npr--2020-03-20--Coronavirus FAQs: Can I Go Running? Is Food Shopping Too Risky? What's Herd Immunity?

Coronavirus FAQs : Can I Go Running ?
Is Food Shopping Too Risky ?
What 's Herd Immunity ?
This is part of a series looking at pressing coronavirus questions of the week .
We 'd like to hear what you 're curious about .
Email us at goatsandsoda @ npr.org with the subject line : `` Weekly Coronavirus Questions . ''
The global spread of COVID-19 cases continues , with cases around the world and increasingly strict measures to control its spread .
Authorities in the U.S. and other countries have banned or discouraged large gatherings and are urging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer this week 's questions , we spoke with Albert Ko at the Yale School of Public Health and others for guidance .
I heard that the U.K. was talking about using a `` herd immunity '' approach to the coronavirus .
What exactly is herd immunity , and could it work against coronavirus ?
Last week , the U.K. government signaled that it might be considering a different approach to coronavirus control than the rest of the world — in essence , allowing a large percentage of the population to become infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunity '' that would eventually end the epidemic .
Herd immunity occurs when enough people in a population are immune to disease — either because they 've been infected and recovered or they 've been vaccinated against it .
The idea is that the pool of people who can catch the disease has been reduced , reducing the risk to the so-far unaffected .
Sir Patrick Vallance , the U.K. government 's chief scientific adviser , said that about 60 % of the population would need to get the coronavirus in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using such an approach would raise a big question : During that spread , how do you protect the most vulnerable groups – the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions ?
Herd immunity works with contagious diseases like measles , for which a vaccine exists .
But the idea that the U.K. would not immediately work to suppress the number of cases , especially as there are no approved treatments for COVID-19 yet and the disease has killed thousands in Italy , stirred an immediate public backlash .
The government quickly backtracked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boris Johnson said all restaurants , pubs and gyms would close for the foreseeable future to reduce transmission .
And there is no certainty that herd immunity would even work for coronavirus .
That approach `` assumes that people being infected are immune and can not get re-infected .
And we do n't know that as of yet , '' says Albert Ko , professor of epidemiology and medicine at the Yale School of Public Health .
People who go outside to exercise are sometimes shamed on TV and on social media for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go outside for a walk , run or bike ride ?
The White House coronavirus guidelines for the 15-day period that started Monday advise avoiding `` discretionary travel , shopping trips and social visits , '' as well as `` social gatherings in groups of more than 10 people . ''
But outdoor exercise is not on the list .
So unless local guidelines instruct otherwise , fresh air and outdoor exercise are allowed – though it 's important to keep some distance between yourself and others .
The coronavirus is thought to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – within about six feet .
The primary mode of transmission is through respiratory droplets .
There is better airflow outside than in confined spaces .
That air flow outside reduces the risk of one person transmitting the virus to another through droplets in the air , says Albert Ko , the Yale epidemiologist .
`` So if you 're going out and you 're hiking or biking or running and you 're not within , say , six feet or 10 feet of another person , I would consider that a healthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points to the significant mental health issues that can be caused or exacerbated when people are cooped up .
`` My personal feeling is that if people are practicing sound respiratory hygiene , sound hand hygiene , they 're distancing themselves physically from others outside , and you 're exercising and walking in the park — I think that 's actually a good public health practice . ''
I 've heard that taking drugs like ibuprofen to ease COVID-19 symptoms could actually worsen the progress of the illness .
Is that true ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease experts say that there is no good scientific evidence establishing a link between ibuprofen and worsening of COVID‑19 .
The notion that such a link exists was sparked last weekend when a tweet by the French health minister warned people not to take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs — a category of pain relievers and fever reducers that includes ibuprofen — because , he said , some French COVID-19 patients had experienced serious side effects .
The warning was also included in a bulletin from the French health ministry , which counseled that patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name for Tylenol .
But experts say that warning is n't based on data .
`` Based on currently available information , WHO does not recommend against the use of ibuprofen , '' the WHO stated on its official Twitter account , adding , `` 'We are also consulting with physicians treating COVID-19 patients and are not aware of reports of any negative effects of ibuprofen , beyond the usual known side effects that limit its use in certain populations . ''
Dr. Angela Rogers , a pulmonologist at the Stanford University Medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unit 's COVID-19 task force , notes that Tylenol is the go-to medication for patients who are sick enough to be hospitalized for any infection .
That 's because these patients are at higher risk of damage to internal organs , including kidneys .
And kidney damage can be a side effect of ibuprofen for some patients who use it long-term in higher doses , says Rogers , whose research focuses on the kind of acute respiratory distress experienced by the most severe COVID-19 cases .
Tylenol , like any medicine , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acetaminophen can cause serious liver damage in high doses .
In low doses , though , she says , Tylenol is `` very effective '' for reducing fever and `` very safe . ''
How do I manage any risks while grocery shopping ?
With new research that suggests the new coronavirus can live on surfaces for hours or days , the prospect of going grocery shopping can seem daunting .
But you can manage the risk .
First of all , the viability of the virus goes down over time and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dies off more quickly in room temperature than it does in the cold .
Second , when you go to a grocery store , people are n't generally touching all the cans on the shelf — although there tends to be more handling of individual items in the produce section .
Among the things you can do to protect yourself and others are : • Wash your hands before and after going to the store .
• Shop at off-peak hours so it 's easier to keep a distance from others .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if stores in your neighborhood are offering shopping exclusively for seniors an hour before opening to all .
• Do n't touch something at the store and then touch your face .
• Use a sanitizing wipe to disinfect the shopping cart or basket handle .
Many stores now provide wipes , but you might want to come with your own supply just in case they 're out .
Ko says it helps to understand the differing levels of risk in different situations .
Coming into close contact with a person who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touching a shopping cart that might have been touched by an infected person hours or days earlier .
When it comes to disinfecting things , it makes sense to focus on high-touch surfaces .
Ko says you should worry more about disinfecting bathroom doorknobs and faucets at home than about a can of tomato soup from the supermarket .
`` There 's never anything that has zero risk , '' Ko says , `` but the risk is so much lower than [ surfaces ] that are more frequently touched . ''
NPR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this report .

