livescience--2020-12-14--Coronavirus outbreak: Live Updates

Coronavirus outbreak: Live Updates

ICU nurse in New York becomes first person in the US to receive a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials New York , the worst-hit state at the start of the pandemic , just became the first to administer a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials , kicking off a long , massive effort to vaccinate the American people , Live Science reported .
Around 9 a.m. E.T .
on Monday ( Dec. 14 ) , the very first dose of Pfizer and BioNTech 's coronavirus vaccine was given to Sandra Lindsay , an intensive care nurse in Long Island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York , according to The New York Times .
This comes as the U.S. continues to battle a massive wave of the virus that has more than 109,000 people currently hospitalized , according to The COVID Tracking Project .
Since the start of the pandemic , New York has recorded more than 780,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 35,100 deaths , according to The Times .
`` This vaccine is exciting because I believe this is the weapon that will end the war , '' Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It 's the beginning of the last chapter of the book , but now we just have to do it . ''
An Australian COVID-19 vaccine that had shown promising results in early trials is being abandoned after researchers found that the shot caused false-positive results on HIV tests .
On Friday ( Dec. 11 ) , Australian officials said they had canceled an order for some 51 million doses of the vaccine , which was being developed by The University of Queensland and CSL Ltd. , a local biotech company , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 216 participants , the vaccine appeared to be safe and to produce a robust immune response against COVID-19 , according to a .
But some volunteers falsely tested positive for HIV , which officials feared would undermine trust in the vaccine , the Times reported .
The vaccine contained small fragments of an HIV protein , which helped stabilize the vaccine .
Some of the participants developed antibodies against these fragments , and these antibodies triggered false positive results on some HIV tests .
It 's important to note that there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an HIV infection , because it contains harmless fragments of the virus .
Vaccine approval could come this weekend , as U.S. continues to record high daily death tolls On Thursday ( Dec. 10 ) , the U.S. recorded another 2,902 COVID-19 deaths , a day after the country set a record of 3,253 deaths , .
“ Probably for the next 60 to 90 days , we ’ re going to have more deaths per day than we had on 9/11 or we had at Pearl Harbor , ” Dr. Robert Redfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Disease Control and Prevention , told the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday , according to Reuters .
`` The reality is the vaccine approval this week is not going to really impact that , I think , to any degree for the next 60 days . ''
On Thursday , the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee discussed , voted and recommended that the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) should grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer 's coronavirus vaccine .
The Pfizer vaccine has already been approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and FDA approval for use in the U.S. could come this weekend .
A panel of experts for the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) has recommended that the agency authorize Pfizer 's new COVID-19 vaccine in the United States .
On Thursday ( Dec. 10 ) , the panel voted 17 to 4 to recommend that the vaccine receive emergency use authorization ( EUA ) for people ages 16 and older , according to .
The FDA typically follows the advice of its panels , and so today 's vote is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorization .
It is anticipated that the agency will officially authorize the vaccine on Saturday ( Dec. 12 ) , the Times reported .
Several countries have already authorized Pfizer 's vaccine , including Canada , the United Kingdom and Bahrain .
Daily COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. reaches record-high , surpassed 9/11 On Wednesday ( Dec. 9 ) , the U.S. recorded 3,124 new COVID-19 deaths , the highest daily death toll to date , .
In comparison , 2,977 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks .
The U.S. has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , according to The COVID Tracking Project .
A from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that the total death toll can increase to between 332,000 and 362,000 by January 2 , according to CNN .
There are currently 106,671 people hospitalized with the virus in the U.S. ; 20,903 of them are currently in the ICU and 7,621 are currently on a ventilator , according to the COVID Tracking Project .
On Thursday ( Dec. 10 ) , the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine .
Canada has authorized Pfizer 's new COVID-19 vaccine , with the first doses expected to be administered there as early as next week .
Health Canada , the country 's health regulatory agency , said in a statement on Wednesday ( Dec. 9 ) that it had determined that the vaccine `` meets the Department 's stringent safety , efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada , '' according to .
`` We expect vaccines to arrive maybe as early as Monday [ Dec. 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccine , '' said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin , the top military general leading the vaccine rollout for the Public Health Agency of Canada , according to CTV News .
The first doses could be administered by the middle of next week , he said .
Canada is the third country in the world to authorize the Pfizer vaccine , following the United Kingdom and Bahrain .
The country should receive up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine by the end of December , and has purchased 20 million doses total , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News reported .
The U.K. 's Regulatory Agency is advising people with a history of `` significant '' allergic reactions to avoid Pfizer 's coronavirus vaccine , after two National Health Service members developed severe allergic reactions to it on Tuesday ( Dec. 8 ) , Live Science reported .
`` As is common with new vaccines the MHRA ( Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency ) have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Stephen Powis , the national medical director for England 's National Health Service said in a statement on Wednesday ( Dec. 9 ) .
Both workers have a history of severe allergies and carry adrenaline auto injectors ( such as EpiPens ) around with them , according to The Guardian .
Shortly after receiving the vaccine , both NHS workers developed anaphylaxis-like symptoms , or severe allergic reactions , but have recovered after receiving treatment .
The MHRA will investigate further and Pfizer and BioNTech will support their investigation , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with quite a number of vaccines , and perhaps even more frequently with drugs .
So it is not unexpected , '' Stephen Evans , a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said in remarks to journalists published by Britain 's Science Media Center .
“ What would be wise , as the MHRA have already advised , would be for anyone who has known severe allergic reaction such that they need to carry an EpiPen , to delay having a vaccination until the reason for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
For the general population this does not mean that they would need to be anxious about receiving the vaccination , he added .
`` One has to remember that even things like marmite [ a quintessential British food spread ] can cause unexpected severe allergic reactions.
” Pfizer 's COVID-19 vaccine starts to work just 10 days after 1st dose Pfizer 's new COVID-19 vaccine starts to protect people from the novel coronavirus just 10 days after the first dose , according to from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released on Tuesday ( Dec. 8 ) , two days before a meeting of the FDA 's vaccine advisory panel , which will vote on whether to recommend authorization of the vaccine in the U.S , .
The FDA analyzed data from Pfizer 's phase 3 clinical trial , which included some 44,000 people in the United States , Brazil , Argentina , Germany and Turkey , about half of whom received the vaccine while the other half received a placebo .
Both groups received two shots , 21 days apart .
About @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was a noticeable drop-off in new COVID-19 cases in the vaccine group compared with the placebo group , indicating that even one dose provides some protection , the report said .
However , scientists do n't know how long the protection from a single dose will last , so it will still be important for people to receive two shots , according to .
Overall , the vaccine was 52 % effective after the first dose and 95 % effective after the second dose , the report said .
90-year-old woman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine , FDA review confirms vaccine is safe and effective A 90-year-old woman ( who will turn 91 next week ) became the first in the world to be given Pfizer 's coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials , according to the BBC .
Margaret Keenan , who is originally from Northern Ireland , was given the vaccine at the University Hospital in Coventry , England .
She received the first of 800,000 doses expected to be administered in the U.K. in the coming weeks , according to the BBC .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person vaccinated against Covid-19 , '' Keenan said , according to the BBC .
`` It 's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year . ''
`` My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it .
If I can have it at 90 , then you can have it too , '' she added .
Up to four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to be given to people in the U.K. by the end of the month .
Meanwhile , a 53-page Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) review published Tuesday ( Dec. 8 ) confirmed that Pfizer 's vaccine is safe and effective , according to The Washington Post .

