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U.S. NEWS Friday 19 June 2020
Continued from Front And no single facility in the
For one thing, the number county has come close to
of newly confirmed cas- the death toll at Life Care,
es per day has risen from which was struck unaware.
about 21,400 two weeks While it is unclear how
ago to 23,200, the AP anal- much specific treatments
ysis found. may have contributed to
And in Florida, Georgia, the decline in deaths, doc-
Texas and Arizona — states tors are trying antivirals
that loosened their stay- such as remdesivir, plasma
at-home restrictions early donated from people who
— daily deaths have been have recovered from the
quietly rising since early virus and steroids such as
June, said Ali Mokdad, pro- dexamethasone, which
fessor of health metrics sci- grabbed attention this
ences at the University of week with reports confirm-
Washington in Seattle. ing it can save the lives of
"These are not numbers. many of the sickest pa-
These are human beings," tients. While all viruses mu-
Mokdad said. "We're go- tate, scientists say the coro-
ing to see a rise in deaths in In this June 15, 2020, file photo, visitors to the River Walk pass a restaurant that has reopened in navirus so far is not chang-
many places in the United San Antonio. ing in a way that has made
States." Associated Press it less deadly.
The outbreak has killed The decline in deaths this
about 118,000 people in have been bringing down for the virus will rise. Hospi- Dr. Shmuel Shoham, a pro- spring might well be tied in
the U.S. and nearly a half- the daily death toll since talizations will then go up fessor of medicine at Johns part to warmer weather as
million worldwide, accord- mid-April, and the U.S. as a and, finally, so will deaths. Hopkins University School of people spend more time
ing to Johns Hopkins' count, whole is still seeing the posi- Several factors are be- Medicine. Lessons learned outdoors where circulating
though the real numbers tive effects, even though lieved to be pushing the from the "awful early days" air disperses the virus. But
are believed to be higher. people are starting to work, curves for deaths and cas- are now benefiting the se- that does not bode well for
Potential vaccines are in shop and eat out again. es in opposite directions. verely sick and people in the U.S. come this fall and
early stages of testing, and Doctors watching for an Rising case numbers can nursing homes, Shoham winter. Mokdad noted that
it is unlikely any will be ready uptick in deaths will be on partially be explained by said. deaths are on the rise in
before early next year. the alert for certain signals the wider availability of It looks that way in Wash- the Southern Hemisphere,
Experts note that a rise in to emerge in a specific or- testing. Mild cases, previ- ington state's King County, where it's now winter.
deaths could take awhile der, Shahpar said. ously undetected because where the first nursing home "This virus is going to have
to show up in the U.S. sta- First, cellphone data will of limits on who could be outbreak in the U.S. killed a second wave. It's go-
tistics. Stay-at-home or- show people moving tested, are now showing up 45 people at the Life Care ing to follow the pattern
ders imposed in March, around more. Next, doctors in the numbers. Center in suburban Seattle. of pneumonia," he said.
combined with the use of will report more flu-like ill- As for the drop in deaths, County data shows deaths "What we're seeing in the
face masks and other so- nesses, and the proportion "it is probably several things in similar facilities declining Southern Hemisphere will
cial-distancing measures, of people testing positive happening at once," said over the past two months. be happening here."q
Cream of Wheat, Mrs. Butterworth confront race in packaging

By DEE-ANN DURBIN ing the brand name," the Butterworth's syrup, said
AP Business Writer company said in a state- its bottles — which are
Colgate, Cream of Wheat ment. shaped like a matronly
and Mrs. Butterworth are B&G Foods Inc., which woman — are intended
the latest brands reckon- makes Cream of Wheat to evoke a "loving grand-
ing with racially charged hot cereal, said Wednes- mother." But the company
logos. day it is initiating "an imme- said it can understand that
The soul-searching comes diate review" of its pack- the packaging could be
in the wake of PepsiCo's aging. A smiling black chef misinterpreted. Critics have
announcement Wednes- holding a bowl of cereal long claimed that the bot-
day that it's renaming its has appeared on Cream tle's design is rooted in the
Aunt Jemima syrup brand. of Wheat packaging and "mammy" stereotype.
Mars Inc. says it's also re- in ads since at least 1918, "We understand that our
viewing its Uncle Ben's rice according to the compa- actions help play an im-
brand. In this Nov. 20, 2007 file photo, bottles of Mrs. Butterworth's syrup ny's web site. portant role in eliminating
New York-based Colgate- are displayed on a supermarket shelf in Basking Ridge, N.J. "We understand there are racial bias and as a result,
Palmolive Co. said Thurs- Associated Press concerns regarding the we have begun a com-
day it is working with its Chef image, and we are plete brand and packag-
Chinese partner, Hawley a wide smile; a Hawey & name of the toothpaste committed to evaluating ing review on Mrs. Butter-
& Hazel Chemical Co., on Hazel executive came up was changed to Darlie and our packaging and will worth's," Conagra said in
changes to its Darlie brand with the logo after visiting the logo was changed to proactively take steps to a statement. The changes
toothpaste. the United States and see- a racially ambiguous figure ensure that we and our are the latest signal of
The toothpaste, which ing Al Jolson perform. The in a top hat. But Colgate brands do not inadvertent- the powerful cultural mo-
is popular in Asia, was Chinese name on the box said the product is under ly contribute to systemic ment unleashed by the
called Darkie when it translated to "black man further review. racism," Parsippany, New Black Lives Matter protests,
was first introduced in the toothpaste." "We are currently working Jersey-based B&G said in which have spread around
1930s. Packages featured Colgate-Palmolive ac- with our partner to review a statement. the world and prompted
a drawing of a minstrel quired a 50% stake in Haw- and further evolve all as- Chicago-based Conagra companies to rethink their
singer in blackface with ley in 1985. In 1989, the pects of the brand, includ- Brands, which makes Mrs. policies and products.q