livescience--2020-08-28--Study hints at how 'elite controllers' stifle HIV

Some people with HIV have a seemingly miraculous ability to control the disease without life-long antiviral medications or risky bone marrow transplants , and now , a new study hints at how this `` elite '' group bridles the infection .
In less than 0.5 % of people with , the virus stops replicating without the need for drugs , even though some latent virus continues to persist in the body , according to the study , published Aug. 26 in the journal .
HIV hides out inside human genes , but the new research suggests that sometimes these genes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the genome where it can not be copied , , thus preventing the virus from replicating and keeping the infection under control .
For one patient , the researchers were unable to detect any trace of the in blood cells , or in cells from her intestines or rectum , the Times reported .
The 66-year-old patient , named Loreen Willenberg , has successfully suppressed the virus without medication for decades and has participated in studies of HIV for over 25 years .
Although scientists have known about her case for years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could perhaps be considered `` cured '' of the infection .
To date , only two people in the world are considered cured of HIV , and both underwent bone-marrow transplants to make their immune systems resistant to the virus , .
Willenberg would join the short list of fully-recovered HIV patients if she can be confirmed free of the virus .
`` She could be added to the list of what I think is a cure , through a very different path '' compared with bone-marrow transplantation , Dr. Sharon Lewin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Infection and Immunity , who was not involved in the study , told the Times .
On the other hand , virologist Dr. Una O ’ Doherty of the University of Pennsylvania , who was not involved with the study , said she needs more data before confirming that Willenberg has been functionally cured of HIV .
`` It ’ s certainly encouraging , but speculative , '' O ’ Doherty told the Times .
The study authors speculated that some people taking antiviral drugs for HIV could potentially reach recovery as Willenberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them gets similarly trapped in genetic prisons , unable to replicate .
And in fact , about 10 % of the people who control HIV with drugs can eventually stop taking antiviral medication and continue to suppress the virus without assistance , according to The New York Times ; the new study hints at how that might be possible .
`` It does suggest that treatment itself can cure people , which goes against all the dogma , '' study author Dr. Steve Deeks , an AIDS expert at the University of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition to Willenberg , the study included 63 other people who suppressed the virus without antiviral drugs , the Times reported .
Among the 64 patients , 11 stood out as `` exceptional controllers ; '' these individuals only had detectable levels of the virus in densely-packed regions of the genome where cells can not readily access it .
Normally , HIV would hijack the cellular machinery used to make proteins to instead make copies of itself , but when HIV genes get sequestered by certain genes , the pathogen has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the immune cells of study participants , the authors came up with a theory as to how the virus gets stuck in the first place .
They suspect that , in some people , immune cells known as T-cells target and kill infected cells that carry HIV in easily-accessible portions of the genome — in regions where it can be copied .
HIV remained untouched in cells where it was trapped in `` blocked and locked '' regions of the genome , senior author Dr. Xu Yu of the Ragon Institute told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only explanation '' the researchers have for why the virus would persist in some cells without being able to replicate , study author Dr. Bruce Walker , a researcher at the Ragon Institute , told The New York Times .
Since submitting the results of their study , the authors have found several other people like Willenberg who may be effectively cured of HIV , Yu told The New York Times .
`` We believe there ’ s definitely many of them out there , '' he said .
The team also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have taken antivirals for decades , to see if their immune systems have similarly trapped the virus in genetic prisons .
Still , it 's unclear if the findings could translate to most people with HIV .
`` The real challenge , of course , is how you can intervene to make this relevant to the 37 million people living with HIV , '' Lewin told the Times .
In other words , could these findings pave the way to a functional cure for others with the disease ?
We need more data @ @ @ @ @

Some people with HIV have a seemingly miraculous ability to control the disease without life-long antiviral medications or risky bone marrow transplants, and now, a new study hints at how this "elite" group bridles the infection.
In less than 0.5% of people with HIV , the virus stops replicating without the need for drugs, even though some latent virus continues to persist in the body, according to the study, published Aug. 26 in the journal Nature . HIV hides out inside human genes, but the new research suggests that sometimes these genes tuck the pathogen away in regions of the genome where it cannot be copied, The New York Times reported , thus preventing the virus from replicating and keeping the infection under control.
For one patient, the researchers were unable to detect any trace of the virus in blood cells, or in cells from her intestines or rectum, the Times reported. The 66-year-old patient, named Loreen Willenberg, has successfully suppressed the virus without medication for decades and has participated in studies of HIV for over 25 years.
Although scientists have known about her case for years, data from the new study suggests she could perhaps be considered "cured" of the infection. To date, only two people in the world are considered cured of HIV, and both underwent bone-marrow transplants to make their immune systems resistant to the virus, Live Science previously reported . Willenberg would join the short list of fully-recovered HIV patients if she can be confirmed free of the virus.
Related: The 12 deadliest viruses on Earth
"She could be added to the list of what I think is a cure, through a very different path" compared with bone-marrow transplantation, Dr. Sharon Lewin, director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, who was not involved in the study, told the Times.
On the other hand, virologist Dr. Una O’Doherty of the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved with the study, said she needs more data before confirming that Willenberg has been functionally cured of HIV. "It’s certainly encouraging, but speculative," O’Doherty told the Times.
The study authors speculated that some people taking antiviral drugs for HIV could potentially reach recovery as Willenberg might have, if the virus inside them gets similarly trapped in genetic prisons, unable to replicate. And in fact, about 10% of the people who control HIV with drugs can eventually stop taking antiviral medication and continue to suppress the virus without assistance, according to The New York Times; the new study hints at how that might be possible.
"It does suggest that treatment itself can cure people, which goes against all the dogma," study author Dr. Steve Deeks, an AIDS expert at the University of California, San Francisco, told the Times.
In addition to Willenberg, the study included 63 other people who suppressed the virus without antiviral drugs, the Times reported. Among the 64 patients, 11 stood out as "exceptional controllers;" these individuals only had detectable levels of the virus in densely-packed regions of the genome where cells cannot readily access it. Normally, HIV would hijack the cellular machinery used to make proteins to instead make copies of itself, but when HIV genes get sequestered by certain genes, the pathogen has no way to replicate.
Related: 11 surprising facts about the immune system
By analyzing the immune cells of study participants, the authors came up with a theory as to how the virus gets stuck in the first place. They suspect that, in some people, immune cells known as T-cells target and kill infected cells that carry HIV in easily-accessible portions of the genome — in regions where it can be copied. HIV remained untouched in cells where it was trapped in "blocked and locked" regions of the genome, senior author Dr. Xu Yu of the Ragon Institute told the Times.
"That’s really the only explanation" the researchers have for why the virus would persist in some cells without being able to replicate, study author Dr. Bruce Walker, a researcher at the Ragon Institute, told The New York Times.
Since submitting the results of their study, the authors have found several other people like Willenberg who may be effectively cured of HIV, Yu told The New York Times. "We believe there’s definitely many of them out there," he said. The team also aims to study people with HIV who have taken antivirals for decades, to see if their immune systems have similarly trapped the virus in genetic prisons.
Still, it's unclear if the findings could translate to most people with HIV. "The real challenge, of course, is how you can intervene to make this relevant to the 37 million people living with HIV," Lewin told the Times. In other words, could these findings pave the way to a functional cure for others with the disease? We need more data to know for sure.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-28--Black hole 'hair' could be detected using ripples in spacetime

