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<title>23 April, 2021</title>
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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>Assessment of the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in non-human primate studies - a systematic review</strong> -
<div>
The outbreak of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) triggered the rapid and successful development of vaccines to help mitigate the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and circulation of the virus. Preclinical vaccine trials provide a wealth of information about the presence and persistence of virus in different anatomical sites. We systematically reviewed all available preclinical SARS-CoV-2 candidate vaccine studies where non-human primates were challenged after vaccination. We found marked heterogeneity in experimental design between the studies. Most of the tested vaccines, only triggered a low or moderate reduction of viral RNA in the upper respiratory tract; We need to consider that most SARS-CoV-2 vaccines that protect against disease might not fully protect against infectiousness and vaccinated individuals might still contribute to SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Careful assessment of secondary attack rates from vaccinated individuals is warranted. Standardization in design and reporting of preclinical trials is necessary.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/u3fwj/" target="_blank">Assessment of the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in non-human primate studies - a systematic review</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Unwillingness to Engage in Behaviors that Protect Against COVID-19: the Role of Conspiracy Beliefs, Trust, and Endorsement of Complementary and Alternative Medicine</strong> -
<div>
Background: We investigated if people’s response to the official recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with conspiracy beliefs related to COVID-19, a distrust in the sources providing information on COVID-19, and an endorsement of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Methods: The sample consisted of 1325 Finnish adults who filled out an online survey marketed on Facebook. Structural regression analysis was used to investigate whether: 1) conspiracy beliefs, a distrust in information sources, and endorsement of CAM predict people’s response to the non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2) conspiracy beliefs, a distrust in information sources, and endorsement of CAM are related to people’s willingness to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Results: Individuals with more conspiracy beliefs and a lower trust in information sources were less likely to have a positive response to the NPIs. Individuals with less trust in information sources and more endorsement of CAM were more unwilling to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Distrust in information sources was the strongest and most consistent predictor in all models. Our analyses also revealed that some of the people who respond negatively to the NPIs also have a lower likelihood to take the vaccine. This association was partly related to a lower trust in information sources. Conclusions: Distrusting the establishment to provide accurate information, believing in conspiracy theories, and endorsing treatments and substances that are not part of conventional medicine, are all associated with a more negative response to the official guidelines during COVID-19. How people respond to the guidelines, however, is more strongly and consistently related to the degree of trust they feel in the information sources, than to their tendency to hold conspiracy beliefs or endorse CAM. These findings highlight the need for governments and health authorities to create communication strategies that build public trust.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/mhctf/" target="_blank">Unwillingness to Engage in Behaviors that Protect Against COVID-19: the Role of Conspiracy Beliefs, Trust, and Endorsement of Complementary and Alternative Medicine</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Actual and Perceived Knowledge about COVID-19: The Role of Information Behavior in Media</strong> -
<div>
The COVID-19 pandemic poses a health threat that has dominated media coverage. However, not much is known about how individuals use media to acquire knowledge about COVID-19 under conditions of perceived threat. To address this, the present study investigated how perceived threat is linked to media use (i.e., media exposure and media width), and how media use is associated with perceived and actual knowledge about COVID-19. In a German online survey, N = 952 participants provided information on their perceived threat and media use to inform themselves about COVID-19. They further indicated how well they are informed about COVID-19 (perceived knowledge) and completed a COVID-19 knowledge test (actual knowledge). The results indicated that individuals who felt more threatened by COVID-19 used media more often to inform themselves (i.e., higher media exposure), but focused on less different media channels (i.e., lower media width). Higher media exposure was associated with higher perceived knowledge, but not with higher actual knowledge about COVID-19, reflecting an illusion of knowledge. Further, exploring the use of different media channels revealed that this illusion of knowledge emerged for using social media, public television, and newspapers. Finally, a smaller media width was linked to higher perceived and actual knowledge.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/3y874/" target="_blank">Actual and Perceived Knowledge about COVID-19: The Role of Information Behavior in Media</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Associations of SARS-CoV-2 serum IgG with occupation and demographics of military personnel</strong> -
