Digital interventions to mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public mental health: a rapid meta-review -
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+Background: Digital interventions may be used to mitigate psychosocial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic but evidence-based recommendations are lacking. The aim of this rapid meta-review was to investigate the theoretical base, user perspective, safety, effectiveness, and cost effectiveness of digital interventions in public mental health provision (i.e. mental health promotion, prevention of, and treatment for mental disorder). Methods: A rapid meta-review was conducted. MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and CENTRAL databases were searched on May 11, 2020. Study inclusion criteria were broad and considered systematic reviews that investigated digital tools for health promotion, prevention, or treatment of mental health conditions likely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: We identified 813 reviews of which 82 met inclusion criteria. Overall, there is good evidence on the usability, safety, acceptance/satisfaction, and effectiveness of eHealth interventions while evidence on mHealth apps is promising, especially if social components (e.g. blended care) and strategies to promote adherence are incorporated. Although most digital interventions focus on the prevention or treatment of mental disorders, there is some evidence on mental health promotion. However, evidence on long-term clinical effects, process quality, and cost-effectiveness is very limited. Interpretation: Accumulating evidence suggests negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on public mental health. There is evidence that digital interventions are particularly suited to mitigating psychosocial consequences at the population level. Decision-makers should develop digital strategies for continued mental health care and the development and implementation of mental health promotion and prevention programs in times of quarantine and social distancing.
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Excess Mortality in Suicide caused by COVID-19 in Japan -
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+Background: Countermeasures against COVID-19 outbreak such as lockdown and voluntary restrictions against going out adversely affect human stress and economic activity. Particularly, this stress might lead to suicide. Object: We examined excess mortality attributable to suicide caused by COVID-19. Method: We applied the NIID model to suicide deaths from October 2009 through September, 2020 for the whole of Japan for both genders. Effects of the great earthquake that struck in eastern Japan on March 11, 2011 were incorporated into the estimation model. Results: Significant excess mortality in suicide was found in July, August and September in 2020 for both genders. It was greater among females than among males. In total, 810 excess cases of mortality were identified. Discussion and Conclusion: Excess mortality during the two months was 1.4 times greater than the number of COVID-19 deaths confirmed by PCR testing. Countermeasures against COVID-19 should be chosen carefully in light of suicide effects.
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+Vaccination elicits immune responses capable of potently neutralizing SARS-CoV-2. However, ongoing surveillance has revealed the emergence of variants harboring mutations in spike, the main target of neutralizing antibodies. To understand the impact of globally circulating variants, we evaluated the neutralization potency of 48 sera from BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccine recipients against pseudoviruses bearing spike proteins derived from 10 strains of SARS- CoV-2. While multiple strains exhibited vaccine-induced cross-neutralization comparable to wild- type pseudovirus, 5 strains harboring receptor-binding domain mutations, including K417N/T, E484K, and N501Y, were highly resistant to neutralization. Cross-neutralization of B.1.351 variants was weak and comparable to SARS-CoV and bat-derived WIV1-CoV, suggesting that a relatively small number of mutations can mediate potent escape from vaccine responses. While the clinical impact of neutralization resistance remains uncertain, these results highlight the potential for variants to escape from neutralizing humoral immunity and emphasize the need to develop broadly protective interventions against the evolving pandemic.
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Artificial Intelligence Applications for COVID-19 in Intensive Care and Emergency Settings: A Systematic Review -
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+Background: Little is known about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) as a decisive technology in the clinical management of COVID-19 patients. We aimed to systematically review and critically appraise the current evidence on AI applications for COVID-19 in intensive care and emergency settings, focusing on methods, reporting standards, and clinical utility. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, IEEE Xplore, and ACM Digital Library databases from inception to 1 October 2020, without language restrictions. We included peer-reviewed original studies that applied AI for COVID-19 patients, healthcare workers, or health systems in intensive care, emergency or prehospital settings. We assessed predictive modelling studies using PROBAST (prediction model risk of bias assessment tool) and a modified TRIPOD (transparent reporting of a multivariable prediction model for individual prognosis or diagnosis) statement for AI. We critically appraised the methodology and key findings of all other studies. Results: Of fourteen eligible studies, eleven developed prognostic or diagnostic AI predictive models, all of which were assessed to be at high risk of bias. Common pitfalls included inadequate sample sizes, poor handling of missing data, failure to account for censored participants, and weak validation of models. Studies had low adherence to reporting guidelines, with particularly poor reporting on model calibration and blinding of outcome and predictor assessment. Of the remaining three studies, two evaluated the prognostic utility of deep learning-based lung segmentation software and one studied an AI-based system for resource optimisation in the ICU. These studies had similar issues in methodology, validation, and reporting. Conclusions: Current AI applications for COVID-19 are not ready for deployment in acute care settings, given their limited scope and poor quality. Our findings underscore the need for improvements to facilitate safe and effective clinical adoption of AI applications, for and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
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COVID-19 Associated Stroke–A Single Centre Experience -
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+Background and Purpose: Various neurological complications have been reported in association with COVID-19. We report our experience of COVID-19 with stroke at a single center over a period of eight months spanning 1 March to 31 October 2020. Methods: We recruited all patients admitted to Internal Medicine with an acute stroke, who also tested positive for COVID-19 on RTPCR. We included all stroke cases in our analysis for prediction of in-hospital mortality, and separately analyzed arterial infarcts for vascular territory of ischemic strokes. Results: There were 62 stroke cases among 3923 COVID-19 admissions (incidence 1.6%). Data was available for 58 patients {mean age 52.6 years; age range 17 − 91; F/M=20/38; 24% (14/58) aged ≤ 40; 51% (30/58) hypertensive; 36% (21/58) diabetic; 41% (24/58) with O2 saturation <95% at admission; 32/58 (55.17 %) in-hospital mortality}. Among 58 strokes, there were 44 arterial infarcts, seven bleeds, three arterial infarcts with associated cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, two combined infarct and bleed, and two of indeterminate type. Among the total 49 infarcts, Carotid territory was the commonest affected (36/49; 73.5%), followed by vertebrobasilar (7/49; 14.3%) and both (6/49; 12.2%). Concordant arterial block was seen in 61% (19 of 31 infarcts with angiography done). 9Early stroke9 (within 48 hours of respiratory symptoms) was seen in 82.7% (48/58) patients. Patients with poor saturation at admission were older (58 vs 49 years) and had more comorbidities and higher mortality (79% vs 38%). Mortality was similar in young strokes and older patients, although the latter required more intense respiratory support. Logistic regression analysis showed that low GCS and requirement for increasing intensity of respiratory support predicted in-hospital mortality. Conclusions: We had a 1.6% incidence of COVID-19 related stroke of which the majority were carotid territory infarcts. In-hospital mortality was 55.17%, predicted by low GCS at admission.
