Coronavirus Watch: They had a pact

Detroit Free Press
·3 min read
Americans continue to trust the expertise of medical experts such as White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci, writes columnist Robert Pawlicki.
Americans continue to trust the expertise of medical experts such as White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci, writes columnist Robert Pawlicki.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Deborah Birx and other members of President Trump's coronavirus response team reportedly had a pact.

As members of the coronavirus task force team, they formed a pact to resign together if any member was removed from the team. That's according to a new book from Dr. Birx, coronavirus response coordinator during the Trump administration.

Here's more on her book and the moment she said she felt "paralyzed" by an unexpected moment.

It's Wednesday and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Detroit Free Press. Thanks for joining us today.

Here are more headlines:

Locked down in Shanghai

A woman looks out the window of a residential building during a Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown in the Jing'an district in Shanghai on April 23, 2022.
A woman looks out the window of a residential building during a Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown in the Jing'an district in Shanghai on April 23, 2022.

China is facing the largest COVID-19 outbreak since 2020, and residents in Shanghai have not been able to leave their homes or buy groceries for weeks. Starting late February, the country has seen a spike in daily positive cases.

Within areas under lockdown, residents are not allowed to leave their apartments. And deliveries, including packages and food, are not allowed to enter residential neighborhoods. Public transportation and grocery stores are closed. Businesses, with the exception of major utility industries, closed for in-person work.

Residents must order food in advance or wait for government drop-offs. But strict rules mean limited delivery capacity into the lockdown areas, leaving many residents hungry and wondering when their next meal may come.

Here's a much closer look at the situation in Shanghai as cases continue to grow.

COVID-19 and smell

Elizabeth Byland and her husband Todd Murray. Byland caught COVID-19 last summer and still hasn't fully regained her sense of smell or taste.
Elizabeth Byland and her husband Todd Murray. Byland caught COVID-19 last summer and still hasn't fully regained her sense of smell or taste.

Loss of smell and taste was a distinguishing feature of early COVID-19. But as different variants became dominant, less and less people lost their sense of smell after being infected.

Now, scientists are starting to figure out why and what that means going forward.

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And because I love to end these newsletters with a smile, get ready for this one. You can thank my love of TikTok.

Your taxes are likely filed by now. Some of us got refunds, some of us had to pay up. But for this kiddo, taxes are just the worst. We feel you, little man. Take a couple seconds to watch.

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Stay safe,

Elissa Robinson, Detroit Free Press Web Editor

💻 Now go ahead and scroll down for more COVID-19 news you might've missed.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Coronavirus Watch: They had a pact