<div>
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Background: Countries across the globe have mobilized their armed forces in response to COVID‐19, placing them at increased risk for viral exposure. Humoral responses to SARS-CoV-2 among military personnel serve as biomarkers of infection and provide a basis for disease surveillance and recognition of work-related risk factors. Methods: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were used to measure SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen-specific IgG in serum obtained from N=995 US National Guard soldiers between April-June 2020. Occupational information, e.g. military operating specialty (MOS) codes, and demographic data were obtained via questionnaire. Plaque assays with live SARS-CoV-2 were used to assess serum neutralizing capacity for limited subjects (N=12). Results: The SARS-CoV-2 IgG seropositivity rate among the study population was 10.3% and significantly associated with occupation and demographics. Odds ratios were highest for those working in MOS 2T-Transportation (3.6; 95% CI 0.7-18) and 92F-Fuel specialist/ground and aircraft (6.8; 95% CI 1.5-30), as well as black race (2.2; 95% CI 1.2-4.1), household size &gt;6 (2.5; 95% CI 1.3-4.6) and known COVID-19 exposure (2.0; 95% CI 1.2-3.3). Seropositivity tracked along major interstate highways and clustered near the international airport and the New York City border. SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG+ serum exhibited low to moderate SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing capacity with IC50s ranging from 1:15 to 1:280. In limited follow-up testing SARS-CoV-2 serum IgG levels remained elevated up to 7 months. Conclusions: The data highlight increased SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among National Guard vs. the local civilian population in association with transportation-related occupations and specific demographics.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.21.21255881v1" target="_blank">Associations of SARS-CoV-2 serum IgG with occupation and demographics of military personnel</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Emotional symptoms, mental fatigue and behavioral adherence after 72 continuous days of strict lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina</strong> -
<div>
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Background: An early, total, and prolonged lockdown was adopted in Argentina during the first wave of COVID-19 as the main sanitary strategy to reduce the spread of the virus in the population. Reports from early stages of the lockdown evidenced elevated emotional symptomatology. Aims: The aim of this study was to explore: 1) if the prolongation of the lockdown was associated with elevated emotional symptoms; 2) if the prolonged lockdown affected adherence, a phenomenon called 9behavioral fatigue9; and 3) how financial concerns in a developing country affected adherence to the lockdown and emotional status of the population. Method: A survey was designed to evaluate the psychological correlates of the pandemic after an average of 72 days of continuous lockdown in Argentina.. The survey included standardized questionnaires to assess the severity of depressive (PHQ-9) and anxious (GAD-7) symptoms, a questionnaire to evaluate mental fatigue, and several additional instruments to assess other variables of interest: risk perception, lockdown adherence, financial concerns, daily stress, loneliness, intolerance to uncertainty, negative repetitive thinking, and cognitive problems. Three LASSO regression analyses were carried to evaluate the predictive role of the different variables over depression, anxiety, and lockdown adherence Results: The survey was responded by 3617 individuals over the age of 18 (85.2% female) from all the provinces of Argentina. Using the Oxford stringency index, Argentina had one of the most stringent and prolonged lockdowns when the sample was collected with 63 to 77 continuous days with a stringency index of more than 85/100. 45.6% of the sample met the cut-off for depression and 27% for anxiety. Previous mental health treatment, low income, being younger, and being female were associated with higher levels of emotional symptoms. Mental fatigue, cognitive failures, and financial concerns were also associated with emotional and subjective complaints, but not with adherence to the lockdown. In the regression models, mental fatigue, cognitive failures, and loneliness were the most important variables to predict depression, meanwhile intolerance to uncertainty and lockdown difficulty were the most important in the case of anxiety. Perceived threat was the most important variable predicting lockdown adherence. Conclusions: Emotional symptoms persisted and even increased during the extended lockdown, but we found no evidence of behavioral fatigue. Instead, mental fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and financial concerns were expressions of the emotional side of the pandemic and the restrictive measures.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.21.21255866v1" target="_blank">Emotional symptoms, mental fatigue and behavioral adherence after 72 continuous days of strict lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Real World Effectiveness of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines against Hospitalizations and Deaths in the United States</strong> -