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90-year-old woman in the UK receives first dose of Pfizer vaccine, FDA review confirms vaccine is safe and effective A 90-year-old woman (who will turn 91 next week) became the first in the world to be given Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, according to the BBC. Margaret Keenan, who is originally from Northern Ireland, was given the vaccine at the University Hospital in Coventry, England. She received the first of 800,000 doses expected to be administered in the U.K. in the coming weeks, according to the BBC. "I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19," Keenan said, according to the BBC."It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year." "My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it. If I can have it at 90, then you can have it too," she added. Up to four million doses of Pfizer's vaccine is expected to be given to people in the U.K. by the end of the month. Meanwhile, a 53-page Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review published Tuesday (Dec. 8) confirmed that Pfizer's vaccine is safe and effective, according to The Washington Post.
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine starts to work just 10 days after 1st dose Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine starts to protect people from the novel coronavirus just 10 days after the first dose, according to new documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The documents were released on Tuesday (Dec. 8), two days before a meeting of the FDA's vaccine advisory panel, which will vote on whether to recommend authorization of the vaccine in the U.S, Live Science reported . The FDA analyzed data from Pfizer's phase 3 clinical trial, which included some 44,000 people in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Turkey, about half of whom received the vaccine while the other half received a placebo. Both groups received two shots, 21 days apart. About 10 days after the first dose, there was a noticeable drop-off in new COVID-19 cases in the vaccine group compared with the placebo group, indicating that even one dose provides some protection, the report said. However, scientists don't know how long the protection from a single dose will last, so it will still be important for people to receive two shots, according to The New York Times . Overall, the vaccine was 52% effective after the first dose and 95% effective after the second dose, the report said.
People with significant allergies should avoid Pfizer vaccine, UK warns The U.K.'s Regulatory Agency is advising people with a history of "significant" allergic reactions to avoid Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, after two National Health Service members developed severe allergic reactions to it on Tuesday (Dec. 8), Live Science reported. "As is common with new vaccines the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday," Stephen Powis, the national medical director for England's National Health Service said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 9). Both workers have a history of severe allergies and carry adrenaline auto injectors (such as EpiPens) around with them, according to The Guardian. Shortly after receiving the vaccine, both NHS workers developed anaphylaxis-like symptoms, or severe allergic reactions, but have recovered after receiving treatment. The MHRA will investigate further and Pfizer and BioNTech will support their investigation, according to Reuters. "Allergic reaction occurs with quite a number of vaccines, and perhaps even more frequently with drugs. So it is not unexpected," Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said in remarks to journalists published by Britain's Science Media Center. “What would be wise, as the MHRA have already advised, would be for anyone who has known severe allergic reaction such that they need to carry an EpiPen, to delay having a vaccination until the reason for the allergic reaction has been clarified," he said. For the general population this does not mean that they would need to be anxious about receiving the vaccination, he added. "One has to remember that even things like marmite [a quintessential British food spread] can cause unexpected severe allergic reactions.”
Canada approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine Canada has authorized Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine, with the first doses expected to be administered there as early as next week. Health Canada, the country's health regulatory agency, said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 9) that it had determined that the vaccine "meets the Department's stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada," according to CTV News . "We expect vaccines to arrive maybe as early as Monday [Dec. 14]. It takes time to prepare the vaccine," said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the top military general leading the vaccine rollout for the Public Health Agency of Canada, according to CTV News. The first doses could be administered by the middle of next week, he said. Canada is the third country in the world to authorize the Pfizer vaccine, following the United Kingdom and Bahrain. The country should receive up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine by the end of December, and has purchased 20 million doses total, with the option to purchase more, CTV News reported.
Daily COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. reaches record-high, surpassed 9/11 On Wednesday (Dec. 9), the U.S. recorded 3,124 new COVID-19 deaths, the highest daily death toll to date, according to CNN . In comparison, 2,977 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks. The U.S. has now recorded 280,488 deaths related to the virus, according to The COVID Tracking Project . A forecast from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that the total death toll can increase to between 332,000 and 362,000 by January 2, according to CNN. There are currently 106,671 people hospitalized with the virus in the U.S.; 20,903 of them are currently in the ICU and 7,621 are currently on a ventilator, according to the COVID Tracking Project. On Thursday (Dec. 10), the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is set to meet to discuss an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
FDA panel recommends authorization of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine A panel of experts for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that the agency authorize Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. On Thursday (Dec. 10), the panel voted 17 to 4 to recommend that the vaccine receive emergency use authorization (EUA) for people ages 16 and older, according to The New York Times . The FDA typically follows the advice of its panels, and so today's vote is an important step towards the vaccine's authorization. It is anticipated that the agency will officially authorize the vaccine on Saturday (Dec. 12), the Times reported. Several countries have already authorized Pfizer's vaccine, including Canada, the United Kingdom and Bahrain.
Vaccine approval could come this weekend, as U.S. continues to record high daily death tolls On Thursday (Dec. 10), the U.S. recorded another 2,902 COVID-19 deaths, a day after the country set a record of 3,253 deaths, according to Reuters . “Probably for the next 60 to 90 days, we’re going to have more deaths per day than we had on 9/11 or we had at Pearl Harbor,” Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday, according to Reuters. "The reality is the vaccine approval this week is not going to really impact that, I think, to any degree for the next 60 days." On Thursday, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee discussed, voted and recommended that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine has already been approved in the U.K. and in Canada, and FDA approval for use in the U.S. could come this weekend.
Australia abandons local COVID-19 vaccine after it caused false-positive HIV tests An Australian COVID-19 vaccine that had shown promising results in early trials is being abandoned after researchers found that the shot caused false-positive results on HIV tests. On Friday (Dec. 11), Australian officials said they had canceled an order for some 51 million doses of the vaccine, which was being developed by The University of Queensland and CSL Ltd., a local biotech company, according to The New York Times . In an early trial with 216 participants, the vaccine appeared to be safe and to produce a robust immune response against COVID-19, according to a statement from CSL . But some volunteers falsely tested positive for HIV, which officials feared would undermine trust in the vaccine, the Times reported. The vaccine contained small fragments of an HIV protein, which helped stabilize the vaccine. Some of the participants developed antibodies against these fragments, and these antibodies triggered false positive results on some HIV tests. It's important to note that there is no way for the vaccine to cause an HIV infection, because it contains harmless fragments of the virus.
ICU nurse in New York becomes first person in the US to receive a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials New York, the worst-hit state at the start of the pandemic, just became the first to administer a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, kicking off a long, massive effort to vaccinate the American people, Live Science reported. Around 9 a.m. E.T. on Monday (Dec. 14), the very first dose of Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine was given to Sandra Lindsay, an intensive care nurse in Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York, according to The New York Times. This comes as the U.S. continues to battle a massive wave of the virus that has more than 109,000 people currently hospitalized, according to The COVID Tracking Project. Since the start of the pandemic, New York has recorded more than 780,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 35,100 deaths, according to The Times. "This vaccine is exciting because I believe this is the weapon that will end the war," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a live broadcast of the first vaccination. "It's the beginning of the last chapter of the book, but now we just have to do it."
FDA analysis confirms Moderna's vaccine is safe and effective, emergency authorization is likely to come Friday A new briefing document from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released on Tuesday (Dec. 15) confirmed that Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, according to NPR . Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is 94% effective and has "a favorable safety profile," according to the document. A panel of experts is set to meet on Thursday (Dec. 17) to discuss the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine and vote on whether or not the FDA should grant emergency approval to the vaccine. Last week, the same panel voted that the FDA should grant emergency approval to Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine; the authorization came a day late and the first doses were given on Monday (Dec. 15). The FDA will likely approve Moderna's vaccine for emergency use on Friday (Dec. 18), according to The New York Times .
FDA authorizes first over-the-counter COVID-19 test The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the first over-the-counter COVID-19 test, which can be done at home and does not need a prescription. The test, made by the Australia-based company Ellume, provides results in as little as 20 minutes, according to a statement from the FDA . It is a "lateral flow antigen test," meaning it works in a similar way to a home pregnancy test, by running a "liquid sample along a surface with reactive molecules," the FDA said. The test works in conjunction with a smartphone app. Users take a nasal swab and place their sample in an analyzer, which communicates to the smartphone app via Bluetooth. The results are delivered through the app, and also reported to public health authorities (based on a user's zip code) through a secure cloud connection, the company said . Ellume is ramping up production of its test, and expects to produce three million tests in January 2021, and 20 million within the first half of 2021.
A wild mink tested positive for the coronavirus, it may be the first wild animal to have a confirmed case A wild mink in Utah may be the first "free-ranging, native wild animal" confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Live Science reported. The mink was found near a mink farm and likely picked up the infection from the farmed mink. There's no evidence that the virus spread to other minks or wild animals; but if the virus does begin circulating in wild animals, it could pick up mutations that COVID-19 vaccines may not protect well against if it spreads back to humans, according to the report. "If it does [establish a reservoir], then we've got a long-term issue here, where this virus has the potential to be with us for millennia," Sarah Olson, associate director of the health program at the Wildlife Conservation Society, told Vox. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has screened other animal species for the virus near mink farms in Utah, Michigan and Wisconsin, but all of them have tested negative so far, according to a statement.
An FDA advisory panel will meet today to vote on whether to recommend Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval On Thursday (Dec. 17), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee will meet to determine whether to recommend that Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval, according to The New York Times . This panel, composed of independent experts, will vote on whether to recommend the vaccine after hearing from the company, FDA scientists and the public, according to The Times. Last week, the same panel of experts met to discuss Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine and voted to recommend emergency authorization; the authorization came the next day. There have now been more than 16.9 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 307,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins dashboard . There are currently 113,090 people hospitalized across the country with more than 21,900 of them in the ICU and 7,778 on a ventilator, according to The COVID Tracking Project .
California becomes new epicenter of COVID-19 in U.S. California, once praised for its early pandemic response, is now the new U.S. hotspot for COVID-19 infections. The state has reported an alarming surge in cases, breaking previous records for daily cases. On Thursday (Dec. 17), the state reported some 50,000 COVID-19 infections in 24 hours, and nearly 100,000 in 48 hours, according to The Washington Post . That's more than the daily cases reported in many countries, including India, Germany and Britain, the Post reported. The state also set a record for daily deaths on Thursday, with 379 fatalities reported, up from the previous high of 293. Capacity in intensive care units has also dropped dramatically, with hospitals in Southern California reporting zero percent capacity on Thursday. "I want to be very clear: Our hospitals are under siege, and our model shows no end in sight," said Christina Ghaly, director of Los Angeles County's Department of Health Services, the Post reported.
FDA expected to authorize Moderna's vaccine on Friday The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday (Dec. 18). Once authorized, it will be the second coronavirus vaccine to get the green light from the agency in just a week, with Pfizer's vaccine gaining authorization on Dec. 11. Moderna is expected to begin shipping 5.9 million doses of its vaccine on Sunday (Dec. 20), with the first deliveries arriving Monday (Dec. 21), according to The New York Times . Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, Moderna's vaccine does not require storage in extremely cold temperatures, and states are hoping to distribute the vaccine to rural hospitals and community health centers, the Times reported.
COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the U.S. There have now been more than 17 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 300,000 deaths, according to The COVID Tracking Project . There are currently 114,237 people hospitalized across the country and 21,900 people in the ICU. California is facing a massive surge in cases; the state reported 41,012 new COVID-19 cases and 300 new deaths on Thursday (Dec. 17), according to the state's COVID-19 dashboard . By comparison, at the start of November, California was reporting a seven-day average of 4,183 cases, compared to an average of 38,774 on Thursday, according to CNN . "We're experiencing an explosive and very deadly surge," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Public Health Director said, according to CNN. Intensive care unit beds are rapidly filling up across the state; there are only 1,234 ICU beds left available in California, according to the dashboard. Current closures across California are impacting around 98% of the state's population, according to CNN.
London and southeast England are under an emergency lockdown Following concerns of a new version of the coronavirus that might be more transmissible, London and most of southeast England are now under an emergency lockdown, according to The New York Times . Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the lockdown on Saturday (Dec. 19) citing concerns that the mutated virus — which was detected a couple of weeks ago in southeast England — may be as much as 70% more transmissible than previous versions, according to the Times. The new version of the coronavirus is detected in more than 60% of new infections in London and have also been detected in several other countries, according to the Times. But it's not yet clear if this coronavirus version is any more infectious than the last and thorough analyses will need to be conducted before conclusions are made, scientists cautioned. In South Africa, a similar version of the virus has been found in up to 90% of new cases detected since mid-November, according to The Times . It's common for viruses to mutate, and this particular coronavirus has mutated many times since the start of the pandemic. But experts told The Times that it would take years for the virus to mutate enough such that it would make the current vaccines developed to fight COVID-19 ineffective.
Biden gets Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine President-elect Joe Biden received a dose of Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine on Monday (Dec. 21), according to The New York Times . He received the shot on camera at the Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware. "I'm doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it's available to take the vaccine. There's nothing to worry about," Biden said.
Antarctica has its 1st COVID-19 outbreak The first COVID-19 cases have been reported in Antarctica , meaning the disease has now spread to every continent in the world. On Tuesday (Dec. 22), Chilean officials reported an outbreak of 36 COVID-19 cases at the Chilean research base General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme on the Antarctic Peninsula, according to the BBC . Of these, 26 cases were military personnel and 10 were maintenance workers, the BBC reported. All of these cases have been evacuated from Antarctica to Punta Arenas, Chile, according to The Guardian . Antarctica had been COVID-19 free up until the current outbreak. The continent has no permanent residents, but about 1,000 people, including scientists and other workers, stayed there this past winter, The Guardian reported.
Live updates will continue in 2021!