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A disproportionate epidemic: COVID-19 cases and deaths among essential workers in Toronto, Canada -
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+Shelter-in-place mandates and closure of non-essential businesses have been central to COVID-19 response strategies including in Toronto, Canada. Approximately half of the working population in Canada are employed in occupations that do not allow for remote work suggesting potentially limited impact of some of the strategies proposed to mitigate COVID-19 acquisition and onward transmission risks and associated morbidity and mortality. We compared per-capita rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths from January 23, 2020 to January 24, 2021, across neighborhoods in Toronto by proportion of the population working in essential services. We used person-level data on laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 community cases (N=74,477) and deaths (N=2319), and census data for neighborhood-level attributes. Cumulative per-capita rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths were 3-fold and 2.5-fold higher, respectively, in neighborhoods with the highest versus lowest concentration of essential workers. Findings suggest that the population who continued to serve the essential needs of society throughout COVID-19 shouldered a disproportionate burden of transmission and deaths. Taken together, results signal the need for active intervention strategies to complement restrictive measures to optimize both the equity and effectiveness of COVID-19 responses.
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FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines are effective per real-world evidence synthesized across a multi-state health system -
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+Large Phase 3 clinical trials of the two FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines, mRNA-1273 (Moderna) and BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech), have demonstrated efficacies of 94.1% (n = 30,420, 95% CI: 89.3-96.8) and 95% (n = 43,448, 95% CI: 90.3-97.6) in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, respectively. Given the ongoing vaccine rollout to healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities, here we provide a preliminary assessment of real-world vaccination efficacy in 62,138 individuals from the Mayo Clinic and associated health system (Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Wisconsin) between December 1st 2020 and February 8th 2021. Our retrospective analysis contrasts 31,069 individuals receiving at least one dose of either vaccine with 31,069 unvaccinated individuals who are propensity-matched based on demographics, location (zip code), and number of prior SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests. 8,041 individuals received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and were at risk for infection at least 36 days after their first dose. Administration of two COVID-19 vaccine doses was 88.7% effective in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection (95% CI: 68.4-97.1%) with onset at least 36 days after the first dose. Furthermore, vaccinated patients who were subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19 had significantly lower 14-day hospital admission rates than propensity-matched unvaccinated COVID-19 patients (3.7% vs. 9.2%; Relative Risk: 0.4; p-value: 0.007). Building upon the previous randomized trials of these vaccines, this study demonstrates their real-world effectiveness in reducing the rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity among individuals at highest risk for infection.
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Mapping of SARS-CoV-2 Brain Invasion and Histopathology in COVID-19 Disease -
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+The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (SCV2) causes acute respiratory distress, termed COVID-19 disease, with substantial morbidity and mortality. As SCV2 is related to previously-studied coronaviruses that have been shown to have the capability for brain invasion, it seems likely that SCV2 may be able to do so as well. To date, although there have been many clinical and autopsy-based reports that describe a broad range of SCV2-associated neurological conditions, it is unclear what fraction of these have been due to direct CNS invasion versus indirect effects caused by systemic reactions to critical illness. Still critically lacking is a comprehensive tissue-based survey of the CNS presence and specific neuropathology of SCV2 in humans. We conducted an extensive neuroanatomical survey of RT-PCR-detected SCV2 in 16 brain regions from 20 subjects who died of COVID-19 disease. Targeted areas were those with cranial nerve nuclei, including the olfactory bulb, medullary dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve and the pontine trigeminal nerve nuclei, as well as areas possibly exposed to hematogenous entry, including the choroid plexus, leptomeninges, median eminence of the hypothalamus and area postrema of the medulla. Subjects ranged in age from 38 to 97 (mean 77) with 9 females and 11 males. Most subjects had typical age-related neuropathological findings. Two subjects had severe neuropathology, one with a large acute cerebral infarction and one with hemorrhagic encephalitis, that was unequivocally related to their COVID-19 disease while most of the 18 other subjects had non-specific histopathology including focal B-amyloid precursor protein white matter immunoreactivity and sparse perivascular mononuclear cell cuffing. Four subjects (20%) had SCV2 RNA in one or more brain regions including the olfactory bulb, amygdala, entorhinal area, temporal and frontal neocortex, dorsal medulla and leptomeninges. The subject with encephalitis was SCV2-positive in a histopathologically-affected area, the entorhinal cortex, while the subject with the large acute cerebral infarct was SCV2-negative in all brain regions. Like other human coronaviruses, SCV2 can inflict acute neuropathology in susceptible patients. Much remains to be understood, including what viral and host factors influence SCV2 brain invasion and whether it is cleared from the brain subsequent to the acute illness.
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SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Survey Among District Residents Presenting for Serologic Testing at Three Community Based Test Sites in Washington, DC, July to August, 2020 -
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+Background The District of Columbia (DC), a major metropolitan area, continues to see community transmission of SARS CoV 2. While serologic testing does not indicate current SARS CoV 2 infection, it can indicate prior infection and help inform local policy and health guidance. The DC Department of Health (DC Health) conducted a community based survey to estimate DC SARS CoV 2 seroprevalence and identify seropositivity associated factors. Methods A mixed-methods cross-sectional serology survey was conducted among a convenience sample of DC residents during July 27 through August 21, 2020. Free serology testing was offered at three public test sites. Participants completed an electronic questionnaire on household and demographic characteristics, COVID like illness (CLI) since January 1, 2020, comorbidities, and SARS-CoV-2 exposures. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted to describe the sample population and assess factors associated with seropositivity. Results Among a sample of 671 participants, 51 individuals were seropositive, yielding an estimated seroprevalence of 7.6%. More than half (56.9%) of the seropositive participants reported no prior CLI; nearly half (47.1%) had no prior SARS-CoV-2 testing. Race/ethnicity, prior SARS-CoV-2 testing, prior CLI, employment status, and contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases were associated with seropositivity (P<0.05). Among those reporting prior CLI, loss of taste or smell, duration of CLI, fewer days between CLI and serology test, or prior viral test were associated with seropositivity (P≤0.006). Conclusions These findings indicate many seropositive individuals reported no symptoms consistent with CLI since January or any prior SARS-CoV-2 testing. This underscores the potential for cases to go undetected in the community and suggests wider-spread transmission than previously reported in DC.
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Evaluation of a fully automated high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 multiplex qPCR assay with build-in screening functionality for DelHV69/70- and N501Y variants such as B.1.1.7 -
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+Background: New SARS-CoV-2 variants with increased transmissibility, like B.1.1.7 from England or B1.351 from South Africa, have caused considerable concern worldwide. In order to contain the spread of these lineages, it is of utmost importance to have rapid, sensitive and high-throughput detection methods at hand. Methods: Analytical sensitivity was assessed for both wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and B.1.1.7 lineage by serial dilution. A total of 141 clinical samples were subjected to the test and results compared to a commercial manual typing-PCR assay and NGS. Results: The multiplex assay is highly sensitive for detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in clinical samples, with an LoD of 25.82 cp/ml (CI: 11.61 - 57.48). LoDs are slightly higher for the HV68/70 deletion (111.36 cp/ml; CI: 78.16 - 158.67) and the N501Y SNP (2548.04 cp/ml, CI: 1592.58 - 4076.73). A total of 141 clinical samples were tested with the assay, including 16 samples containing SARS-CoV-2 of the B.1.1.7 lineage. Three non-B.1.1.7 samples contained a HV69/70 deletion. All were correctly identified by the multiplex assay. Conclusion: We describe here a highly sensitive, fully automated multiplex PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of del-HV69/70 and N501Y that can distinguish between lineages B.1.1.7 and B1.351. The assay allows for high-throughput screening for relevant variants in clinical samples prior to sequencing.
