livescience--2020-08-24--A supernova may have triggered a mass extinction on Earth 359 million years ago

A global extinction event around 359 million years ago may have been triggered by the death blast of a distant star , a new study suggests .
Toward the end of the ( 416 million to 358 million years ago ) , there was a mass extinction known as the Hangenberg Event ; it wiped out armored fish called placoderms and killed off approximately 70 % of Earth 's invertebrate species .
But scientists have long puzzled over what caused the die-off .
Recently , preserved plant spores offered clues about this ancient extinction .
Fossil spores spanning thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Carboniferous periods showed signs of damage by ( UV ) light .
This find suggested that a cataclysmic event had caused a long-lasting disruption of Earth 's ozone layer , which shields the planet from harmful UV rays .
Scientists proposed that a likely candidate for this blast of UV light could be one or more supernovas that exploded within 65 light-years from Earth , according to a new study .
Climate change and extreme can also damage the ozone layer , but evidence in the geologic record at the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ozone depletion to a global disaster that originated on Earth , the study authors reported .
When stars die , they release blasts of UV light , and gamma rays .
If a supernova is close enough to Earth , these rays can shred the ozone layer , exposing Earth to unfiltered UV light from the sun and harming life on the planet ’ s surface .
However , this damage is typically short-lived .
Its effects fade after a year or so , `` and after a decade , Earth restores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ author Brian Fields , a professor in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign .
But that initial bombardment is just the first stage of the damage a neighboring supernova can inflict , Fields told Live Science in an email .
`` Later , the supernova blast slams into the .
The blast acts as a particle accelerator , and the Earth is bathed with an intense rain of high-energy particles , '' which are known as muons , Fields said .
Not only does this blast strip away Earth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then irradiate Earth 's surface and penetrate deep underground and into the oceans .
`` These will damage life , and the cosmic rays will linger for many thousands of years , up to 100,000 years , '' Fields said .
If a supernova — or more than one — shredded Earth 's ozone layer , that could explain the UV damage found in Late Devonian spores and pollen over millennia , the researchers reported .
How close does a star have to be for its death to affect Earth ?
`` Work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a supernova about 25 light-years away would lead to biological cataclysm — a true mass extinction , '' Fields said .
`` For context , the nearest star today is 4 light-years away , '' he added .
As the Hangenberg extinction was less severe than other mass extinctions in Earth 's history , the study authors estimated that the Devonian supernova would have exploded about 65 light-years away ( though , there is not yet a potential candidate for a star in this range that died 359 million years ago ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't need to worry about a supernova upending life as we know it — at least , not anytime soon .
`` I am pleased to report that no threatening supernova candidates are anywhere near the 'minimum safe distance , ' '' at which Earth could be harmed by a supernova , Fields told Live Science .
In recent months , scientists ' attention has focused on unusual dimming in the , which is in its final life stages and is expected to explode in a spectacular supernova relatively soon ( in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
Betelgeuse is about 1,000 times the size of our sun , so that explosion should be quite spectacular .
But at more than 642 light-years from Earth , `` it is far enough that the fireworks will be harmless to us , '' Fields said .
The findings were published online Aug. 18 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .

A global extinction event around 359 million years ago may have been triggered by the death blast of a distant star, a new study suggests.
Toward the end of the Devonian period (416 million to 358 million years ago), there was a mass extinction known as the Hangenberg Event; it wiped out armored fish called placoderms and killed off approximately 70% of Earth's invertebrate species. But scientists have long puzzled over what caused the die-off.
Recently, preserved plant spores offered clues about this ancient extinction. Fossil spores spanning thousands of years at the boundary of the Devonian and the Carboniferous periods showed signs of damage by ultraviolet (UV) light. This find suggested that a cataclysmic event had caused a long-lasting disruption of Earth's ozone layer, which shields the planet from harmful UV rays. Scientists proposed that a likely candidate for this blast of UV light could be one or more supernovas that exploded within 65 light-years from Earth, according to a new study.
Related: Wipeout: History's most mysterious extinctions
Climate change and extreme volcanic activity can also damage the ozone layer, but evidence in the geologic record at the end of the Devonian couldn't clearly link the ozone depletion to a global disaster that originated on Earth, the study authors reported.
When stars die, they release blasts of UV light, X-rays and gamma rays. If a supernova is close enough to Earth, these rays can shred the ozone layer, exposing Earth to unfiltered UV light from the sun and harming life on the planet’s surface. However, this damage is typically short-lived. Its effects fade after a year or so, "and after a decade, Earth restores its ozone," said lead study author Brian Fields, a professor in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
But that initial bombardment is just the first stage of the damage a neighboring supernova can inflict, Fields told Live Science in an email.
"Later, the supernova blast slams into the solar system . The blast acts as a particle accelerator, and the Earth is bathed with an intense rain of high-energy particles," which are known as muons, Fields said. Not only does this blast strip away Earth's ozone layer — again — muons then irradiate Earth's surface and penetrate deep underground and into the oceans.
"These will damage life, and the cosmic rays will linger for many thousands of years, up to 100,000 years," Fields said. If a supernova — or more than one — shredded Earth's ozone layer, that could explain the UV damage found in Late Devonian spores and pollen over millennia, the researchers reported.
Light years away
How close does a star have to be for its death to affect Earth?
"Work by my co-authors and others has shown that a supernova about 25 light-years away would lead to biological cataclysm — a true mass extinction," Fields said. "For context, the nearest star today is 4 light-years away," he added. As the Hangenberg extinction was less severe than other mass extinctions in Earth's history, the study authors estimated that the Devonian supernova would have exploded about 65 light-years away (though, there is not yet a potential candidate for a star in this range that died 359 million years ago).
The good news is that you don't need to worry about a supernova upending life as we know it — at least, not anytime soon.
"I am pleased to report that no threatening supernova candidates are anywhere near the 'minimum safe distance,'" at which Earth could be harmed by a supernova, Fields told Live Science.
In recent months, scientists' attention has focused on unusual dimming in the red giant Betelgeuse , which is in its final life stages and is expected to explode in a spectacular supernova relatively soon (in astronomical terms) — within about 100,000 years.
Betelgeuse is about 1,000 times the size of our sun, so that explosion should be quite spectacular. But at more than 642 light-years from Earth, "it is far enough that the fireworks will be harmless to us," Fields said.
The findings were published online Aug. 18 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-24--Live Science podcast 'Life's Little Mysteries' Episode 48: Mysterious Beer

In this episode of Life 's Little Mysteries , we 'll take a closer look at an alcoholic beverage that has quenched thirsts for thousands of years and is one of the oldest chemistry experiments in the world : beer .
How is beer made , and when did people start making it ?
How many different types of beer are there , and what gives them their distinct flavors ?
Listen to Life 's Little Mysteries Episode 48 : Mysterious Beer , to find out !
You 'll also hear about the importance of beer in ancient civilizations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of beers available today — some people just ca n't stand the taste of it .
Guest scientist : Ronen Hazan , microbiologist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Listen to Life 's Little Mysteries , Episode 48 : Mysterious Beer below or on Audioboom , or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify , so you don ’ t miss out on new episodes .
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for even more Life 's Little Mysteries , and catch up on the latest Life 's Little Mysteries articles .
You can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where you can pose Life 's Little Mysteries questions of your own , or even suggest topics for upcoming podcast episodes .