The information locked inside black holes could be detected by feeling their 'hair , ' new research suggests .
are celestial objects with such massive gravity that not even light can escape their clutches once it crosses the event horizon , or point-of-no-return .
The event horizons of black holes lock secrets deep within them — secrets that could completely revolutionize our understanding of physics .
Unfortunately , for decades many scientists thought whatever information falls into a black hole might be lost forever .
But new research suggests that ripples in spacetime , or may carry a faint whisper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence of wispy `` hairs '' on a black hole 's surface .
As far as we understand them ( which , admittedly , is not very much ) , black holes are suspiciously simple objects .
Regardless of what falls in , whether stars , clouds of gas and dust , or your worst enemies , black holes can be described by three and only three simple numbers : charge , mass and spin .
That means that if you had two black holes of the exact same size , exact same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same rate , you would n't be able to tell them apart .
The reason this is suspicious is that something had to happen to all that juicy information that fell into those two black holes .
Did it get destroyed ?
Lost below the event horizon ?
Stuck in some inaccessible portion of the universe ?
The simplest solution is the theorem , first coined by the American physicist John Wheeler , that `` black holes have no hair '' — they have no extra information encoded in them or on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spin .
Everything else is simply destroyed ( somehow ) beyond the event horizon , locked away from the universe forever and ever .
But in 1974 , Stephen Hawking proposed a revolutionary idea : black holes are n't inescapable cosmic vacuum cleaners ; rather , subatomic particles might flee black holes through an exotic quantum process , which would result in the release of radiation from their surfaces .
Over time , this Hawking radiation , as it is called , would cause black holes to slowly lose energy ( and therefore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of gradually losing energy , the black holes would evaporate entirely .
This is all fine and dandy , except for the pesky no-hair idea .
If black holes can evaporate , what happens to all the information that fell into them ?
As far as we know , Hawking radiation does n't carry any information away with it .
And we really , really do n't think that information can be created or destroyed in this universe ( it 's certainly possible , but would make a bunch of known physics pretty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiments ) .
And hence , the black hole information paradox .
Information goes into a black hole , the black hole disappears , and we do n't know what happens to the information .
To fix this paradox , either we need to fix what we know about black holes or fix what we know about Hawking radiation .
Or both .
Maybe the information gets locked deep inside the black hole , near the singularity , and evaporation stops just before that point , leaving behind a tiny little ball chock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holes are n't entirely hairless .
Maybe , just maybe , they maintain the information of anything that 's fallen into them on their surfaces , contained in something called the `` stretched horizon '' , a surface just above the event horizon containing quantum mechanical information .
As black holes dissolve , the Hawking radiation carries away the information contained in the stretched horizon , solving the paradox and preserving our reality as we know it .
Great idea , but how do we test it ?
A new study , published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not yet peer reviewed ) , suggests one way to find these silky strands : a gravitational wave detection .
When black holes merge , they release a fury of gravitational waves that ripple throughout the cosmos .
Despite the incredible energies of these collisions , the gravitational waves from these cosmic smashups are exceptionally weak .
By the time these waves wash over Earth , they 're barely capable of nudging individual atoms .
But we have LIGO — the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory , a globe-spanning observatory — which can detect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in how long it takes light to travel from far-flung detectors .
LIGO has observed the aftermath of dozens of potential black hole collisions throughout the universe , which even in 2017 .
So far , those observations are consistent with the `` no-hair theorem , '' suggesting there is no extra information encoded on the surfaces of black holes .
But there 's still a chance .
There could be `` soft hair '' on the black holes — just a little bit of information , structured in a way that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to test this idea , because if we could demonstrate that black holes have hair , we would not only solve a major riddle in modern physics , but likely pave the way toward a better understanding of quantum gravity , or the theory that would reconcile general relativity , which governs the universe on a large scale , with quantum mechanics , which describes reality on the tiniest scales.Now comes the real hard work of science : connecting neat ideas to actual observation .
The new arXiv paper suggests a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new study authors , Lawrence Crowell of the Alpha Institute for Advanced Studies in Budapest , Hungary and Christian Corda , a physicist at Istanbul University in Turkey , discovered that during the merging process , normally-quiet hairs can get excited , so to speak .
In this energized state , , these hairs would intertwine with the outgoing gravitational radiation , altering those waves in subtle ways .
Those changes to the gravitational waves ca n't be detected yet , but future versions of LIGO might have the sensitivity to do it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to finally tell whether black holes are hairy or not .
Paul M. Sutter is an astrophysicist at SUNY Stony Brook and the Flatiron Institute , host of Ask a Spaceman and Space Radio , and author of Your Place in the Universe .

