Updates on Unemployment, Possible Treatments During the Pandemic

Over 1,000 people in the U.S. died from COVID-19 yesterday bringing the country’s total to over 108,000. With COVID-19 still affecting the nation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released May’s job report this morning. Initially, a 20% unemployment rate was predicted. This would’ve been a record high and nearly three times the number of jobs lost in the 2008 financial crisis. However, the report actually revealed 13.3% instead, as 2.5 million jobs were regained. This is a major surprise, especially after April’s numbers revealed 20.7 million jobs were lost for a rate of 14.7%. News on the treatment front isn’t as positive, however. The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine have requested their recent hydroxychloroquine studies be retracted. Major medical journals don’t do this often, however both used data from the same corporation who was unable to provide further information needed in order to verify the studies. It’s now believed the data may be inaccurate.