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Background: Covid-19 has caused significant global mortality. Multiple vaccines have demonstrated efficacy in clinical trials though real-world effectiveness of vaccines against Covid-19 mortality in clinically and demographically diverse populations has not yet been reported. Methods: We used a retrospective cohort assembled from a cross-institution comprehensive data repository. Established patients of the health care system were categorized as not immunized, partially immunized, or fully immunized against SARS-CoV-2 with an mRNA vaccine through April 4, 2021. Outcomes were Covid-19 related hospitalization and death. Results: Of the 91,134 established patients, 70.2% were not immunized, 4.5% were partially immunized and 25.4% were fully immunized. Among the fully immunized 0.7% had a Covid-19 hospitalization, whereas 3.4% among the partially immunized and 2.7% non-immunized individuals were hospitalized with Covid-19. Of the 225 deaths among Covid-19 hospitalizations, 219 (97.3%) were in the not immunized, 5 (2.2%) in the partially immunized, and 1 (0.0041%) in the fully immunized group. mRNA vaccines were 96% (95%CI: 95 - 99) effective at preventing Covid-19 related hospitalization and 98.7% (95%CI: 91.0 - 99.8) effective at preventing Covid-19 related death when participants were fully vaccinated. Partial vaccination was 77% (95%CI: 71 - 82) effective at preventing hospitalization and 64.2% (95%CI: 13.0 - 85.2) effective at preventing death. Vaccine effectiveness at preventing hospitalization was conserved across subgroups of age, race, ethnicity, Area Deprivation Index, and Charlson Comorbidity Index. Conclusions: In a large, diverse cohort in the United States, full immunization with mRNA vaccines was highly effective in the real-world scenario at preventing Covid-19 related hospitalization and death.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.21.21255873v1" target="_blank">Real World Effectiveness of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines against Hospitalizations and Deaths in the United States</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Addressing racial/ethnic disparities in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign</strong> -
<div>
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Background As of April 19, all adults aged 16 years and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. Unequal vaccination rates across racial/ethnic groups may compound existing disparities in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths among Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic communities. Methods From state websites, we extracted shares of people receiving ≥1 vaccine dose, stratified by age and separately by race/ethnicity, through March 31, 2021. Combining these data with demographic data from the American Community Survey, we estimated relative uptake rates by race/ethnicity within each state as the observed share of vaccinations for a racial/ethnic group, divided by the expected share if uptake across racial/ethnic groups within each age group were proportional to population size, an approach that allowed us to control for historical age-based eligibility. We modeled vaccination scale-up within each census tract in a state under three scenarios: 1) a scenario in which unequal uptake rates persist, 2) a scenario in which uptake rates are equalized across race/ethnicity groups over six weeks, and 3) a scenario in which uptake is equalized and states employ place-based allocation strategies that prioritizes disadvantaged census tracts. Results White adults received a disproportionate share of vaccinations compared to Black and Hispanic adults through March 31, 2021. Across states, relative uptake rates, adjusted for eligible population size, were a median 1.3 (IQR, 1.2-1.4) times higher for White compared to Black adults, and a median 1.4 (IQR, 1.2-1.9) times higher for White compared to Hispanic adults. Projecting vaccination coverage under persistence of current disparities in uptake, we found that Black and Hispanic populations would reach 75% coverage among adults almost one month later than White populations. In alternative scenarios, we found that interventions to equalize uptake rates across racial/ethnic groups could narrow but not erase these gaps, and that geographic targeting of vaccine doses to disadvantaged communities may be needed to produce a more equitable convergence of coverage by July. Discussion Interventions are urgently needed to eliminate disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates. Eliminating access barriers and increasing vaccine confidence among marginalized populations can narrow gaps in coverage. Combining these interventions with place-based allocation strategies can accelerate vaccination in disadvantaged communities, who have borne a disproportionate burden from COVID-19.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.21.21255878v1" target="_blank">Addressing racial/ethnic disparities in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Socio-demographic and knowledge-related determinants of vitamin D supplementation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: assessment of an educational intervention</strong> -