livescience--2020-12-14--Giant Aztec skull 'tower' unearthed in Mexico

Archaeologists in Mexico City have discovered 119 human skulls arranged in a `` trophy '' tower that the Aztecs built about 500 years ago , according to Mexico 's National Institute of Anthropology and History .
The new finding shows just how extensive the tower is ; in 2015 , researchers discovered part of the tower — thought to be the main trophy site in Aztec 's capital — and since then have found a total of 603 skulls embedded in the structure .
The skulls buried there are the remains of sacrificed men , women and children , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many of the skulls , which date to between 1486 and 1502 , were arranged in a multilayered circle .
Part of the circle includes a section where rows of skulls were mortared together and positioned so they were facing the center of the circle , the AP reported .
But it 's unknown what , if anything , they were looking at , the archaeologists said .
When the Aztecs were at the height of power during the 15th and early 16th centuries , they ruled an empire from their capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexico .
At that time , a huge tower of skulls would have been regarded as a sign of prestige and power , the archaeologists said .
`` It is an important testament to the power and greatness achieved by Mexico-Tenochtitlán , '' Alejandra Frausto , Mexico City 's culture secretary , told the AP .
The skull rack is likely from a temple honoring Huitzilopochtli , the Aztec god of sun , war and human sacrifice , and the patron of Tenochtitlán , the BBC reported .
The Aztecs created skull-adorned trophy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severed heads on poles .
The heads were likely `` fresh '' when they were placed on the racks .
It 's possible the Aztecs mortared them together once they rotted , leaving only the skull remaining .
The newfound skulls , part of a site known as Huey Tzompantli , were about 11 feet ( 3.5 meters ) below street level .
Archaeologists had to be extra careful during the dig ; the excavation included an area underneath several historical buildings , the AP reported .
The researchers , who were expecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men , or warriors , were surprised to find skulls belonging to women and children .
`` Although we ca n't say how many of these individuals were warriors , perhaps some were captives destined for sacrificial ceremonies , '' Raul Barrera the lead archaeologist at the site , .
`` We do know that they were all made sacred , '' he said , `` turned into gifts for the gods or even personifications of deities themselves . ''

Archaeologists in Mexico City have discovered 119 human skulls arranged in a "trophy" tower that the Aztecs built about 500 years ago, according to Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History.
The new finding shows just how extensive the tower is; in 2015, researchers discovered part of the tower — thought to be the main trophy site in Aztec's capital — and since then have found a total of 603 skulls embedded in the structure. The skulls buried there are the remains of sacrificed men, women and children, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Many of the skulls, which date to between 1486 and 1502, were arranged in a multilayered circle. Part of the circle includes a section where rows of skulls were mortared together and positioned so they were facing the center of the circle, the AP reported. But it's unknown what, if anything, they were looking at, the archaeologists said.
Related: Photos: The amazing pyramids of Teotihuacan
When the Aztecs were at the height of power during the 15th and early 16th centuries, they ruled an empire from their capital city Tenochtitlán that spanned modern-day central and southern Mexico. At that time, a huge tower of skulls would have been regarded as a sign of prestige and power, the archaeologists said.
"It is an important testament to the power and greatness achieved by Mexico-Tenochtitlán," Alejandra Frausto, Mexico City's culture secretary, told the AP.
The skull rack is likely from a temple honoring Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of sun, war and human sacrifice, and the patron of Tenochtitlán, the BBC reported.
The Aztecs created skull-adorned trophy racks, called tzompantli, by placing severed heads on poles. The heads were likely "fresh" when they were placed on the racks. It's possible the Aztecs mortared them together once they rotted, leaving only the skull remaining.
A different Aztec tzompantli altar of carved skulls that's on display at the Archaeological Museum in Mexico City. (Image credit: DeAgostini/Getty Images)
The newfound skulls, part of a site known as Huey Tzompantli, were about 11 feet (3.5 meters) below street level. Archaeologists had to be extra careful during the dig; the excavation included an area underneath several historical buildings, the AP reported.
The researchers, who were expecting to find only the skulls of young men, or warriors, were surprised to find skulls belonging to women and children.
"Although we can't say how many of these individuals were warriors, perhaps some were captives destined for sacrificial ceremonies," Raul Barrera the lead archaeologist at the site, told the BBC .
"We do know that they were all made sacred," he said, "turned into gifts for the gods or even personifications of deities themselves."
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-12-14--1st dose of COVID-19 vaccine given in New York

New York , the worst-hit state at the start of the pandemic , just became the first to administer a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials , kicking off a long , massive effort to vaccinate the American people .
Around 9 a.m. E.T .
on Monday ( Dec. 14 ) , the very first dose of Pfizer and BioNTech 's coronavirus vaccine was given to Sandra Lindsay , an intensive care nurse in Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens , New York , according to The New York Times .
This comes as the U.S. continues to battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has more than 109,000 people currently hospitalized , according to The COVID Tracking Project .
Since the start of the pandemic , New York has recorded more than 780,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 35,100 deaths , according to The Times .
`` This vaccine is exciting because I believe this is the weapon that will end the war , '' Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said during a live broadcast of the first vaccination .
`` It 's the beginning of the last chapter of the book , but now we just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday ( Dec. 11 ) , the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) granted emergency use authorization , or permission for the vaccine to be distributed prior to full approval due to the pandemic emergency , to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine .
The vaccine was shown to be 95 % effective in preventing COVID-19 in late-stage clinical trials .
On Sunday ( Dec. 13 ) , the first of 3 million initial doses of the vaccine were shipped across the U.S. in trucks and cargo planes , according to The Times .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today , while others will receive them on Tuesday ( Dec. 15 ) or Wednesday ( Dec.16 ) .
New York state officials expect to be able to vaccinate 170,000 people initially .
The very first doses given out on Monday in New York will mainly be to high-risk health care workers , according to The Times .
But that 's only a small fraction of the 1.8 million people in New York , including nursing home residents and healthcare workers , who will be prioritized to receive the vaccine in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely end sometime in January , according to the Times .
The second phase , which will include essential workers and high-risk individuals will come after that .
Other states across the U.S. are also beginning to vaccinate high priority individuals on Monday .