In this episode of Life's Little Mysteries, we'll take a closer look at an alcoholic beverage that has quenched thirsts for thousands of years and is one of the oldest chemistry experiments in the world: beer.
How is beer made, and when did people start making it? How many different types of beer are there, and what gives them their distinct flavors? Listen to Life's Little Mysteries Episode 48: Mysterious Beer, to find out!
You'll also hear about the importance of beer in ancient civilizations, and why — despite the staggering variety of beers available today — some people just can't stand the taste of it.
Co-hosts: Jeanna Bryner (Live Science editor-in-chief) and Mindy Weisberger (Live Science senior writer)
Guest host: Brandon Specktor (Live Science senior writer)
Guest scientist: Ronen Hazan, microbiologist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Listen to Life's Little Mysteries, Episode 48: Mysterious Beer below or on Audioboom, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so you don’t miss out on new episodes.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for even more Life's Little Mysteries, and catch up on the latest Life's Little Mysteries articles. You can also join the conversation in our forums, where you can pose Life's Little Mysteries questions of your own, or even suggest topics for upcoming podcast episodes.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-24--Massive stone structures in Saudi Arabia may be some of oldest monuments in the world

They number in the hundreds , can be larger than an NFL football field and are found across Saudi Arabia , including on the slope of a volcano .
Sprawling stone structures reported now appear to be some of the oldest monuments in the world , dating back some 7,000 years , archaeologists now report .
A new study of the mysterious stone structures — once called `` gates '' but now referred to as `` mustatils , '' the Arabic word for `` rectangle '' —suggests they were used for rituals ; and radiocarbon dating of charcoal found within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it around 5000 B.C.
, a team of researchers report in an article recently published in the journal .
Related : See photos of the mysterious stone structures in Saudi Arabia '' The mustatil phenomenon represents a remarkable development of monumental architecture , as hundreds of these structures were built in northwest Arabia , '' the researchers wrote in their paper .
`` This 'monumental landscape ' represents one of the earliest large-scale forms of monumental stone structure construction anywhere in the world . ''
The structures are made from low stone walls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ field gate from above ( hence their former name ) .
They range in size with some measuring less than 49 feet ( 15 m ) long and the largest measuring about 2,021 feet ( 616 m ) long .
When first constructed , many of the mustatils would have had a platform on either end of the `` rectangle , '' the researchers found when analyzing some of the structures .
On the platform of one mustatil , they discovered a painting with geometric designs on it .
The design of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other rock art contexts '' in the region , the team wrote in the journal article .
Related : Spectacular new photos of the 'gates ' in Saudi Arabia It `` is quite possible that these structures would have been visually spectacular , and perhaps quite extensively painted , '' study lead author Huw Groucutt , the leader of the Extreme Events Group at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany , told Live Science .
Few artifacts were found within the mustatils , suggesting that the structures were not occupied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` the long walls [ of the mustatils ] are very low and typically lack obvious entry points , and therefore do not seem to be obviously functional as something like animal corrals , '' the team wrote .
Still , if the mustatils were in fact the sites of rituals , it 's still not clear what kinds of rituals would have taken place there .
Today , the structures are found in a number of very arid places including the southern Nefud Desert ( where Groucutt 's team conducted their fieldwork @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lava fields .
But if the structures were indeed crafted around 5000 B.C.
, they would have been in use when the climate in Saudi Arabia was wetter than it is today .
`` Between 10,000 and 6,000 years ago , `` the Arabian Peninsula saw the most recent of the 'Green Arabia ' periods , when increased rainfall transformed this generally arid region , '' the researchers wrote in the paper .
At the time , people in the region tended to be pastoralists — relying on herds of domesticated animals for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animals , the researchers wrote in the paper .
As such , the mustatils could have been a way for the people to mark their territory , the researchers said .
The mustatils may `` represent one manifestation of the increasing territoriality that developed , induced by factors such as competition for grazing land in the challenging and unpredictable environments of Arabia , '' they wrote .
Even when the climate in Arabia was at its wettest , `` the environment would have been highly seasonal and droughts would have occurred , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior research associate with the University of Chicago 's Oriental Institute , praised the research but noted that there are older examples of large-scale monumental stone construction noting that `` kites '' ( ) appear to be older .
Gary Rollefson , an emeritus professor at Whitman College in Washington , who was not involved with this research , called the finds `` absolutely enthralling . ''
He noted that , in addition to mustatils , there are other types of rock structures in the area that may have also been places for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Groucutt et al .
is an admirably detailed account of one enigmatic construction type — the mustatil rectangle — although there are several other stunning architectural patterns that reflect large-scale human cooperative ventures that have little apparent utilitarian purpose beyond social identity , social reaffirmation and social memory , '' Rollefson told Live Science .