The information locked inside black holes could be detected by feeling their 'hair,' new research suggests.
Black holes are celestial objects with such massive gravity that not even light can escape their clutches once it crosses the event horizon, or point-of-no-return. The event horizons of black holes lock secrets deep within them — secrets that could completely revolutionize our understanding of physics.
Unfortunately, for decades many scientists thought whatever information falls into a black hole might be lost forever. But new research suggests that ripples in space-time, or gravitational waves may carry a faint whisper of this hidden information by revealing the presence of wispy "hairs" on a black hole's surface.
Related: Warped physics: 10 effects of faster-than-light travel
A hairy question?
As far as we understand them (which, admittedly, is not very much), black holes are suspiciously simple objects. Regardless of what falls in, whether stars, clouds of gas and dust, or your worst enemies, black holes can be described by three and only three simple numbers: charge, mass and spin.
That means that if you had two black holes of the exact same size, exact same electric charge, and spinning at exactly the same rate, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart. The reason this is suspicious is that something had to happen to all that juicy information that fell into those two black holes. Did it get destroyed? Lost below the event horizon? Stuck in some inaccessible portion of the universe?
The simplest solution is the theorem, first coined by the American physicist John Wheeler, that "black holes have no hair" — they have no extra information encoded in them or on them. Just their mass, electric charge and spin. Everything else is simply destroyed (somehow) beyond the event horizon, locked away from the universe forever and ever.
A paradox of information
But in 1974, Stephen Hawking proposed a revolutionary idea: black holes aren't inescapable cosmic vacuum cleaners; rather, subatomic particles might flee black holes through an exotic quantum process, which would result in the release of radiation from their surfaces. Over time, this Hawking radiation, as it is called, would cause black holes to slowly lose energy (and therefore mass). Eventually, after eons of gradually losing energy, the black holes would evaporate entirely.
This is all fine and dandy, except for the pesky no-hair idea. If black holes can evaporate, what happens to all the information that fell into them?
As far as we know, Hawking radiation doesn't carry any information away with it. And we really, really don't think that information can be created or destroyed in this universe (it's certainly possible, but would make a bunch of known physics pretty wonky, which would violate observations and experiments).
Related: Stephen Hawking's most far-out ideas about black holes
And hence, the black hole information paradox. Information goes into a black hole, the black hole disappears, and we don't know what happens to the information.
To fix this paradox, either we need to fix what we know about black holes or fix what we know about Hawking radiation. Or both.
Maybe the information gets locked deep inside the black hole, near the singularity, and evaporation stops just before that point, leaving behind a tiny little ball chock full of information.
Or maybe black holes aren't entirely hairless. Maybe, just maybe, they maintain the information of anything that's fallen into them on their surfaces, contained in something called the "stretched horizon", a surface just above the event horizon containing quantum mechanical information. As black holes dissolve, the Hawking radiation carries away the information contained in the stretched horizon, solving the paradox and preserving our reality as we know it.
Great idea, but how do we test it?
Related: The 18 biggest unsolved mysteries in physics
Ripples in space-time
A new study, published June 22 to the arXiv database (but not yet peer reviewed), suggests one way to find these silky strands: a gravitational wave detection.
When black holes merge, they release a fury of gravitational waves that ripple throughout the cosmos. Despite the incredible energies of these collisions, the gravitational waves from these cosmic smashups are exceptionally weak. By the time these waves wash over Earth, they're barely capable of nudging individual atoms.
But we have LIGO — the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, a globe-spanning observatory — which can detect those subtle motions through the tiny changes in how long it takes light to travel from far-flung detectors. LIGO has observed the aftermath of dozens of potential black hole collisions throughout the universe, which even led to a Nobel Prize award in 2017. So far, those observations are consistent with the "no-hair theorem," suggesting there is no extra information encoded on the surfaces of black holes.
But there's still a chance. There could be "soft hair" on the black holes — just a little bit of information, structured in a way that is challenging to detect.
Of course physicists want to test this idea, because if we could demonstrate that black holes have hair, we would not only solve a major riddle in modern physics, but likely pave the way toward a better understanding of quantum gravity, or the theory that would reconcile general relativity, which governs the universe on a large scale, with quantum mechanics, which describes reality on the tiniest scales.Now comes the real hard work of science: connecting neat ideas to actual observation. The new arXiv paper suggests a way to find these soft hairs. The new study authors, Lawrence Crowell of the Alpha Institute for Advanced Studies in Budapest, Hungary and Christian Corda, a physicist at Istanbul University in Turkey, discovered that during the merging process, normally-quiet hairs can get excited, so to speak. In this energized state,, these hairs would intertwine with the outgoing gravitational radiation, altering those waves in subtle ways.
Those changes to the gravitational waves can't be detected yet, but future versions of LIGO might have the sensitivity to do it. And then we might be able to finally tell whether black holes are hairy or not.
Paul M. Sutter is an astrophysicist at SUNY Stony Brook and the Flatiron Institute, host of Ask a Spaceman and Space Radio, and author of Your Place in the Universe.
Originally published in Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-28--A teen unknowingly swallowed a sewing pin. It pierced his heart.

When a teen swallowed a small sewing pin while tailoring his clothes , he did n't even notice .
So it was a surprise to everyone when , some days later , doctors found it in a very unusual place — his heart .
The 17-year-old went to the emergency room after experiencing chest pain for three days , according to a report of the case , published July 29 in .
The teen said the pain was sharp , radiated to his back and was worse when lying down or breathing deeply .
The results of an electrocardiogram ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heart 's electrical activity , were abnormal , and doctors were concerned the patient had perimyocarditis , or inflammation of the and the surrounding membrane .
Lab tests also showed the teen had increased levels of proteins in his blood that can indicate heart injury .
A CT scan of his chest showed there was an `` linear metallic foreign '' object lodged in his heart , the report said .
The object was about 1.4 inches ( 3.5 centimeters ) long and was jutting out of the heart 's right ventricle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heart that pumps blood to the .
The teen initially told the doctors he had n't ingested any foreign objects or experienced physical trauma to his chest .
But in a later interview , he revealed that he tailors his clothes and sometimes holds sewing pins in his mouth .
Still , he said he was n't aware of ingesting a sewing pin .
He underwent open heart surgery to remove the object , which doctors found was indeed a sewing pin .
Foreign bodies have been found in the heart before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in children and teens , the report said .
In 2016 , doctors in China reported the case of a 48-year-old woman who experienced a stroke after a needle pierced her chest and became stuck in her heart , .
The new case appears to be one of the first in which the patient unknowingly swallowed a needle that ended up in his heart .
Doctors believe the pin migrated directly from his stomach into his heart , although it may have migrated from another place along the , such as from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bonnie Mathews , lead author of the new report and an assistant professor of pediatrics at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester , Massachusetts , told Live Science .
The authors say their report may have implications for the treatment of sharp objects that are swallowed .
Current guidelines say that sharp objects should be removed if they are causing symptoms , but there 's less clarity on what to do when they are not causing symptoms .
Some doctors say that if a swallowed foreign body is small and not causing symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gastrointestinal tract without complications , and so patients can be observed with repeated scans to see if they develop problems .
But the new case `` highlights the potential devastating complications of foreign body ingestion , '' the authors wrote in the report .
`` Serious consideration should be given to the … removal of all ingested sharp , linear , gastric foreign bodies to prevent complications due to migration such as the one described in this case , '' they concluded .
Fortunately , the teen recovered after his surgery and `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Mathews said .

When a teen swallowed a small sewing pin while tailoring his clothes, he didn't even notice. So it was a surprise to everyone when, some days later, doctors found it in a very unusual place — his heart.
The 17-year-old went to the emergency room after experiencing chest pain for three days, according to a report of the case, published July 29 in The Journal of Emergency Medicine . The teen said the pain was sharp, radiated to his back and was worse when lying down or breathing deeply.
The results of an electrocardiogram (EKG), or a test of the heart's electrical activity, were abnormal, and doctors were concerned the patient had perimyocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle and the surrounding membrane. Lab tests also showed the teen had increased levels of proteins in his blood that can indicate heart injury.
A CT scan of his chest showed there was an "linear metallic foreign" object lodged in his heart, the report said. The object was about 1.4 inches (3.5 centimeters) long and was jutting out of the heart's right ventricle, or the lower right chamber of the heart that pumps blood to the lungs .
Related: 27 oddest medical cases
A CT scan of the boy's chest showing the sewing pin lodged in the heart (arrow). (Image credit: Reprinted with permission of Elsevier (2020).)
The teen initially told the doctors he hadn't ingested any foreign objects or experienced physical trauma to his chest. But in a later interview, he revealed that he tailors his clothes and sometimes holds sewing pins in his mouth. Still, he said he wasn't aware of ingesting a sewing pin.
He underwent open heart surgery to remove the object, which doctors found was indeed a sewing pin.
Foreign bodies have been found in the heart before, but they are rare, especially in children and teens, the report said. In 2016, doctors in China reported the case of a 48-year-old woman who experienced a stroke after a needle pierced her chest and became stuck in her heart, Live Science previously reported .
The new case appears to be one of the first in which the patient unknowingly swallowed a needle that ended up in his heart.
Doctors believe the pin migrated directly from his stomach into his heart, although it may have migrated from another place along the gastrointestinal tract , such as from the esophagus or or small intestine, Dr. Bonnie Mathews, lead author of the new report and an assistant professor of pediatrics at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, told Live Science.
The authors say their report may have implications for the treatment of sharp objects that are swallowed. Current guidelines say that sharp objects should be removed if they are causing symptoms, but there's less clarity on what to do when they are not causing symptoms.
Some doctors say that if a swallowed foreign body is small and not causing symptoms, it will likely pass through the gastrointestinal tract without complications, and so patients can be observed with repeated scans to see if they develop problems.
But the new case "highlights the potential devastating complications of foreign body ingestion," the authors wrote in the report. "Serious consideration should be given to the … removal of all ingested sharp, linear, gastric foreign bodies to prevent complications due to migration such as the one described in this case," they concluded.
Fortunately, the teen recovered after his surgery and "has had no complications to my knowledge," Mathews said.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-28--Lab confirms first case of coronavirus reinfection in the U.S.