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Quantification of the tradeoff between test sensitivity and test frequency in COVID-19 epidemic - a multi-scale modeling approach -
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+Control strategies that employ real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for the diagnosis and surveillance of COVID-19 epidemic are inefficient in fighting the epidemic due to high cost, delays in obtaining results, and the need of specialized personnel and equipment for laboratory processing. Cheaper and faster alternatives, such as antigen and paper-strip tests, have been proposed. They return results rapidly, but have lower sensitivity thresholds for detecting virus. To quantify the effects of the tradeoffs between sensitivity, cost, testing frequency, and delay in test return on the overall course of an outbreak, we built a multi-scale immuno-epidemiological model that connects the virus profile of infected individuals with transmission and testing at the population level. We investigated various randomized testing strategies and found that, for fixed testing capacity, lower sensitivity tests with shorter return delays slightly flatten the daily incidence curve and delay the time to the peak daily incidence. However, compared with RT-PCR testing, they do not always reduce the cumulative case count at half a year into the outbreak. When testing frequency is increased to account for the lower cost of less sensitive tests, we observe a large reduction in cumulative case counts, from 57% to as low as 1.5% half a year into the outbreak and to 3.2% three years into the outbreak. The improvement is preserved even when the testing budget is reduced by one half or one third. Our results predict that surveillance testing that employs low-sensitivity tests at high frequency is an effective tool for epidemic control.
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The SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 co-expression network mediated biological process in human gut enterocytes to predict dietary supplements/compounds -
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+The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was recently outbreak causes severe acute respiratory syndrome along with gastrointestinal symptoms for some infected patients. The information on detail pathogenesis, host immune responses and responsible biological pathways are limited. Therefore, infection specific global host responses and gastrointestinal problems as well as the dietary supplements/compounds to boost human health or to neutralize immune inflammation demands extensive research. This study aimed to find the global co-expression protein-protein interaction sub-network of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 infected gut enterocytes cell line and to identify the enriched biological processes. Attempts also been made to predict some dietary supplements/compounds to boost the human health. The SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 infected differential express protein coding gene were integrated with human protein interaction network and co-expression sub-networks were constructed. The common hubs of these sub-networks reshape central cellular pathways of metabolic processes, lipid localization, hypoxia response to decrease oxygen level and transport of bio-molecules. The major biological process enriched in unique hub of SARS-CoV-2 significantly differ from SARS-CoV, related to interferon signaling (cytokine storm), regulation of viral process and influenza-A enzymatic pathway. The predicted dietary supplements and compounds can improve SARS-CoV-2 infected person’s health by boosting the host immunity, reducing the inflammation and stress relieve.
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Optimal Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccines in the Philippines -
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+Vaccine allocation is a national concern especially for countries such as the Philippines that have limited resources in acquiring COVID-19 vaccines. As such, certain groups are suggested to be prioritized for vaccination to protect the most vulnerable before vaccinating others. Our model suggests an allocation of vaccines such that COVID-19 deaths are minimized while the prioritization framework is satisfied. Results of the model show that a vaccine coverage of at least 50 to 70% of the population can be enough for a community with limited supplies, and an increase in vaccine supply is beneficial if initial coverage is less than the specified target range. Also, among the vaccines considered in the study, the one with 89.9% effectiveness and has a 183 Philippine peso (Php) price per dose projected the least number of deaths. Compared to other model variations and common allocation approaches, the model has achieved both an optimal and equitable allocation. This will be helpful for policymakers in determining a vaccine distribution for a resource-constrained community.
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Potent neutralization antibodies induced by a recombinant trimeric Spike protein vaccine candidate containing PIKA adjuvant for COVID-19 -
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+Neutralizing antibodies are critical to prevent corona virus infection. The structures of immunogens to elicit most potent neutralization antibodies are still under investigation. Here we tested the immunogenicity of the trimeric, full length Spike protein with 2 proline mutations to preserve its prefusion conformation. Recombinant trimeric Spike protein expressed by CHO cells was used with polyI:C (PIKA) adjuvant to immunize mice by 0-7-14 day schedule. The results showed that Spike-specific antibody was induced at day 21 with titer of more than 50,000 in average as measured by direct binding to Spike protein. The titer of neutralization reached more than 1000 in average when tested by a pseudo-virus system, using monoclonal antibodies (40592-MM57 and 40591-MM43) with neutralizing IC50 at 1 microgram/ml as standards. Protein/peptide array showed that the antibodies induced by trimeric S protein vaccine bind similarly to natural infection with the receptor binding domain (RBD) as major immunodominant region. No linear epitopes were found in RBD, although several linear epitopes were found in C-terminal domain right after RBD, and heptad repeat regions. Our study supports the efficacy of recombinant trimeric Spike protein vaccine candidate for COVID-19, with excellent safety and readiness for storage and distribution in developing countries.
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Traditional use of Cissampelos pareira L. for hormone disorder and fever provides molecular links of ESR1 modulation to viral inhibition -
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+In traditional systems, a single herbal formulation is often used in the treatment of diverse diseases, including some that are newly emergent and prevalent today. We provide here a multi-omics framework to probe the molecular basis of a multicomponent example herb, Cissampelos pareira L. (Cipa) used in the treatment of hormonal disorders and fever in Ayurveda. Cipa treated MCF7 cells exhibit downregulation of signatures of estrogen response. 38 constituent molecules in Cipa potentially bind ({triangleup}G< -7.5) with ER at the same site as estrogen. Cipa transcriptome signatures in the connectivity map exhibit positive scores with protein translation inhibitors and knockdown signatures of genes linked to the antiviral response. This includes the knockdown signature of RPL7, a coactivator of ESRI with a connectivity score > 99.69. This axis was found to be upregulated in the COVID-19 patient transcriptome. The antiviral activity through ESR1 modulation was validated in the DENV-2 infection model. We further observed 98% inhibition of SARs-COV-2 replication in infected Vero cell cultures with the whole extract. A few of its prominent pure constituents e.g pareirarine, cissamine, magnoflorine exhibited 40-80% inhibition. This study provides a novel framework for querying the molecular links of multicomponent Ayurveda formulations and explains their use in the treatment of disparate diseases. The novel biological targets identified here can become potential that could be applicable to more than one viral infection, such as the use of Cipa in dengue and COVID-19.