New York, the worst-hit state at the start of the pandemic, just became the first to administer a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, kicking off a long, massive effort to vaccinate the American people.
Around 9 a.m. E.T. on Monday (Dec. 14), the very first dose of Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine was given to Sandra Lindsay, an intensive care nurse in Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York, according to The New York Times. This comes as the U.S. continues to battle a massive wave of the virus that has more than 109,000 people currently hospitalized, according to The COVID Tracking Project.
Since the start of the pandemic, New York has recorded more than 780,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 35,100 deaths, according to The Times. "This vaccine is exciting because I believe this is the weapon that will end the war," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a live broadcast of the first vaccination. "It's the beginning of the last chapter of the book, but now we just have to do it."
Watch LIVE as the first person in New York gets vaccinated: https://t.co/a3p8QOtK6wDecember 14, 2020 See more
On Friday (Dec. 11), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization, or permission for the vaccine to be distributed prior to full approval due to the pandemic emergency, to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The vaccine was shown to be 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 in late-stage clinical trials.
On Sunday (Dec. 13), the first of 3 million initial doses of the vaccine were shipped across the U.S. in trucks and cargo planes, according to The Times. Some sites are set to receive the shipments today, while others will receive them on Tuesday (Dec. 15) or Wednesday (Dec.16).
Related: Coronavirus live updates
New York state officials expect to be able to vaccinate 170,000 people initially. The very first doses given out on Monday in New York will mainly be to high-risk health care workers, according to The Times.
But that's only a small fraction of the 1.8 million people in New York, including nursing home residents and healthcare workers, who will be prioritized to receive the vaccine in the first phase of the roll-out, which will likely end sometime in January, according to the Times. The second phase, which will include essential workers and high-risk individuals will come after that.
Other states across the U.S. are also beginning to vaccinate high priority individuals on Monday.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-12-15--Physicists attempt to unify all forces of nature and rectify Einstein's biggest failure

In his waning years , spent his time tilting at windmills , trying to unify all the forces of nature .
He died disappointed , and his attempt would go down in history as his biggest failure .
But Einstein 's failed dream could ultimately become his ultimate triumph , as a small group of theoretical physicists rework his old ideas .
It wo n't necessarily bring all the forces of the universe together , but it could explain some of the most pressing issues facing modern science .
The most successful theory of known to humanity is Einstein 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent more than seven years developing it , and it was worth the wait .
On the surface , general relativity is deceptively simple .
All of the drama of the universe takes place on the grand , four-dimensional stage called .
Matter and energy —the actors and actresses of the cosmos — run around doing their thing , saying their lines .
Matter and energy deform space-time , causing it to warp and curve .
That warping in turn tells the matter and energy how to move and behave .
Related : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theory of relativity in real life And voila : general relativity !
The constant dialogue between space-time stage and matter and energy is what we see as the force of gravity .
Einstein 's theory has passed every observational test thrown at it , which is why it 's survived for the century since its birth .
It has predicted and explained strange phenomena across the universe , including the bending of light around massive objects and the formation of black holes .
And yet , we know that it 's broken .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ should exist , it completely breaks down when it tries to describe their singular hearts .
We have no description of gravity at such a subatomic scale where quantum mechanics holds sway .
At this scale , when gravity gets both strong and short-range , general relativity ca n't even make predictions - the math just falls apart .
Those are places where we know that general relativity breaks down .
But beyond that , astronomers have noticed two phenomena that also are n't completely explained by general relativity : Most of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does n't interact with light ; and the expansion of the universe is accelerating every single day ( which is thought to be caused by as-yet-unknown dark energy ) .
In order to explain dark matter and dark energy , we have two choices .
Either general relativity is perfectly correct , but our cosmos is filled with strange new substances , or general relativity is flat-out wrong .
Einstein himself tried to push past the limits of general relativity .
But he was n't motivated by the puzzles of black hole singularities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that those existed , let alone would be major theoretical challenges .
Instead , Einstein was motivated by a higher purpose : an attempt to unify all the ( known ) laws of physics in a single mathematical framework .
In his case , he had gravity on one side , represented by his now-famous general relativity , and on the other , represented by Maxwell 's equations that described everything from and electrical currents to light itself .
In his attempts to make a super-theory of everything , Einstein introduced General Relativity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only cares about space-time 's curvature .
But Einstein 's reboot also paid attention to space-time 's twistiness , or torsion .
There was no need to include torsion in his original theory , because it turned out that all you needed was curvature to explain gravity .
But now that Einstein was trying to explain more than gravity , he had to include additional effects .
Einstein had hoped that the twistiness of space-time would somehow be connected to electromagnetism ( the same way that the curvature of space-time is connected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't find any solutions and his new theory died with him .
But other physicists never gave up the dream , and they have been attempting to unify physics ever since .
One of the most well-developed concepts is called , which claims that all particles are really tiny little vibrating strings .
Oh , and our universe has extra spatial dimensions that are all tiny and curled up .
String theory was never based on Einstein 's original idea of the twistiness of space-time , but now physicists are giving that old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a second look .
The name `` teleparallel '' comes from Einstein 's original work that examined the nature of distant parallel lines in his geometric framework , exploring how both the curvature and twistiness of space-time affected the motion of matter and energy .
Physicists nowadays do n't think teleparallel gravity can unify physics ( even Einstein himself eventually gave up on the idea ) , but it may be an interesting candidate for a new theory of gravity .
That 's because theorists have been using teleparallel gravity to explain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universe , the early period after the ang when the universe ballooned , called '' inflation '' and more recent problems such as an observed conflict between different measurements of the expansion rate of the cosmos .
In other words , teleparallel gravity has proven to be pretty predictive .
But what about those early dreams of a unified theory ?
Teleparallel gravity may be an interesting and useful new approach to gravity , but it does n't get us any closer to understanding a more fundamental law of physics .
Instead , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ string theory to do that job , so naturally the question came up : Does string theory — which claims to be an ultimate theory of everything — in any way connect to teleparallel gravity ?
In other words , if teleparallel gravity can potentially solve all these nasty problems like dark matter and dark energy , does it flow as a natural consequence of string theory , or are these two separate lines that do n't have any connection to each other ?
Recently , theoretical theorists have begun to tie teleparallel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motivation for the theory within the stringy universe , as reported in a paper appearing in the preprint journal in November .
In their work , they showed how teleparallel gravity can be a consequence of string theory .
This is an important insight , because string theory should be able to explain all laws of physics , and if teleparallel gravity is a better version of general relativity , and ultimately turns out to be correct , then you should be able to derive teleparallelism from the math of string theory .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ say police identify a murder weapon at a crime scene ( general relativity ) .
They have a prime suspect ( string theory ) that they want to connect to the murder weapon .
But new analysis of the crime scene reveals that a different weapon ( teleparallelism ) actually caused the murder .
Can the prime suspect still be connected to the new murder weapon ?
The short answer is : yes .
There 's a lot more work to be done .
String theory is n't finished yet ( and may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure out firm mathematical solutions ) , so any connection it can make to reality is useful .
If teleparallel gravity turns out to be a useful way to explain some of the current shortcomings of general relativity , and we can derive teleparallelism from string theory , then that 's one more step in achieving Einstein 's ultimate dream of unification — not the way he envisioned it , but it still counts .

