livescience--2020-08-12--Could cat drugs treat humans with COVID-19?

Two experimental drugs for cats could potentially help treat humans infected with COVID-19 , .
A type of that only infects cats can cause `` feline enteric coronavirus '' ( FeCV ) , an infection that affects the gastrointestinal tract and seldom causes any symptoms , according to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine .
However , in about one in 10 infected cats , the virus mutates after infecting the animal in a way that lets it infiltrate specific immune cells , spread throughout the body and set off severe inflammation .
At this stage , the infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' ( FIPV ) and is usually fatal if left untreated .
Two experimental drugs have been designed to treat cats with FIPV , although neither has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) , which vets both animal and human drugs before they enter the market , according to Science News .
That said , preliminary research hints that both drugs could be used to take down human coronaviruses , including SARS-CoV-2 , the that causes COVID-19 .
Related : Treatments for COVID-19 : Drugs being tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this drug has already been developed and shown to be successful in treating feline infectious peritonitis , it really bodes well , '' biochemist Joanne Lemieux told Science News about one of the drugs , called GC376 .
The second drug , called GS-441524 , has also been found to be `` highly effective in curing cats with feline infectious peritonitis , and usually without any other form of treatment , ” Niels Pedersen , a veterinarian who studies the feline coronavirus at the University of California , Davis , told Science News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the feline coronavirus from replicating in cat cells ; it may also disrupt how SARS-CoV-2 replicates in human cells .
GC376 , for example , hobbles a key enzyme called M protease that the feline coronavirus relies on to help make copies of its , known as RNA .
While replicating , the virus builds long strands of proteins that M protease then chops up , to separate each individual protein from the next in the chain .
The individual proteins then come together to build a new copy of the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the feline coronavirus can not replicate and continue to make cats sick .
Other coronaviruses , including SARS-CoV-2 , also use M protease to build copies of the virus .
A 2016 study , published in the journal , revealed that GC376 also stops M protease from working in SAR-CoV and MERS-CoV , two coronaviruses that caused outbreaks of respiratory disease in humans in the 2000s .
This year , a study in the journal suggested that the drug can also stop SARS-CoV-2 from replicating in a test tube , while another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Based on these results , Anivive Lifesciences , the company that manufactures GC376 , plans to test the drug in human trials for use as a COVID-19 treatment .
Related : 20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history The second experimental cat drug , GS-441524 , has shown similar success in animal studies of SARS-CoV-2 , Science News reported .
The drug works similarly to , the antiviral shown to reduce recovery time in hospitalized COVID-19 patients .
`` Partly because of feline infectious peritonitis research , a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course of the COVID-19 pandemic that remdesivir could be a promising candidate '' for COVID-19 treatment in humans , Susan Amirian , a molecular epidemiologist at Rice University in Houston , told Science News .
Both drugs share a similar chemical structure that resembles a segment of viral — molecules known as nucleotides that link up to form both RNA and .
When exposed to either drug , coronavirus enzymes wedge the molecule into the viral RNA in place of a true nucleotide , which brings viral replication to a standstill .
Note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enzymes , rather than human enzymes , so they do n't mess up human DNA replication , according to the Scope Blog , published by Stanford Medicine .
A study published in the journal showed that , in addition to stopping feline coronavirus , GS-441524 can also keep SARS-CoV-2 from replicating in lab-grown monkey and human cells .
However , GS-441524 was most effective in the monkey cells , while remdesivir worked better than GS-441524 in human lung cells , according to Science News .
The biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences designed both remdesivir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to compare the effects of both drugs against SARS-CoV-2 , company spokesperson Chris Ridley told Science News .
Previously , the company stated that it chose to focus on remdesivir over GS-441524 at the start of the pandemic because remdesivir had already been tested in human safety trials as an antiviral treatment for Ebola , which the drug did n't treat effectively , according to Science News .
While testing remdesivir for Ebola , Gilead decided not to seek approval for GS-441524 use in animals because the drug so closely resembled remdesivir and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to The Atlantic .
Even now , GS-441524 has not been approved for use in cats and is usually bought as an expensive , black-market formulation , The Atlantic reported .
At this point , neither GS-441524 nor GC376 have been tested in humans at all .

Two experimental drugs for cats could potentially help treat humans infected with COVID-19, Science News reported .
A type of coronavirus that only infects cats can cause "feline enteric coronavirus" (FeCV), an infection that affects the gastrointestinal tract and seldom causes any symptoms, according to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine . However, in about one in 10 infected cats, the virus mutates after infecting the animal in a way that lets it infiltrate specific immune cells, spread throughout the body and set off severe inflammation. At this stage, the infection is called "feline infectious peritonitis virus" (FIPV) and is usually fatal if left untreated.
Two experimental drugs have been designed to treat cats with FIPV, although neither has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which vets both animal and human drugs before they enter the market, according to Science News. That said, preliminary research hints that both drugs could be used to take down human coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Related: Treatments for COVID-19: Drugs being tested against the coronavirus
"The fact that this drug has already been developed and shown to be successful in treating feline infectious peritonitis, it really bodes well," biochemist Joanne Lemieux told Science News about one of the drugs, called GC376. The second drug, called GS-441524, has also been found to be "highly effective in curing cats with feline infectious peritonitis, and usually without any other form of treatment,” Niels Pedersen, a veterinarian who studies the feline coronavirus at the University of California, Davis, told Science News.
The two drugs work by preventing the feline coronavirus from replicating in cat cells; it may also disrupt how SARS-CoV-2 replicates in human cells.
GC376, for example, hobbles a key enzyme called M protease that the feline coronavirus relies on to help make copies of its genetic material , known as RNA. While replicating, the virus builds long strands of proteins that M protease then chops up, to separate each individual protein from the next in the chain. The individual proteins then come together to build a new copy of the coronavirus. And so if M protease is damaged, the feline coronavirus cannot replicate and continue to make cats sick.
Other coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, also use M protease to build copies of the virus. A 2016 study, published in the journal PLOS Pathogens , revealed that GC376 also stops M protease from working in SAR-CoV and MERS-CoV, two coronaviruses that caused outbreaks of respiratory disease in humans in the 2000s. This year, a study in the journal Cell Research suggested that the drug can also stop SARS-CoV-2 from replicating in a test tube, while another study showed similar results in lab-grown monkey cells , according to Science News.
Based on these results, Anivive Lifesciences, the company that manufactures GC376, plans to test the drug in human trials for use as a COVID-19 treatment.
Related: 20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history
The second experimental cat drug, GS-441524, has shown similar success in animal studies of SARS-CoV-2, Science News reported. The drug works similarly to remdesivir , the antiviral shown to reduce recovery time in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. "Partly because of feline infectious peritonitis research, a lot of veterinarians seemed to realize early in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic that remdesivir could be a promising candidate" for COVID-19 treatment in humans, Susan Amirian, a molecular epidemiologist at Rice University in Houston, told Science News.
Both drugs share a similar chemical structure that resembles a segment of viral RNA — molecules known as nucleotides that link up to form both RNA and DNA . When exposed to either drug, coronavirus enzymes wedge the molecule into the viral RNA in place of a true nucleotide, which brings viral replication to a standstill. Note that the drugs only work with RNA-virus enzymes, rather than human enzymes, so they don't mess up human DNA replication, according to the Scope Blog , published by Stanford Medicine.
A study published in the journal Cell Reports showed that, in addition to stopping feline coronavirus, GS-441524 can also keep SARS-CoV-2 from replicating in lab-grown monkey and human cells. However, GS-441524 was most effective in the monkey cells, while remdesivir worked better than GS-441524 in human lung cells, according to Science News.
The biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences designed both remdesivir and GS-441524 and has begun early studies to compare the effects of both drugs against SARS-CoV-2, company spokesperson Chris Ridley told Science News.
Previously, the company stated that it chose to focus on remdesivir over GS-441524 at the start of the pandemic because remdesivir had already been tested in human safety trials as an antiviral treatment for Ebola, which the drug didn't treat effectively, according to Science News. While testing remdesivir for Ebola, Gilead decided not to seek approval for GS-441524 use in animals because the drug so closely resembled remdesivir and may have somehow influenced the FDA-approval process, according to The Atlantic. Even now, GS-441524 has not been approved for use in cats and is usually bought as an expensive, black-market formulation, The Atlantic reported.
At this point, neither GS-441524 nor GC376 have been tested in humans at all.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-12--SpaceX wins Pentagon rocket contract to send spy satellites into orbit

