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Old Vaccines May Stop the Coronavirus, Study Hints. Scientists Are Skeptical.

Submitted by mike kraft on Thu, 2020-07-30 13:16

Billions of dollars are being invested in the development of vaccines against the coronavirus. Until one arrives, many scientists have turned to tried-and-true vaccines to see whether they may confer broad protection, and may reduce the risk of coronavirus infection, as well.

Old standbys like the Bacille Calmette-Guerin tuberculosis vaccine and the polio vaccine appear to help train the immune system to respond to a broad variety of infections, including from bacteria, viruses and parasites, experts say.

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Understanding the mechanism of virus transmission

Submitted by mike kraft on Thu, 2020-07-30 12:29

The Devastating Impact of Infectious Disease Outbreaks - ISSA The impact of having a simple conversation with another person is enough to spread diseases. Eleni Sakas ISSA

By Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner | July 29, 2020

As an epidemiologist or “disease detective,” a question I am frequently asked regarding SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 disease) is: “How does someone become infected?”

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Russia claims it's on track to approve Covid-19 vaccine by mid-August. But speed of process raises questions

Submitted by mike kraft on Thu, 2020-07-30 12:09

Russia claims it's on track to approve Covid-19 vaccine by mid-August. But speed of process raises questions Russia intends to be the first in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine, in less than two weeks -- despite concerns about its safety, effectiveness and over whether the country has cut essential corners in development, CNN has learned. Matthew Chance, CNN CNN

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Costa Rica-made plasma shown to inhibit coronavirus, ready for clinical trials

Submitted by mike kraft on Thu, 2020-07-30 11:46

Costa Rica-made plasma shown to inhibit coronavirus, ready for clinical trials: UCR Alejandro Zúñiga The Tico Times Costa Rica

Costa Rica is set to begin clinical trials on antibody-rich plasma that has been extracted from horses with the purpose of treating COVID-19 patients.

Two versions of the plasma were shown to inhibit the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in tests performed at the National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases in the United States.

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In France, a virus cluster splits generations, raises fears

Submitted by mike kraft on Thu, 2020-07-30 11:33

A virus cluster in France splits generations, raises fears PARIS (AP) — As the sun went down, their partying got into full flow, with an unwanted guest: the coronavirus. An outbreak among 18- to 25-year-olds at a seaside resort on the Brittany coast... AP NEWS

ARIS (AP) — As the sun went down, their partying got into full flow, with an unwanted guest: the coronavirus.

An outbreak among 18- to 25-year-olds at a seaside resort on the Brittany coast is crystallizing fears that the virus is flaring again in France, on the back of vacationers throwing COVID-19 caution to the summer winds.

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Disaster Risk Reduction

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Worldwide map of the spread of the novel coronavirus

Submitted by mike kraft on Thu, 2020-07-30 09:09

Tracking the spread of the novel coronavirus Reuters maps all places where COVID-19 cases have been confirmed. Gurman Bhatia Reuters

At least 667,650 people globally have died from COVID-19 and 17,118,787 have been infected by the novel coronavirus that causes it, following an outbreak that started in Wuhan, China, in early December. The World Health Organization referred to it as a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

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The Coronavirus Could Dodge Some Treatments, Study Suggests

Submitted by mike kraft on Wed, 2020-07-29 18:45

In a laboratory in New York City, researchers coaxed a key piece of the coronavirus — its infamous outer “spike” — to mutate so that it became invisible to disease-fighting antibodies, according to a new study that has not yet been published in a scientific journal.

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Update on Virus spread, U.S and World Wide

Submitted by mike kraft on Wed, 2020-07-29 09:12

U.S. records 10,000 coronavirus deaths in 11 days as fatalities approach 150,000 U.S. deaths from the novel coronavirus were approaching 150,000 on Wednesday, the highest level in the world and rising by 10,000 in 11 days, according to a Reuters tally. Lisa Shumaker U.S.

(Reuters) - U.S. deaths from the novel coronavirus were approaching 150,000 on Wednesday, the highest level in the world and rising by 10,000 in 11 days, according to a Reuters tally.

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OPINION:To defeat COVID, bring America's full power to the international fight:

Submitted by mike kraft on Tue, 2020-07-28 12:05

To defeat COVID, bring America's full power to the international fight: Albright & Hadley The stakes are immeasurably high for the global community to get this right. The world needs US resources, conflict resolution and democracy support. Madeleine Albright and Stephen Hadley USA TODAY

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Hoping to Understand the Virus, Everyone Is Parsing a Mountain of Data

Submitted by mike kraft on Tue, 2020-07-28 09:25

CHICAGO — The latest count of new coronavirus cases was jarring: Some 1,500 virus cases were identified three consecutive days last week in Illinois, and fears of a resurgence in the state even led the mayor of Chicago to shut down bars all over town on Friday.

But at the same moment, there were other, hopeful data points that seemed to tell a different story entirely. Deaths from the virus statewide are one-tenth what they were at their peak in May. And the positivity rate of new coronavirus tests in Illinois is about half that of neighboring states.

“There are so many numbers flying around,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner of the Chicago health department. “It’s hard for people to know what’s the most important thing to follow.”...

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