foxnews--2020-04-22--Could execution drugs help coronavirus patients? Some doctors say yes

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The secrecy surrounding executions could hinder efforts by a group of medical professionals who are asking the nation ’ s death penalty states for medications used in lethal injections so that they can go to coronavirus patients who are on ventilators , according to a death penalty expert and a doctor who 's behind the request .
In a letter sent this month to corrections departments , a group of seven pharmacists , public health experts , and intensive care unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to release any stockpiles they might have of execution drugs to health care facilities .
“ Your stockpile could save the lives of hundreds of people ; though this may be a small fraction of the total anticipated deaths , it is a central ethical directive that medicine values every life , ” according to the letter .
But it 's unclear what drugs the states may have , as they have tended to release information about execution protocols and drug supplies only through open records requests or lawsuits .
Only one state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter , and it indicated it doesn ’ t have the drugs in question .
“ I ’ m not trying to comment on the rightness or wrongness of capital punishment , ” said Dr. Joel Zivot , one of the medical professionals who signed the letter .
“ I ’ m asking now as a bedside clinician caring for patients , please help me.
” For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe illness , requiring them to be placed on ventilators to help them breathe .
Many medications used to sedate and immobilize people put on ventilators and to treat their pain are the same drugs that states use to put inmates to death .
Demand for such drugs surged 73 percent in March .
Twenty-five states have the death penalty , while three have moratoriums on capital punishment .
While some states contacted by The Associated Press , including Alabama and Florida , didn ’ t respond to inquiries about the letter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Utah , limited their comment to mainly saying they don ’ t have the medications in question .
Tennessee wouldn ’ t confirm whether it has the drugs and indicated it has no plans to give any medications to a hospital .
Oklahoma said it hadn ’ t received any requests for such medications from state hospitals .
States may be hesitant to turn over their drugs because they have had problems securing them as many pharmaceutical companies oppose their use in executions , said Robert Dunham , executive director of the Death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 states have enacted new statutes that conceal information about the execution process , according to the Death Penalty Information Center , which takes no position on capital punishment but has criticized the way states carry out executions .
Drugs being requested include the sedative midazolam , the paralytic vecuronium bromide and the opioid fentanyl .
They 're needed because putting a patient on a ventilator “ with no drugs ... would be torture , ” said Zivot , an associate professor of anesthesiology and surgery at Emory University in Atlanta who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punishment .
The tense debate over the supply of execution drugs was highlighted in a 2018 lawsuit that several pharmaceutical companies filed against Nevada over accusations that it illegally obtained its inventory .
In a court brief , 15 states , including Florida , Oklahoma and Texas , called the lawsuit part of the “ guerrilla warfare being waged by antideath-penalty activists and criminal defense attorneys to stop lawful executions.
” The lawsuit was dismissed this month after Nevada agreed to return its supplies to the companies , leaving the state without any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Pharmaceutical companies have long warned that states ’ use of these medications for executions could result in shortages , Dunham said .
“ Some of the responses over the past several years had been , ‘ That ’ s chicken little saying the sky is falling , ’ ” Dunham said .
“ But with COVID-19 , the sky has fallen .
”

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The secrecy surrounding executions could hinder efforts by a group of medical professionals who are asking the nation’s death penalty states for medications used in lethal injections so that they can go to coronavirus patients who are on ventilators, according to a death penalty expert and a doctor who's behind the request.
In a letter sent this month to corrections departments, a group of seven pharmacists, public health experts, and intensive care unit doctors asked states with the death penalty to release any stockpiles they might have of execution drugs to health care facilities.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
“Your stockpile could save the lives of hundreds of people; though this may be a small fraction of the total anticipated deaths, it is a central ethical directive that medicine values every life,” according to the letter.
But it's unclear what drugs the states may have, as they have tended to release information about execution protocols and drug supplies only through open records requests or lawsuits. Only one state, Wyoming, responded directly to the letter, and it indicated it doesn’t have the drugs in question.
“I’m not trying to comment on the rightness or wrongness of capital punishment,” said Dr. Joel Zivot, one of the medical professionals who signed the letter. “I’m asking now as a bedside clinician caring for patients, please help me.”
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some, it can cause severe illness, requiring them to be placed on ventilators to help them breathe.
Many medications used to sedate and immobilize people put on ventilators and to treat their pain are the same drugs that states use to put inmates to death. Demand for such drugs surged 73 percent in March.
Twenty-five states have the death penalty, while three have moratoriums on capital punishment.
While some states contacted by The Associated Press, including Alabama and Florida, didn’t respond to inquiries about the letter, others, including Arkansas, Texas and Utah, limited their comment to mainly saying they don’t have the medications in question. Tennessee wouldn’t confirm whether it has the drugs and indicated it has no plans to give any medications to a hospital. Oklahoma said it hadn’t received any requests for such medications from state hospitals.
States may be hesitant to turn over their drugs because they have had problems securing them as many pharmaceutical companies oppose their use in executions, said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center.
Since 2011, 13 states have enacted new statutes that conceal information about the execution process, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, which takes no position on capital punishment but has criticized the way states carry out executions.
Drugs being requested include the sedative midazolam, the paralytic vecuronium bromide and the opioid fentanyl. They're needed because putting a patient on a ventilator “with no drugs ... would be torture,” said Zivot, an associate professor of anesthesiology and surgery at Emory University in Atlanta who has studied medicine’s role in capital punishment.
The tense debate over the supply of execution drugs was highlighted in a 2018 lawsuit that several pharmaceutical companies filed against Nevada over accusations that it illegally obtained its inventory.
In a court brief, 15 states, including Florida, Oklahoma and Texas, called the lawsuit part of the “guerrilla warfare being waged by antideath-penalty activists and criminal defense attorneys to stop lawful executions.”
The lawsuit was dismissed this month after Nevada agreed to return its supplies to the companies, leaving the state without any drugs to carry out executions.
CORONAVIRUS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pharmaceutical companies have long warned that states’ use of these medications for executions could result in shortages, Dunham said.
“Some of the responses over the past several years had been, ‘That’s chicken little saying the sky is falling,’” Dunham said. “But with COVID-19, the sky has fallen.”


foxnews--2020-04-20--Michigan girl, 5, daughter of first responders, dies from coronavirus: report

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A 5-year-old Michigan girl , the daughter of two first responders , has become the first child to die from COVID-19 in the state on Sunday .
Skylar Herbert tested positive for the coronavirus back in March and later developed meningoencephalitis , a rare complication of the coronavirus , her parents said .
She spent two weeks on a ventilator before being taken off on Sunday .
“ We decided to take her off the ventilator today because her improvement had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was possible she was brain dead , and we basically just knew she wasn ’ t coming back to us , ” said LaVondria Herbert , Skylar 's mother , on Sunday , according to The Detroit News .
She was originally released from Beaumont Hospital , Royal Oak , a day after testing positive , as her symptoms -- which included a fever -- were believed to be mild .
The family went back to the hospital after her father , Ebbie Herbert , 46 , developed a cough and shortness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As Skylar and her mother waited in the car , the 5-year-old had a seizure .
`` [ I told her ] Skylar , look at your daddy , Skylar , look at your daddy , '' said her father .
`` She came out of the seizure and me and her mother ran back into the emergency room . ''
Skylar was then admitted to the pediatric ICU at the hospital -- located in a northern suburb of Detroit , Mich. , -- where she was given a lumbar puncture and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Beaumont Health System , which has seen 6,678 COVID-19 patients as of Sunday , confirmed her death in a statement .
MICHIGAN BUSINESSES SUE WHITMER OVER EXECUTIVE ORDER AMID CORONAVIRUS CRISIS : 'WHAT WE NEED IS A DOSE OF COMMON SENSE' Skylar 's family said they have no idea how she contracted the virus , adding that she had been in the house for weeks and had no previous health issues , the paper added .
Her father , Ebbie , has been a Detroit firefighter for 18 years , while her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer in the city for 25 years .
“ She was the type of girl that would just run up to you and jump in your arms and hug you , '' LaVondria said , according to The Detroit News .
The family added that they support Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer 's `` Stay Home , Stay Safe '' order she issued back in March -- which has since prompted protests in the state .
“ I want to say thank you to the governor for making people go home , ” LaVondria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CLICK HERE FOR MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE Michigan has seen more than 31,424 confirmed COVID-19 cases and at least 2,391 deaths as of early Monday , according to data from Johns Hopkins .

