Tag Archives: Delta

The number of COVID cases in the U.S. has now surpassed 37 million, with the Delta variant currently accounting for more than 98% of newly confirmed cases in the country.  Unlike during the first waves of the coronavirus pandemic, there are significantly more children being hospitalized for COVID-19 infections amid the latest surge. “That really scares me,” Dr. James Simmons, an L.A.-based hospitalist nurse practitioner, said on Yahoo Finance Live (video above). “Kiddos who aren’t… Source link

Despite COVID-19 Delta variant fears beginning to weigh on consumer confidence and spending plans, the world’s largest retailer Walmart (WMT) says consumer behavior remains stable.  “We are not seeing a major shift in consumer behaviors at this point,” Walmart CFO Brett Biggs told Yahoo Finance when asked about current consumer trends. Biggs said the drivers of consumer spending in recent quarters — a high savings rate and rebounding jobs market — remain intact and are helping to fuel… Source link

Walmart (WMT), the world’s largest retailer, reported better-than-expected second-quarter revenue and sales results, driven by store traffic and stimulus check spending that bolstered its footprint in grocery sales in the face of surging COVID-19 infections nationwide. Here are the results versus the estimates, according to Bloomberg: Adjusted EPS: $1.78 v. $1.57 estimate Revenue: $141 billion v. $136.88 billion Walmart U.S. comp-store sales (excluding gas): 5.2% v. 3.12% estimate Walmart U.S…. Source link

As entrepreneurs navigate the changed economic landscape of the COVID-19 era, small U.S. businesses are increasingly pessimistic about the recovery — and are still scrambling to fill open jobs in a way that’s impacting their ability to function. Last week, the National Federation of Independent Businesses that its Small Business Optimism Index dropped 2.8 points in July to 99.7, reversing the gain from the previous month. Bill Dunkelberg, the NFIB’s chief economist, said in a statement… Source link

As the highly transmissible Delta variant spreads, Texas currently accounts for nearly 15% of the country’s COVID-19 hospitalizations. A surge in patients has pushed some hospital systems to their limits, with several quickly running out of ICU beds. “Hospitals across Texas are sounding the alarm in ways we have not seen in the other surges,” Dr. Sara Andrabi, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told Yahoo Finance Live. “There are more than 10,000… Source link

Aug 9 (Reuters) – The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.    Moderna’s vaccine may be best against Delta    The mRNA vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech may be less effective than Moderna’s against the Delta variant of the coronavirus, according to two reports posted on medRxiv on Sunday ahead of peer review. In a study of more than 50,000 patients in the Mayo Clinic Health System… Source link

Increased public focus on the Delta variant has coincided with slowed spending in key sectors, according to a JPMorgan (JPM) Research report by senior economist Jesse Edgerton and economist Peter McCrory. “COVID case counts are still growing rapidly, even in highly-vaccinated states,” the report reads. “Google (GOOG, GOOGL) search data suggest that public focus on the Delta variant has intensified in recent weeks, and Chase card spending in some travel and entertainment categories has… Source link

A Los Angeles official is spearheading a COVID-19 vaccine passport initiative similar to one New York City announced this week, as the more contagious Delta variant adds to more hospitalizations and deaths, which is complicating reopening plans around the country. The Big Apple will soon require proof of vaccination in restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and gyms — becoming the first major U.S. city to do so — as the more contagious Delta variant continues to spread, primarily among… Source link

(Bloomberg) — The spread of the delta coronavirus variant has pushed the threshold for herd immunity to well over 80% and potentially almost 90%, the Infectious Diseases Society of America said. U.S. President Joe Biden criticized the pandemic response of the Florida and Texas governors, both Republicans. The two states account for about a third of all new U.S. cases in the past week. Thailand had record deaths and cases, while Australia found a case in the far-north city of Cairns. Hong Kong… Source link

Top economic policymakers are facing a critical question: Will the Delta variant hold back the more than 6 million Americans still sidelined from work compared to pre-pandemic levels? Child care concerns and enhanced unemployment insurance benefits are often cited as top reasons for hesitancy in returning to work. But a third reason is fear of contracting the virus, a factor likely to be amplified by the spread of the more contagious Delta variant. At the Federal Reserve, the policymakers… Source link