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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>Aversive personality and COVID-19: A first review and meta-analysis</strong> -
<div>
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has strongly affected individuals and societies worldwide. In this review and meta-analysis, we investigated how aversive personality traits—i.e., relatively stable antisocial personality characteristics—related to how individuals perceived, evaluated, and responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Across 34 studies with overall 26,780 participants, we found that people with higher scores in aversive personality traits were less likely to perceive guidelines and restrictions to curb the spread of the virus as protective (p̂ = -.11), to engage in health behaviors related to COVID-19 (p̂ = -.16), and to engage in non-health related prosocial behavior related to COVID-19 (p̂ = -.14). We found no consistent relation between aversive personality and negative affect regarding the pandemic. The results thus indicate the importance of aversive personality traits in understanding individual differences with regard to COVID-19.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/vg465/" target="_blank">Aversive personality and COVID-19: A first review and meta- analysis</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Patterns of Sexual Violence and Its Impact on Women and Children Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic in Kenya Policy Brief</strong> -
<div>
Objectives This study examined patterns of sexual violence against adults and children in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic to inform sexual violence prevention, protection and response efforts. Design A prospective cross-sectional research design was used with data collected from March-August 2020. Setting Kenya Participants 317 adults, 224 children Main Measures Perpetrator and survivor demographic data, characteristics of the assault. Results Bivariate analyses found that children were more likely than adults to be attacked during the daytime (59% vs. 44%, p &lt;.001), by a single perpetrator rather than multiple perpetrators (13% vs. 31%, p &lt;.001), in a private as opposed to a public location (66% vs. 45%, p &lt;.001) and by someone known to the child (76% vs. 58%, p &lt;.001). Children were violated most often by neighbours (29%) and family members (20%), whereas adults were equally likely to be attacked by strangers (41%) and persons known to them (59%). These variables were entered as predictors into a logistic regression model that significantly predicted the age group of the survivor, Chi Square(5, N = 541) = 53.3, p = &lt; .001. Conclusions Patterns of sexual violence against adult and child survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic are different, suggesting age-related measures are needed in national emergency plans to adequately address sexual violence during the pandemic and for future humanitarian crises.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/zykq7/" target="_blank">Patterns of Sexual Violence and Its Impact on Women and Children Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic in Kenya Policy Brief</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Modelling Personality Change During Extreme Exogenous Conditions</strong> -
<div>
A Bayesian Study On Social Media Language During The First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Personality traits change over time, however research on it was sparse, since previous approaches were too time-consuming and expensive. Also, the necessary methodological complexity was beyond the capabilities of classical personality researchers, which resulted in contradictory results and lack of methodological standards. In this paper, we presented a simple and cost-effective method that overcame these restrictions. We introduced a machine learning approach for daily measurements to personality research, and developed a bespoke Bayesian algorithm to analyse the observed change. This resulted in uncovering concrete points of regime-shift that overlapped with relevant exogenous events for a Japanese sample of social media users. With it, we showed that personality measures displayed significant elasticity under extreme exogenous conditions during the first wave of COVID-19 and the subsequent societal countermeasures, which can be interpreted as a temporary shift from normal expression of latent psychological traits z to their respective emergency expression ze. Concretely, we found that the group of top 25% Conscientiousness users displayed a significant change in the FFM factors Agreeableness and Extraversion. We finally compared our findings with those from similar studies in other cultures, and discussed generalisability as well as future qualitative and quantitative directions for research.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/rtmjw/" target="_blank">Modelling Personality Change During Extreme Exogenous Conditions</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Implementing a coping skills intervention for scientists in a SARS-CoV-2 lab personal in Colombia.</strong> -
<div>
The pandemic has generated a radical transformation in the lives of millions of workers. Working at home, job loss, and extended hours are among the stressors this past year has brought. Professionals in the medical and biological sciences, in particular, have faced challenges that put their psychological health at risk: “The pressure is maximum to generate vaccines, locate antibodies and carry out large-scale tests that benefit public health. In this experience, we share the results of an implementation of implementing a coping skills intervention for lab scientists in Colombia working with SARS-CoV-2 samples and patients.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/kz94y/" target="_blank">Implementing a coping skills intervention for scientists in a SARS- CoV-2 lab personal in Colombia.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>The COVID-19 Multifaceted Threat Scale</strong> -
<div>
The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented threat for individuals worldwide. This paper reports the initial psychometric properties for the recently developed COVID-19 Multifaceted Threat Scale. Across three studies the construction and initial psychometric evidence is presented. In Study 1 (n = 194, 11 national groups), we adopted an inductive qualitative methodology to elicit participants’ concerns, worries, or fears about the corona pandemic. A thematic analysis revealed 10 consistent themes around threat, from which we constructed a pool of 100 potential items. In Study 2, a sample from the United States (n = 322) provided data for an exploratory factor analysis which reduced the 100 items to 30 items across the 10 hypothesised dimensions sub-factors. In Study 3, these findings were then ratified in samples from the United States (n = 471) and India (n = 423) using a multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. We also present reliability estimates (internal consistency: Studies 2-3) and preliminary evidence of the validity for the scale across two national groups (United States and India). The evidence presented suggests that the COVID-19 Multifaceted Threat Scale is a psychometrically sound measure and can be used to explore current and long- lasting effects of the pandemic on individuals and societies.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/jfgvr/" target="_blank">The COVID-19 Multifaceted Threat Scale</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>A network perspective on real-life threat: Complex associations between trait and situational anxiety, stress, and individual approach-avoidance tendencies</strong> -
<div>
Anxiety and approach-avoidance conflicts are crucial factors influencing mental and physical health, especially when environments are stressful. Their interplay is modulated by multiple state and trait factors. Therefore, focusing on some specific associations, which represents the dominant approach in most previous work on anxiety and avoidance, can only provide limited insights and does not capture the whole complexity of the interaction patterns between psychological factors. This study applied graph-theoretical network analysis to investigate associations between self- reported trait anxiety, approach and avoidance tendencies, situational anxiety, stress symptoms, perceived threat, perceived positive consequences of approach, and avoidance behavior in situations of real-life threat. 541 participants (218 psychotherapy patients, 323 participants from the general community) completed an online survey assessing threat- related traits and states, and responses towards public situations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting psychological network revealed a complex pattern with positive (e.g., between trait anxiety, avoidance motivation, and avoidance behavior) and negative associations (e.g., between approach and avoidance motivation). The patient and community subsample networks were not significantly different, but descriptive effects may inform future research. Our study shows that network analysis provides a promising tool to get comprehensive insights into complex associations between state and trait factors influencing psychological health.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/jnx36/" target="_blank">A network perspective on real-life threat: Complex associations between trait and situational anxiety, stress, and individual approach-avoidance tendencies</a>
</div></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>mRNA vaccines: Why is the biology of retroposition ignored?</strong> -
<div>
The major advantage of mRNA vaccines over more conventional approaches is their potential for rapid development and large-scale deployment in pandemic situations. In the current COVID-19 crisis the two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been conditionally approved and broadly applied, while others are still in clinical trials. However, there is no previous experience with the use of mRNA vaccines on the large scale in general population. This warrants a careful evaluation of mRNA vaccine safety properties by considering all available knowledge on the mRNA molecular biology and evolution. Here, I discuss the pervasive claim that mRNA-based vaccines cannot alter genomes. Surprisingly, this notion is widely stated in the mRNA vaccine literature, but never supported by referencing any primary scientific papers that would specifically address this question. This discrepancy becomes even more puzzling if one considers previous work on the molecular and evolutionary aspects of retroposition in murine and human populations that clearly documents the frequent integration of mRNA molecules into genomes, including clinical contexts. By performing basic comparisons, I showed that the sequence features of mRNA vaccines meet all known requirements for retroposition by L1 elements — the only active and the most abundant retrotransposons in the human genome. In contrast, I found an evolutionary bias in the set of known retrocopy generating genes — a pattern that might help in the future development of retroposition-resistant therapeutic mRNAs. I conclude that is unfounded to a priori assume that mRNA-based therapeutics do not impact genomes, and that the route to genome integration of vaccine mRNAs via endogenous L1 retroelements is easily conceivable. This implies that we urgently need experimental studies that would rigorously test for the potential retroposition of vaccine mRNAs. At present, the insertional mutagenesis safety of mRNA-based vaccines should be considered unresolved.