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A 5-year-old Michigan girl, the daughter of two first responders, has become the first child to die from COVID-19 in the state on Sunday.
Skylar Herbert tested positive for the coronavirus back in March and later developed meningoencephalitis, a rare complication of the coronavirus, her parents said. She spent two weeks on a ventilator before being taken off on Sunday.
MICHIGAN REP. KILDEE DEFENDS WHITMER'S CORONAVIRUS STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS AMID PROTESTS: 'I'M WITH THE GOVERNOR'
“We decided to take her off the ventilator today because her improvement had stopped, the doctors told us that it was possible she was brain dead, and we basically just knew she wasn’t coming back to us,” said LaVondria Herbert, Skylar's mother, on Sunday, according to The Detroit News.
She was originally released from Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, a day after testing positive, as her symptoms -- which included a fever -- were believed to be mild.
The family went back to the hospital after her father, Ebbie Herbert, 46, developed a cough and shortness of breath, the paper reported.
As Skylar and her mother waited in the car, the 5-year-old had a seizure.
"[I told her] Skylar, look at your daddy, Skylar, look at your daddy," said her father. "She came out of the seizure and me and her mother ran back into the emergency room."
Skylar was then admitted to the pediatric ICU at the hospital -- located in a northern suburb of Detroit, Mich., -- where she was given a lumbar puncture and the family learned of her meningitis condition.
The Beaumont Health System, which has seen 6,678 COVID-19 patients as of Sunday, confirmed her death in a statement.
MICHIGAN BUSINESSES SUE WHITMER OVER EXECUTIVE ORDER AMID CORONAVIRUS CRISIS: 'WHAT WE NEED IS A DOSE OF COMMON SENSE'
Skylar's family said they have no idea how she contracted the virus, adding that she had been in the house for weeks and had no previous health issues, the paper added.
Her father, Ebbie, has been a Detroit firefighter for 18 years, while her mother LaVondria has worked as a police officer in the city for 25 years.
“She was the type of girl that would just run up to you and jump in your arms and hug you," LaVondria said, according to The Detroit News.
The family added that they support Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order she issued back in March -- which has since prompted protests in the state.
“I want to say thank you to the governor for making people go home,” LaVondria said, according to the paper.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
Michigan has seen more than 31,424 confirmed COVID-19 cases and at least 2,391 deaths as of early Monday, according to data from Johns Hopkins.


foxnews--2020-04-21--Coronavirus crisis: What are the potential long-term health impacts?

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When one is struck by the coronavirus , symptoms can range from none to fatal .
But for the many million in between who are infected by the novel pathogen and then recover , just how damaging are the lingering effects ?
Medical researchers are on the quest to find out .
`` Anytime you get really sick , it is possible that it affects your different organ systems , leaving varying degrees of compromise , or you may have none @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , physician and co-CEO of medical app DocClocker , told Fox News .
“ We still don ’ t fully understand the immune response and if recovery and immunity development offer any level of protection against reinfection and disease severity.
” Thus , while the prognostic symptoms of coronavirus , formally called COVID-19 , have been well-documented – ranging from fevers and a loss of taste to breathing problems and pneumonia – scientists are purporting to piece together what may happen to those who contract the illness and recover .
HOW IS THE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to date have shown that the vast majority of those who are infected are on the mild scale and should recover with no lasting effects .
But for more serious cases , especially those who require a ventilator and/or ICU treatment which is around 20 percent of those hospitalized , the possibility of lasting lung damage or severe respiratory affliction is a very real threat .
“ For more than 80 percent of patients infected with the coronavirus , recovery is likely to be complete .
However according to a recent study from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitalized patients will have decreased lung capacity due to pneumonia and inflammation caused by the disease or by the ventilator treatment itself , ” explained Dr. Steven Berk , executive vice president and dean of Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Medicine .
He also noted that patients who develop acute respiratory distress syndrome and require long-term mechanical ventilation , sometimes a week or more , are most likely to have persistent shortness of breath , and evidence of scarring or pulmonary fibrosis .
A report published earlier this month in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai and the New York Blood Center noted that when researchers instituted contact between coronavirus and lab-grown T lymphocytes – referred to as T cells – the virus paralyzed these critical cells , which help identify and expel pathogens in the body .
The researchers also found that SARS , a related coronavirus , could not infect T cells .
Disturbingly , the study also indicated that damage to the T lymphocytes paralleled that caused by HIV .
Moreover , preliminary studies out of China have also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of severe cases endured protracted heart issues , and some showed signs of impaired liver function .
Given that the virus itself is only a few months old , having originated out of China at some point late last year , experts have only small-scale , immediate term studies to go on , and are mainly looking at data from related viruses SARS and MERS to gauge a more in-depth understanding .
“ Those with SARS pneumonia had shortness of breath and evidence of pulmonary fibrosis one month after infection .
Most patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Patients with SARS continued to excrete the virus , sometimes for more than 20 days .
Those who had developed acute respiratory distress syndrome ( ARDS ) remained short of breath for months or for a lifetime.
” Texas and Arizona-based hormone specialist Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet also pointed out that , in examining the long-term adverse effects of a variety of viral illnesses , problems include lungs illnesses , as well as issues with neurological systems showing cognitive and nerve dysfunction , heart damage – viral cardiomyopathy that can lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as kidney impairment that in astringent cases can lead to progressive kidney failure .
“ We have known that severe viral illnesses can lead to severe fatigue that can become debilitating , ” she said .
“ Those are the major organ systems we already know can be damaged by severe viral illnesses with known viruses , so I plan to be monitoring my patients for the emergence of such problems as we go forward.
” From Vliet ’ s purview , long-term consequences will more commonly be seen in older patients who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , kidney disease and pulmonary fibrosis .
And for those just weeks or months in recovery with now negative test results , it is not only the enduring physical ramifications – such as reported breathlessness , lung pain , or fatigue – that plague , but the psychological distress , isolation and fear of a relapse that medical professionals are monitoring .
“ From the original SARS outbreak in 2003 , we see that psychiatric illness is the most notable long-term outcome , ” said Dr. Melissa Nolan , an infectious disease expert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina .
“ Including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
” Berk concurred that “ anxiety , depression , and muscle weakness were also common.
” But if the novel pathogen has proven anything to date , it is that uncertainty and outliers are its hallmarks .
“ It will also be very important to determine the level of antibody developed to coronavirus , as investigators also determine the level of antibody that guarantees protection against a second infection , ” Berk added .

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
When one is struck by the coronavirus, symptoms can range from none to fatal. But for the many million in between who are infected by the novel pathogen and then recover, just how damaging are the lingering effects?
Medical researchers are on the quest to find out.
"Anytime you get really sick, it is possible that it affects your different organ systems, leaving varying degrees of compromise, or you may have none at all,” Dr. Eric Carter, physician and co-CEO of medical app DocClocker, told Fox News. “We still don’t fully understand the immune response and if recovery and immunity development offer any level of protection against reinfection and disease severity.”
Thus, while the prognostic symptoms of coronavirus, formally called COVID-19, have been well-documented – ranging from fevers and a loss of taste to breathing problems and pneumonia – scientists are purporting to piece together what may happen to those who contract the illness and recover.
HOW IS THE CORONAVIRUS MUTATING INTO DIFFERENT STRAINS?
Studies to date have shown that the vast majority of those who are infected are on the mild scale and should recover with no lasting effects. But for more serious cases, especially those who require a ventilator and/or ICU treatment which is around 20 percent of those hospitalized, the possibility of lasting lung damage or severe respiratory affliction is a very real threat.
“For more than 80 percent of patients infected with the coronavirus, recovery is likely to be complete. However according to a recent study from Hong Kong, about 20-30 percent of hospitalized patients will have decreased lung capacity due to pneumonia and inflammation caused by the disease or by the ventilator treatment itself,” explained Dr. Steven Berk, executive vice president and dean of Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Medicine.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
He also noted that patients who develop acute respiratory distress syndrome and require long-term mechanical ventilation, sometimes a week or more, are most likely to have persistent shortness of breath, and evidence of scarring or pulmonary fibrosis.
A report published earlier this month in the medical publication journal Cellular & Molecular Immunology from researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai and the New York Blood Center noted that when researchers instituted contact between coronavirus and lab-grown T lymphocytes – referred to as T cells – the virus paralyzed these critical cells, which help identify and expel pathogens in the body. The researchers also found that SARS, a related coronavirus, could not infect T cells.
Disturbingly, the study also indicated that damage to the T lymphocytes paralleled that caused by HIV.
Moreover, preliminary studies out of China have also underscored that around 12 percent of survivors of severe cases endured protracted heart issues, and some showed signs of impaired liver function.
Given that the virus itself is only a few months old, having originated out of China at some point late last year, experts have only small-scale, immediate term studies to go on, and are mainly looking at data from related viruses SARS and MERS to gauge a more in-depth understanding.
“Those with SARS pneumonia had shortness of breath and evidence of pulmonary fibrosis one month after infection. Most patients improved over time,” Berk continued. “Patients with SARS continued to excrete the virus, sometimes for more than 20 days. Those who had developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remained short of breath for months or for a lifetime.”
Texas and Arizona-based hormone specialist Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet also pointed out that, in examining the long-term adverse effects of a variety of viral illnesses, problems include lungs illnesses, as well as issues with neurological systems showing cognitive and nerve dysfunction, heart damage – viral cardiomyopathy that can lead to congestive heart failure – as well as kidney impairment that in astringent cases can lead to progressive kidney failure.
“We have known that severe viral illnesses can lead to severe fatigue that can become debilitating,” she said. “Those are the major organ systems we already know can be damaged by severe viral illnesses with known viruses, so I plan to be monitoring my patients for the emergence of such problems as we go forward.”
WASHINGTON CORONAVIRUS CASES SURGE AMONG HOMELESS SHELTER POPULATION, DEATH REPORTED AT COUNTY ISOLATION SITE
From Vliet’s purview, long-term consequences will more commonly be seen in older patients who have pre-existing conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease and pulmonary fibrosis.
And for those just weeks or months in recovery with now negative test results, it is not only the enduring physical ramifications – such as reported breathlessness, lung pain, or fatigue – that plague, but the psychological distress, isolation and fear of a relapse that medical professionals are monitoring.
“From the original SARS outbreak in 2003, we see that psychiatric illness is the most notable long-term outcome,” said Dr. Melissa Nolan, an infectious disease expert, and professor at the University of South Carolina. “Including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.”
Berk concurred that “anxiety, depression, and muscle weakness were also common.”
But if the novel pathogen has proven anything to date, it is that uncertainty and outliers are its hallmarks.
“It will also be very important to determine the level of antibody developed to coronavirus, as investigators also determine the level of antibody that guarantees protection against a second infection,” Berk added.


