I was convinced that if my time is not up, this virus can never kill me

2,700 infections, including 41 virus-linked deaths, confirmed in last 2 weeks

CM Murad says province's daily testing capacity has been stretched to 12,000

Top-seeded Jannik Sinner has pulled out of the Paris Masters, citing a virus.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, medical equipment is in short supply, and health workers in countries around the globe have had to ration care. Now, doctors and nurses in New York are treating patients in overcapacity intensive care units with dwindling supplies of equipment. The issue of how to ration scarce medical resources is forcing healthcare workers to make impossible decisions. But is there a best way to make those decisions? This is the subject of a recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine; one of its authors, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, has some thoughts.

Also, we visit a primate research centre in Louisiana where scientists are working on a potential Covid-19 vaccine; we ask how temperature and humidity affects the spread of the coronavirus; we find out how people around the world are stocking up their pantries; and we check out the dating scene to find out how it’s surviving in this global pandemic.

Photo: Mirian Fuentes (L), a medical assistant, and nurse Laurie Kuypers check paperwork during a COVID-19 screening at an appointment-only drive-up clinic set up by the University of Washington Medical Center Northwest Outpatient Medical Center. Credit: Karen Ducey/Getty Images.

Strict physical distancing measures in response to the novel coronavirus have disrupted economies and lives in massive ways. But as shutdown measures stretch from weeks into months, many communities across the globe are now wrestling with when and how to relax those policies. Experts around the world warn that there’s no simple transition for countries looking to ease restrictions, and reopen their economies.

Also, an epidemiologist shares his thoughts on President Trump’s phased plan to reopen America’s economy; there’s a massive effort underway to help Indian nationals who are stranded in the US due to the pandemic; top cybersecurity officials are issuing warnings about Covid-19 related scams and phishing attacks; cybersecurity volunteers are stepping in to fight back; and Singapore has been seen as a model for the way it has confronted the coronavirus outbreak, but now the number of Covid-19 infections has increased again.

Image: A health personnel is seen giving the coronavirus test to a person at the Salus Gracia Geriatric in Barcelona, Spain. (Credit: Miquel Benitez/Getty Images)

“I miss you, too.” How many of us grandparents have found ourselves saying that way too often during this coronavirus pandemic? The hugs and kisses and snuggles are beginning to feel like distant memories. Will things ever return to the way they used to be? How can we grandparents be intentionally involved in the lives of our grandkids during this season of social distancing and sheltering in place? Let’s ask God to help us to . . . Be intentional!  How might you use available technology for...

The coronavirus pandemic is causing the world to realize just how fragile life can be.  More than ever, people need to hear that God is good and offers us salvation through Jesus.  As Christians, we have a unique opportunity to glorify God as we serve our neighbors. Through the ages, amazing things have occurred during difficult times. The story of C.S. Lewis writing the classic book Mere Christianity is one of those.  In the book, C. S. Lewis at War - The Dramatic Story Behind Mere...

The Coronavirus has caused many material shipments to be delayed or cancelled. As a result, the cost of ordering and supplying materials for many items has increased. 

Keep up to date with all the latest coronavirus-related news affecting the charity sector. Please refresh for the latest updates

Washington — Representatives from two labor unions are bringing attention to resources intended to protect workers in “frontline industries” from exposure to the new coronavirus and are calling on the federal government to provide coordinated guidance.

Silver Spring, MD — In response to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the nation’s largest union and professional association of direct care registered nurses is petitioning OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard to protect frontline workers, patients and the public from the potentially deadly respiratory illness.

Chicago — Health care workers commonly carry respiratory viruses on their hands, clothing and personal protective equipment after administering care to patients, accentuating the need to practice “complete hand hygiene and use other PPE to prevent dissemination,” results of a recent study suggest.

Washington — Employers can help prevent the spread of common respiratory viruses indoors by ensuring proper workplace ventilation and limiting the use of small, shared spaces, the Environmental Protection Agency says.

Menomonee Falls, WI — Around 70% of office workers say they’re washing their hands more often because of new strains of the virus that causes COVID-19, while about half avoid shaking hands with others, results of a recent survey show.

Washington — In an effort to prevent work-related transmission of the monkeypox virus, OSHA is urging employers and workers whose jobs may involve skin-to-skin contact with infected people or animals to take precautions.