The Department of Defense announced Friday ( Aug. 7 ) that Elon Musk 's company and United Launch Alliance ( ULA ) — a joint project of Boeing and Lockheed Martin — would share the job between 2022 and 2026 of launching into space the military 's highest-priority satellites , `` national security '' cargo which would do things like intelligence gathering , and military communications .
Established military supplier Northrop Grumman and Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos ' company Blue Origin also competed for this multi-billion dollar contract , but lost out to ULA and SpaceX , which will split @ @ @ @ @ @ @ award marks the start of `` Phase 2 '' of the Air Force 's National Security Space Launch ( NSSL ) program , whose goal is to ensure the U.S. military has infrastructure to get satellites into space .
The Pentagon said the decision came down to money and the technical expertise demonstrated by the SpaceX-ULA venture .
`` We evaluated every proposal by the published award criteria , technical factors being first and foremost , then followed by past performance , their ability to work with small business , and then finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , assistant secretary of the U.S. Air Force for acquisition , technology and logistics , said in a conference call reported by .
For instance , the SpaceX rockets , called Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy , are more cost-efficient compared with Lockheed Martin and Boeing 's older rockets .
ULA is also developing a new rocket called the Vulcan Centaur , which is thought to offer cost-savings similar to that of the SpaceX rockets .
In addition , the Pentagon is trying to wean from its reliance on Russian-made RD-180 rocket engines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Today 's awards mark a new epoch of space launch that will finally transition the Department off Russian RD-180 engines , '' Roper from the Space Force , a branch of the military established in 2019 to coordinate space activities .
Until 2014 , relying on Russian-made engines for military launches seemed more or less fine .
But that year , relations between the U.S. and Russia seriously soured after Russia invaded Ukraine .
`` While the engine is built in Russia , access to the engine had never appeared to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downs in US-Russia relations since the end of the Cold War , '' analyst Jeff Foust wrote at the time for .
`` But what a difference a year — or even a few months — makes .
Worsening relations with Russia over the Ukraine crisis have raised concerns that Russia could block exports of the engine to the U.S. '' SpaceX 's Musk has long argued that the .
large U.S. purchases of imported RD-180 engines closes off competition for smaller , American companies to produce rocket engines .
In fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ halted RD-180 imports as part of a three-way legal battle between SpaceX , the Air Force and ULA .
( SpaceX argued that an Air Force bulk rocket purchase from ULA did n't offer other companies enough opportunity to compete . )
The Pentagon decided , Foust reported , to find another source for RD-180-type rockets .
All of the companies that competed for this contract proposed relying on U.S.-made engines .
The details still are n't set in stone however .
ULA is expected to launch a Vulcan Centaur no earlier than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be certified for national security missions .
Spaceflight Now reported that if the rocket is n't certified by 2021 , ULA will likely use older , rockets for at least two 2022 missions .
Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman can bid their way into Phase 2 later on Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman , the two companies that lost out on this contract will continue to provide support equipment like solid rocket boosters for national security missions .
The companies can also continue to launch less-critical equipment for the military and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to Musk and the rocket conglomerate ULA this round , companies have fallen in and out of favor with the Air Force 's space launch programbefore .
Back in 2018 , the Pentagon handed $ 967 million to ULA , $ 792 million to Northrop Grumman and $ 500 million to Blue Origin in contracts to support their rocket development programs .
SpaceX , left out , sued , arguing the funds were `` wrongly awarded , '' as CNBC .
While Blue Origin and Northrup Grumman have two rockets that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several years , and likely several dozen national security launches , the most elite roles in military spaceflight belong to ULA and SpaceX .

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket takes off on an Air Force mission on Aug. 8, 2019. SpaceX and ULA will share the job of carrying "national security" cargo for the military going forward, as the Pentagon rushes to retire the Atlas V and its Russian-made rocket engines.
SpaceX is a top-tier military contractor now.
The Department of Defense announced Friday (Aug. 7) that Elon Musk's company and United Launch Alliance (ULA) — a joint project of Boeing and Lockheed Martin — would share the job between 2022 and 2026 of launching into space the military's highest-priority satellites, "national security" cargo which would do things like intelligence gathering, GPS and military communications. Established military supplier Northrop Grumman and Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos' company Blue Origin also competed for this multi-billion dollar contract, but lost out to ULA and SpaceX, which will split the contract 60-40, respectively.
This award marks the start of "Phase 2" of the Air Force's National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, whose goal is to ensure the U.S. military has infrastructure to get satellites into space. The Pentagon said the decision came down to money and the technical expertise demonstrated by the SpaceX-ULA venture.
"We evaluated every proposal by the published award criteria, technical factors being first and foremost, then followed by past performance, their ability to work with small business, and then finally totally evaluated price," Will Roper, assistant secretary of the U.S. Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, said in a conference call reported by Spaceflight Now . For instance, the SpaceX rockets, called Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, are more cost-efficient compared with Lockheed Martin and Boeing's older rockets. ULA is also developing a new rocket called the Vulcan Centaur, which is thought to offer cost-savings similar to that of the SpaceX rockets.
In addition, the Pentagon is trying to wean from its reliance on Russian-made RD-180 rocket engines to shoot satellites into Earth orbit.
"Today's awards mark a new epoch of space launch that will finally transition the Department off Russian RD-180 engines," Roper said in a statement from the Space Force, a branch of the military established in 2019 to coordinate space activities.
Until 2014, relying on Russian-made engines for military launches seemed more or less fine. But that year, relations between the U.S. and Russia seriously soured after Russia invaded Ukraine.
"While the engine is built in Russia, access to the engine had never appeared to be in serious jeopardy despite the ups and downs in US-Russia relations since the end of the Cold War," analyst Jeff Foust wrote at the time for The Space Review . "But what a difference a year — or even a few months — makes. Worsening relations with Russia over the Ukraine crisis have raised concerns that Russia could block exports of the engine to the U.S."
SpaceX's Musk has long argued that the . large U.S. purchases of imported RD-180 engines closes off competition for smaller, American companies to produce rocket engines. In fact, he won a temporary court order that halted RD-180 imports as part of a three-way legal battle between SpaceX, the Air Force and ULA. (SpaceX argued that an Air Force bulk rocket purchase from ULA didn't offer other companies enough opportunity to compete.)
The Pentagon decided, Foust reported, to find another source for RD-180-type rockets. All of the companies that competed for this contract proposed relying on U.S.-made engines.
The details still aren't set in stone however. ULA is expected to launch a Vulcan Centaur no earlier than 2021, and the rocket still has to be certified for national security missions. Spaceflight Now reported that if the rocket isn't certified by 2021, ULA will likely use older, rockets for at least two 2022 missions.
Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman can bid their way into Phase 2 later on
Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman, the two companies that lost out on this contract will continue to provide support equipment like solid rocket boosters for national security missions. The companies can also continue to launch less-critical equipment for the military and other customers.
And while the companies lost out to Musk and the rocket conglomerate ULA this round, companies have fallen in and out of favor with the Air Force's space launch programbefore.
Back in 2018, the Pentagon handed $967 million to ULA, $792 million to Northrop Grumman and $500 million to Blue Origin in contracts to support their rocket development programs. SpaceX, left out, sued, arguing the funds were "wrongly awarded," as CNBC reported .
While Blue Origin and Northrup Grumman have two rockets that they're still developing, tor the next several years, and likely several dozen national security launches, the most elite roles in military spaceflight belong to ULA and SpaceX.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-12--Meet the 'vampire' parasite that masquerades as a living tongue