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Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of a Single Dose of STI-2020 (COVI-AMG™) to Treat COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Biological: COVI-AMG; Drug: Placebo Sponsor: Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. Not yet recruiting
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An Effectiveness Study of the Sinovac’s Adsorbed COVID-19 (Inactivated) Vaccine - Condition: Covid19 Intervention: Biological: Adsorbed COVID-19 (Inactivated) Vaccine Sponsor: Butantan Institute Enrolling by invitation
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Telerehabilitation in Covid-19 After Hospital Discharge - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Other: Standard Physiotherapy program; Other: Telerehabilitation Sponsor: Universidad de Granada Not yet recruiting
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Study of the Kinetics of COVID-19 Antibodies for 24 Months in Patients With Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Infection - Conditions: Covid19; SARS-CoV 2 Intervention: Other: Sampling by venipuncture Sponsor: Centre Hospitalier Régional d’Orléans Recruiting
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Effect of Prone Position onV/Q Matching in Non-intubated Patients With COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19 Intervention: Other: prone position Sponsor: Southeast University, China Not yet recruiting
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COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Therapy - Conditions: SARS-CoV-2 Infection; COVID-19 Infection Intervention: Biological: Convalescent plasma Sponsors: Angelica Samudio; Consejo Nacional de Ciencias y Tecnología, Paraguay; Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social, Paraguay; Centro de información y recursos para el desarrollo, Paraguay Completed
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Oxidative Stress Parameters, Trace Element and Quality of Life in Women Before and After Covid-19 Vaccines - Condition: Covid-19 Vaccine Intervention: Biological: CoronoVac Vaccine Sponsors: Izmir Bakircay University; Cigli Regional Training Hospital; Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University Not yet recruiting
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Effectiveness of Ivermectin in SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Patients - Condition: Covid19 Intervention: Drug: Ivermectin Sponsor: FMH College of Medicine and Dentistry Completed
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COVID Antithrombotic Rivaroxaban Evaluation - Condition: COVID-19 Intervention: Drug: Rivaroxaban 10 mg Sponsors: Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz; Bayer; Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein; Hospital do Coracao; Hospital Sirio-Libanes; Hospital Moinhos de Vento; Brazilian Research In Intensive Care Network; Brazilian Clinical Research Institute Recruiting
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AGILE (Early Phase Platform Trial for COVID-19) - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Drug: CST-2: EIDD-2801; Drug: CST-2: Placebo Sponsors: University of Liverpool; University of Southampton; Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine; Lancaster University; Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Recruiting
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A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Prothione™ Capsules for Mild to Moderate Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Condition: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Interventions: Drug: Placebo; Drug: Prothione™ (6g) Sponsor: Prothione, LLC Not yet recruiting
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Pulmonary Rehabilitation of Patients With a History of COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19 Intervention: Procedure: Pulmonary rehabilitation Sponsor: University of Rzeszow Enrolling by invitation
Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy Of S-1226 in Moderate Severity Covid-19 Bronchiolitis/Pneumonia - Conditions: Covid19; SARS-CoV-2 Infection Intervention: Drug: S-1226 Sponsor: SolAeroMed Inc. Not yet recruiting
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Community Network-driven COVID-19 Testing of Vulnerable Populations in the Central US - Condition: Covid19 Intervention: Other: Social Network Strategy + COVID-19 messaging Sponsor: University of Chicago Not yet recruiting
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From PubMed
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Photosynthetically Controlled Spirulina, but Not Solar Spirulina, Inhibits TNF-alpha Secretion: Potential Implications for COVID-19-Related Cytokine Storm Therapy - An array of infections, including the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), trigger macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) and subsequently hypercytokinemia, commonly referred to as a cytokine storm (CS). It is postulated that CS is mainly responsible for critical COVID-19 cases, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Recognizing the therapeutic potential of Spirulina blue-green algae (Arthrospira platensis), in this in vitro stimulation study, LPS-activated macrophages and monocytes were…
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Artificially expanded genetic information systems (AEGISs) as potent inhibitors of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of the SARS-CoV-2 - The recent outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 infection has affected the lives and economy of more than 200 countries. The unavailability of virus-specific drugs has created an opportunity to identify potential therapeutic agents that can control the rapid transmission of this pandemic. Here, the mechanisms of the inhibition of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), responsible for the replication of the virus in host cells, are examined by different ligands, such as Remdesivir (RDV), Remdesivir…
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Role of the SphK-S1P-S1PRs pathway in invasion of the nervous system by SARS-CoV-2 Infection - Global spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still ongoing. Before an effective vaccine is available, the development of potential treatments for resultant coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is crucial. One of disease hallmarks is hyper-inflammatory responses, which usually leads to a severe lung disease. Patients with COVID-19 also frequently suffered from neurological symptoms such as acute diffuse encephalomyelitis, brain injury and psychiatric…
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The basis of a more contagious 501Y.V1 variant of SARS-COV-2 - Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is causing a world-wide pandemic. A variant of SARS-COV-2 (20I/501Y.V1) recently discovered in the United Kingdom has a single mutation from N501 to Y501 within the receptor binding domain (Y501-RBD), of the Spike protein of the virus. This variant is much more contagious than the original version (N501-RBD). We found that this mutated version of RBD binds to human Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) a ~10 times more tightly…
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Identification of the SHREK family of proteins as broad-spectrum host antiviral factors - Mucins and mucin-like molecules are highly glycosylated, high-molecular-weight cell surface proteins that possess a semi-rigid and highly extended extracellular domain. P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1), a mucin-like glycoprotein, has recently been found to restrict HIV-1 infectivity through virion incorporation that sterically hinders virus particle attachment to target cells. Here, we report the identification of a family of antiviral cellular proteins, named the Surface-Hinged,…
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Targeting CTP Synthetase 1 to Restore Interferon Induction and Impede Nucleotide Synthesis in SARS-CoV-2 Infection - The newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 caused a global pandemic with astonishing mortality and morbidity. The mechanisms underpinning its highly infectious nature remain poorly understood. We report here that SARS-CoV-2 exploits cellular CTP synthetase 1 (CTPS1) to promote CTP synthesis and suppress interferon (IFN) induction. Screening a SARS-CoV-2 expression library identified ORF7b and ORF8 that suppressed IFN induction via inducing the deamidation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). Deamidated…
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Discovery of re-purposed drugs that slow SARS-CoV-2 replication in human cells - BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused the death of over 2 million people worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst effective vaccines have been developed and vaccination schedules are being rolled out, the identification of safe and inexpensive drugs to slow the replication of SARS-CoV-2 could help thousands of people worldwide whilst awaiting vaccination.
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Structural modeling and analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 cell entry inhibitor camostat bound to the trypsin-like protease TMPRSS2 - The type II transmembrane serine protease TMPRSS2 facilitates the entry of coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, into host cells by cleaving the S(1)/S(2) interface of the viral spike protein. Based on structural data derived from X-ray crystallographic data of related trypsin-like proteases, a homology model of TMPRSS2 is described and validated using the broad spectrum COVID-19 drug candidate camostat as a probe. Both active site recognition and catalytic function are examined using quantum…
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Tipiracil binds to uridine site and inhibits Nsp15 endoribonuclease NendoU from SARS-CoV-2 - SARS-CoV-2 Nsp15 is a uridine-specific endoribonuclease with C-terminal catalytic domain belonging to the EndoU family that is highly conserved in coronaviruses. As endoribonuclease activity seems to be responsible for the interference with the innate immune response, Nsp15 emerges as an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. Here we report the first structures with bound nucleotides and show how the enzyme specifically recognizes uridine moiety. In addition to a uridine site we present…
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The polybasic cleavage site in the SARS-CoV-2 spike modulates viral sensitivity to Type I interferon and IFITM2 - The cellular entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronaviruses types 1 and 2 (SARS-CoV-1 and -2) requires sequential protease processing of the viral spike glycoprotein. The presence of a polybasic cleavage site in SARS-CoV-2 spike at the S1/S2 boundary has been suggested to be a factor in the increased transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 compared to SARS-CoV-1 by facilitating maturation of the spike precursor by furin-like proteases in the producer cells rather than endosomal…
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Nucleoside Inhibitors of Coronaviruses - Coronaviruses (CoVs) belong to a large family of zoonotic supercapsid viruses, including about 40 species of RNA-containing viruses with several strains capable of causing damage to the lungs and respiratory tract. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was responsible for the worldwide SARS outbreak in 2003. The rapid global spread of SARS-CoV-2 has been the cause of significant health concern and thousands of deaths in 2019-2020 and outlined the need for novel antivirals….