The coronavirus pandemic we’re dealing with has created a situation that is beyond anyone’s control. That means we adapt, adjust and make the best of it.

Day-to-day operations are still the highest priority, even as food and beverage processors work to protect employees and contractors from coronavirus.

Children's Geographies; 08/01/2022
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Schools will remain closed; a new coronavirus testing plan

State set to gauge budget impact of virus

It is called Zika Virus Infection. It was discovered in Uganda and has since spread across Asia, across the Pacific Ocean, affecting 75 per cent of the population of an island in Micronesia and now it is ravaging Latin America. The first case in the United States of America was discovered recently. Possible links with microcephaly in Brazil and increased incidence of the serious Guillain-Barré syndrome are being monitored by scientists. The first case of Zika Virus Infection was confirmed on December 31, 2015 in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, unincorporated territory of the United States of America. The patient did not have a history of travel outside his native island three months before the onset of illness, leading scientists to conclude that the virus has spread to Puerto Rico and was contracted there. Worrying manifestations of the disease and other developments are being observed in Brazil, where there have been 3.174 cases of microcephaly, and 38 deaths, across 684 municipalities and 21 federal units. The link between pregnant mothers being infected with Zika Virus and their babies developing microcephaly is being investigated - the WHO is sharing information with member states of PAHO and is advising them to be on the alert for similar cases.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin introduced serious measures to prevent coronavirus-caused diseases. At the same time, doctors and health officials say that coronavirus is not serious a problem at all. Pravda.Ru correspondents tried to contact infectious hospitals in Moscow in an attempt to receive an expert on the topic of coronavirus in Russia, but it turned out that the Russian Healthcare Ministry prohibited giving any comments to the media. The decree on the introduction of the regime of high alert due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus was published on the website of the Moscow mayor. For passengers arriving from China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, France, Germany, Spain and other countries, where the situation is alarming, compulsory quarantine will be introduced for 14 days upon their return to Russia. Such people will have to:

Four coronavirus mutants are rushing to attack humanity: new strains of the virus have been found in the UK, Brazil, South Africa and Japan. What do we know about them? The new British strain According to the report from the British Expert Commission of Virologists and Epidemiologists (The New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group/NERVTAG), the mortality rate from British coronavirus B.1.1.7 or VUI202012/1 is approximately 30 percent higher compared to SARS-CoV-2. Its appearance in the United Kingdom dates back to September 2020.There are two stories circulating about the new virus strain. Besides the increased number of deaths, the British strain is much more contagious. Computer simulations have shown that this strain may contribute to the further development of the pandemic. The good news is that vaccines can subdue it and one develops immunity against it. The new South African strain Strain B.1.351 or 501Y. V2 that appeared in South Africa has attacked citizens of at least three dozen countries so far. As of the end of January, as Alexander Gorelov, deputy director for scientific work of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology at Rospotrebnadzor said, the South African strain was not found in Russia.Specialists of the US-based Center for Disease Control and Prevention are confident that this type of pathogen first appeared in early October 2020 in the urban district of Nelson Mandela's Bay (South Africa).Having become dominant in South Africa, the South African strain "traveled" to Australia, and proceeded to terrorize Western Europe:

After Brazil assessed the effectiveness of CoronaVac vaccine by Chinese company Sinovac on the verge of acceptable - about 50 percent, other countries that chose the same drug started showing signs of discontent as well. The Ukrainian population to be vaccinated with CoronaVac In particular, Ukraine's Minister of Health Maxim Stepanov said that the issue was politicized. "All manufacturers in the world without exception that produce vaccines, those that have provided reports, the companies that have registered vaccines ... we have been negotiating with them since May. Just like with COVAX. Therefore, all this is about manipulations - some politicians are trying to intimidate the Ukrainians," he said.

The Indian coronavirus strain, known as the delta variant or B.1.617, has four dangerous new symptoms, Express reports with reference to Abdul Ghafur, an infectious disease doctor from the Indian city of Chennai. According to the doctor, the symptoms of the delta variant of COVID-19 are similar to those of common cold: an infected individual develops a headache, runny nose and sore throat. Four new symptoms of the disease have been identified to date: diarrhea, hearing impairment, severe stomach disorders and blood clots that may lead to gangrene. Doctors note the new variant of the virus is unpredictable and state that any of the above symptoms could indicate an infection.