Mustatils have been found in a wide variety of environments in Saudi Arabia including six examples seen here on the slope of a volcano.
They number in the hundreds, can be larger than an NFL football field and are found across Saudi Arabia, including on the slope of a volcano. Sprawling stone structures reported in 2017 now appear to be some of the oldest monuments in the world, dating back some 7,000 years, archaeologists now report.
A new study of the mysterious stone structures — once called "gates" but now referred to as "mustatils," the Arabic word for "rectangle" —suggests they were used for rituals; and radiocarbon dating of charcoal found within one of the structures indicates people built it around 5000 B.C., a team of researchers report in an article recently published in the journal The Holocene .
Related: See photos of the mysterious stone structures in Saudi Arabia
"The mustatil phenomenon represents a remarkable development of monumental architecture, as hundreds of these structures were built in northwest Arabia," the researchers wrote in their paper. "This 'monumental landscape' represents one of the earliest large-scale forms of monumental stone structure construction anywhere in the world."
Ritual use
The structures are made from low stone walls that form what often looks like a field gate from above (hence their former name). They range in size with some measuring less than 49 feet (15 m) long and the largest measuring about 2,021 feet (616 m) long.
When first constructed, many of the mustatils would have had a platform on either end of the "rectangle," the researchers found when analyzing some of the structures. On the platform of one mustatil, they discovered a painting with geometric designs on it. The design of the painting "is not currently known from other rock art contexts" in the region, the team wrote in the journal article.
Related: Spectacular new photos of the 'gates' in Saudi Arabia
It "is quite possible that these structures would have been visually spectacular, and perhaps quite extensively painted," study lead author Huw Groucutt, the leader of the Extreme Events Group at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany, told Live Science.
Few artifacts were found within the mustatils, suggesting that the structures were not occupied or used year-round. Also, the "the long walls [of the mustatils] are very low and typically lack obvious entry points, and therefore do not seem to be obviously functional as something like animal corrals," the team wrote.
Still, if the mustatils were in fact the sites of rituals, it's still not clear what kinds of rituals would have taken place there.
Image 1 of 4 This painting with geometric motifs was found on the platform of one of the mustatils. (Image credit: The Holocene) The largest mustatil discovered so far is 2,021 feet (616 meters) in length and covers an area of more than 236,000 square feet (22,000 square m). Research team members can be seen on the right for scale. (Image credit: The Holocene) Mustatils have been found in a wide variety of environments in Saudi Arabia including six examples seen here on the slope of a volcano. (Image credit: Gary Rollefson) A stone platform on one end of the mustatil can be seen in the foreground. (Image credit: The Holocene)
Territorial markers?
Today, the structures are found in a number of very arid places including the southern Nefud Desert (where Groucutt's team conducted their fieldwork) as well as barren, inhospitable lava fields.
But if the structures were indeed crafted around 5000 B.C., they would have been in use when the climate in Saudi Arabia was wetter than it is today. "Between 10,000 and 6,000 years ago, "the Arabian Peninsula saw the most recent of the 'Green Arabia' periods, when increased rainfall transformed this generally arid region," the researchers wrote in the paper.
(Image credit: The Holocene)
At the time, people in the region tended to be pastoralists — relying on herds of domesticated animals for food — while also hunting some wild animals, the researchers wrote in the paper. As such, the mustatils could have been a way for the people to mark their territory, the researchers said.
The mustatils may "represent one manifestation of the increasing territoriality that developed, induced by factors such as competition for grazing land in the challenging and unpredictable environments of Arabia," they wrote.
Even when the climate in Arabia was at its wettest, "the environment would have been highly seasonal and droughts would have occurred," they added.
Researchers react
Yorke Rowan, a senior research associate with the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, praised the research but noted that there are older examples of large-scale monumental stone construction noting that "kites" ( massive stone structures used to hunt animals ) appear to be older.
Gary Rollefson, an emeritus professor at Whitman College in Washington, who was not involved with this research, called the finds "absolutely enthralling." He noted that, in addition to mustatils, there are other types of rock structures in the area that may have also been places for ritual activity.
"The paper by Groucutt et al. is an admirably detailed account of one enigmatic construction type — the mustatil rectangle — although there are several other stunning architectural patterns that reflect large-scale human cooperative ventures that have little apparent utilitarian purpose beyond social identity, social reaffirmation and social memory," Rollefson told Live Science.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-24--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--2020-08-24--Texas and Louisiana face a double whammy of tropical cyclones

Tropical storm Marco will hit Louisiana and Texas later today ( Aug. 24 ) , and will likely cause significant flooding .
Just a day and a half later , another , Laura , will likely ram itself against the same stretch of coastline — and will pack an even greater punch .
Marco never developed into a hurricane , so of a record-setting two simultaneous hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico did n't materialize .
But the one-two punch of tropical storm Marco Monday afternoon and Laura Wednesday ( Aug. 26 ) afternoon still poses a rare and serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of water on Louisiana and Texas , according to the National Hurricane Center ( NHC ) — 3 to 6 inches ( 8 to 15 centimeters ) in most areas , maxing out at 10 inches ( 25 cm ) in the hardest hit spots .
The land will have little time to dry between the storms .
And when the ground is already wet , according to the National Weather Service , each additional drop of rain is more likely to sit on the surface rather than absorb into the dirt or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` From Wednesday afternoon into Friday , Laura is expected to produce rainfall of 4 to 8 inches [ 10 to 20 cm ] , with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches [ 30 cm ] across portions of the west-central U.S. Gulf Coast , '' according to the NHC .
`` This rainfall could cause widespread flash and urban flooding , small streams to overflow their banks , and minor to isolated moderate river flooding . ''
Related : Hurricane season : How long it lasts and what to expect Marco is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surge as it comes ashore in Louisiana before its likely trek into Texas .
Two to 4 feet ( 0.6 to 1.2 meters ) of storm surge is likely across a stretch of coastline in Louisiana and Mississippi .
Laura 's track is n't yet predictable enough for storm surge watches , but the NHC could release the earliest forecasts this evening .
Louisiana has ordered evacuations along the coast , and Texas said evacuation orders for Laura are possible later in the week .
That brings the total number of states ordering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month to five , with California , Oregon , Washington and Colorado all also evacuating residents in the face of major wildfires .
Texas would be the sixth if it evacuates its coastline .
Iowa , where a destructive derecho wind storm caused major damage statewide , also saw some small local evacuations , but they were not state-ordered .
As Live Science previously reported , evacuations during a global pandemic are even more complicated than usual .
Evacuations will potentially contribute to the virus 's spread , as people who would otherwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with others , according to research from Columbia University .
Wildfires , major hurricanes and global pandemics are all becoming more severe threats due to climate change , several studies have shown .
The last time two tropical cyclones shared the Gulf of Mexico was 1959 .
And it was only ever recorded once before that , in 1933 .
Marco and Laura are also record setters as the earliest 12th and 13th tropical cyclones in a year , as meteorologist Matt Lanza noted .
Eight other storms this year have set similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the busiest tropical cyclone seasons ever .

