Some more Washington Post stuff about the coronavirus.

Sign up for this newsletter Read online

Important developments in the pandemic.       By Angela Fritz with Avi Selk  Email The Post's coronavirus coverage linked in this newsletter is free to access from this email.   The latest Colleges and universities that have brought students back to campus are expressing alarm about the spike in cases, with classes barely having started. “The rise we’ve seen in recent days is unacceptable, and if unchecked, threatens our ability to complete the rest of the semester on campus,” University of Alabama President Stuart Bell said Monday. Purdue University has become a national poster school for the push to bring students to campus, and if they are forced to pivot, other universities could follow. A sweeping genetic study in Massachusetts demonstrates the Russian roulette-like nature of the pandemic. Early in the U.S. outbreak, the coronavirus was carried into the Boston area more than 80 different times by different people. In most of those incidents, the virus failed to spread widely. But in one — an annual convention for the drug company Biogen — the pathogen exploded, spreading from the building across the state and eventually infecting hundreds of people from Alaska to Senegal to Luxembourg. Treatment options for covid-19 are also proving to be hit or miss, and the discussions around them are now steeped in politics as President Trump pushes hard for vaccines and therapeutics as part of his reelection bid. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn now says that he oversold one of those treatments, convalescent plasma, as he announced its emergency approval with the president Sunday night. “I have been criticized for remarks I made Sunday night about the benefits of convalescent plasma,” Hahn said. “The criticism is entirely justified.” The Environmental Protection Agency has approved a coronavirus cleanser for emergency use in Texas. The manufacturer says it can be effective for up to seven days, but cautions it's “not a replacement for routine cleaning and disinfection.” Texas-based American Airlines will be the first airline to try it on high-touch surfaces such as seats, tray tables and overhead bin doors.  Thousands of people are expected to descend on the nation's capital this week for political and civil rights demonstrations, and D.C. officials are urging caution and warning of increased spread among people in their 20s and 30s. The city has 30 states it sees as “high-risk” and asks that people traveling from those places isolate for 14 days after arrival. A fireworks display is scheduled for Thursday night to celebrate the end of the Republican National Convention, followed by at least a dozen demonstrations Friday calling for an overhaul of the criminal justice system and racial equity. Other important news A new study on popular neck gaiters draws pushback, highlighting the challenges of testing mask effectiveness. Everything you need to know about getting tested for the coronavirus to travel. As permanent economic damage piles up, the Covid Crisis is looking more like the Great Recession. Democrats are probing the contract of a former drug executive advising the Trump administration vaccine effort that has allowed him to maintain and not disclose personal investments in pharmaceutical companies. Fill it out early, and learn about signature requirements: Six steps for how to prevent your mail ballot from being rejected.