1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to Prognosis. I'm Laura Carlson. It's stayed two and 2 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:11,720 Speaker 1: nineteen since coronavirus was declared a global pandemic. Today's main story. 3 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: The NBA Championships this week were caused for celebration for 4 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 1: Lakers fans, but they also marked a victory over the virus. 5 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: The league's bubble strategy resulted in not a single COVID 6 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:31,639 Speaker 1: infection among players or staff. So how well do bubbles 7 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: work and what can we learn from them? But first, 8 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: here's what happened in virus news today. Vizer said it 9 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: could seek emergency use authorization for its COVID nineteen vaccine 10 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: in the US as soon as late November. That's if 11 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: the shot is shown to be effective in a large 12 00:00:55,680 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: late stage trial. That timing squelches any notion that a 13 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: vaccine could be cleared in the US before election day. 14 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: The timeline will be dictated by safety reviews, with the 15 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 1: Food and Drug Administration requiring that at least half the 16 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: study participants be watched for side effects for two months. 17 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 1: That milestone should be achieved in the third week of November. 18 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:24,759 Speaker 1: According to an open letter published on the company's website 19 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 1: today from viser chief Executive Officer Albert Boula. Residents in 20 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: London and Paris are bracing for tighter curbs on social 21 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: activity starting tomorrow. Governments across Europe are attempting to get 22 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: a new wave of coronavirus infections in check without crippling 23 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: their economies. Cases are heading daily records around the region, 24 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: and Britain and France are two of the worst affected nations. 25 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: Londoners will be banned from mixing with other households indoors, 26 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: while the residents of Paris and eight other major cities 27 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: in France will be confined to their homes at night 28 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 1: for four weeks. Finally, a new study that has not 29 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: yet been peer reviewed suggests the drug m desevie has 30 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 1: no substantial effect on a patient's chances of survival. A 31 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: clinical trial by the World Health Organization that studied rum 32 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:27,679 Speaker 1: desevere and several other anti viral treatments, including hydroxy chloroquine, 33 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: opinevere and interferon, found that none substantially affected mortality reduced 34 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 1: the need for ventilators. According to the Financial Times, results 35 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: also showed that the drugs had little effect on how 36 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: long patients stayed in the hospital and now for today's 37 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 1: main story. The Los Angeles Lakers took home the NBA 38 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: championship this week, but the close of the season also 39 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: marked a bigctory for the league itself. The NBA played 40 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: its finals in a unique environment that came to be 41 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: known as the Bubble. Players were frequently tested and social 42 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 1: distancing was heavily enforced, and the experiment worked. The NBA 43 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: did not report a single positive coronavirus case from players 44 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: or staff. I spoke to reporters am A. Court and 45 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: Brandon catch cod In about what's next for the league 46 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: and whether other organizations can replicate its success. The NBA 47 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: kept teams on the Disney World grounds and used wearable 48 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: technology like the Aora ring, which claims to detect early symptoms. 49 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: They were also tested nearly every day using highly sensitive tests. 50 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 1: Have any other sports leagues used similar measures? Yeah? I think. 51 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: I think there's been debates about whether the or ring 52 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: actually works in terms of determining the early onset. What 53 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: was picked up on by other leagues though, UM, the 54 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: NFL and UH the Southeastern Conference in college football were 55 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: a similar technology called these connects on devices, and that 56 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: was it was basically, UM, you know, a wearable contact 57 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 1: tracing device, and so it would you know, it like 58 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 1: lights up when people get within six ft of each other. 59 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: It keeps track of whether people are able to enter 60 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: certain parts of a building or the stadium, and then 61 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: obviously attracts who were you close by. So certain elements 62 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: of this are found, um, like I said, in the 63 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 1: NFL and in college football. But whether the or ring 64 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 1: was able to actually detect early on set of symptoms, 65 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: I think that's still up for debate and sort of questionable. 66 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 1: And this is like the Holy Grail, right, We're talking 67 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: about figuring out if people are sick, tracking people who 68 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:03,719 Speaker 1: are sick using technology. This is something that would be 69 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: really widely applicable if we can figure out that it works. 