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Vitamin D is a pro-hormone, essential for musculo-skeletal health, normal immune system, and numerous other body functions. Vitamin D deficiency is considered a risk factor in many conditions, and there is growing evidence of its potential role in the severity of COVID-19 outcomes. However, an alarmingly high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is reported in many regions, and vitamin D supplementation is commonly recommended, particularly during wintertime. To reduce the risk for vitamin D deficiency in the Slovenian population during the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted mass media intervention with an educational campaign. The objective of this study was to investigate vitamin D supplementation practices in Slovenia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to determine the effects of the educational intervention on supplementation practices. Two data collections were conducted using an online panel with quota sampling for age, sex, and geographical location. A pre-intervention (N=602, April 2020) and post-intervention (N=606) sampling were done during the first and second COVID-19 lockdown, respectively. We also focused on the identification of different factors connected to vitamin D supplementation, with a particular emphasis on vitamin D-related knowledge. Study results showed significant changes in vitamin D supplementation in the population. Penetration of the supplementation increased from 33% in April to 56% in December 2020. The median daily vitamin D intake in supplement users was 25 µg, with about 95% of supplement users taking safe intake levels below 100 µg/daily. Vitamin D-related knowledge (particularly about dietary sources of vitamin D, the health-related impact of vitamin D, and the prevalence of deficiency) was identified as a key independent predictor of vitamin D supplementation. Based on the study findings, we prepared recommendations, which will enable the development of effective awareness campaigns for increasing supplementation of vitamin D.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.21.21255553v1" target="_blank">Socio-demographic and knowledge-related determinants of vitamin D supplementation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: assessment of an educational intervention</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>The impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines on antibody responses in the general population in the United Kingdom</strong> -
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Real-world data on antibody response post-vaccination in the general population are limited. 45,965 adults in the UK9s national COVID-19 Infection Survey receiving Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines had 111,360 anti-spike IgG measurements. Without prior infection, seroconversion rates and quantitative antibody levels post single dose were lower in older individuals, especially &gt;60y. Two doses achieved high responses across all ages, particularly increasing seroconversion in older people, to similar levels to those achieved after prior infection followed by a single dose. Antibody levels rose more slowly and to lower levels with Oxford-AstraZeneca vs Pfizer-BioNTech, but waned following a single Pfizer-BioNTech dose. Latent class models identified four responder phenotypes: older people, males, and those having long-term health conditions were more commonly 9low responders9. Where supplies are limited, vaccines should be prioritised for those not previously infected, and second doses to individuals &gt;60y. Further data on the relationship between vaccine-mediated protection and antibody responses are needed.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.22.21255911v1" target="_blank">The impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines on antibody responses in the general population in the United Kingdom</a>
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<li><strong>Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018</strong> -
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Importance: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of risk factors presaging the development of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. It is a risk factor for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Objective: To estimate the prevalence of MetS in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study included 22370 eligible participants aged ≥20 years from the NHANES 2011-2018. Main Outcome and Measure: MetS was defined as the presence of at least three of these components: central obesity, reduced high-density lipoprotein, elevated triglycerides, elevated blood pressure and elevated fasting blood glucose. The prevalence of MetS was estimated taking into account the complex sampling. The time trend was evaluated using logistic regression. Annual percentage changes (APC) were used to measure the trends in MetS prevalence. Results: The prevalence of MetS was 36.2% (95% CI, 32.3-40.3), 34.8% (95% CI, 32.3-37.4), 39.9% (95% CI, 36.6-43.2) and 38.3% (95% CI, 35.3-41.3) in 2011-2, 2013-4, 2015-6, 2017-8, respectively (P for trend =.08). Among the MetS components, the prevalence of elevated glucose increased from 48.7% (95% CI, 45.9-51.5) in 2011-2 to 64.3% (95% CI, 61.0-67.4) in 2017-8 [P for trend &lt;.001; APC=11.7, (95% CI, 3.5-21.0)]. The prevalence of MetS in non-Hispanic Asian increased from 21.8% (95% CI, 16.7-28.0) in 2011-2 to 31.2% (95% CI, 27.4-35.3) in 2017-8 [P for trend &lt;.001; APC=14.6, (95% CI, 2.5-34.8)]. Conclusion and Relevance: The prevalence of MetS remained stable from 2011 to 2018, but increased among non-Hispanic Asians. Lifestyle modification is needed to prevent metabolic syndrome and the associated risks of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