In his waning years, Albert Einstein spent his time tilting at windmills, trying to unify all the forces of nature. He died disappointed, and his attempt would go down in history as his biggest failure.
But Einstein's failed dream could ultimately become his ultimate triumph, as a small group of theoretical physicists rework his old ideas. It won't necessarily bring all the forces of the universe together, but it could explain some of the most pressing issues facing modern science.
Einstein isn't enough
The most successful theory of gravity known to humanity is Einstein's famous theory of general relativity. Einstein spent more than seven years developing it, and it was worth the wait. On the surface, general relativity is deceptively simple. All of the drama of the universe takes place on the grand, four-dimensional stage called space-time . Matter and energy —the actors and actresses of the cosmos — run around doing their thing, saying their lines. Matter and energy deform space-time, causing it to warp and curve. That warping in turn tells the matter and energy how to move and behave.
Related: 8 ways you can see Einstein's theory of relativity in real life
And voila: general relativity! The constant dialogue between space-time stage and matter and energy is what we see as the force of gravity.
Einstein's theory has passed every observational test thrown at it, which is why it's survived for the century since its birth. It has predicted and explained strange phenomena across the universe, including the bending of light around massive objects and the formation of black holes.
And yet, we know that it's broken. While general relativity says that black holes should exist, it completely breaks down when it tries to describe their singular hearts. We have no description of gravity at such a subatomic scale where quantum mechanics holds sway. At this scale, when gravity gets both strong and short-range, general relativity can't even make predictions - the math just falls apart.
Those are places where we know that general relativity breaks down. But beyond that, astronomers have noticed two phenomena that also aren't completely explained by general relativity: Most of the matter in the universe (so-called dark matter ) doesn't interact with light; and the expansion of the universe is accelerating every single day (which is thought to be caused by as-yet-unknown dark energy). In order to explain dark matter and dark energy, we have two choices. Either general relativity is perfectly correct, but our cosmos is filled with strange new substances, or general relativity is flat-out wrong.
Do the twist
Einstein himself tried to push past the limits of general relativity. But he wasn't motivated by the puzzles of black hole singularities or an accelerating universe — nobody knew that those existed, let alone would be major theoretical challenges.
Instead, Einstein was motivated by a higher purpose: an attempt to unify all the (known) laws of physics in a single mathematical framework. In his case, he had gravity on one side, represented by his now-famous general relativity, and electromagnetism on the other, represented by Maxwell's equations that described everything from magnets and electrical currents to light itself.
In his attempts to make a super-theory of everything, Einstein introduced General Relativity 2.0. The basic version of relativity only cares about space-time's curvature. But Einstein's reboot also paid attention to space-time's twistiness, or torsion. There was no need to include torsion in his original theory, because it turned out that all you needed was curvature to explain gravity. But now that Einstein was trying to explain more than gravity, he had to include additional effects.
Related: The 18 biggest unsolved mysteries in physics
Einstein had hoped that the twistiness of space-time would somehow be connected to electromagnetism (the same way that the curvature of space-time is connected to gravity) but alas, he couldn't find any solutions and his new theory died with him.
But other physicists never gave up the dream, and they have been attempting to unify physics ever since. One of the most well-developed concepts is called string theory , which claims that all particles are really tiny little vibrating strings. Oh, and our universe has extra spatial dimensions that are all tiny and curled up.
String theory was never based on Einstein's original idea of the twistiness of space-time, but now physicists are giving that old idea, which is called teleparallel gravity, a second look.
Working in parallel
The name "teleparallel" comes from Einstein's original work that examined the nature of distant parallel lines in his geometric framework, exploring how both the curvature and twistiness of space-time affected the motion of matter and energy. Physicists nowadays don't think teleparallel gravity can unify physics (even Einstein himself eventually gave up on the idea), but it may be an interesting candidate for a new theory of gravity.
That's because theorists have been using teleparallel gravity to explain things like the accelerated expansion of the universe, the early period after the Big B ang when the universe ballooned, called"inflation" and more recent problems such as an observed conflict between different measurements of the expansion rate of the cosmos. In other words, teleparallel gravity has proven to be pretty predictive.
But what about those early dreams of a unified theory? Teleparallel gravity may be an interesting and useful new approach to gravity, but it doesn't get us any closer to understanding a more fundamental law of physics. Instead, physicists have been using the language of string theory to do that job, so naturally the question came up: Does string theory — which claims to be an ultimate theory of everything — in any way connect to teleparallel gravity? In other words, if teleparallel gravity can potentially solve all these nasty problems like dark matter and dark energy, does it flow as a natural consequence of string theory, or are these two separate lines that don't have any connection to each other?
Recently, theoretical theorists have begun to tie teleparallel gravity to string theory, providing a motivation for the theory within the stringy universe, as reported in a paper appearing in the preprint journal arXiv in November. In their work, they showed how teleparallel gravity can be a consequence of string theory. This is an important insight, because string theory should be able to explain all laws of physics, and if teleparallel gravity is a better version of general relativity, and ultimately turns out to be correct, then you should be able to derive teleparallelism from the math of string theory.
Here's an analogy. Let's say police identify a murder weapon at a crime scene (general relativity). They have a prime suspect (string theory) that they want to connect to the murder weapon. But new analysis of the crime scene reveals that a different weapon (teleparallelism) actually caused the murder. Can the prime suspect still be connected to the new murder weapon?
The short answer is: yes.
There's a lot more work to be done. String theory isn't finished yet (and may never be finished, if we never figure out firm mathematical solutions), so any connection it can make to reality is useful. If teleparallel gravity turns out to be a useful way to explain some of the current shortcomings of general relativity, and we can derive teleparallelism from string theory, then that's one more step in achieving Einstein's ultimate dream of unification — not the way he envisioned it, but it still counts.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-12-15--Man who died of constipation 1,000 years ago ate grasshoppers for months

A man who lived in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands of Texas sometime between 1,000 and 1,400 years ago may have died from a horrible case of constipation , according to a study of his mummified remains .
And during the painful months just prior to his death , he ate mainly grasshoppers , the study researchers found .
Apparently , Chagas disease , which is caused by a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi , had blocked up the man 's .
That blockage caused his colon to swell to about six times its normal size — a condition called `` megacolon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digest foods properly and gradually became malnourished , scientists found .
The condition would have made it difficult for the man to walk or even eat on his own .
The researchers think that in the last two to three months of his life — either family or members of his community — helped the man eat by feeding him grasshoppers whose legs had been removed .
Related : In photos : A look inside an Egyptian mummy '' So they were giving him mostly the fluid-rich body — the squishable part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln , from the university .
`` In addition to being high in protein , it was pretty high in moisture .
So it would have been easier for him to eat in the early stages of his megacolon experience . ''
A man named Guy Skiles found the remains — which had been naturally preserved and by the arid conditions — in 1937 in a rockshelter near the junction of the Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers in South Texas .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until 1968 when it was loaned to the Institute of Texan Cultures .
Scientific work was done on the mummy in the 1970s and 1980s ; and in 1986 , a team of scientists described the mummy in an article published in the journal Plains Anthropologist .
More recently , studies with more advanced technologies have opened a dark window into this man 's last months on .
For instance , in 2003 , Reinhard 's team reported in the journal Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz that they had found 2.6 pounds ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mummy along with a vast amount of food remains that his body never processed .
These findings , along with the size of his colon , led the researchers to conclude that he was severely constipated and suffered malnourishment as his body could n't properly process food .
In the new study , Reinhard and his colleagues reanalyzed the mummy 's remains using a scanning electron microscope .
That new scan revealed that his diet consisted largely of grasshoppers in his final months .
The researchers also found evidence in the man 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed just how `` backed up '' the man would have been .
Teensy structures in plant tissues , phytoliths generally survive , unscathed , the adventurous trek through a person 's .
That was n't the case for this man .
`` The phytoliths were split open , crushed .
And that means there was incredible pressure that was exerted on a microscopic level in this guy 's intestinal system , which highlights even more the pathology that was exhibited here , '' Reinhard said in the statement .
`` I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pathology — this level of intestinal blockage and the pressure that 's associated with it . ''
The grasshopper diet discovery will be published in a chapter of a forthcoming book `` `` ( Springer , 2021 ) .
The chapter will also publish studies of two other mummies who received special care at the end of their lives .
These include a 5- to 6-year-old child who died between 500 and 1,000 years ago in Arizona who was fed fruit from the saguaro cactus in the final weeks of their life .