When scientists recently X-rayed a fish 's head , they found a gruesome stowaway : A `` vampire '' crustacean had devoured , then replaced , its host 's tongue .
The buglike isopod , also called a tongue biter or tongue-eating louse , keeps sucking its blood meals from a fish 's tongue until the entire structure withers away .
Then the true horror begins , as the parasite assumes the organ 's place in the still-living fish 's mouth .
Biologist Kory Evans , an assistant professor in the Department of BioSciences at Rice University in Houston , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digitizing X-rays of fish skeletons .
He shared images of the surprising and horrifying find on Aug. 10 : `` Mondays are n't usually this eventful , '' Evans joked in the tweet .
Related : What the heck ?
!
Images of evolution 's extreme oddities There are about 380 species of tongue-eating isopods , and most target a specific fish species as their host , according to the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town , South Africa .
This type of isopod enters a fish 's body through the gills , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feed , releasing an anti-coagulant to keep the blood flowing .
The parasite grips the base of the tongue tightly with its seven pairs of legs , reducing the blood supply so that the organ eventually atrophies and drops off , according to the Australian Museum .
From that point on , the isopod 's body serves as a functional tongue for the fish , while the tongue biter continues feeding on the fish 's mucus , according to Rice University 's .
This partnership between a fish and its living tongue can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , fish have been known to outlive their tongue-replacing parasites , Stefanie Kaiser , a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in Wellington , New Zealand , told the American Association for the Advancement of Science .
Evans encountered the fish and its macabre `` living tongue '' as part of a scanning initiative for a family of coral reef fishes called wrasses , he told Live Science .
The project 's goal is to generate a 3D X-ray database of skeletal morphology for this fish group , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , Evans said .
He often shares examples of the scans on Twitter , under the hashtag .
That morning , `` I was doing something called digitizing , '' he explained .
`` I compare skull shapes of all these different fish to each other , that requires placing landmarks — digital markers — on different parts of the body . ''
In one particular wrasse , a herring cale ( Odax cyanomelas ) from New Zealand , Evans noticed something odd in the mouth cavity .
`` It looked like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its mouth , '' Evans said .
`` Then I thought , wait a minute ; this fish is an herbivore , it eats seaweed .
So I pulled up the original scan , and lo and behold , it was a tongue-eating louse . ''
Even when wrasses have n't been parasitized by these tongue-biting horrors , they are still extremely weird , Evans told Live Science .
`` They have a second set of jaws in their throat , like in the movie 'Alien , ' '' he said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then they can actually generate enough force with the second set of jaws to crush the shell up in their throat . ''
Some wrasses called parrot fish have copper-reinforced beaks that are tough enough to bite through coral .
And the slingjaw wrasse ( Epibulus insidiator ) can launch its jaws forward up to 65 % the length of its head , to snap up evasive prey .
`` It 's like if you saw a Cheeto on the other side of your kitchen , and you just throw your jaws at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Evans said .

When scientists recently X-rayed a fish's head, they found a gruesome stowaway: A "vampire" crustacean had devoured, then replaced, its host's tongue.
The buglike isopod, also called a tongue biter or tongue-eating louse, keeps sucking its blood meals from a fish's tongue until the entire structure withers away. Then the true horror begins, as the parasite assumes the organ's place in the still-living fish's mouth.
Biologist Kory Evans, an assistant professor in the Department of BioSciences at Rice University in Houston, Texas, discovered the tongue biter while digitizing X-rays of fish skeletons. He shared images of the surprising and horrifying find on Twitter on Aug. 10: "Mondays aren't usually this eventful," Evans joked in the tweet.
Related: What the heck?! Images of evolution's extreme oddities
There are about 380 species of tongue-eating isopods, and most target a specific fish species as their host, according to the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa. This type of isopod enters a fish's body through the gills, latches onto the tongue and begins to feed, releasing an anti-coagulant to keep the blood flowing. The parasite grips the base of the tongue tightly with its seven pairs of legs, reducing the blood supply so that the organ eventually atrophies and drops off, according to the Australian Museum .
From that point on, the isopod's body serves as a functional tongue for the fish, while the tongue biter continues feeding on the fish's mucus, according to Rice University's Coral Reefs Blog . This partnership between a fish and its living tongue can continue for years; in many cases, fish have been known to outlive their tongue-replacing parasites, Stefanie Kaiser, a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in Wellington, New Zealand, told the American Association for the Advancement of Science .
The isopods parasitize fish through their gills, and then grow to be tongue-size as they consume their hosts' tongues. (Image credit: Courtesy of Kory Evans, Rice University)
Evans encountered the fish and its macabre "living tongue" as part of a scanning initiative for a family of coral reef fishes called wrasses, he told Live Science. The project's goal is to generate a 3D X-ray database of skeletal morphology for this fish group, making it available to researchers around the world, Evans said. He often shares examples of the scans on Twitter, under the hashtag #backdatwrasseup .
That morning, "I was doing something called digitizing," he explained. "I compare skull shapes of all these different fish to each other, that requires placing landmarks — digital markers — on different parts of the body." In one particular wrasse, a herring cale (Odax cyanomelas) from New Zealand, Evans noticed something odd in the mouth cavity.
"It looked like it had some kind of insect in its mouth," Evans said. "Then I thought, wait a minute; this fish is an herbivore, it eats seaweed. So I pulled up the original scan, and lo and behold, it was a tongue-eating louse."
Mondays aren't usually this eventful. I found a tongue-eating isopod (purple) in one of our wrasse scans this morning while digitizing it. These parasites attach themselves to the tongues of fishes and effectively become the new tongue...horrifying #backdatwrasseup pic.twitter.com/axlraUrh8WAugust 10, 2020 See more
Even when wrasses haven't been parasitized by these tongue-biting horrors, they are still extremely weird, Evans told Live Science.
"They have a second set of jaws in their throat, like in the movie 'Alien,'" he said. "Wrasses can swallow a snail, and then they can actually generate enough force with the second set of jaws to crush the shell up in their throat."
Some wrasses called parrot fish have copper-reinforced beaks that are tough enough to bite through coral. And the slingjaw wrasse (Epibulus insidiator) can launch its jaws forward up to 65% the length of its head, to snap up evasive prey.
"It's like if you saw a Cheeto on the other side of your kitchen, and you just throw your jaws at it while standing in place," Evans said.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-13--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--2020-08-13--NASA to stop using racist nicknames for cosmic objects