foxnews--2020-04-22--College students using 3D printers to make face masks for coronavirus first responders

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PHILADELPHIA – With many college classes moving online because of the coronavirus , some students have been using their surprise downtime to get some hands-on experience -- and to help first responders .
“ Our engineering students are hungry and eager to use their skills to do something to help out with this pandemic , ” said Dr. Shreek Mandayam , a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rowan University .
Dozens of students at Rowan University in Glassboro , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 3D printers from the engineering lab .
Mandayam says some have been taking the printers home with them and coming up with ways to make face masks more user-friendly .
“ The filter slot ’ s larger , so that it ’ s easier to breathe .
You know , when a first responder wears it for a long time , it gets a little stuffy in there , ” Mandayam said .
According to Mandayam , it ’ s been a team effort .
The masks are being made by engineering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical students at Cooper Medical School , a partner of Rowan .
The masks are reusable and mold to a person ’ s face when dipped in hot water .
“ It allows people to customize their mask .
I would call this a personalized bio-defense , ” Mandayam said .
Depending on how efficient a person ’ s 3D printer is , making one mask can take anywhere from an hour and a half to six hours .
So far , the group has been able to make about 300 a week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And they are not stopping there .
“ We are going to make this design available for anyone in the world to download , print , and use , ” Mandayam added .
Since sharing the designs online at the beginning of April , they have already had a global impact .
University officials said the designs have been downloaded more than 41,000 times in nearly 145 countries .
Meanwhile in Philadelphia , more engineering students are learning how their field relates to the pandemic .
Dr. Charles Haas , an environmental engineering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a course called “ Coronavirus and Engineering.
” CORONAVIRUS : WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW “ We talk about topics such as design of masks , design of better building ventilation , design of building decontamination systems , and so forth , ” Haas said .
About 40 students have already enrolled in the class .
Engineers at Drexel have also used 3D printers to make face shields for nearby hospital workers .
“ I have a broad set of engineering majors in the course , ” Haas added .
In fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ variety of fields – are incorporating the current pandemic into their curriculum .
“ I wanted to have the students work on a small simulation that modeled the spread of a virus , ” said Dr. Jeffrey Stone , who has taught computer programming at Penn State Lehigh Valley .
According to Stone , data models can be useful in understanding how a virus can spread .
“ Ultimately , we need people to be able to create these models for the pandemics of the future .
So , we need people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to make these simulations so that we can understand these phenomena better , ” Stone said .
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP As Mandayam noted , part of the students ' education has happened beyond the classroom .
“ We try to teach our students that you have to do good , and it is just very moving for me to see that , ” Mandayam said .

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
PHILADELPHIA – With many college classes moving online because of the coronavirus, some students have been using their surprise downtime to get some hands-on experience -- and to help first responders.
“Our engineering students are hungry and eager to use their skills to do something to help out with this pandemic,” said Dr. Shreek Mandayam, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rowan University.
Dozens of students at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., have been making face masks with 3D printers from the engineering lab.
Mandayam says some have been taking the printers home with them and coming up with ways to make face masks more user-friendly.
“The filter slot’s larger, so that it’s easier to breathe. You know, when a first responder wears it for a long time, it gets a little stuffy in there,” Mandayam said.
According to Mandayam, it’s been a team effort. The masks are being made by engineering students and then assembled with elastic by medical students at Cooper Medical School, a partner of Rowan.
The masks are reusable and mold to a person’s face when dipped in hot water.
“It allows people to customize their mask. I would call this a personalized bio-defense,” Mandayam said.
Depending on how efficient a person’s 3D printer is, making one mask can take anywhere from an hour and a half to six hours.
So far, the group has been able to make about 300 a week for first responders in the area. And they are not stopping there.
“We are going to make this design available for anyone in the world to download, print, and use,” Mandayam added.
Since sharing the designs online at the beginning of April, they have already had a global impact. University officials said the designs have been downloaded more than 41,000 times in nearly 145 countries.
Meanwhile in Philadelphia, more engineering students are learning how their field relates to the pandemic.
Dr. Charles Haas, an environmental engineering professor at Drexel University, just launched a course called “Coronavirus and Engineering.”
CORONAVIRUS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
“We talk about topics such as design of masks, design of better building ventilation, design of building decontamination systems, and so forth,” Haas said.
About 40 students have already enrolled in the class. Engineers at Drexel have also used 3D printers to make face shields for nearby hospital workers.
“I have a broad set of engineering majors in the course,” Haas added.
In fact, more and more professors – in a variety of fields – are incorporating the current pandemic into their curriculum.
“I wanted to have the students work on a small simulation that modeled the spread of a virus,” said Dr. Jeffrey Stone, who has taught computer programming at Penn State Lehigh Valley.
According to Stone, data models can be useful in understanding how a virus can spread.
“Ultimately, we need people to be able to create these models for the pandemics of the future. So, we need people with that basic understanding of computer programming in order to make these simulations so that we can understand these phenomena better,” Stone said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
As Mandayam noted, part of the students' education has happened beyond the classroom.
“We try to teach our students that you have to do good, and it is just very moving for me to see that,” Mandayam said.


foxnews--2020-04-22--Coronavirus could have a deadlier second wave later this year, CDC director warns

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The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) is warning that a second wave of coronavirus could coincide with the start of flu season , proving to be even more devastating than the enduring COVID-19 pandemic .
CDC Director Robert Redfield told The Washington Post in an interview Tuesday that the nation should be cautious even as some states attempt to reopen their economies in the coming weeks and continue to practice social distancing measures to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Redfield stressed that the practice has had “ an enormous impact '' on containing the outbreak , but said Americans need to plan ahead and consider getting a flu shot in the summer so that when winter comes , hospitals are not once again overburdened .
He added that the precaution “ may allow there to be a hospital bed available for your mother or grandmother that may get coronavirus.
” The coronavirus pandemic has overcrowded hospitals around the world and across the country , taxed the capacity of morgues and exposed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care workers and others on the front lines of the virus .
Redfield said that in order to avoid a repeat of the horrors of this pandemic , which has killed 43,630 people and infected 804,194 others in the U.S. alone , the CDC is beefing up the workforce that is dealing with public health issues to accommodate and adequately plan for a second onslaught .
The agency plans to add an additional 650 personnel to the already existing 500 staff members across the nation to “ substantially augment ” the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin to roll back stay-at-home restrictions and have people reenter the workforce and resume daily life .
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP Still , more workers are needed and the CDC is weighing utilizing field workers intended for the Census Bureau -- which suspended operations until May due to the coronavirus outbreak -- as well as the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps to establish `` an alternative workforce , '' it said .