</div></li>
</ul>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/uwx32/" target="_blank">mRNA vaccines: Why is the biology of retroposition ignored?</a>
</div>
<ul>
<li><strong>Mesalamine Reduces Intestinal ACE2 Expression Without Modifying SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Disease Severity in Mice.</strong> -
<div>
Introduction: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing public health crisis that has sickened or precipitated death in millions. The etiologic agent of COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2), infects the intestinal epithelium, and can induce GI symptoms similar to the human inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). An international surveillance epidemiology study (SECURE-IBD) reported that the standardized mortality ratio trends higher in IBD patients (1.5-1.8) and that mesalamine/sulfasalazine therapy correlates with poor outcome. The goal of our study was to experimentally address the relationship between mesalamine and SARS-CoV-2 entry, replication, and/or pathogenesis. Methods: Viral infection was performed with a chimeric vesicular stomatitis virus expressing SARS- CoV-2 spike protein and EGFP (VSV-SARS-CoV-2) and SARS-CoV-2 virus derived from an infectious cDNA clone of 2019n-CoV/USA_WA1/2020. Primary human ileal spheroids derived from healthy donors were grown as 3D spheroids or on 2D transwells. We assessed the effect of 10 mM mesalamine (Millipore Sigma) on viral RNA levels, as well as the expression of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor angiotensin II-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), Transmembrane Serine Protease 2 (TMPRSS2), TMPRSS4, Cathepsin B (CTSB) and CTSL by qRT-PCR. 8-12 week old K18-ACE2 were treated orally with PBS or mesalamine at 200 mg/kg daily. Mice were inoculated intranasally with 1x10^3 FFU of SARS-CoV-2. Mice were weighed daily and viral titers were determined 7 days post infection (dpi) by qRT-PCR. For the intestinal viral entry model, VSV-SARS-CoV-2 was injected into a ligated intestinal loop of anesthetized K18-ACE2 mice and tissues were harvested 6 hours post-infection. Results: We found no change in viral RNA levels in human intestinal epithelial cells in response to mesalamine. Expression of ACE2 was reduced following mesalamine treatment in enteroids, while CTSL expression was increased. Mice receiving mesalamine lost weight at similar rates compared to mice receiving vehicle control. Mesalamine treatment did not change viral load in the lung, heart, or intestinal tissues harvested at 7 dpi. Pretreatment with mesalamine did not modulate intestinal entry of the chimeric VSV-SARS-CoV-2 in K18-ACE2 mice. Conclusions: Mesalamine did not alter viral entry, replication, or pathogenesis in vitro or in mouse models. Mesalamine treatment reduced expression of the viral receptor ACE2 while concurrently increasing CTSL expression in human ileum organoids.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.23.453393v1" target="_blank">Mesalamine Reduces Intestinal ACE2 Expression Without Modifying SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Disease Severity in Mice.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>The in vitro and in vivo potency of CT-P59 against Delta and its associated variants of SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
<div>
The Delta variant originally from India is rapidly spreading across the world and causes to resurge infections of SARS-CoV-2. We previously reported that CT-P59 presented its in vivo potency against Beta and Gamma variants, despite its reduced activity in cell experiments. Yet, it remains uncertain to exert the antiviral effect of CT-P59 on the Delta and its associated variants (L452R). To tackle this question, we carried out cell tests and animal study. CT-P59 showed reduced antiviral activity but enabled neutralization against Delta, Epsilon, and Kappa variants in cells. In line with in vitro results, the mouse challenge experiment with the Delta variant substantiated in vivo potency of CT-P59 showing symptom remission and virus abrogation in the respiratory tract. Collectively, cell and animal studies showed that CT-P59 is effective against the Delta variant infection, hinting that CT-P59 has therapeutic potency for patients infected with Delta and its associated variants.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.23.453472v1" target="_blank">The in vitro and in vivo potency of CT-P59 against Delta and its associated variants of SARS-CoV-2</a>
</div></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Effective presence of antibodies against common human coronavirus in IgG immunoglobulin medicinal products.</strong> -
<div>
Introduction: In this series of studies, immunoglobulin products (IgG) formulated for different routes of administration (IV, IM, SC) and prepared from geographically diverse plasma pools were tested for activity against common human coronaviruses (HCoV). IgG products from plasma obtained from Germany, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, USA and Spain were tested for antibodies to four common HCoV: 229E, OC43, NL63 and HKU1. Since these products are manufactured from pooled plasma from thousands of donors, the antibodies therein are a representation of the HCoV exposure of the population at large. Methods: IgG products of different concentrations manufactured from geographically diverse plasma pools were tested for antibodies to four common HCoV by ELISA. In addition, neutralization assays were conducted using HCoV-229E expressed in MRC5 cells. Complete concentration-neutralization curves were obtained to calculate potencies. Results: The ELISA assays showed that when expressed as specific activity (anti-HCoV activity/mg IgG) similar activity against the four common HCoV was seen across the IgG products regardless of concentration or geographic origin. Highest anti-HCoV activity was seen against HCoV-229E, followed by HCoV-OC43 and then HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-HKU1. The neutralization assays showed similar potency for two preparations of IgG prepared by different processes. Conclusions: These studies are the first demonstration of antibodies to common HCoV in IgG products. The level of activity was similar regardless of the geographic origin of the plasma pool. These antibodies demonstrated neutralization activity against HCoV-229E in MRC5 cells. These results may explain the cross-reactivity seen with pre- pandemic IgG products and SARS-CoV-2 and contribute to the variability in disease course in different patients.
</div></li>
</ul>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.23.453571v1" target="_blank">Effective presence of antibodies against common human coronavirus in IgG immunoglobulin medicinal products.</a>
</div>
<ul>
<li><strong>Understanding the role of memory re-activation and cross-reactivity in the defense against SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
<div>
Recent efforts in understanding the course and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections have highlighted both potential beneficial as well as detrimental effects of cross-reactive antibodies derived from memory immunity. Specifically, due to a significant degree of sequence similarity between SARS-CoV-2 and other members of the coronavirus family, memory B-cells that emerged from previous infections with endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs) could be re-activated upon encountering the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2, thus prompting the production of cross-reactive antibodies. Understanding the affinity and concentration of these potentially cross-reactive antibodies to the new SARS-CoV-2 antigens is therefore particularly important when assessing both existing immunity against common HCoVs and adverse effects like antibody- dependent enhancement (ADE) in COVID-19. However, these two fundamental parameters cannot easily be deconvoluted by surface-based assays like enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) which are routinely used to assess cross- reactivity. Here, we have used microfluidic antibody-affinity profiling (MAAP) to quantitatively evaluate the humoral immune response in COVID-19 convalescent patients by determining both antibody affinity and concentration against spike antigens of SARS-CoV-2 directly in nine convalescent COVID-19 patient and three pre-pandemic sera that were seropositive for common HCoVs. All 12 sera contained low concentrations of high affinity antibodies against spike antigens of HCoV- NL63 and HCoV-HKU1, indicative of past exposure to these pathogens, while the affinity against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was lower. These results suggest that cross-reactivity as a consequence of memory re-activation upon an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection may not be a significant factor in generating immunity against SARS CoV-2.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.23.453352v1" target="_blank">Understanding the role of memory re- activation and cross-reactivity in the defense against SARS-CoV-2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>A Highly Potent SARS-CoV-2 Blocking Lectin Protein</strong> -
<div>
COVID-19 pandemic effected more than 180 million people around the globe causing more than four million deaths as of July 2021. Sars-CoV-2, the new coronavirus, has been identified as the primary cause of the infection. The number of vaccinated people is increasing however prophylactic drugs are highly demanded to ensure a secure social contact. There have been a number of drug molecules repurposed to fight against Sars-CoV-2, however the proofs for the effectiveness of these drug candidates is limited. Here we demonstrated griffithsin (GRFT), a lectin protein, to block the entry of the Sars-CoV2 into the Vero6 cell lines and IFNAR-/- mouse models by attaching to spike protein of the Sars-CoV-2. Given the current mutation frequency of the Sars-CoV-2 we believe that GRFT protein-based drugs will have a high impact in preventing the transmission both on Wuhan strain as well as any other emerging variants including delta variant causing high speed spread of COVID-19.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.22.453309v1" target="_blank">A Highly Potent SARS-CoV-2 Blocking Lectin Protein</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>PDZ-containing proteins targeted by the ACE2 receptor</strong> -
<div>
Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a main receptor for SARS-CoV-2 entry to the host cell. Indeed, the first step in viral entry is the binding of the viral trimeric spike protein to ACE2. Abundantly present in human epithelial cells of many organs, ACE2 is also expressed in the human brain. ACE2 is a type I membrane protein with an extracellular N-terminal peptidase domain and a C-terminal collectrin-like domain that ends with a single transmembrane helix and an intracellular 44-residues segment. This C-terminal segment contains a PDZ-binding motif (PBM) targeting protein interacting domains called PSD-95/Dlg/ZO-1 (PDZ). Here, we identified the human PDZ specificity profile of the ACE2 PBM using the high throughput holdup assay and measuring the binding intensities of the PBM of ACE2 against the full human PDZome. We discovered 14 human PDZ binders of ACE2 showing significant binding with dissociation constants values ranging from 3 to 81 M. NHERF, SHANK, and SNX27 proteins found in this study are involved in protein trafficking. The PDZ/PBM interactions with ACE2 could play a role on ACE2 internalization and recycling that could benefit for the virus entry. Interestingly, most of the ACE2 partners we identified are expressed in neuronal cells, such as SHANK and MAST families, and modifications of the interactions between ACE2 and these neuronal proteins may be involved in neurological symptoms of COVID-19.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.23.453470v1" target="_blank">PDZ-containing proteins targeted by the ACE2 receptor</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>SARS-CoV-2 Exploits Sexually Dimorphic and Adaptive IFN and TNFa Signaling to Gain Entry into Alveolar Epithelium</strong> -
<div>
Infection of the alveolar epithelium constitutes a bottleneck in the progression of COVID-19 to SARS presumably due to the paucity of viral entry receptors in alveolar epithelial type 1 and 2 cells. We have found that the male alveolar epithelial cells express twice as many ACE2 and TMPRSS2 entry receptors as the female ones. Intriguingly, IFN and TNF- signaling are preferentially active in male alveolar cells and induce binding of the cognate transcription factors to the promoters and lung-active enhancers of ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Cotreatment with IFN-I and III dramatically increases expression of the receptors and viral entry in alveolar epithelial cells. TNF and IFN-II, typically overproduced during the cytokine storm, similarly collaborate to induce these events. Whereas JAK inhibitors suppress viral entry induced by IFN-I/III, simultaneous inhibition of IKK/NF-{kappa}B is necessary to block viral entry induced by TNF and IFN II. In addition to explaining the increased incidence of SARS in males, these findings indicate that SARS-Cov-2 hijacks epithelial immune signaling to promote infection of the alveolar epithelium and suggest that JAK inhibitors, singly and in combination with NF-KB inhibitors, may exhibit efficacy in preventing or treating COVID-19 SARS.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.23.453505v1" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2 Exploits Sexually Dimorphic and Adaptive IFN and TNFa Signaling to Gain Entry into Alveolar Epithelium</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>No evidence of human genome integration of SARS-CoV-2 found by long-read DNA sequencing</strong> -