Coronavirus FAQs: Can I Go Running? Is Food Shopping Too Risky? What's Herd Immunity?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chesnot/Getty Images Chesnot/Getty Images
This is part of a series looking at pressing coronavirus questions of the week. We'd like to hear what you're curious about. Email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: "Weekly Coronavirus Questions."
The global spread of COVID-19 cases continues, with cases around the world and increasingly strict measures to control its spread. Authorities in the U.S. and other countries have banned or discouraged large gatherings and are urging social distancing and frequent hand-washing.
To answer this week's questions, we spoke with Albert Ko at the Yale School of Public Health and others for guidance.
I heard that the U.K. was talking about using a "herd immunity" approach to the coronavirus. What exactly is herd immunity, and could it work against coronavirus?
Last week, the U.K. government signaled that it might be considering a different approach to coronavirus control than the rest of the world — in essence, allowing a large percentage of the population to become infected in order to develop a "herd immunity" that would eventually end the epidemic.
Herd immunity occurs when enough people in a population are immune to disease — either because they've been infected and recovered or they've been vaccinated against it. The idea is that the pool of people who can catch the disease has been reduced, reducing the risk to the so-far unaffected.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the U.K. government's chief scientific adviser, said that about 60% of the population would need to get the coronavirus in order to get a herd immunity effect.
But using such an approach would raise a big question: During that spread, how do you protect the most vulnerable groups – the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions?
Herd immunity works with contagious diseases like measles, for which a vaccine exists. But the idea that the U.K. would not immediately work to suppress the number of cases, especially as there are no approved treatments for COVID-19 yet and the disease has killed thousands in Italy, stirred an immediate public backlash.
The government quickly backtracked, and on Friday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said all restaurants, pubs and gyms would close for the foreseeable future to reduce transmission.
And there is no certainty that herd immunity would even work for coronavirus. That approach "assumes that people being infected are immune and cannot get re-infected. And we don't know that as of yet," says Albert Ko, professor of epidemiology and medicine at the Yale School of Public Health.
People who go outside to exercise are sometimes shamed on TV and on social media for risky behavior. Is it okay to go outside for a walk, run or bike ride?
The White House coronavirus guidelines for the 15-day period that started Monday advise avoiding "discretionary travel, shopping trips and social visits," as well as "social gatherings in groups of more than 10 people." But outdoor exercise is not on the list.
So unless local guidelines instruct otherwise, fresh air and outdoor exercise are allowed – though it's important to keep some distance between yourself and others. The coronavirus is thought to spread primarily through close contact between people – within about six feet.
The primary mode of transmission is through respiratory droplets.
There is better airflow outside than in confined spaces. That air flow outside reduces the risk of one person transmitting the virus to another through droplets in the air, says Albert Ko, the Yale epidemiologist. "So if you're going out and you're hiking or biking or running and you're not within, say, six feet or 10 feet of another person, I would consider that a healthy, safe practice."
Ko also points to the significant mental health issues that can be caused or exacerbated when people are cooped up.
"My personal feeling is that if people are practicing sound respiratory hygiene, sound hand hygiene, they're distancing themselves physically from others outside, and you're exercising and walking in the park — I think that's actually a good public health practice."
I've heard that taking drugs like ibuprofen to ease COVID-19 symptoms could actually worsen the progress of the illness. Is that true?
The World Health Organization and many infectious disease experts say that there is no good scientific evidence establishing a link between ibuprofen and worsening of COVID‑19.
The notion that such a link exists was sparked last weekend when a tweet by the French health minister warned people not to take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs — a category of pain relievers and fever reducers that includes ibuprofen — because, he said, some French COVID-19 patients had experienced serious side effects. The warning was also included in a bulletin from the French health ministry, which counseled that patients should instead use acetaminophen, the generic name for Tylenol.
But experts say that warning isn't based on data.
"Based on currently available information, WHO does not recommend against the use of ibuprofen," the WHO stated on its official Twitter account, adding, "'We are also consulting with physicians treating COVID-19 patients and are not aware of reports of any negative effects of ibuprofen, beyond the usual known side effects that limit its use in certain populations."
Dr. Angela Rogers, a pulmonologist at the Stanford University Medical Center and chair of its intensive care unit's COVID-19 task force, notes that Tylenol is the go-to medication for patients who are sick enough to be hospitalized for any infection. That's because these patients are at higher risk of damage to internal organs, including kidneys. And kidney damage can be a side effect of ibuprofen for some patients who use it long-term in higher doses, says Rogers, whose research focuses on the kind of acute respiratory distress experienced by the most severe COVID-19 cases.
Tylenol, like any medicine, isn't risk-free either; Rogers notes that acetaminophen can cause serious liver damage in high doses. In low doses, though, she says, Tylenol is "very effective" for reducing fever and "very safe."
How do I manage any risks while grocery shopping?
With new research that suggests the new coronavirus can live on surfaces for hours or days, the prospect of going grocery shopping can seem daunting.
But you can manage the risk.
First of all, the viability of the virus goes down over time and it's sensitive to temperature – so it dies off more quickly in room temperature than it does in the cold.
Second, when you go to a grocery store, people aren't generally touching all the cans on the shelf — although there tends to be more handling of individual items in the produce section.
Among the things you can do to protect yourself and others are:
Wash your hands before and after going to the store.
Shop at off-peak hours so it's easier to keep a distance from others.
If you're over 60, see if stores in your neighborhood are offering shopping exclusively for seniors an hour before opening to all.
Don't touch something at the store and then touch your face.
Use a sanitizing wipe to disinfect the shopping cart or basket handle. Many stores now provide wipes, but you might want to come with your own supply just in case they're out.
Ko says it helps to understand the differing levels of risk in different situations. Coming into close contact with a person who is infected with coronavirus carries greater risk than touching a shopping cart that might have been touched by an infected person hours or days earlier.
When it comes to disinfecting things, it makes sense to focus on high-touch surfaces. Ko says you should worry more about disinfecting bathroom doorknobs and faucets at home than about a can of tomato soup from the supermarket.
"There's never anything that has zero risk," Ko says, "but the risk is so much lower than [surfaces] that are more frequently touched."
NPR's Geoff Brumfiel and Scott Neuman contributed to this report.


npr--2020-03-20--Canada To Turn Back Asylum Seekers In Effort To Stop Coronavirus Spread

Canada To Turn Back Asylum Seekers In Effort To Stop Coronavirus Spread Earlier this week , President Trump tweeted that the U.S. `` will be , by mutual consent , temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic . ''
In Ottawa on Friday , Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau added an additional `` exceptional '' measure .
Trudeau , in self-isolation after his wife tested positive for the coronavirus , gave a live address to his nation from his home , announcing that Canada will now turn back asylum seekers attempting to enter the country outside official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said , and `` in keeping with Canadian values . ''
More than 50,000 migrants have entered Canada at unofficial border points since 2017 .
The most popular crossing is outside Plattsburgh , N.Y. , just south of Montreal .
The route is along Roxham Rd.
, a country road that becomes a dirt track near the U.S.-Canada border and picks up again on the Quebec side .
In the past three years , Roxham Rd .
has evolved into a path for migrants seeking a chance to settle in Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thanks to a loophole in an agreement barring the entry of asylum seekers at Canada 's official border points .
They come from around the world .
The human traffic has been so heavy that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has an office on the Canadian side and welcomes migrants — mostly families who have applied for visas to the U.S. , travel to Plattsburgh and then continue on foot into Canada .
The largest number of migrants are from Nigeria .
Once in Canada , they are eligible to apply for asylum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to health care , '' Stephanie Levitz , a journalist in Ottawa with The Canadian Press says in an email to NPR .
`` It 's called the Interim Federal Health Program that kicks in as soon as you make a claim . ''
Early this week , adds Levitz , about 80 people were still crossing per day and Canadian officials declared Roxham Rd .
would remain open — but asylum seekers would have to go into quarantine for 14 days .
This seems to be the issue that changed Canada 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Blair said that asylum seekers are not a higher public health risk — but isolating them would be a challenge .
`` If the goal is public safety and security , '' says Craig Damian Smith , with the Center for Refugee Studies at York University in Toronto , `` they are risking what has n't existed yet on the border — which is a professionalized criminal [ migrant ] smuggling network whose goal will be to evade '' Canadian authorities .

Canada To Turn Back Asylum Seekers In Effort To Stop Coronavirus Spread
Enlarge this image toggle caption Geoff Robins/AFP via Getty Images Geoff Robins/AFP via Getty Images
Earlier this week, President Trump tweeted that the U.S. "will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic."
In Ottawa on Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau added an additional "exceptional" measure. Trudeau, in self-isolation after his wife tested positive for the coronavirus, gave a live address to his nation from his home, announcing that Canada will now turn back asylum seekers attempting to enter the country outside official border points.
The measure is temporary, he said, and "in keeping with Canadian values."
More than 50,000 migrants have entered Canada at unofficial border points since 2017. The most popular crossing is outside Plattsburgh, N.Y., just south of Montreal.
The route is along Roxham Rd., a country road that becomes a dirt track near the U.S.-Canada border and picks up again on the Quebec side. In the past three years, Roxham Rd. has evolved into a path for migrants seeking a chance to settle in Canada. They have been able to enter thanks to a loophole in an agreement barring the entry of asylum seekers at Canada's official border points.
They come from around the world. The human traffic has been so heavy that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has an office on the Canadian side and welcomes migrants — mostly families who have applied for visas to the U.S., travel to Plattsburgh and then continue on foot into Canada.
The largest number of migrants are from Nigeria. Once in Canada, they are eligible to apply for asylum.
"The claimants get automatic access to health care," Stephanie Levitz, a journalist in Ottawa with The Canadian Press says in an email to NPR. "It's called the Interim Federal Health Program that kicks in as soon as you make a claim."
Early this week, adds Levitz, about 80 people were still crossing per day and Canadian officials declared Roxham Rd. would remain open — but asylum seekers would have to go into quarantine for 14 days.
This seems to be the issue that changed Canada's policy. Canada's Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said that asylum seekers are not a higher public health risk — but isolating them would be a challenge.
"If the goal is public safety and security," says Craig Damian Smith, with the Center for Refugee Studies at York University in Toronto, "they are risking what hasn't existed yet on the border — which is a professionalized criminal [migrant] smuggling network whose goal will be to evade" Canadian authorities.


npr--2020-03-20--Italy Calls In Army To Hardest-Hit Region As Coronavirus Deaths Spike

Italy Calls In Army To Hardest-Hit Region As Coronavirus Deaths Spike Authorities are calling in the army to Italy 's hardest-hit region to help enforce orders that people stay at home , as the country registers its largest death toll in a single day since the start of the outbreak .
`` Lombardy Gov .
Attilio Fontana said the Rome government has agreed to deploy the army in his region to ensure compliance , '' NPR 's Sylvia Poggioli reported .
`` Officials complain that there are simply too many people still on the streets with no justification . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 4,032 people have died as a result of the virus – an increase of 627 deaths from the previous day .
Yesterday , Italy surpassed China as the country with the highest reported death toll from the pandemic .
`` Officials stressed the great majority of deceased were elderly and suffering from another disease , such as diabetes , hypertension or atrial fibrillation , '' Poggioli reported .
`` In answer to a question , Civil Protection Agency head Angelo Borrelli said we will never know precisely when the peak of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the following . ''
Italian authorities say they have registered 47,021 positive diagnoses of the coronavirus .
The country has imposed a nationwide lockdown to try to stop the spread of the virus , but the health care system is still experiencing an overwhelming surge of people that need care .
At the main hospital in Bergamo , in the Lombardy region , staff are frantically trying to keep patients alive .
Sky News reported there are beds full of patients `` in terrible distress - gasping for air , clutching at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into their oxygen-starved lungs . ''
The hospital 's head of emergency care , Dr. Roberto Cosentini , told the broadcaster that the patients are suffering from `` a very severe pneumonia , and so it 's a massive strain for every health system , because we see every day 50 to 60 patients who come to our emergency department with pneumonia . ''
As Sky News reported : `` It 's just plain scary . ''