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Tryptophan Metabolites and Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Pathophysiology - The metabolism of tryptophan is intimately associated with the differential regulation of diverse physiological processes, including in the regulation of responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome, coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection that underpins the COVID-19 pandemic. Two important products of tryptophan metabolism, viz kynurenine and interleukin (IL)4-inducible1 (IL41)-driven indole 3 pyruvate (I3P), activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), thereby altering the nature of immune…
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SARS-CoV-2 infection is effectively treated and prevented by EIDD-2801 - All known recently emerged human coronaviruses probably originated in bats¹. Here we used a single experimental platform based on human lung-only mice (LoM) to demonstrate efficient in vivo replication of all recently emerged human coronaviruses (SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) and two highly relevant endogenous pre-pandemic SARS-like bat coronaviruses. Virus replication in this model occurs in bona fide human lung tissue and does not require any type of adaptation of the virus or the host….
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Carrageenan containing over-the-counter nasal and oral sprays inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection of airway epithelial cultures - Pharmaceutical interventions are urgently needed to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission. As SARS-CoV-2 infects and spreads via the nasopharyngeal airways, we analyzed the antiviral effect of selected nasal and oral sprays on virus infection in vitro. Two nose sprays showed virucidal activity but were cytotoxic precluding further analysis in cell culture. One nasal and one mouth spray suppressed SARS-CoV-2 infection of TMPRSS2-Vero E6 cells and primary differentiated human airway…
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Aptamer Blocking Strategy Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Virus Infection - The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is threating global health. Inhibiting interaction of the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 S protein (S RBD) and human ACE2 receptor is a promising treatment strategy. However, SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies are compromised by their risk of antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) and unfavorably large size for intranasal delivery. To avoid the limitations of neutralizing antibodies, we proposed and demonstrated an aptamer blocking strategy by…
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From Patent Search
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Compositions and methods for detecting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein - - link
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新冠病毒疫苗表达抗原蛋白的电化学发光免疫检测试剂盒 - 本发明提供一种新冠病毒疫苗表达抗原蛋白的电化学发光免疫检测试剂盒，所述试剂盒至少包含：包被有链霉亲和素的孔板、生物素标记的抗新冠棘突蛋白抗体1、SULFO标记的抗新冠棘突蛋白抗体2、洗涤液、读数液、新冠病毒S蛋白标准品和新冠病毒RBD蛋白标准品。本发明以生物素标记的抗新冠棘突蛋白的抗体1与链霉亲和素板进行连接作为固定相，以新冠S蛋白、RBD蛋白作为参照品，可被SULFO标记的抗体2识别，从而检测新冠抗原的表达情况。该试剂盒能准确灵敏地定量检测不同基质中的新冠S蛋白、RBD蛋白，样品的前处理过程简单，耗时少，可同时检测大量样品。本发明对于大批量样品的新冠病毒疫苗表达抗原的检测具有重要意义。 - link
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陶瓷复合涂料、杀毒陶瓷复合涂料及其制备方法和涂层 - 本发明是关于一种陶瓷复合涂料、杀毒陶瓷复合涂料及其制备方法和涂层。该涂料包括3099.9%无机树脂、0.170%氮化硅、010%功能助剂、018%无机颜料和02%其他功能助剂；无机树脂由有机烷氧基硅烷、有机溶剂和硅溶胶混合、反应，抽醇，添加去离子水获得；有机烷氧基硅烷、有机溶剂和硅溶胶的质量比为11.6：0.5~0.8：1。所要解决的技术问题是如何制备一种贮存稳定性好、可常温固化且膜层的物理化学性能优异的涂料；该涂料VOC含量低，具有良好的安全生产性，且涂料成膜过程中的VOC排放很低，利于环保；该膜层的硬度高、柔韧性好，不易开裂，且可以接触性杀灭病毒和细菌；该涂料既可常温固化，也可加热固化，无需现场两个剂型调配，施工方便，成本节约，从而更加适于实用。 - link
病毒核酸提取或保存试剂、引物探针组合、病毒扩增试剂、试剂盒及其应用 - 本发明涉及病毒检测领域，特别涉及病毒核酸提取或保存试剂、引物探针组合、病毒扩增试剂、试剂盒及其应用。本发明病毒检测装置提供了一种简单易行的病毒核酸提取方法，整个过程大约5‑15分钟，回收纯化的核酸，可用于病毒核酸的检测。包括PCR、NASBA、LAMP、RPA等。相比较于传统的病毒提取方法，本方法病毒核酸回收率高、用时少、操作方便、易于临床推广。本发明涉及单管同时检测新型冠状病毒COVID‑19 N和ORF基因以及人源内参基因的等温扩增引物、探针组合序列和反应缓冲液，该体系特异性好，灵敏度高（50 cp/mL），特异性高，只需20 min的检测时间，最快可在10 min左右报阳性。 - link
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一种侧链修饰的聚氨基酸及其制备方法和用途 - 本发明提供了一种侧链修饰的聚氨基酸及其制备方法，所述侧链修饰的聚氨基酸具有如下优势：（1）主链和侧链结构及其连接方式都可以灵活选取，使制得的聚合物胶束具有良好生物相容性和靶向递送效率，（2）聚氨基酸主链的电荷极性为电正性，对主链的电荷调节促进胶束的pH值响应，帮助RNA从“溶酶体陷阱”中逃离进入胞浆，（3）通过量化侧链修饰脂肪链的链长、饱和度和脂肪链数量来控制侧链的疏水性部分，精确调节疏水部分的体积和缔合作用强度，（4）由于RNA和DNA在结构和负电性上的相似性，高效构建包裹和递送体，（5）通过双亲性功能高分子的侧链修饰引入不同的生物功能基团，实现递送体系对靶点组织和部位的特异性结合，提高靶向递送效果。 - link
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靶向SARS-CoV-2冠状病毒的抗体及其诊断和检测用途 - 本发明涉及靶向SARS‑CoV‑2冠状病毒的抗体及其诊断和检测用途。具体涉及特异性结合冠状病毒S蛋白的抗体或其抗原结合片段和抗体对以及包含所述抗体或其抗原结合片段和抗体对的检测产品。本发明还涉及编码所述抗体或抗原结合片段的核酸及包含其的宿主细胞，以及制备所述抗体或抗原结合片段的方法。此外，本发明涉及所述抗体或其抗原结合片段、抗体对的预防、治疗或诊断用途。相较于常规的IgG/IgM检测，该检测方法直接检测样本中病毒的RBD蛋白，可以有效避免可能的样本中无关IgG/IgM对于检测的干扰，有效提高检测的灵敏度。所述抗体或抗体对可用于诊断和/或检测冠状病毒。 - link
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A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITION OF NITAZOXANIDE AND MEFLOQUINE AND METHOD THEREOF - A pharmaceutical composition for treating Covid-19 virus comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a nitazoxanide or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and an mefloquine or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof is disclosed. The pharmaceutical composition comprises the nitazoxanide in the ratio of 0.05% to 66% w/v and the mefloquine in the ratio of 0.05% to 90% w/v. The composition is found to be effective for the treatment of COVID -19 (SARS-CoV2). The pharmaceutical composition of nitazoxanide and mefloquine has been found to be effective and is unexpectedly well tolerated with a low rate of side-effects, and equally high cure-rates than in comparable treatments. - link
A Survival Center Tries to Survive the Pandemic - Bobby Simpson has been distributing food in Kentucky for decades. Now the people who usually help him help others are hurting, too. - link
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History Will Find Trump Guilty - The former President avoided conviction in the Senate, but his era will be recalled for its authoritarian politics and lawless compulsions. - link
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When Climate Change and Xenophobia Collide - During a hurricane, migrants in the Bahamas were told that they could seek shelter without fear. More than a thousand were deported, reflecting a global trend. - link
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Texans in the Midst of Another Avoidable Catastrophe - The state’s independent power grid was couched as a badge of individualism. Then a once-in-a-generation storm hit—and, sure enough, the onus fell on the individual. - link
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Blaming the Wind for the Mess in Texas Is Painfully Absurd - Failures in renewable-energy generation accounted for only a small percentage of the state’s recent power outages. - link
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From Vox
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Rush Limbaugh’s toxic legacy -
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+Rush Limbaugh receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom during former President Donald Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address. | Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images
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+Rush Limbaugh is dead at 70. The Republican Party he poisoned is very much alive.
