA Volleyball says Taylor Crabb — part of a duo that is ranked No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 4 in the world — will be replaced by another player due to his positive test.

NPR

YouTube removes Bolsonaro videos for Covid misinformation

The tech giant says its decision was based on its content policies, not on ideology or politics.

BBC

Here are the Republicans in Congress still pushing vaccine misinformation

"Don't come knocking on my door with your 'Fauci ouchie,'" Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado said. "You leave us the hell alone."

Business Insider

Which pandemic food trends are here to stay?

The pandemic reshaped what and how we eat in many ways beyond the boom in online supermarket shopping. Now, as most of the legal restrictions due to Covid-19 come to an end, could these trends become part of the new ‘new normal’?

BBC