Italy Calls In Army To Hardest-Hit Region As Coronavirus Deaths Spike
Enlarge this image toggle caption Luca Bruno/AP Luca Bruno/AP
Authorities are calling in the army to Italy's hardest-hit region to help enforce orders that people stay at home, as the country registers its largest death toll in a single day since the start of the outbreak.
"Lombardy Gov. Attilio Fontana said the Rome government has agreed to deploy the army in his region to ensure compliance," NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reported. "Officials complain that there are simply too many people still on the streets with no justification."
Italian officials said Friday that a total of 4,032 people have died as a result of the virus – an increase of 627 deaths from the previous day.
Yesterday, Italy surpassed China as the country with the highest reported death toll from the pandemic.
"Officials stressed the great majority of deceased were elderly and suffering from another disease, such as diabetes, hypertension or atrial fibrillation," Poggioli reported. "In answer to a question, Civil Protection Agency head Angelo Borrelli said we will never know precisely when the peak of the outbreak will occur – next week, or the following."
Italian authorities say they have registered 47,021 positive diagnoses of the coronavirus. The country has imposed a nationwide lockdown to try to stop the spread of the virus, but the health care system is still experiencing an overwhelming surge of people that need care.
At the main hospital in Bergamo, in the Lombardy region, staff are frantically trying to keep patients alive. Sky News reported there are beds full of patients "in terrible distress - gasping for air, clutching at their chests and at tubes pumping oxygen into their oxygen-starved lungs."
The hospital's head of emergency care, Dr. Roberto Cosentini, told the broadcaster that the patients are suffering from "a very severe pneumonia, and so it's a massive strain for every health system, because we see every day 50 to 60 patients who come to our emergency department with pneumonia."
As Sky News reported: "It's just plain scary."


npr--2020-03-20--4 Men Hanged In India For 2012 Gang Rape And Murder That Sparked Outrage

4 Men Hanged In India For 2012 Gang Rape And Murder That Sparked Outrage Shortly before dawn on Friday at a high-security prison on the outskirts of New Delhi , four men were hanged for the December 2012 gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman who became known as `` Nirbhaya , '' or the fearless one .
The widely publicized crime prompted large street demonstrations and a reform of India 's laws on sexual assault .
`` Today , justice has been done after seven years , '' Reuters quotes the victim 's mother as telling reporters outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judiciary and thank god for hearing our prayers ... my daughter 's soul can now rest in peace . ''
No other state execution had taken place in India since 2015 , and it was the first time since 2004 that the death penalty was carried out in a case of rape and murder .
The gang rape occurred when the victim and her male companion , who had just gone to see Life of Pi at a movie theater , boarded a private bus .
They were then assaulted by six men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the streets of New Delhi .
The woman , a physiotherapy intern , was raped and severely battered with an iron bar before she and her companion , who was also beaten , were dumped along a road .
She died 13 days later in a Singaporean hospital after being moved there for more advanced medical care .
All six of the men were convicted of rape and murder in 2013 .
One , who at the time of the attack was 17 , was released from a juvenile facility in 2015 ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed in India for a juvenile .
Another , the driver of the bus , died in what appeared to be a suicide while imprisoned in 2013 .
The public outcry in India that followed the grisly crime led within days to the formation of the three-member Verma Committee .
Its report , issued a month later , recommended broadening the legal definition of rape to include `` any non-consensual penetration of a sexual nature . ''
Rape and sexual assault , the committee noted , `` are not merely crimes of passion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Lawmakers subsequently codified an expanded definition of rape to include forced penetration by any object in any orifice .
India 's chief justice inaugurated fast-track courts to deal with rape cases .
And a sex-crimes ordinance increased penalties for rape .
However , official crime statistics show that reported cases of rape have actually increased since 2017 , the year India 's Supreme Court upheld death sentences against the four men who were hanged .
The most recent data from India 's government indicate that in 2018 there were 91 rapes reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the year .
But those numbers are tiny for a country of more than 1 billion people .
Most rape and sexual assault is believed to go unreported .
Some Indian officials have acknowledged not enough has been done to address rape in their society .
`` We get disturbed as and when the incidents happen and forget about them later , '' Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu lamented two years ago .
`` What is required is not a bill alone , but political will , administrative skill to kill the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need for a change of mindset of men . ''
Women in India say little has changed for them despite the outrage over the gang rape and murder that led to Friday 's quadruple hanging .
`` How do women and girls in India ensure their safety ?
By doing what we always do — that is , by restricting our own freedoms , '' says the BBC 's Geeta Pandey .
`` We dress modestly while going out , we do n't stay out late , we keep looking over our shoulders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our doors locked and windows rolled up . ''

4 Men Hanged In India For 2012 Gang Rape And Murder That Sparked Outrage
Enlarge this image toggle caption Money Sharma/AFP via Getty Images Money Sharma/AFP via Getty Images
Shortly before dawn on Friday at a high-security prison on the outskirts of New Delhi, four men were hanged for the December 2012 gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman who became known as "Nirbhaya," or the fearless one. The widely publicized crime prompted large street demonstrations and a reform of India's laws on sexual assault.
"Today, justice has been done after seven years," Reuters quotes the victim's mother as telling reporters outside the prison. "I salute Indian judiciary and thank god for hearing our prayers ... my daughter's soul can now rest in peace."
No other state execution had taken place in India since 2015, and it was the first time since 2004 that the death penalty was carried out in a case of rape and murder.
The gang rape occurred when the victim and her male companion, who had just gone to see Life of Pi at a movie theater, boarded a private bus. They were then assaulted by six men aboard the bus as it traveled through the streets of New Delhi.
The woman, a physiotherapy intern, was raped and severely battered with an iron bar before she and her companion, who was also beaten, were dumped along a road. She died 13 days later in a Singaporean hospital after being moved there for more advanced medical care.
All six of the men were convicted of rape and murder in 2013. One, who at the time of the attack was 17, was released from a juvenile facility in 2015; he had served the maximum three-year sentence allowed in India for a juvenile. Another, the driver of the bus, died in what appeared to be a suicide while imprisoned in 2013.
The public outcry in India that followed the grisly crime led within days to the formation of the three-member Verma Committee. Its report, issued a month later, recommended broadening the legal definition of rape to include "any non-consensual penetration of a sexual nature." Rape and sexual assault, the committee noted, "are not merely crimes of passion, but an expression of power."
Lawmakers subsequently codified an expanded definition of rape to include forced penetration by any object in any orifice. India's chief justice inaugurated fast-track courts to deal with rape cases. And a sex-crimes ordinance increased penalties for rape.
However, official crime statistics show that reported cases of rape have actually increased since 2017, the year India's Supreme Court upheld death sentences against the four men who were hanged.
The most recent data from India's government indicate that in 2018 there were 91 rapes reported daily and a total of almost 34,000 for the year. But those numbers are tiny for a country of more than 1 billion people.
Most rape and sexual assault is believed to go unreported.
Some Indian officials have acknowledged not enough has been done to address rape in their society.
"We get disturbed as and when the incidents happen and forget about them later," Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu lamented two years ago. "What is required is not a bill alone, but political will, administrative skill to kill the social evil. ... There is a need for a change of mindset of men."
Women in India say little has changed for them despite the outrage over the gang rape and murder that led to Friday's quadruple hanging.
"How do women and girls in India ensure their safety? By doing what we always do — that is, by restricting our own freedoms," says the BBC's Geeta Pandey.
"We dress modestly while going out, we don't stay out late, we keep looking over our shoulders at all times, we drive with our doors locked and windows rolled up."


npr--2020-03-20--'There's No Fruit Or Veg': U.K. Nurse Makes Emotional Plea To Panicked Shoppers

