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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="covid-19-sentry">Covid-19 Sentry</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-preprints">From Preprints</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-pubmed">From PubMed</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-patent-search">From Patent Search</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-preprints">From Preprints</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Perceptions on undertaking regular asymptomatic self-testing for COVID-19 using lateral flow tests: A qualitative study of university students and staff</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background There has been an increased interest from governments in implementing mass testing for COVID-19 of asymptomatic individuals using Lateral Flow Tests (LFTs). Successful implementation of such programmes depends on several factors, including feasibility, acceptability and how people act on test results. There is a paucity of studies examining these issues. Objective We aimed to examine experiences of university students and staff with experience of regular asymptomatic self-testing using LFTs, and their subsequent behaviours. Methods We invited people who were participating in a weekly testing feasibility study. We conducted semi-structured remote interviews between December 2020 and January 2021. Additional qualitative data from a survey were also analysed. Data were analysed thematically. Results We interviewed 18 and surveyed 214 participants. Participants were motivated to regularly self-test as they wanted to know whether or not they were infected with SARS-CoV-2. Most reported that a negative test result did not change their behaviour but it did provide them with reassurance to engage with permitted activities. In contrast, some participants reported making decisions about visiting other people when they would not have done so otherwise, because they felt reassured by a negative test result. Participants valued the test training but some participants still doubted their ability to carry out the test. Participants were concerned about safety of attending test sites with lots of people and reported home testing was most convenient. Conclusions If governments want to increase uptake of LFT use, clear messages highlighting the benefits of regular testing for family, friends and society in identifying asymptomatic cases are needed. This should be coupled with transparent communication about accuracy of LFTs and how to act on either a positive or negative result. Concerns about safety, convenience of testing, and ability to do tests need to be addressed to ensure successful scaling up asymptomatic testing.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.26.21254337v1" target="_blank">Perceptions on undertaking regular asymptomatic self-testing for COVID-19 using lateral flow tests: A qualitative study of university students and staff</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Mental health in relation to changes in sleep, exercise, alcohol and diet during the COVID-19 pandemic: examination of five UK cohort studies</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have included lockdowns and social distancing with considerable disruptions to the lives of people. These changes may have particularly impacted on those with mental health problems, leading to a worsening of inequalities in the behaviours which influence health. Methods: We used data from four national longitudinal British cohort studies (N=10,666). Respondents reported mental health (psychological distress and anxiety/depression symptoms) and health behaviours (alcohol, diet, physical activity, and sleep) before and during the pandemic. Associations between pre-pandemic mental ill-health and pandemic mental ill-health and health behaviours were examined using logistic regression; pooled effects were estimated using meta-analysis. Results: Worse mental health was related to adverse health behaviours; effect sizes were largest for sleep, exercise and diet, and weaker for alcohol. The associations between poor mental health and adverse health behaviours were larger during the May lockdown than pre-pandemic. In September, when restrictions had eased, inequalities had largely reverted to pre-pandemic levels. A notable exception was for sleep, where differences by mental health status remained high. Risk differences for adverse sleep for those with the highest level of prior mental ill-health compared to those with the lowest, were 21.2% (95% CI: 16.2, 26.2) before lockdown, 25.5% (20.0, 30.3) in May, and 28.2% (21.2, 35.2) in September. Conclusions: Taken together, our findings suggest that mental health is an increasingly important factor in health behaviour inequality in the COVID era. The promotion of mental health may thus be an important component of improving post-COVID population health.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.26.21254424v1" target="_blank">Mental health in relation to changes in sleep, exercise, alcohol and diet during the COVID-19 pandemic: examination of five UK cohort studies</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Prevalence and associated factors with mental health outcomes among interns and residents physicians during COVID-19 epidemic in Panama: a cross-sectional study</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background. A new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was associated with a newly identified respiratory syndrome, COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in early December 2019. SARS-CoV-2 rapidly spread across the globe resulting in 117 million cases and 2.59 million deaths by March 2021. Rapidly increased numbers of COVID-19 cases overwhelmed public health systems across the world, imposing increased working hours and workloads for health care workers. Here, we have evaluated the prevalence of health outcomes and associated factors of interns and resident physicians in Panama. Methods. A cross-sectional study was undertaken during July 23, 2020, to August 13, 2020, to evaluate the prevalence of health outcomes and associated factors in interns and residents across Panama. Snowball sampling was used to recruit participants. Then an electronic questionnaire with scales to evaluate anxiety disorders (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9) and post-traumatic stress (IES-R) was evaluated. In addition, socio-demographic variables, clinical history of mental disorders and COVID-19 exposure were evaluated. Independent analyses for each mental health outcome were undertaken using a logistic regression analysis. Results. A total of 517/1205 (42.9%) interns and residents were nationwide recruited. Of these 274 (53.0%) were interns and 243 (47.0%) residents. The overall prevalence of depression symptoms was 25.3%, 13.7% anxiety and 12.2% post-traumatic stress. At least, 9.3% participants reported having suicidal ideation. The most parsimonious model showed females had a higher prevalence of mental health disorders, in all results and the married participants were more likely to present depression (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.03-2.91; P = 0.039) or at least one alteration to mental health (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.03-2.68; P = 0.039). Resident physicians in surgical specialties were less likely to have post-traumatic stress (OR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.06-0.63; P = 0.006) or at least one mental health disturbance (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.26-0.83; P = 0.010). A history of psychological trauma and psychiatric pathology were risk factors for most of the disorders investigated. Conclusions. A high prevalence of mental health disorders was found, showing the need to mitigate this emotional burden among healthcare workers in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.26.21254435v1" target="_blank">Prevalence and associated factors with mental health outcomes among interns and residents physicians during COVID-19 epidemic in Panama: a cross-sectional study</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Assessment of serological assays for identifying high titer convalescent plasma</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by the largest mobilization of therapeutic convalescent plasma (CCP) in over a century. Initial identification of high titer units was based on dose-response data using the Ortho VITROS IgG assay. The proliferation of SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and non-uniform application has led to uncertainty about their interrelationships. The purpose of this study was to establish correlations and analogous cutoffs between commercially available serological tests (Ortho, Abbott, Roche), a spike ELISA, and a virus neutralization assay using convalescent plasma from a cohort of 79 donors from April 2020. Relationships relative to FDA-approved cutoffs under the CCP EUA were identified by linear regression and receiver operator characteristic curves. Relative to the Ortho VITROS assay, the r<sup>2 </sup>of the Abbott, Roche, the anti-Spike ELISA and the neutralizing assay were 0.58, 0.5, 0.82, and 0.44, respectively.  The best correlative index for establishing high-titer units was 3.82 S/C for the Abbott, 10.89 COI for the Roche, 1:1,202 for the anti-Spike ELISA, and 1:200 by the neutralization assay. The overall agreement using derived cutoffs compared to the CCP EUA Ortho VITROS cutoff of 9.5 was 92.4% for Abbott, 84.8% for Roche, 87.3% for the anti-S ELISA and 78.5% for the neutralization assay. Assays based on antibodies against the nucleoprotein (Roche, Abbott) and neutralizing antibody tests were positively associated with the Ortho assay, although their ability to distinguish FDA high-titer specimens was imperfect. The resulting relationships help reconcile results from the large body of serological data generated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.26.21254427v1" target="_blank">Assessment of serological assays for identifying high titer convalescent plasma</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Detection of SARS-CoV-2 N501Y mutation by RT-PCR to identify the UK and the South African strains in the population of South Indian state of Telangana</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Objective: To detect N501Y mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein by RT-PCR to distinguish (B.1.1.7) UK and (501Y.V2) South African strains from others in the population of Telangana and to determine its clinical implications. Methods: A primer-probe mix that specifically detects the mutated N501Y strain by real time RT-PCR was designed. 93 samples that were reported positive for COVID-19 by our laboratory in the month of February 2021 were tested using our own primer-probe mix for the presence of N501Y by RT-PCR. The results of RT-PCR were validated by Sanger sequencing in representative samples. Sanger sequencing of other defining spike mutations of B.1.1.7 (del 69-70, del 144, N501Y, A570D, D614G, P681H, T716I, S982A and D1118H) and 501Y.V2 (K417N, E484K, N501Y and D614G) was also investigated. Findings: Out of 93 COVID-19 positive samples, 12 samples are detected positive for N501Y by RT-PCR. Sanger sequencing of these 12 samples further confirmed the presence of N501Y and other mutations that are characteristic of UK strain (B.1.1.7). The South African strain (501Y.V2) is not detected in any of our samples in this study. But, the E484K mutation that is characteristic of 501Y.V2 is detected in one N501Y negative sample. Conclusion: Strain-specific RT-PCR for N501Y was developed and validated with Sanger sequencing. Such strategy facilitates quick surveillance for more transmissible and more vaccine resistant strains.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.27.21254107v1" target="_blank">Detection of SARS-CoV-2 N501Y mutation by RT-PCR to identify the UK and the South African strains in the population of South Indian state of Telangana</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>How unequal vaccine distribution promotes the evolution of vaccine escape</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
