CNET: Face masks are thwarting even the best facial recognition algorithms, study finds. “It turns out face masks aren’t just effective at preventing the spread of airborne diseases like COVID-19 — they’re also successful at blocking facial recognition algorithms, researchers say. In a report published Monday, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology found that face masks were thwarting even the most advanced facial recognition algorithms. Error rates varied from 5% to 50%, depending on an algorithm’s capabilities.”
Monthly Archives: July 2020
Dallas Voice: A harsh lesson in the reality of COVID-19
Dallas Voice: A harsh lesson in the reality of COVID-19. “… believing the pandemic to be a hoax, my partner and I hosted family members on Saturday, June 13. On Sunday, June 14, I woke up sick. By Monday, June 15, my partner and my parents were all sick. That same Monday, my in-laws traveled to witness the birth of their first grandchild. They took with them my father-in-law’s mother and one of my partner’s sisters. That night my father-in-law became ill. Then my mother-in-law and their daughter began feeling sick. So they cut their trip short.”
Washington Post: Two coronavirus vaccines begin the last phase of testing: 30,000-person trials
Washington Post: Two coronavirus vaccines begin the last phase of testing: 30,000-person trials. “At 6:45 a.m. Monday, a volunteer in Savannah, Ga., received a shot in the arm and became the first participant in a massive human experiment that will test the effectiveness of an experimental coronavirus vaccine candidate. The vaccine is being developed by the biotechnology company Moderna in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health.”
MakeUseOf: 5+ Free Online Tests, Guides, and Resources to Overcome Burnout at Work
MakeUseOf: 5+ Free Online Tests, Guides, and Resources to Overcome Burnout at Work. “Are you feeling too tired to work, or are you suffering from burnout? Take these free tests to find out if you have burnout, and guides to learn how to deal with it. In 2019, WHO officially recognized burnout as an occupational phenomenon, so it’s not just ‘in your mind’ anymore. There are signs of burnout to watch out for, and techniques to overcome burnout in your professional life. To begin, there are a few online tests you can take, free ebooks you can pick up, and videos you can watch.”
New York Times: Masks May Reduce Viral Dose, Some Experts Say
New York Times: Masks May Reduce Viral Dose, Some Experts Say. “Researchers have long known that masks can prevent people from spreading airway germs to others — findings that have driven much of the conversation around these crucial accessories during the coronavirus pandemic. But now, as cases continue to rise across the country, experts are pointing to an array of evidence suggesting that masks also protect the people wearing them, lessening the severity of symptoms, or in some instances, staving off infection entirely.”
A farmer, ‘little ghosts’ and 18,000 tobacco plants: How COVID-19 upended farming in South Korea (Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles Times: A farmer, ‘little ghosts’ and 18,000 tobacco plants: How COVID-19 upended farming in South Korea. “He was in his third hour of picking tobacco, beginning shortly after dawn at the foot of a mountain in a sleepy South Korean town. Weaving between rows lining the gentle slope, he stooped to snap off the ripe, yellow-tinged leaves from plants as tall as he. Nearby, Park Jong-bum took a break from heaving bales of tobacco onto a truck bed. He lit a cigarette beneath a cloudy sky. He had quit smoking last year, but the stresses of running a farm had hooked him again. Park and Phonsrikaew were on the second chapters of their lives: Phonsrikaew a 52-year-old Thai army captain-turned-migrant farmworker, and Park, 49, a South Korean businessman who returned to his native farming village after two decades of city life.”
BuzzFeed News: Teachers Are Organizing To Protest School Reopenings Before The Coronavirus Is Under Control
BuzzFeed News: Teachers Are Organizing To Protest School Reopenings Before The Coronavirus Is Under Control. “Teachers across the country have begun organizing protests to voice concerns about the Trump administration’s push for schools to reopen in the fall despite the coronavirus pandemic and to pressure school districts to delay the start of face-to-face instruction. Educators who have been organizing independently in cities across the United States told BuzzFeed News they’re frustrated by the Trump administration’s campaign to return to school with no national plan to keep teachers and students from spreading the coronavirus and little to no funding for personal protective equipment.”