'There 's No Fruit Or Veg ' : U.K. Nurse Makes Emotional Plea To Panicked Shoppers Panic shopping as the coronavirus spreads in the United Kingdom has driven supermarkets to limit sales of certain items and add security to keep customers in line .
Still , many shelves have been stripped bare , which led to this tearful video that has struck a nerve across the country .
On Thursday , Dawn Bilbrough , a nurse in England 's National Health Service in West Yorkshire , posted the video on Facebook in which she breaks down in a supermarket parking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough food .
`` I 've just come out of the supermarket , '' says Bilbrough , sitting in her car .
`` There 's no fruit or veg . ''
`` I had a little cry in there , '' she continues , tearing up .
`` I 'm a critical care nurse .
I 've just finished 48 hours of work .
I just do n't know how I 'm supposed to stay healthy .
People are just stripping the shelves of basic foods .
You just need to stop it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are going to be looking after you when you 're at your lowest , so just stop it . ''
The video was streamed widely and captured the feelings of many in the U.K. who 've urged shoppers to be thoughtful and show restraint .
As of Friday morning , 3,983 people in the U.K. had tested positive for the coronavirus and 177 had died .
The government has ordered pubs , restaurants , movie theaters and other businesses to close .
Panic buying is leading to other painful scenes .
Earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young daughter walked into a Sainsbury 's supermarket in Walton-on-Thames , a town outside of London , to find most of the shelves empty .
`` There 's no food left , Daddy , '' the little girl said .
`` We 're too late . ''

'There's No Fruit Or Veg': U.K. Nurse Makes Emotional Plea To Panicked Shoppers
Panic shopping as the coronavirus spreads in the United Kingdom has driven supermarkets to limit sales of certain items and add security to keep customers in line. Still, many shelves have been stripped bare, which led to this tearful video that has struck a nerve across the country.
On Thursday, Dawn Bilbrough, a nurse in England's National Health Service in West Yorkshire, posted the video on Facebook in which she breaks down in a supermarket parking lot after she's unable to buy enough food.
"I've just come out of the supermarket," says Bilbrough, sitting in her car. "There's no fruit or veg."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
"I had a little cry in there," she continues, tearing up. "I'm a critical care nurse. I've just finished 48 hours of work. I just don't know how I'm supposed to stay healthy. People are just stripping the shelves of basic foods. You just need to stop it, because it's people like me that are going to be looking after you when you're at your lowest, so just stop it."
The video was streamed widely and captured the feelings of many in the U.K. who've urged shoppers to be thoughtful and show restraint.
As of Friday morning, 3,983 people in the U.K. had tested positive for the coronavirus and 177 had died. The government has ordered pubs, restaurants, movie theaters and other businesses to close.
Panic buying is leading to other painful scenes. Earlier this week, a father and his young daughter walked into a Sainsbury's supermarket in Walton-on-Thames, a town outside of London, to find most of the shelves empty.
"There's no food left, Daddy," the little girl said. "We're too late."


npr--2020-03-20--Schools Race To Feed Students Amid Coronavirus Closures

Nearly 30 million children in the U.S. count on schools for free or low-cost breakfast , lunch , snacks and sometimes dinner — but most of those children are now at home .
At least 114,000 public and private schools have been closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus , affecting the vast majority of the nation 's K-12 students , according to an ongoing tally by Education Week .
The school lunch program is the second-biggest anti-hunger initiative in the country , after SNAP , or food stamps .
And while classes may be cancelled , school leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have food to eat .
`` I think that I actually am making plans in my sleep , '' says Susan Enfield , superintendent of Highline Public Schools , a district near Seattle .
She says her schools are closed this week , and roughly two-thirds of her students qualify for free or low-cost school meals .
`` So I 'm not sure how much real sleep I 'm getting , 'cause I wake up with a to-do list already ready to go . ''
`` This is unprecedented , '' says Lisa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No Kid Hungry Campaign .
`` We 're making up the playbook as we go along . ''
Katie Wilson agrees .
She 's executive director for the Urban School Food Alliance and a former deputy undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President Obama .
`` I 've never been in a situation like this where we really are at a crisis point and where it 's going to be very difficult for children to get access to food , '' Wilson says .
`` I mean , we 've had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like that — where we 've dealt with things , but nothing like this where we do n't see any end in sight or how we 're actually going to manage it all . ''
Officials in many districts say they 're adapting the playbook they use to feed kids in the summer : grab-and-go meals , handed out at select school sites .
These bagged or boxed meals often include lunch as well as breakfast for the following day — think sandwiches and milk , supplemented with lots of nonperishables ( chips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ juice boxes ) .
Cities around the country are using this grab-and-go model , including New York , Atlanta , Detroit , Milwaukee and Washington , D.C .
But Lisa Davis says , while schools and communities are doing `` heroic '' work , some children still wo n't have access to the meals they need .
For example : children staying with grandparents who are isolating themselves , or those with parents who work low-wage , hourly jobs with no time off and no option to work from home or drive to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's why some districts are scrambling to do something more direct : '' Make the food , put it on school buses and then have our bus drivers drive routes , '' says Karen Brown , nutrition services director for Franklin Pierce Schools , in Tacoma , Wash. `` Take it to our highest-needs apartment complexes and housing areas so that way the kids can just come to the bus rather than find a way to get to the school . ''
Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia and the Metropolitan School District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using buses to deliver meals .
Member station WBUR reports that in Cambridge , Mass.
, the city has partnered with an anti-hunger organization to deliver food to neighborhoods where many families who rely on school lunches live .
In the Franklin Pierce school district , bus driver Tony Reed told member station KNKX that he gave out 48 lunches on his first day of delivery .
He says he loves being able to maintain a daily connection with the kids .
`` Just to let them know that I 'm here and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not driving 'em today , '' Reed says .
`` They get a smiling face , a great attitude .
And , 'Hey , I 'll be here tomorrow ... here every day .
So , come on : Eat ! '
`` Brown says counselors may soon join Reed on his bus routes , to check in with kids .
The federal government is also beginning to help .
One of Congress ' big coronavirus aid packages includes a provision inspired by a program created a decade ago , during the H1N1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value of school meals and transfer it directly to families who are already enrolled in SNAP , or food stamps .
The extra money would appear on their SNAP EBT cards , which work like debit cards , and can be used anywhere groceries are sold .
The following member station reporters contributed to this report : Ashley Gross , Carrie Jung , Emily Files , Sascha Raiyn , Eric Weddle , Debbie Truong and Martha Dalton .

Schools Race To Feed Students Amid Coronavirus Closures
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jovelle Tamayo for NPR Jovelle Tamayo for NPR
Nearly 30 million children in the U.S. count on schools for free or low-cost breakfast, lunch, snacks and sometimes dinner — but most of those children are now at home. At least 114,000 public and private schools have been closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, affecting the vast majority of the nation's K-12 students, according to an ongoing tally by Education Week.
The school lunch program is the second-biggest anti-hunger initiative in the country, after SNAP, or food stamps. And while classes may be cancelled, school leaders are working hard to make sure kids have food to eat.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jovelle Tamayo for NPR Jovelle Tamayo for NPR
"I think that I actually am making plans in my sleep," says Susan Enfield, superintendent of Highline Public Schools, a district near Seattle. She says her schools are closed this week, and roughly two-thirds of her students qualify for free or low-cost school meals. "So I'm not sure how much real sleep I'm getting, 'cause I wake up with a to-do list already ready to go."
"This is unprecedented," says Lisa Davis, senior vice president of the No Kid Hungry Campaign. "We're making up the playbook as we go along."
Katie Wilson agrees. She's executive director for the Urban School Food Alliance and a former deputy undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President Obama.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jovelle Tamayo for NPR Jovelle Tamayo for NPR
"I've never been in a situation like this where we really are at a crisis point and where it's going to be very difficult for children to get access to food," Wilson says. "I mean, we've had some situations — natural disasters, things like that — where we've dealt with things, but nothing like this where we don't see any end in sight or how we're actually going to manage it all."
Officials in many districts say they're adapting the playbook they use to feed kids in the summer: grab-and-go meals, handed out at select school sites. These bagged or boxed meals often include lunch as well as breakfast for the following day — think sandwiches and milk, supplemented with lots of nonperishables (chips, granola bars, fruit cups, juice boxes).
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Amon/Connecticut Public/NENC Joe Amon/Connecticut Public/NENC
Cities around the country are using this grab-and-go model, including New York, Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee and Washington, D.C.
But Lisa Davis says, while schools and communities are doing "heroic" work, some children still won't have access to the meals they need. For example: children staying with grandparents who are isolating themselves, or those with parents who work low-wage, hourly jobs with no time off and no option to work from home or drive to school to pick up meals.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jovelle Tamayo for NPR Jovelle Tamayo for NPR
That's why some districts are scrambling to do something more direct:
"Make the food, put it on school buses and then have our bus drivers drive routes," says Karen Brown, nutrition services director for Franklin Pierce Schools, in Tacoma, Wash. "Take it to our highest-needs apartment complexes and housing areas so that way the kids can just come to the bus rather than find a way to get to the school."
Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia and the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township in Indiana are also using buses to deliver meals. Member station WBUR reports that in Cambridge, Mass., the city has partnered with an anti-hunger organization to deliver food to neighborhoods where many families who rely on school lunches live.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Amon/Connecticut Public/NENC Joe Amon/Connecticut Public/NENC
In the Franklin Pierce school district, bus driver Tony Reed told member station KNKX that he gave out 48 lunches on his first day of delivery. He says he loves being able to maintain a daily connection with the kids.
"Just to let them know that I'm here and I care, even though I'm not driving 'em today," Reed says. "They get a smiling face, a great attitude. And, 'Hey, I'll be here tomorrow ... here every day. So, come on: Eat!' "
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tyrone Turner/WAMU Tyrone Turner/WAMU
Brown says counselors may soon join Reed on his bus routes, to check in with kids.
The federal government is also beginning to help. One of Congress' big coronavirus aid packages includes a provision inspired by a program created a decade ago, during the H1N1 outbreak. It would essentially take the value of school meals and transfer it directly to families who are already enrolled in SNAP, or food stamps. The extra money would appear on their SNAP EBT cards, which work like debit cards, and can be used anywhere groceries are sold.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tyrone Turner/WAMU Tyrone Turner/WAMU
The following member station reporters contributed to this report: Ashley Gross, Carrie Jung, Emily Files, Sascha Raiyn, Eric Weddle, Debbie Truong and Martha Dalton.


npr--2020-03-20--Do You Get Immunity After Recovering From A Case Of Coronavirus?