Tropical storm Marco will hit Louisiana and Texas later today (Aug. 24), and will likely cause significant flooding. Just a day and a half later, another cyclone , Laura, will likely ram itself against the same stretch of coastline — and will pack an even greater punch.
Marco never developed into a hurricane, so last week's uncertain forecast of a record-setting two simultaneous hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico didn't materialize. But the one-two punch of tropical storm Marco Monday afternoon and Laura Wednesday (Aug. 26) afternoon still poses a rare and serious threat. Marco will drop a deluge of water on Louisiana and Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) — 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) in most areas, maxing out at 10 inches (25 cm) in the hardest hit spots. The land will have little time to dry between the storms. And when the ground is already wet, according to the National Weather Service , each additional drop of rain is more likely to sit on the surface rather than absorb into the dirt or drain away into rivers and streams.
"From Wednesday afternoon into Friday, Laura is expected to produce rainfall of 4 to 8 inches [10 to 20 cm], with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches [30 cm] across portions of the west-central U.S. Gulf Coast," according to the NHC. "This rainfall could cause widespread flash and urban flooding, small streams to overflow their banks, and minor to isolated moderate river flooding."
Related: Hurricane season: How long it lasts and what to expect
Marco is already forecast to cause a significant storm surge as it comes ashore in Louisiana before its likely trek into Texas. Two to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 meters) of storm surge is likely across a stretch of coastline in Louisiana and Mississippi. Laura's track isn't yet predictable enough for storm surge watches, but the NHC could release the earliest forecasts this evening.
Louisiana has ordered evacuations along the coast, and Texas said evacuation orders for Laura are possible later in the week. That brings the total number of states ordering natural disaster evacuations across the country this month to five, with California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado all also evacuating residents in the face of major wildfires. Texas would be the sixth if it evacuates its coastline. Iowa, where a destructive derecho wind storm caused major damage statewide, also saw some small local evacuations, but they were not state-ordered.
As Live Science previously reported, evacuations during a global pandemic are even more complicated than usual. Evacuations will potentially contribute to the virus's spread, as people who would otherwise shelter in place are forced to gather with others, according to research from Columbia University.
Wildfires, major hurricanes and global pandemics are all becoming more severe threats due to climate change, several studies have shown.
The last time two tropical cyclones shared the Gulf of Mexico was 1959. And it was only ever recorded once before that, in 1933. Marco and Laura are also record setters as the earliest 12th and 13th tropical cyclones in a year, as meteorologist Matt Lanza noted.
The 2020 season has set the record for the earliest C, E, F, G, H, I, J, and K storms. Go ahead and snipe about some of these storms being subpar or maybe not named in the pre-satellite era, but whatever the case...we're beating 2005 in quantity (not quality).August 14, 2020 See more
Eight other storms this year have set similar records, making 2020 already one of the busiest tropical cyclone seasons ever.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-24--China started giving experimental COVID-19 vaccine to medical workers in July

China has been giving doses of a candidate to `` high risk '' groups , including medical personnel , since late July , even though the clinical trials of the vaccine that would show whether it works have not been completed , according to news reports .
Over the weekend , Chinese health officials said the country had approved the emergency use of the vaccine , developed by the Beijing-based drug company Sinopharm , on July 22 , .
Medical workers , customs and border officials and others at high risk of COVID-19 exposure are eligible to receive the vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they hope to expand the use of this vaccine to other essential workers in the fall and winter .
`` Once we build up an for medical staff , personnel involved in basic operation of the city , such as those in the farmers market , transportation , and in some service industries '' might receive the vaccine , said Zheng Zhongwei , director of the Science and Technology Development Center of China 's National Health Commission , according to CNN .
The announcement follows the news from mid-August that Russia approved its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including medical workers , .
China has already approved a different vaccine candidate , developed , in part , by the Tianjin , China-based company CanSino Biologics , for use in military personnel .
Doses of that vaccine have been given to military personnel since June .
However , no COVID-19 vaccine candidates have completed phase 3 clinical trials .
Only phase 3 trials , which often include tens of thousands of people , can determine whether a vaccine actually prevents COVID-19 infection , .
Such trials are a critical step in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would require a completed phase 3 trial before a COVID-19 vaccine could be approved here .
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said that a COVID-19 vaccine should reduce the chances of infection by at least 50 % , compared with a placebo .

China has been giving doses of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate to "high risk" groups, including medical personnel, since late July, even though the clinical trials of the vaccine that would show whether it works have not been completed, according to news reports.
Over the weekend, Chinese health officials said the country had approved the emergency use of the vaccine, developed by the Beijing-based drug company Sinopharm, on July 22, according to CNN . Medical workers, customs and border officials and others at high risk of COVID-19 exposure are eligible to receive the vaccine, CNN reported.
Officials added that they hope to expand the use of this vaccine to other essential workers in the fall and winter.
Related: Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates
"Once we build up an immune barrier for medical staff, personnel involved in basic operation of the city, such as those in the farmers market, transportation, and in some service industries" might receive the vaccine, said Zheng Zhongwei, director of the Science and Technology Development Center of China's National Health Commission, according to CNN.
The announcement follows the news from mid-August that Russia approved its COVID-19 vaccine for use in certain groups, including medical workers, Live Science previously reported .
China has already approved a different vaccine candidate, developed, in part, by the Tianjin, China-based company CanSino Biologics, for use in military personnel. Doses of that vaccine have been given to military personnel since June.
However, no COVID-19 vaccine candidates have completed phase 3 clinical trials. Only phase 3 trials, which often include tens of thousands of people, can determine whether a vaccine actually prevents COVID-19 infection, Live Science previously reported . Such trials are a critical step in vaccine development, and longstanding U.S. regulations would require a completed phase 3 trial before a COVID-19 vaccine could be approved here. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said that a COVID-19 vaccine should reduce the chances of infection by at least 50%, compared with a placebo.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-24--FDA allows wide use of plasma for COVID-19 with little data that it works

Last week , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) announced that it would not allow widespread use of blood plasma to treat COVID-19 patients without more evidence that the therapy works .
Yesterday ( Aug. 23 ) , the agency apparently reversed this decision and issued an `` emergency use authorization '' for the treatment , .
An emergency use authorization does not require as much clinical evidence as full FDA approval , but does allow doctors to administer an experimental treatment `` when there are no adequate , approved and available alternatives , '' according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors can use clinical judgment to prescribe plasma without enrolling recipients in a clinical trial to test its effectiveness .
While the authorization may allow more patients access to the therapy , the decision could undermine efforts to enroll patients in randomized controlled trials ( RCTs ) that would reveal if the treatment actually works , .
In an RCT , patients are randomly assigned to receive either an experimental treatment or the standard of care , so the two can be compared .
Related : Treatments for COVID-19 : Drugs being tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from people who have recovered from a disease and has been studied as a treatment for more than 100 years , but very few RCTs have demonstrated that the intervention works better than other standard treatments , Live Science previously reported .
Only a handful of RCTs have been conducted with COVID-19 patients , and most have been too small to reach meaningful conclusions on their own .
The FDA 's whiplash decision to authorize plasma therapy , despite needed data , follows remarks made by President Donald Trump that the hold on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because you have a lot of people over there who don ’ t want to rush things because they want to do it after Nov. 3 , and you ’ ve heard that one before , '' .
`` We are being very strong and we are being very forthright , and we have some incredible answers , and we ’ re not going to be held up , '' Trump said in a news conference announcing the emergency authorization on Aug. 23 , the eve of the Republican National Convention , .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Health and Human Services Alex Azar also said plasma therapy has been proven to reduce mortality by 35 % , .
That 's misleading , as no studies have shown that the treatment reduces mortality more effectively than the standard of care .
Neither Trump nor Azar cited exactly where they plucked that statistic from .
Most likely , they were referencing a and National Institutes of Health , according to analyses by Stat News , The Times and on Twitter .
The study , posted Aug. 12 to the preprint database @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not randomized and did not include a control group , meaning no patients received the standard of care instead of plasma .
Instead , the study compared two groups of hospitalized COVID-19 patients who either received plasma within three days of diagnosis , or after four or more days .
The mortality rate among patients treated early was 8.7 % , as compared with 11.9 % in patients treated later .
That means that patients treated early had a roughly 26 % lower mortality rate than patients treated later .
The study also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the number of antibodies present in the plasma they each received .
The mortality rate was 8.9 % among patients who received plasma with `` high '' levels of antibodies , 11.6 % in the `` medium '' group and 13.7 % in the `` low '' group .
That means the high-antibody group had a 35 % lower mortality rate than the low-antibody group , which may be where Trump and Azar pulled the 35 % statistic .
However , the researchers obtained these antibody levels from stored plasma samples , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` number of factors related to biospecimen handling and storage , '' the authors noted .
Related : 20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history In addition to Trump and Azar , FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn also made a misleading statement during yesterday 's press briefing , seemingly in reference to this preliminary data .
`` If the data continue to pan out , [ of ] 100 people who are sick with COVID-19 , 35 would have been saved because of the administration of plasma . ''
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improve survival without RCTs , which compare plasma to a different treatment ; again , the Mayo trial compared plasma to plasma .
RCTs for plasma therapy are difficult to organize .
If an area is n't hit hard by COVID-19 , there may not be enough people who have recovered who can donate plasma , or enough sick people to enroll in a clinical trial , Live Science previously reported .
In addition , randomized trials pose a unique challenge in that some patients will randomly receive a treatment other than plasma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from enrolling , The New York Times reported on Aug. 19 .
Now that patients can receive plasma without being enrolled in a trial at all , attempts to organize RCTs may be further derailed .
The end result is that t more and more patients will receive a therapy that may not deliver the promised benefits .
But in any case , both RCTs and the emergency use of plasma rely on a steady supply of plasma donations — will there be enough to go around ?
Last month , the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 million advertising campaign to encourage recovered COVID-19 patients to donate plasma , according to Stat News ; however , it 's unclear whether the campaign and emergency authorization will result in expanded access to the treatment across the U.S. , as the president predicts .
To see a list of other potential COVID-19 treatments , see Live Science 's .