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning that a second wave of coronavirus could coincide with the start of flu season, proving to be even more devastating than the enduring COVID-19 pandemic.
CDC Director Robert Redfield told The Washington Post in an interview Tuesday that the nation should be cautious even as some states attempt to reopen their economies in the coming weeks and continue to practice social distancing measures to mitigate the spread of the virus.
SENATE PASSES $484B 'PHASE 3.5' CORONAVIRUS STIMULUS PACKAGE BY VOICE VOTE AMID TENSIONS IN CHAMBER
Redfield stressed that the practice has had “an enormous impact" on containing the outbreak, but said Americans need to plan ahead and consider getting a flu shot in the summer so that when winter comes, hospitals are not once again overburdened.
He added that the precaution “may allow there to be a hospital bed available for your mother or grandmother that may get coronavirus.”
The coronavirus pandemic has overcrowded hospitals around the world and across the country, taxed the capacity of morgues and exposed the shortage of ventilators and protective equipment for health care workers and others on the front lines of the virus.
Redfield said that in order to avoid a repeat of the horrors of this pandemic, which has killed 43,630 people and infected 804,194 others in the U.S. alone, the CDC is beefing up the workforce that is dealing with public health issues to accommodate and adequately plan for a second onslaught.
The agency plans to add an additional 650 personnel to the already existing 500 staff members across the nation to “substantially augment” the public health response when all of the states begin to roll back stay-at-home restrictions and have people reenter the workforce and resume daily life.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
Still, more workers are needed and the CDC is weighing utilizing field workers intended for the Census Bureau -- which suspended operations until May due to the coronavirus outbreak -- as well as the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps to establish "an alternative workforce," it said.


foxnews--2020-04-22--Coronavirus may have spread via air conditioning in Chinese restaurant, researchers warn

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A newly published research letter suggests that three healthy families in China may have contracted the coronavirus virus after it traveled via air conditioning at a restaurant that also served infected people .
The early-release research letter , which will be published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal in July , notes that 10 people from 3 different families were affected during the period of Jan. 26-Feb. 10 , 2020 , at a restaurant in Guangzhou , China .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmission was prompted by air-conditioned ventilation , '' the researchers wrote .
`` The key factor for infection was the direction of the airflow .
Of note , patient B3 was afebrile and 1 [ percent ] of the patients in this outbreak were asymptomatic , providing a potential source of outbreaks among the public . ''
CORONAVIRUS MAY BE RESISTANT TO HIGH TEMPERATURES , STUDY WARNS The scientists noted that `` aerosolized droplets can remain in the air and travel long distances '' of more than one meter , but acknowledged that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus ca n't be explained by droplet transmission .
`` Larger respiratory droplets ( > 5 μm ) remain in the air for only a short time and travel only short distances , generally < 1 [ meter ] ( 2,3 ) , '' the researchers added .
`` The distances between patient A1 and persons at other tables , especially those at table C , were all > 1 [ meter ] .
However , strong airflow from the air conditioner could have propagated droplets from table C to table A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then back to table C. '' A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested the coronavirus can travel as far as 13 feet in the air .
Despite the obvious implications for restaurants , many of which are struggling during the pandemic , the researchers found that the other 73 patrons were not affected .
They were quarantined for 14 days and did not show symptoms .
COVID-19 LASTS ON AVERAGE OF 18 DAYS IN REALLY SICK PATIENTS , NEW STUDY SAYS As a result , the researchers recommended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put in place remain when restaurants begin to open their dining rooms .
`` To prevent spread of COVID-19 in restaurants , we recommend strengthening temperature-monitoring surveillance , increasing the distance between tables , and improving ventilation , '' they wrote .
Currently , there is no known scientific cure for the disease known as COVID-19 .
However , there are several trials , including repurposed drugs such as hydroxychloroquine and plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients , currently underway .
As of Wednesday morning , more than 2.58 million coronavirus cases have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which are in the U.S. , the most impacted country on the planet .

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A newly published research letter suggests that three healthy families in China may have contracted the coronavirus virus after it traveled via air conditioning at a restaurant that also served infected people.
The early-release research letter, which will be published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal in July, notes that 10 people from 3 different families were affected during the period of Jan. 26-Feb. 10, 2020, at a restaurant in Guangzhou, China.
"We conclude that in this outbreak, droplet transmission was prompted by air-conditioned ventilation," the researchers wrote. "The key factor for infection was the direction of the airflow. Of note, patient B3 was afebrile and 1 [percent] of the patients in this outbreak were asymptomatic, providing a potential source of outbreaks among the public."
CORONAVIRUS MAY BE RESISTANT TO HIGH TEMPERATURES, STUDY WARNS
The scientists noted that "aerosolized droplets can remain in the air and travel long distances" of more than one meter, but acknowledged that in this instance, the transmission of the virus can't be explained by droplet transmission.
"Larger respiratory droplets (>5 μm) remain in the air for only a short time and travel only short distances, generally <1 [meter] (2,3)," the researchers added. "The distances between patient A1 and persons at other tables, especially those at table C, were all >1 [meter]. However, strong airflow from the air conditioner could have propagated droplets from table C to table A, then to table B, and then back to table C."
A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested the coronavirus can travel as far as 13 feet in the air.
Despite the obvious implications for restaurants, many of which are struggling during the pandemic, the researchers found that the other 73 patrons were not affected. They were quarantined for 14 days and did not show symptoms.
COVID-19 LASTS ON AVERAGE OF 18 DAYS IN REALLY SICK PATIENTS, NEW STUDY SAYS
As a result, the researchers recommended that social distancing practices that have been put in place remain when restaurants begin to open their dining rooms.
"To prevent spread of COVID-19 in restaurants, we recommend strengthening temperature-monitoring surveillance, increasing the distance between tables, and improving ventilation," they wrote.
Currently, there is no known scientific cure for the disease known as COVID-19. However, there are several trials, including repurposed drugs such as hydroxychloroquine and plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients, currently underway.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
As of Wednesday morning, more than 2.58 million coronavirus cases have been diagnosed worldwide, more than 825,000 of which are in the U.S., the most impacted country on the planet.
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foxnews--2020-05-13--NY AG urges NYPD to reform social-distancing enforcement to ensure equal treatment for black, Hispan

NY AG urges NYPD to reform social-distancing enforcement to ensure equal treatment for black, Hispanic people

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State Attorney General Letitia James is calling on the New York Police Department ( NYPD ) to step up measures to bridge the gap between what seems to be a disparity between social-distancing enforcement of black and Hispanic people as compared to white people .
NYPD : 9 OF10 ARRESTS FOR CORONAVIRUS-RELATED OFFENSES INVOLVED BLACK OR HISPANIC PEOPLE , BUT NOT SOCIAL DISTANCING “ The apparent unequal enforcement of social-distancing policies is deeply troubling , and deepens the divide between law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect , ” James said in a statement Wednesday .
Statistics released by the department just a day earlier showed that more than 90 percent of coronavirus-related arrests made throughout New York City since the lockdown restrictions began in March were of black or Hispanic people .
Police arrested 125 people throughout the five boroughs between March 16 and May 10 -- 83 of them were black people and 30 of them were Hispanic people .
James wrote a letter to NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea on Tuesday requesting enforcement data from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demographics of people who were arrested or issued summonses , as well as officer training materials .
“ It is inherently wrong to aggressively police one group of people , yet ignore another group that commits the same infraction .
The NYPD must better ensure that a New Yorker ’ s race , color and neighborhood does not determine how they are patrolled , ” James said .
The NYPD vowed to cooperate with the Attorney General 's office in the coming days , as she issued a Friday deadline to produce all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The New York Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer for the state of New York .
The NYPD will of course work with her in any way , '' NYPD spokesperson Sgt .
Jessica McRorie told Fox News on Wednesday .
City officials were in an uproar over several incidents where officers may have used excessive force to apprehend black people who police say were violating the city 's social-distancing orders .
Social media videos of two separate instances from early May showed police in the East Village slamming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking back to a cop , and another showed an officer punching a man in the head as he was pinned to the sidewalk .
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP Meanwhile , videos taken from parks in Brooklyn showed mostly white patrons less than 6 feet apart soaking up the sun with no reported forceful tactics by officers to break up the groups .
Instead , police issued summonses and handed out free face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 .