Do You Get Immunity After Recovering From A Case Of Coronavirus ?
It 's unclear whether people who recover from COVID-19 will be immune to reinfection from the coronavirus and , if so , how long that immunity will last .
`` We do n't know very much , '' says Matt Frieman , a coronavirus researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore .
`` I think there 's a very likely scenario where the virus comes through this year , and everyone gets some level of immunity to it , and if it comes back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — either completely or , if you do get reinfected later , a year from now , then you have much less disease . ''
`` That is the hope , '' he adds .
`` But there is no way to know that . ''
Researchers do know that reinfection is an issue with the four seasonal coronaviruses that cause about 10 to 30 percent of common colds .
These coronaviruses seem to be able to sicken people again and again , even though people have been exposed to them since childhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you were to test their blood right now , they would have some levels of antibody to the four different coronaviruses that are known , '' says Ann Falsey of the University of Rochester Medical Center .
After infection with one of these viruses , she says , antibodies are produced but then the levels slowly decline and people become susceptible again .
`` Most respiratory viruses only give you a period of relative protection .
I 'm talking about a year or two .
That 's what we know about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In studies , human volunteers who agreed to be experimentally inoculated with a seasonal coronavirus showed that even people with pre-existing antibodies could still get infected and have symptoms .
That happens even though these viruses are n't as changeable as influenza , which mutates so quickly that a new vaccine has to be developed every year .
`` We work with some common cold coronaviruses .
We have samples from 30 years ago , strains that were saved from 30 years ago , and they 're not appreciably different than the ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virologist Vineet Menachery of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston .
Still , seasonal coronaviruses probably do mutate a bit over time to evade the body 's defenses , says Frieman .
But there 's little known about what those changes might look like , since researchers do n't do annual surveillance of coronaviruses as they do for influenza .
It 's also possible that , for some reason , the body 's immune response to seasonal coronaviruses is just not that robust or that something about the infection itself may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-term immunity .
`` Maybe the antibodies are not protective and that is why , even though they are present , they do n't work very well , '' says Frieman .
The other known human coronaviruses , SARS and MERS , can cause more severe disease , and basically nothing is known about the possibility of reinfection with those viruses .
Some people sickened by SARS , the dangerous coronavirus that emerged in China in 2002 , did develop a measurable immune response that lasted a long time .
`` We 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had SARS in 2003 and 2004 , and as of this year we can detect antibodies , '' says Stanley Perlman of the University of Iowa .
`` We think antibodies may be longer lasting than we first thought , but not in everybody . ''
Still , it 's hard to predict how those survivors ' bodies would react if they were exposed to the SARS virus again .
`` There were 8,000 cases , the epidemic was basically brought to an end within six months or eight months of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have anyone who was reinfected that we know of , '' says Perlman .
The other severe coronavirus , MERS , emerged in the Middle East in 2012 .
`` We have almost no information about reinfection because there has only been a total of 2,500 cases over 8 years , '' says Perlman , who notes that the odds of anyone getting reinfected with that virus are not great , especially considering that 35 percent of people who had it died .
Survivors of MERS did generate an immune response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two years later , he says .
And the more ill the patient was , the more robust and long-lasting the immune response .
Until the recent emergence of SARS-Cov2 and this pandemic , scientists say , there just has n't been much of a research push to fully understand how and why reinfection with coronaviruses can occur .
`` You get colds over and over again , and I do n't think we think that we 're really so well protected against any of them , second time around , '' says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , either , because it 's just a cold virus .
I mean , you 'd like to not get a cold again , but it 's not really a big deal . ''
This pandemic , he notes , `` is a big deal . ''
He would bet that the virus that causes COVID-19 wo n't reinfect people .
But he would n't guess how long their immunity might last .
What 's more , some people might have stronger protection from reinfection than others .
`` Based on other infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you are usually protected against the second infection .
If you just have a mild COVID-19 infection that involves your upper airway , maybe it will behave like a common cold coronavirus and maybe you can be reinfected again , '' says Perlman .
`` We just really do n't know .
It 's even hard to speculate . ''
Understanding the natural immune response to this virus is important for vaccine development , he notes .
`` If the natural infection does n't do very well in giving you immunity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine ? ''
says Perlman .
`` How are we going to make sure that that vaccine not only induces a response that works for the next six months , but two to three years ? ''

Do You Get Immunity After Recovering From A Case Of Coronavirus?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images
It's unclear whether people who recover from COVID-19 will be immune to reinfection from the coronavirus and, if so, how long that immunity will last.
"We don't know very much," says Matt Frieman, a coronavirus researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. "I think there's a very likely scenario where the virus comes through this year, and everyone gets some level of immunity to it, and if it comes back again, we will be protected from it — either completely or if you do get reinfected later, a year from now, then you have much less disease."
"That is the hope," he adds. "But there is no way to know that."
Researchers do know that reinfection is an issue with the four seasonal coronaviruses that cause about 10 to 30% of common colds. These coronaviruses seem to be able to sicken people again and again, even though people have been exposed to them since childhood.
"Almost everybody walking around, if you were to test their blood right now, they would have some levels of antibody to the four different coronaviruses that are known," says Ann Falsey of the University of Rochester Medical Center.
After infection with one of these viruses, she says, antibodies are produced but then the levels slowly decline and people become susceptible again.
"Most respiratory viruses only give you a period of relative protection. I'm talking about a year or two. That's what we know about the seasonal coronaviruses," says Falsey.
In studies, human volunteers who agreed to be experimentally inoculated with a seasonal coronavirus showed that even people with preexisting antibodies could still get infected and have symptoms.
That happens even though these viruses aren't as changeable as influenza, which mutates so quickly that a new vaccine has to be developed every year.
"We work with some common cold coronaviruses. We have samples from 30 years ago, strains that were saved from 30 years ago, and they're not appreciably different than the ones that are circulating now," says virologist Vineet Menachery of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.
Still, seasonal coronaviruses probably do mutate a bit over time to evade the body's defenses, says Frieman. But there's little known about what those changes might look like, since researchers don't do annual surveillance of coronaviruses as they do for influenza.
It's also possible that, for some reason, the body's immune response to seasonal coronaviruses is just not that robust or that something about the infection itself may inhibit the body's ability to develop long-term immunity.
"Maybe the antibodies are not protective, and that is why, even though they are present, they don't work very well," says Frieman.
The other known human coronaviruses, severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome, can cause more severe disease, and basically nothing is known about the possibility of reinfection with those viruses.
Some people sickened by SARS, the dangerous coronavirus that emerged in China in 2002, did develop a measurable immune response that lasted a long time.
"We've gone back and gotten samples from patients who had SARS in 2003 and 2004, and as of this year, we can detect antibodies," says Stanley Perlman of the University of Iowa. "We think antibodies may be longer lasting than we first thought, but not in everybody."
Still, it's hard to predict how those survivors' bodies would react if they were exposed to the SARS virus again. "There were 8,000 cases, the epidemic was basically brought to an end within six months or eight months of the first case, so we don't have anyone who was reinfected that we know of," says Perlman.
The other severe coronavirus, MERS, emerged in the Middle East in 2012. "We have almost no information about reinfection because there has only been a total of 2,500 cases over eight years," says Perlman, who notes that the odds of anyone getting reinfected with that virus are not great, especially considering that 35 percent of people who had it died. Survivors of MERS did generate an immune response to the virus that can be detected up to two years later, he says. And the more ill the patient was, the more robust and long-lasting the immune response.
Until the recent emergence of SARS-Cov2, the official name of the current coronavirus, and this pandemic, scientists say, there just hasn't been much of a research push to fully understand how and why reinfection with coronaviruses can occur.
"You get colds over and over again, and I don't think we think that we're really so well protected against any of them, second time around," says Perlman. "You don't care, either, because it's just a cold virus. I mean, you'd like to not get a cold again, but it's not really a big deal."
This pandemic, he notes, "is a big deal."
He would bet that the virus that causes COVID-19 won't reinfect people. But he wouldn't guess how long their immunity might last.
What's more, some people might have stronger protection from reinfection than others.
"Based on other infections where you get a deep lung infection, you are usually protected against the second infection. If you just have a mild COVID-19 infection that involves your upper airway, maybe it will behave like a common cold coronavirus and maybe you can be reinfected again," says Perlman. "We just really don't know. It's even hard to speculate."
Understanding the natural immune response to this virus is important for vaccine development, he notes.
"If the natural infection doesn't do very well in giving you immunity, what is going to happen with the vaccine?" says Perlman. "How are we going to make sure that that vaccine not only induces a response that works for the next six months, but two to three years?"


npr--2020-03-21--Might The Experimental Drug Remdesivir Work Against COVID-19?