70 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: And I think what's interesting about why you're seeing these 71 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: groups being used to test out the technology is that 72 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: other parts of society aren't being tested nearly as much. Right, 73 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: we don't have this kind of data on on you know, 74 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: less valuable athletes for instance, are regular people walking around 75 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 1: in the US. Yeah, that's a great point. I'm with. 76 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: You know, this is one of the things the NBA 77 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: has kind of consistently tried to put out there is 78 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: that you know, in the wake of the controversy around 79 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: should athletes testing be prioritized in this issue of you know, 80 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: whether they're daily testing regiment was taking up you know, 81 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: valuable laboratory capacity from the general public. Their argument has 82 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,919 Speaker 1: always been, we're in a sense of laboratory and we're 83 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: you know, kind of not that they've used the term, 84 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: but in a sense guinea pigs for some of these 85 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 1: technologies and strategies. And you know, we saw that with 86 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,719 Speaker 1: their they're teaming up with the Yale Laboratory around the 87 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 1: saliva testing, which you know, the NBA has been very 88 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 1: proud and sort of tout that advancement. I just wanted 89 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: to piggyback off of that, which is a really good point, Brandon. 90 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: And actually a new kind of coronavirus test was pioneered 91 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 1: using the NBA. It's uh, you may have heard of it. 92 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: It's affiliated with Yale as well. Um and this test 93 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: uses saliva to detect um COVID nineteen. And what's really 94 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: interesting about it, and we've seen some other, um, you know, 95 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: versions of this test being used at the University of 96 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: Illinois at Champagne Urbana for instance, is that this test 97 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 1: lets you kind of skip a step as you process 98 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,679 Speaker 1: the test, so it allows for much faster turnaround time. 99 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: It's easy to collect, right you spit into a tube 100 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 1: UM and it's really quite cheap. And it also allows 101 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 1: you to use different kinds of brands of testing equipment 102 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: UM in your while processing it in the lab, so 103 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 1: you don't need to be reliable on a single source 104 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: for these chemicals called reagents for instance. It kind of 105 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 1: hacks the traditional PCR test model and makes it a 106 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: lot cheaper, easier to process, and you know, more accessible. 107 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 1: And so, you know, continuing on that topic, it does 108 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: seem that with all this technology, all this kind of 109 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: investment in testing, the NBA didn't report one single positive 110 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: coronavirus case. I mean, what do you think what made 111 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 1: the bubble so successful? I mean, if I think it's 112 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 1: mostly that they had control of their environment, and you 113 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:45,679 Speaker 1: know they had the daily testing, but you know, people 114 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: from Disney coming in, coming out, they were tested. You know, 115 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: the contact with other people was limited. The NBA took 116 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 1: very seriously that when people left the bubble they had 117 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: to go into Attende quarantine. So they were super strict 118 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 1: about these things. And you know, they did something that 119 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: everyday Americans can't do. And that's you know, totally control 120 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: the environment. And they had access to resources that, as 121 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: you point out, many Americans don't have access to, you know, 122 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: being able to quarantine before you go to work, for instance, 123 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: or as you leave work and go into the community, 124 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 1: Like that's pretty amazing. And um, I think also the 125 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 1: access to testing is a big one. I mean, we've 126 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: seen that overall picture change a lot. In the US, 127 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 1: there's a lot better access to testing, especially if you're 128 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 1: symptomatic person. But you know, testing people, you know, as 129 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: frequently as every other day, that's not something that's even 130 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 1: close to the reality for most people in the United States. 131 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: Most people in the United States maybe they've been tested once, 132 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: if at all. And let's think about it also in 133 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:53,320 Speaker 1: terms of other sports leagues, you know, other sports other 134 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: um safe professional college sports are having a real tough 135 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 1: time with preventing outbreaks, preventing positive cases. Is it possible 136 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: for other leagues to create their own bubbles that are 137 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: as successful as the NBA's has been. Well, we saw 138 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: the NHL do a similar bubble. They just had it 139 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 1: on across two cities in Edmonton and Toronto. So there's 140 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:21,680 Speaker 1: a parallel there. But with regard to things like baseball 141 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: in the NFL, you know, there are disadvantages that the 142 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: NBA didn't have, and and some of those are just 143 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: you know, bigger roster sizes mean many more people that 144 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,559 Speaker 1: you know would have to be included in a bubble. Um. 145 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:37,319 Speaker 1: Baseball plays sixty games. I mean, the the NBA and 146 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 1: the NHL had an