</p>
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.21.21255850v1" target="_blank">Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018</a>
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<li><strong>Saliva Is Comparable to Nasopharyngeal Swabs for Molecular Detection of SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
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Abstract Background. The continued need for molecular testing for SARS-CoV-2 and promise of self-collected saliva as an alternative to nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs for sample acquisition led us to compare saliva to NP swabs in an outpatient setting, without special restrictions to avoid food, drink, smoking, or toothbrushing. Methods. A total of 385 pairs of NP and saliva specimens were obtained, the majority from individuals presenting for initial evaluation, and were tested on two high-sensitivity RT-PCR platforms: the Abbott m2000 and Abbott Alinity m, both with limits of detection (LoD) of 100 copies of viral RNA/mL. Results. Concordance between saliva and NP was excellent overall (Cohen9s κ=0.93) for initial as well as followup testing on both platforms, and for specimens treated with guanidinium transport medium as preservative and for untreated saliva (κ=0.88-0.95). Viral loads were on average 16x higher in NP specimens than saliva specimens, suggesting that only the relatively small fraction of outpatients (~8% in this study) who present with very low viral loads (&lt;1,600 copies/mL from NP swabs) would be missed by saliva testing relative to NP testing, for sensitive testing platforms. Special attention was necessary to ensure leak-resistant specimen collection and transport. Conclusions. The advantages of self-collection without additional restrictions will likely outweigh a minor potential decrease in clinical sensitivity in individuals less likely to pose an infectious risk to others for many real-world scenarios, especially for initial testing.
</p>
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.21.21255621v1" target="_blank">Saliva Is Comparable to Nasopharyngeal Swabs for Molecular Detection of SARS-CoV-2</a>
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<li><strong>COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy January-March 2021 among 18-64 year old US adults by employment and occupation</strong> -
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Introduction: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy increased among US adults April-December, 2020, and threatens efforts to end the pandemic. Among US adults 18-64 years, we report prevalence of and reasons for vaccine hesitancy, overall and by employment and occupation, during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Methods: The Delphi Group at Carnegie Mellon University conducted a COVID-19 survey administered by Facebook. In January, February and March 2021, 791,716, 710,529, and 732,308 Facebook users, respectively, reported age 18-64 years and answered a vaccine acceptance question. Weights matched the sample to the age, gender, and state profile of the US population. Percentages and risk ratios (RR) for vaccine hesitancy were estimated using a weighted Poisson regression; 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using robust standard errors. Results: Vaccine hesitancy decreased among adults 18-64 years from January (27.5% [95%CI, 27.3-27.6]) to March (22.1% [95%CI, 21.9-22.2]). Vaccine hesitancy varied widely by occupational category: 9.6%, (95%CI, 8.5-10.7) in life/physical/social sciences to 46.4% (95%CI, 45.1-47.7) in construction/extraction. Almost half (47.9%, 95%, 47.6-48.3) of hesitant participants indicated concern about side effects, and over a third did not believe they needed the vaccine, did not trust the government, were waiting to see if it was safe, and did not trust COVID-19 vaccines (versus 14.5% [95%CI, 14.3-14.8] who did not like vaccines in general). Conclusions: In this nationally representative survey of adults 18-64 years, vaccine hesitancy decreased to 22.1% by March, 2021. Still, hesitancy, which varies widely by occupation, remains a barrier to pandemic control. Reasons for hesitancy indicate messaging about safety and addressing trust are paramount.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.20.21255821v1" target="_blank">COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy January-March 2021 among 18-64 year old US adults by employment and occupation</a>
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<li><strong>Pandemic Grief in Poland: Adaptation of a Measure and its relationship with Social Support and Resilience</strong> -
<div>
