British researchers announced Tuesday that a widely-used and inexpensive steroid called dexamethasone reduced deaths in coronavirus patients on ventilators by 35 percent, and by 20 percent in those who only needed supplemental oxygen, making it the first drug shown to save the lives of people suffering from the virus. It didn't appear to help patients who were less sick.
Cases are continuing to surge in several states, including Texas, Florida and Arizona, which all set new one-day records for confirmed cases. The number of deaths in the U.S. reached more than 116,900 as of last night, according to Johns Hopkins University's count, with more than 2,136,000 confirmed cases. Meanwhile, a Wall Street Journal analysis found that residents and staffers at nursing homes and long-term care facilities account for some 50,000 of the U.S. deaths, which is more than 40 percent.
The U.S., Canada and Mexico have agreed to extend the shutdown of their shared borders to non-essential travel by another 30 days to July 21st. The restrictions were first announced on March 18th, and extended in April and May.