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State Attorney General Letitia James is calling on the New York Police Department (NYPD) to step up measures to bridge the gap between what seems to be a disparity between social-distancing enforcement of black and Hispanic people as compared to white people.
NYPD: 9 OF10 ARRESTS FOR CORONAVIRUS-RELATED OFFENSES INVOLVED BLACK OR HISPANIC PEOPLE, BUT NOT SOCIAL DISTANCING
“The apparent unequal enforcement of social-distancing policies is deeply troubling, and deepens the divide between law enforcement and the people they are tasked to protect,” James said in a statement Wednesday.
Statistics released by the department just a day earlier showed that more than 90 percent of coronavirus-related arrests made throughout New York City since the lockdown restrictions began in March were of black or Hispanic people.
Police arrested 125 people throughout the five boroughs between March 16 and May 10 -- 83 of them were black people and 30 of them were Hispanic people.
James wrote a letter to NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea on Tuesday requesting enforcement data from the department that includes detailed information about the demographics of people who were arrested or issued summonses, as well as officer training materials.
“It is inherently wrong to aggressively police one group of people, yet ignore another group that commits the same infraction. The NYPD must better ensure that a New Yorker’s race, color and neighborhood does not determine how they are patrolled,” James said.
The NYPD vowed to cooperate with the Attorney General's office in the coming days, as she issued a Friday deadline to produce all the relevant documents and materials she requested.
"The New York Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer for the state of New York. The NYPD will of course work with her in any way," NYPD spokesperson Sgt. Jessica McRorie told Fox News on Wednesday.
City officials were in an uproar over several incidents where officers may have used excessive force to apprehend black people who police say were violating the city's social-distancing orders.
Social media videos of two separate instances from early May showed police in the East Village slamming a black suspect to the ground for talking back to a cop, and another showed an officer punching a man in the head as he was pinned to the sidewalk.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
Meanwhile, videos taken from parks in Brooklyn showed mostly white patrons less than 6 feet apart soaking up the sun with no reported forceful tactics by officers to break up the groups. Instead, police issued summonses and handed out free face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.


foxnews--2020-05-11--'Obamagate': Trump implies Obama link in Flynn investigation

Good morning and welcome to Fox News First .
Here 's what you need to know as you start your day ... Trump implies Obama link in Flynn investigation , labels controversy 'Obamagate' President Trump on Sunday escalated his attacks on former President Obama by tweeting `` OBAMAGATE '' and implying he is linked to the FBI 's much-criticized handling of the now-dropped Michael Flynn case .
Last week , Attorney General William Barr ’ s Justice Department dismissed the case against Flynn , Trump 's first national security adviser , which was seen as the key prosecution from Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign .
Trump , along with other Republicans , seized on the decision and framed it as an example of a Democrat-manufactured plot to remove him from office .
Trump retweeted Eli Lake , a columnist at Bloomberg , who said he has been reviewing the interview transcripts that were recently released in the collusion investigation .
Lake wrote , “ It ’ s now clear why every Republican on [ Rep. Adam Schiff ’ s ] committee in 2019 called for his resignation .
He knew the closed-door witnesses didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collusion.
” Sidney Powell , one of Flynn ’ s lawyers , told Fox News ’ “ Sunday Morning Futures , ” that FBI agents did their best to hide their investigation and attempted to entrap Flynn .
She mentioned a meeting on Jan. 5 , 2017 at the White House that included Obama , then-FBI Director James Comey , then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan .
Powell said the “ whole thing was orchestrated and set up within the FBI , Clapper , Brennan and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Obama , ” she told anchor Maria Bartiromo .
Bartiromo asked Powell if she believed the scandal reached up to Obama , and Powell responded , “ Absolutely.
” Trump later tweeted , “ OBAMAGATE , ” indicating that he believes that Obama worked to undermine his presidency .
Click here for more on our top story .
Other related developments : - NBC admits Chuck Todd 's 'Meet the Press ' deceptively edited Barr remarks on Flynn - Trey Gowdy reacts to Obama 's 'amazing statement ' after DOJ dropped Flynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the newsroom ' over Flynn 's Russia calls , before publishing opinion piece - Andrew McCarthy : FBI targeted Flynn because they knew he 'd uncover illegitimacy of Russia probe Spokesperson denies Pence is 'in quarantine ' amid reports of self-isolating over coronavirus A spokesperson on Sunday denied Vice President Pence is in `` quarantine '' just days after a member of his team tested positive for the coronavirus .
`` Vice President Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said in a statement .
`` Additionally , Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House tomorrow . ''
Bloomberg and The Associated Press , citing sources , reported Sunday that Pence was `` self-isolating '' and limiting his exposure to other people .
Pence 's press secretary , Katie Miller , was one of two staffers to test positive for coronavirus in recent days .
Click here for more .
Other related developments : - To get all the latest news on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inbox , sign up here .
- Fauci , other health officials to testify before Senate panel via videoconference - Schumer : VA must explain use of hydroxychloroquine on veterans to fight coronavirus - Pelosi reportedly drafting $ 750B bill to aid state , local governments NYC sees 38 children diagnosed with rare disease linked to coronavirus , De Blasio says As many as 38 children in New York City have contracted a rare disease linked to the coronavirus but doctors are having a hard time diagnosing it , Mayor Bill de Blasio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have affected children 5 and under .
The disease has caused inflammation of the heart and blood vessels .
Typical symptoms included fever , rash , swelling of the hands and feet , irritation and redness in the whites of the eyes , swollen lymph glands in the neck and irritation and inflammation of the mouth , lips and throat , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [ CDC ] .
Still , there ’ s been no official criteria for diagnosing the deadly disease and health officials have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected by it .
Click here for more .
Other related coronavirus developments : - Cuomo says 3 children have died from coronavirus-related mystery ailment - Cuomo touts New York 's decline in hospitalizations , effectively reverses mandate linked to nursing-home deaths CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP TODAY 'S MUST-READS America Together : Send us your photos and we 'll tell your story as the nation battles coronavirus .
Former US attorney on Ahmaud Arbery case : Newly released video has 'no bearing whatsoever ' on defense .
Coronavirus outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home in New Jersey : report .
Panic over 'murder hornets ' leading some people to kill essential bee population , experts warn .
THE LATEST FROM FOX BUSINESS Stock futures rise to start the week as rally in equities continues .
Chinese investment in US drops to lowest level since 2009 .
Coronavirus recovery could be quickest in these cities : report .
# TheFlashback : CLICK HERE to find out what happened on `` This Day in History . ''
SOME PARTING WORDS Steve Hilton sounds off on the cost of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not signed up yet for Fox News First ?
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Fox News First is compiled by Fox News ' Bryan Robinson .
Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning !
Remember : We will get through this coronavirus pandemic together .
Stay safe , stay healthy , and we 'll see you in your inbox first thing Tuesday morning .