In the context of the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, health officials warn that vaccines must be uniformly distributed within and among countries if we are to quell the pandemic. Yet there has been little critical assessment of the underlying reasons for this warning. Here, we explicitly show why vaccine equity is necessary. We begin by drawing an analogy to studies showing how disparities in drug concentration within a single host can promote the evolution of drug resistance, and we then proceed to mathematical modeling and simulation of vaccine escape evolution in structured host populations. Perhaps counter-intuitively, we find that vaccine escape mutants are less likely to come from vaccinated regions where there is strong selection pressure for vaccine escape and more likely to come from a neighboring unvaccinated region where there is no selection for escape. Unvaccinated geographic regions thus provide evolutionary reservoirs from which vaccine escape mutants can arise and infect neighboring vaccinated regions, causing new local epidemics within those regions and beyond. Our findings have timely implications for vaccine rollout strategies and public health policy.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.27.21254453v1" target="_blank">How unequal vaccine distribution promotes the evolution of vaccine escape</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Estimation of SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence through integration of serology and incidence data</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Serology tests for SARS-CoV-2 provide a paradigm for estimating the number of individuals who have had infection in the past (including cases that are not detected by routine testing, which has varied over the course of the pandemic and between jurisdictions). Classical statistical approaches to such estimation do not incorporate case counts over time, and may be inaccurate due to uncertainty about the sensitivity and specificity of the serology test. In this work, we provide a joint Bayesian model for case counts and serological data, integrating uncertainty through priors on the sensitivity and specificity. We also model the Phases of the pandemic with exponential growth and decay. This model improves upon maximum likelihood estimates by conditioning on more data, and by taking into account the epidemiological trajectory. We apply our model to the greater Vancouver area, British Columbia, Canada with data acquired during Phase 1 of the pandemic.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.27.21254471v1" target="_blank">Estimation of SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence through integration of serology and incidence data</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Monozygotic twins discordant for severe clinical recurrence of COVID-19 show drastically distinct T cell responses to SARS-Cov-2</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background. Clinical recurrence of COVID-19 in convalescent patients has been reported, which immune mechanisms have not been thoroughly investigated. Presence of neutralizing antibodies suggests other types of immune response are involved. Methods. We assessed the innate type I/III IFN response, T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 with IFNγ ELISPOT, binding and neutralizing antibody assays, in two monozygotic twin pairs with one COVID-19 recurrence case. Results. In pair 1, four months after a first mild episode of infection for both siblings, one displayed severe clinical recurrence of COVID-19. Twin pair 2 of siblings underwent non-recurring asymptomatic infection. All fours individuals presented similar overall responses, except for remarkably difference found in specific cellular responses. Recurring sibling presented a reduced number of recognized T cell epitopes as compared to the other three including her non-recurring sibling. Conclusions. Our results suggest that an effective SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell immune response is key for complete viral control and avoidance of clinical recurrence of COVID-19. Besides, adaptive immunity can be distinct in MZ twins. Given the rising concern about SARS-CoV-2 variants that evade neutralizing antibodies elicited by vaccination or infection, our study stresses the importance of T cell responses in protection against recurrence/reinfection.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.26.21253645v1" target="_blank">Monozygotic twins discordant for severe clinical recurrence of COVID-19 show drastically distinct T cell responses to SARS-Cov-2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>International attitudes on COVID-19 vaccination: repeat national cross-sectional surveys across 15 countries</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Objective: To examine the general publics views around willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccines and concerns regarding their safety. Design: Repeat cross-sectional surveys. Setting: Online surveys in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom Participants: National samples of adults aged 18 years and above in November 2020 and January 2021. Main outcomes measures: The proportion of adults reporting: willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccination; concern regarding side-effects from vaccinations; concerns over contraction COVID-19, and beliefs around vaccine provision in their country. Changes between the November and January surveys are also reported. Results: Across the 15 countries, the proportion of respondents reporting they would have the COVID-19 vaccine increased from 40.7% (range: 25.0-55.1) to 55.2% (range: 34.8-77.5), proportion reporting worried about the side-effects of vaccine decreased from 53.3% (range: 42.1-66.7) to 47.9% (range: 28.0-66.1). On the second survey, willingness to receive vaccine remained low in females (49.4%, range: 30.2-79.1), aged 18-39 years (42.1%, range: 25.9-71.7), those not working or unemployed (48.9, range: 18.8-67.0), students (45.9%, range: 22.8-70.0), and those with children at home (46.5%, range: 32.4-68.9). Concerns regarding safety of vaccine remained high in females (53.7%, range: 31.8-70.4), aged 18-39 years (50.8%, range: 28.2-60.7), aged 40-64 years (51.3%, range: 30.7-68.5), those working (50.5%, range: 26.7-65.0), those not working or unemployed (53.3, range: 35.4-73.8) and those with children at home (55.8%, range: 36.5-64.7). Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy decreased considerably over a relatively short time coinciding with the discovery of effective vaccines. The public remain concerned about their safety, and public health messaging will need to emphasis their safety especially amongst females, parents and younger adults.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.08.21252449v1" target="_blank">International attitudes on COVID-19 vaccination: repeat national cross-sectional surveys across 15 countries</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Visible and real sizes of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
To simulate how the number of COVID-19 cases increases versus time, various data sets and different mathematical models can be used. In particular, previous simulations of the COVID-19 epidemic dynamics in Ukraine were based on smoothing of the dependence of the number of cases on time and the generalized SIR (susceptible-infected-removed) model. Since real number of cases is much higher than the official numbers of laboratory confirmed ones, there is a need to assess the degree of data incompleteness and correct the relevant forecasts. We have improved the method of estimating the unknown parameters of the generalized SIR model and calculated the optimal values of the parameters. It turned out that the real number of diseases exceeded the officially registered values by about 4.1 times at the end of 2020 in Ukraine. This fact requires a reassessment of the COVID-19 pandemic dynamics in other countries and clarification of world forecasts.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.19.21253938v1" target="_blank">Visible and real sizes of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Rapid Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Challenges Human Defenses</strong> -
<div>
Evolutionary ecology theory provides an avenue to anticipate the future behavior of SARS-CoV-2. Here we quantify the accelerating evolution of SARS-CoV-2 by tracking the SARS-CoV-2 mutation globally, with a focus on the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of the spike protein believed to determine infectivity. We estimate that 384 million people were infected by March 1st, 2021, producing up to 1021 copies of the virus, with one new RBD variant appearing for every 600,000 human infections, resulting in approximately three new effective RBD variants produced daily. Doubling the number of RBD variants every 71.67 days followed by selection of the most infective variants challenges our defenses and calls for a shift to anticipatory, rather than reactive tactics.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.27.437300v1" target="_blank">Rapid Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Challenges Human Defenses</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>High Throughput Virtual Screening and Validation of a SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Non-Covalent Inhibitor</strong> -
<div>
Despite the recent availability of vaccines against the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the search for inhibitory therapeutic agents has assumed importance especially in the context of emerging new viral variants. In this paper, we describe the discovery of a novel non-covalent small-molecule inhibitor, MCULE-5948770040, that binds to and inhibits the SARS-Cov-2 main protease (Mpro) by employing a scalable high throughput virtual screening (HTVS) framework and a targeted compound library of over 6.5 million molecules that could be readily ordered and purchased. Our HTVS framework leverages the U.S. supercomputing infrastructure achieving nearly 91% resource utilization and nearly 126 million docking calculations per hour. Downstream biochemical assays validate this Mpro inhibitor with an inhibition constant (Ki) of 2.9 uM [95% CI 2.2, 4.0]. Further, using room-temperature X-ray crystallography, we show that MCULE-5948770040 binds to a cleft in the primary binding site of Mpro forming stable hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interactions. We then used multiple s-timescale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and machine learning (ML) techniques to elucidate how the bound ligand alters the conformational states accessed by Mpro, involving motions both proximal and distal to the binding site. Together, our results demonstrate how MCULE-5948770040 inhibits Mpro and offers a springboard for further therapeutic design.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.27.437323v1" target="_blank">High Throughput Virtual Screening and Validation of a SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Non-Covalent Inhibitor</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>The RNA sensor MDA5 detects SARS-CoV-2 infection</strong> -
<div>
Human cells respond to infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by producing cytokines including type I and III interferons (IFNs) and proinflammatory factors such as IL6 and TNF. IFNs can limit SARS-CoV-2 replication but cytokine imbalance contributes to severe COVID-19. We studied how cells detect SARS-CoV-2 infection. We report that the cytosolic RNA sensor MDA5 was required for type I and III IFN induction in the lung cancer cell line Calu-3 upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. Type I and III IFN induction further required MAVS and IRF3. In contrast, induction of IL6 and TNF was independent of the MDA5-MAVS-IRF3 axis in this setting. We further found that SARS-CoV-2 infection inhibited the ability of cells to respond to IFNs. In sum, we identified MDA5 as a cellular sensor for SARS-CoV-2 infection that induced type I and III IFNs.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.26.437180v1" target="_blank">The RNA sensor MDA5 detects SARS-CoV-2 infection</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Mechanism of a COVID-19 nanoparticle vaccine candidate that elicits a broadly neutralizing antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 variants</strong> -
<div>
Vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are essential for combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Neutralizing antibody responses to the original Wuhan-Hu-1 strain that were generated during infection and vaccination showed lower effectiveness against variants of concern. Here, we demonstrated that mouse plasma induced by protein nanoparticles that present rationally designed S2G{Delta}HR2 spikes can neutralize the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1 variants with comparable titers. The mechanism of nanoparticle vaccine-induced immunity was examined in mice for an I3-01v9 60-mer that presents 20 stabilized spikes. Compared with the soluble spike, this nanoparticle showed 6-fold longer retention, 4-fold greater presentation on follicular dendritic cell dendrites, and 5-fold higher germinal center reactions in lymph node follicles. Intact nanoparticles in lymph node tissues were visualized by transmission electron microscopy. In conclusion, spike-presenting protein nanoparticles that induce robust long-lived germinal centers may provide a vaccine solution for emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.26.437274v1" target="_blank">Mechanism of a COVID-19 nanoparticle vaccine candidate that elicits a broadly neutralizing antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 variants</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Repurposing Amantadine and Memantine for COVID-19: Guanylate Kinases Might Pave the Road towards Novel SARS CoV-2 and Anti Neoplastic Therapeutics.</strong> -
<div>