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+Obituaries for talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, who died on Wednesday at the age of 70, have frequently described him as a “conservative provocateur.” This is technically accurate but euphemistic, akin to calling Bashar al-Assad a “controversial leader.” Limbaugh’s stock in trade was bigotry and offense; his career-long defining trait was a willingness to channel the conservative id in unusually blunt and crude terms.
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+These examples are not cherry-picked. Bigotry dressed up as “jokes” or “entertainment” were the stock-in-trade of Limbaugh’s show; he built and maintained a massive audience across decades not in spite of this commentary, but because of it.
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+“Rush built upon an already robust right-wing media and organizational infrastructure and married it to lowbrow entertainment culture, appealing to a deeply politicized audience of angry white men who did not consider themselves political,” writes David Astin Walsh, a historian of conservatism at the University of Virginia. “Limbaugh was the fountainhead for an entire generation of radical right-wing GOP politicians who owe their careers to the politics of resentment and white racial rage.”
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+Foremost among these leaders, of course, is former President Donald Trump.
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+Though Limbaugh initially supported Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the 2016 presidential primary, he came around to Trump and Trumpism — becoming one of the former president’s most influential boosters in conservative media. In return, Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom — America’s highest civilian honor — during the 2020 State of the Union speech.
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+It was darkly appropriate. Limbaugh had more influence on the trajectory of the American right than the vast majority of political leaders; it is not a stretch to say that Trump’s presidency may not have happened without him.
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+“Rush Limbaugh radically transformed the Republican Party. He elevated conservative media into a coequal branch of party politics, and pioneered a style of rhetoric, argument, and entertainment that would come to define conservative politics,” writes Nicole Hemmer, a historian of talk radio at Columbia University.
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+That time Rush Limbaugh made fun of Michael J Fox and his Parkinson’s disease. pic.twitter.com/7CuHlE5Lpy
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+This, according to Hemmer, is very much not a good thing.
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+“The things we now think of as particularly Trumpian features of conservatism — the insults, the conspiracies, the blend of entertainment and politics and anger — Limbaugh had been doing it for a quarter-century before Trump showed up to the party.”
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+Rush Limbaugh is dead. The rest of us have to live with his baleful legacy.
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+Limbaugh’s startling influence over the Republican Party
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+Prior to Limbaugh’s emergence on the national scene in 1988, the conservative mass media as we know it today did not exist. He was the first of the major talk radio hosts. Fox News arrived eight years after Rush; online conservative outlets like Breitbart were quite literally inconceivable at the time. Limbaugh proved that the particular combination of strident right-wing politics, outrageous commentary dressed up as “humor” or “just asking questions,” and incessant attacks on the “liberal media” could be commercially viable with an extremely large audience.
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+Limbaugh had a singular talent as a performer: an ability to capture the hearts and minds of his supporters with few parallels. His fans called themselves “Dittoheads” because callers would frequently “ditto” each others’ praise of whatever Limbaugh had just said. The dittohead ranks grew rapidly in the late 1980s and early ’90s, and the institutional Republican Party welcomed it. In 1994, first-term House Republicans — who had just won a majority — named him an honorary member of their class.
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+After his death on Wednesday, leading Republicans from both the party’s insurgent right and establishment wings lined up to praise him. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) lauded him as someone who “lived the First Amendment and told hard truths that made the elite uncomfortable.” Former President George W. Bush described Limbaugh as “a friend throughout my presidency,” a “controversial” figure who nonetheless “spoke his mind as a voice for millions of Americans.”
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+But perhaps the most interesting conservative statement on Limbaugh’s death came from Noah Rothman, an editor at the venerable conservative magazine Commentary. Rothman, an anti-Trump Republican who has decried the party’s radical trend in recent years, nonetheless had kind words for Limbaugh as an invaluable counterweight to perceived media bias:
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+If you know a conservative under the age of 35, Limbaugh influenced them. Whatever you think of his career trajectory, and I have my frustrations in the Trump era, he was a profoundly important check on Democratic narratives in the press. A true legend. Rest in peace.
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+This has long been the conservative establishment’s approach to “provocateurs” like Limbaugh and his imitators on Fox News: Sure, they might be crazy, but they’re our crazies.
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+“People were willing to excuse his takes not only because of a kind of longstanding ‘gotta let people troll/free speech’ type ethic, but also because they to some extent agreed with the right-wing critique of liberal media hegemony,” Paul E. Johnson, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who studies conservative political rhetoric, tells me. “If you really think you’re at the margins, you have to shout to be heard, and who cares if you ruffle some feathers in the process.”
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+But now, the party’s leadership is under attack by the monster they created, literally: The mob that attacked Congress on January 6, whose members openly stated their intent to kill lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence, was a product of the fact-free, radical media ecosystem that Limbaugh helped build. Networks like One America News, unthinkable absent Limbaugh’s trailblazing, helped convince Republicans of Trump’s Big Lie that the election was stolen — the belief that directly caused the Capitol Hill riot.
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+“There’s a lot of people calling for the end of violence,” Limbaugh said. “There’s a lot of conservatives, social media, who say that any violence or aggression at all is unacceptable. Regardless of the circumstances. I’m glad Sam Adams, Thomas Paine, the actual tea party guys, the men at Lexington and Concord didn’t feel that way.”
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+Now the whole country is suffering the consequences from a Republican base that has been radicalized in no small part by decades of Limbaugh broadcasts blasted into their ears. They’ve been taught that Democrats are mortal enemies, and the media cannot be trusted, by opportunists and bigots like Limbaugh who profit from taking the most explosive and hard-right stance imaginable.
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+Limbaugh is dead. His brand of poisonous politics will not be laid to rest with him.