<div>
A recent study proposed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) hijacks the LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposition machinery to integrate into the DNA of infected cells. If confirmed, this finding could have significant clinical implications. Here, we applied deep (&gt;50x) long-read Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing to HEK293T cells infected with SARS-CoV-2, and did not find the virus integrated into the genome. By examining ONT data from separate HEK293T cultivars, we completely resolved 78 L1 insertions arising in vitro in the absence of L1 overexpression systems. ONT sequencing applied to hepatitis B virus (HBV) positive liver cancer tissues located a single HBV insertion. These experiments demonstrate reliable resolution of retrotransposon and exogenous virus insertions via ONT sequencing. That we found no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 integration suggests such events are, at most, extremely rare in vivo, and therefore are unlikely to drive oncogenesis or explain post-recovery detection of the virus.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.28.446065v2" target="_blank">No evidence of human genome integration of SARS-CoV-2 found by long-read DNA sequencing</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>A Study of PF-07321332/Ritonavir in Nonhospitalized High Risk Adult Participants With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: PF-07321332;   Drug: Ritonavir;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Pfizer<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>Phase II/III Study of AZD2816, for the Prevention of COVID-19 in Adults</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV-2<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: AZD1222;   Biological: AZD2816<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   AstraZeneca<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>Building Resiliency and Vital Equity (BRAVE) Project: Understanding Native Americans’ Perceptions/Beliefs About COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Study</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19 Virus Infection<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: Protect Your Elders Campaign<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   North Carolina Central University;   Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina;   University of North Carolina at Pembroke<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>Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training in Patients With Post COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: Exercise training group;   Other: Control training group<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Gazi University<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>Vaccination for Recovered Inpatients With COVID-19 (VATICO)</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Moderna mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine;   Biological: Pfizer BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT);   University of Minnesota;   National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID);   University of Copenhagen;   Kirby Institute;   Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center;   AIDS Clinical Trials Group;   National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI);   US Department of Veterans Affairs;   Prevention and Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury (PETAL);   Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network (CTSN);   Medical Research Council<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>Internet-based Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation for Longterm COVID-19 Syndrome</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Long COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Danderyd Hospital;   St Göran Hospital, Stockholm<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>Enabling Family Physicians to Reduce Vaccine Hesitancy and Increase Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Covid19;   COVID-19 Vaccine<br/><b>Interventions</b>:  <br/>
Behavioral: Tailored COVID-19 vaccine messages;   Other: Other health messages<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:  <br/>
Hopital Montfort;   Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC);   Eastern Ontario Health Unit<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 and Lung Ultrasound Utility</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Device: Device: Butterfly iQ<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:  <br/>
Rocket Doctor Inc.<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>Saliva-based COVID-19 DNA Aptamer Test</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Device: AptameX<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Achiko AG;   Udayana University<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>Reconditioning Exercise for COVID-19 Patients Experiencing Residual sYmptoms</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: Exercise Therapy<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:  <br/>
Wake Forest University Health Sciences<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>Lipid Emulsion Infusion and COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: SMOFlipid;   Other: 0.9% saline<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Assiut University<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>Baricitinib in Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients With Diabetes Mellitus</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Baricitinib;   Drug: Dexamethasone;   Drug: Remdesivir<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders<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>Evaluation of the RD-X19 Treatment Device in Individuals With Mild to Moderate COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Device: RD-X19;   Device: Sham<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:  <br/>
EmitBio Inc.<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>Evaluation of The Efficacy of Triazavirin Versus Oseltamivir in Egyptian Patients Infected With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: standard treatment COVID-19 + Triazavirin<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Ain Shams University<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>Coenzyme Q10 as Treatment for Long Term COVID-19</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Covid19;   Long Term Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Coenzyme Q10;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Aarhus University Hospital;   University of Aarhus;   Pharma Nord<br/><b>Recruiting</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>The role of thymoquinone, a major constituent of Nigella sativa, in the treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases</strong> - Nigella sativa (N. sativa) is an annual flowering plant that has been used as a traditional remedy for many centuries. The seed possesses a large variety of compounds with thymoquinone (TQ) considered its major but not sole bioactive constituent. Supercritical fluid extraction, geographical location, and oxidative status of N. sativa produces the highest yield of essential oil content including TQ. Thymoquinone is lipophilic, heat and light sensitive with low oral bioavailability and rapid…</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>Structural Decoding of a Small Molecular Inhibitor on the Binding of SARS-CoV-2 to the ACE 2 Receptor</strong> - Inhibition of the interaction of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein and the human angiotensin- converting enzyme 2 (ACE 2) receptor is the most effective therapeutic formulation to restrict the contagious respiratory illness and multiple organ failure caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus. Based on the structural decoding of the RBD of the spike protein, here we have generated a new set of small molecules that have strong inhibiting properties on the binding of the spike…</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>Epigenetic and transcriptional control of interferon-β</strong> - The three classes of interferons (IFNs) share the ability to inhibit viral replication, activating cell transcriptional programs that regulate both innate and adaptive responses to viral and intracellular bacterial challenge. Due to their unique potency in regulating viral replication, and their association with numerous autoimmune diseases, the tightly orchestrated transcriptional regulation of IFNs has long been a subject of intense investigation. The protective role of early robust IFN…</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 nucleocapsid suppresses host pyroptosis by blocking Gasdermin D cleavage</strong> - SARS-CoV-2 is an emerging coronavirus that causes dysfunctions in multiple human cells and tissues. Studies have looked at the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells mediated by the viral spike protein and human receptor ACE2. However, less is known about the cellular immune responses triggered by SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins. Here, we show that the nucleocapsid of SARS-CoV-2 inhibits host pyroptosis by blocking Gasdermin D (GSDMD) cleavage. SARS-CoV-2-infected monocytes show enhanced cellular…</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>Are statins beneficial for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection?</strong> - Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly infectious, rapidly spreading viral disease and has emerged as a public health emergency of international concern. As of this time, there are no specific antiviral therapies available for the treatment of COVID-19. However, it is possible that some existing drugs, usually used for other conditions, may have some benefits. Statins have been widely reported to exert antiviral activity against many enveloped viruses by inhibiting the cholesterol…</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>Research Progress on the Antiviral Activity of Glycyrrhizin and its Derivatives in Liquorice</strong> - Liquorice is a traditional medicine. Triterpenoids such as glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetinic acid are the main active constituents of liquorice. Studies have revealed that these compounds exert inhibitory effects on several viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. The main mechanisms of action of these compounds include inhibition of virus replication, direct inactivation of viruses, inhibition of inflammation mediated by HMGB1/TLR4, inhibition of β-chemokines, reduction in the binding of HMGB1 to DNA to…</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>Effectiveness of Tocilizumab with and without Dexamethasone in Patients with Severe COVID-19: A Retrospective Study</strong> - CONCLUSION: In patients with severe course of COVID-19, particularly those developing cytokine storm, administration of TCZ provides a significantly better effect than DEX regarding survival, clinical improvement, and hospital discharge rate. The combination of TCZ and DEX does not improve therapy effectiveness in patients with severe COVID-19 compared to the administration of TCZ alone.</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>Discovery of SARS-CoV-2-E channel inhibitors as antiviral candidates</strong> - Lack of efficiency has been a major problem shared by all currently developed anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapies. Our previous study shows that SARS-CoV-2 structural envelope (2-E) protein forms a type of cation channel, and heterogeneously expression of 2-E channels causes host cell death. In this study we developed a cell-based high throughput screening (HTS) assay and used it to discover inhibitors against 2-E channels. Among 4376 compounds tested, 34 hits with cell protection activity were found….</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>Genome-wide analysis of protein-protein interactions and involvement of viral proteins in SARS-CoV-2 replication</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provided a basis for understanding the functions of coronavirus proteins and supported the potential of interactions as the target for antiviral drug development.</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>Neurotransmitters and Neuropeptides decrease PD-1 in T cells of healthy subjects and patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and increase their proliferation and eradication of HCC cells</strong> - T cells of aged people, and of patients with either cancer or severe infections (including COVID-19), are often exhausted, senescent and dysfunctional, leading to increased susceptibilities, complications and mortality. Neurotransmitters and Neuropeptides bind their receptors in T cells, and induce multiple beneficial T cell functions. Yet, T cells of different people vary in the expression levels of Neurotransmitter and Neuropeptide receptors, and in the magnitude of the corresponding effects….