Guanylate kinase 1 (GK1) was suggested to play a crucial role in SARS CoV-2 replication and previous studies have suggested a role in the pathogenesis of some neoplasms. We are providing a concise strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis of this hypothesis while discussing guanylate kinase physiological function, pharmacological importance. Importantly, though GK1 role in SARS CoV-2 replication might prove valid, the available experimental inhibitors of GK 1 might not, at least for the short term, be safely used to manage COVID-19. However, we suggest assessing another potential interaction between SARS CoV-2 and the non-authentic membrane-associated guanylate kinases as we suggest this might add to consider the potential role of the NMDA antagonists amantadine and memantine in COVID-19 management for and we have recommended clinical trials for selected described COVID-19 patients. Finally, we also recommend conducting genetic, physiological, and immunological studies to explore the long-term potentials of novel GK-1 inhibitors suggesting they might eventually lead to a novel COVID-19 and cancer pharmacotherapeutics.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/97zmy/" target="_blank">Repurposing Amantadine and Memantine for COVID-19: Guanylate Kinases Might Pave the Road towards Novel SARS CoV-2 and Anti Neoplastic Therapeutics.</a>
</div></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pilot Trial of XFBD, a TCM, in Persons With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Xuanfei Baidu Granules;   Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Darcy Spicer<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SERUR: COVID-19 Serological Survey of Staff From the University Reims-Champagne Ardennes</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Diagnostic Test: Anti-SARS-CoV2 Serology<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne<br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Safety and Tolerability of Emricasan in Symptomatic Outpatients Diagnosed With Mild-COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Emricasan;   Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Histogen<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Efficacy of Reinforcing Standard Therapy in COVID-19 Patients With Repeated Transfusion of Convalescent Plasma</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: Convalescent Plasma with antibody against SARS-CoV-2.;   Other: Standard treatment for COVID-19<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Hospital Son Llatzer;   Fundació d’investigació Sanitària de les Illes Balears<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>ANTIcoagulation in Severe COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Tinzaparin, Low dose prophylactic anticoagulation;   Drug: Tinzaparin, High dose prophylactic anticoagulation;   Drug: Tinzaparin,Therapeutic anticoagulation<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Neuromodulation in COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Device: Transcranial direct-current stimulation;   Device: Sham Transcranial direct-current stimulation<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   D’Or Institute for Research and Education;   Rio de Janeiro State Research Supporting Foundation (FAPERJ);   Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico;   Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Immunogenicity and Safety of Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (CHO Cells)</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: a middle-dose recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO Cell) (18-59 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56;   Biological: a high-dose recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO Cell) (18-59 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56;   Biological: a middle-dose recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO Cell) (60-85 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56;   Biological: a high-dose recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO Cell) (60-85 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56;   Biological: a middle-dose placebo (18-59 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56;   Biological: a high-dose placebo (18-59 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56;   Biological: a middle-dose placebo (60-85 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56;   Biological: a high-dose placebo (60-85 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Jiangsu Province Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;   Academy of Military Medical Sciences，Academy of Military Sciences，PLA ZHONGYIANKE Biotech Co, Ltd. LIAONINGMAOKANGYUAN Biotech Co, Ltd<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Clinical Decision Support System Based on Non-invasive Tele-monitoring of COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Device: Clinical decision support system based on non-invasive multimodal monitoring<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Increase-Tech;   Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid;   University of Valladolid;   Sanidad de Castilla y León<br/><b>Active, not recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Off-the-shelf NK Cells (KDS-1000) as Immunotherapy for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: KDS-1000;   Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Kiadis Pharma<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>STOP-COVID19: Superiority Trial Of Protease Inhibition in COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Brensocatib;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   University of Dundee;   NHS Tayside;   Insmed Incorporated<br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Post COVID-19 Syndrome and the Gut-lung Axis</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Dietary Supplement: Omni-Biotic Pro Vi 5;   Dietary Supplement: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Medical University of Graz;   CBmed Ges.m.b.H.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Covid-19 Vaccination in Adolescents</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Tozinameran;   Biological: Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine;   Biological: CoronaVac<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   The University of Hong Kong<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>COVID-19 Self-Testing Through Rapid Network Distribution</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Behavioral: COVID-19 self-test;   Behavioral: COVID-19 test referral<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   University of Pennsylvania;   Public Health Management Corporation<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Risk of Contamination by COVID-19 During Oral Care With Aerosolization</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Contamination by COVID 19 During Oral Care<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Procedure: Oral care with/without aerosolization<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris;   Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Text-based Reminders to Promote COVID-19 Vaccinations</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19, Vaccines<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Behavioral: Self-benefit;   Behavioral: Prosocial-benefit;   Behavioral: Early access;   Behavioral: Fresh start<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   University of California, Los Angeles;   Carnegie Mellon University<br/><b>Enrolling by invitation</b></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Glycyrrhizin prevents SARS-CoV-2 S1 and Orf3a induced high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) release and inhibits viral replication</strong> - Efforts to understand host factors critical for COVID-19 pathogenesis have identified high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) to be crucial for regulating susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 disease severity is correlated with heightened inflammatory responses, and HMGB1 is an important extracellular mediator in inflammation processes.In this study, we evaluated the effect of HMGB1 inhibitor Glycyrrhizin on the cellular perturbations in lung cells expressing SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins. Pyroptosis in…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Neutralizing and protective human monoclonal antibodies recognizing the N-terminal domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein</strong> - Most human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 recognize the spike (S) protein receptor-binding domain and block virus interactions with the cellular receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. We describe a panel of human mAbs binding to diverse epitopes on the N-terminal domain (NTD) of S protein from SARS-CoV-2 convalescent donors and found a minority of these possessed neutralizing activity. Two mAbs (COV2-2676 and COV2-2489) inhibited infection of authentic SARS-CoV-2 and…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Essentials in saline pharmacology for nasal or respiratory hygiene in times of COVID-19</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: Saline interacts at various levels relevant to nasal or respiratory hygiene (nasal irrigation, gargling or aerosol). If used from the onset of common cold symptoms, it may represent a useful add-on to first-line interventions for COVID-19. Formal evaluation in mild COVID-19 is desirable as to establish efficacy and optimal treatment regimens.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Dual inhibition of CB(1) R and iNOS as a potential novel approach to the pharmacological management of acute and long COVID-19</strong> - COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) causes multiple inflammatory complications, resulting not only in severe lung inflammation but also in harm to other organs. While current focus is on the management of acute COVID-19, there is growing concern about long term effects of COVID-19 (Long Covid), such as fibroproliferative changes in lung, heart and kidney. Therefore, identifying therapeutic modalities is needed not only for the management of acute COVID-19 but also for preventing Long Covid, which could…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Renin-Angiotensin System, Hypertension, and SARS-CoV-2 Infection: a Review</strong> - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review focuses on the associations between the renin-angiotensin system, hypertension, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-COV-2) infection. A brief prelude on the current state of affairs with COVID-19 is given. In addition to an overview of ACE2, Ang II, and Ang (1-7), this review presents a brief statement on hypertension, including the function of enzymes involved in the control of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and other…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Possible Therapeutic Use of Natural Compounds Against COVID-19</strong> - The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19); a pandemic disease that has resulted in devastating social, economic, morbidity and mortality burdens. SARS-CoV-2 infects cells following receptor-mediated endocytosis and priming by cellular proteases. Following uptake, SARS-CoV-2 replicates in autophagosome-like structures in the cytosol following its escape from endolysosomes. Accordingly, the greater endolysosome pathway…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>D-Limonene Is a Potential Monoterpene to Inhibit PI3K/Akt/IKK-alpha/NF-kappaB p65 Signaling Pathway in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pulmonary Fibrosis</strong> - At the time of the prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), pulmonary fibrosis (PF) related to COVID-19 has become the main sequela. However, the mechanism of PF related to COVID (COVID-PF) is unknown. This study aimed to explore the key targets in the development of COVID-PF and the mechanism of d-limonene in the COVID-PF treatment. The differentially expressed genes of COVID-PF were downloaded from the GeneCards database, and their pathways were analyzed. d-Limonene was molecularly…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Plant Products as Inhibitors of Coronavirus 3CL Protease</strong> - Background: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created an alarming situation due to extensive loss of human lives and economy, posing enormous threat to global health security. Till date, no antiviral drug or vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 has reached the market, although a number of clinical trials are under way. The viral 3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease (3CL^(pro)), playing pivotal roles in coronavirus replication and polyprotein processing, is essential for its life cycle. In fact, 3CL^(pro)…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>In silico investigation of critical binding pattern in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2</strong> - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a newly-discovered coronavirus and responsible for the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 infected millions of people in the world and immediately became a pandemic in March 2020. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the beta-coronavirus genus of the large family of Coronaviridae. It is now known that its surface spike glycoprotein binds to the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2), which is expressed on the lung epithelial…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SARS-CoV-2 infection rewires host cell metabolism and is potentially susceptible to mTORC1 inhibition</strong> - Viruses hijack host cell metabolism to acquire the building blocks required for replication. Understanding how SARS-CoV-2 alters host cell metabolism may lead to potential treatments for COVID-19. Here we profile metabolic changes conferred by SARS-CoV-2 infection in kidney epithelial cells and lung air-liquid interface (ALI) cultures, and show that SARS-CoV-2 infection increases glucose carbon entry into the TCA cycle via increased pyruvate carboxylase expression. SARS-CoV-2 also reduces…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Generation of SARS-CoV-2 reporter replicon for high-throughput antiviral screening and testing</strong> - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) research and antiviral discovery are hampered by the lack of a cell-based virus replication system that can be readily adopted without biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) restrictions. Here, the construction of a noninfectious SARS-CoV-2 reporter replicon and its application in deciphering viral replication mechanisms and evaluating SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors are presented. The replicon genome is replication competent but does not produce progeny…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A review on the interaction of nucleoside analogues with SARS-CoV-2 RNA dependent RNA polymerase</strong> - The outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019, have highlighted the concerns about the lack of potential vaccines or antivirals approved for inhibition of CoVs infection. SARS-CoV-2 RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) which is almost preserved across different viral species can be a potential target for development of antiviral drugs, including nucleoside analogues (NA). However, ExoN proofreading activity of CoVs leads to their protection from several…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Functional analysis of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in Drosophila identifies Orf6-induced pathogenic effects with Selinexor as an effective treatment</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: Our study established Drosophila as a model for studying the function of SARS-CoV2 genes, identified Orf6 as a highly pathogenic protein in various tissues, and demonstrated the potential of Selinexor for inhibiting Orf6 toxicity using an in vivo animal model system.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 proteins reveals Orf6 pathogenicity, subcellular localization, host interactions and attenuation by Selinexor</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed Orf6 as a highly pathogenic protein from the SARS-CoV-2 genome, identified its key host interacting proteins, and Selinexor as a drug candidate for directly targeting Orf6 host protein interaction that leads to cytotoxicity.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>An overview of some potential immunotherapeutic options against COVID-19</strong> - After the advent of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) in the late 2019, the resulting severe and pernicious syndrome (COVID-19) immediately was deployed all around the world. To date, despite relentless efforts to control the disease by drug repurposing, there is no approved specific therapy for COVID-19. Given the role of innate and acquired immune components in the control and elimination of viral infections and inflammatory mutilations during SARS-CoV2…</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>5-(4-TERT-BUTOXY PHENYL)-3-(4N-OCTYLOXYPHENYL)-4,5-DIHYDROISOXAZOLE MOLECULE (C-I): A PROMISING DRUG FOR SARS-COV-2 (TARGET I) AND BLOOD CANCER (TARGET II)</strong> - The present invention relates to a method ofmolecular docking of crystalline compound (C-I) with SARS-COV 2 proteins and its repurposing with proteins of blood cancer, comprising the steps of ; employing an algorithmto carry molecular docking calculations of the crystalized compound (C-I); studying the compound computationally to understand the effect of binding groups with the atoms of the amino acids on at least four target proteins of SARS-COV 2; downloading the structure of the proteins; removing water molecules, co enzymes and inhibitors attached to the enzymes; drawing the structure using Chem Sketch software; converting the mol file into a PDB file; using crystalized compound (C-I) for comparative and drug repurposing with two other mutated proteins; docking compound into the groove of the proteins; saving format of docked molecules retrieved; and filtering and docking the best docked results. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN320884617">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>USING CLINICAL ONTOLOGIES TO BUILD KNOWLEDGE BASED CLINICAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) WITH THE ADOPTION OF TELECONFERENCING FOR THE PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRES/SATELLITE CLINICS OF ROYAL OMAN POLICE IN SULTANATE OF OMAN</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU320796026">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Peptides and their use in diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU319943278">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A PROCESS FOR SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF COVID 19 POSITIVE PATIENTS</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU319942709">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>IN SILICO SCREENING OF ANTIMYCOBACTERIAL NATURAL COMPOUNDS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO DIRECTLY INHIBIT SARS COV 2</strong> - IN SILICO SCREENING OF ANTIMYCOBACTERIAL NATURAL COMPOUNDS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO DIRECTLY INHIBIT SARS COV 2Insilico screening of antimycobacterial natural compounds with the potential to directly inhibit SARS COV2 relates to the composition for treating SARS-COV-2 comprising the composition is about 0.1 – 99% and other pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. The composition also treats treating SARS, Ebola, Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis–C comprising the composition is about 0.1 – 99% and other pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN320777840">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Sars-CoV-2 vaccine antigens</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU318283136">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SARS-COV-2 BINDING PROTEINS</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU318004130">link</a></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Bildschirmgerät mit verbesserter Wirkung bei der Befestigung von UV-Entkeimungslampen</strong> -
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Ein Bildschirmgerät mit verbesserter Wirkung bei der Befestigung von UV-Entkeimungslampen, umfassend: ein Bildschirmgerät, das einen Umfang hat; eine UV-Entkeimungslampe, die sich am Umfang des Bildschirmgeräts befindet; eine Stromquelle, die elektrisch mit der UV-Entkeimungslampe verbunden ist; eine Steuerschaltung, die elektrisch mit der UV-Entkeimungslampe verbunden ist; und eine Befestigungsvorrichtung, durch die die UV-Entkeimungslampe am Umfang des Bildschirmgeräts befestigbar ist, wobei die Befestigungsvorrichtung einen Sitzkörper, eine erste Klemmplatte und eine zweite Klemmplatte aufweist, wobei der Sitzkörper mit der UV-Entkeimungslampe versehen ist, wobei die erste Klemmplatte und die zweite Klemmplatte beabstandet am Sitzkörper gleitbar angeordnet sind, wodurch ein Klemmabstand zwischen der ersten Klemmplatte und der zweiten Klemmplatte besteht, wobei ein elastisches Element zwischen der zweiten Klemmplatte und dem Sitzkörper angeordnet ist, um die zweite Klemmplatte dazu zu zwingen, sich der ersten Klemmplatte zu nähern.</p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE320246402">link</a></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Schublade mit antiepidemischer Wirkung</strong> -
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</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Schublade mit antiepidemischer Wirkung, mit einem Schrank (1); mindestens einer Schublade (2), die in dem Schrank (1) angeordnet ist, wobei jede Schublade (2) einen Schubladenraum (25) aufweist; einer UV-Sterilisationsvorrichtung (3), die an der Schublade (2) angeordnet ist; einer Stromquelle (4), die elektrisch mit der UV-Sterilisationsvorrichtung (3) verbunden ist; einer Steuerschaltung (5), die elektrisch mit der Stromquelle (4) und der UV-Sterilisationsvorrichtung (3) verbunden ist; und einem Sensor (6), der elektrisch mit der Steuerschaltung (5) verbunden ist.</p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE320246401">link</a></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Gerät zur Unterstützung und Verstärkung natürlicher Lüftung</strong> -
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</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Lüftungssystem für einen mit öffnbaren Fenstern (16) ausgestatteten Gebäuderaum, gekennzeichnet dadurch, dass es ein Gehäuse (18) und einen Ventilator (20) aufweist, wobei durch das Gehäuse eine vom Ventilator erzeugte Luftströmung strömen kann, wobei das Gehäuse dafür eine Einströmöffnung (24) für Luft und eine Ausströmöffnung (22) für Luft enthält, wobei eine der beiden Öffnungen der Form eines Öffnungsspalts (26) zwischen einem Fensterflügel (12) und einem Blendrahmen (14) des Fensters (16) angepasst ist.</p></li>
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<li><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE319927546">link</a></li>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Presidential Press Conference in the Biden Era Is as Awful as Ever</strong> - Under Trump, we had to listen. But now? There must be a better way. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/the-presidential-press-conference-in-the-biden-era-is-as-awful-as-ever">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Return of Mass Shootings</strong> - Will there be a way forward this time? - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-return-of-mass-shootings">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Two Georgia Churches Grapple With the Shootings in Atlanta</strong> - Members of a Korean Baptist congregation reflected on the persistence of racism. The church where the gunman belonged insisted that he alone was responsible. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/us-journal/two-georgia-churches-grapple-with-the-shootings-in-atlanta">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Trump Tableau</strong> - Politics and art in a Catskill front yard. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/a-trump-tableau">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Movement to Exclude Trans Girls from Sports</strong> - The opposition is cast as one between cis-girl athletes on the one hand and a vast liberal conspiracy on the other. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-movement-to-exclude-trans-girls-from-sports">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>How a $25 million donation to help students got ensnared in politics</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Children playing on a playground wearing masks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YiT0ovxiBQBxaEQXPsdgECfdOkk=/0x4:4784x3592/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69035829/1264952187.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
San Francisco is once again fighting over billionaires’ philanthropic power.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iuiQf7">
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3W0mph">
Billionaire philanthropy is once again on the defense in San Francisco, the home of many a tech billionaire.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BHNP9V">
The latest backlash centers on a city proposal to get 20,000 schoolchildren some in-person teaching and playtime this summer, after city public schools have been closed for more than a year during the pandemic. But a liberal lawmaker has temporarily derailed the initiative to raise questions about the involvement of a volunteer group that she worries is pushing a political agenda.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KjG6TQ">
The saga is another flashpoint in the debate over the proper role of billionaire philanthropists — and their affiliated nonprofits — in society. And it is a window into how the city that is home to tech wealth is increasingly suspicious of civic projects from those tech leaders. Late last year, San Francisco officially condemned Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for his errors at Facebook after he and his wife, Priscilla Chan, <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/12/3/22151273/mark-zuckerberg-general-hospital-san-francisco-naming-vote">donated $75 million to a local hospital.</a>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lcQfhV">
Here’s what happened: Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Here-s-how-20-000-San-Francisco-kids-could-16013276.php">San Francisco announced </a>that a foundation called Crankstart, funded by famous Sequoia venture capitalist Mike Moritz and his wife, Harriet Heyman, was donating $25 million to help start a city initiative to offer free summer school or day care programs to kids. The program would be aided by an outside advocacy group called TogetherSF that was formed last year to work on civic projects in the city and has also, separately, been funded by Crankstart. Crankstart brokered the arrangement between TogetherSF and the summer school program.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="y5ycCE">