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Fox News turns Winter Storm Uri into a cudgel to own the libs -
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+Tucker Carlson speaks at the National Review Institute Ideas Summit in March 2019 in Washington, DC. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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+“It seems pretty clear that a reckless reliance on windmills is the cause of this disaster” in Texas, Tucker Carlson lied.
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+As nearly 3 million Texans languished without electricity Wednesday afternoon amid the ongoing fallout from Winter Storm Uri, Republicans and Fox News have teamed up to turn the disaster into a culture-war wedge issue.
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+As Vox’s Umair Irfan explained, the blackouts happened when the winter storm created a sudden spike in energy demand and hamstrung production of natural gas, coal, nuclear, and wind energy. The root problems (climate change aside) involve the state’s failure to winterize energy facilities and infrastructure in a region not accustomed to sustained freezing weather.
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+It’s a somewhat complicated story — unless you get your information from Fox News. Since Monday, various Fox News hosts, including Tucker Carlson and Harris Faulkner, have pushed the narrative that the power outages in Texas are actually the result of Green New Deal-style energy policies that aren’t even in place there.
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+“It seems pretty clear that a reckless reliance on windmills is the cause of this disaster,” Carlson claimed Monday, establishing a talking point that Fox News continued to hammer into the brains of viewers across numerous shows on Tuesday, with Carlson returning to the theme that evening.
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+Then, in an episode illustrative of the symbiotic relationship between Fox News and the Republican Party, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) took a break from responding to the disaster to join Sean Hannity’s Fox News show later Tuesday evening. As Hannity agreed with him, Abbott said that “this shows how the Green New Deal would be a deadly deal for the United States of America.”
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+“Our wind and our solar got shut down, and they were collectively more than 10 percent of our power grid, and that thrust Texas into a situation where it was lacking power on a statewide basis,” he continued. “It just shows that fossil fuel is necessary for the state of Texas as well as other states to make sure that we’ll be able to heat our homes in the wintertime and cool our homes in the summertime.”
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+Texas Gov. Abbott blames solar and wind for the blackouts in his state and says “this shows how the Green New Deal would be a deadly deal for the United States of America” pic.twitter.com/YfVwa3YRZQ
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+It’s not just Abbott — other Texas Republicans, including fellow Fox News regular Rep. Dan Crenshaw and Sen. John Cornyn — are also using Uri and the ensuing humanitarian crisis as a pretext to bash renewable energy.
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+Bottom line: Thank God for baseload energy made up of fossil fuels.
Had our grid been more reliant on the wind turbines that froze, the outages would have been much worse.
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+It is true that some wind turbines and other renewable energy facilities froze amid the historic cold snap and had to cease production. But the bigger problem the Abbotts and Hannitys of the world refuse to acknowledge is that the winter storm shut down an even greater proportion of the thermal sources favored by opponents of renewable energy.
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+As Katie Shepherd detailed for the Washington Post, data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the nonprofit that runs Texas’s electrical grid, refutes the Abbott/Fox News spin:
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+Although renewable energy sources did partially fail, they only contributed to 13 percent of the power outages, while providing about a quarter of the state’s energy in winter. Thermal sources, including coal, gas and nuclear, lost almost twice as many gigawatts of power because of the cold, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the state’s electric grid operator. Critics have also noted that wind turbines can operate in climates as cold as Greenland if they’re properly prepared for the weather.
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+Against that backdrop, singling out wind turbines for the ongoing outages in Texas is obviously a fundamental misreading of what’s really going on. But instead of subjecting Abbott’s claims to critical scrutiny, Fox News’s “news side” hosts amplified them on Wednesday by covering them as news.
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+Faulkner again highlighting laughably false takes as fact, this show intentionally peddles in misinformation
“TX gov says wind turbines failed during the deep freeze and halted natural gas delivery, and says ~the lefts climate agenda~ has played a role in creating this tragedy” pic.twitter.com/yYIIi6yoj6
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+Fox News’ treatment of Uri illustrates how, for a large segment of the Republican Party, everything is now a culture war. On Fox, the coronavirus pandemic is recast around the struggle of aggrieved business owners and parents to overcome purportedly unnecessary public health regulations imposed by Democratic public officials; the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol becomes about Nancy Pelosi’s alleged failures; President Joe Biden’s efforts to prevent conflicts of interest in and around the White House is covered, while the egregious conflicts of interest in the Trump White House were defended.
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+And a historic winter storm in Texas made worse by failures to take proper precautions — officials ignored a 2011 federal report recommending that ERCOT take steps to weatherize facilities against cold weather, for instance, and when Abbott isn’t on Fox News, he’s been trying to pin blame for the power outages on the nonprofit — ends up being twisted into a pretext for misleading attacks on renewable energy.
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+“Republicans and right-wing media, they want to take every policy issue and turn it into some painful culture war idiocy,” said MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on Tuesday in a monologue critiquing coverage of what’s going on in Texas. “And there’s an interest to do it. The fossil fuel companies want this too. They want it to turn into a culture war, like ‘the libs don’t want you to have power.’”
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The Covid-19 relief bill is also an Obamacare expansion bill -
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+President Joe Biden’s Covid-19 relief bill would expand Obamacare in several important ways. | Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
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+Millions of Americans could gain health coverage under the Democrats’ stimulus bill.
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+The Covid-19 relief package proposed by President Joe Biden and being considered by Democrats in Congress could expand health care coverage to millions of people, the most significant step in the last 10 years toward patching up some of the holes in the Affordable Care Act.
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+The ACA led to a historically low uninsured rate in the US — 8.6 percent in 2016 — but the number of uninsured Americans started ticking up again during the Trump administration, rising to 9.2 percent by 2019. Then millions of people lost their insurance (along with their jobs) during the coronavirus pandemic.
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+The Covid-19 relief plan is trying to move the rate back in the other direction. The most effective provision would be a two-year expansion of the ACA’s premium subsidies, which Americans can use to purchase private health insurance on the marketplaces the law established.
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+The House version of the Covid-19 relief bill would increase the size of the subsidy for those already eligible for assistance (people making between 100 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level). It would also extend subsidies for people earning more than 400 percent of the poverty level, ensuring that nobody would pay more than 8.5 percent of their income for health coverage.
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+ Courtesy of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities
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+This would provide help to one of the populations left out of the ACA: the roughly 2.6 million people who make too much money to qualify for subsidies and are currently uninsured.
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+Based on prior estimates of such a proposal, somewhere between 4 million and 5 million people would be expected to gain coverage as a result of expanding the subsidies. The Biden administration has already opened ACA enrollment to everybody until May 15, which would give people an immediate opening to take advantage of the new benefits.
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+However, there is a catch: The subsidy expansion expires after two years.
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+The reason appears to be twofold. One, Democrats say they want this package narrowly focused on the Covid-19 pandemic. Two, Democrats are using the budget reconciliation process with the aim of passing the bill without any Republican votes, so they need to be mindful of how much the bill costs. Extending the subsidies permanently would raise the price tag.
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+But the two-year limit creates an expiration date for these new benefits. To avoid it, Democrats would need to either permanently extend the subsidies in another reconciliation bill later this Congress, or find another way to make them permanent in the next two years to prevent millions of people from losing coverage if the assistance is allowed to lapse.