</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>Inhalable nanocatchers for SARS-CoV-2 inhibition</strong> - The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-like coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), presents an urgent health crisis. More recently, an increasing number of mutated strains of SARS-CoV-2 have been identified globally. Such mutations, especially those on the spike glycoprotein to render its higher binding affinity to human angiotensin-converting enzyme II (hACE2) receptors, not only resulted in higher transmission of SARS-CoV-2 but also…</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>Role of lungs in the hemostasis system (review of literature)</strong> - The lung tissue contains various hemostatic system elements, which can be released from the lungs, both under physiological and pathological conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the number of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in intensive care units worldwide. When the lungs are damaged, coagulation disorders are mediated by tissue factor (TF) - factor VIIa (F VIIa), and inhibition of this pathway completely eliminates intrapulmonary fibrin…</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>Population Pharmacokinetics of Favipiravir in Patients with COVID-19</strong> - The antiretroviral drug favipiravir inhibits RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. It has been developed for the treatment of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection disease (COVID-19). However, its pharmacokinetics in patients with COVID-19 is poorly understood. In this study, we measured favipiravir serum concentration by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and conducted population pharmacokinetic (PPK) analysis. Thirty-nine patients were enrolled in the study: 33 were administered FPV…</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>Enzymatic assays to explore viral mRNA capping machinery</strong> - In eukaryotes, mRNA is modified by the addition of the 7-methylguanosine (m7G) 5’ cap to protect mRNA from premature degradation, thereby enhancing translation and enabling differentiation between self (endogenous) and non-self RNAs (e.g., viral ones). Viruses often develop their own mRNA capping pathways to augment the expression of their proteins and escape host innate immune response. Insights into this capping system may provide new ideas for therapeutic interventions and facilitate drug…</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 Screening of Natural Phytocompounds Towards Identification of Potential Lead Compounds to Treat COVID-19</strong> - COVID-19 is one of the members of the coronavirus family that can easily assail humans. As of now, 10 million people are infected and above two million people have died from COVID-19 globally. Over the past year, several researchers have made essential advances in discovering potential drugs. Up to now, no efficient drugs are available on the market. The present study aims to identify the potent phytocompounds from different medicinal plants (Zingiber officinale, Cuminum cyminum, Piper nigrum,…</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>A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COVID- 19 DIAGNOSIS USING DETECTION RESULTS FROM CHEST X- RAY IMAGES</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU330927328">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Advanced Machine Learning System combating COVID-19 virus Detection, Spread, Prevention and Medical Assistance.</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU329799475">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Differential detection kit for common SARS-CoV-2 variants in COVID-19 patients</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU328840861">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>一种新型冠状病毒的mRNA疫苗</strong> - 本发明公开了一种新型冠状病毒的mRNA疫苗。本发明提供的疫苗，其活性成分为mRNA，如序列表的序列6所示。本发明还保护TF‑RBD蛋白，如序列表的序列2所示。本发明的发明人通过一系列序列设计和序列优化得到了特异DNA分子，进一步构建了特异重组质粒，将特异重组质粒进行体外转录，可以得到多聚化TF‑RBD mRNA。进一步的，发明人制备了负载TF‑RBD mRNA的脂质纳米粒。本发明对于新型冠状病毒的防控具有重大的应用推广价值。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN330068008">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因及其应用</strong> - 本发明属于生物技术领域，具体涉及新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因及其应用。本发明的新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因，其核苷酸序列如SEQ ID NO.1或SEQ ID NO.6所示。本发明通过优化野生型新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因序列，并结合筛选确定了相对最佳序列，优化后序列产生的克隆表达效率比野生型新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD序列表达效率大幅提高，从而，本发明的新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因更有利于用于制备新型冠状病毒疫苗。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN330068024">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SARS-CoV-2 anti-viral therapeutic</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU327160071">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>一种基于联邦学习的多用户协同训练人流统计方法及系统</strong> - 本发明提供一种基于联邦学习的多用户协同训练人流统计方法，旨在利用联邦学习框架搭建一个新颖的人群计数模型，达到让多用户多设备同时训练的目的。各个客户端利用图像数据集对图像分类网络进行本地训练以获取本地模型；在各经过至少一次本地训练后，中心服务器从客户端获取本地模型的权值及附加层参数并进行聚合处理；中心服务器利用聚合处理后的权值及附加层参数更新全局模型，并将聚合处理后的权值参数及附加层参数返回给各个客户端；各个客户端利用中心服务器返回的权值以及ground truth值进行贝叶斯估计，计算loss值，并利用返回的权值参数及附加层参数更新本地模型；重复执行直至所有客户端的loss值均收敛，则完成人流统计全局模型和本地模型的训练。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN329978461">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A POLYHERBAL ALCOHOL FREE FORMULATION FOR ORAL CAVITY</strong> - The present invention generally relates to a herbal composition. Specifically, the present invention relates to a polyherbal alcohol free composition comprising of Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract, Ocimum sanctum leaf extract, Elettaria cardamomum fruit extract, Mentha spicata (Spearmint) oil and Tween 80 and method of preparation thereof. The polyherbal alcohol free composition of the present invention possesses excellent antimicrobial properties and useful for oral cavity. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN325690740">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因及其应用</strong> - 本发明属于生物技术领域，具体涉及新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因及其应用。本发明的新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因，其核苷酸序列如SEQIDNO.1或SEQIDNO.6所示。本发明通过优化野生型新型冠状病毒南非B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因序列，并结合筛选确定了相对最佳序列，优化后序列产生的克隆表达效率比野生型新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD序列表达效率大幅提高，从而，本发明的新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因可以用于制备新型冠状病毒疫苗。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN328990628">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>检测新型冠状病毒中和抗体的试剂盒及其应用</strong> - 本发明涉及生物技术领域，具体而言，提供了一种检测新型冠状病毒中和抗体的试剂盒及其应用。本发明提供的检测新型冠状病毒中和抗体试剂盒，具体包括（a）或（b）两种方案：（a）示踪物标记的RBD三聚体抗原，包被在固体支持物上的ACE2，以及，含有0.2‑10mg/mL十二烷基二甲基甜菜碱的工作液；（b）示踪物标记的ACE2，包被在固体支持物上的RBD三聚体抗原，以及，含有0.2‑10mg/mL十二烷基二甲基甜菜碱的工作液；其中，RBD三聚体抗原利用二硫键将刺突蛋白的RBD与S2亚基完全交联得到。十二烷基二甲基甜菜碱会显著提高RBD三聚体抗原与新冠中和性抗体结合速度，提升阳性样本平均发光强度，缩短检测时间。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN328990376">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
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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>Suddenly, (Some) Republicans Are All In on the Vaccine</strong> - The new G.O.P. politics of the pandemic follow the grim new math of the coronavirus for Red America. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/suddenly-some-republicans-are-all-in-on-the-%20vaccine">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Is Cuba’s Communist Party Finally Losing Its Hold on the Country?</strong> - Historic protests across the island cast doubt on the regime’s staying power. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/is-cubas-communist-party-finally-losing-its-hold-on-the-country">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Tokyo’s Olympics Have Become the Anger Games</strong> - The Olympics are supposed to be a symbol of global togetherness, but Tokyo’s are shaping up to be the least wanted in history. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/tokyos-olympics-have-become-the-anger-games">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Case for Masking Up Again Indoors in New York City</strong> - Mark Levine doesn’t want New Yorkers to overreact or underreact to the Delta variant. He does want them to cover their faces when indoors with strangers. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-local-correspondents/the-case-for-masking-up-again-indoors-in-new-york-%20city">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Reconsidering the History of the Chinese Communist Party</strong> - On the centenary of the C.C.P., a scholar examines the roots of Xi Jinping’s authoritarianism. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/reconsidering-the-history-of-the-chinese-communist-party">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Anti-abortion lawyers are finally being honest about what they want from the Supreme Court</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/bXgs7EKswNLEr8G64IsJRedlr7U=/28x0:4636x3456/1310x983/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69626111/GettyImages_1020744210.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) meets with then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in her office on Capitol Hill on August 21, 2018. | Zach Gibson/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
For decades, abortion opponents urged the Court to lie about abortion restrictions. They don’t need to anymore.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ngDkK6">
The state of Mississippi begins its <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/21014766/dobbs-v-jackson-womens-health-organization-brief-for-petitioners-
final.pdf">brief in <em>Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization</em></a> with a bold claim: The case for overruling <em>Roe v. Wade</em> (1973) and <em>Planned Parenthood v. Casey</em> (1992), two seminal Supreme Court decisions protecting the right to an abortion, is “overwhelming.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0kRinv">
<em>Dobbs</em>, which the Court will hear this fall, concerns a Mississippi law that prohibits nearly all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. It’s the first major abortion case to receive a full briefing and oral argument since Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation gave the Court a 6-3 conservative majority. And abortion opponents have every reason to be optimistic that the Court’s new majority will <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/5/17/22233440/supreme-court-abortion-roe-wade-dobbs-jackson-womens-
health-amy-coney-barrett">use <em>Dobbs</em> to undo the right to an abortion</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ypc06i">
That probably explains why Mississippi’s brief, which argues that “the Constitution does not protect a right to abortion or limit States’ authority to restrict it,” breaks with the tactics anti-abortion lawyers have used to defend restrictions on reproductive freedom. Rather than explicitly asking the Court to overrule <em>Roe</em>, in the past, these lawyers tried to chip away at the abortion right until it is functionally impossible to obtain an abortion in many states.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7htsxl">
Take, for example, <a href="https://casetext.com/case/whole-womans-health-v-
hellerstedt?ref=Sb!OeQcZi"><em>Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt</em></a>, the Court’s 2016 decision striking down two provisions of a Texas law that imposed expensive architectural requirements on abortion clinics, while also requiring abortion providers to obtain a difficult-to-acquire credential. The goal of this law wasn’t to explicitly ban abortion, it was to secure the Supreme Court’s permission to ban abortion indirectly — by layering so many legal burdens on top of abortion providers that they are eventually unable to comply with the law.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yxneRS">
The law at issue in <em>Dobbs </em>doesn’t explicitly ban all abortions either. But Mississippi’s litigation strategy hopes to make such a ban permissible. If the Court overrules <em>Roe</em> and <em>Casey</em>, that’s the ballgame. State lawmakers will be free to ban abortion outright, and without having to dress their ban up as an attempt to <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/5/30/18644611/missouri-last-abortion-clinic-2019-planned-parenthood">regulate the width of hallways in abortion clinics</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="e0h6Hi">
Anti-abortion lawyers, in other words, are finally being honest about their ultimate goal. Rather than asking the Court to place some arcane and nonsensical limit on <em>Roe </em>and <em>Casey</em>, while simultaneously pretending that these two cases remain good law, Mississippi just asked the Court to eliminate the right to an abortion altogether.