In Russia, the first case of delta plus coronavirus infection was recorded. "This is the only one case, most likely from abroad,” Darya Danilenko, deputy director of the Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza said. This strain was recorded in isolated cases in the United States and Great Britain.

To remove a computer virus, you first need to know if you actually have a virus. Then, take a look at these steps on how to remove a computer virus.

Phenuiviridae nucleoprotein is the main structural and functional component of the viral cycle, protecting the viral RNA and mediating the essential replication/transcription processes. The nucleoprotein (N) binds the RNA using its globular core and polymerizes through the N-terminus, which is presented as a highly flexible arm, as demonstrated in this article. The nucleoprotein exists in an `open' or a `closed' conformation. In the case of the closed conformation the flexible N-terminal arm folds over the RNA-binding cleft, preventing RNA adsorption. In the open conformation the arm is extended in such a way that both RNA adsorption and N polymerization are possible. In this article, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and small-angle X-ray scattering were used to study the N protein of Toscana virus complexed with a single-chain camelid antibody (VHH) and it is shown that in the presence of the antibody the nucleoprotein is unable to achieve a functional assembly to form a ribonucleoprotein complex.

The large Bunyavirales order includes several families of viruses with a segmented ambisense (−) RNA genome and a cytoplasmic life cycle that starts by synthesizing viral mRNA. The initiation of transcription, which is common to all members, relies on an endonuclease activity that is responsible for cap-snatching. In La Crosse virus, an orthobunyavirus, it has previously been shown that the cap-snatching endonuclease resides in the N-terminal domain of the L protein. Orthobunyaviruses are transmitted by arthropods and cause diseases in cattle. However, California encephalitis virus, La Crosse virus and Jamestown Canyon virus are North American species that can cause encephalitis in humans. No vaccines or antiviral drugs are available. In this study, three known Influenza virus endonuclease inhibitors (DPBA, L-742,001 and baloxavir) were repurposed on the La Crosse virus endonuclease. Their inhibition was evaluated by fluorescence resonance energy transfer and their mode of binding was then assessed by differential scanning fluorimetry and microscale thermophoresis. Finally, two crystallographic structures were obtained in complex with L-742,001 and baloxavir, providing access to the structural determinants of inhibition and offering key information for the further development of Bunyavirales endonuclease inhibitors.

The dangerous Delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading so quickly in the United States that it's likely the mutant strain will become predominant in the U.S. within weeks, according to a new analysis.

The variant, first identified in India, is the most contagious yet and, among those not yet vaccinated, may trigger serious illness in more people than other variants do, say scientists tracking the spread of infection.

The Delta variant apparently already accounts for at least 14% of all new infections, according to the research analysis posted online Monday of more than 242,000 infections nationwide over the last six months.

Another reason to get vaccinated

"It definitely is of concern," says William Lee, the vice president of science at Helix, which is under contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help track the variants.

"Just the fact that it's so transmissible means that it's it's dangerous," Lee says, "and so I think you'll see outbreaks of Delta around the country and more people will get sick from it."

Helix launched the study when researchers spotted a drop in the prevalence of the Alpha variant, a contagious strain first spotted in the U.K. that had quickly become the dominant variant in that country and the U.S.

The researchers discovered the drop in relative frequency of the Alpha variant in their spot checks of strains circulating in the U.S. was due to a rapid increase in two other variants: the Gamma variant, first spotted in Brazil, and the Delta variant. The Gamma variant may be slightly better than the original strain at outmaneuvering the vaccines, researchers say.

"It looks like both of them are going to slowly push out Alpha," says Lee, whose study has not yet been peer-reviewed but has been posted on a pre-print server.

How Delta could prompt another U.S. COVID-19 surge

All the vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. appear, in general, to provide powerful protection against all the variants, including Delta. But the rapid spread of the variants is still raising concern because of the large number of people who remain unvaccinated.

"There still are big portions of the country where the rates of vaccination are quite low," notes Dr. Jeremy Luban, a virologist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. "And, in fact, the Helix paper shows that this Delta variant is increasing in frequency — the speed at which it's increasing in frequency is greatest in those areas where vaccination rates are lowest."