A young adult in Nevada was confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus twice , marking the first confirmed case of reinfection in the U.S. , and the fourth in the world .
This past week , researchers reported cases of reinfection in a patient in Hong Kong and two patients in Europe ; but in all three cases , the patients either developed a milder form of COVID-19 or were asymptomatic the second time around , according to NBC News .
But according to the new case study , the 25-year-old Nevada patient developed more severe symptoms the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case was published as a preprint on the Social Science Research Network ( SSRN ) and has n't yet been peer-reviewed .
The researchers have submitted their paper to the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases .
`` It is important to note , that this is a singular finding , '' study co-author Mark Pandori , the director of the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory said in a statement .
`` It does not provide any information to us with regard to the generalizability of this phenomenon . ''
The 25-year-old first tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developed typical symptoms of the disease , including headache , cough , sore throat , nausea and diarrhea .
Within 10 days , his symptoms had resolved and he later tested negative for the virus twice .
But at the end of May , the patient developed a fever , headache , dizziness , cough , nausea and diarrhea once more .
Within a week , his blood oxygen levels dropped and he was hospitalized , where he received oxygen support .
Finally , 48 days after he tested positive for the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once again .
The researchers analyzed the genomes of the coronaviruses from both times he was infected and found that the viruses had differences in some of their genes , caused by natural mutations .
The findings strongly suggested the patient was infected twice , with two slightly different versions of the coronavirus , rather than having a prolonged infection with a single virus .
This could indicate that that initial exposure to the virus did n't result in 100 % protective immunity , the authors wrote in the study .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the frequency of such a phenomenon is not defined by a singular case study , '' they wrote .
`` This may represent a rare event . ''
It 's difficult to even find these cases in the U.S. and elsewhere because there is n't comprehensive sequencing of coronavirus genomes from every person who tests positive , the authors wrote .
`` If reinfection is possible on such a short timeline , there may be implications for the efficacy of vaccines developed to fight the disease .
It may also have implications for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the statement .
`` After one recovers from COVID-19 , we still do not know how much immunity is built up , how long it may last , or how well antibodies play a role in protection against a reinfection . ''

A young adult in Nevada was confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus twice, marking the first confirmed case of reinfection in the U.S., and the fourth in the world.
This past week, researchers reported cases of reinfection in a patient in Hong Kong and two patients in Europe; but in all three cases, the patients either developed a milder form of COVID-19 or were asymptomatic the second time around, according to NBC News.
But according to the new case study, the 25-year-old Nevada patient developed more severe symptoms the second time he was infected. His case was published as a preprint on the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) and hasn't yet been peer-reviewed. The researchers have submitted their paper to the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Related: Coronavirus live updates
"It is important to note, that this is a singular finding," study co-author Mark Pandori, the director of the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory said in a statement. "It does not provide any information to us with regard to the generalizability of this phenomenon."
The 25-year-old first tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-April after he developed typical symptoms of the disease, including headache, cough, sore throat, nausea and diarrhea. Within 10 days, his symptoms had resolved and he later tested negative for the virus twice.
But at the end of May, the patient developed a fever, headache, dizziness, cough, nausea and diarrhea once more. Within a week, his blood oxygen levels dropped and he was hospitalized, where he received oxygen support. Finally, 48 days after he tested positive for the coronavirus the first time, he tested positive once again.
The researchers analyzed the genomes of the coronaviruses from both times he was infected and found that the viruses had differences in some of their genes, caused by natural mutations. The findings strongly suggested the patient was infected twice, with two slightly different versions of the coronavirus, rather than having a prolonged infection with a single virus.
This could indicate that that initial exposure to the virus didn't result in 100% protective immunity, the authors wrote in the study. However, "it is crucial to note that the frequency of such a phenomenon is not defined by a singular case study," they wrote. "This may represent a rare event."
It's difficult to even find these cases in the U.S. and elsewhere because there isn't comprehensive sequencing of coronavirus genomes from every person who tests positive, the authors wrote.
"If reinfection is possible on such a short timeline, there may be implications for the efficacy of vaccines developed to fight the disease. It may also have implications for herd immunity," Pandori said in the statement. "After one recovers from COVID-19, we still do not know how much immunity is built up, how long it may last, or how well antibodies play a role in protection against a reinfection."
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-28--Can CBD soothe mourning elephants? A Polish zoo is about to find out

A zoo in Poland plans to test cannabidiol — also known as CBD , a chemical found in — on its , for stress relief .
According to , the Warsaw Zoo 's decision follows the March death of Erna , the elder elephant in the herd .
Elephants are matriarchal , meaning older females lead the herd , so it 's no surprise that the three younger elephants have shown signs of stress since her death .
Zookeepers hope the CBD will help calm the tense animals ; elephants get stressed out easily and are relatively easy for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they 're good candidates for testing the substance , which is touted for its calming effect on humans , the zoo told BBC .
As Live Science previously , CBD is one of a range of chemicals found only in cannabis plants .
But unlike tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC ) , marijuana 's main psychoactive ingredient , CBD does n't cause humans to get high CBD is an increasingly popular substance in the natural wellness industry , and there 's anecdotal evidence to suggest it 's effective for treating anxiety and other ailments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CBD 's healing effects for a wide range of physical and mental illnesses , such as depression and cancer .
However , due to U.S. laws regulating the production , use and testing of marijuana products , research on the effects of CBD is limited , although one clinical trial published in the in 2017 did find that CBD reduced seizures in people with Dravet syndrome , a rare form of epilepsy .
As Live Science , some early studies have suggested that CBD may work to combat anxiety , and psychosis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more effective than a placebo .
And , of course , all that research describes the effect of CBD on humans .
No research yet exists to indicate how the cannabinoid will impact elephants , though CBD companies do make products targeting dogs and cats according to the , and research into veterinary use of the substance .
Moreover , scientists at Tarleton State University ’ s Equine Center in Texas are giving horses CBD to see whether the substance affects inflammation , stress and problematic behaviors in these animals , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University .
Results are expected to come out as soon as next year .
The plan at the Warsaw Zoo is to first treat Fredzia , a younger elephant who had the strongest reaction to Erna 's death , according to the BBC .
Researchers at the zoo have already collected feces , saliva and blood from the animals to measure their levels of cortisol , a chemical associated with stress , before the CBD trial .
Scientists will keep monitoring cortisol levels in the elephants as they feed Fredzia — and eventually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the BBC reported