Republican American: Black-owned businesses in state get their own website
Started in January and I apparently missed it. From the Republican American: Black-owned businesses in state get their own website. “A collaborative effort by a team of 30 volunteers, the website has a directory with links to Black-owned businesses in the state and also provides marketing resources for them. Since its launch July 1, 775 businesses, covering everything from restaurants to consultants to photographers, have signed on.”
Philadelphia Inquirer: Parties indoors are ‘playing with fire,’ N.J. governor warns; Philly outlines steps to reduce coronavirus risk in communities of color
Philadelphia Inquirer: Parties indoors are ‘playing with fire,’ N.J. governor warns; Philly outlines steps to reduce coronavirus risk in communities of color. “A house party in Stone Harbor, N.J., that has caused 25 Avalon lifeguards to quarantine; two conferences at a church in Delaware where members have tested positive for the coronavirus; a 700-person party in Jackson Township, N.J., that took police five hours to break up. Officials on Monday pleaded with people to stay outdoors, keep distanced, and wear masks if attending social gatherings. Citing a Long Beach Island party where at least 35 attendees were infected with the virus, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said people can get together but should do it outside.”
Coronavirus: England highest level of excess deaths (BBC)
BBC: Coronavirus: England highest level of excess deaths. “The UK saw some of the biggest rises in deaths rates in Europe in the months until the middle of June, official analysis shows. England saw the largest increase in death rates in Europe, with Scotland seeing the third largest increase. The Office for National Statistics says that Spain saw the highest peak in rates of death in Europe. But the UK had the longest period of above-average deaths and so overall saw higher death rates.”
Neowin: Google Maps now reminds users in the U.S. to wear a mask before going out
Neowin: Google Maps now reminds users in the U.S. to wear a mask before going out. “The feature reminds people to wear a mask outside their homes, especially in public hubs where the chance of contracting or transmitting the virus is high. It’s found within the Explore tab, where a banner tells users: ‘Wear a mask. Save lives.’ Under that banner, there’s a small button that links to Google’s coronavirus website, providing more information about COVID-19.”
CNN: NFL cancels preseason games ahead of 2020 season, commissioner says
CNN: NFL cancels preseason games ahead of 2020 season, commissioner says. “here will be no preseason games for the National Football League this year, according to an open letter published Monday by Commissioner Roger Goodell. The mandate comes as every aspect of sporting world has been affected by coronavirus. Earlier this year, the NFL had to hold its draft virtually to avoid the spread of the virus. The season is set to begin in September.”
United Farm Workers: After a death and quarter of work force infected by COVID-19, Primex letting go workers who complained & turned to UFW
United Farm Workers: After a death and quarter of work force infected by COVID-19, Primex letting go workers who complained & turned to UFW. “With one Primex Farms LLC worker dead from the novel coronavirus and a quarter of its workforce now infected, the large Wasco, Calif. pistachio and almond processing firm announced it is letting go many of the workers who complained about the failure to properly protect them and turned for help to the United Farm Workers, according to Primex employees who were informed on Thursday. The UFW is filing unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board alleging illegal retaliation for union and concerted activities.”
NPR: Irregularities in COVID Reporting Contract Award Process Raises New Questions
NPR: Irregularities in COVID Reporting Contract Award Process Raises New Questions. “An NPR investigation has found irregularities in the process by which the Trump administration awarded a multi-million dollar contract to a Pittsburgh company to collect key data about Covid-19 from the country’s hospitals. The contract is at the center of a controversy over the Administration’s decision to move that data reporting function from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — which has tracked infection information for a range of illnesses for years — to the Department of Health and Human Services.”
Bloomberg: Herd Immunity May Be Developing in Mumbai’s Poorest Areas
Bloomberg: Herd Immunity May Be Developing in Mumbai’s Poorest Areas. “Around six in ten people living in some of India’s biggest slums have antibodies for the novel coronavirus indicating they’ve recovered from infection, in what could be one of the highest population immunity levels known worldwide. The findings, from a July serological survey of 6,936 people across three suburbs in India’s financial center of Mumbai, may explain why a steep drop in infections is being seen among the closely-packed population, despite new cases accelerating overall in the hard-hit country.”