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+So the Democrats’ Covid-19 relief bill will deliver important and immediate help to uninsured people in the middle class. Helping uninsured Americans living in poverty, the other big gap in the ACA, is going to be more difficult.
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+The ACA was supposed to extend Medicaid eligibility to all people in poverty. But the Supreme Court ruled that states could not be forced to expand Medicaid, and a dozen GOP-led states have refused to do so. That has left about 2 million people uninsured, with no other realistic option for affording health insurance.
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+There is no easy fix for covering those people. During the presidential campaign, Biden proposed creating a new government insurance plan that would automatically enroll them — a public option — but that is not being proposed as part of the Covid-19 relief legislation, and it may not be permissible under the budget reconciliation rules.
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+Under the Covid-19 relief bill, if a state expanded Medicaid now, it would receive a 5 percent bump in federal funding for its traditional Medicaid population for the next two years.
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+Because many more people are covered by traditional Medicaid than by the expansion, that funding bump would be expected to more than cover the 10 percent share states are asked to pay for Medicaid expansion under the ACA. It’s a new way to sweeten the expansion deal, which already comes with a permanent 90 percent federal match for expansion enrollees, for the holdout states.
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+In theory, that would be a way to cover 2 million more people and provide help to another group left out of the ACA. But Republican states have refused expansion as much because of their ideological opposition to the health care law as they have because of the specifics of financing it. Health policy experts sound skeptical that the incentive Democrats are including in their Covid-19 package will be sufficient to change the states’ minds.
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+Even with this big incentive, my guess is few of the 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid will change course. That’s partly because the incentive is temporary.
That will leave over 2 million uninsured poor people with no options, which is a big gap in our health system. https://t.co/tTcRn7cYkS
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+The Covid-19 relief bill does include other improvements to Medicaid, however, including new incentives for states to expand home and community-based services, assist the elderly and disabled populations that may have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, and cover postpartum care for new mothers for 12 months.
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+Completing the work of universal coverage, which is what Biden’s campaign platform amounted to, will almost assuredly not be accomplished in the president’s first big legislative package. Democrats will likely face a lot of pressure from progressives to go bigger in the next reconciliation bill they pull together.
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+But this is, nevertheless, a start.
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From The Hindu: Sports
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Australian Open | Novak Djokovic ends Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev’s golden run - Djokovic will face either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s final
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IPL auctions | Rajasthan Royals buys Chris Morris for ₹16.25 crore to seal the most expensive deal - He surpassed the record of Yuvraj Singh who was bought by Delhi Capitals for ₹16 crore in 2015.
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IPL Auction 2021 live updates | RR get Chris Morris for record 16.25 crores, Punjab sign Australian Jhye Richardson for 14 crores - A total of 292 players will be competing for just 61 available slots across the eight franchises
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CSA approaches ICC, lodges complaint against Cricket Australia for tour postponement - Australia had earlier this month postponed their tour of South Africa next month, citing “unacceptable health and safety risk.”
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Indian pro boxer Lalrinsanga Tlau to fight for vacant WBC youth title next month - The 21-year-old Tlau is four-fight old in the professional circuit and has an unbeaten record.
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From The Hindu: National News
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Attack on West Bengal Minister due to political rivalry concerning Trinamool Congress: Railway officials - Jakir Hossain had filed a police complaint in 2017 against two Trinamool members, who were giving him death threats, says an official
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PAGD wins DDC chairperson posts in two Jammu districts - Both districts were reserved for women candidates.
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3 children from State bag bravery awards - Special Award for Ummer Mukthar, General Award for Jayakrishnan Babu, Muhammed Hamras K.
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To neighbours, PM moots special visa scheme for medical staff - Doctors and nurses could travel quickly within region during emergencies, on the request of receiving country, he says
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Farmers’ protests: Negligible impact of ‘rail roko’ call on train services: Railways - Earlier, around 25 trains were regulated by the Railways on account of the agitation
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From BBC: Europe
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Belarus jails Belsat TV journalists for filming protest - A judge rules that by live-streaming a protest the Belsat TV journalists incited unrest in Minsk.
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Pablo Hasél protests: Violence in Spanish cities over rapper’s jailing - Police clash with protesters in Madrid and Barcelona, as unrest over Pablo Hasél’s jailing spreads.
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Georgia PM Giorgi Gakharia quits over order to detain opposition leader - Giorgi Gakharia said the court order to hold an opposition leader could cause “political escalation”.
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Bags packed: Russian activist prepares for jail - Anastasia Shevchenko awaits a verdict on charges of being linked to a pro-democracy group in the UK.
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Navalny must be freed, European rights court tells Russia - Russia condemns a decision calling for the Kremlin critic’s release because of a risk to his life.
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From Ars Technica
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Latest Nintendo Direct event led by Zelda: Skyward Sword HD remaster - Splatoon 3, Fall Guys, a Ninja Gaiden 3D trilogy collection, new Mario Golf, more. - link
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The world’s second-most popular desktop operating system isn’t macOS anymore - Chrome OS’s rise in market share has been swift and decisive. - link
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Steam developer gets banned for “Very Positive” review trickery - Steam UI made it hard to tell if “Very Positive” games had “Very Positive” reviews. - link
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Egyptian royal mummy shows pharaoh wasn’t assassinated—he was executed - An earlier X-ray had suggested that the king might have been murdered in his sleep. - link
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Facebook goes nuclear, banning all news posts in Australia - Facebook says Australia “fundamentally misunderstands” its relationship to news. - link
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From Jokes Subreddit
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Penis Van Lesbian -
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+Back in the 50’s, a man walked into a Hollywood agent’s office. He told the agent that he wanted to be a big star and that he wanted the agent to represent him. The agent asked the man’s name, to which he proudly replied, “Penis Van Lesbian.” Taken aback, the agent said, “If you want to be a big star, you will have to change your name.” The man, somewhat offended, told the agent, “The Van Lesbian name goes back centuries and I am very proud of my name! I will never change my name! Ever!” “Then I won’t be able to represent you.” Said the agent. “Then good day to you, sir!” The man yelled as he stormed out of the office.
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+Five years later, the agent received a letter along with a check for $50,000, written out to him. He wondered if it was sent to him by mistake until he read the letter.
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+The letter said,
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+Dear Sir, Five years ago, I came into your office wanting to become an actor in Hollywood and you told me I needed to change my name. Determined to make it with my God-given birth name, I refused. You told me I would never make it in Hollywood with a name like Penis Van Lesbian. After I left your office, I thought about what you said. I decided you were right. I had to change my name. I had too much pride to return to your office, so I signed with another agent. I would never have made it without changing my name, so the enclosed check is a token of my appreciation. Thank you for your advice..
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A waitress walks up to one of her tables in a New York City restaurant and notices that the three Bulgarian businessmen seated there are furiously masturbating… -
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+She says, “What the hell do you guys think you are doing?”
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+One of the Bulgarian men says, “Can’t you see? Ve arrrre all verrry, verrry hoongry.”
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+The waitress makes a stroking motion and says, “So how is whacking-off in the middle of the restaurant going to help that situation??”
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+One of the other businessmen replies, “The menu say, FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!”
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+/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22309761/2_10_21healthf1_450.png)
Courtesy of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities
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