</p>
<h3 id="sdtKwU">
Justice Anthony Kennedy turned abortion litigation into a dishonest game
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ld34l3">
Justice Anthony Kennedy, who retired from the Court in 2018, held the <a href="https://www.vox.com/22227912/supreme-court-anti-abortion-amy-coney-barrett-era-fda-american-college-sonia-
sotomayor-john-roberts">pivotal vote on the Supreme Court in abortion cases</a> for many years.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XCFFJ9">
Kennedy is quite conservative, and he tended to be skeptical of abortion rights. As David Cohen, a law professor at Drexel University, noted in 2013, Kennedy “has voted to <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-
politics/2013/11/justice-anthony-kennedy-abortion-swing-vote.html">strike down only one of the 21 abortion restrictions</a> that have come before the Supreme Court since he became a justice.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Up8G4Y">
Yet, while Kennedy was open to many laws making it harder to obtain an abortion, he refused to overrule <em>Roe</em> outright. Kennedy was one of three co-authors of the Court’s decision in <em>Casey</em>, which weakened <em>Roe</em>, while also <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/505/833">retaining<em> </em>“<em>Roe</em>’s essential holding”</a> affirming “the right of the woman to choose to have an abortion before [fetal] viability and to obtain it without undue interference from the State.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3LtUrA">
Kennedy, in other words, would not have upheld an explicit ban on abortions. But he was willing to uphold many laws burdening abortion rights. So abortion opponents spent the years when Kennedy held the balance of power on the Court drafting more and more aggressive abortion restrictions that purported to be something other than an outright ban.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uwF43C">
The culmination of this strategy was the two provisions of the Texas law struck down in <em>Whole Woman’s Health</em>. That law required physicians who perform abortions to <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/10/4/20874618/roe-wade-supreme-court-louisiana-abortion-gee">obtain admitting privileges at a nearby hospital</a>, and it also required abortion clinics to comply with the same rules that apply to “<a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/11/13/9731550/supreme-court-abortion-texas">ambulatory surgical centers</a>,” facilities that are equipped to perform medical and surgical procedures that are far riskier and more complicated than an abortion.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Xjz1L8">
Abortion-rights advocates often deride these kinds of laws as “targeted restrictions on abortion providers,” or <a href="https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/abortion/trap-
laws">“TRAP” laws</a>, because they masquerade as regulations intended to make abortion safer, when their real purpose is simply to increase the cost of operating an abortion clinic and drive many clinics out of business.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1gxSIF">
As the Court explained in <a href="https://casetext.com/case/whole-womans-health-v-
hellerstedt?ref=Sb!OeQcZi"><em>Whole Woman’s Health</em></a>, the burdens imposed by Texas’s law did little, if anything, to actually improve health outcomes. A major reason why it is difficult for abortion providers to obtain admitting privileges at hospitals, for example, is that hospitals often require doctors to actually admit a certain number of patients in order to maintain those privileges. But abortions are so safe that they rarely result in complications that could lead to hospitalization.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BqS7VU">
As Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in <em>Whole Woman’s Health</em>, one clinic in Texas performed more than 17,000 abortions over a decade, and “not a single one of those patients had to be transferred to a hospital for emergency treatment, much less admitted to the hospital.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="l5tAm9">
Similarly, the Texas law required all abortion clinics to house expensive surgical facilities. But many of Texas’s abortion clinics <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/26/20873873/supreme-court-gut-roe-v-wade-next-week-
abortion">do not even perform surgeries</a> — they exclusively offer medication abortions where abortion is induced by pills.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="N2fLqI">
It should be obvious why, if the Supreme Court had upheld the law at issue in <em>Whole Woman’s Health</em>, that could have been the death knell for abortion rights. If states can enact regulations whose sole purpose is to drive up the cost of performing abortions, they eventually would be able to drive all abortion clinics out of business. Perhaps Texas might have required all abortion clinics to be built out of solid gold.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="v8sEwY">
And yet, even in a world of 24-karat surgical centers, the Supreme Court could have claimed that <em>Roe </em>and <em>Casey </em>remain good law. States still would be forbidden from writing a law that states explicitly that “no one may perform an abortion.” But those states would still be free to ban abortion as long as they were sufficiently dishonest about what they were up to.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GiNwV5">
It’s worth noting, moreover, that while <em>Whole Woman’s Health</em> was one of the most closely watched cases involving an attempt to restrict abortions through deceptive means, it was hardly a unique case. Abortion opponents both on and off the Court have proposed a raft of limits on abortion rights — ranging from <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/2/26/21143844/supreme-court-june-medical-russo-
abortion-roe-v-wade">limiting who is allowed to sue</a> in order to challenge an abortion restriction to requiring each individual person who wants an abortion to <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/1/8/21051739/abortion-june-medical-gee-
third-party-standing-supreme-court-roe-wade">file their own lawsuit</a> in order to obtain one — that would nominally leave <em>Roe </em>and <em>Casey</em> in place while potentially rendering them unenforceable.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bnlm2c">
Yet, with Kennedy gone and Republican appointees controlling a supermajority of the seats on the Court, it’s far from clear that abortion opponents still need to engage in such subterfuge.
</p>
<h3 id="0lbJhf">
The Supreme Court could still decide to gut <em>Roe</em> in a dishonest way
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VsTBfe">
Although Mississippi’s lawyers are betting that they have five votes to explicitly overrule <em>Roe</em> and <em>Casey</em>, it’s possible that the Court will fall back on the strategy advanced by abortion opponents in cases like <em>Whole Woman’s Health</em>. Perhaps some members of the Court’s GOP-appointed majority will fear that a decision explicitly overruling <em>Roe</em> will inspire more Democrats to vote in future elections. Or maybe some members of the Court want to maintain the illusion of continuity within the law.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3eRZmE">
I don’t know what the Court will do in <em>Dobbs</em> and neither does anyone else. But it’s important to note that, even if the Court does not take Mississippi up on its invitation to openly and honestly abolish the right to an abortion, that doesn’t mean that abortion rights are safe — or even that any vestige of them will still exist.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iFwHbo">
Indeed, while Mississippi’s lawyers <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/21014766/dobbs-v-jackson-womens-health-organization-brief-for-petitioners-
final.pdf">devote the bulk of their brief</a> to their argument that <em>Roe</em> should be overruled, they do spend a few pages at the end creating a fallback argument — that the Court should “reject any rule barring a State from prohibiting elective abortions before viability.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Vy3WmJ">
Ever since <em>Roe</em>, the Court has held that the state may impose stricter restrictions on abortions later in pregnancy than it can early in the fetus’s development. <em>Roe</em> <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/410/113">divided pregnancy up into trimesters</a>, permitting greater regulation of abortion in the latter two-thirds of the pregnancy. <em>Casey</em> abandoned this framework to focus on “viability,” giving the government broader authority over abortion once a fetus can survive outside of the womb.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CRInL0">
If the Court permits states to impose the same kind of restrictions on pre- viability abortions that those states may currently impose on post-viability abortions, that would severely hobble abortion rights and allow states to forbid most abortions — even if the Court does not explicitly overrule <em>Roe</em> or <em>Casey</em>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jW2EJs">
The point, in other words, is that abortion rights are still in very grave danger, even if the Court pretends to keep <em>Roe</em> or <em>Casey</em> alive.
</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Does Congress know what it would take to stop the next pandemic?</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/T9oVP2Nd0BYT2VRLfvU746qwGdI=/526x0:4741x3161/1310x983/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69626084/1231812283.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
President Joe Biden tours the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. | Eric Baradat/AFP/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Why America can’t allow pandemic preparedness funding to fall prey to short-term thinking.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4uWZs5">
In the US, pandemic preparedness has long been neglected among <a href="https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/report/the-
neglected-dimension-of-global-security-a-framework-to-counter-infectious-disease-crises/">national security concerns</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="udk7g5">
One would think that the harrowing experience of the past year would change that. But in light of recent reports that the $30 billion in pandemic preparedness funding proposed in the American Jobs Plan <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/563836-after-2020-pandemic-preparedness-budget-cuts-should-be-
unthinkable?rl=1">might be cut to $5 billion in the bipartisan, negotiated compromise</a>, it’s not clear whether Covid-19 has been enough to teach the US its lesson.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bLrt51">
For decades, public health policy experts have tried to convince the US government to take real steps to prepare for a respiratory pandemic.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZW0dyO">
“It is the prospect of another such pandemic [like the Spanish flu] — not a nuclear war, or a terrorist attack, or a natural disaster — that poses the greatest risk of a massive casualty event in the United States,” Ron Klain, now the White House chief of staff, <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2018/10/15/17948062/pandemic-flu-ebola-h1n1-outbreak-
infectious-disease">argued in Vox in 2018</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1626973716.011800">
“All of this stuff was a no-brainer 30 years ago,” Amesh Adalja, at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told me. “We’ve been briefing Congress, we’ve been doing this since 1997. We were ignored. All those glossy reports telling people what to do? Those gathered dust in someone’s desk drawer.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="c5nun5">
In 2020, the world paid the price. What the pandemic experts had warned of came. It killed millions worldwide, devastated the global economy, and disrupted billions of lives. And not only is Covid-19 still circulating, there’s every reason to believe a worldwide catastrophe like it can and will happen again.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7YmFGf">
But in <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/563836-after-2020-pandemic-preparedness-
budget-cuts-should-be-unthinkable?rl=1">an op-ed published earlier this week</a>, Tom Frieden, former director of the CDC, and former US Sen. Tom Daschle reported the potential cuts to pandemic preparedness in the American Jobs Act, President Joe Biden’s signature infrastructure plan.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JKkayE">
If true, it underscores a depressing fact: that our policymakers haven’t quite grasped the scale of what’s required to fight the next pandemic.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CMn7xD">
The original $30 billion Biden asked for is already too small as it is. By the time all is said and done, it is estimated Covid-19 will have cost the world between <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/risk/our-
insights/covid-19-implications-for-business">$16 trillion and $35 trillion</a>. The next pandemic could be even more devastating.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="l1iOaW">
Facing risks of that magnitude, $30 billion is a pittance. Some experts <a href="https://biodefensecommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Apollo_report_final_web3-2021.01.21-1.pdf">suggest</a> nothing less than an Apollo program for pandemic prevention, with $20 billion a year in spending for 10 years. If such a project made the next pandemic even moderately less bad, it would abundantly pay for itself. If it prevented it, it’d be one of the best investments in history.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xNxaCR">
Policy is often plagued by short-termism. It’s too easy to think ahead only to the next election cycle, and to think of anything whose benefits are long term and uncertain as “nonessential” and subject to budget cuts whenever convenient. But that short-termism is a betrayal of our future. If Covid-19 hasn’t taught us that, it’s not clear what will.