Millions of people are mourning the death of a loved to COVID-19. According to previous studies, the circumstances of coronavirus disease-related deaths may lead to dysfunctional grief. The purpose of this study was to introduce the Polish adaptation of the Pandemic Grief Scale (PGS) as well as to assess the relationship between dysfunctional grief due to a COVID-19 death, resilience and perceived social support. The adaptation was carried out on a general population sample of 286 individuals aged 18–54 years, with the evaluation being performed on a group comprising 214 people aged 18–78 years, who lost a loved one during the pandemic. The Polish version of PGS revealed a single-factor structure with strong internal consistency (α = 0.89). The PGS scores were associated with measures of complicated grief (Inventory of Complicated Grief), depression (Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale) and lower resilience (Resilience Scale 14), which confirmed the scale’s convergent validity. No relation between PGS scores and health behaviors (Inventory of Health Behaviors) was observed, which confirmed the scale’s discriminant validity. The results of the bootstrapping technique revealed that resilience mediates the relationship between perceived social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support) and dysfunctional grief (total mediation). The results of this study suggest the need for practitioners to focus on resilience-enhancing interventions and perceived social support in order to improve mental health in people who lost their loved ones during the new coronavirus pandemic.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/es3rd/" target="_blank">Pandemic Grief in Poland: Adaptation of a Measure and its relationship with Social Support and Resilience</a>
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<li><strong>High prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 (UK variant) and the novel B.1.525 lineage in Oyo State, Nigeria</strong> -
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The spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has resulted in a global pandemic that has claimed the lives of millions of people. Genomic surveillance of the virus has proven to be a critical tool for tracking the emergence and spread of variants with increased transmission or immune evasion potential. Despite the global distribution of infection, differences in viral genomic surveillance capabilities between countries and regions have resulted in gaps in our understanding of the viral population dynamics underlying the pandemic. Nigeria, despite having the largest population of any country in Africa, has had relatively little SARS-CoV-2 sequence data made publicly available. In this study, we report the whole-genome sequences of 74 SARS-CoV-2 isolates collected from individuals in Oyo State, Nigeria over the first two weeks of January 2021. Forty-six of the isolates belong to the B.1.1.7 ″UK variant″ lineage. Comparison to available regional and global sequences suggest that the B.1.1.7 isolates in Nigeria are primarily monophyletic, possibly representing a singular successful introduction into the country. The majority of the remaining isolates (17 of 74) belong to the B.1.525 lineage, which contains multiple spike protein mutations, including the E484K mutation associated with potential immune escape. Indeed, Nigeria has the highest reported frequency of this lineage despite its relative rarity worldwide. Phylogenetic analysis of the B.1.525 isolates in this study relative to other local and global isolates suggested a recent origin and rapid expansion of this lineage in Nigeria, with the country serving as a potential source for this lineage in other outbreaks. These results demonstrate the importance of genomic surveillance for identifying SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in Nigeria and in other undersampled regions across the globe.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.09.21255206v2" target="_blank">High prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 (UK variant) and the novel B.1.525 lineage in Oyo State, Nigeria</a>
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<li><strong>Public Perception of COVID-19 Vaccines through Analysis of Twitter Content and Users</strong> -
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Twitter is a robust medium to understand wide-scale, organic public perception about the COVID-19 vaccine. In this cross-sectional observational study, we evaluated 2.4 million English tweets from nearly 1 million user accounts matching keywords ((9covid*9 OR 9coronavirus9) AND 9vaccine9) during vaccine development from Feb 1st through Dec 11th, 2020. We applied topic modeling, sentiment and emotion analysis, and demographic inference of users on the COVID-19 vaccine related tweets to provide insight into the evolution of public attitudes. Individuals generated 87.9% (n=834,224) of tweets. Of individuals, men (n=560,824) outnumbered women (n=273,400) by 2:1 and 39.5% (n=329,776) of individuals were ≥40 years old. Daily mean sentiment fluctuated congruent with news events, but overall trended positively. Trust, anticipation, and fear were the three most predominant emotions; while fear was the most predominant emotion early in the study period, trust outpaced fear from April 2020 onward. Fear was more prevalent in tweets by individuals (26.3% vs. organizations 19.4%; p&lt;0.001), specifically among women (28.4% vs. males 25.4%; p &lt;0.001). Multiple topics had a monthly trend towards more positive sentiment. Tweets comparing COVID-19 to the influenza vaccine had strongly negative early sentiment but improved over time. Our findings are concerning for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, but also identify targets for educational interventions.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.19.21255701v1" target="_blank">Public Perception of COVID-19 Vaccines through Analysis of Twitter Content and Users</a>