A zoo in Poland plans to test cannabidiol — also known as CBD, a chemical found in cannabis — on its elephants , for stress relief.
According to the BCC , the Warsaw Zoo's decision follows the March death of Erna, the elder elephant in the herd. Elephants are matriarchal, meaning older females lead the herd, so it's no surprise that the three younger elephants have shown signs of stress since her death. Zookeepers hope the CBD will help calm the tense animals; elephants get stressed out easily and are relatively easy for the zoo to keep an eye on, so they're good candidates for testing the substance, which is touted for its calming effect on humans, the zoo told BBC.
As Live Science previously reported , CBD is one of a range of chemicals found only in cannabis plants. But unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marijuana's main psychoactive ingredient, CBD doesn't cause humans to get high
Related: 25 odd facts about marijuana
CBD is an increasingly popular substance in the natural wellness industry, and there's anecdotal evidence to suggest it's effective for treating anxiety and other ailments. Proponents of the compound have hailed CBD's healing effects for a wide range of physical and mental illnesses, such as depression and cancer. However, due to U.S. laws regulating the production, use and testing of marijuana products, research on the effects of CBD is limited, although one clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2017 did find that CBD reduced seizures in people with Dravet syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy. As Live Science reported , some early studies have suggested that CBD may work to combat anxiety, and psychosis, while others indicated that it's no more effective than a placebo.
And, of course, all that research describes the effect of CBD on humans. No research yet exists to indicate how the cannabinoid will impact elephants, though CBD companies do make products targeting dogs and cats according to the American Kennel Club , and research into veterinary use of the substance is ongoing .
Moreover, scientists at Tarleton State University’s Equine Center in Texas are giving horses CBD to see whether the substance affects inflammation, stress and problematic behaviors in these animals, according to a statement from Texas A&M University . Results are expected to come out as soon as next year.
The plan at the Warsaw Zoo is to first treat Fredzia, a younger elephant who had the strongest reaction to Erna's death, according to the BBC. Researchers at the zoo have already collected feces, saliva and blood from the animals to measure their levels of cortisol, a chemical associated with stress, before the CBD trial. Scientists will keep monitoring cortisol levels in the elephants as they feed Fredzia — and eventually the other elephants — the cannabinoid, the BBC reported
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-28--Seussian beast survived the Triassic by taking lots of naps

Some 250 million years ago , a Seussian-looking beast with clawed digits , a turtle-like beak and two tusks may have survived Antarctica 's chilly winters not by fruitlessly foraging for food , but by curling up into a sleep-like state , meaning it may be the oldest animal on record to , a new study finds .
Analysis of this vertebrate 's ever-growing tusks revealed that it may have spent part of the year hibernating , a strategy that is still used by modern animals to tough out long winters .
Like hibernators alive today , these ancient animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lystrosaurus , slowed down their metabolism and underwent periods of minimal activity when conditions got rough .
`` Animals that live at or near the poles have always had to cope with the more extreme environments present there , '' lead study author Megan Whitney , a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University , .
According to Whitney , who conducted the research as a University of Washington doctoral student of biology at the University of Washington , `` these preliminary findings indicate that entering into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new type of adaptation .
It is an ancient one.
” Lystrosaurus , an ancient relative of mammals , could grow up to 8 feet ( 2.4 meters ) long .
The genus managed to survive the planet 's largest mass extinction , which happened at the end of the about 252 million years ago and killed 70 % of land vertebrates .
Lystrosaurus fossils have been found in India , China , Russia , Africa and Antarctica , according to the statement .
Two researchers from Harvard University and the University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tree trunk ) of tusks from six Antarctic Lystrosaurus and four South African Lystrosaurus .
The team found that the tusks from both regions had similar growth patterns made up of concentric circles of dentine , a hard , dense bony tissue .
But the scientists also noted that the tusk fossils from Antarctica had some thick , closely-spaced rings that the fossils from South Africa did not .
These thicker rings represent less dentine deposition and suggest that the animals went through periods of prolonged stress , according to the statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the 'stress marks ' that we observed in Antarctic Lystrosaurus tusks are stress marks in teeth associated with hibernation in certain modern animals , '' Whitney said in the statement .
But it 's not conclusive from the fossils if these animals truly went through hibernation , as the stress marks in their tusks could have been caused by a similar torpor , or period of decreased activity .
The findings also suggest that these strange , hairy , four-legged animals might have been warm-blooded , according to the statement .
Cold-blooded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a hibernation season , but many warm-blooded animals frequently reactivate their metabolisms throughout the season , which is a pattern that the researchers observed in these ancient tusks .
At the time that these animals lived , the planet was much warmer and parts of Antarctica may have even harbored forests .
Nevertheless , Antarctica still experienced the absence of the sun for long periods of time , so many other ancient vertebrates living at high altitudes likely also had to use torpor , Whitney said .
However , it 's not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ torpor in extinct animals such as because these creatures did n't have teeth or tusks that grew throughout their lifetimes .
And so , though their fossils are still found today , the narratives of their lives are often lost .
The findings were published Aug. 27 in the journal .