NASA will discontinue the use of certain nicknames for astronomical objects that are considered to be racist , the space agency said Aug. 5 .
The agency 's plethora of space-gazing observatories collect of distant cosmic objects , which are given official designations ( made up of acronyms and numbers ) by the .
But , the agency also gives some objects nicknames that are less technical to make them more `` public friendly , '' according to NASA .
For years , Indigenous people have criticized the use of the word `` Eskimo , '' because of its racist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offensive term was a nickname NASA used for planetary nebula NGC 2392 .
Related : Charles Bolden , NASA 's first Black administrator , speaks out on systemic racism '' 'Eskimo ' is widely viewed as a colonial term with a racist history , imposed on the indigenous people of Arctic regions .
Most [ NASA ] official documents have moved away from its use , '' the space agency stated in an issued by NASA 's Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity ( ODEO ) .
It is unclear in the statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change .
Additionally , the agency added , `` NASA will also no longer use the term 'Siamese Twins Galaxy ' to refer to NGC 4567 and NGC 4568 , a pair of spiral galaxies found in the Virgo Galaxy Cluster .
Moving forward , NASA will use only the official , International Astronomical Union designations in cases where nicknames are inappropriate . ''
`` I support our ongoing reevaluation of the names by which we refer to astronomical objects , '' Thomas Zurbuchen , NASA 's associate administrator for science missions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goal is that all names are aligned with our values of diversity and inclusion , and will proactively work with the scientific community to help ensure that .
Science is for everyone , and every facet of our work needs to reflect that value . ''
Though it is not yet clear what NASA 's next actionable steps will be to manage and prevent the use of harmful language , the agency said in the statement that it is `` examining its use of unofficial terminology for cosmic objects as part of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inclusion . ''
The agency added that it will work with diversity , inclusion and equity experts within the astronomical and physical sciences for guidance .
The ODEO 's website outlines Special Emphasis Programs for communities historically marginalized based on race , gender and sexual orientation .
It also dedicates a page to NASA 's Anti-Harassment Program .
The website is not without its inconsistencies , however .
ODEO 's main banner photo for their features NASA 's first Commercial Crew Program astronauts , a group of nine people , six of whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ page also reads `` TBD '' ( or , `` to be determined '' ) under its `` Values '' section .
Follow Doris Elin Urrutia on Twitter @ salazar_elin .
Follow us on Twitter @ Spacedotcom and on Facebook .

This image of planetary nebula NGC 2392 (whose previously racist nicknamed was removed by NASA) is depicted in this image from the Hubble Space Telescope, released July 11, 2013. (Image credit: NASA/STScI)
NASA will discontinue the use of certain nicknames for astronomical objects that are considered to be racist, the space agency said Aug. 5.
The agency's plethora of space-gazing observatories collect breathtaking images of distant cosmic objects, which are given official designations (made up of acronyms and numbers) by the International Astronomical Union . But, the agency also gives some objects nicknames that are less technical to make them more "public friendly," according to NASA.
For years, Indigenous people have criticized the use of the word ''Eskimo,'' because of its racist roots. And, unfortunately, this offensive term was a nickname NASA used for planetary nebula NGC 2392.
Related: Charles Bolden, NASA's first Black administrator, speaks out on systemic racism
"'Eskimo' is widely viewed as a colonial term with a racist history, imposed on the indigenous people of Arctic regions. Most [NASA] official documents have moved away from its use," the space agency stated in an Aug. 5 statement, issued by NASA's Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO). It is unclear in the statement what potential criticism or discussions prompted this change.
Additionally, the agency added, "NASA will also no longer use the term 'Siamese Twins Galaxy' to refer to NGC 4567 and NGC 4568, a pair of spiral galaxies found in the Virgo Galaxy Cluster. Moving forward, NASA will use only the official, International Astronomical Union designations in cases where nicknames are inappropriate."
"I support our ongoing reevaluation of the names by which we refer to astronomical objects," Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's associate administrator for science missions, said in the statement. "Our goal is that all names are aligned with our values of diversity and inclusion, and will proactively work with the scientific community to help ensure that. Science is for everyone, and every facet of our work needs to reflect that value."
Though it is not yet clear what NASA's next actionable steps will be to manage and prevent the use of harmful language, the agency said in the statement that it is ''examining its use of unofficial terminology for cosmic objects as part of its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion." The agency added that it will work with diversity, inclusion and equity experts within the astronomical and physical sciences for guidance.
The ODEO's website outlines Special Emphasis Programs for communities historically marginalized based on race, gender and sexual orientation. It also dedicates a page to NASA's Anti-Harassment Program. The website is not without its inconsistencies, however. ODEO's main banner photo for their website features NASA's first Commercial Crew Program astronauts, a group of nine people, six of whom are white men. Their " Our Mission " page also reads "TBD'' (or, ''to be determined'') under its "Values" section.
Follow Doris Elin Urrutia on Twitter @salazar_elin. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.