The Delta variant could trigger yet another moderate surge of infections through many parts of the U.S. because of these pockets of unvaccinated people, according to a recent set of projections from the COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub, which is helping the CDC plot the future course of the pandemic.

The projections indicate that infections could start to rise again as soon as some time in July, especially if the vaccination campaign continues to stall.

"For the most part, it's a moderate resurgence," says Justin Lessler, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University who is helping coordinate the hub.

"We're not having massive epidemics at a national level, but we have this kind of continuation of the virus just sticking around and keeping us on our toes," Lessler says. "And in specific places there could be substantial epidemics still."

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Facemasks remain worn as firefighter paramedic Jorge Miranda, holding syringe, speaks with Eduardo Vasquez, who has lived homeless on the streets of Los Angeles since 1992, before administering the one-shot Johnson and Johnson' Janssen Covid-19 vaccine as part of outreach to the homeless by members of the Los Angeles Fire Department's Covid Outreach unit on June 14, 2021 in Los Angeles.; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with UCSF’s Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. 

Topics today include:

• Two weeks after reopening, LA County’s new COVID-19 cases have doubled

• CDC: Infected vaccinated people carry less COVID-19 virus

• Delta variant is now detected in all 50 states

• J&J: “At present, there is no evidence to suggest need for a booster dose to be administered”

• Novavax claims vaccine’s overall efficacy is 89.7%

• Another respiratory virus is spreading in the U.S.

• Curevac’s final trial show shot is far less effective than other vaccines

• Can we now live with the coronavirus?

• Israel scrambles to curb rising COVID-19 infection rates

• Is it time to rethink “one-size-fits-all” approach for masking?

Guest:

Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center; he tweets @PCH_SF

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) this week requested that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine rapidly examine the information and data needed to help determine the origins of the novel coronavirus that is causing a global outbreak of respiratory illness.

WASHINGTON — In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to establish a Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today that Harvey Fineberg, former president of the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) and current president of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, will serve as the chair of the Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats.

Formed earlier this month, the National Academies’ Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats was assembled at the request of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The recently formed National Academies Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats, assembled at the request of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, has been providing rapid expert consultations on several topics, such as social distancing and severe illness in young adults.

A new rapid expert consultation from a standing committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

National Academy of Medicine President Victor J. Dzau will provide remarks on behalf of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board during a virtual event on May 4 to launch an online pledging effort, the Coronavirus Global Response.

To better understand the evolution, transmission patterns, and disease progression of SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — genome sequence data should be integrated with patient clinical data and epidemiological data, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

As the omicron variant of the coronavirus sweeps through the U.S. and other parts of the world — and with the possibility of emerging new variants looming — building confidence in vaccines has become even more important. How can knowledge from the social sciences inform effective communication around vaccines?

For the first time, scientists know what happens to a virus' shape when it invades a host cell, thanks to an experiment by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Understanding how the virus shape changes could lead to more effective anti-viral therapies.

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The CDC yesterday confirmed another infection with 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States in California. The patient is among a group of people under a federal quarantine order because of their recent return to the U.S. on a State Department-chartered flight that arrived on February 7, 2020. All people who have been in Hubei Province in the past 14 days are considered at high risk of having been exposed to COVID-19 and subject to a temporary 14-day quarantine.

The respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China has now been detected in 32 locations internationally, including cases United States. The virus has been named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”).

n-tech projects that smart antibacterial and antiviral products will reach US$1.3 billion by 2025 driven by efforts to combat Covid-19 and provide safer workplace, health care and improved public health

COVID-19 remains a serious health risk in North Carolina

New Peer Reviewed Science Links Increasing Incidence of Lymphatic Cancers to COVID-19 Virus as well as the mRNA Vaccines

CMV is known to be present in semen of HIV-infected men, factors leading to shedding of each virus are unknown. Studies determining the efficacy of adding anti-CMV treatment strategies to HAART on lowering the semen burden of CMV are urgently needed

During the first state of emergency, the number of active users reached 39.86 million.

A summary of assisted reproductive technology testing needs and outcomes during COVID travel lockdown (April, 2020 to March 7, 2022) for couples with infectious disease infertility.