Some 250 million years ago, a Seussian-looking beast with clawed digits, a turtle-like beak and two tusks may have survived Antarctica's chilly winters not by fruitlessly foraging for food, but by curling up into a sleep-like state, meaning it may be the oldest animal on record to hibernate , a new study finds.
Analysis of this Triassic vertebrate's ever-growing tusks revealed that it may have spent part of the year hibernating, a strategy that is still used by modern animals to tough out long winters. Like hibernators alive today, these ancient animals, who belong to the extinct genus Lystrosaurus, slowed down their metabolism and underwent periods of minimal activity when conditions got rough.
"Animals that live at or near the poles have always had to cope with the more extreme environments present there," lead study author Megan Whitney, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, said in a statement . According to Whitney, who conducted the research as a University of Washington doctoral student of biology at the University of Washington, "these preliminary findings indicate that entering into a hibernation-like state is not a relatively new type of adaptation. It is an ancient one.”
Related: Image gallery: 25 amazing ancient beasts
Lystrosaurus, an ancient relative of mammals, could grow up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) long. The genus managed to survive the planet's largest mass extinction, which happened at the end of the Permian Period about 252 million years ago and killed 70% of land vertebrates. Lystrosaurus fossils have been found in India, China, Russia, Africa and Antarctica, according to the statement.
This cross-section of an Antarctic Lystrosaurus' fossilized tusk shows layers of dentine deposited in rings that grew inward, with the oldest layers at the edge and the youngest near the center. The white bar in the close-up shows an area of the tusk that indicates the animal went through a hibernation-like state. (Scale bar is 1 millimeter). (Image credit: Megan Whitney/Christian Sidor)
Two researchers from Harvard University and the University of Washington compared cross-sections (imagine slicing a tree trunk) of tusks from six Antarctic Lystrosaurus and four South African Lystrosaurus. The team found that the tusks from both regions had similar growth patterns made up of concentric circles of dentine, a hard, dense bony tissue. But the scientists also noted that the tusk fossils from Antarctica had some thick, closely-spaced rings that the fossils from South Africa did not.
These thicker rings represent less dentine deposition and suggest that the animals went through periods of prolonged stress, according to the statement.
"The closest analog we can find to the 'stress marks' that we observed in Antarctic Lystrosaurus tusks are stress marks in teeth associated with hibernation in certain modern animals," Whitney said in the statement.
This cross-section of a South African Lystrosaurus' fossilized tusk shows layers of dentine, but no signs of a hibernation-like state. (Scale bar is 0.1 millimeters). (Image credit: Megan Whitney/Christian Sidor)
But it's not conclusive from the fossils if these animals truly went through hibernation, as the stress marks in their tusks could have been caused by a similar torpor, or period of decreased activity.
The findings also suggest that these strange, hairy, four-legged animals might have been warm-blooded, according to the statement. Cold-blooded animals often shut down their metabolisms completely during a hibernation season, but many warm-blooded animals frequently reactivate their metabolisms throughout the season, which is a pattern that the researchers observed in these ancient tusks.
At the time that these animals lived, the planet was much warmer and parts of Antarctica may have even harbored forests. Nevertheless, Antarctica still experienced the absence of the sun for long periods of time, so many other ancient vertebrates living at high altitudes likely also had to use torpor, Whitney said.
However, it's not easy for researchers to find evidence of torpor in extinct animals such as dinosaurs because these creatures didn't have teeth or tusks that grew throughout their lifetimes. And so, though their fossils are still found today, the narratives of their lives are often lost.
The findings were published Aug. 27 in the journal Communications Biology .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-28--20 amazing animal tongues

20 amazing animal tongues

Woodpecker tongues — made of bone , cartilage and muscle — need to be really , really long so the @ @ @ @ @ deep in trees .
But a woodpecker 's mouth is n't big enough to house @ @ @ @ @ , what 's the workaround ?
When it 's not in use , the tongue @ @ @ @ @ '' by wrapping around the woodpecker 's skull .
`` The cordlike base of the @ @ @ @ @ their mouth on each side , winding behind and onto the top of their head @ @ @ @ @ forward that it reaches the nostril , '' Larry Witmer , a professor of anatomy @ @ @ @ @ of Biomedical Sciences at Ohio University , told Live Science .
`` When they need @ @ @ @ @ the tongue basically unwinds from around the head to project into a crevice to capture @ @ @ @ @ a remarkable mechanism that 's evolved independently in several kinds of birds , including hummingbirds @ @ @ @ @ Witmer describing a red-bellied woodpecker skull and tongue .

Red-bellied woodpeckers
Woodpecker tongues — made of bone, cartilage and muscle — need to be really, really long so the birds can nab grubs hiding deep in trees. But a woodpecker's mouth isn't big enough to house that long tongue. So, what's the workaround? When it's not in use, the tongue goes into "self storage" by wrapping around the woodpecker's skull.
"The cordlike base of the tongue extends back out of their mouth on each side, winding behind and onto the top of their head, sometimes extending so far forward that it reaches the nostril," Larry Witmer, a professor of anatomy and paleontology with the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Ohio University, told Live Science. "When they need to unleash the weapon, the tongue basically unwinds from around the head to project into a crevice to capture its prey. It's a remarkable mechanism that's evolved independently in several kinds of birds, including hummingbirds."


livescience--2020-08-28--Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

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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--2020-08-29--Is the Y chromosome dying out?

Is the Y chromosome dying out?

The sex we 're assigned at birth depends largely on a genetic flip of the coin : X or Y ?
Two X chromosomes and you ( almost always ) develop .
An X and a Y chromosome ?
.
These packages of genetic material do n't just differ in terms of the body parts they give us .
With 45 genes ( in comparison to around 1,000 on the X ) , the Y chromosome is puny .
And research suggests it has shrunk over time — a proposition that some have , in turns , glumly or gleefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So is the Y chromosome really dying out ?
And what might that mean for men ?
To begin to answer these questions , we have to go back in time .
`` Our sex were n't always X and Y , '' said Melissa Wilson , an evolutionary biologist at Arizona State University .
`` What determined maleness or femaleness was not specifically linked to them . ''
Related : Why do men have nipples ?
When the evolved between 100 and 200 million years ago , they did n't have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the X and Y were just like any other set of chromosomes — identical in size with corresponding structures , Wilson said .
It 's important to note that animals do n't need sex chromosomes .
That was true then , and it 's still true now , said Jennifer Graves , a geneticist at La Trobe University in Melbourne , Australia .
All of our chromosomes are a cocktail of sex-related and non-sex-related genes .
The only special feature of the Y chromosome is one gene , SRY , which acts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of testes , Graves added .
In the case of and , an on-off switch is n't even necessary — the temperature in which embryos develop determines their sex .
Our mammalian ancestors likely shared this characteristic , Graves wrote in a 2006 review on the subject , published in the journal .
But at some point , a plain old , non-sex chromosome in one of these ancestors developed a gene with an on-off switch like this .
And that was it : you suddenly needed a Y to develop male reproductive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Y chromosome existed , it was primed to shrink .
Over time , genes develop , many of which are harmful , Wilson said .
Chromosomes can avoid passing on these mutations by recombining with one another .
During , when our bodies produce sperm and eggs , paternal and maternal chromosomes randomly mix and match their arms .
This genetic dance breaks up variants of genes — harmful and beneficial alike — and makes it more likely that only functional copies will get passed on .
All the chromosomes do this : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chromosome 1 from dad , and so on .
The Y , however , does not have a swapping companion .
Although X chromosomes can recombine with one another , Y chromosomes and X chromosomes are n't similar enough to recombine .
And because you rarely have two Y chromosomes in an individual , Y ca n't recombine with itself .
`` If a bad mutation occurs , usually you 'd be able to swap with your partner .
But the Y ca n't do that , '' Wilson said .
So Y @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , those mutations were weeded out by natural selection until the Y got smaller and smaller .
Graves 's research suggests that 166 million years ago , the Y chromosome had 1,669 genes — `` same as the X-chromosome '' at that time , she said .
`` So it does n't take a great brain to realize that if the rate of loss is uniform — 10 genes per million years — and we 've only got 45 left , the whole Y will disappear in 4.5 million years . ''
Uniform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent research suggests that the rate of degradation has slowed over time .
In a 2005 study published in the journal , researchers compared the human Y chromosome with that of a .
Then in 2012 , the same team of researchers sequenced the Y chromosome of a , again publishing the results in .
The researchers found that the human Y chromosome has lost only one gene since humans and rhesus monkeys diverged evolutionarily 25 million years ago .
It has n't lost any genes since the divergence of chimpanzees 6 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decay has not occurred in the linear fashion that Graves originally suggested , in which 10 genes are lost per million years .
Related : Why do women have orgasms ?
Loss of the Y chromosome is n't off the table — it 's happened to other species , Graves pointed out .
Two species of underground rodents called mole voles have independently lost their Y chromosomes .
So have three endangered species of living on several small islands in Japan .
But as those species demonstrate , the loss of the Y @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiny rats and mole voles still have males and females .
`` People think that sex is sort of a very determined thing , '' said Rasmus Nielsen , a geneticist at the University of California , Berkeley , `` That if you have a Y chromosome , then you 're a man , or you do n't have [ a ] Y chromosome , then you 're female .
But it does n't work like that . ''
In fact , 95 % of genes that are expressed differently between males and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ X and Y chromosomes , Wilson said .
For instance , ESR1 , a gene that encodes for estrogen receptors , is found on chromosome 6 .
These receptors are vital for female growth and sexual development .
`` Losing the Y chromosome does n't mean losing the male , '' Nielsen added .
Instead , the loss of the Y chromosome would likely mean that another gene would take over the job as the main determinant of sex — the on-off switch , Graves said .
`` There are heaps of genes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good job . ''
But how likely is that to happen ?
`` It 's possible , '' Wilson said , `` but not in our lifetime . ''