livescience--2020-08-13--Freemasons: Behind the veil of secrecy

Freemasons: Behind the veil of secrecy

Freemasonry , known popularly for its white aprons and arcane symbols , is the world 's oldest fraternal organization .
Despite its longevity , Freemasons have long been shrouded in mystery .
To outside observers , the organization 's rites and practices may seem cult-like , clannish and secretive — even sinister .
Some of this stems from Freemasons ' often deliberate reluctance to speak about the organization 's rituals to outsiders .
But it is also partly the result of many popular movies and books , such as Dan Brown 's `` The Da Vinci Code '' ( Doubleday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misconceptions or depicted the order in an unflattering light .
In reality , however , Freemasonry is a worldwide organization with a long and complex history .
Its members have included politicians , engineers , scientists , writers , inventors and philosophers .
Many of these members have played prominent roles in world events , such as revolutions , wars and intellectual movements .
Related : Belief in 'Da Vinci Code ' conspiracy may ease fear of death In addition to being the world 's oldest fraternal organization , Freemasonry is also the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an estimated worldwide membership of some 6 million people , according to a report by the BBC .
As the name implies , a fraternal organization is one that 's composed almost solely of men who gather together for mutual benefit , frequently for professional or business reasons .
However , nowadays women can be Freemasons , too ( more on this later ) .
But Freemasons , or Masons as they are sometimes called , are dedicated to loftier goals as well .
Bound together by secret rites of initiation and ritual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brotherhood of man , '' and in the past , have often been associated with 18th century Enlightenment principles such as anti-monarchism , republicanism , meritocracy and constitutional government , said Margaret Jacob , professor emeritus of European history at the University of California , Los Angeles and author of the book `` The Origins of Freemasonry : Facts and Fictions '' ( University of Pennsylvania Press , 2005 ) .
This is not to say that Freemasonry is wholly secular and devoid of religious aspects .
Its members are encouraged to believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parlance of Masonry , is known as the `` Grand Architect of the Universe , '' Jacob added .
Related : What drives religious belief ?
It 's not intuition This Grand Architect , Jacob further explained , is akin to a Deistic creator rather than a personal God as envisioned by Christianity .
The concept of Deism , which has its origins in the 17th century Enlightenment , promotes the idea that the supreme being is like the ultimate `` watchmaker ; '' a deity that created the universe but does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives of its creations .
A code of ethics also guides the behavior of members .
This code is derived from several documents , the most famous of which is a series of documents known as the `` Old Charges '' or `` Constitutions . ''
One of these documents , known as the `` Regius Poem '' or the `` Halliwell Manuscript , '' is dated to sometime around the latter 14th or early 15th century , and is reportedly the oldest document to mention Masonry , according to the Pietre-Stones Review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Freemasons .
The Halliwell Manuscript is written in verse , and in addition to purportedly tracing the history of Masonry , it also prescribes correct moral behavior for Masons .
For example , it urges members to be `` steadfast , trusty , and true , '' and `` not to take bribes '' or `` harbor thieves . ''
While many Freemasons are Christians , Freemasonry and Christianity have had a complex , often divisive , relationship .
Some orthodox Christians have taken issue with Freemasonry 's Deism and its frequently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the Catholic Church has been among its harshest critics .
In 1738 , a Papal decree prohibited Catholics from becoming Freemasons , Jacob wrote .
Even today , the Papal ban on Freemasonry remains in place , with the Church declaring Freemasonry `` irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church , '' according to the Vatican .
The origins of Freemasonry are obscure , and the subject is rife with myth and speculation .
One of the more fanciful claims is that the Freemasons are descended from the builders of Solomon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ First Temple ) in Jerusalem , according to Jacob .
Others have argued that the Freemasons began as an offshoot of the Knights Templars , a Catholic military order dating to medieval times .
And the famous American revolutionary Thomas Paine attempted to trace the origins of the order to the ancient Egyptians and Celtic Druids .
There has also been a longstanding rumor that Freemasons are the same as the Illuminati , an 18th-century secret society that began in Germany , Jacob wrote .
Most of these theories have been debunked , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Freemasonry has its origins in the stonemason guilds of medieval Europe , '' Jacob told Live Science .
These guilds , especially active during the 14th century , were responsible for constructing some of the finest architecture in Europe , such as the ornate Gothic cathedrals of Notre Dame in Paris and Westminster Abbey in London .
Like many artisan craft guilds of that time , its members jealously guarded their secrets and were selective about who they chose as apprentices .
Initiation for new members required a long period of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ craft and were often taught advanced mathematics and architecture .
Their skills were in such high demand that experienced Freemasons were frequently sought out by monarchs or high-ranking church officials , Jacob said .
The guilds provided members not only with wage protection and quality control over the work performed but also important social connections , she added .
Members gathered in lodges , which served as the headquarters and focal points where the Masons socialized , partook in meals and gathered to discuss the events and issues of the day .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the market economy during the 16th and 17th centuries , the old guild system broke down , Jacob wrote .
But the Masonic lodges survived .
In order to bolster membership and raise funds , the stonemason guilds began to recruit non-masons .
At first , the new recruits were often relatives of existing members , but they increasingly included wealthy individuals and men of high social status .
Many of these new members were `` learned gentlemen '' who were interested in the philosophical and intellectual trends that were transforming the European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as rationalism , the scientific method and Newtonian physics .
The men were equally interested in questions of morality — especially how to build moral character .
Out of this new focus grew `` speculative Freemasonry , '' which began in the 17th century .
This modernized form of Masonry deemphasized stone working and the lodges became meeting places for men dedicated to and associated with liberal Western values , Jacob said .
`` Freemasonry as we know it today grew out of the early 18th century in England and Scotland , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Freemason history occurred in 1717 , when the members of four separate London lodges gathered together to form what became known as the Premier Grand Lodge of England .
This Grand Lodge became the focal point of British Masonry and helped to spread and popularize the organization .
Freemasonry spread rapidly across the continent ; soon there were Masonic lodges scattered throughout Europe , from Spain and Portugal in the west to Russia in the east .
It was also established in the North American colonies during the first half of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ century , at the height of the Enlightenment , Freemasonry carried considerable social cachet .
`` Being a Mason signaled that you were at the forefront of knowledge , '' Jacob said .
Freemasonry was n't always welcomed , however .
In the United States in the 1830s , for example , a political party known as the Anti-Masonic Party formed , the Washington Post reported .
It was the nation 's original third political party and its members were dedicated to countering what they believed was Freemasonry 's undue political influence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ become President Abraham Lincoln 's secretary of state , began his political career as an Anti-Masonic candidate .
Can women and minorities become Freemasons ?
The early Masonic lodges were exclusively male , meaning that women were prohibited from membership , a point made clear in the `` Old Charges '' ( `` no bondmen , no women , no immoral or scandalous men ... '' ) .
This tradition , a principle that reflected the predominant social arrangements of the time , continued for many decades , especially in Great Britain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ began to play active roles in the organization , especially on the European mainland .
In France during the 1740s , for example , so-called `` lodges of adoption '' began to appear , Jacob said .
These were lodges that admitted a mixture of men and women , the latter mostly the wives , daughters and female relatives of the male Masons .
They were not fully independent but were sanctioned by and attached to the traditional male lodges .
Soon , similar lodges of adoption sprang up in the Netherlands and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this tradition , Masonic organizations were eventually formed that admitted both men and women as full members .
Some of these organizations included the Order of the Amaranth , the Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem and the Order of the Eastern Star .
In these organizations , both men and women partake in Masonic rites and women can hold positions of authority and leadership .
The highest ranking woman in the Order of the Eastern Star , for example , is known as the `` Worthy Matron '' and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are also several Masonic-related girls ' and young women 's organizations , such as the Order of Job 's Daughters and the International Order of Rainbow for Girls , both of which are active today .
The Rainbow Girls are an offshoot of the Order of the Eastern Star and is largely dedicated to service and charity .
A California native , who asked to remain anonymous , and who was a member of the Rainbow Girls in the 1970s , remembers the organization fondly .
As a young woman , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel lesser because she was a member of one of the female organizations .
`` We were autonomous , '' she told Live Science .
`` We always decided our own agenda . ''
`` If anything , '' she continued , `` looking back , the organization gave me a glimpse of a slightly utopian society because we were very democratic .
The organization was well run and well organized . ''
Today , traditional Masons are still exclusively men but the related organizations of female Masons are still active , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Similar to its relationship with women , Freemasonry in the United States has had a complicated history with ethnic minorities , especially Black Americans .
After Freemasonry was established in the American colonies , but prior to the Revolutionary War , a few free Black colonists , including a man named Prince Hall , petitioned for membership in the Boston , Massachusetts Lodge , according to Cécile Révauger 's book `` Black Freemasonry , '' ( Simon and Schuster , 2016 ) .
Hall was denied but he persevered , eventually receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lodge in England .
The Masonic lodge he established was the first African American lodge in the United States , and became the basis for the many other Black lodges that subsequently sprang up .
These Black lodges were named `` Prince Hall Lodges '' in the founder 's honor , and were established exclusively for African Americans .
Although the Masonic codes do not strictly prohibit the membership of non-white ethnic minorities , integrating the mainstream lodges has been an on-going struggle .
Attempts to integrate the mainstream lodges have been met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberal lodges that make the extra effort , but most just go with whoever turns up , '' Jacob said .
However , even as late as the first decade of this century , attempts to integrate some lodges in the southeastern United States have met with opposition from some white members , the New York Times reported .
Several prominent historical figures have reportedly been Freemasons , including Simón Bolívar , known as the `` liberator of South America '' ; the French philosopher Voltaire , known for his voluminous philosophical and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poet and writer Goethe .
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , the famous composer , became a Mason in 1784 .
His renowned opera , `` The Magic Flute , '' contains elements of Freemasonry , and is a paean to his Masonic beliefs , NPR reported .
In his book `` Revolutionary Brotherhood : Freemasonry and the Transformation of the American Social Order , 1730-1840 '' ( University of North Carolina Press , 1998 ) , historian Steven Bullock noted that several of the Founding Fathers and notable American revolutionaries and presidents were Freemasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Jackson .
Franklin was one of the first Freemasons in what was then Colonial America , and in 1734 he became the Grand Master of the Philadelphia Lodge , according to a 1906 article published in The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography .
The world of Freemasonry is composed of esoteric signs and symbols that are baffling to most non-Masons .
Perhaps the most common are the compass and square , which are the universally recognizable symbols of the organization .
They typically emblazon the lintels above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the aprons worn by Masons during rituals .
Although there is not a single , universally agreed upon meaning , most Masons would probably contend that these two objects in conjunction are meant to represent how a Mason should conduct himself , according to an online dictionary of Masonic symbols .
The square signifies that a man should act `` square '' with his fellow man — that is , he should be honest and forthright in all his dealings .
The compass is a reminder to engage in moderation , and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vices .
In general , Masonic symbols — such as the beehive , the acacia tree and the all-seeing eye , to name a few — are meant to invoke ideals , remind members of correct modes of conduct and behavior , and impart important lessons .
`` The symbols of freemasonry largely have to do with ethics — how one should live their life , '' said the former-Rainbow Girl .
Related : Cracking codices : 10 of the most mysterious ancient manuscripts '' The lodges are having a terrible time recruiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most young men today do n't accept these kinds of distinctions — such as places exclusively for men and places exclusively for women . ''
Consequently , membership in lodges has dropped and the pull to join an exclusive , privileged enclave of men does not carry the attraction it once had .
Although there are Masonic lodges in every U.S. state , many of these now stand vacant .
One of the reasons for this decline has been competition from similar fraternal and service organizations , such as the Odd Fellows , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Protective Order of Elks and E Clampus Vitus .
But it 's also possible that this decline can be explained by the different values espoused by the newer generations , value systems that are often at odds with the previous generations .
The problem of decline , Jacob said , is rooted in the current composition of the lodges .
Most members , she noted , are between the ages of 50 and 60 , are predominantly white and hold very conservative politics .
`` This has no appeal to the younger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even the armed services are integrated now by race and gender , but not the lodges . ''
• Watch this short , animated video about what Freemasons actually do , from The Infographics Show on YouTube .
• Learn more about Mozart 's `` The Magic Flute '' and how it represents his initiation into Freemasonry in this video from the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra • Read how Smithsonian Magazine described a tour of Washington D.C. 's Masonic Temple in 2007 .