Good morning and welcome to Fox News First. Here's what you need to know as you start your day ...
Trump implies Obama link in Flynn investigation, labels controversy 'Obamagate'
President Trump on Sunday escalated his attacks on former President Obama by tweeting "OBAMAGATE" and implying he is linked to the FBI's much-criticized handling of the now-dropped Michael Flynn case.
Last week, Attorney General William Barr’s Justice Department dismissed the case against Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser, which was seen as the key prosecution from Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Trump campaign. Trump, along with other Republicans, seized on the decision and framed it as an example of a Democrat-manufactured plot to remove him from office.
Trump retweeted Eli Lake, a columnist at Bloomberg, who said he has been reviewing the interview transcripts that were recently released in the collusion investigation. Lake wrote, “It’s now clear why every Republican on [Rep. Adam Schiff’s] committee in 2019 called for his resignation. He knew the closed-door witnesses didn’t support his innuendo and fakery on Russia collusion.”
Sidney Powell, one of Flynn’s lawyers, told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” that FBI agents did their best to hide their investigation and attempted to entrap Flynn. She mentioned a meeting on Jan. 5, 2017 at the White House that included Obama, then-FBI Director James Comey, then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan.
Powell said the “whole thing was orchestrated and set up within the FBI, Clapper, Brennan and in the Oval Office meeting that day with President Obama,” she told anchor Maria Bartiromo.
Bartiromo asked Powell if she believed the scandal reached up to Obama, and Powell responded, “Absolutely.” Trump later tweeted, “OBAMAGATE,” indicating that he believes that Obama worked to undermine his presidency. Click here for more on our top story.
Other related developments:
- NBC admits Chuck Todd's 'Meet the Press' deceptively edited Barr remarks on Flynn
- Trey Gowdy reacts to Obama's 'amazing statement' after DOJ dropped Flynn case
- Washington Post had 'divisions in the newsroom' over Flynn's Russia calls, before publishing opinion piece
- Andrew McCarthy: FBI targeted Flynn because they knew he'd uncover illegitimacy of Russia probe
Spokesperson denies Pence is 'in quarantine' amid reports of self-isolating over coronavirus
A spokesperson on Sunday denied Vice President Pence is in "quarantine" just days after a member of his team tested positive for the coronavirus.
"Vice President Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine," the spokesperson, Devin O’Malley, said in a statement. "Additionally, Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House tomorrow."
Bloomberg and The Associated Press, citing sources, reported Sunday that Pence was "self-isolating" and limiting his exposure to other people. Pence's press secretary, Katie Miller, was one of two staffers to test positive for coronavirus in recent days. Click here for more.
Other related developments:
- To get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox, sign up here.
- Fauci, other health officials to testify before Senate panel via videoconference
- Schumer: VA must explain use of hydroxychloroquine on veterans to fight coronavirus
- Pelosi reportedly drafting $750B bill to aid state, local governments
NYC sees 38 children diagnosed with rare disease linked to coronavirus, De Blasio says
As many as 38 children in New York City have contracted a rare disease linked to the coronavirus but doctors are having a hard time diagnosing it, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday.
Cases of Kawasaki disease have affected children 5 and under. The disease has caused inflammation of the heart and blood vessels. Typical symptoms included fever, rash, swelling of the hands and feet, irritation and redness in the whites of the eyes, swollen lymph glands in the neck and irritation and inflammation of the mouth, lips and throat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC].
Still, there’s been no official criteria for diagnosing the deadly disease and health officials have been scrambling to identify children who may be affected by it. Click here for more.
Other related coronavirus developments:
- Cuomo says 3 children have died from coronavirus-related mystery ailment
- Cuomo touts New York's decline in hospitalizations, effectively reverses mandate linked to nursing-home deaths
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
TODAY'S MUST-READS
America Together: Send us your photos and we'll tell your story as the nation battles coronavirus.
Former US attorney on Ahmaud Arbery case: Newly released video has 'no bearing whatsoever' on defense.
Coronavirus outbreak kills more than 70 residents at veterans home in New Jersey: report.
Panic over 'murder hornets' leading some people to kill essential bee population, experts warn.
THE LATEST FROM FOX BUSINESS
Stock futures rise to start the week as rally in equities continues.
Chinese investment in US drops to lowest level since 2009.
Coronavirus recovery could be quickest in these cities: report.
#TheFlashback: CLICK HERE to find out what happened on "This Day in History."
SOME PARTING WORDS
Steve Hilton sounds off on the cost of media misinformation during the coronavirus crisis.
Not signed up yet for Fox News First? Click here to find out what you're missing.
Click here to find out what's on Fox News and Fox News Radio today!
Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! Remember: We will get through this coronavirus pandemic together. Stay safe, stay healthy, and we'll see you in your inbox first thing Tuesday morning.


foxnews--2020-01-09--Mysterious viral pneumonia outbreak in China likely caused by new virus, scientists say

Scientists in China who are researching an outbreak of viral pneumonia that ’ s sickened dozens in the city of Wuhan have identified a new type of coronavirus as the likely culprit behind the illnesses , Chinese state media reported Thursday .
Lead scientist Xu Jianguo said that “ preliminary tests ” indicated new coronavirus is the cause of the illness , which has sickened at least 59 people as of Sunday .
At the time , seven were considered in critical condition .
MYSTERIOUS RESPIRATORY ILLNESS LINKED TO CHINA FOOD MARKET SICKENS AT LEAST 44 , OFFICIALS SAY Researchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and throat swabs from 15 patients , the BBC reported .
Coronavirus can cause a range of illnesses , from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) — the latter of which infected some 8,000 people in 2003 .
At least 770 died after it spread to other cities and countries .
No new cases of SARS have been reported since 2004 , according to The Associated Press .
That said , Chinese state media say the illness in Wuhan is different from coronaviruses that have been identified in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome ( MERS ) , as well as influenza , bird flu , adenovirus , and other common respiratory pathogens .
Symptoms of coronaviruses , which can spread through coughing or sneezing or by touching an infected person , include a runny nose , headache , cough and fever .
Shortness of breath , chills and body aches are associated with more dangerous kinds of coronavirus , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Many cases have been traced to South China Seafood City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspended and is under investigation , according to The Associated Press .
There ’ s suspicion that those sickened were infected by animals at the market .
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “ Preliminary identification of a novel virus in a short period of time is a notable achievement , ” Gauden Galea , a World Health Organization representative to China , said in a statement , according to the AP .
That said , scientists have not definitively concluded the cause of the outbreak and plan to conduct additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks to confirm the preliminary findings .
Fox News ' Alexandria Hein and The Associated Press contributed to this report .

Scientists in China who are researching an outbreak of viral pneumonia that’s sickened dozens in the city of Wuhan have identified a new type of coronavirus as the likely culprit behind the illnesses, Chinese state media reported Thursday.
Lead scientist Xu Jianguo said that “preliminary tests” indicated new coronavirus is the cause of the illness, which has sickened at least 59 people as of Sunday. At the time, seven were considered in critical condition.
MYSTERIOUS RESPIRATORY ILLNESS LINKED TO CHINA FOOD MARKET SICKENS AT LEAST 44, OFFICIALS SAY
Researchers made the determination after collecting blood samples and throat swabs from 15 patients, the BBC reported.
Coronavirus can cause a range of illnesses, from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) — the latter of which infected some 8,000 people in 2003. At least 770 died after it spread to other cities and countries. No new cases of SARS have been reported since 2004, according to The Associated Press.
That said, Chinese state media say the illness in Wuhan is different from coronaviruses that have been identified in the past. Earlier laboratory tests ruled out SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), as well as influenza, bird flu, adenovirus, and other common respiratory pathogens.
Symptoms of coronaviruses, which can spread through coughing or sneezing or by touching an infected person, include a runny nose, headache, cough and fever. Shortness of breath, chills and body aches are associated with more dangerous kinds of coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Many cases have been traced to South China Seafood City food market, which has since been suspended and is under investigation, according to The Associated Press. There’s suspicion that those sickened were infected by animals at the market.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Preliminary identification of a novel virus in a short period of time is a notable achievement,” Gauden Galea, a World Health Organization representative to China, said in a statement, according to the AP.
That said, scientists have not definitively concluded the cause of the outbreak and plan to conduct additional pathogenic and epidemiological research over the following weeks to confirm the preliminary findings.
Fox News' Alexandria Hein and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


foxnews--2020-03-18--Worse than war: How coronavirus in Italy proliferated to a breaking point

