News by the numbers: April 27–May 3
Stacker distills the week's news from around the world into key facts and figures. Click through to read more about some of the biggest headlines of the last week.
Berkshire Hathaway reports nearly $50 billion loss in first quarter
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc, founded and operated by Warren Buffet, reported a first-quarter pandemic-related loss amounting to $49.7 billion—the single-largest quarterly loss in the business' history. On the heels of that announcement, the company sold off its shares in the largest U.S. airlines, United, Delta, Southwest, and American.
3.8 million more Americans file for unemployment
An additional 3.8 million more people filed for unemployment for the week ending April 18, putting the six-week total at over 30 million, according to a report released on Thursday by the Department of Labor. Roughly 12.4% of the U.S. workforce has filed for unemployment.
U.S. surpasses 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases
The U.S. surpassed 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 cases last week, accounting for roughly one-third of the global total, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
890 Tyson Food employees test positive for COVID-19
Close to 900 Tyson Food employees—roughly 40% of the total workforce at the Logansport, Indiana, food plant—have tested positive for COVID-19. News of the outbreak came days after President Trump signed an executive order making meat processing plants critical infrastructure. The plant was shut down for 14 days to contain the outbreak and is set to reopen, at limited capacity and with new safety measures, this week.
More than 50% of U.S. states will begin reopening
More than 50% of state governors have decided to begin the process of lifting shelter-in-place restrictions. While many citizens are somewhat or very worried about the spread of COVID-19, there is also significant concern over the economic impact of the pandemic, leading to the decision to reopen in many states.
Remdesivir reduces COVD-19 recovery time by 4 days, on average
A major study sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases found that Remdesivir, an experimental drug produced by Gilead Science to treat COVID-19, shortened the recovery times of patients hospitalized with the virus by an average of four days. The drug has been tested only on those hospitalized with moderate to severe illness via IV. While more data is needed to definitively determine the effectiveness of the drug, the FDA on Friday approved Remdesivir for emergency use.
Hearings for asylum seekers held in Mexico suspended for 1 month
The Justice and Homeland Security departments announced Thursday that hearings for asylum seekers currently held in migrant shelters in Mexico will be suspended through June 1, 2020, citing COVID-19 public health concerns. It is estimated that 25,000 people are awaiting asylum hearings in Mexico.