Might The Experimental Drug Remdesivir Work Against COVID-19 ?
With a coronavirus vaccine at least a year away , some scientists are investigating existing medicines and compounds that might work as effective treatments .
A drug called remdesivir is now in the spotlight , but health professionals , and scientists say it 's too soon to know if it really works against COVID-19 .
Remdesivir is an antiviral , intravenous medicine made by Gilead Sciences that 's been around for years as an experimental compound , but was never approved by the Food and Drug Administration — or any other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's now undergoing multiple clinical trials around the world to see if it 's safe and effective against the coronavirus in people .
`` That 's typical of an epidemic or crisis like this , '' says Ken Kaitin , who directs the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development .
`` Before [ companies ] start developing brand new drugs and new molecules , they quickly go back over the shelf and test [ the ones they already have ] to see if any of them make sense . ''
Remdesivir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2014 as a potential Ebola treatment , but was sidelined in favor of other treatments and vaccines .
Since then , scientists have done lab studies to see how remdesivir performed against several other viruses , including two viruses in the same coronavirus family as the one that causes COVID-19 — the viruses behind SARS and MERS .
They saw positive results in lab tests and animal studies , and think the drug interferes with viruses ' ability to replicate .
That 's why remdesivir was taken off Gilead 's shelf as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further testing .
`` Obviously we are waiting for data , both in vitro and then in people to ensure that the drug actually works , '' Gilead CEO Daniel O'Day told investors in early February .
`` And it 's important , just for everyone to keep that in mind , that this is still investigational — we are still waiting for more data to know . ''
The lab tests are `` a very good first step , '' toward identifying a promising compound , says Travis Warren , principal investigator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases .
Warren and his colleagues were among the first scientists to run early tests on remdesivir when it was being studied in Ebola .
Still , he says , there are `` many different reasons '' why a drug could work well in a lab , but not in humans .
`` I 'm very pleased to have provided a role in allowing remdesivir to be positioned where it currently is , '' Warren says .
`` Whether or not it ends up being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outcome of those clinical trials . ''
Clinical trials for remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment began in China in early February .
Additional clinical studies were n't far behind — this time with study arms around the world , including in the United States .
In one Gilead-sponsored trial , researchers are measuring how remdesivir affects sick patients ' oxygen levels .
In another , they 'll measure how many sick patients can leave the hospital within two weeks after starting treatment with remdesivir .
But it 's too soon to see final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` we can not really conclude whether it works or not , '' says Sheng Ding , dean of the school of pharmaceutical sciences at Tsinghua University .
`` For patients or [ the ] general public , it is understandable that hope is important , '' says Ding , who also directs the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute .
`` But such hope or expectation needs to be managed and balanced , and should let [ the ] science speak for itself . ''
The National Institutes of Health 's remdesivir clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States .
At Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston , it began this week , says epidemiologist Rajesh Gandhi , who is leading the hospital 's COVID-19 treatment taskforce .
Gandhi is pleased by how quickly his hospital was able to get going on its part of the clinical trial .
`` We need answers sooner rather than later , '' he says .
`` We got the drug on the weekend , and gave it to the first patient the very next day , '' he tells NPR .
He says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the drug works , but for whom it works .
For example , it 's possible , he says that the drug would only be beneficial for patients with mild or moderate symptoms , but be harmful to those with severe disease .
The FDA and Gilead are also granting access to the drug via `` compassionate use '' programs .
Compassionate use is when patients are allowed to get unapproved , experimental medicine outside of clinical trials .
The FDA says it has granted this sort of access to remdesivir to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the drug might be approved , FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn has indicated that the agency is working closely with Gilead .
The agency hopes to make a decision on remdesivir quickly .
Kaitin , from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development , says today 's FDA is better equipped than ever to approve a drug quickly .
`` You still have to have a drug and still have to show that the drug works , '' Kaitin says .
But `` the FDA can work with companies to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approval of azidothymidine — AZT — as the first AIDS medicine , was a game-changer for the FDA , he says .
The agency approved AZT without waiting for the long clinical trials required in other drug approvals .
It did this on condition that the drugmaker , Burroughs Wellcome , would continue to study patients taking the drug , and report the results back to the FDA .
That decision by the agency has paved the way for accelerated approval pathways for other drugs .
`` The FDA has a lot more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the process extremely fast , '' Kaitin says .

Might The Experimental Drug Remdesivir Work Against COVID-19?
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
With a coronavirus vaccine at least a year away, some scientists are investigating existing medicines and compounds that might work as effective treatments. A drug called remdesivir is now in the spotlight, but health professionals, and scientists say it's too soon to know if it really works against COVID-19.
Remdesivir is an antiviral, intravenous medicine made by Gilead Sciences that's been around for years as an experimental compound, but was never approved by the Food and Drug Administration — or any other country's drug approval agency. It's now undergoing multiple clinical trials around the world to see if it's safe and effective against the coronavirus in people.
"That's typical of an epidemic or crisis like this," says Ken Kaitin, who directs the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development. "Before [companies] start developing brand new drugs and new molecules, they quickly go back over the shelf and test [the ones they already have] to see if any of them make sense."
Remdesivir was one of the drugs being studied in 2014 as a potential Ebola treatment, but was sidelined in favor of other treatments and vaccines.
Since then, scientists have done lab studies to see how remdesivir performed against several other viruses, including two viruses in the same coronavirus family as the one that causes COVID-19 — the viruses behind SARS and MERS. They saw positive results in lab tests and animal studies, and think the drug interferes with viruses' ability to replicate.
That's why remdesivir was taken off Gilead's shelf as a potential COVID-19 treatment that's worth further testing.
"Obviously we are waiting for data, both in vitro and then in people to ensure that the drug actually works," Gilead CEO Daniel O'Day told investors in early February. "And it's important, just for everyone to keep that in mind, that this is still investigational — we are still waiting for more data to know."
The lab tests are "a very good first step," toward identifying a promising compound, says Travis Warren, principal investigator for the Geneva Foundation, working at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Warren and his colleagues were among the first scientists to run early tests on remdesivir when it was being studied in Ebola. Still, he says, there are "many different reasons" why a drug could work well in a lab, but not in humans.
"I'm very pleased to have provided a role in allowing remdesivir to be positioned where it currently is," Warren says. "Whether or not it ends up being useful is 100% dependent on the outcome of those clinical trials."
Clinical trials for remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment began in China in early February. Additional clinical studies weren't far behind — this time with study arms around the world, including in the United States.
In one Gilead-sponsored trial, researchers are measuring how remdesivir affects sick patients' oxygen levels. In another, they'll measure how many sick patients can leave the hospital within two weeks after starting treatment with remdesivir.
But it's too soon to see final study results. And without them, "we cannot really conclude whether it works or not," says Sheng Ding, dean of the school of pharmaceutical sciences at Tsinghua University.
"For patients or [the] general public, it is understandable that hope is important," says Ding, who also directs the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute. "But such hope or expectation needs to be managed and balanced, and should let [the] science speak for itself."
The National Institutes of Health's remdesivir clinical trial is taking place at sites around the United States. At Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, it began this week, says epidemiologist Rajesh Gandhi, who is leading the hospital's COVID-19 treatment taskforce.
Gandhi is pleased by how quickly his hospital was able to get going on its part of the clinical trial. "We need answers sooner rather than later," he says.
"We got the drug on the weekend, and gave it to the first patient the very next day," he tells NPR.
He says human studies will not only tell us whether the drug works, but for whom it works. For example, it's possible, he says that the drug would only be beneficial for patients with mild or moderate symptoms, but be harmful to those with severe disease.
The FDA and Gilead are also granting access to the drug via "compassionate use" programs. Compassionate use is when patients are allowed to get unapproved, experimental medicine outside of clinical trials. The FDA says it has granted this sort of access to remdesivir to about 250 patients already.
As for when the drug might be approved, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn has indicated that the agency is working closely with Gilead. The agency hopes to make a decision on remdesivir quickly.
Kaitin, from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, says today's FDA is better equipped than ever to approve a drug quickly.
"You still have to have a drug and still have to show that the drug works," Kaitin says. But "the FDA can work with companies to provide a greased pathway."
The 1987 approval of azidothymidine — AZT — as the first AIDS medicine, was a game-changer for the FDA, he says. The agency approved AZT without waiting for the long clinical trials required in other drug approvals. It did this on condition that the drugmaker, Burroughs Wellcome, would continue to study patients taking the drug, and report the results back to the FDA. That decision by the agency has paved the way for accelerated approval pathways for other drugs.
"The FDA has a lot more in its toolkit for moving important drugs through the process extremely fast," Kaitin says.