The man lived in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands of Texas, pictured here, sometime between 1,400 and 1,000 years ago. The arid area where he was buried caused his body to become naturally mummified.
A man who lived in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands of Texas sometime between 1,000 and 1,400 years ago may have died from a horrible case of constipation, according to a study of his mummified remains.
And during the painful months just prior to his death, he ate mainly grasshoppers, the study researchers found.
Apparently, Chagas disease, which is caused by a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi, had blocked up the man's gastrointestinal system . That blockage caused his colon to swell to about six times its normal size — a condition called "megacolon." The man was unable to digest foods properly and gradually became malnourished, scientists found. The condition would have made it difficult for the man to walk or even eat on his own. The researchers think that in the last two to three months of his life — either family or members of his community — helped the man eat by feeding him grasshoppers whose legs had been removed.
Related: In photos: A look inside an Egyptian mummy
"So they were giving him mostly the fluid-rich body — the squishable part of the grasshopper," Karl Reinhard, professor in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, said in a statement from the university. "In addition to being high in protein, it was pretty high in moisture. So it would have been easier for him to eat in the early stages of his megacolon experience."
A man named Guy Skiles found the remains — which had been naturally preserved and mummified by the arid conditions — in 1937 in a rockshelter near the junction of the Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers in South Texas. It was kept in a small private museum until 1968 when it was loaned to the Institute of Texan Cultures. Scientific work was done on the mummy in the 1970s and 1980s; and in 1986, a team of scientists described the mummy in an article published in the journal Plains Anthropologist.
More recently, studies with more advanced technologies have opened a dark window into this man's last months on Earth . For instance, in 2003, Reinhard's team reported in the journal Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz that they had found 2.6 pounds (1,170 grams) of feces inside the mummy along with a vast amount of food remains that his body never processed. These findings, along with the size of his colon, led the researchers to conclude that he was severely constipated and suffered malnourishment as his body couldn't properly process food.
In the new study, Reinhard and his colleagues reanalyzed the mummy's remains using a scanning electron microscope. That new scan revealed that his diet consisted largely of grasshoppers in his final months.
The researchers also found evidence in the man's colon of plant remains called phytoliths that showed just how "backed up" the man would have been. Teensy structures in plant tissues, phytoliths generally survive, unscathed, the adventurous trek through a person's digestive system . That wasn't the case for this man.
"The phytoliths were split open, crushed. And that means there was incredible pressure that was exerted on a microscopic level in this guy's intestinal system, which highlights even more the pathology that was exhibited here," Reinhard said in the statement. "I think this is unique in the annals of pathology — this level of intestinal blockage and the pressure that's associated with it."
The grasshopper diet discovery will be published in a chapter of a forthcoming book " The Handbook of Mummy Studies " (Springer, 2021). The chapter will also publish studies of two other mummies who received special care at the end of their lives. These include a 5- to 6-year-old child who died between 500 and 1,000 years ago in Arizona who was fed fruit from the saguaro cactus in the final weeks of their life.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-12-15--Physicists give Schrodinger's cat a cheshire grin

`` I 've often seen a cat without a grin , '' thought Alice .
`` But a grin without a cat !
It 's the most curious thing I ever saw in all my life ! ''
It 's an experience eminent physicist Yakir Aharonov can relate to .
Together with fellow Israeli physicist Daniel Rohrlich , he 's shown theoretically how a particle might show its face in a corner of an experiment without needing its body anywhere in sight .
To be more precise , their analysis argues information could be transferred between two points without an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to 2013 when researchers based in the US and Saudi Arabia suggested a kind of freezing effect applied to a quantum wave still might not be enough to stop it from transmitting information .
`` We found it extremely interesting – the possibility of communication without anything passing between the two people who communicate with each other , '' Aharonov explained to Anna Demming at Phys.org .
`` And we wanted to see if we can understand it better . ''
The experimental model they base their calculations on is surprisingly simple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end capped in a mirrored door .
In quantum physics , where objects are n't defined until observed , the door is both open and closed until it 's seen , not unlike the condemned cat in Schrödinger 's proposed thought experiment .
If a particle were to be sent down the corridor , its fate would also be a blur of possibility until its journey was made known .
It would reflect and not reflect .
Pass and not pass .
That 's because the particle 's wave of possibility has characteristics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crests and troughs governing the chances of the particle being found somewhere , and phases as it evolves over time .
Putting it simply , a part of the particle 's phase describing its angular momentum , or spin , should change in relation to the opened or closed state of the mirror , according to the physicists .
Even when the particle itself should be nowhere near that end of the corridor , Aharonov and Rorlich found that it 's almost as if the momentum should be capable of reaching out with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ door , before carrying back a bit of information with it .
Particles are n't typically known to let go of things like spin or charge , to have them wander away and affect distant surroundings , no more than a smile is known to remain while a face makes an exit .
`` If you 're talking about a cat and its grin , that 's very strange , '' Rorlich told Demming over at Phys.org .
`` But of course , all of this has to translate back to elementary particles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its spin because its spin goes somewhere else – maybe that 's something we can get used to . ''
Aharonov is no stranger to the Wonderland-like absurdity of quantum physics .
More than half a century ago , he worked with the renowned theoretical physicist David Bohm on an analysis involving non-local effects on particles in electromagnetic fields .
In what is now named the Aharonov–Bohm effect , a charged particle can be affected by an electromagnetic potential even if it 's confined to an area where the surrounding magnetic and electric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sailing boat zipping along when the ocean is still and the air is calm .
Of course , 'something ' must be nudging the vessel , you could argue .
Without anything obvious forcing its motion , your eyes would move to the horizon with a sense of wonder what else might be responsible .
Just what that distant effect happens to be is as perplexing to quantum physicists as it is to the rest of us .
For things to move , something needs to cross its location and tell it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fast .
Things do n't just decide all by themselves how to act .
And yet we already see some decidedly `` spooky '' actions in quantum physics yet to be fully explained .
Waves 'entangled ' by a past connection can instantly resolve into discrete particles that correlate with one another , no matter how distant they happen to be .
Aharanov 's explanation rests on a concept called modular momentum : a characteristic of particles that is hard to appreciate in great detail without a solid grounding in the maths of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyday momentum – which we can experience directly in terms of shooting bullets and floating bubbles – modular momentum has its place in the quantum world of waves of probability , as they ripple and interfere with one another through space .
This is n't quite the kind of momentum we 'd use to describe how a pinball bounces about in a machine .
But it is a kind of momentum that makes its presence known in how we calculate the possibilities of motion , even if the consequences of its actions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Although it 's very surprising that properties can leave their particles , it is not as surprising as to say that nothing happened and there was an effect , '' Aharonov told Phys.org .
Just what practical implications – if any – the groundwork might have will lie in the hands of future experiments and engineers .
For Aharonov and Rohrlich , the analysis aims to resolve the notion of what it means for particles to act locally , implying its properties – like the Cheshire cat 's smug grin – might sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body .
This research was published in Physical Review Letters .
This article was originally published by ScienceAlert .
Read the original article here .

"I've often seen a cat without a grin," thought Alice. "But a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in all my life!"
It's an experience eminent physicist Yakir Aharonov can relate to. Together with fellow Israeli physicist Daniel Rohrlich, he's shown theoretically how a particle might show its face in a corner of an experiment without needing its body anywhere in sight.
To be more precise, their analysis argues information could be transferred between two points without an exchange of particles.
The theory dates back to 2013 when researchers based in the US and Saudi Arabia suggested a kind of freezing effect applied to a quantum wave still might not be enough to stop it from transmitting information.
"We found it extremely interesting – the possibility of communication without anything passing between the two people who communicate with each other," Aharonov explained to Anna Demming at Phys.org.
"And we wanted to see if we can understand it better."
The experimental model they base their calculations on is surprisingly simple.
Think of a corridor with one end capped in a mirrored door. In quantum physics, where objects aren't defined until observed, the door is both open and closed until it's seen, not unlike the condemned cat in Schrödinger's proposed thought experiment.
If a particle were to be sent down the corridor, its fate would also be a blur of possibility until its journey was made known. It would reflect and not reflect. Pass and not pass.
That's because the particle's wave of possibility has characteristics of any physical wave. There are crests and troughs governing the chances of the particle being found somewhere, and phases as it evolves over time.
Putting it simply, a part of the particle's phase describing its angular momentum, or spin, should change in relation to the opened or closed state of the mirror, according to the physicists.
Even when the particle itself should be nowhere near that end of the corridor, Aharonov and Rorlich found that it's almost as if the momentum should be capable of reaching out with a ghostly finger to touch the closed door, before carrying back a bit of information with it.
Particles aren't typically known to let go of things like spin or charge, to have them wander away and affect distant surroundings, no more than a smile is known to remain while a face makes an exit.
"If you're talking about a cat and its grin, that's very strange," Rorlich told Demming over at Phys.org.
"But of course, all of this has to translate back to elementary particles, and if an elementary particle loses its spin because its spin goes somewhere else – maybe that's something we can get used to."
Aharonov is no stranger to the Wonderland-like absurdity of quantum physics. More than half a century ago, he worked with the renowned theoretical physicist David Bohm on an analysis involving non-local effects on particles in electromagnetic fields.
In what is now named the Aharonov–Bohm effect, a charged particle can be affected by an electromagnetic potential even if it's confined to an area where the surrounding magnetic and electric fields are both zero.
Think of a sailing boat zipping along when the ocean is still and the air is calm. Of course, 'something' must be nudging the vessel, you could argue. Without anything obvious forcing its motion, your eyes would move to the horizon with a sense of wonder what else might be responsible.
Just what that distant effect happens to be is as perplexing to quantum physicists as it is to the rest of us.
For things to move, something needs to cross its location and tell it which way to shift, or how fast. Things don't just decide all by themselves how to act.
And yet we already see some decidedly "spooky" actions in quantum physics yet to be fully explained. Waves 'entangled' by a past connection can instantly resolve into discrete particles that correlate with one another, no matter how distant they happen to be.
Aharanov's explanation rests on a concept called modular momentum: a characteristic of particles that is hard to appreciate in great detail without a solid grounding in the maths of quantum field theory.
Basically, unlike everyday momentum – which we can experience directly in terms of shooting bullets and floating bubbles – modular momentum has its place in the quantum world of waves of probability, as they ripple and interfere with one another through space.
This isn't quite the kind of momentum we'd use to describe how a pinball bounces about in a machine. But it is a kind of momentum that makes its presence known in how we calculate the possibilities of motion, even if the consequences of its actions are a little harder to imagine.
"Although it's very surprising that properties can leave their particles, it is not as surprising as to say that nothing happened and there was an effect," Aharonov told Phys.org.
Just what practical implications – if any – the groundwork might have will lie in the hands of future experiments and engineers.
For Aharonov and Rohrlich, the analysis aims to resolve the notion of what it means for particles to act locally, implying its properties – like the Cheshire cat's smug grin – might sometimes matter more than the whereabouts of its body.
This research was published in Physical Review Letters.
This article was originally published by ScienceAlert. Read the original article here.