The sex we're assigned at birth depends largely on a genetic flip of the coin: X or Y? Two X chromosomes and you (almost always) develop ovaries . An X and a Y chromosome? Testes . These packages of genetic material don't just differ in terms of the body parts they give us. With 45 genes (in comparison to around 1,000 on the X), the Y chromosome is puny. And research suggests it has shrunk over time — a proposition that some have, in turns, glumly or gleefully interpreted as predicting the demise of men.
So is the Y chromosome really dying out? And what might that mean for men?
To begin to answer these questions, we have to go back in time. "Our sex chromosomes weren't always X and Y," said Melissa Wilson, an evolutionary biologist at Arizona State University. "What determined maleness or femaleness was not specifically linked to them."
Related: Why do men have nipples?
When the very first mammals evolved between 100 and 200 million years ago, they didn't have any sex chromosomes at all. Instead, the X and Y were just like any other set of chromosomes — identical in size with corresponding structures, Wilson said.
It's important to note that animals don't need sex chromosomes. That was true then, and it's still true now, said Jennifer Graves, a geneticist at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. All of our chromosomes are a cocktail of sex-related and non-sex-related genes. The only special feature of the Y chromosome is one gene, SRY, which acts as an on-off switch for the development of testes, Graves added. In the case of alligators and turtles , an on-off switch isn't even necessary — the temperature in which embryos develop determines their sex. Our mammalian ancestors likely shared this characteristic, Graves wrote in a 2006 review on the subject, published in the journal Cell . But at some point, a plain old, non-sex chromosome in one of these ancestors developed a gene with an on-off switch like this. And that was it: you suddenly needed a Y to develop male reproductive parts.
But as soon as the Y chromosome existed, it was primed to shrink. Over time, genes develop mutations , many of which are harmful, Wilson said. Chromosomes can avoid passing on these mutations by recombining with one another. During meiosis , when our bodies produce sperm and eggs, paternal and maternal chromosomes randomly mix and match their arms. This genetic dance breaks up variants of genes — harmful and beneficial alike — and makes it more likely that only functional copies will get passed on. All the chromosomes do this: chromosome 1 from mom swaps arms with chromosome 1 from dad, and so on. The Y, however, does not have a swapping companion. Although X chromosomes can recombine with one another, Y chromosomes and X chromosomes aren't similar enough to recombine. And because you rarely have two Y chromosomes in an individual, Y can't recombine with itself.
"If a bad mutation occurs, usually you'd be able to swap with your partner. But the Y can't do that," Wilson said. So Y chromosomes accumulated harmful mutations; over time, those mutations were weeded out by natural selection until the Y got smaller and smaller.
Graves's research suggests that 166 million years ago, the Y chromosome had 1,669 genes — "same as the X-chromosome" at that time, she said. "So it doesn't take a great brain to realize that if the rate of loss is uniform — 10 genes per million years — and we've only got 45 left, the whole Y will disappear in 4.5 million years."
Uniform is the key word here. More recent research suggests that the rate of degradation has slowed over time. In a 2005 study published in the journal Nature , researchers compared the human Y chromosome with that of a chimpanzee . Then in 2012, the same team of researchers sequenced the Y chromosome of a rhesus monkey , again publishing the results in Nature . The researchers found that the human Y chromosome has lost only one gene since humans and rhesus monkeys diverged evolutionarily 25 million years ago. It hasn't lost any genes since the divergence of chimpanzees 6 million years ago. These results suggest that decay has not occurred in the linear fashion that Graves originally suggested, in which 10 genes are lost per million years.
Related: Why do women have orgasms?
Loss of the Y chromosome isn't off the table — it's happened to other species, Graves pointed out. Two species of underground rodents called mole voles have independently lost their Y chromosomes. So have three endangered species of spiny rats living on several small islands in Japan.
But as those species demonstrate, the loss of the Y chromosome doesn't doom survival; both spiny rats and mole voles still have males and females. "People think that sex is sort of a very determined thing," said Rasmus Nielsen, a geneticist at the University of California, Berkeley, "That if you have a Y chromosome, then you're a man, or you don't have [a] Y chromosome, then you're female. But it doesn't work like that."
In fact, 95% of genes that are expressed differently between males and females don't actually live on the X and Y chromosomes, Wilson said. For instance, ESR1, a gene that encodes for estrogen receptors, is found on chromosome 6. These receptors are vital for female growth and sexual development.
"Losing the Y chromosome doesn't mean losing the male," Nielsen added. Instead, the loss of the Y chromosome would likely mean that another gene would take over the job as the main determinant of sex — the on-off switch, Graves said. "There are heaps of genes out there that will do a perfectly good job."
But how likely is that to happen? "It's possible," Wilson said, "but not in our lifetime."


livescience--2020-08-29--Coronavirus news of the week (VIDEO)

Coronavirus news of the week (VIDEO)