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would not allow widespread use of blood plasma to treat COVID-19 patients without more evidence that the therapy works.
Yesterday (Aug. 23), the agency apparently reversed this decision and issued an "emergency use authorization" for the treatment, according to a statement . An emergency use authorization does not require as much clinical evidence as full FDA approval, but does allow doctors to administer an experimental treatment "when there are no adequate, approved and available alternatives," according to the agency's website . That means doctors can use clinical judgment to prescribe plasma without enrolling recipients in a clinical trial to test its effectiveness.
While the authorization may allow more patients access to the therapy, the decision could undermine efforts to enroll patients in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that would reveal if the treatment actually works, Live Science previously reported . In an RCT, patients are randomly assigned to receive either an experimental treatment or the standard of care, so the two can be compared.
Related: Treatments for COVID-19: Drugs being tested against the coronavirus
Convalescent plasma therapy uses antibody-rich plasma from people who have recovered from a disease and has been studied as a treatment for more than 100 years, but very few RCTs have demonstrated that the intervention works better than other standard treatments, Live Science previously reported. Only a handful of RCTs have been conducted with COVID-19 patients, and most have been too small to reach meaningful conclusions on their own.
The FDA's whiplash decision to authorize plasma therapy, despite needed data, follows remarks made by President Donald Trump that the hold on plasma "could be a political decision because you have a lot of people over there who don’t want to rush things because they want to do it after Nov. 3, and you’ve heard that one before," CNBC reported .
"We are being very strong and we are being very forthright, and we have some incredible answers, and we’re not going to be held up," Trump said in a news conference announcing the emergency authorization on Aug. 23, the eve of the Republican National Convention, Stat News reported .
At the briefing, Trump and Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar also said plasma therapy has been proven to reduce mortality by 35%, The New York Times reported . That's misleading, as no studies have shown that the treatment reduces mortality more effectively than the standard of care.
Neither Trump nor Azar cited exactly where they plucked that statistic from. Most likely, they were referencing a recent study conducted by the Mayo Clinic and National Institutes of Health, according to analyses by Stat News, The Times and various scientists on Twitter.
Outrageous to listen to @realDonaldTrump @secAzar @SteveFDA claiming a 35% improved survival in an observational preprint study compared w/ late-treated patients. There's no evidence to support any survival benefit. 2 days ago FDA's website stated there was no evidence for an EUAAugust 23, 2020 See more
The study, posted Aug. 12 to the preprint database medRxiv , has not been peer-reviewed, was not randomized and did not include a control group, meaning no patients received the standard of care instead of plasma. Instead, the study compared two groups of hospitalized COVID-19 patients who either received plasma within three days of diagnosis, or after four or more days. The mortality rate among patients treated early was 8.7%, as compared with 11.9% in patients treated later. That means that patients treated early had a roughly 26% lower mortality rate than patients treated later.
The study also compared the mortality rates between patients based on the number of antibodies present in the plasma they each received. The mortality rate was 8.9% among patients who received plasma with "high" levels of antibodies, 11.6% in the "medium" group and 13.7% in the "low" group. That means the high-antibody group had a 35% lower mortality rate than the low-antibody group, which may be where Trump and Azar pulled the 35% statistic. However, the researchers obtained these antibody levels from stored plasma samples, so the results may be skewed by a "number of factors related to biospecimen handling and storage," the authors noted.
Related: 20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history
In addition to Trump and Azar, FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn also made a misleading statement during yesterday's press briefing, seemingly in reference to this preliminary data.
"If the data continue to pan out, [of] 100 people who are sick with COVID-19, 35 would have been saved because of the administration of plasma." But plasma cannot be proven to dramatically improve survival without RCTs, which compare plasma to a different treatment; again, the Mayo trial compared plasma to plasma.
"A 35 percent improvement in survival is a pretty substantial clinical benefit," FDA Commissioner @SteveFDA said in relation to the convalescent plasma emergency use authorization issued today. pic.twitter.com/Dd97vLSZeLAugust 23, 2020 See more
RCTs for plasma therapy are difficult to organize. If an area isn't hit hard by COVID-19, there may not be enough people who have recovered who can donate plasma, or enough sick people to enroll in a clinical trial, Live Science previously reported. In addition, randomized trials pose a unique challenge in that some patients will randomly receive a treatment other than plasma, and that fact sometimes deters patients from enrolling, The New York Times reported on Aug. 19 . Now that patients can receive plasma without being enrolled in a trial at all, attempts to organize RCTs may be further derailed. The end result is that more and more patients will receive a therapy that may not deliver the promised benefits.
But in any case, both RCTs and the emergency use of plasma rely on a steady supply of plasma donations — will there be enough to go around? Last month, the Trump administration announced the launch of an $8 million advertising campaign to encourage recovered COVID-19 patients to donate plasma, according to Stat News; however, it's unclear whether the campaign and emergency authorization will result in expanded access to the treatment across the U.S., as the president predicts.
To see a list of other potential COVID-19 treatments, see Live Science's coverage here .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-24--First case of coronavirus reinfection confirmed, researchers say