livescience--2020-12-15--FDA approves genetically engineered pigs for food and transplants

Pigs that have been genetically engineered to be free of a molecule that triggers have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) .
On Monday ( Dec. 14 ) , the agency approved these swine , known as GalSafe pigs , for both human food consumption and potential therapeutic purposes , such as use in ( or transplants of pig tissues to people ) .
It 's the first time that a genetically engineered animal has been approved for both food and medical uses , the FDA said .
`` Today 's first ever approval of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and as a potential source for biomedical use represents a tremendous milestone for scientific innovation , '' FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn , .
Scientists have genetically altered the GalSafe pigs so they lack a sugar molecule called alpha-gal , which is normally found in the tissue of some mammals , including pigs , cows and sheep .
People with a meat allergy known as alpha-gal syndrome can develop serious , life-threatening reactions if they are exposed to this molecule .
It 's thought that people develop this meat allergy after being , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This genetic alteration could also make the GalSafe pigs useful for xenotransplants , because alpha-gal is thought to cause tissue and organ rejection in people who receive these transplants , the agency said .
The FDA determined that GalSafe pigs were safe to eat and that they did not have detectable levels of alpha-gal in their tissues .
However , the agency did n't evaluate whether they actually prevent meat allergies .
In addition , the agency noted that any companies that want to use these pigs in medical products would need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those medical uses .
The company that makes GalSafe pigs , Revivicor Inc. , said that they initially plan to sell meat from GalSafe pigs by mail order , rather than in supermarkets , according to the FDA statement .
GalSafe pigs are not the first approved for human consumption .
In 2015 , the FDA approved a type of salmon , known as AquAdvantage , which was genetically engineered to have a faster growth rate , according to .
But in that case , the approval was for food use only , @ @ @ @ @

Pigs that have been genetically engineered to be free of a molecule that triggers meat allergies have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
On Monday (Dec. 14), the agency approved these swine, known as GalSafe pigs, for both human food consumption and potential therapeutic purposes, such as use in xenotransplantation (or transplants of pig tissues to people). It's the first time that a genetically engineered animal has been approved for both food and medical uses, the FDA said.
"Today's first ever approval of an animal biotechnology product for both food and as a potential source for biomedical use represents a tremendous milestone for scientific innovation," FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, said in a statement .
Scientists have genetically altered the GalSafe pigs so they lack a sugar molecule called alpha-gal, which is normally found in the tissue of some mammals, including pigs, cows and sheep. People with a meat allergy known as alpha-gal syndrome can develop serious, life-threatening reactions if they are exposed to this molecule. It's thought that people develop this meat allergy after being bitten by certain ticks , which have alpha-gal in their saliva.
Related: The 9 weirdest allergies
This genetic alteration could also make the GalSafe pigs useful for xenotransplants, because alpha-gal is thought to cause tissue and organ rejection in people who receive these transplants, the agency said.
The FDA determined that GalSafe pigs were safe to eat and that they did not have detectable levels of alpha-gal in their tissues. However, the agency didn't evaluate whether they actually prevent meat allergies. In addition, the agency noted that any companies that want to use these pigs in medical products would need to gain separate approval from the FDA for those medical uses.
The company that makes GalSafe pigs, Revivicor Inc., said that they initially plan to sell meat from GalSafe pigs by mail order, rather than in supermarkets, according to the FDA statement.
GalSafe pigs are not the first genetically engineered animals approved for human consumption. In 2015, the FDA approved a type of salmon, known as AquAdvantage, which was genetically engineered to have a faster growth rate, according to STAT News . But in that case, the approval was for food use only, and not medical uses.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-12-15--Polar cyclones on Jupiter create a spellbinding vortex cluster

Jupiter 's north pole is a swirling mass of cyclones , and their mesmerizing dance was recently captured in astonishing detail in images from JunoCam , the visible light camera/telescope on NASA 's Juno orbiter .
The Juno mission , launched on Aug. 5 , 2011 , has been collecting data on Jupiter since 2016 .
Juno recently completed its 29th orbit of the gas giant , and its scientific instruments are revealing clues about Jupiter 's cyclone clusters .
They are also providing a glimpse into atmospheric zones that are warmer and drier than surrounding areas .
These atmospheric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shape the formation of `` mushballs '' — slushy hailstones made of ammonia and water at high altitudes , Juno scientists said on Dec. 11 at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union ( AGU ) .
The researchers presented Juno 's latest findings at the conference , held virtually this year .
Two of Jupiter 's big northern cyclones are visible in a new animation of JunoCam photos , created from five images taken from altitudes of about 18,000 miles ( 28,567 kilometers ) above Jupiter 's cloud cover .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counterclockwise , but the inner clouds rotate clockwise , which is `` rather strange , '' Candice Hansen , developer of the JunoCam and a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson , Arizona , said at the conference .
The different rotation directions in the cyclones may have to do with their vertical structure .
`` Maybe these clouds are at different levels in the atmosphere , '' Hansen said .
`` We 're looking forward to getting microwave data soon so that we can see just how deep the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cyclones , she added .
Understanding gas giant planets with deep atmospheres such as Jupiter requires peering far below the cloud layer , and Juno `` does just that , '' Scott Bolton , principal investigator of Juno at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio , .
`` The spacecraft 's observations are shedding light on old mysteries and posing new questions — not only about Jupiter , but about all gas giant worlds , '' Bolton said .

In this animated GIF, the clouds on the periphery of some of Jupiter's polar cyclones rotate counterclockwise, while the core of the cyclones rotate clockwise. Citizen scientist Gerald Eichstädt processed the images to enhance the color and contrast.
Jupiter's north pole is a swirling mass of cyclones, and their mesmerizing dance was recently captured in astonishing detail in images from JunoCam, the visible light camera/telescope on NASA's Juno orbiter.
The Juno mission, launched on Aug. 5, 2011, has been collecting data on Jupiter since 2016. Juno recently completed its 29th orbit of the gas giant, and its scientific instruments are revealing clues about Jupiter's cyclone clusters.
They are also providing a glimpse into atmospheric zones that are warmer and drier than surrounding areas. These atmospheric hot spots fuel discharges of electricity and shape the formation of "mushballs" — slushy hailstones made of ammonia and water at high altitudes, Juno scientists said on Dec. 11 at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The researchers presented Juno's latest findings at the conference, held virtually this year.
Related: In photos: Juno's amazing views of Jupiter
Two of Jupiter's big northern cyclones are visible in a new animation of JunoCam photos, created from five images taken from altitudes of about 18,000 miles (28,567 kilometers) above Jupiter's cloud cover. The outer clouds in the cyclones are rotating counterclockwise, but the inner clouds rotate clockwise, which is "rather strange," Candice Hansen, developer of the JunoCam and a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, said at the conference.
The different rotation directions in the cyclones may have to do with their vertical structure. "Maybe these clouds are at different levels in the atmosphere," Hansen said. "We're looking forward to getting microwave data soon so that we can see just how deep the 'roots' go" in these polar cyclones, she added.
Understanding gas giant planets with deep atmospheres such as Jupiter requires peering far below the cloud layer, and Juno "does just that," Scott Bolton, principal investigator of Juno at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, said in a statement .
"The spacecraft's observations are shedding light on old mysteries and posing new questions — not only about Jupiter, but about all gas giant worlds," Bolton said.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-12-15--Coronavirus outbreak: Live Updates