Freemasons, known popularly for their white aprons, arcane symbols and secret handshake, are members of the world's oldest fraternal organization. Despite its longevity, Freemasonry (sometimes known simply by the shortened Masons) has long been shrouded in mystery. To outside observers, the organization's rites and practices may seem cult-like, clannish and secretive — even sinister.
Some of this stems from Freemasons' often deliberate reluctance to speak about the organization's rituals to outsiders, according to Time . But it is also partly the result of many popular movies and books, such as Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" (Doubleday, 2003), that have fostered misconceptions or depicted the order in an unflattering light.
In reality, however, Freemasonry is a worldwide organization with a long and complex history. Its members have included politicians, engineers, scientists, writers, inventors and philosophers. Many of these members have played prominent roles in world events, such as revolutions, wars and intellectual movements.
What is Freemasonry?
(Image credit: Getty/ Keith Lance)
In addition to being the world's oldest fraternal organization, Freemasonry is also the world's largest such organization, boasting an estimated worldwide membership of some 6 million people, according to a report by the BBC. As the name implies, a fraternal organization is one that's composed almost solely of men who gather together for mutual benefit, frequently for professional or business reasons. However, nowadays women can be Freemasons, too (more on this later).
But Freemasons, or Masons as they are sometimes called, are dedicated to loftier goals as well. Bound together by secret rites of initiation and ritual, its members ostensibly promote the "brotherhood of man," and in the past, have often been associated with 18th century Enlightenment principles such as anti-monarchism, republicanism, meritocracy and constitutional government, said Margaret Jacob , professor emeritus of European history at the University of California, Los Angeles and author of the book " The Origins of Freemasonry: Facts and Fictions " (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005).
This is not to say that Freemasonry is wholly secular and devoid of religious aspects. Its members are encouraged to believe in a supreme being, which in the parlance of Masonry, is known as the "Grand Architect of the Universe," Jacob added.
Related: Why does Christianity have so many denominations?
This Grand Architect, is comparable to a Deistic creator rather than a personal God as envisioned by Christianity , according to Jacob. The concept of Deism, which has its origins in the 17th century Enlightenment, promotes the idea that the supreme being is like the ultimate "watchmaker;" a deity that created the universe but does not play an active role in the lives of its creations.
A code of ethics also guides the behavior of members. This code is derived from several documents, the most famous of which is a series of documents known as the "Old Charges" or "Constitutions." One of these documents, known as the "Regius Poem" or the "Halliwell Manuscript," is dated to sometime around the latter 14th or early 15th century, and is reportedly the oldest document to mention Masonry, according to the Pietre-Stones Review of Freemasonry, an online magazine written by Freemasons. The Halliwell Manuscript is written in verse, and in addition to purportedly tracing the history of Masonry, it also prescribes correct moral behavior for Masons. For example, it urges members to be "steadfast, trusty, and true," and "not to take bribes" or "harbor thieves."
While many Freemasons are Christians, Freemasonry and Christianity have had a complex, often divisive, relationship. Some orthodox Christians have taken issue with Freemasonry's Deism and its frequently perceived ties to paganism and the occult, according to Pauline Chakmakjian .
But the Catholic Church has been among its harshest critics. In 1738, a Papal decree prohibited Catholics from becoming Freemasons, Jacob wrote. Even today, the Papal ban on Freemasonry remains in place, with the Church declaring Freemasonry "irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church," according to the Vatican.
When did Freemasonry start?
An etching, circa 1733, showing a group of Freemasons meeting for The Initiation Of A Master (Image credit: Getty/ Keith Lance)
The origins of Freemasonry are obscure, and the subject is rife with myth and speculation. One of the more fanciful claims is that the Freemasons are descended from the builders of Solomon's Temple (also known as the First Temple) in Jerusalem, according to Jacob. Others have argued that the Freemasons began as an offshoot of the Knights Templars, a Catholic military order dating to medieval times, according to Sky History .
The famous American revolutionary Thomas Paine attempted to trace the origins of the order to the ancient Egyptians and Celtic Druids. There has also been a longstanding rumor that Freemasons are the same as the Illuminati, an 18th-century secret society that began in Germany, Jacob wrote. Most of these theories have been debunked, though some people continue to believe them.
"Freemasonry has its origins in the stonemason guilds of medieval Europe," Jacob told Live Science. These guilds, especially active during the 14th century, were responsible for constructing some of the finest architecture in Europe, such as the ornate Gothic cathedrals of Notre Dame in Paris and Westminster Abbey in London.
Like many artisan craft guilds of that time, its members jealously guarded their secrets and were selective about who they chose as apprentices. Initiation for new members required a long period of training, during which they learned the craft and were often taught advanced mathematics and architecture. Their skills were in such high demand that experienced Freemasons were frequently sought out by monarchs or high-ranking church officials, Jacob said.
The guilds provided members not only with wage protection and quality control over the work performed but also important social connections, she added. Members gathered in lodges, which served as the headquarters and focal points where the Masons socialized, partook in meals and gathered to discuss the events and issues of the day.
However, with the rise of capitalism and the market economy during the 16th and 17th centuries, the old guild system broke down, Jacob wrote. But the Masonic lodges survived. In order to bolster membership and raise funds, the stonemason guilds began to recruit non-masons. At first, the new recruits were often relatives of existing members, but they increasingly included wealthy individuals and men of high social status.
Many of these new members were "learned gentlemen" who were interested in the philosophical and intellectual trends that were transforming the European intellectual landscape at the time, such as rationalism, the scientific method and Newtonian physics. The men were equally interested in questions of morality — especially how to build moral character. Out of this new focus grew "speculative Freemasonry," which began in the 17th century. This modernized form of Masonry deemphasized stone working and the lodges became meeting places for men dedicated to and associated with liberal Western values, Jacob said.
"Freemasonry as we know it today grew out of the early 18th century in England and Scotland," she said. A major turning point in Freemason history occurred in 1717, when the members of four separate London lodges gathered together to form what became known as the Premier Grand Lodge of England. This Grand Lodge became the focal point of British Masonry and helped to spread and popularize the organization. Freemasonry spread rapidly across the continent; soon there were Masonic lodges scattered throughout Europe, from Spain and Portugal in the west to Russia in the east. It was also established in the North American colonies during the first half of the 18th century, according to Jessica Harland-Jacobs.
By the late 18th century, at the height of the Enlightenment, Freemasonry carried considerable social cachet. "Being a Mason signaled that you were at the forefront of knowledge," Jacob said.
Freemasonry wasn't always welcomed, however. In the United States in the 1830s, for example, a political party known as the Anti-Masonic Party formed, the Washington Post reported. It was the nation's original third political party and its members were dedicated to countering what they believed was Freemasonry's undue political influence. William Seward, who went on to become President Abraham Lincoln's secretary of state, began his political career as an Anti-Masonic candidate.