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Once the beacon of European fun , frivolity , fashion , food , and passion , Italy has fast fallen into the shadows of a ghost nation , debauched by the coronavirus , a cracking medical infrastructure , and rising death toll .
Outside of China , the illustrious nation of 60.5 million has become the focal point of the outbreak , with the second-highest number of infections .
As of Wednesday afternoon , almost 14,500 people were documented to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have already died .
The past 24 hours have brought about the country ’ s highest single-day spike in deaths , claiming the lives of over 475 people .
More than 2,000 people are hospitalized and in intensive care .
So what went wrong ?
“ The massive and sudden surge of seriously and critically ill patients has completely overwhelmed hospitals in the northern region of Italy , ” Dr. Dena Grayson , a Florida-based medical doctor and biotechnology consultant , explained .
“ This sudden surge has caused the case-fatality rate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because there simply aren ’ t enough ICU beds or ventilators for every patient , forcing doctors with the grim decision of picking who gets the ICU bed – and has a chance of surviving – versus who doesn ’ t , and likely won ’ t survive.
” Moreover , Grayson stressed , Italians have lagged in broad-based coronavirus testing , despite it proving effective in combating the spread .
“ In one small town near Venice , where aggressive testing and retesting was employed — even of people with NO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strict quarantines , the spread of the virus was completely stopped , showing that South Korea ’ s approach can be applied in other countries with great success.
” According to one Rome-based security expert , who requested anonymity as not authorized to speak on the record , intelligence reports alerted the government to the potential pandemic just days after its infiltrated China late last year .
But weeks went by before any serious action was taken in Rome .
And then , it was a little too late .
“ Everyone was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s problem , ” said the source .
“ That it wouldn ’ t come here.
” However , others claim that some of the familial and cultural markers that define Italian way-of-life may have , in this case , exacerbated the outbreak .
A new report published on the Open Science Framework by researchers at the University of Oxford over the weekend affirmed that Italy bestows one of the oldest populations globally – 23.3 percent of citizens are over the age of 65 – and many households are multigenerational , either still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by with frequent large family interactions .
“ It is becoming clear that the pandemic ’ s progression and impact may be strongly related to the demographic composition of the population , ” the research paper states .
“ Specifically , the population age structure.
” Compared to much of Europe and even the world , Italy also has one of the longest life expectancies , averaging 82.5 years , according to the World Bank .
By comparison , the U.S. 's is 78.6 .
Based on what scientists know so far about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , the older one is , the more vulnerable they are to dying from associated complications spurred on by the infection .
“ Italians are incredibly communal , social people who live in multigenerational family clusters and multifamily housing units .
Social distancing is the opposite of Italian culture , ” noted Dr. Summer McGee , dean of the School of Health Sciences at the University of New Haven .
“ The wonderful family and community-centric nature of Italians has become their greatest vulnerability in the time of a global pandemic.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first nations to quickly impose a travel ban on all flights from China after detecting its first case of the novel virus on January 29 , 2020 .
The following day , Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte declared a state of emergency for a minimum period of six months .
But within 20 days , that single case had ballooned into more than 12,000 .
It was on February 18 that doctors in the small northern town of Codogno confirmed what was believed to be the first “ non-imported ” coronavirus case in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persistent and dangerously high fever .
The vital and ensuing weeks that followed were – as was the case in much of the world forced to grapple with the unique disease – hamstrung by internal politics and debate over whether worries were being overblown and the severe economic repercussions that would stem from more stringent measures being put in place .
“ Italy was in a bit of denial and did not move fast enough to engage in social distancing and lockdown measures .
This is the same problem we now are seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cautioned .
“ Spring Breakers are still filling our beaches in Florida and traveling around the country in the same way Italians gathered in restaurants and piazzas for weeks before locking down.
” But the viral bomb exploded with full force , and the healthcare system quickly reached a critical point .
Limited travel restrictions in some of the hardest-hit areas were put in place on March 1 , but as infection rates began multiplying seemingly on the hour every hour , a full nationwide lockdown was ordered by Conte on early last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suffering , the anger is largely aimed not only at their own leadership – but the Chinese government , amid a swirl of reports that indicate Beijing knew about the disease for several weeks before alerting officials at the World Health Organization ( WHO ) and embarked on their campaign of covering up the mess and apprehending those who dared speak out .
“ There was no alarm to start with , ” said Laris Gaiser , a security studies expert and member of the Italian Team for Security , Terroristic Issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The Chinese deception on the issue has been huge.
” US PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY AIMS TO WREST SOME DRUG PRODUCTION BACK FROM CHINA In Gaiser ’ s view , Italy ’ s problem once the virus hit was perpetuated by the fact that it has a very high rate of elderly persons , a low number of intensive care hospital beds – less than 5,000 versus some 25,000 in nearby Germany – and challenges with crisis management .
“ At the very beginning , this was an issue due to political competition between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not seem to understand the situation , ” he explained .
Epidemiologists now assume that for weeks before that initial January 29 detection , coronavirus was spreading unhinged and likely through young , healthy individuals who exhibited no or very mild symptoms .
Some medical experts speculate that there were more than likely deaths from pneumonia and other coronavirus-related causes during that time period too , but the patients were not tested for coronavirus as very little was known about the disease , and the Chinese government was for a long time insisting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human to human contact .
While most Italians are accepting of the omnious rope that has been placed around their once abundant lives – working from home , video-chatting with friends and family , cooking , reading , forming choirs and singing songs from their balconies – some expressed frustration toward those not adhering to the strict lockdown .
“ There are imbeciles who go outside without any real needs , and the virus continues to spread , ” lamented one Bari-based professional .
“ Going for jogs and walks without any reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indoors , but people still aren ’ t understanding what is really happening.
” Andrew Huff , a California-based infectious disease epidemiologist , warned that the wave engulfing Italy might very well be the United States in two to three weeks ’ time .
“ There are major disruptions to supply chains taking place , and it ( has been ) confirmed that the disease is being spread via aerosols and fomites , ” he said .
“ That means big trouble.
” And even though the government-mandated shutdown across the country has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vast majority of Italians are preparing for it stretch out significantly longer .
Yet for many trapped inside the painfully somber nation , it has come down to mourning and waiting game , steeped in tragedy and the unknown .
In some of the hardest-hit areas , local cemetery churches have been hurriedly converted into makeshift morgues , and the days ahead are only set to become darker .
“ Italians are now really experiencing a team-working approach , ” Gaiser added .
“ Economically , we know this is going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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Once the beacon of European fun, frivolity, fashion, food, and passion, Italy has fast fallen into the shadows of a ghost nation, debauched by the coronavirus, a cracking medical infrastructure, and rising death toll.
Outside of China, the illustrious nation of 60.5 million has become the focal point of the outbreak, with the second-highest number of infections. As of Wednesday afternoon, almost 14,500 people were documented to have contracted the disease and almost 3,000 people have already died. The past 24 hours have brought about the country’s highest single-day spike in deaths, claiming the lives of over 475 people. More than 2,000 people are hospitalized and in intensive care.
So what went wrong?
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“The massive and sudden surge of seriously and critically ill patients has completely overwhelmed hospitals in the northern region of Italy,” Dr. Dena Grayson, a Florida-based medical doctor and biotechnology consultant, explained. “This sudden surge has caused the case-fatality rate to skyrocket in the northern region of Italy, because there simply aren’t enough ICU beds or ventilators for every patient, forcing doctors with the grim decision of picking who gets the ICU bed – and has a chance of surviving – versus who doesn’t, and likely won’t survive.”
Moreover, Grayson stressed, Italians have lagged in broad-based coronavirus testing, despite it proving effective in combating the spread.
“In one small town near Venice, where aggressive testing and retesting was employed — even of people with NO symptoms — coupled with contact tracing and strict quarantines, the spread of the virus was completely stopped, showing that South Korea’s approach can be applied in other countries with great success.”
CORONAVIRUS TRIGGERS MASSIVE SPIKE IN FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION SALES
According to one Rome-based security expert, who requested anonymity as not authorized to speak on the record, intelligence reports alerted the government to the potential pandemic just days after its infiltrated China late last year. But weeks went by before any serious action was taken in Rome.
And then, it was a little too late.
“Everyone was just being told it was China’s problem,” said the source. “That it wouldn’t come here.”
However, others claim that some of the familial and cultural markers that define Italian way-of-life may have, in this case, exacerbated the outbreak.
A new report published on the Open Science Framework by researchers at the University of Oxford over the weekend affirmed that Italy bestows one of the oldest populations globally – 23.3 percent of citizens are over the age of 65 – and many households are multigenerational, either still living under the same roof or close by with frequent large family interactions.
“It is becoming clear that the pandemic’s progression and impact may be strongly related to the demographic composition of the population,” the research paper states. “Specifically, the population age structure.”
Compared to much of Europe and even the world, Italy also has one of the longest life expectancies, averaging 82.5 years, according to the World Bank. By comparison, the U.S.'s is 78.6. Based on what scientists know so far about the coronavirus, officially referred to as COVID-19, the older one is, the more vulnerable they are to dying from associated complications spurred on by the infection.
“Italians are incredibly communal, social people who live in multigenerational family clusters and multifamily housing units. Social distancing is the opposite of Italian culture,” noted Dr. Summer McGee, dean of the School of Health Sciences at the University of New Haven. “The wonderful family and community-centric nature of Italians has become their greatest vulnerability in the time of a global pandemic.”
Nonetheless, Italy was one of the first nations to quickly impose a travel ban on all flights from China after detecting its first case of the novel virus on January 29, 2020. The following day, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte declared a state of emergency for a minimum period of six months. But within 20 days, that single case had ballooned into more than 12,000.
It was on February 18 that doctors in the small northern town of Codogno confirmed what was believed to be the first “non-imported” coronavirus case in a 38-year-old man who was hospitalized with a persistent and dangerously high fever.
The vital and ensuing weeks that followed were – as was the case in much of the world forced to grapple with the unique disease – hamstrung by internal politics and debate over whether worries were being overblown and the severe economic repercussions that would stem from more stringent measures being put in place.
“Italy was in a bit of denial and did not move fast enough to engage in social distancing and lockdown measures. This is the same problem we now are seeing in the United States,” McGee cautioned. “Spring Breakers are still filling our beaches in Florida and traveling around the country in the same way Italians gathered in restaurants and piazzas for weeks before locking down.”
But the viral bomb exploded with full force, and the healthcare system quickly reached a critical point.
Limited travel restrictions in some of the hardest-hit areas were put in place on March 1, but as infection rates began multiplying seemingly on the hour every hour, a full nationwide lockdown was ordered by Conte on early last week.
For some Italians consumed by the suffering, the anger is largely aimed not only at their own leadership – but the Chinese government, amid a swirl of reports that indicate Beijing knew about the disease for several weeks before alerting officials at the World Health Organization (WHO) and embarked on their campaign of covering up the mess and apprehending those who dared speak out.
“There was no alarm to start with,” said Laris Gaiser, a security studies expert and member of the Italian Team for Security, Terroristic Issues and Managing Emergencies (ITSTIME). “The Chinese deception on the issue has been huge.”
US PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY AIMS TO WREST SOME DRUG PRODUCTION BACK FROM CHINA
In Gaiser’s view, Italy’s problem once the virus hit was perpetuated by the fact that it has a very high rate of elderly persons, a low number of intensive care hospital beds – less than 5,000 versus some 25,000 in nearby Germany – and challenges with crisis management.
“At the very beginning, this was an issue due to political competition between regions and the central government who did not seem to understand the situation,” he explained.
Epidemiologists now assume that for weeks before that initial January 29 detection, coronavirus was spreading unhinged and likely through young, healthy individuals who exhibited no or very mild symptoms. Some medical experts speculate that there were more than likely deaths from pneumonia and other coronavirus-related causes during that time period too, but the patients were not tested for coronavirus as very little was known about the disease, and the Chinese government was for a long time insisting that it could not be transmitted through human to human contact.
While most Italians are accepting of the omnious rope that has been placed around their once abundant lives – working from home, video-chatting with friends and family, cooking, reading, forming choirs and singing songs from their balconies – some expressed frustration toward those not adhering to the strict lockdown.
“There are imbeciles who go outside without any real needs, and the virus continues to spread,” lamented one Bari-based professional. “Going for jogs and walks without any reason. We’re told to stay indoors, but people still aren’t understanding what is really happening.”
Andrew Huff, a California-based infectious disease epidemiologist, warned that the wave engulfing Italy might very well be the United States in two to three weeks’ time.
“There are major disruptions to supply chains taking place, and it (has been) confirmed that the disease is being spread via aerosols and fomites,” he said. “That means big trouble.”
And even though the government-mandated shutdown across the country has been enforced through to April 2, the vast majority of Italians are preparing for it stretch out significantly longer.
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Yet for many trapped inside the painfully somber nation, it has come down to mourning and waiting game, steeped in tragedy and the unknown. In some of the hardest-hit areas, local cemetery churches have been hurriedly converted into makeshift morgues, and the days ahead are only set to become darker.
“Italians are now really experiencing a team-working approach,” Gaiser added. “Economically, we know this is going to be worse than a war.”