</p>
<h3 id="bKFvNW">
How we could prevent the next pandemic
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="r6JfYf">
The shortsightedness on pandemic prevention is especially galling because pandemics are absolutely preventable.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="90S3dQ">
“Outbreaks are inevitable, but pandemics are optional,” Larry Brilliant, who worked on global smallpox eradication, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVWoHmURDTQ">famously said</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NQfzSR">
Given the human population worldwide, it’s inevitable that new diseases will emerge — jumping from animal hosts or evolving as particularly virulent strains of endemic diseases. But when that happens, if everything goes right, we can stop those diseases from becoming the next pandemic.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nxNXdi">
The first step is inventing potential vaccines and antiviral treatments, which we can do even before a virus hits us. “We know that there are certain families of virus that we know are more likely to produce a pandemic pathogen,” Adalja told me. Coronaviruses, for example, were on researchers’ radar even before SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) emerged because of SARS-1 and MERS, both of which have led to deadly outbreaks in Asia.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7W4J6w">
Despite the potential for a new coronavirus to emerge, the US did not make the massive investments in developing antivirals and vaccines against coronaviruses that would, in hindsight, have been useful to have. But even the smaller investments which the country did make into SARS-1 and MERS research paid dividends.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6htDp0">
“The fact that we had vaccines within a year is testament to the work on SARS and MERS,” Adalja said. “The SARS and MERS work did produce information, such as the spike protein is important for immunity — so they knew right away, we need a vaccine against the spike protein. Even though we didn’t have any SARS vaccines or any MERS vaccines ready to go, that early work was useful.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AeQqwA">
The government could fund such research into every class of virus that is considered likely to produce a potentially pandemic pathogen.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="u5YRKZ">
And the breakthroughs that would no doubt come from that research wouldn’t only protect humanity against pandemics. They might also lead to a vaccine for the common cold or for the flu, or to new antivirals that reduce the death toll of viral illnesses.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="68hYHE">
The next step is disease surveillance — observation of the spread of respiratory illnesses around the world — so that when a new disease emerges, we get an accurate picture of its spread right away.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="in7nlL">
By late December 2019, hospitals in China were already seeing an upswing in severe respiratory illness cases. Countries with effective disease surveillance, like Taiwan, <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/3/10/21171722/taiwan-coronavirus-china-social-distancing-
quarantine">jumped into action then</a>, with public health officials getting on airplanes from Wuhan to screen passengers — weeks before China officially acknowledged that an outbreak was underway.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cnbM9T">
One promising part of that is what’s called pathogen-agnostic screening. When a person goes into the doctor’s office with a respiratory illness, they will get tested for Covid-19. If they don’t have Covid-19, they might get tested for the flu — or they might not. Many people are assumed to have the flu without screening.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Kcc5N7">
The technology exists to change that. “The technology is now to the point where you don’t just go test for Covid, yes or no, test for flu, yes or no. We can test for hundreds of pathogens that cause respiratory diseases,” Andy Weber, the former US Assistant Secretary of Defense for nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs, who now works on biosecurity for the Council on Strategic Risks, told me.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yFrTu9">
That means we have the ability to develop a system where if someone comes in sick, they’ll get tested automatically. And if they’re sick with something unprecedented, their doctors will know right away.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IYHmoO">
“If the Chinese had had this in place, it would’ve been nipped in the bud,” Weber said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DcZqCJ">
That tactic needs to be combined with improved state and local public health infrastructure. During Covid-19, state and local contact tracing was quickly overwhelmed. States didn’t have testing or quarantine capacity.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1626973378.003300">
“States could not hire contact tracers,” Adalja said. “They were using very primitive kinds of pen-and-paper contact tracing. They have poor communications with hospitals and health care facilities. They’re constrained with hiring people.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WMYVvO">
As a result, the US ended up fighting the pandemic in the dark.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cTdoO3">
If the funding proposals now under consideration had passed two years ago, the US “would have had public health departments that are able to really rapidly respond, we would have had tests that are available earlier,” Frieden told me.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rYhRkz">
“We would have known a month earlier that Covid was spreading in New York City. We also would have been able to do much better contact tracing, so we would have understood more and earlier where Covid was spreading and how to reduce that,” he added. “We would have had better infection control, so doctors who are dead today wouldn’t be dead.”
</p>
<h3 id="GwOD9V">
A “cycle of panic and neglect”
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1RC3OC">
Critical to changing all of that is more funding.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aY57Xw">
In 2001, shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, someone mailed anthrax — a deadly bacterium — to the offices of several US senators and several media outlets. Five people died, and interest in biosecurity soared. For a few years, Congress spent lots more money on preparing America for identifying and combating infectious diseases. Biodefense funding <a href="https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/changes-in-us-biosecurity-following-the-2001-anthrax-
attacks-2157-2526-1000163-103533.html#:~:text=In%20the%20weeks%20following%20the,million%20spent%20the%20year%20before.">spiked to $8 billion from $600 million</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="k4O5yp">
But then health security saw year after year of cuts, and it <a href="https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/pubs_archive/pubs-pdfs/2017/hs.2017.0047.pdf">was back down to about $1.5 billion by 2018</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DfC7xO">
That dynamic <a href="https://pandemicactionnetwork.org/wp-
content/uploads/2020/05/Break-the-Cycle-of-Panic-and-Neglect-Preventing-the-Next-Pandemic.pdf">has been dubbed</a> by experts the “cycle of panic and neglect.” When bioterrorism or a potential pandemic hits the headlines, readiness gets funded. When a few years have gone by, it stops.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1GQovd">
And right now, if reports of the funding cuts are to be believed, we’re doing even worse than that: racing straight to “neglect” before the pandemic has even ended.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Cbx1UU">
Ending the threat of pandemics in the United States means a change in approach. Weber’s proposal is a <a href="https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2021/04/01/10-10-over-10-a-funding-vision-for-the-u-s-fight-against-
biological-threats/">“10 + 10 Over 10” plan</a> — that’s $10 billion to the Department of Defense for biological threat preparedness and $10 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services to <a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2021-01/features/pandemic-shows-need-biological-readiness">prevent biological threats in the future</a>, over 10 years. That would allow for building mRNA vaccine factories that <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22397914/vaccine-mrna-adenovirus-manufacturing-process-investment">crank out vaccines year-round</a>; upgrading public health infrastructure, testing, and reporting systems; and researching the biggest threats ahead so America can be prepared for them.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="P4ervi">
That might sound like a lot of money. But it pales in comparison to the human and economic cost of normal infectious diseases, let alone Covid-19, let alone the diseases much worse than Covid-19 that have the potential to be around the corner. According to one study, the annual economic burden of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29801998/#:~:text=Results%3A%20The%20estimated%20average%20annual,(%244.8%2D%2413.6%20billion).">influenza alone in the US is estimated at $11.2 billion</a>. Covid-19’s toll worldwide has been estimated at perhaps <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-global-gdp-to-sink-by-22-trillion-over-covid-says-imf/a-56349323">$22 trillion</a>. And future pandemics could be worse: As Frieden points out, “Covid kills one out of 200 people,” and has killed millions to date. “There are diseases that kill one out of two people,” he told me.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VraKV3">
“We have to do everything we can to make sure that this is the last pandemic we have to deal with,” Weber argued. With that goal even potentially in reach, it seems unwise to try to scrimp on the science and health work that is needed to reach it.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mC7dTs">
What’s presently under discussion in Congress is considerably less ambitious than Weber’s proposal. The American Jobs Plan, at least in its original form, includes $30 billion in pandemic preparedness spending — but it’s a one-off allocation, not a permanent new commitment to fighting pandemics.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gmz6rQ">
Still, there’s no disputing that it would make a huge difference. It would allow for foundational research like what led to mRNA vaccines — and it’d be a step toward meeting the administration’s goal to have the capacity to make enough vaccines for the whole population in a matter of weeks. It would revamp the systems that every American has witnessed failing to protect them during the pandemic.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1626973771.013800">
“Every American has been touched by this, and it was completely and entirely a failure of government,” Adalja told me. “This would have been preventable with the correct government actions.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="skz412">
And that $30 billion could, ideally, be a down payment on further commitments. A dozen senators have cosponsored the Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act, which would <a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Public%20Health%20Infrastructure%20Saves%20Lives%20Act%20Summary.pdf">commit $4.5 billion a year</a> to pandemic prevention. With such commitments, Covid-19 could genuinely be a turning point for how we fight disease.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1VCEhS">
That’s why it’s so depressing to learn that the way negotiations are currently trending, a one-time boost of $30 billion — already inadequate — might be whittled down further.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="c1uT4T">
It’s impossible to see that as anything but an utter failure of vision — an inability to believe that doing better than the country’s disastrous Covid-19 response is even possible. There should be broad, bipartisan agreement that what the nation has gone through over the last year must never happen again — and there should be broad awareness that, in many ways, the world got lucky<em> </em>with Covid-19: The next pandemic could be far deadlier or particularly dangerous to children or harder to vaccinate against.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jetI2B">
A government focused not just on the present but on the risks its citizens face 10, 20, or 30 years down the line should be willing to make a down payment on a better future. But it’s also entirely possible that the country needs an even more expensive lesson before it learns anything.