Since the discovery of the virus that causes COVID-19 , the daily news cycle has become swamped with updates about how the pathogen spreads , what the bug does to the body and what solutions might finally bring an end to the .
But staying up-to-date on all the latest coronavirus news can be a challenge .
To help keep you informed , we at Live Science have compiled a short list of standout news stories from the week — these are the ones that really caught our attention .
Related : 20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Hong Kong .
The news initially came out on Aug. 24 in a press release from the University of Hong Kong , and the formal study was published Aug. 25 in the journal .
But do n't panic — an expert called the case `` a textbook example of how immunity should work . ''
The 33-year-old was first diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 26 and had mild symptoms at the time , including a cough and fever .
The man was released from the hospital on April 14 after testing negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive again during an airport screening on Aug. 15 .
The virus that infected the man the second time around carried several genetic differences to the first one , suggesting that the man had been infected by a new variant of the virus that subtly mutated through time , as all viruses do .
But the man showed no symptoms of illness the second time , hinting that his body retained some against the pathogen .
`` While this is a good example of how primary infection can prevent disease from subsequent infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the range of outcomes from reinfection , '' Akiko Iwasaki , a professor of immunobiology and molecular , cellular and developmental biology at the Yale School of Medicine , .
Since this news came out , two more cases of reinfection have been confirmed in Europe , and one in the U.S. , .
Like the Hong Kong case , the two European cases showed milder or no symptoms during the second infection ; however , the U.S. patient developed severe symptoms and scientists are investigating several theories as to why .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurs , how often people develop severe symptoms the second time around or what these trends mean for vaccine development — that information will only come from further research .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) , stating that those who have come in contact with an infected person do n't necessarily need a test if they are not in a high-risk group or showing symptoms of the disease .
Prior to the change , the CDC recommended that all close contacts of people who have tested positive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we know the virus can , and that testing close contacts helps .
The Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) Dr. Brett Giroir told CNN that the new guidelines are intended to encourage tests to be used `` appropriately , '' and not to reduce the number of tests given overall .
But public health officials say the guidance directly conflicts with scientific evidence .
`` These testing recommendations make no scientific sense , unless there are plans to demand isolation of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Krys Johnson , an assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Temple University in Pennsylvania .
Especially as schools and universities reopen , the U.S. should be testing more asymptomatic people for the virus , not fewer , she said .
In response to outcry from public health officials , CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield clarified the new guidance on Aug. 27 , saying `` testing may be considered for all close contacts of confirmed or probable COVID-19 patients , '' but should be prioritized for symptomatic people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection and people at high risk of exposure .
However , at the time of this verbal statement , the official guidance on the CDC website remained unchanged .
Last week , we highlighted news that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) would not authorize the use of blood plasma to treat COVID-19 patients without more data from clinical trials .
This week , the FDA issued an emergency use authorization for the treatment without any additional data in hand .
Emergency use authorization allows doctors to administer an unapproved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adequate , approved and available alternatives , '' and patients do n't need to be enrolled in a clinical trial to receive the therapy , according to the FDA website .
But infectious disease experts and public health officials argue that convalescent plasma therapy — which uses -rich plasma from people who have recovered from a disease — has not earned this seal of approval .
To demonstrate that plasma helps COVID-19 patients recover , scientists must conduct randomized controlled trials ( RCTs ) , wherein participants randomly receive either plasma or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be compared between the two groups without bias .
RCTs of plasma have proven difficult to organize , given that the supply of eligible plasma and number of people sick with COVID-19 varies from region to region .
With many RCTs for plasma still underway , the authorization of the treatment could make recruiting patients for these trials even more difficult .
While patients in an RCT randomly receive either plasma or the standard of care , patients treated under the emergency authorization would not be subject to this randomization ; the guarantee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make participating in the trials a hard sell .
If RCTs do get derailed , it will be harder to collect solid evidence that plasma therapy works .

Since the discovery of the virus that causes COVID-19, the daily news cycle has become swamped with updates about how the pathogen spreads, what the bug does to the body and what solutions might finally bring an end to the pandemic .
But staying up-to-date on all the latest coronavirus news can be a challenge. To help keep you informed, we at Live Science have compiled a short list of standout news stories from the week — these are the ones that really caught our attention.
Related: 20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history
Confirmed reinfections
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Researchers reported the first confirmed case of COVID-19 reinfection in a man in Hong Kong. The news initially came out on Aug. 24 in a press release from the University of Hong Kong, and the formal study was published Aug. 25 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases . But don't panic — an expert called the case "a textbook example of how immunity should work."
The 33-year-old was first diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 26 and had mild symptoms at the time, including a cough and fever. The man was released from the hospital on April 14 after testing negative for the virus twice, but he tested positive again during an airport screening on Aug. 15. The virus that infected the man the second time around carried several genetic differences to the first one, suggesting that the man had been infected by a new variant of the virus that subtly mutated through time, as all viruses do. But the man showed no symptoms of illness the second time, hinting that his body retained some immunity against the pathogen.
"While this is a good example of how primary infection can prevent disease from subsequent infection, more studies are needed to understand the range of outcomes from reinfection," Akiko Iwasaki, a professor of immunobiology and molecular, cellular and developmental biology at the Yale School of Medicine, wrote on Twitter .
Since this news came out, two more cases of reinfection have been confirmed in Europe, and one in the U.S., The New York Times reported . Like the Hong Kong case, the two European cases showed milder or no symptoms during the second infection; however, the U.S. patient developed severe symptoms and scientists are investigating several theories as to why. We don't yet know how commonly reinfection occurs, how often people develop severe symptoms the second time around or what these trends mean for vaccine development — that information will only come from further research.
CDC changes its testing guidelines
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) abruptly changed its COVID-19 testing guidance , stating that those who have come in contact with an infected person don't necessarily need a test if they are not in a high-risk group or showing symptoms of the disease.
Prior to the change, the CDC recommended that all close contacts of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 also be tested, given that we know the virus can spread before people show symptoms , and that testing close contacts helps keep outbreaks in check . The Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Dr. Brett Giroir told CNN that the new guidelines are intended to encourage tests to be used "appropriately," and not to reduce the number of tests given overall. But public health officials say the guidance directly conflicts with scientific evidence.
"These testing recommendations make no scientific sense, unless there are plans to demand isolation of all known contacts of COVID-19," said Krys Johnson, an assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Temple University in Pennsylvania. Especially as schools and universities reopen, the U.S. should be testing more asymptomatic people for the virus, not fewer, she said.
In response to outcry from public health officials, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield clarified the new guidance on Aug. 27, saying "testing may be considered for all close contacts of confirmed or probable COVID-19 patients," but should be prioritized for symptomatic people, people with risk factors for severe infection and people at high risk of exposure. However, at the time of this verbal statement, the official guidance on the CDC website remained unchanged.
Authorization for plasma
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Last week, we highlighted news that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would not authorize the use of blood plasma to treat COVID-19 patients without more data from clinical trials. This week, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization for the treatment without any additional data in hand.
Emergency use authorization allows doctors to administer an unapproved medical treatment "when there are no adequate, approved and available alternatives," and patients don't need to be enrolled in a clinical trial to receive the therapy, according to the FDA website . But infectious disease experts and public health officials argue that convalescent plasma therapy — which uses antibody -rich plasma from people who have recovered from a disease — has not earned this seal of approval.
To demonstrate that plasma helps COVID-19 patients recover, scientists must conduct randomized controlled trials (RCTs), wherein participants randomly receive either plasma or the standard of care; outcomes can then be compared between the two groups without bias. RCTs of plasma have proven difficult to organize, given that the supply of eligible plasma and number of people sick with COVID-19 varies from region to region.
With many RCTs for plasma still underway, the authorization of the treatment could make recruiting patients for these trials even more difficult. While patients in an RCT randomly receive either plasma or the standard of care, patients treated under the emergency authorization would not be subject to this randomization; the guarantee of plasma outside of an RCT could make participating in the trials a hard sell.
If RCTs do get derailed, it will be harder to collect solid evidence that plasma therapy works.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-28--Lab confirms first case of coronavirus reinfection in the US