COVID-19: Also notedCoronavirus’s Biosecurity Lessons | Drones Spray Disinfectants | Killing Virus Research Funding, and more

Biosecurity Is the Lesson We Need to Learn from the Coronavirus Pandemic (Daniel M. Gerstein and James Giordano, National Interest)
Biological outbreaks have been a fear among experts for decades. The ever-increasing encroachment upon natural habitats has resulted in zoonotic disease spillover to humans.

Trump Says More Testing Makes U.S.“Look Bad,” but Its Availability Remains A Concern (NPR)
Trump has touted the overall number of tests that have been conducted in the country — now more than 8 million. But at times he’s read a different message in them.
“If we did very little testing, [America] wouldn’t have the most cases,” Trump said Wednesday. “So, in a way, by doing all of this testing, we make ourselves look bad.”
And Trump’s reservations about testing appear to be rooted in politics. Trump said Friday he believes some Democrats hope the economy doesn’t bounce back.
Experts note that Trump’s focus on how the pandemic makes him and the nation look doesn’t get the country closer to being prepared and able to live with the coronavirus.
“We have to figure out how to live with this virus, and that’s what we’re not doing,” Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday.

India Uses Drones to Disinfect Virus Hotspot as Cases Surge (AFP)
Indian authorities used drones and fire engines to disinfect the pandemic-hit city of Ahmedabad on Saturday, as virus cases surged and police clashed with migrant workers protesting against a reinforced lockdown.

In the Early Days of the Pandemic, the U.S. Government Turned Down an Offer to Manufacture Millions of N95 Masks in America (Aaron C. Davis, Washington Post)
It was Jan. 22, a day after the first case of covid-19 was detected in the United States, and orders were pouring into Michael Bowen’s company outside Fort Worth, some from as far away as Hong Kong.
Bowen’s medical supply company, Prestige Ameritech, could ramp up production to make an additional 1.7 million N95 masks a week. He viewed the shrinking domestic production of medical masks as a national security issue, though, and he wanted to give the federal government first dibs.
But communications over several days with senior agency officials — including Robert Kad­lec, the assistant secretary for preparedness and emergency response — left Bowen with the clear impression that there was little immediate interest in his offer.
Bowen’s overture was described briefly in an 89-page whistleblower complaint filed this week by Rick Bright, former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Bright alleges he was retaliated against by Kadlec and other officials — including being reassigned to a lesser post — because he tried to “prioritize science and safety over political expediency.” HHS has disputed his allegations.

Why Is a Rare Illness Suddenly Spiking in Kids? And Is There a Corona Connection? (Adam Rawnsley, Daily Beast)
An increase in COVID-19-positive kids with symptoms similar to a rare inflammatory disease has left doctors scratching their heads.

Vietnam and the Indian State of Kerala Curbed COVID-19 on the Cheap (Economist)
Their secret is quick and efficient public-health systems

App Shows Promise in Tracking New Coronavirus Cases, Study Finds (Andrew Jacobs, New York Times)
The app, which allows people to record their symptoms, was remarkably effective in predicting infections. The most reliable indicators, researchers found, were loss of smell and taste.

How the Right-Wing Disinformation Loop Helped Kill Virus Research Funding (Caleb Ecarma, Vanity Fair)
Matt Gaetz floated a conspiracy theory about a public health initiative on Fox News. The White House defunded it. Then, Trump lashed out at 60 Minutes for reporting the story.