But TogetherSF’s involvement has become controversial — and is being cast by one San Francisco supervisor, Hillary Ronen, as a possible political play by <a href="https://www.vox.com/2014/6/16/5810438/11-facts-about-americas-teachers-and-schools">education reformers</a>. And Ronen this week <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/local-politics/article/Vote-on-funding-for-free-San-Francisco-summer-16048508.php">convinced the board</a>, on a 10-1 vote, to delay approving the program to educate San Francisco students until she could investigate TogetherSF and its political ties.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0zjlyT">
Ronen is suspicious in part because Together SF is not a typical nonprofit organization that is a 501(c)3 group, but is instead organized as part of a bigger lobbying or advocacy organization, a 501(c)4. The group is also co-led by a former aide to multiple San Francisco lawmakers. And Ronen believes that the group may have loyalties to activists who push for school privatization and charters schools, which are lightning rod issues in urban education policy.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cV4DCV">
Ronen conceded she didn’t have any hard proof of ties from Crankstart or TogetherSF’s ties to the education reform movement, but said based on its 501(c)4 structure and her limited research, it “looks and smells like” they are seeking to promote a “political agenda.” She is concerned, for instance, that the group could seek to use the volunteers it recruits for future political campaigns in support of anti-union candidates.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="N3aNO0">
“There has to be, in my book, unprecedented transparency and agreement that funders of this initiative are doing so because they’re very concerned about children — and aren’t trying to advance some alternative privatization, charter agenda that is meant to dismantle our public schools,” Ronen told Recode.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TJRhg5">
Together SF’s founders, Kanishka Cheng and Griffin Gaffney, say their work is non-political and that they merely are seeking to mobilize a network of volunteers to serve their hometown in crisis. They are helping the city with work like collecting donations from private employers and creating a website for the program.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aF5Led">
“We’re incredibly surprised by it, honestly. This is the first we’re hearing about this privatization, charter agenda come up as a reason to question the program and our involvement,” Cheng told Recode. “It’s not at all what Together SF has been involved in.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SlKTZ4">
For now, Ronen has just delayed the vote on the program by two weeks. She told Recode she doesn’t expect it to jeopardize the summer program, but that she was open to voting against it if her investigation revealed new information. But regardless of the final vote, some observers are concerned that the conflict — along with the high-profile Zuckerberg censure in the spring — could dissuade more and more wealthy philanthropists from donating money if it only brings them more scrutiny. The city is also about to <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Calling-all-billionaires-S-F-plans-to-ask-15862836.php">embark on a $2 billion fundraising drive, </a>also led by Ronen, when it will need more money from wealthy people.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tcUdZc">
Moritz, a former board member of Google, and his wife Heyman, an award-winning novelist, have long made local causes a focus of Crankstart, which has a private profile but is one of the Bay Area’s biggest foundations by total assets at almost $2 billion. Crankstart has donated over $50 million to San Francisco nonprofits in 2020, funding efforts during the pandemic that <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/heatherknight/article/S-F-goes-begging-to-fund-crucial-COVID-19-15598906.php">paid San Francisco essential workers </a>to quarantine if sick and local <a href="https://missionlocal.org/2021/03/a-year-in-as-covid-19-food-insecurity-soared-the-mission-fed-thousands/">efforts to feed the hungry. </a>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="o92XPu">
Moritz told Recode that he was trying to help local schoolchildren “and nothing beyond that.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SO26es">
“All we want to do is to help people who don’t necessarily have a great, wonderful ticket for a great education to get that ticket. That’s all,” he said. “Does it pass the litmus test of is this good for San Francisco, or for a portion of San Francisco? I think the answer is yes.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gSjytJ">
Moritz is technically the funder of TogetherSF’s parent company, Civic Action Labs, which runs TogetherSF and a second organization that has also <a href="https://missionlocal.org/2021/01/who-is-funding-here-say-media-the-founders-refuse-to-say/">faced tough questions about its political ties</a>. That organization is Here / Say Media, a new media publication focused on San Francisco news that has drawn raised eyebrows from journalism ethicists because it is owned by the 501(c)4 parent company. Almost all nonprofit newsrooms are traditionally structured as 501(c)3 groups rather than as “dark money” political groups, as 501(c)4 organizations are sometimes called.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RejI6X">
What unites these two stories is that Here/Say Media, which is also run by Cheng and Gaffney, originally declined to disclose its donors — and that <a href="https://missionlocal.org/2021/01/who-is-funding-here-say-media-the-founders-refuse-to-say/">troubled media observers</a>. But then on March 9th — the day before the city of San Francisco announced the involvement of Cheng and Gaffney in the summer program — Here/Say <a href="https://heresaymedia.org/about/">quietly updated its website</a> to disclose that Crankstart was a funder.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LS8F8j">
“We knew the [summer] program was launching. We’d be more visible. So we wanted to be more transparent about that,” Cheng said when asked about the timing.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1HlkAi">
Cheng and Gaffney are trying to unwind the intertwined controversies; They are in the process of trying to turn Together SF into a new 501(c)3 organization, which will theoretically reduce suspicions about their political agenda. They said that they will also spin out Here / Say Media into a new, to-be-determined, non-political structure, too.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="d20XEs">
But political critics of San Francisco government — which is managing several concurrent crises, including one involving <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/S-F-school-board-approves-no-confidence-vote-on-16054193.php">its school board over racist tweets</a> — are concerned that the damage has already been done. And that philanthropists will find other things to fund with their billions rather than a city that makes their life difficult.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4VdKFa">
Asked if this brinkmanship sent a bad message to private philanthropists who want to get involved in city life, Moritz said “actions speak much louder than words.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KlMJ2A">
“We live in a bit of a political cauldron, and so you know it’s just part of life,” Moritz said. “It certainly won’t deter us if people who don’t even know us, people we’ve never even talked to, ascribe various motives to us.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="j9viu8">
Ronen, though, insists it is merely about transparency.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5enprN">
“If their investments is free and clear, and don’t involve a political agenda — fantastic, that’s very generous and wonderful,” Ronen said. “But if they involve an agenda, no thanks. We don’t want your investment. You have enough power as it is.”
</p></li>
<li><strong>What to expect at the Derek Chauvin murder trial</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JAT399nGG3vytdBulbTu4Ep3StI=/167x0:2834x2000/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69035526/GettyImages_1306016035.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Protestors were given chalk to express themselves during the first day of the Derek Chauvin trial in downtown Minneapolis on March 8, 2021. | Star Tribune via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A guide to the jurors, charges, and defense strategy in the trial of the former officer charged with killing George Floyd.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ViDaoH">
The quest to seat the jury in the high-profile murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has reached the finish line.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rN2Zi5">
In the last two weeks of the televised jury selection process, viewers got a sense of how the judge, defense attorney, prosecutors, and jury would perform when the actual trial starts Monday.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SY1zbN">
Selecting 15 unbiased jurors was a challenge in itself — the killing of George Floyd is world-renowned. The 46-year-old Black man died in Minneapolis last May after being handcuffed and <a href="https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/5/27/21271667/george-floyd-death-police-kneed-in-the-neck">pinned to the ground for nearly nine minutes</a> by Chauvin. Video of the incident — with Floyd pleading, “I can’t breathe” and bystanders calling on Chauvin to give him some air — spread around the globe and<strong> </strong>sparked thousands of protests calling for police accountability and racial justice. It seemed an impossible task to find jurors who didn’t come with strong preconceived notions<strong> </strong>regarding a case that has been highly publicized for almost a year.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="d8mojy">
Chauvin — who, along with the three other officers involved, was immediately fired following the incident — has been charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Eric Nelson, the lead defense attorney, will argue that Floyd did not die because of Chauvin’s knee on his neck. He also<strong> </strong>told a potential juror during the jury selection process that the trial is “not about race.” However, his <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/19/derek-chauvin-trial-george-floyd-race/4754702001/">line of questioning</a> for prospective jurors suggested otherwise, asking them their views on racism, policing in communities of color, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qAuigw">
Meanwhile, the prosecution will have to prove that Chauvin’s actions during the arrest ultimately caused Floyd’s death. And because prosecutors believe it is a race-sensitive case, they <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/03/25/980646634/half-of-the-jury-in-the-chauvin-trial-is-non-white-thats-only-part-of-the-story">struck out prospective white jurors</a> who expressed police-friendly views or who had negative thoughts about the Black Lives Matter protests.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hIq7da">
“it’s obviously about race,” said D.A. Bullock, an organizer with <a href="https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home/#about">Reclaim the Block</a>, a Minneapolis grassroots group calling to divert funds from police departments to community resources. “Given the history of white police officers not being charged in the killing of many unarmed Black men, it’s clear that the justice system is not blind to race. It comes with inherent biases that work against us Black people.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="l1sAth">
About a week into the jury selection,<strong> </strong>the city of Minneapolis agreed to settle a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-pay-27-million-settle-floyd-family-lawsuit-52a395f7716f52cf8d1fbeb411c831c7">historic $27 million</a> with the Floyd family over a wrongful death lawsuit. Because of this, Nelson asked to delay the trial and for a change of venue, arguing that the timing would prejudice the jury. Several potential jurors were dismissed after bringing up that their views were swayed by the settlement. Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill rejected Nelson’s motions, though, saying Chauvin wouldn’t get a fairer trial anywhere else.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9yWY1x">
Now that the jury and venue are settled, opening statements for the trial are slated to begin at 9 am CT on Monday. Chauvin’s trial, which is expected to last at least four weeks, is the first in Minnesota to be <a href="https://www.courttv.com/latest-news/">streamed</a> and <a href="https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/video/5428113-how-you-can-watch-the-derek-chauvin-trial/">broadcast live</a> in its entirety — a decision approved by Cahill since the pandemic has upended the public’s ability to watch the proceedings. In the courtroom, people are masked, jurors are socially distanced, reporters are limited, and attorneys along with Chauvin are divided by plexiglass.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5fqQ9Z">