npr--2020-03-21--There's A Federal System For Signing Up Medical Volunteers — But It's Neglected

There 's A Federal System For Signing Up Medical Volunteers — But It 's Neglected The Trump administration has done little to take advantage of an emergency system built after 9/11 to recruit volunteer doctors , nurses and other health care workers , even as hospitals scramble to find enough personnel to face a surge of coronavirus-infected patients .
The emergency system , maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , is aimed at recruiting medical professionals who are willing to volunteer in times of disasters and verifying their medical credentials ahead of time .
But its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteers to state-level registries , is little-promoted and has a major glitch : Its drop-down menu goes nowhere for 10 states .
Federal officials need to do a better job of using what they already have to address this crisis , says Mahshid Abir , a doctor and researcher at the RAND Corporation , a California-based think tank .
`` Unless people know about it , and it 's used and it 's advertised , no one 's going to know and sign up , '' Abir says .
`` All these investments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research behind it , it 's for times like this . ''
The federal response to the pandemic has been beset by delays and bureaucratic foul-ups , most notably in testing for the virus .
The Trump administration this week moved to allow doctors to practice across state lines and recommended that hospitals put off elective surgeries — moves designed to swell the ranks of those treating the coronavirus .
Meanwhile , hospitals are straining to find the staff and supplies to care for the overwhelming numbers of seriously ill COVID-19 patients expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need tens of thousands of backup medical professionals to fight the pandemic , says Irwin Redlener , director of Columbia University 's National Center for Disaster Preparedness .
`` Every hospital in the country is thinking about backup health care workers , '' Redlener says .
Experts say volunteer doctors could be crucial particularly in rural and low-income areas — where medical professionals were in short supply even before the pandemic .
Rural hospitals preparing for the coronavirus are worried about having enough health care workers , along with ventilators , drugs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president of the National Rural Health Association .
`` We 're not going into this crisis with some really extremely healthy rural hospitals and clinics , '' Slabach says .
`` We 're just hoping we can get through this epidemic with them still financially intact . ''
And hospitals will need backup ranks of doctors and nurses even more when those on the front lines become sick themselves and are forced to quarantine .
Half of the Americans exposed to the coronavirus before Feb. 26 were health care workers , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data reported in a Health Affairs blog .
Experts worry doctors and nurses may also stay home from work out of fear of contracting the virus .
The federal emergency system was established in the aftermath of 9/11 , when doctors and nurses rushed to Ground Zero to help , but New York City officials had no quick system to prove they were qualified .
The Emergency System for Advanced Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals was designed to fix that problem .
`` There 's a slippery slope if people just show up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a doctor . '
You have to validate their credentials , '' says Julie Casani , a North Carolina State University professor who formerly directed programs to prepare for emergencies in North Carolina and Maryland .
New Jersey now has nearly 900 COVID-19 patients .
But , as of March 19 , a Garden State doctor or nurse who managed to find the federal program 's website would have to do additional online sleuthing to figure out how to sign up to volunteer , since links on the site are broken .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Connecticut , Kentucky , Maryland , North Carolina , New Hampshire , Rhode Island and Tennessee .
HHS oversees the system , but each state runs its own volunteer registry as part of it .
An HHS spokeswoman did not respond directly to questions about the broken links or the system 's relative obscurity .
She said the system verifies `` volunteers ' licenses , credentials , and accreditations , as well as training skills , competencies , and employment '' in advance , saving `` valuable time in emergency situations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a request for comment .
Some states are already planning to mobilize the volunteers registered with them .
Virginia issued a letter to doctors asking them to sign up for the state 's medical reserve corps to help prepare for the coronavirus .
Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan on Monday said he was activating his state 's 5,000 medical volunteers .
And California is `` prepared to call up our volunteers as needed , '' says that state 's Emergency Medical Services Authority deputy director Jennifer Lim .
The federal emergency system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical workers , including specialists experts say are crucial to weathering COVID-19 : respiratory therapists , who are trained to handle ventilators , which can cause brain damage or death if used incorrectly .
`` You can have all the equipment you want , but if you do n't have the people that are trained to operate it , then that 's not a good thing , either , '' says Leonard Friedman , a professor of health policy and management at George Washington University .
In Arkansas , respiratory therapist Paul Lowe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal emergency system and has not been contacted by his state to volunteer to treat coronavirus patients .
But Lowe , who directs the respiratory therapy program at a community college in Hot Springs National Park College , says a hospital emailed him recently to ask if he could graduate his 15 students a few weeks before they would have finished their clinical rotations .
Lowe says he checked with the Arkansas Medical Board , which ruled out such moves .
Although the federal site 's link to Arkansas is not working , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 of whom are respiratory therapists , says Danyelle McNeill , a spokeswoman for the state health department .
She did not answer a question on whether state officials are aware of the broken link on the federal emergency system 's site .

There's A Federal System For Signing Up Medical Volunteers — But It's Neglected
Enlarge this image toggle caption Reza Estakhrian/Getty Images Reza Estakhrian/Getty Images
The Trump administration has done little to take advantage of an emergency system built after 9/11 to recruit volunteer doctors, nurses and other health care workers, even as hospitals scramble to find enough personnel to face a surge of coronavirus-infected patients.
The emergency system, maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is aimed at recruiting medical professionals who are willing to volunteer in times of disasters and verifying their medical credentials ahead of time. But its website, which is designed to link volunteers to state-level registries, is little-promoted and has a major glitch: Its drop-down menu goes nowhere for 10 states.
Federal officials need to do a better job of using what they already have to address this crisis, says Mahshid Abir, a doctor and researcher at the RAND Corporation, a California-based think tank.
"Unless people know about it, and it's used and it's advertised, no one's going to know and sign up," Abir says. "All these investments and developing tools like this and the research behind it, it's for times like this."
The federal response to the pandemic has been beset by delays and bureaucratic foul-ups, most notably in testing for the virus. The Trump administration this week moved to allow doctors to practice across state lines and recommended that hospitals put off elective surgeries — moves designed to swell the ranks of those treating the coronavirus. Meanwhile, hospitals are straining to find the staff and supplies to care for the overwhelming numbers of seriously ill COVID-19 patients expected in coming weeks.
The nation may need tens of thousands of backup medical professionals to fight the pandemic, says Irwin Redlener, director of Columbia University's National Center for Disaster Preparedness.
"Every hospital in the country is thinking about backup health care workers," Redlener says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/ Screenshot by NPR U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/ Screenshot by NPR
Experts say volunteer doctors could be crucial particularly in rural and low-income areas — where medical professionals were in short supply even before the pandemic. Rural hospitals preparing for the coronavirus are worried about having enough health care workers, along with ventilators, drugs and masks, says Brock Slabach, senior vice president of the National Rural Health Association.
"We're not going into this crisis with some really extremely healthy rural hospitals and clinics," Slabach says. "We're just hoping we can get through this epidemic with them still financially intact."
And hospitals will need backup ranks of doctors and nurses even more when those on the front lines become sick themselves and are forced to quarantine. Half of the Americans exposed to the coronavirus before Feb. 26 were health care workers, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data reported in a Health Affairs blog. Experts worry doctors and nurses may also stay home from work out of fear of contracting the virus.
The federal emergency system was established in the aftermath of 9/11, when doctors and nurses rushed to Ground Zero to help, but New York City officials had no quick system to prove they were qualified. The Emergency System for Advanced Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals was designed to fix that problem.
"There's a slippery slope if people just show up and say, 'Hey, I'm a doctor.' You have to validate their credentials," says Julie Casani, a North Carolina State University professor who formerly directed programs to prepare for emergencies in North Carolina and Maryland.
New Jersey now has nearly 900 COVID-19 patients. But, as of March 19, a Garden State doctor or nurse who managed to find the federal program's website would have to do additional online sleuthing to figure out how to sign up to volunteer, since links on the site are broken. So would health professionals in Arkansas, Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Tennessee.
HHS oversees the system, but each state runs its own volunteer registry as part of it. An HHS spokeswoman did not respond directly to questions about the broken links or the system's relative obscurity. She said the system verifies "volunteers' licenses, credentials, and accreditations, as well as training skills, competencies, and employment" in advance, saving "valuable time in emergency situations."
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Some states are already planning to mobilize the volunteers registered with them. Virginia issued a letter to doctors asking them to sign up for the state's medical reserve corps to help prepare for the coronavirus. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday said he was activating his state's 5,000 medical volunteers. And California is "prepared to call up our volunteers as needed," says that state's Emergency Medical Services Authority deputy director Jennifer Lim.
On Monday, I announced that we have activated the Maryland Responds Medical Reserve Corps, a force of dedicated and trained medical volunteers who are ready to assist in a public health emergency.
We are urging Marylanders to sign up at https://t.co/DqJQbL4z5V. pic.twitter.com/K5LXQwoQf6 — Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) March 20, 2020
The federal emergency system was also meant to recruit other important medical workers, including specialists experts say are crucial to weathering COVID-19: respiratory therapists, who are trained to handle ventilators, which can cause brain damage or death if used incorrectly.
"You can have all the equipment you want, but if you don't have the people that are trained to operate it, then that's not a good thing, either," says Leonard Friedman, a professor of health policy and management at George Washington University.
In Arkansas, respiratory therapist Paul Lowe says he's never heard of the federal emergency system and has not been contacted by his state to volunteer to treat coronavirus patients.
But Lowe, who directs the respiratory therapy program at a community college in Hot Springs National Park College, says a hospital emailed him recently to ask if he could graduate his 15 students a few weeks before they would have finished their clinical rotations. Lowe says he checked with the Arkansas Medical Board, which ruled out such moves.
Although the federal site's link to Arkansas is not working, the state has 1,254 registered volunteers, 27 of whom are respiratory therapists, says Danyelle McNeill, a spokeswoman for the state health department. She did not answer a question on whether state officials are aware of the broken link on the federal emergency system's site.