advantage where they were very close 147 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: to their playoffs, so this wasn't something where they would 148 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: have to play, you know, in the NFL's case, like 149 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 1: a regular season of four or five months. Um. And 150 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 1: the other thing is just you know, Disney took the 151 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: prime real estate here. I mean, you couldn't have hoped 152 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: for anywhere better than than Disney, where you have all 153 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 1: these hotels, you have the capacity to have the many 154 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 1: people on site. Um. For someone like baseball, I mean, 155 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: there's just no there was no equivalent place to go. 156 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,559 Speaker 1: I mean some of the early talk was about putting 157 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 1: all these teams in Arizona. Well, they would have been 158 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,120 Speaker 1: playing the season in July and August in Arizona and 159 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 1: there's only one temperature controlled stadium there. So you know 160 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 1: the idea of having a bunch of these uh, these 161 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: games held when temperatures are a hundred hundred five ten degrees. Uh, 162 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: you know, quickly sort of becomes inconceivable. And then with 163 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 1: the NFL, I mean again, it's just the sheer size 164 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: of these rosters and the idea of where are you 165 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 1: going to find enough football fields? I mean, just just 166 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: thinking about it in terms of the size of a 167 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 1: football field versus a basketball field. Um, there's just there's 168 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:46,960 Speaker 1: nowhere else that you could create a bubble like this, 169 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 1: and there's really just not there's not another sport where 170 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:54,959 Speaker 1: where there's this many fields available. Has the NBA announced 171 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 1: anything in terms of its plans for the next season, 172 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:00,320 Speaker 1: if it's going to go the bubble route or any 173 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:05,079 Speaker 1: other any other logistical plan. They haven't yet. And and 174 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 1: they haven't even set when the start date for the 175 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,439 Speaker 1: new season will be. It was initially expected like maybe 176 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: it would be on Christmas Day, um, and now it's 177 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: looking closer towards January. And a lot of this has 178 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:19,680 Speaker 1: to do with the fact is, you know, let's be 179 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: serious here, the NBA lost a ton of money because 180 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 1: of this. I mean, they lost all of the fans 181 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 1: and attendance. They don't want to do this again. That 182 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 1: this isn't something where this is a proof of concept 183 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: and hey, you know, if we have to, we'll go 184 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:34,680 Speaker 1: back to it. There's a significant amount of money on 185 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:37,199 Speaker 1: the line here. There was a significant cost of a 186 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:40,199 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty million was was what was reported for this, 187 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: and you know, they don't want to play another season 188 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,960 Speaker 1: without fans, So the idea of doing a bubble again 189 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 1: to me just seems like a non starter. So, as 190 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:53,599 Speaker 1: you both have mentioned, you know, this was a scenario 191 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:58,960 Speaker 1: that was fairly unique, fairly expensive, and not something that 192 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 1: maybe a will to be replicated, either in another sport 193 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: or in general. But is there anything that we can 194 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,960 Speaker 1: take away from what we've seen in the NBA bubble? 195 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: Is there something that the public can take away from 196 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: how the NBA handled the virus, either when it comes 197 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 1: to testing or the social distancing rules that they were enforcing. 198 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 1: I think to start, it's quite hopeful to have an 199 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: example of where things did go well, because we haven't. 200 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 1: We haven't had a whole lot of that lately. And 201 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:33,400 Speaker 1: um I note that the NBA bubble was conducted, you know, 202 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:36,200 Speaker 1: it started in the summer, and it was conducted in Florida, 203 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 1: So we're talking about it happening also in a state 204 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: that at the time was a real you know, becoming 205 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 1: a real hot spot and so their success, you know, 206 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: it really does say something that was Emma Cord and 207 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 1: Brandon catch coded. And that's it for our show today. 208 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 1: For coverage of the out from one D and twenty 209 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 1: bureaus around the world, visit Bloomberg dot com slash Coronavirus 210 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:08,680 Speaker 1: and if you like the show, please leave us a 211 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: review and a ragging on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It's 212 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: the best way to help more listeners find our global reporting. 213 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:21,439 Speaker 1: The Prognosis Daily edition is produced by Topha foreheads Jordan Gaspore, 214 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 1: Magnus and Rickson and me Laura Carlson. Today's main story 215 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:30,319 Speaker 1: was reported by Emma Court and Brandon Cotch Cooden. Original 216 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 1: music by Leo Sidran. Our editors are Francesca Levi and 217 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:39,559 Speaker 1: Rick Shine. Francesca Levi is Bloomberg's head of podcasts. Thanks 218 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: for listening.