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Did the Covid-19 Olympics have to be a mess?</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="An empty folding chair in front of a ramp with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic rings on the slope." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5y5UsimRd3Is7cOaU5qJi32lcuU=/584x0:7323x5054/1310x983/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69623185/1234071118.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Noriko Hayashi/Bloomberg via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
This year’s Olympics were always going to be a challenge. Now they’re a showcase for broader failures.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Btz1FV">
Members of the Ugandan boxing team <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-
africa-57544173">tested positive</a> for Covid-19 after landing in Tokyo back in June. In early July, a Serbian rower <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1109768/serbian-rower-positive-tokyo-2020">did too.</a> The weekend before the Games began, the first people in the Tokyo Olympic Village tested positive for Covid-19; first, two South African soccer players, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-2020-tokyo-olympics-tokyo-soccer-coronavirus-
pandemic-1ae8177bef505404d4cc495fbc8b2c93">then a Czech volleyball player</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3TFpcS">
American tennis player Coco Gauff <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/18/us/cori-coco-gauff-covid-19-olympics-spt-trnd/index.html">had to drop out of her first Olympics</a> because of a positive test, and an alternate gymnast for Team USA — though fully vaccinated — tested positive for Covid-19, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/19/sport/us-gymnast-
covid-19-positive-test/index.html">and is now spending the Games in her hotel room, under quarantine</a>. A US <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/tokyo-olympics-live-updates/2021/07/21/1019038118/tokyo-olympics-taylor-crabb-
coronavirus-positive-beach-volleyball">men’s beach volleyball player</a>, testing positive, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/tokyo-olympics-live-updates/2021/07/21/1019038118/tokyo-olympics-taylor-crabb-
coronavirus-positive-beach-volleyball">will likely be disqualified from a weekend match</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LBv4Lz">
Since July 1, more than 75 people associated with the Olympics <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/21/health/coronavirus-
olympics-testing.html">have gotten back positive Covid-19 results</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Rk9i79">
Then again, what do you expect when you host a mass sporting spectacle during a pandemic?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yAGDOg">
The International Olympic Committee <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/3/24/21185843/summer-olympics-postponed-coronavirus-tokyo-2020">postponed</a> the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games last year as the coronavirus spread around the globe, shutting down international travel and leaving countries on strict lockdowns.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GydvH5">
If the delay was intended to push the Olympics into a post-pandemic world, the opposite happened. The pandemic evolved, and is now in one of its most dangerous phases, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/21/coronavirus-latest-updates/">fueled by variants</a> — <a href="https://www.vox.com/22547537/delta-coronavirus-variant-covid-19-vaccines-masks-lockdown">specifically delta</a> — and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/30/vaccine-inequality-exposed-by-dire-situation-in-worlds-
poorest-nations">global inequity around vaccinations</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kG9fxe">
But the Olympics are still trying to be, well, the Olympics. Yes, there is a pandemic playbook, and safety protocols, like frequent testing. Yes, the stadiums will be largely empty of fans. Yes, there are vaccines, but the International Olympic Committee did not mandate them, though it worked to help teams access shots, <a href="https://www.vox.com/22537506/tokyo-2021-olympics-
vaccinations">saying about 80 to 85 percent of those in the Olympic Village</a> would be vaccinated.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZWCLK0">
The Olympics were always going to be extraordinarily difficult to pull off in a pandemic, but some of the mess was foreseeable, and maybe even avoidable — though it might have meant pulling off a different sort of Olympics than the one we’re used to.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="page-title">
“It’s fingers crossed, hopeful, magical thinking — without really thinking about the risks, and what could they have done to lower those risks for everyone involved,” Lisa Brosseau, a public health expert and research consultant with the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota, who has written, along with her colleagues, <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2108567">on how the Olympics could have mitigated some of these Covid-19 risks</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2T5s6L">
So much of the debate <a href="https://www.vox.com/22428596/olympics-
tokyo-2021">focused on whether to cancel the Olympics</a> altogether, something that was <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/20/tokyo-2020-chief-muto-does-not-rule-out-11th-hour-cancellation-of-
games.html">supposedly</a> still a possibility in recent days. The course of the pandemic is beyond the control of the Olympic officials, of course, but the question is whether the planning or protocols around the Games should have changed, too. And now, with the Games already on, it is nearly impossible to change course.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XYRyAP">
Covid-19 disruptions are likely to be a defining feature of this 2020 Olympiad. It will not be a moment, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/14/thomas-bach-promises-safe-and-secure-olympics-as-tokyo-covid-cases-
soar">as some hoped</a>, of a world showing solidarity amid the toll and tragedy of the pandemic. Instead, it will be a showcase for just how far the world still has to go to defeat Covid-19 — and the very real risks of not facing up to that reality.
</p>
<h3 id="sfusCu">
A 2020 Olympics for a 2021 pandemic
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="P7ODtJ">
The pandemic is worse now than when the 2020 Games were first postponed. More than 191 million Covid-19 cases have been detected as of July 2021, and more than 4 million people have died, <a href="https://covid19.who.int/">according to the World Health Organization</a>. Japan, the Olympic host, is seeing another surge of Covid-19 cases, low compared to US levels but <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus/country/japan">almost double the caseload around this time in 2020</a>. Tokyo recorded more than 1,900 new cases on July 22 — a 155 percent increase from the previous week’s average.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hWDVEu">
The burden of the pandemic is now largely on unvaccinated people, split into two groups. The first is people who are reluctant to or refuse to get a shot, though it’s generally easily available to them, as in the United States. Then there’s the much larger group: the rest of the world, the majority of whom live in places were vaccines aren’t readily available. About 26 percent of the world’s population has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, but <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations">just a little more than 1 percent of them are in low-income countries.</a>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jx0HXE">
Still, even countries that sought to vaccinate their way out of the pandemic — Israel and the United States, for example — are seeing a troublesome uptick in cases. The delta variant is driving up cases everywhere; daily global coronavirus infections are up more than 40 percent compared to a month ago, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-cases.html">according to the New York Times</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IXITmm">
Though the vaccines largely protect against severe illness and death, the high numbers of still-unvaccinated people make it an imperfect firewall — one that could grow weaker if the virus continues to spread and continues to change.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OxraJ6">
Olympic officials, back in 2020, couldn’t have predicted these exact circumstances. Yet experts said that it became clear months ago that the existing protocols were going to be insufficient to fully prevent the spread of Covid-19 at the Olympics. And while the Olympic organizers made changes to their pandemic playbook on the margins, the commitment to a “safe and secure” Olympics wasn’t as agile or flexible as it might have been.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Os1Cah">
“This isn’t a pandemic of 2020, and so the Olympics can’t be, either,” said Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at the University of California San Francisco. “The old rules don’t count anymore.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bAEdpN">
For one, there’s a lot of “hygiene theater,” as Chin-Hong called it. These are things like temperature checks for athletes returning to the Olympic Village, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/13/health/covid-fever-
checks-dining.html">though these have serious limitations</a>, and things like restricted seating and <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-risks-at-the-tokyo-olympics-arent-being-managed-experts-
say/">plexiglass barriers in the dining room, which aren’t going to do much</a> and may even give people a false sense of security.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="di7vQc">
Chin-Hong even suggested handing out N95 masks, or something more protective, for athletes as they interact with people, rather than just surgical or cloth masks. Experts have also raised concerns <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-21/japan-unveils-its-coronavirus-safe-olympic-village/100225266">about the ventilation systems in the hotels, venues, and the Olympic Village</a>. Updating those could do a lot more to protect athletes than, say, spacing those cardboard <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/19/world/asia/tokyo-olympics-anti-
sex-beds-cardboard.html">beds</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="m756BU">
And then there’s the so-called Olympic bubble. Only athletes are permitted to stay in the Olympic Village, and they’re supposed to follow Covid-19 protocols, like wearing masks and social distancing. They’re not supposed to leave for a reason other than attending a competition, and they can face penalties if they break those rules.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TvZifq">
But athletes aren’t required to stay in the Olympic Village; they could stay at hotels, for example. Also staying at hotels are media and coaches and support staff. All those people will be traveling to — and interacting with each other and with volunteers and staff — at events. In other words, the bubble very quickly bursts.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0WWbes">
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/07/20/olympics-athletes-covid-rules/">Daily saliva tests</a> will help catch infections, but once someone has a positive Covid-19 test, it’s already too late — the call is coming from inside the house, so to speak.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="x9Dn3h">
“The issue with surveillance systems like that is that you are detecting exposure that already happened. And from there, you try to [pick] out whoever got exposed, potentially, and isolate those folks,” said Tomoko Udo, assistant professor in the department of health policy, management, and behavior at the School of Public Health at University at Albany. “But once it’s in, and it starts to spread really fast, you can’t really do much. It’s catch-up.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="N3leKq">
Tracking down close contacts could also get complicated. Tokyo organizers are having Olympic participants <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/07/15/1028591/tokyo-olympics-
covid-inevitable-prevention/">download a contract tracing app for mobile devices</a>, except athletes probably don’t have their cellphones on them when they compete. And how those contacts are treated varies on a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/07/20/olympics-athletes-covid-rules/">case-by-case basis</a>, which is exactly the kind of thing that always goes well when you’re trying to maintain fair standards of competition.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cSXcyQ">
With the Olympics starting now, officials can’t entirely change course. Olympic officials could try to tighten the bubble a little bit, they could hand out more effective masks, but these are improvements on the edges. As Chin-Hong said: “You can’t take the elephant out of the room.”