Here’s what else to expect:
</p>
<h3 id="L69ncU">
What the defense has planned
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6EDoCu">
During the jury selection process, Nelson tried to humanize Chauvin beyond the image of the white police officer who knelt on a Black man’s neck as he struggled to breathe and begged for his mother.<strong> </strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jt1jAE">
When the first batch of potential jurors was being questioned, Chauvin — with half his face obscured by a black mask — sat taking notes and rarely making eye contact. At one point, a juror said she <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/03/15/derek-chauvin-trial-strategy/">could not forget the “hateful look”</a> on Chauvin’s face in the videos. The comment altered the way Nelson later introduced his client to potential jurors, with Chauvin removing his mask to show his full face and nodding at the group.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xDVQpF">
To avoid convicting Chauvin of the <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/609.19">second-degree unintentional murder charge</a>, the defense must prove he did not cause Floyd’s death while also committing a felony — in this case, assault. The defense will argue that Chauvin did not cause Floyd’s death, that it was a combination of excessive drug use and preexisting conditions that killed him. They will call on the county medical examiner who said <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/derek-chauvin-trial-explained">Floyd’s toxicology report</a> showed high traces of drugs during the incident — but the examiner also noted that it’s hard to say whether Floyd would have died of other causes, like Chauvin’s knee on his neck. If convicted, under Minnesota law, the charge is punishable by up to 40 years in prison.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="18JMDo">
To avoid conviction on the <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/609.205">second-degree manslaughter charge</a>, the defense needs to prove that Chauvin didn’t cause Floyd’s death due to negligence that created an unreasonable risk —<strong> </strong>meaning, he didn’t know that pinning him down by his neck for nearly nine minutes would lead to severe injury or death. In Minnesota, this charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="g8auju">
The <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/609.195">third-degree murder charge</a>, under Minnesota law, means the perpetrator acted in a way <a href="https://robinainstitute.umn.edu/news-views/george-floyd-homicide-prosecutions">that was reckless at the risk of causing death</a> and carries a sentence of no more than 25 years. Prosecutors argued to add the third-degree murder charge because not only is it easier to prove than second-degree unintentional felony murder, but it also gives jurors more options about how to convict. If convicted of any of these charges, Chauvin’s status as a first-time offender will also play into how long his prison sentence will be.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yOaFH0">
Ultimately, the defense’s central strategy is proving that something else ended Floyd’s life — and that it was not Chauvin’s knee. Nelson pushed for a pre-trial motion to include evidence of Floyd’s drug-related arrest by Minneapolis police in 2019. After reviewing Nelson’s arguments, in which the attorney called Floyd’s “emotional responses” during both arrests a “common modus operandi,” Judge Cahill has allowed the defense to show only a portion of the 2019 arrest video as evidence during the trial, adding that Floyd’s interactions with the police in 2019 mirrored the 2020 arrest that led to his death. Cahill also agreed that there were signs that Floyd may have taken drugs in both incidents.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="k8fqdA">
The defense has also tried to argue that Chauvin was terminated due to prejudice, not for cause, and that Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo only fired him out of public pressure. However, prosecutors successfully motioned to exclude any evidence or testimony that speaks to the police department’s decision to fire Chauvin and the other three officers involved since it’s unrelated to how and why Floyd died.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DeUzCn">
Nelson’s arguments so far give observers a glimpse of how he expects to approach the trial — that the entire investigation leading to Floyd’s death was fundamentally biased against his client, including the ongoing <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/02/24/george-floyd-doj-ramping-up-investigation-into-derek-chauvin/4572555001/">federal civil rights investigation</a> and Chauvin’s immediate firing. Arradondo, the city’s first Black police chief, said he fired the officers after reviewing all the evidence including body-camera videos.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GYMHNS">
During the month-long trial, several witnesses are expected to testify, including Arradondo, the county medical examiner, and the bystander who videotaped Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lbFHKX">
The prosecution also plans to introduce “spark of life” witnesses, which under Minnesota law allows family and friends to be called to the stand to deliver testimony that would humanize the victim. Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, and former girlfriend Courteney Ross are among those expected to speak.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7E0z8f">
However, the spark-of-life testimonies won’t be considered “evidence” and will be tightly managed by Cahill. The judge said he would draw a line if witnesses talk about Floyd’s character rather than how much they loved him since it would “open the door” for the defense to introduce Floyd’s criminal history as evidence, which so far has been ruled inadmissible. Cahill, nonetheless, added he may allow witnesses to talk about Floyd’s struggles with opioid addiction.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RGqA4j">
“This is not a hard case,” Ben Crump, the attorney who helped the Floyd family secure the $27 million settlement, said in a <a href="https://www.startribune.com/jury-set-opening-arguments-next-in-derek-chauvin-trial/600037770/?refresh=true">news release</a> after the jury selections were completed. “George Floyd had more witnesses to his death than any other person ever — white or Black. We all saw the same thing — the indisputable and unjustified torture and murder by a police officer of a Black man who was handcuffed, restrained, and posed no harm.”
</p>
<h3 id="Zsjft2">
What we know about the jury
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="59KSRn">
The initial jury pool had 326 people, but only about 60 were questioned. Cahill decided 15 needed to be selected, including two alternates and another who will be dropped if the first 14 jurors show up for duty (only 12 will be on the actual jury).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eQg4tc">
Even though the jury selection process was broadcasted live, the faces of the prospective jurors were not shown to the public for their safety and privacy, and they will not be seen for the duration of the trial. Among the 15 selected jurors, we do know six are people of color — one Black woman, three Black men, and two mixed-race women — while nine are white, six of whom are women. Despite being a white majority, the jury is actually more diverse than the county and the city: According to <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/hennepincountyminnesota">2019 data from the US Census Bureau</a>, Hennepin County is about 74 percent white and 14 percent Black while Minneapolis is about 64 percent white and 19 percent Black.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Z6NKHo">
The jurors also come from an array of backgrounds, ranging from an accountant to a chemist to a nurse who has been caring for patients throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Some are extremely familiar with the case while others haven’t been actively following monthslong developments. According to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/23/derek-chauvin-trial-jury-selection/6956046002/">USA Today</a>, seven are in their 20s or 30s, three in their 40s, four in their 50s, and one in her 60s.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RxtShd">
Prior to the selection, each potential juror was asked to fill out a 14-page written questionnaire. During the selection process, the jurors were questioned and vetted by Judge Cahill, prosecution, and defense lawyers. The general line of questioning included if their views have changed since filling out the questionnaire, whether they could set aside their personal opinions on the case and social movements to remain impartial, and also about personal safety concerns. Those who expressed major anxiety and fears of being on the jury were ultimately dismissed.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zxLGa9">
The jurors were also asked about their thoughts or whether they’ve seen the video of Chauvin pinning his knee on Floyd’s neck as well as their views on the Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter movements. One of the selected jurors, who said he plans to move out of Minnesota in late May, noted he has a neutral opinion of Floyd and also generally favors the Black Lives Matter movement but also believes it was “a contributing factor” in the unrest that erupted following Floyd’s death last summer.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZiRedz">
Another juror, a white man who works in sales, called the Blue Lives Matter movement “not offensive but shortsighted.” The man, who is supposed to get married in May but said he is willing to postpone the wedding if the trial continues, noted he generally supports law enforcement.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="d0GpXy">
Some of the jurors’ responses also indicated how they would approach the final verdict of the trial. One juror said she wanted to know more about police training and whether placing a knee on someone’s neck was allowed while another said he wanted to hear Chauvin offer his side of the story.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xrZaFy">
However, one potential juror last week was dismissed by Chauvin’s defense attorney after sharing his thoughts and personal experience with the Minneapolis Police Department and the criminal justice system as a whole.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nalgp1">
“As a Black man, you see a lot of Black people get killed and no one’s held accountable for it, and you wonder why or what was the decision, and so with this, maybe I’ll be in the room to know why,” the <a href="https://www.startribune.com/dismissal-of-black-potential-juror-in-derek-chauvin-trial-prompts-discussion-on-race-and-bias-in-cou/600037386/">potential juror told the court</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4SDHSj">
Although the Army veteran said he could put his personal opinions aside to hear the case solely based on the evidence presented in court, he was still dismissed by the defense arguing that he was biased against the Minneapolis Police Department.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="baJRfF">
“That was his actual lived experiences with the Minneapolis police, but he was disqualified because it was assumed he couldn’t look past that in order to look at the facts of the case,” Bullock told Vox. “It’s an insult to Black Minneapolis residents because we have to forgo our bias and lived experiences all the time to fit in the system. It just shines a light on some of the inherent unfairness about the system.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Pwd65M">
Cahill said he plans to reveal the names of the jurors when it is “safe” to do so. In the meantime, government buildings in downtown Minneapolis remain heavily barricaded by fencing and concrete barriers while members of the Minnesota National Guard remain stationed outside the courthouse. The heavy police presence, Bullock said, has left the community on edge.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sAuK9h">
Still, activist groups like Reclaim the Block and Black Visions Collective will keep a close eye on the trial while also protesting outside the courthouse<strong> </strong>and rallying at what’s now George Floyd Square. What they ultimately hope comes out of Floyd’s death is what they’ve always wanted: replacing Minneapolis police with a new public safety department, which means <a href="https://yes4minneapolis.org/">first changing the city charter</a> and<strong> </strong>knocking door to door to collect signatures to do so.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wlXJ9K">
“Regardless of the outcome of the verdict, we know that true justice would have to reflect in a fundamental change in the way we address public safety. If we’re not doing that, true justice is not served,” Bullock said. “We want justice for George Floyd and his family, of course, but we know that true justice means changing our public safety system.”