Can women and minorities become Freemasons?
A group of female masons circa 1933 (Image credit: Getty/ FPG / Staff)
The early Masonic lodges were exclusively male, meaning that women were prohibited from membership, a point made clear in the "Old Charges" ("no bondmen, no women, no immoral or scandalous men..."). This tradition, a principle that reflected the predominant social arrangements of the time, continued for many decades, especially in Great Britain.
But over the years, women increasingly began to play active roles in the organization, especially on the European mainland. In France during the 1740s, for example, so-called "lodges of adoption" began to appear, Jacob said. These were lodges that admitted a mixture of men and women, the latter mostly the wives, daughters and female relatives of the male Masons. They were not fully independent but were sanctioned by and attached to the traditional male lodges. Soon, similar lodges of adoption sprang up in the Netherlands and eventually in the United States.
Out of this tradition, Masonic organizations were eventually formed that admitted both men and women as full members. Some of these organizations included the Order of the Amaranth, the Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem and the Order of the Eastern Star. In these organizations, both men and women partake in Masonic rites and women can hold positions of authority and leadership.
The highest ranking woman in the Order of the Eastern Star, for example, is known as the "Worthy Matron" and is the presiding officer of the organization. There are also several Masonic-related girls' and young women's organizations, such as the Order of Job's Daughters and the International Order of Rainbow for Girls, both of which are active today. The Rainbow Girls are an offshoot of the Order of the Eastern Star and is largely dedicated to service and charity, according to Masonry Today .
A California native, who asked to remain anonymous, and who was a member of the Rainbow Girls in the 1970s, remembers the organization fondly. As a young woman, she said, she was never made to feel lesser because she was a member of one of the female organizations. "We were autonomous," she told Live Science. "We always decided our own agenda. If anything, looking back, the organization gave me a glimpse of a slightly utopian society because we were very democratic. The organization was well run and well organized."
Today, traditional Masons are still exclusively men but the related organizations of female Masons are still active, many involved in charity, education and character-building.
Similar to its relationship with women, Freemasonry in the United States has had a complicated history with ethnic minorities, especially Black Americans. After Freemasonry was established in the American colonies, but prior to the Revolutionary War, a few free Black colonists, including a man named Prince Hall, petitioned for membership in the Boston, Massachusetts Lodge, according to Cécile Révauger's book "Black Freemasonry," (Simon and Schuster, 2016).
Hall was denied but he persevered, eventually receiving a charter in 1784 from the Grand Lodge in England. The Masonic lodge he established was the first African American lodge in the United States, and became the basis for the many other Black lodges that subsequently sprang up. These Black lodges were named "Prince Hall Lodges" in the founder's honor, and were established exclusively for African Americans.
Although the Masonic codes do not strictly prohibit the membership of non-white ethnic minorities, integrating the mainstream lodges has been an on-going struggle. Attempts to integrate the mainstream lodges have been met with varying success. "There are liberal lodges that make the extra effort, but most just go with whoever turns up," Jacob said.
However, even as late as the first decade of this century, attempts to integrate some lodges in the southeastern United States have met with opposition from some white members, the New York Times reported.
Famous Freemasons
Benjamin Franklin - a famous Freemason (Image credit: Getty/ Kean Collection / Staff)
Several prominent historical figures have reportedly been Freemasons, including Simón Bolívar, known as the "liberator of South America", according to Business Insider ; the French philosopher Voltaire, known for his voluminous philosophical and political writings; and the famous German poet and writer Goethe, according to Freemasonry Matters . Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the famous composer, became a Mason in 1784. His renowned opera, "The Magic Flute," contains elements of Freemasonry, and is a paean to his Masonic beliefs, NPR reported.
In his book "Revolutionary Brotherhood: Freemasonry and the Transformation of the American Social Order, 1730-1840" (University of North Carolina Press, 1998), historian Steven Bullock noted that several of the Founding Fathers and notable American revolutionaries and presidents were Freemasons, including George Washington, Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Jackson. Franklin was one of the first Freemasons in what was then Colonial America, and in 1734 he became the Grand Master of the Philadelphia Lodge, according to a 1906 article published in The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography.
The symbols of Freemasonry
The world of Freemasonry is composed of esoteric signs and symbols that are baffling to most non-Masons. Perhaps the most common are the compass and square, which are the universally recognizable symbols of the organization. They typically emblazon the lintels above lodge entrances and can be found on the aprons worn by Masons during rituals.
Although there is not a single, universally agreed upon meaning, most Masons would probably contend that these two objects in conjunction are meant to represent how a Mason should conduct himself, according to an online dictionary of Masonic symbols. The square signifies that a man should act "square" with his fellow man — that is, he should be honest and forthright in all his dealings. The compass is a reminder to engage in moderation, and not to get carried away by life's vices.
In general, Masonic symbols — such as the beehive, the acacia tree and the all-seeing eye, to name a few — are meant to invoke ideals, remind members of correct modes of conduct and behavior, and impart important lessons.
"The symbols of freemasonry largely have to do with ethics — how one should live their life," said the former-Rainbow Girl.
Related: Cracking codices: 10 of the most mysterious ancient manuscripts
Is Freemasonry still relevant?
Today, Freemasonry is undergoing a decline, according to a 2020 article by.
"The lodges are having a terrible time recruiting men," Jacob said. "Most young men today don't accept these kinds of distinctions — such as places exclusively for men and places exclusively for women."
Consequently, membership in lodges has dropped and the pull to join an exclusive, privileged enclave of men does not carry the attraction it once had. Although there are Masonic lodges in every U.S. state, many of these now stand vacant.
One of the reasons for this decline has been competition from similar fraternal and service organizations, such as the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Columbus, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and E Clampus Vitus. But it's also possible that this decline can be explained by the different values espoused by the newer generations, value systems that are often at odds with the previous generations.
The problem of decline, Jacob said, is rooted in the current composition of the lodges. Most members, she noted, are between the ages of 50 and 60, are predominantly white and hold very conservative politics. "This has no appeal to the younger generation," she said. "Even the armed services are integrated now by race and gender, but not the lodges."
Additional resources
Watch this short, animated video about what Freemasons actually do, from The Infographics Show on YouTube. Learn more about Mozart's "The Magic Flute" and how it represents his initiation into Freemasonry in this video from the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Read how Smithsonian Magazine described a tour of Washington D.C.'s Masonic Temple in 2007.


