The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Senate passes $484 billion coronavirus aid package; Chloroquine linked to higher death rate, study says

Estefania Castaneda, an EMT in North Bergen, N.J., described the worry and weariness she feels after weeks of coronavirus calls. (Video: The Washington Post, Photo: Bryan Anselm/The Washington Post)
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April 21, 2020 at 11:25 p.m. EDT

Hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malarial drug Trump has touted as a “game changer" in treating covid-19, had no benefit and was linked to higher rates of death for Veterans Affairs patients, according to a study.

The U.S. surpassed 800,000 confirmed cases, with more than 44,000 reported deaths. Globally, countries have reported 2.5 million infections and more than 175,000 covid-19 deaths.

Here are some significant developments:

  • The Senate passed a $484 billion bill to replenish a small-business loan program and boost spending for hospitals and coronavirus testing. The House plans to vote on the measure Thursday.
  • President Trump said he will sign an executive order to suspend immigration to the U.S. for 60 days, a ban that would be unprecedented in the country’s history.
  • A second wave of the novel coronavirus will be far more dire, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Tuesday, as a few governors begin scaling back restrictions and restarting their economies.
  • Cratering oil prices drove the Dow down more than 600 points, a sign that oil markets and the global economy may not stabilize for months.
  • The Food and Drug Administration approved the first coronavirus test that allows patients to collect nasal samples at home to mail in for testing.
  • Munich’s Oktoberfest event and Pamplona’s annual running of the bulls were canceled. The Scripps National Spelling Bee outside Washington will not be held for the first time since 1945.

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Coronavirus: What you need to know

Where do things stand? See the latest covid numbers in the U.S. and across the world. In the U.S., pandemic trends have shifted and now White people are more likely to die from covid than Black people.

The state of public health: Conservative and libertarian forces have defanged much of the nation’s public health system through legislation and litigation as the world staggers into the fourth year of covid.

Grief and the pandemic: A Washington Post reporter covered the coronavirus — and then endured the death of her mother from covid-19. She offers a window into grief and resilience.

Would we shut down again? What will the United States do the next time a deadly virus comes knocking on the door?

Vaccines: The CDC recommends that everyone age 5 and older get an updated covid booster shot. New federal data shows adults who received the updated shots cut their risk of being hospitalized with covid-19 by 50 percent. Here’s guidance on when you should get the omicron booster and how vaccine efficacy could be affected by your prior infections.

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