A man in Hong Kong is the first with a confirmed reinfection with the novel coronavirus , a new study suggests .
This may be the first major clue to a still-unanswered question about the COVID-19 pandemic : How long does immunity to SARS-CoV-2 last ?
There have been some previous reports of potential reinfection cases around the globe , but none have been confirmed with definitive testing , according to The New York Times .
People who recover from COVID-19 can shed virus fragments for weeks , which can turn up as a positive COVID-19 test results , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , according to The Times .
But today ( Aug. 24 ) , a group of researchers reported on a case of a patient who was infected with two genetically different strains of the coronavirus , months apart , according to a press release from the University of Hong Kong 's Department of Medicine .
The scientists found that the coronavirus that infected the patient , a 33-year-old-man in Hong Kong , the second time around had 24 different nucleotides , or building blocks , in its gene sequence than the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That likely means that the person did n't just continue to shed the same virus months after being infected , according to the study that was just accepted , but not yet published , in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases .
`` This is no cause for alarm - this is a textbook example of how immunity should work , '' Akiko Iwasaki , a professor of immunobiology and molecular , cellular and developmental biology at the Yale School of Medicine , .
The patient , who was previously healthy , was first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During his first infection he had mild symptoms including a cough , sore throat , headache and fever for several days .
Though his symptoms subsided , he was hospitalized on March 29 and was discharged on April 14 after testing negative for the virus twice .
Four and half months later , the patient was returning to Hong Kong from Spain via the United Kingdom and tested positive for the virus in a screening at the Hong Kong airport on Aug. 15 , according to the report .
He was again hospitalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` While immunity was not enough to block reinfection , it protected the person from disease , '' Iwasaki wrote .
Antibody tests showed that the patient did not have any detectable antibody to the coronavirus when he was reinfected but developed detectable antibodies after reinfection .
`` This is encouraging , '' Iwasaki wrote .
`` 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 . ''
This case of re-infection has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authors wrote in the study .
`` It is unlikely that herd immunity can eliminate SARS-CoV-2 , although it is possible that subsequent infections may be milder than the first infection as for this patient . ''
COVID-19 will likely continue to circulate in the human population , similar to the coronaviruses that cause common colds , they wrote .
Other implications are that vaccines may not be able to provide lifelong protection against COVID-19 and that vaccines studies should include those who have recovered from COVID-19 , the authors wrote .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we put this into context , ” Maria Van Kerkhove , the World Health Organization 's technical lead for coronavirus response and head of the emerging diseases and zoonoses unit , said during a news briefing in Geneva on Monday ( Aug. 24 ) , according to CNN .
There 's been more than 24 million cases of COVID-19 reported worldwide , and so `` we need to look at something like this on a population level . ''
Van Kerkhove said she was still reviewing the case , according to STAT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about infection is that people do develop an immune response , and what is not completely clear yet is how strong that immune response is and for how long that immune response lasts . ''

A man in Hong Kong is the first with a confirmed reinfection with the novel coronavirus, a new study suggests.
This may be the first major clue to a still-unanswered question about the COVID-19 pandemic: How long does immunity to SARS-CoV-2 last? There have been some previous reports of potential reinfection cases around the globe, but none have been confirmed with definitive testing, according to The New York Times . People who recover from COVID-19 can shed virus fragments for weeks, which can turn up as a positive COVID-19 test results, even when they aren't actually shedding live virus, according to The Times.
But today (Aug. 24), a group of researchers reported on a case of a patient who was infected with two genetically different strains of the coronavirus, months apart, according to a press release from the University of Hong Kong's Department of Medicine. The scientists found that the coronavirus that infected the patient, a 33-year-old-man in Hong Kong, the second time around had 24 different nucleotides, or building blocks, in its gene sequence than the virus that infected him the first time.
Related: Coronavirus live updates
That likely means that the person didn't just continue to shed the same virus months after being infected, according to the study that was just accepted, but not yet published, in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
But this case shouldn't spark widespread fear.
"This is no cause for alarm - this is a textbook example of how immunity should work," Akiko Iwasaki, a professor of immunobiology and molecular, cellular and developmental biology at the Yale School of Medicine, wrote on Twitter .
The patient, who was previously healthy, was first diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 26. During his first infection he had mild symptoms including a cough, sore throat, headache and fever for several days. Though his symptoms subsided, he was hospitalized on March 29 and was discharged on April 14 after testing negative for the virus twice.
Four and half months later, the patient was returning to Hong Kong from Spain via the United Kingdom and tested positive for the virus in a screening at the Hong Kong airport on Aug. 15, according to the report. He was again hospitalized but didn't have any symptoms. "While immunity was not enough to block reinfection, it protected the person from disease," Iwasaki wrote.
Antibody tests showed that the patient did not have any detectable antibody to the coronavirus when he was reinfected but developed detectable antibodies after reinfection.
"This is encouraging," Iwasaki wrote. "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."
This case of re-infection has "several important implications," the authors wrote in the study. "It is unlikely that herd immunity can eliminate SARS-CoV-2, although it is possible that subsequent infections may be milder than the first infection as for this patient."
COVID-19 will likely continue to circulate in the human population, similar to the coronaviruses that cause common colds, they wrote.
Other implications are that vaccines may not be able to provide lifelong protection against COVID-19 and that vaccines studies should include those who have recovered from COVID-19, the authors wrote.
“What I think is really important is that we put this into context,” Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization's technical lead for coronavirus response and head of the emerging diseases and zoonoses unit, said during a news briefing in Geneva on Monday (Aug. 24), according to CNN. There's been more than 24 million cases of COVID-19 reported worldwide, and so "we need to look at something like this on a population level."
Van Kerkhove said she was still reviewing the case, according to STAT News. "What we are learning about infection is that people do develop an immune response, and what is not completely clear yet is how strong that immune response is and for how long that immune response lasts."
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-25--A pup preserved in permafrost ate one of the last woolly rhinos on Earth