livescience--2020-08-13--Should you ditch your gaiter as a face mask? Not so fast, scientists say

Face masks play a critical role in helping to curb the spread of the novel , and could save tens of thousands of lives in the U.S. if everyone wore them in public , experts have said .
Yes , some face masks are more protective than others .
But that doesn ’ t mean wearing neck gaiters — stretchy pieces of fabric that people , especially runners , pull up to cover their nose and mouth — is worse than wearing no masks at all , as some have suggested .
These news articles were based on a study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which researchers tested a novel method for evaluating the effectiveness of face masks .
In other words , it was a study conducted to test a methodology .
However , the researchers did explore some mask effectiveness in a `` proof-of-principle '' test , to evaluate whether they could use this particular method to measure mask effectiveness .
To do that , they had a handful of participants try out multiple types of masks .
`` The mask tests performed here … should serve only as a demonstration , '' the authors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ variations are to be expected , for example due to difference in physiology , mask fit , head position , speech pattern , and such . ''
In this setup , a person wears a face mask and speaks in the direction of a laser beam set up inside a box that 's expanded to be a sheet of light — and the droplets that come out of their mouths and through the masks scatter light , which is detected using a cellphone camera .
A simple computer algorithm counts the droplets in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their method with 15 different face masks and face coverings ; one participant tried out all the masks and four tried a subset of the masks .
During each trial , the researchers had the participants say `` stay healthy , people , '' five times , and measured the number of droplets they emitted .
The authors found that the number of droplets that escaped through the masks varied greatly .
They did not see `` any appreciable droplet '' emission from the N95 respirator , for example , though those should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , co-author Martin Fischer , a chemist and physicist at Duke University in North Carolina , said at a today ( Aug. 13 ) .
The Duke team also tested a range of cotton masks and found that they blocked about 80 % of the droplets coming out of the mouth , Fischer said .
However , in this proof-of-principle setup , some masks seemed to allow more droplets through than others .
The gaiter mask produced 10 % more droplets than when the person did not wear a mask , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this could be because the gaiter mask split the large droplets from the person 's mouth into smaller droplets , which increased their count .
That is `` somewhat concerning , '' as little droplets can hover in the air for longer and be easily carried away by air currents , Fischer said .
That being said , the gaiter was only tested on a single person , making it likely that differences between individual speakers would overwhelm any difference between masks that they noted .
What 's more , the researchers tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was very thin and made up of a mix of 8 % spandex and 92 % polyester ) .
The public should `` absolutely not '' use this as evidence that neck gaiters are worse than wearing no mask at all , Fischer said .
`` We tested one mask because we just had that mask lying around … there are plenty of other gaiters out there , '' some that could be more protective , he said .
Even the way people wear them can change how protective they are , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst epidemics and pandemics in history Some experts are n't convinced that this particular neck gaiter created more particles in the first place .
`` It 's unclear to me whether they actually measured respiratory droplets , '' said William Ristenpart , a professor of chemical engineering at the University of California , Davis who was not part of the study .
Instead , the Duke team may have measured dustlike particles of fabric that came from the masks .
`` Research from my group in peer review right now indicates that some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confound mask efficacy measurements , '' Ristenpart told Live Science .
There 's still much we do n't know about face mask efficiency , and more tests are needed to pin that down , said study senior author Dr. Eric Westman , an associate professor of medicine at Duke University .
Though this study does n't prove anything about face masks such as gaiters , people should take a `` pause '' if they are using flimsy face coverings , such as a `` one-layer , spandex , polyester stretchy fabric that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a candle through , '' Westman told Live Science .
Those types of masks will likely not be very protective , while a double-layered mask , for example , might be better , he noted .
Another study , published June 30 in the journal used a different method to evaluate the effectiveness of non-medical masks : a masked or unmasked mannequin connected to a fog machined .
This team found that without a mask , droplets could travel up to 12 feet ( 3.7 meters ) from the mannequin , but with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These researchers found that a stitched cotton mask that fit snugly and had multiple layers reduced the spread the most , but a cone-style mask also worked well .
A single-layer bandana ( made from an elastic T-shirt material ) and a folded handkerchief were not as effective .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) recently to warn against using masks with exhalation valves , which might protect the wearer of the mask , but not others , according to .
There are still more questions than answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from this new study highlights that , `` just speaking can potentially spread this [ virus ] to other people , I do n't have to yell , I do n't have to sneeze or cough , '' Westman said .

Face masks play a critical role in helping to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus , and could save tens of thousands of lives in the U.S. if everyone wore them in public, experts have said.
Yes, some face masks are more protective than others. But that doesn’t mean wearing neck gaiters — stretchy pieces of fabric that people, especially runners, pull up to cover their nose and mouth — is worse than wearing no masks at all, as some recent news articles have suggested.
These news articles were based on a study published Aug. 7 in the journal Science Advances , in which researchers tested a novel method for evaluating the effectiveness of face masks. In other words, it was a study conducted to test a methodology. However, the researchers did explore some mask effectiveness in a "proof-of-principle" test, to evaluate whether they could use this particular method to measure mask effectiveness. To do that, they had a handful of participants try out multiple types of masks.
Related: Coronavirus live updates
"The mask tests performed here … should serve only as a demonstration," the authors wrote in the paper. "Inter-subject variations are to be expected, for example due to difference in physiology, mask fit, head position, speech pattern, and such."
In this setup, a person wears a face mask and speaks in the direction of a laser beam set up inside a box that's expanded to be a sheet of light — and the droplets that come out of their mouths and through the masks scatter light, which is detected using a cellphone camera. A simple computer algorithm counts the droplets in the recorded video. The researchers demonstrated their method with 15 different face masks and face coverings; one participant tried out all the masks and four tried a subset of the masks. During each trial, the researchers had the participants say "stay healthy, people," five times, and measured the number of droplets they emitted.
The authors found that the number of droplets that escaped through the masks varied greatly. They did not see "any appreciable droplet" emission from the N95 respirator, for example, though those should typically be reserved for health care workers, co-author Martin Fischer, a chemist and physicist at Duke University in North Carolina, said at a news briefing today (Aug. 13). The Duke team also tested a range of cotton masks and found that they blocked about 80% of the droplets coming out of the mouth, Fischer said.
However, in this proof-of-principle setup, some masks seemed to allow more droplets through than others. The gaiter mask produced 10% more droplets than when the person did not wear a mask, according to the study. The researchers hypothesize that this could be because the gaiter mask split the large droplets from the person's mouth into smaller droplets, which increased their count. That is "somewhat concerning," as little droplets can hover in the air for longer and be easily carried away by air currents, Fischer said.
"Absolutely not" evidence
That being said, the gaiter was only tested on a single person, making it likely that differences between individual speakers would overwhelm any difference between masks that they noted. What's more, the researchers tested a single neck gaiter (one that was very thin and made up of a mix of 8% spandex and 92% polyester).
The public should "absolutely not" use this as evidence that neck gaiters are worse than wearing no mask at all, Fischer said. "We tested one mask because we just had that mask lying around … there are plenty of other gaiters out there," some that could be more protective, he said. Even the way people wear them can change how protective they are, he added.
Related: 20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history
Some experts aren't convinced that this particular neck gaiter created more particles in the first place.
"It's unclear to me whether they actually measured respiratory droplets," said William Ristenpart, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of California, Davis who was not part of the study. Instead, the Duke team may have measured dustlike particles of fabric that came from the masks. "Research from my group in peer review right now indicates that some fabrics shed substantial numbers of particulates that confound mask efficacy measurements," Ristenpart told Live Science.
There's still much we don't know about face mask efficiency, and more tests are needed to pin that down, said study senior author Dr. Eric Westman, an associate professor of medicine at Duke University. Though this study doesn't prove anything about face masks such as gaiters, people should take a "pause" if they are using flimsy face coverings, such as a "one-layer, spandex, polyester stretchy fabric that you can easily breathe through and blow out a candle through," Westman told Live Science. Those types of masks will likely not be very protective, while a double-layered mask, for example, might be better, he noted.
Another study, published June 30 in the journal Physics of Fluids used a different method to evaluate the effectiveness of non-medical masks: a masked or unmasked mannequin connected to a fog machined. This team found that without a mask, droplets could travel up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) from the mannequin, but with a mask that distance dropped significantly, according to a previous Live Science report .
These researchers found that a stitched cotton mask that fit snugly and had multiple layers reduced the spread the most, but a cone-style mask also worked well. A single-layer bandana (made from an elastic T-shirt material) and a folded handkerchief were not as effective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated their guidance to warn against using masks with exhalation valves, which might protect the wearer of the mask, but not others, according to another Live Science report .
There are still more questions than answers, but one of the major takeaways from this new study highlights that, "just speaking can potentially spread this [virus] to other people, I don't have to yell, I don't have to sneeze or cough," Westman said.
Originally published on Live Science.