Aug 30: Alexander continues to push Dr. Fauci’s press team to downplay the risk of children contracting and spreading the coronavirus. In emails obtained by Politico, a NIAID scientist refutes Alexander’s claim that the coronavirus poses “zero” risk to children, citing multiple studies indicating that spread occurs among children.  Alexander replies by stating that wearing masks would be “traumatic” for children and retorting that there is “little, if any evidence” the children are at risk for contracting or spreading the coronavirus. Someone is shot and killed during protests in Oregon. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) urges President Trump to “reconsider” his plan to visit the city of Kenosha as protests continue over the shooting of Jacob Blake

Aug 31: HHS Secretary Alex Azar revokes the FDA’s ability to check the quality of tests developed by individual labs. Alex Azar unilaterally changes the CDC’s ability to check the quality of tests used by individual labs, Politico reports. While the move had been supported by universities and private labs in the past, the change was reportedly objected to by FDA Chief Stephan Hahn as well as other experts who believed that the decision risked allowing inaccurate tests into the market during a public health crisis. Politico reports that the tension between Azar and Hahn rose to “screaming matches” over the issue. 

Sep 1: The United States says it will not participate in an initiative by the WHO to develop, make, and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine. COVAX, with 172 countries participating, was launched so that an eventual vaccine could be distributed evenly to poor and developing countries. U.S. Health and Human services announces that it will launch a massive, $250m marketing campaign to “defeat despair.” Immediately, pundits on the left speculate that this is a GOP partisan plan to diffuse concern over the virus and amplify support for Trump.