Just before a tiny pup died during the last ice age , it ate a piece of meat from one of Earth 's last woolly rhinos .
Researchers made this discovery while doing a necropsy ( an animal autopsy ) on the remains of the puppy .
After finding an undigested slab of skin with yellow fur in the puppy 's stomach , researchers initially thought the puppy had chewed off a hunk of cave lion meat for its last meal .
But a DNA analysis of the slab revealed that it was n't a cave lion ( Panthera spelaea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , which went extinct around 14,000 years ago , right about the time that this pup had its last meal .
That means this puppy ate one of the last woolly rhinos to ever exist , said Edana Lord , a doctoral student at the Centre for Palaeogenetics in Sweden , a joint venture between Stockholm University and the Swedish Museum of Natural History .
Lord co-authored a study published Aug. 13 in the journal on the extinction of the woolly rhinos .
The mummified puppy was discovered in Tumat , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2011 .
An analysis revealed that the puppy was likely between 3 and 9 months old when it died , but it 's unclear whether the pup was a dog or a wolf , Lord noted , a mystery that also surrounds an 18,000-year-old puppy found in Siberia in 2018 , .
`` I think it falls around that critical point for the dog/wolf domestication , '' she told Live Science , adding that a research team in Copenhagen is trying to decipher whether the Tumat pup was domesticated or not .
Radiocarbon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 14,000 years ago .
Researchers also radiocarbon dated the woolly rhino slab , to rule out the possibility that the rhino had n't died earlier and been preserved in Siberia 's permafrost , only to be discovered by the puppy at a later date .
It 's possible `` that this puppy may have been one of a scavenging pack , and that the wolves either took down the rhino , or were looking for food and came across a rhino carcass , '' Lord noted .
If the puppy was domesticated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living with humans , who may have shared the rhino meal with the pup , she said .
Soon after the puppy ate the woolly rhino , it died , although it 's anyone 's guess how .
The researchers were able to rule out one scenario , though ; `` It does n't look like it 's been squashed , '' before it was preserved as a mummy in the cold permafrost , Lord said .
Despite this `` rhino dinner , '' predators probably did n't cause the extinction of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new research .
Instead , the culprit was the rapidly warming climate at the end of the last ice age , she and her colleagues found .
When the team sequenced a woolly rhinoceros nuclear genome and 14 genomes ( passed down the maternal line ) — including the specimen found in the pup 's belly — they found that the woolly rhino population was stable and diverse up until a few thousands years before the herbivores went extinct .
This genetic diversity indicates that there was n't inbreeding , a problem that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia about 4,000 years ago .
Because of the genetic diversity , as well as `` the association of the extinction with the Bølling-Allerød interstadial , a very abrupt warming period [ about 14,700 to 12,900 years ago ] , we suggest that the woolly rhinoceros went extinct due to , '' Lord said .
The DNA analyses also revealed that the woolly rhinoceros had genetic mutations that helped it adapt to cold weather .
One such mutation made the woolly creature less sensitive to feeling the cold , `` which means that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better in the more extreme cold , '' Lord said .
`` Because of these genomic adaptations to climate , they probably were n't well adapted to deal with the warming climate . ''
Moreover , the the rhinos were accustomed to foraging in the dry grasslands , but the warming climate during the Bølling-Allerød interstadial changed their environment to a snowy , `` wooded shrubby habitat , '' which did n't provide the `` favorite food of the rhinos , '' Lord said .
Puppies , on the other hand , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shoes , which might explain their adaptability .

Just before a tiny pup died during the last ice age, it ate a piece of meat from one of Earth's last woolly rhinos.
Researchers made this discovery while doing a necropsy (an animal autopsy) on the mummified remains of the ice age puppy. After finding an undigested slab of skin with yellow fur in the puppy's stomach, researchers initially thought the puppy had chewed off a hunk of cave lion meat for its last meal.
But a DNA analysis of the slab revealed that it wasn't a cave lion (Panthera spelaea), but a woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis), which went extinct around 14,000 years ago, right about the time that this pup had its last meal.
Related: Photos: Is ice age cat mummy a lion or a lynx?
That means this puppy ate one of the last woolly rhinos to ever exist, said Edana Lord, a doctoral student at the Centre for Palaeogenetics in Sweden, a joint venture between Stockholm University and the Swedish Museum of Natural History. Lord co-authored a study published Aug. 13 in the journal Current Biology on the extinction of the woolly rhinos.
The mummified puppy was discovered in Tumat, a rural locality in northeastern Siberia, in 2011. An analysis revealed that the puppy was likely between 3 and 9 months old when it died, but it's unclear whether the pup was a dog or a wolf, Lord noted, a mystery that also surrounds an 18,000-year-old puppy found in Siberia in 2018, Live Science previously reported .
"I think it falls around that critical point for the dog/wolf domestication," she told Live Science, adding that a research team in Copenhagen is trying to decipher whether the Tumat pup was domesticated or not.
Image 1 of 9 The Siberian permafrost has preserved the puppy's mummy since the last ice age. (Image credit: Sergej Fedorov) The pup's furry feet and tail (Image credit: Sergej Fedorov) It's still unclear whether the puppy was a dog or a wolf. (Image credit: Sergej Fedorov) Researchers did a necropsy (an animal autopsy) on the puppy. (Image credit: Sergej Fedorov) The roughly 14,000-year-old puppy mummy. (Image credit: Sergej Fedorov) The piece of woolly rhino skin and fur that researchers found in the puppy's stomach. (Image credit: Love Dalén) The roughly 14,000-year-old puppy mummy. (Image credit: Sergej Fedorov) A woolly rhino skeleton (Image credit: Fedor Shidlovskiy) The reconstructed remains of a baby woolly rhinoceros, named Sasha, who lived in what is now Siberia. (Image credit: Albert Protopopov)
Radiocarbon dating revealed that the Tumat puppy lived about 14,000 years ago. Researchers also radiocarbon dated the woolly rhino slab, to rule out the possibility that the rhino hadn't died earlier and been preserved in Siberia's permafrost, only to be discovered by the puppy at a later date. It's possible "that this puppy may have been one of a scavenging pack, and that the wolves either took down the rhino, or were looking for food and came across a rhino carcass," Lord noted.
If the puppy was domesticated, it's possible that it was living with humans, who may have shared the rhino meal with the pup, she said. Soon after the puppy ate the woolly rhino, it died, although it's anyone's guess how. The researchers were able to rule out one scenario, though; "It doesn't look like it's been squashed," before it was preserved as a mummy in the cold permafrost, Lord said.
Despite this "rhino dinner," predators probably didn't cause the extinction of the woolly rhino, according to Lord's new research. Instead, the culprit was the rapidly warming climate at the end of the last ice age, she and her colleagues found. When the team sequenced a woolly rhinoceros nuclear genome and 14 mitochondrial genomes ( DNA passed down the maternal line) — including the specimen found in the pup's belly — they found that the woolly rhino population was stable and diverse up until a few thousands years before the herbivores went extinct. This genetic diversity indicates that there wasn't inbreeding, a problem that plagued the dwarf woolly mammoths on Wrangel Island off the northern coast of Russia about 4,000 years ago.
Because of the genetic diversity, as well as "the association of the extinction with the Bølling-Allerød interstadial, a very abrupt warming period [about 14,700 to 12,900 years ago], we suggest that the woolly rhinoceros went extinct due to climate change ," Lord said.
The DNA analyses also revealed that the woolly rhinoceros had genetic mutations that helped it adapt to cold weather. One such mutation made the woolly creature less sensitive to feeling the cold, "which means that they would have been able to survive better in the more extreme cold," Lord said. "Because of these genomic adaptations to Arctic climate, they probably weren't well adapted to deal with the warming climate."
Moreover, the the rhinos were accustomed to foraging in the dry grasslands, but the warming climate during the Bølling-Allerød interstadial changed their environment to a snowy, "wooded shrubby habitat," which didn't provide the "favorite food of the rhinos," Lord said.
Puppies, on the other hand, will eat nearly anything, from woolly rhinos to shoes, which might explain their adaptability.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-25--The end of the universe may be marked by 'black dwarf supernova' explosions