</p></li>
<li><strong>The elites have failed</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A Q sign and an American flag seen outside the US Capitol." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6iGYRJDj_gJ0K8QW3ZtCoaPYYpg=/0x0:3556x2667/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69029753/1230447910.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
We have lost faith in elites and public institutions. The problem is nothing has taken their place.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3U4IA6">
One of the greatest challenges facing democratic societies in the 21st century is the loss of faith in public institutions.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="a9l5QJ">
The internet has been a marvelous invention in lots of ways, but it has also unleashed a tsunami of misinformation and destabilized political systems across the globe. Martin Gurri, a former media analyst at the CIA and the author of the 2014 book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Revolt-Public-Crisis-Authority-Millennium/dp/1732265143/?ots=1&amp;slotNum=1&amp;imprToken=f6bc32cb-fcb4-fa89-39b&amp;ascsubtag=%5B%5Dvx%5Bp%5D20768838%5Bt%5Dw%5Br%5Dgoogle.com%5Bd%5DD"><em>The Revolt of the Public</em></a>, was way ahead of the curve on this problem.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qIY0Dj">
Gurri spent years surveying the global information landscape. Around the turn of the century, he noticed a trend: As the internet gave rise to an explosion of information, there was a concurrent spike in political instability. The reason, he surmised, was that governments lost their monopoly on information and with it their ability to control the public conversation.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="36QNwa">
One of the many consequences of this is what Gurri calls a “crisis of authority.” As people were exposed to more information, their trust in major institutions — like the government or newspapers — began to collapse.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Y7A16s">
Gurri’s book became something of a cult favorite among Silicon Valley types when it was released and its insights have only become more salient since. Indeed,<strong> </strong>I’ve been thinking more and more about his thesis in the aftermath of the 2020 election and the <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22217822/us-capitol-attack-trump-right-wing-media-misinformation">assault on the US Capitol</a> on January 6. There are lots of reasons why the insurrection happened, but one of them is the reality that millions of Americans believed — really believed — that the presidential election was stolen, despite a complete lack of evidence. A Politico poll conducted shortly after the election found that <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/09/republicans-free-fair-elections-435488">70 percent</a> of Republicans thought the election was fraudulent.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aNH50J">
That’s what a “crisis of authority” looks like in the real world.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Lyiqe7">
And it’s crucial to distinguish this crisis from what’s often called the “epistemic crisis” or the “post-truth” problem. If Gurri’s right, the issue isn’t just<strong> </strong>that truth suddenly became less important; it’s that people stopped believing in the institutions charged with communicating the truth. To put it a little differently, the gatekeeping institutions lost their power to decide what passes as truth in the mind of the public.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eggEgU">
So where does that leave us?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9XM1Rk">
I reached out to Gurri to explore the implications of his thesis. We talk about what it means for our society if millions of people reject every claim that comes from a mainstream institution, why a <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22252171/qanon-donald-trump-conspiracy-theories">phenomenon like QAnon</a> is fundamentally a “pose of rejection,” and why he thinks we’ll have to “reconfigure” our democratic institutions for the digital world we now inhabit.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xHa3Vp">
A lightly edited transcript of our conversation follows.
</p>
<h4 id="tcWo6F">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="j0Umud">
Have elites — politicians, corporate actors, media and cultural elites —<strong> </strong>lost control of the world?
</p>
<h4 id="RxGCXg">
Martin Gurri
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vyMrI0">
Yes and no. It’s a wishy-washy answer, but it’s a reality.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TPTiib">
They would have completely lost control of the world if the public in revolt had a clear program or an organization or leadership. If they were more like the Bolsheviks and less like QAnon, they’d take over the Capitol building. They’d start passing laws. They would topple the regime.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="S9O7av">
But what we have is this collision between a public that is in repudiation mode and these elites who have lost control to the degree that they can’t hoist these utopian promises upon us anymore because no one believes it, but they’re still acting like zombie elites in zombie institutions. They still have power. They can still take us to war. They can still throw the police out there, and the police could shoot us, but they have no authority or legitimacy. They’re stumbling around like zombies.
</p>
<h4 id="xfcIjW">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SPR7pC">
You like to say that governments have lost the ability to dictate the stories a society tells about itself, mostly because the media environment is too fragmented. Why is that so significant?
</p>
<h4 id="QLkSbT">
Martin Gurri
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JAqcV1">
When you analyze the institutions that we have inherited from the 20th century, you find that they are very top-down, like pyramids. And the legitimacy of that model absolutely depends on having a semi-monopoly over information in every domain, which they had in the 20th century. There was no internet and there was a fairly limited number of information sources for the public. So our ruling institutions had authority because they had a very valuable commodity: information.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IIhiRO">
So I was an analyst at the CIA looking around the world at open information, at the global media. And I can tell you, it was like a trickle compared to today. If a president, here or somewhere else, was giving a speech, the coverage of it was confined to major outlets or television stations. But when the tsunami of information hit around the turn of the century, the legitimacy of that model instantly went into crisis because you now had the opposite effect. You had an overabundance of information, and that created a lot of confusion and anarchy.
</p>
<h4 id="WSFUoH">
<strong>Sean Illing</strong>
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="08emuz">
I’m curious how you weigh the significance of material factors in this story. It’s not just that there’s more information, we’ve also seen a litany of failures in the 21st century — from Hurricane Katrina to the forever wars to the financial crisis and on and on. Basically, a decade of institutions failing and misleading citizens, in addition to the deepening inequality, the deaths of despair, the fact that this generation of Americans is doing materially worse than previous ones.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="T8K6RU">
How big a role has this backdrop of failures played in the collapse of trust?
</p>
<h4 id="8oEbyY">
<strong>Martin Gurri</strong>
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZaXAJW">
I would say that what matters is less the material factors you mention than the public’s perception of these factors. Empirically, under nearly every measure, we are better off today than in the 20th century, yet the public is much angrier and more distrustful of government institutions and the elites who manage them. That difference in perception arises directly from the radical changes in the information landscape between the last century and our own.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WCdgwa">
With few exceptions, most market democracies have recovered from the 2008 financial crisis. But the public has not recovered from the shock of watching supposed experts and politicians, the people who posed as the wise pilots of our prosperity, sound and act totally clueless while the economy burned. In the past, when the elites controlled the flow of information, the financial collapse might have been portrayed as a sort of natural disaster, a tragedy we should unify around our leadership to overcome. By 2008, that was already impossible. The networked public perceived the crisis (rightly, I think) as a failure of government and of the expert elites.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="S3VbGf">
It should be a truism that material conditions matter much less than expectations. That was true during the Great Depression and it’s true today. The rhetoric of the rant on the web feeds off extreme expectations — any imperfection in the economy will be treated as a crisis and a true crisis will be seen as the Apocalypse.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HrC09x">
Take the example of Chile. For 40 years, it had high economic growth, rising into the ranks of the wealthiest nations. During this time, Chile enjoyed a healthy democracy, in which political parties of left and right alternated in office. Everyone benefited. Yet in 2019, with many deaths and much material destruction, the Chilean public took to the streets in revolt against the established order. Its material expectations had been deeply frustrated, despite the country’s economic and political successes.
</p>
<h4 id="nhqTz3">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NNXsnV">
Just to be clear, when you talk about this “tsunami” of information in the digital age, you’re not talking about more truth, right?
</p>
<h4 id="KbczaU">
Martin Gurri
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wWIRQB">
As <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812979680/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0812979680&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=farnamstreet-20&amp;linkId=KYTDXK3BDQQF3YS3" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Nassim Taleb</a> pointed out, when you have a gigantic explosion of information, what’s exploding is noise, not signal, so there’s that.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="D20IS9">
As for truth, that’s a tricky subject, because a lot of elites believe, and a lot of people believe, that truth is some kind of Platonic form. We can’t see it, but we know it’s there. And often we know it because the science says so.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VzkJCw">
But that’s not really how truth works. Truth is essentially an act of trust, an act of faith in some authority that is telling you something that you could not possibly come to realize yourself. What’s a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/quark">quark</a>? You believe that there are quarks in the universe, probably because you’ve been told by people who probably know what they’re talking about that there are quarks. You believe the physicists. But you’ve never seen a quark. I’ve never seen a quark. We accept this as truth because we’ve accepted the authority of the people who told us it’s true.
</p>
<h4 id="nunjSE">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2bXmCH">
I’m starting to hate the phrase <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/post-truth">“post-truth”</a> because it implies there was some period in which we lived in truth or in which truth was predominant. But that’s misleading. The difference is that elite gatekeeping institutions can’t place borders on the public conversation and that means they’ve lost the ability to determine what passes as truth, so now we’re in the Wild West.
</p>
<h4 id="Zo587B">
Martin Gurri
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LR9en1">
That’s a very good way to put it. I would say, though, that there was a shining moment when we all had truth. They are correct about that. If truth is really a function of authority, and if in the 20th century these institutions really had authority, then we did have something like truth. But if we had the information back then that we have today, if we had all the noise that we have today, nothing would’ve seemed quite as true because we would’ve lacked faith in the institutions that tried to tell us.
</p>
<h4 id="oEew2u">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5zinp0">
What does it mean for our society if an “official narrative” isn’t possible? Because that’s where we’re at, right? Millions of people will never believe any story or account that comes from the government or a mainstream institution.