foxnews--2020-03-18--Cuomo says coronavirus projections call for double number of hospital beds available in New York: 'T

Cuomo says coronavirus projections call for double number of hospital beds available in New York: 'That’s our main issue'

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said the state currently has 53,000 hospital beds and 3,000 ICU beds available , but that the rate of the projected coronavirus curve says that within 45 days the state could have 110,000 people hospitalized and up to 37,000 more requiring ICU and ventilator care .
“ That ’ s our main issue , ” he said in a press conference on Wednesday .
“ That ’ s a projection and projections can change , or you can change projections , but that ’ s the main problem we ’ re dealing with.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dispatch the USNS Comfort , which is essentially a “ floating hospital ” that has 1,000 beds onboard , to New York .
The ship will be moored in New York Harbor .
Cuomo said he also spoke to the president about mobile hospitals becoming available in the state .
Cuomo also said he would be waiving the Department of Health regulations regarding the number of beds that are allowed in each hospital room to address the potential shortage .
“ Our main scramble here is for the ventilators , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We need ventilators , which will actually help people breathe.
” Cuomo said the machines are commonplace in hospitals , but that the number that the nation needs is much higher than what is currently available .
“ This is the No .
1 device that we need , because we can create more beds , but it ’ s literally the supply of ventilators now , ” he said .
CORONAVIRUS IN THE US : STATE-BY-STATE BREAKDOWN More than 1,708 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in New York , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rate of hospitalizations in the state is going up , and that 108 people who were hospitalized with the virus have since been discharged .
In the same press conference , Cuomo again denied that a “ shelter in place ” was being discussed , despite warnings from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio that one was possibly coming .
Instead , Cuomo again urged employees who can work from home to continue doing so , and announced that all workforces would be reduced by 50 percent except for those in @ @ @

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state currently has 53,000 hospital beds and 3,000 ICU beds available, but that the rate of the projected coronavirus curve says that within 45 days the state could have 110,000 people hospitalized and up to 37,000 more requiring ICU and ventilator care.
“That’s our main issue,” he said in a press conference on Wednesday. “That’s a projection and projections can change, or you can change projections, but that’s the main problem we’re dealing with.”
CORONAVIRUS CASES TOP 200,000 WORLDWIDE
Cuomo added that President Trump agreed to dispatch the USNS Comfort, which is essentially a “floating hospital” that has 1,000 beds onboard, to New York. The ship will be moored in New York Harbor. Cuomo said he also spoke to the president about mobile hospitals becoming available in the state.
Cuomo also said he would be waiving the Department of Health regulations regarding the number of beds that are allowed in each hospital room to address the potential shortage.
“Our main scramble here is for the ventilators,” he said. “This is a respiratory illness. We need ventilators, which will actually help people breathe.”
Cuomo said the machines are commonplace in hospitals, but that the number that the nation needs is much higher than what is currently available.
“This is the No. 1 device that we need, because we can create more beds, but it’s literally the supply of ventilators now,” he said.
CORONAVIRUS IN THE US: STATE-BY-STATE BREAKDOWN
More than 1,708 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in New York, and 16 people have died. Cuomo said the rate of hospitalizations in the state is going up, and that 108 people who were hospitalized with the virus have since been discharged.
In the same press conference, Cuomo again denied that a “shelter in place” was being discussed, despite warnings from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio that one was possibly coming.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
Instead, Cuomo again urged employees who can work from home to continue doing so, and announced that all workforces would be reduced by 50 percent except for those in essential services.


foxnews--2020-04-24--Nearly 9 in 10 COVID-19 patients who are put on a ventilator die, New York hospital data suggests

Around 88 percent of patients with COVID-19 who were put on a ventilator in a New York hospital system died , according to a new study .
In the new study , researchers analyzed data from 5,700 patients who were hospitalized from March 1 to April 4 through Northwell Health , the largest health system in New York , with 12 hospitals across New York City , Long Island and Westchester County .
Of those patients , 2,634 were discharged or had died by the end of the study , and 320 patients with a recorded outcome were put on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those ventilated patients died .
But age made a difference .
Around 76 % of ventilated patients between the ages of 18 and 65 died , and 97 % , of ventilated patients over the age of 65 died , according to the report .
Of the 2,634 patients , ventilated or not , about 21 % died , according to the researchers .
But that meant the majority , or 3,066 , of the patients were still hospitalized when the study ended , which could have `` biased the findings , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that among the patients that were hospitalized , the most common underlying conditions were hypertension ( around 56.6 % ) , obesity ( around 41.7 % ) and diabetes ( around 33.8 % ) .
The bleak statistics do n't imply that the ventilators caused harm , said senior author Karina Davidson , senior vice president and professor at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health .
Rather , `` patients who are put on ventilators typically have more severe disease , '' and are therefore likelier to die , Davidson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Mechanical ventilators are not dangerous , and in many cases , are life saving machines . ''
The findings were published April 22 in the journal JAMA .
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Around 88% of patients with COVID-19 who were put on a ventilator in a New York hospital system died, according to a new study.
In the new study, researchers analyzed data from 5,700 patients who were hospitalized from March 1 to April 4 through Northwell Health, the largest health system in New York, with 12 hospitals across New York City, Long Island and Westchester County. Of those patients, 2,634 were discharged or had died by the end of the study, and 320 patients with a recorded outcome were put on ventilators. Nearly 9 in 10 of those ventilated patients died.
But age made a difference. Around 76% of ventilated patients between the ages of 18 and 65 died, and 97%, of ventilated patients over the age of 65 died, according to the report.
Related: 10 deadly diseases that hopped across species
Of the 2,634 patients, ventilated or not, about 21% died, according to the researchers. But that meant the majority, or 3,066, of the patients were still hospitalized when the study ended, which could have "biased the findings," the authors wrote.
The researchers found that among the patients that were hospitalized, the most common underlying conditions were hypertension (around 56.6%), obesity (around 41.7%) and diabetes (around 33.8%).
The bleak statistics don't imply that the ventilators caused harm, said senior author Karina Davidson, senior vice president and professor at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health.
Rather, "patients who are put on ventilators typically have more severe disease," and are therefore likelier to die, Davidson told Live Science in an email. "Mechanical ventilators are not dangerous, and in many cases, are life saving machines."
The findings were published April 22 in the journal JAMA.
Originally published on Live Science.