</p>
<h3 id="gI67nw">
The Olympics are really all of us right now
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hZajoY">
The cracks in some of the Olympic Covid-19 protocols seem easy to spot now. The Games’ organizers, like everyone else, were betting on <a href="https://www.vox.com/22537506/tokyo-2021-olympics-
vaccinations">vaccines</a>. That, as Brosseau said, is more Olympic “magical thinking.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SQ7XYX">
“It has always it’s been about ‘we’re going to get everybody vaccinated, it’s going to be fine,’” Brosseau said. “And we don’t need to really worry about these other things — all these other things are more for show really, the Plexiglas barriers and people bringing their face masks.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cEw8Sx">
It’s not just the Olympics. <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2021/02/10/vaccines-alone-wont-end-pandemic/">Entire countries engaged</a> in this magical thinking, hoping to rely on herd immunity brought about by vaccines. But that strategy wasn’t ever really practical for the Olympics, either.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8HrQk1">
Most obviously, the IOC did not mandate vaccination to participate in the Olympics. The IOC made a deal with Pfizer/BioNTech to help countries get vaccines, and many countries prioritized the vaccination of athletes.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SoQJH7">
But experts said that even though the overall figure of 85 percent — provided by the IOC — seems quite high, it’s more complicated on closer inspection. Different countries might have different vaccines, which have different levels of effectiveness, and also have different guidelines on who can get the vaccine (say, people under 16, who can compete in the Olympics). The level of vaccination may vary for specific delegations or teams, and they may be coming from a place where, even if they’re vaccinated, Covid-19 cases are high. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jun/25/some-gb-olympic-athletes-still-refusing-to-have-covid-vaccine-boa-
claims-athletics">Some athletes were always going to refuse vaccination</a> if it wasn’t required.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9GH0Ii">
And so far that seems to be the case. <a href="https://twitter.com/abc/status/1418505007280893952?s=21">According to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee medical chief,</a> about 100 out of America’s 613 athletes are unvaccinated — and there is no question that shots were available to them. On top of that, Japan’s rate of vaccination is only about 23 percent, and most of those shots have gone to elderly people and health care workers. Japan <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/06/11/national/olympic-worker-vaccinations/">planned to vaccinate its Olympic volunteers</a>, but what of taxi drivers or hotel workers or others whom Olympic participants may come in contact with? Among those who have tested positive in recent days (though their vaccination status is unclear) were a volunteer, six contractors, and one Games staffer, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/coronavirus-
incidents-tokyo-olympics-2021-07-15/">according to Reuters</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KM5By0">
Vaccines seemed like a safety net in pulling off the Olympics, but it’s clear that safety net was not enough if the goal was to stop any spread of the virus. In a way, the Olympics are a reflection of a broader dilemma at this stage of the Covid-19 pandemic. Vaccinations are astonishingly effective at preventing severe illness and death, and they are helping places get back to a version of normal. People are also tired and fatigued of additional restrictions, even as the virus is roaring back, or surging in places it never left. “You see this pressure and conflict and tension arise,” Udo said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dooWCT">
That same tension exists in the Olympics. <a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/f9b456e83cc7-tokyo-to-get-fresh-
covid-19-state-of-emergency-during-olympics.html">Tokyo faces restrictions on business and restaurants</a>, but athletes are coming from all around the world to the city. Covid-19 is sidelining athletes, and the leaderboards and gold medal tallies will have a permanent caveat.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="k8sFXf">
Then again, it’s the Olympics, we’re doing it! We’ll watch world records being broken, and witness these incredible feats of human speed and agility, and it will look and feel to many of us watching from afar like the Olympics we’ve always known.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="b2RC2Z">
But it maybe shouldn’t have been the Olympics we’ve always known.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IO5UQ3">
The protocols and vaccinations are important, and they will help create a barrier against Covid-19. But maybe the most effective way to minimize the risks at the Olympics might have turned the spectacle into something entirely different. Brosseau and her colleagues, for example, suggested potentially spacing out the Olympics over many weeks, with different sports competing at different times, to eliminate the number of people in Tokyo all at once.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ApMAPd">
Maybe different athletes or sports should have followed different protocols — whether they play indoors or outdoors, whether people play on teams or compete solo — rather than a one- size-fits-all approach.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6O75o6">
“It’s not that perfect ‘everyone-is-together-enjoying-this-amazing-event,’” Brosseau said. “But it’s a pandemic, for goodness sake. It’s still the Olympics. But no — they really wanted to have the Olympics be as much as possible like it is.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RqTPIZ">
And maybe Olympic fans do, too. Except, a year and change into the pandemic, the one constant of the pandemic has been that no amount of magical thinking can will it away.
</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>Paralympic-bound shuttler Pramod Bhagat named Differently Abled Sportsman of the Year</strong> - Bhagat won two gold medals and a bronze at the Dubai Para Badminton Tournament this year</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>Tokyo Olympics | Mirabai Chanu caps eventful journey with heroic performance</strong> - She has overcome injury setbacks, economic hurdles to become Olympic medallist</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>Mirabai Chanu: ‘I have been dreaming of this for the past five years’</strong> - This is India’s first silver in weightlifting. India’s only previous medal in weightlifting was a bronze by Karnam Malleswari.</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>President, PM congratulate Mirabai Chanu for India’s first medal at Tokyo 2020</strong> - Chanu ended India’s 21-year wait for a weightlifting medal at the Olympics.</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’s Mirabai Chanu wins silver at Tokyo Olympics</strong> - The 26-year-old ended the country’s wait for a weightlifting medal at the Olympics</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>Parambikulam Tiger Reserve to conduct online video competition to observe Global Tiger Day on July 29</strong> - Entries to be accepted from July 29 on Instagram and Facebook pages of Parambikulam Tiger Reserve</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>Track restored for rail traffic</strong> - Landslips were reported near Dudhsagar on the Karnataka-Goa border</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>Experts raise alarm over increasing incidence of hypertension</strong> - Project PrACHI- Prioritizing Advocacy for Control of Hypertension in India, was launched by the Family Planning Association of India, with support from Global Health Advocacy Incubator, a press release said</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>‘No’ to RTI plea for copy of warrant of appointment of Haryana Governor</strong> - It’s communication between two constitutional functionaries in a fiduciary relationship, says President’s secretariat</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>I am not lobbying for CM’s post, says Nirani</strong> - Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh Nirani, whose name was doing the rounds in political circles as a replacement of B.S. Yediyurappa, denied that he</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</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>Covid: Moderna jab approved for teenagers in EU</strong> - Vaccination with Moderna’s jab can now be extended to adolescents, the EU medicines watchdog 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>German TV apologises for smearing mud on clothes at flood site</strong> - A video showed Susanna Ohlen rubbing herself with dirt before broadcasting from a flood-hit town.</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>Tips from the Netherlands on how to build a nation of cyclists</strong> - Some tips from the Dutch Cycling Embassy on how to make bikes the easiest and safest way to travel.</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>Daily Covid cases down for third day in UK</strong> - New infections are down but it is too soon to say if cases have peaked, say experts.</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>Tokyo Olympics: Russian archer faints in heat &amp; rowing schedule changed due to weather</strong> - A Russian archer faints in intense heat during Olympic qualifying and the rowing schedule is changed with the Tokyo weather in the spotlight as the Games officially open.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Apple and Roku have newly upgraded streaming remotes—are they worth buying?</strong> - New remotes bring sensible upgrades, but only if you’re tied to these streamers. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1781460">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Tokyo Olympics could be a COVID-19 “super evolutionary event”</strong> - The Games could provide a place for variants to spread and return home with athletes. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1782695">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>An explosive spyware report shows limits of iOS, Android security</strong> - Amnesty International sheds alarming light on an NSO Group surveillance tool. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1782592">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Star Trek: Lower Decks S2 trailer promises more scrappy underdog adventures</strong> - Also debuting at ComicCon@home: The first teaser for animated series <em>Star Trek: Prodigy</em>. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1782594">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SpaceX to launch the Europa Clipper mission for a bargain price</strong> - Decision comes after shaking issue with SLS rocket made it untenable. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1782572">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Keepers at a zoo realized that a lone female gorilla that was recently brought in for habitation was badly in heat.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Because of this the gorilla was acting very amorous with the keepers every time they tried to feed her. So they figured if she just had sex that she might calm down.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
It was then they approached a rather dumb janitor and asked him if he’d like to have sex with the gorilla for $500.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The janitor laid down three ground rules.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
1: He didn’t wanna have to kiss her.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
2: He’d like her to be freshly washed.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
And 3: He’d need another week to come up with the $500.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/DaFoxtrot86"> /u/DaFoxtrot86 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oqapye/keepers_at_a_zoo_realized_that_a_lone_female/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oqapye/keepers_at_a_zoo_realized_that_a_lone_female/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>What’s better than enchiladas?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
n+1 chiladas.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
(sharing this joke I came up with tonight while making enchiladas, because my family didn’t find it funny).
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/linearised"> /u/linearised </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oqmrup/whats_better_than_enchiladas/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oqmrup/whats_better_than_enchiladas/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>Fox News actually saved my life.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
I was in a coma for 7 years, but one day one of the nurses changed the channel on my TV to Fox and I had to get up to turn it off.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Chainsmoker88"> /u/Chainsmoker88 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oq8tsq/fox_news_actually_saved_my_life/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oq8tsq/fox_news_actually_saved_my_life/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>What do you give to someone who hasn’t moved a muscle in over a year?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A trophy
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Acgs27"> /u/Acgs27 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oqdw6o/what_do_you_give_to_someone_who_hasnt_moved_a/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oqdw6o/what_do_you_give_to_someone_who_hasnt_moved_a/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>I used to make jokes at work during meetings, and I could really get people laughing. Then COVID hit, and all our meetings were online. I’d still make jokes, but no one would laugh…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Not one. At first, I thought it was just because everyone was muted. It turns out, they didn’t find me remotely funny.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Microbialchump"> /u/Microbialchump </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oq0mso/i_used_to_make_jokes_at_work_during_meetings_and/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oq0mso/i_used_to_make_jokes_at_work_during_meetings_and/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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