At the end of the universe , long after the last shining stars flicker out , there might be one final set of explosions .
Called black dwarf supernovae , these dazzling blasts will herald in the everlasting darkness as the universe sinks into dormancy , a new study suggests .
These newly proposed supernovas are a special breed that have n't yet happened anywhere in the universe .
Black dwarf supernovas might be the last events that happen in the universe , which by then will be a largely empty place where the temperature approaches absolute zero .
Stars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their mass .
Large ones 10 or more times the mass of the sun explode as supernovas and can become black holes .
But smaller ones , which do n't produce heavier elements through the nuclear fusion at their cores , end their lives as small dense husks of stars known as white dwarfs .
Over trillions of years , they dim and turn into frozen , lightless objects known as black dwarfs .
A new paper , to be published in the journal , describes how these black dwarfs may ultimately release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universe as they explode as supernovas .
The black dwarf supernovas would form through a quantum process known as pycnonuclear fusion .
Stars are normally fueled by thermonuclear , where high temperatures and pressures overcome atomic nuclei 's natural electric repulsion , allowing to fuse into new , heavier elements .
But in pycnonuclear fusion , quantum tunneling allows atomic nuclei to get closer to each other than they normally would .
Pycnonuclear fusion can thus very slowly turn the elements in the white dwarf into iron –- the last element that can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reactions take an insanely long time , '' said study author Matt Caplan , theoretical physicist at Illinois State University .
`` You could wait a million years and not see a single fusion reaction in a black dwarf . ''
By comparison , the sun fuses more than 10^38 protons per second .
To convert a black dwarf into by pycnonuclear fusion would take a mind-boggling 10^1,100 and 10 ^32,000 years .
If you wrote out all the zeros in these numbers , they 'd take up the length of a paragraph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` These time scales are enormous , '' said Fred Adams , astrophysicist at the University of Michigan , who was not involved in the new research .
`` We expect the largest possible to be evaporated on time scales of only about 10 to the 100 years , which is instantaneous compared to the times discussed in the paper . ''
Once the black dwarf was mostly iron , it would be crushed by its own mass .
This runaway collapse — the supernova — would trigger a huge implosion that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black dwarf .
In larger stars today , this iron pileup is also what leads to the more common so-called core-collapse supernovas .
Black dwarf supernovae , however , would only occur in black dwarf stars with masses between 1.16 and 1.35 times that of the sun .
Those black dwarf stars are in turn created from typical stars that start off with six to 10 times the mass of the sun .
`` [ It ] is not exactly a rare population , but also not the most common , '' Caplan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make up about 1 % of all stars today , and Caplan estimates there will be about a billion trillion ( 10^21 ) of these supernovae before the end of the universe .
Since the black dwarfs have fairly low masses , the black dwarf supernovas would probably be a bit smaller than ones occurring in the present universe , but still spectacular in an otherwise pitch-black universe .
After these final last gasps of light , nothing left in the universe will be able to explode or shine .
So while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there will be a spark of fire along the way .

An image of the Kepler supernova remnant, captured with NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory. A different type of stellar explosion, called a black dwarf supernova, may light up the darkness at the end of the universe.
At the end of the universe, long after the last shining stars flicker out, there might be one final set of explosions. Called black dwarf supernovae, these dazzling blasts will herald in the everlasting darkness as the universe sinks into dormancy, a new study suggests.
These newly proposed supernovas are a special breed that haven't yet happened anywhere in the universe. Black dwarf supernovas might be the last events that happen in the universe, which by then will be a largely empty place where the temperature approaches absolute zero.
Stars' lives and deaths are determined by their mass. Large ones 10 or more times the mass of the sun explode as supernovas and can become black holes. But smaller ones, which don't produce heavier elements through the nuclear fusion at their cores, end their lives as small dense husks of stars known as white dwarfs. Over trillions of years, they dim and turn into frozen, lightless objects known as black dwarfs. A new paper, to be published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , describes how these black dwarfs may ultimately release the final bits of light in the universe as they explode as supernovas.
Related: 15 amazing images of stars
The black dwarf supernovas would form through a quantum process known as pycnonuclear fusion. Stars are normally fueled by thermonuclear fusion , where high temperatures and pressures overcome atomic nuclei's natural electric repulsion, allowing atoms to fuse into new, heavier elements. But in pycnonuclear fusion, quantum tunneling allows atomic nuclei to get closer to each other than they normally would. Pycnonuclear fusion can thus very slowly turn the elements in the white dwarf into iron –- the last element that can be created by fusion.
"These reactions take an insanely long time," said study author Matt Caplan, theoretical physicist at Illinois State University. "You could wait a million years and not see a single fusion reaction in a black dwarf."
By comparison, the sun fuses more than 10^38 protons per second. To convert a black dwarf into iron by pycnonuclear fusion would take a mind-boggling 10^1,100 and 10 ^32,000 years. If you wrote out all the zeros in these numbers, they'd take up the length of a paragraph to a whole book chapter, respectively.
"These time scales are enormous," said Fred Adams, astrophysicist at the University of Michigan, who was not involved in the new research. "We expect the largest possible black holes to be evaporated on time scales of only about 10 to the 100 years, which is instantaneous compared to the times discussed in the paper."
Once the black dwarf was mostly iron, it would be crushed by its own mass. This runaway collapse — the supernova — would trigger a huge implosion that ejects the outer layers of the leftover black dwarf. In larger stars today, this iron pileup is also what leads to the more common so-called core-collapse supernovas.
Black dwarf supernovae, however, would only occur in black dwarf stars with masses between 1.16 and 1.35 times that of the sun. Those black dwarf stars are in turn created from typical stars that start off with six to 10 times the mass of the sun.
"[It] is not exactly a rare population, but also not the most common," Caplan said.
In fact, these stars make up about 1% of all stars today, and Caplan estimates there will be about a billion trillion (10^21) of these supernovae before the end of the universe. Since the black dwarfs have fairly low masses, the black dwarf supernovas would probably be a bit smaller than ones occurring in the present universe, but still spectacular in an otherwise pitch-black universe.
After these final last gasps of light, nothing left in the universe will be able to explode or shine. So while the universe will seemingly end in ice, there will be a spark of fire along the way.
Originally published on Live Science.