Coronavirus outbreak: Live Updates

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) has authorized the first over-the-counter COVID-19 test , which can be done at home and does not need a prescription .
The test , made by the Australia-based company Ellume , provides results in as little as 20 minutes , according to a .
It is a `` lateral flow antigen test , '' meaning it works in a similar way to a home pregnancy test , by running a `` liquid sample along a surface with reactive molecules , '' the FDA said .
The test works in conjunction with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nasal swab and place their sample in an analyzer , which communicates to the smartphone app via Bluetooth .
The results are delivered through the app , and also reported to public health authorities ( based on a user 's zip code ) through a secure cloud connection , .
Ellume is ramping up production of its test , and expects to produce three million tests in January 2021 , and 20 million within the first half of 2021 .
FDA analysis confirms Moderna 's vaccine is safe and effective , emergency authorization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) released on Tuesday ( Dec. 15 ) confirmed that Moderna 's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective , .
Moderna 's COVID-19 vaccine is 94 % effective and has `` a favorable safety profile , '' according to the document .
A panel of experts is set to meet on Thursday ( Dec. 17 ) to discuss the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine and vote on whether or not the FDA should grant emergency approval to the vaccine .
Last week , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grant emergency approval to Pfizer 's coronavirus vaccine ; the authorization came a day late and the first doses were given on Monday ( Dec. 15 ) .
The FDA will likely approve Moderna 's vaccine for emergency use on Friday ( Dec. 18 ) , according to The New York Times .
ICU nurse in New York becomes first person in the US to receive a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials New York , the worst-hit state at the start of the pandemic , just became the first to administer a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kicking off a long , massive effort to vaccinate the American people , Live Science reported .
Around 9 a.m. E.T .
on Monday ( Dec. 14 ) , the very first dose of Pfizer and BioNTech 's coronavirus vaccine was given to Sandra Lindsay , an intensive care nurse in Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens , New York , according to The New York Times .
This comes as the U.S. continues to battle a massive wave of the virus that has more than 109,000 people currently hospitalized , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start of the pandemic , New York has recorded more than 780,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 35,100 deaths , according to The Times .
`` This vaccine is exciting because I believe this is the weapon that will end the war , '' Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said during a live broadcast of the first vaccination .
`` It 's the beginning of the last chapter of the book , but now we just have to do it . ''
An Australian COVID-19 vaccine that had shown promising results in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that the shot caused false-positive results on HIV tests .
On Friday ( Dec. 11 ) , Australian officials said they had canceled an order for some 51 million doses of the vaccine , which was being developed by The University of Queensland and CSL Ltd. , a local biotech company , according to .
In an early trial with 216 participants , the vaccine appeared to be safe and to produce a robust immune response against COVID-19 , according to a .
But some volunteers falsely tested positive for HIV , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccine , the Times reported .
The vaccine contained small fragments of an HIV protein , which helped stabilize the vaccine .
Some of the participants developed antibodies against these fragments , and these antibodies triggered false positive results on some HIV tests .
It 's important to note that there is no way for the vaccine to cause an HIV infection , because it contains harmless fragments of the virus .
Vaccine approval could come this weekend , as U.S. continues to record high daily death tolls On Thursday ( Dec. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,902 COVID-19 deaths , a day after the country set a record of 3,253 deaths , .
“ Probably for the next 60 to 90 days , we ’ re going to have more deaths per day than we had on 9/11 or we had at Pearl Harbor , ” Dr. Robert Redfield , the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , told the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday , according to Reuters .
`` The reality is the vaccine approval this week is not going to really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any degree for the next 60 days . ''
On Thursday , the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee discussed , voted and recommended that the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) should grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer 's coronavirus vaccine .
The Pfizer vaccine has already been approved in the U.K. and in Canada , and FDA approval for use in the U.S. could come this weekend .
A panel of experts for the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) has recommended that the agency authorize Pfizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States .
On Thursday ( Dec. 10 ) , the panel voted 17 to 4 to recommend that the vaccine receive emergency use authorization ( EUA ) for people ages 16 and older , according to .
The FDA typically follows the advice of its panels , and so today 's vote is an important step towards the vaccine 's authorization .
It is anticipated that the agency will officially authorize the vaccine on Saturday ( Dec. 12 ) , the Times reported .
Several countries have already authorized Pfizer 's vaccine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bahrain .
Daily COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. reaches record-high , surpassed 9/11 On Wednesday ( Dec. 9 ) , the U.S. recorded 3,124 new COVID-19 deaths , the highest daily death toll to date , .
In comparison , 2,977 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks .
The U.S. has now recorded 280,488 deaths related to the virus , according to The COVID Tracking Project .
A from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that the total death toll can increase to between 332,000 and 362,000 by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are currently 106,671 people hospitalized with the virus in the U.S. ; 20,903 of them are currently in the ICU and 7,621 are currently on a ventilator , according to the COVID Tracking Project .
On Thursday ( Dec. 10 ) , the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is set to meet to discuss an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine .
Canada has authorized Pfizer 's new COVID-19 vaccine , with the first doses expected to be administered there as early as next week .
Health Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said in a statement on Wednesday ( Dec. 9 ) that it had determined that the vaccine `` meets the Department 's stringent safety , efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada , '' according to .
`` We expect vaccines to arrive maybe as early as Monday [ Dec. 14 ] .
It takes time to prepare the vaccine , '' said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin , the top military general leading the vaccine rollout for the Public Health Agency of Canada , according to CTV News .
The first doses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next week , he said .
Canada is the third country in the world to authorize the Pfizer vaccine , following the United Kingdom and Bahrain .
The country should receive up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine by the end of December , and has purchased 20 million doses total , with the option to purchase more , CTV News reported .
The U.K. 's Regulatory Agency is advising people with a history of `` significant '' allergic reactions to avoid Pfizer 's coronavirus vaccine , after two National Health Service members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday ( Dec. 8 ) , Live Science reported .
`` As is common with new vaccines the MHRA ( Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency ) have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday , '' Stephen Powis , the national medical director for England 's National Health Service said in a statement on Wednesday ( Dec. 9 ) .
Both workers have a history of severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as EpiPens ) around with them , according to The Guardian .
Shortly after receiving the vaccine , both NHS workers developed anaphylaxis-like symptoms , or severe allergic reactions , but have recovered after receiving treatment .
The MHRA will investigate further and Pfizer and BioNTech will support their investigation , according to Reuters .
`` Allergic reaction occurs with quite a number of vaccines , and perhaps even more frequently with drugs .
So it is not unexpected , '' Stephen Evans , a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarks to journalists published by Britain 's Science Media Center .
“ What would be wise , as the MHRA have already advised , would be for anyone who has known severe allergic reaction such that they need to carry an EpiPen , to delay having a vaccination until the reason for the allergic reaction has been clarified , '' he said .
For the general population this does not mean that they would need to be anxious about receiving the vaccination , he added .
`` One has to remember that even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food spread ] can cause unexpected severe allergic reactions.
” Pfizer 's COVID-19 vaccine starts to work just 10 days after 1st dose Pfizer 's new COVID-19 vaccine starts to protect people from the novel coronavirus just 10 days after the first dose , according to from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) .
The documents were released on Tuesday ( Dec. 8 ) , two days before a meeting of the FDA 's vaccine advisory panel , which will vote on whether to recommend authorization of the vaccine in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data from Pfizer 's phase 3 clinical trial , which included some 44,000 people in the United States , Brazil , Argentina , Germany and Turkey , about half of whom received the vaccine while the other half received a placebo .
Both groups received two shots , 21 days apart .
About 10 days after the first dose , there was a noticeable drop-off in new COVID-19 cases in the vaccine group compared with the placebo group , indicating that even one dose provides some protection , the report said .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protection from a single dose will last , so it will still be important for people to receive two shots , according to .
Overall , the vaccine was 52 % effective after the first dose and 95 % effective after the second dose , the report said .
90-year-old woman in the UK receives first dose of Pfizer vaccine , FDA review confirms vaccine is safe and effective A 90-year-old woman ( who will turn 91 next week ) became the first in the world to be given Pfizer 's coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the BBC .
Margaret Keenan , who is originally from Northern Ireland , was given the vaccine at the University Hospital in Coventry , England .
She received the first of 800,000 doses expected to be administered in the U.K. in the coming weeks , according to the BBC .
`` I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19 , '' Keenan said , according to the BBC .
`` It 's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year . ''
`` My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it .
If I can have it at 90 , then you can have it too , '' she added .
Up to four million doses of Pfizer 's vaccine is expected to be given to people in the U.K. by the end of the month .
Meanwhile , a 53-page Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) review published Tuesday ( Dec. 8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe and effective , according to The Washington Post .