npr--2020-03-21--How People With Weakened Immune Systems Are Navigating The Coronavirus

How People With Weakened Immune Systems Are Navigating The Coronavirus Candace Palmerlee 's daily routine may seem familiar to most people in the age of a pandemic .
`` I 'm careful about door handles .
I always put my sleeve over my hand or I touch things with my elbow instead of my fingers , '' said the massage therapist who lives in Walnut Creek , a suburb northeast of San Francisco .
`` I 'm constantly washing my hands . ''
But Palmerlee , 46 , has n't been doing this for just a few weeks , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year .
Palmerlee has a rare autoimmune disease called relapsing polychondritis .
It attacks her cartilage , and among other things , weakens her lungs and trachea .
To control her illness , she takes two medications that suppress her immune system , and is incredibly vigilant about avoiding illness .
`` In my support group we joke that , 'wow , everybody else is finally living the way we live every day , ' '' she said .
Palmerlee is one of millions of Americans who is immunocompromised , meaning she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus is especially dangerous for people in this category , including people with some cancers , HIV/AIDS , and autoimmune diseases .
Dr. Paul Volberding directs the AIDS Research Institute at the University of California , San Francisco .
`` There are a number of ways that parts of the immune system can be damaged , '' he said .
In addition to cancer and HIV/AIDS , he cited chemotherapy , aging , and medications that intentionally suppress the immune system .
`` There are a lot of people receiving medications that can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , `` and probably some of them do n't even frankly know that they 're immunocompromised . ''
This type of medication is common for people with psoriasis , Crohn 's disease , asthma , and rheumatoid arthritis .
Volberding said it 's important to watch out for this part of the population .
`` Being immunocompromised might not so much increase your likelihood of getting infected with something like COVID-19 , '' he said , `` but it might make the outcome of that infection much worse . ''
An autoimmune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 Diabetes .
Aaron Kowalski , the president of JDRF , is among them .
His organization , headquartered in New York City , funds research on the condition , advocates for access to new therapies , and provides support networks internationally .
`` I think the community right now is scared , '' Kowalski said .
He said that when Type 1 Diabetics get sick in any way , managing the disease becomes much more difficult , and can be fatal .
`` The fear in coronavirus is , 'if I get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In knowing that illness and diabetes are a very difficult combination , '' he said .
For some , multiple health issues compound their concerns .
San Francisco-based community activist Chip Supanich is HIV positive , has pulmonary issues , and is on chemotherapy for Kaposi 's sarcoma .
`` I have never really paid attention to what I touch and in what order , '' Supanich said , `` aside from after using the bathroom ! ''
Now , Supanich said , he 's washing his hands after he touches almost everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social routine , something challenging for the 59-year-old who lives alone , except for his cat Highlander .
`` I wo n't be seeing friends much because you do n't know who has it , and I am extremely sensitive , '' Supanich said .
`` Not seeing anyone is really hard for me . ''
Supanich knows that isolation can also be bad for health , so he asked his friends to regularly call him and others who are immunocompromised .
He also advised them to check in with immunocompromised people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prescriptions or groceries , to help them avoid crowded places .
While massage therapist Candace Palmerlee worked diligently to avoid public places , she found out just days ago that she had tested positive for the coronavirus .
`` I 'd say my stomach dropped out , '' she said upon hearing the news .
Luckily , she had already been isolating at home , and believes she 's through the worst of the virus .
She thinks she picked it up through her kids , who were still attending school until recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under quarantine for the next few weeks .

How People With Weakened Immune Systems Are Navigating The Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sarah Deragon Sarah Deragon
Candace Palmerlee's daily routine may seem familiar to most people in the age of a pandemic.
"I'm careful about door handles. I always put my sleeve over my hand or I touch things with my elbow instead of my fingers," said the massage therapist who lives in Walnut Creek, a suburb northeast of San Francisco. "I'm constantly washing my hands."
But Palmerlee, 46, hasn't been doing this for just a few weeks, she's been doing it for more than a year. Palmerlee has a rare autoimmune disease called relapsing polychondritis. It attacks her cartilage, and among other things, weakens her lungs and trachea.
To control her illness, she takes two medications that suppress her immune system, and is incredibly vigilant about avoiding illness.
"In my support group we joke that, 'wow, everybody else is finally living the way we live every day,'" she said.
Palmerlee is one of millions of Americans who is immunocompromised, meaning she has a weakened immune system. The coronavirus is especially dangerous for people in this category, including people with some cancers, HIV/AIDS, and autoimmune diseases.
Dr. Paul Volberding directs the AIDS Research Institute at the University of California, San Francisco.
"There are a number of ways that parts of the immune system can be damaged," he said. In addition to cancer and HIV/AIDS, he cited chemotherapy, aging, and medications that intentionally suppress the immune system.
Medical Treatments Living With Immunosuppression During The Coronavirus Outbreak Living With Immunosuppression During The Coronavirus Outbreak Listen · 5:19 5:19
"There are a lot of people receiving medications that can damage the immune system," Volberding said, "and probably some of them don't even frankly know that they're immunocompromised." This type of medication is common for people with psoriasis, Crohn's disease, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Volberding said it's important to watch out for this part of the population. "Being immunocompromised might not so much increase your likelihood of getting infected with something like COVID-19," he said, "but it might make the outcome of that infection much worse."
An autoimmune disease many Americans live with is Type 1 Diabetes. Aaron Kowalski, the president of JDRF, is among them. His organization, headquartered in New York City, funds research on the condition, advocates for access to new therapies, and provides support networks internationally.
"I think the community right now is scared," Kowalski said.
He said that when Type 1 Diabetics get sick in any way, managing the disease becomes much more difficult, and can be fatal.
"The fear in coronavirus is, 'if I get sick, what will happen?' In knowing that illness and diabetes are a very difficult combination," he said.
For some, multiple health issues compound their concerns. San Francisco-based community activist Chip Supanich is HIV positive, has pulmonary issues, and is on chemotherapy for Kaposi's sarcoma.
"I have never really paid attention to what I touch and in what order," Supanich said, "aside from after using the bathroom!"
Now, Supanich said, he's washing his hands after he touches almost everything. And he's completely changed his social routine, something challenging for the 59-year-old who lives alone, except for his cat Highlander.
"I won't be seeing friends much because you don't know who has it, and I am extremely sensitive," Supanich said. "Not seeing anyone is really hard for me."
Supanich knows that isolation can also be bad for health, so he asked his friends to regularly call him and others who are immunocompromised. He also advised them to check in with immunocompromised people to see if they may need help getting prescriptions or groceries, to help them avoid crowded places.
While massage therapist Candace Palmerlee worked diligently to avoid public places, she found out just days ago that she had tested positive for the coronavirus.
"I'd say my stomach dropped out," she said upon hearing the news.
Luckily, she had already been isolating at home, and believes she's through the worst of the virus. She thinks she picked it up through her kids, who were still attending school until recently.
She and her family will remain under quarantine for the next few weeks.