</p>
<h4 id="o6owxV">
Martin Gurri
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="X35FUP">
As long as our institutions remain as they are, nothing much will change. What that means is more of the same — more instability, more turbulence, more conspiracy theories, more distrust of authorities. But there’s no iron law of history that says we have to keep these institutions the way they are. Many of our institutions were built around the turn of the 20th century. They weren’t that egalitarian or democratic. They were like great, big pyramids.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8UA6Mj">
But we can take our constitutional framework and reconfigure it. We’ve done it once already, and we could do it again with the digital realm in mind, understanding the distance we once had between those in power and ordinary citizens is gone forever. It’s just gone. So we need people in power who are comfortable in proximity to the public, which many of our elites are not.
</p>
<h4 id="TxT449">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="265KpH">
I do want to at least point to an apparent paradox here. As you’ve said, because of the internet, there are now more voices and more perspectives than ever before, and yet at the same time there’s a massive “herding effect,” as a result of which we have more people talking about fewer subjects. And that partly explains how you get millions of people converging on something like QAnon.
</p>
<h4 id="YjtLWC">
Martin Gurri
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ahiOpo">
Yeah, and that’s very mysterious to me. I would not have expected that outcome. I thought we were headed to ever more dispersed information islands and that that would create a fragmentation in individual beliefs. But instead, I’ve noticed a trend toward conformism and a crystallizing of very few topics. Some of this is just an unwillingness to say certain things because you know if you said them, the internet was going to come after you.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FJstI4">
But I think Trump had a lot to do with it. The amount of attention he got was absolutely unprecedented. Everything was about him. People were either against him or for him, but he was always the subject. Then came the pandemic and he simply lost the capacity to absorb and manipulate attention. The pandemic just moved him completely off-kilter. He never recovered.
</p>
<h4 id="WPXc3O">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3jI2H7">
But we’re in a situation in which ideas, whether it’s QAnon stuff or anything else, are getting more hollow and more viral at the same time — and that seems really bad moving forward.
</p>
<h4 id="S39gE5">
Martin Gurri
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="a8PA7Z">
I’m not quite that pessimistic. You can find all kinds of wonderful stuff being written about practically every aspect of society today by people who are seeing things clearly and sanely. But yeah, they’re surrounded by a mountain of viral crap. And yet we’re in the early days of this transformation. We have no idea how this is going to play out.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="caE05Q">
There has always been a lot of viral crap going around, and there have always been people who believe crazy stuff, particularly crazy stuff that doesn’t impact their immediate lives. Flat earthers still get on airplanes, right? If you’re a flat earther, you’re not a flat earther enough to not get in an airplane and disrupt your personal life. It’s not really a belief, it’s basically giving the finger to the establishment.
</p>
<h4 id="e3r1oH">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UoUnja">
It’s a pose.
</p>
<h4 id="Y87lxK">
Martin Gurri
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ILktfy">
Yeah, it’s a pose of rejection. QAnon is a pose of rejection. There are very many flavors of it, but what they have in common is they’re saying all these ideas you have and all the facts you’re cramming in my face — it’s all a prop for the powerful and I’m rejecting it.
</p>
<h4 id="ouJcfA">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="taZJcJ">
It’s an important point because a lot of us treat QAnon like it’s some kind of epistemological problem, but it’s not really that at all. It’s actually much more difficult than that. And even if we set aside QAnon, the fact that the vast majority of Republicans still believe the 2020 election was fraudulent speaks to the breadth of the problem.
</p>
<h4 id="rurz5D">
Martin Gurri
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9nKJWN">
Right, it’s a problem of authority. When people don’t trust those charged with conveying the truth, they won’t accept it. And at some point, like I said, we’ll have to reconfigure our democracy. Our politicians and institutions are going to have to adjust to the new world in which the public can’t be walled off or controlled. Leaders can’t stand at the top of pyramids anymore and talk down to people. The digital revolution flattened everything. We’ve got to accept that.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AsxBXG">
I really do have hope that this will happen. The boomers who grew up in the old world and can’t move beyond it are going to die out, and younger people are going to take their place. That will raise other questions and challenges, of course, but there will be a changing of the guard and we should welcome it.
</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>S. Badrinath tests positive for COVID-19</strong> - The 40-year-old Badrinath recently played in the veteran’s tournament in Raipur, as did the legendary Sachin Tendulkar and former India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan who also tested positive for COVID-19</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Krishna-Vishnu pair goes down in men’s doubles final of Orleans Masters</strong> - The duo lost 21-19, 14-21, 19-21 in a 56-minute battle with the fourth seeds.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Shafali Verma back where she belongs, on top</strong> - India opener has regained T20 World No. 1 ranking</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ajay Ratra joins Delhi Capitals as assistant coach</strong> - Ratra recently coached the Assam State team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament and the Vijay Hazare Trophy</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Sunil Chhetri says he has fully recovered from COVID-19</strong> - Chhetri had tested positive for coronavirus on March 11 and posted about it on Twitter.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Coronavirus | Over 470 children below 10 years infected with COVID-19 in Bengaluru since March 1</strong> - A total of 244 boys and 228 girls have been infected from March 1 to 26, official data showed</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Yechury raises suspicion over EC decision to put on hold poll to Rajya Sabha seats in Kerala</strong> - Mr. Yechury, who reachedthe southern state to campaign for the Left parties, said the EC’s move amounts to ‘denial of representation’ to Kerala in the Council of States.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>India, U.S. begin two-day naval exercise in eastern Indian Ocean region</strong> - While the Indian Navy deployed its warship Shivalik and long-range maritime patrol aircraft P8I, the U.S. Navy was represented by the USS Theodore Rosevelt carrier strike group</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>J&amp;K witnessed increase in total expenditure from 2014 to 2019: CAG</strong> - Revenue expenditure, capital outlay and disbursement of loans and advances, increased from ₹ 34,550 crore to ₹ 64,572 crore from 2014 to 2019, the report says.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Vasan accuses DMK of making false promises in manifesto</strong> - Voters should vote against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam that has made false promises in its manifesto, Tamil Manila Congress leader G.K. Vasan appea</p></li>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</h1>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Coronavirus: France accuses UK of ‘blackmail’ over vaccine exports</strong> - The row over Covid vaccination supplies escalates after France’s foreign minister criticises the UK.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Coronavirus: Two found after people flee Dublin hotel quarantine</strong> - Two people who were missing after leaving a quarantine hotel have been found, but one has not been located.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Coronavirus: Germany tightens borders amid alarm over pandemic</strong> - France is to be classed a “high-risk” area as Germans are warned of a possible 100,000 infections a day.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>France was ‘blind’ to Rwanda genocide, French report says</strong> - French historians say France bears “heavy responsibilities” over the 1994 Rwanda massacres.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Thierry Henry: Former Arsenal player takes action over racism and bullying</strong> - Former Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry says he is disabling his social media accounts because of racism and bullying.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Bus drivers bring adaptation of Alien to London’s West End in Alien on Stage</strong> - SXSW documentary captures ordinary people daring something truly extraordinary - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1752295">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The ionizer in your kid’s school may not do much to fight COVID</strong> - Claims they remove 99% of viruses are unproven; cheaper air filters are more effective. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1752584">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Vaccine FOMO is real. Here’s how to deal with it</strong> - The waiting is the hardest part—but there are steps you can take to manage the anxiety. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1752604">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Can you make a comedy set during COVID-19? Recovery takes the idea for a drive</strong> - Director: “I want people thinking it’s a Marvel movie. And that Timothee Chalamet is in it.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1751106">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>“Are schools safe?” is the wrong question to be asking</strong> - There’s no right answer on school safety, just a right answer for each community. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1752567">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
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<li><strong>I went to a beekeeper to get 12 bees. He counted and gave me 13.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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“Sir, you gave me an extra.” That’s a freebie.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/KuronekoFan"> /u/KuronekoFan </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/meok1l/i_went_to_a_beekeeper_to_get_12_bees_he_counted/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/meok1l/i_went_to_a_beekeeper_to_get_12_bees_he_counted/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>This was an actual conversation that took place between my wife and my 7 yr old son just now.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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My wife has been teaching my son to fold his own laundries but he complains about it everytime. My wife, trying to convince my son, said to him “If you pick up this habit, your future wife will love you very much.”
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My son replied “I don’t want my future wife to love me very much. I want my future wife to help me fold my laundry.”
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I busted out laughing. But the end result is that now I have to fold my own laundries going forward.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/infinit9"> /u/infinit9 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/merzo7/this_was_an_actual_conversation_that_took_place/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/merzo7/this_was_an_actual_conversation_that_took_place/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>A British Jew is waiting in line to be knighted by the Queen.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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He is to kneel in front of her and recite a sentence in Latin when she taps him on the shoulders with her sword. However, when his turn comes, he panics in the excitement of the moment and forgets the Latin. Then, thinking fast, he recites the only other sentence he knows in a foreign language, which he remembers from the Passover seder:
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“Ma nishtanah halailah hazeh mikol haleilot.”
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Puzzled, Her Majesty turns to her advisor and whispers, “Why is this knight different from all other knights?”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/WJMorris3"> /u/WJMorris3 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/merz30/a_british_jew_is_waiting_in_line_to_be_knighted/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/merz30/a_british_jew_is_waiting_in_line_to_be_knighted/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>My girlfriend’s dog died so I got her an identical one</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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She got even more upset and shouted at me, “What am I supposed to do with two dead dogs?”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/buyside_md"> /u/buyside_md </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mewnzi/my_girlfriends_dog_died_so_i_got_her_an_identical/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mewnzi/my_girlfriends_dog_died_so_i_got_her_an_identical/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>The school phoned me today and said, “Your son’s has been telling lies.” I said,</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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“Tell him, he’s bloody good. I don’t have any kids”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/YZXFILE"> /u/YZXFILE </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mecjzg/the_school_phoned_me_today_and_said_your_sons_has/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mecjzg/the_school_phoned_me_today_and_said_your_sons_has/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
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