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</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>Oestrogen Treatment for COVID-19 Symptoms</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Transdermal estradiol gel<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Hamad Medical Corporation;   Laboratoires Besins International<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>Virgin Coconut Oil as Adjunctive Therapy for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Virgin Coconut Oil<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   University of the Philippines;   Philippine Coconut Authority;   Philippine Council for Health Research &amp; Development<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>Study to Evaluate a Single Dose of LTX-109 in Subjects With COVID-19 Infection.</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: LTX-109 gel, 3%;   Drug: Placebo gel<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Pharma Holdings AS;   Clinical Trial Consultants AB<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>Clinical Study in the Treatment of Patients With Moderate Course of COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: COVID-globulin;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Microgen<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Efficacy and Safety of Three Different Doses of an Anti SARS-CoV-2 Hyperimmune Equine Serum in COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Anti SARS-CoV-2 equine hyperimmune serum;   Biological: placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social;   Universidad de Costa Rica;   Ministry of Health Costa Rica<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>A Clinical Study Evaluating Inhaled Aviptadil on COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Inhaled Aviptadil;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Centurion Pharma;   Klinar CRO<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>ACTIV-3b: Therapeutics for Severely Ill Inpatients With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Remdesivir;   Drug: Remdesivir Placebo;   Biological: Aviptadil;   Drug: Aviptadil Placebo;   Drug: Corticosteroid<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID);   International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT);   University of Copenhagen;   Medical Research Council;   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);   NeuroRx, Inc.;   Gilead Sciences<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>The Effects of a Multi-factorial Rehabilitation Program for Healthcare Workers Suffering From Post-COVID-19 Fatigue Syndrome</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: Exercise<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Medical University of Vienna<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>COVID-19 Close Contact Self-Testing Study</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Behavioral: COVID-19 self-test;   Behavioral: COVID-19 test referral<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University of Pennsylvania<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>Safety and Immunogenicity of Demi-dose of Two Covid-19 mRNA Vaccines in Healthy Population</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Diagnostic Test: immunogenicity after first and second dose<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Sciensano;   Mensura EDPB;   Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium;   Erasme University Hospital<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>Total-Body Parametric 18F-FDG PET of COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Device: uEXPLORER/mCT<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University of California, Davis<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>Remdesivir Efficacy In Management Of COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Remdesivir;   Drug: Standard of care_1;   Drug: Standard of care_2<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Ain Shams 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>SLV213 Treatment in COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: SLV213;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Kenneth Krantz, MD, PhD;   FHI Clinical, Inc.<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>Assessment of Efficacy of KAN-JANG® in Mild COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Kan Jang capsules;   Other: Placebo capsules<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Swedish Herbal Institute AB;   Tbilisi State Medical University;   Phytomed AB<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 Supplemental Vaccine Boost to Enhance T Cell Protection in Those Who Have Already Received EUA S-Based Vaccines</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: hAd5-S-Fusion+N-ETSD vaccine<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   ImmunityBio, Inc.<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>Development of ciclesonide analogues that block SARS-CoV-2 RNA replication</strong> - Ciclesonide is an inhaled corticosteroid used to treat asthma and is currently undergoing clinical trials for treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). An active metabolite of ciclesonide, Cic2, was recently reported to repress severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomic RNA replication. Herein, we designed and synthesized a few types of ciclesonide analogues. Cic4 (bearing an azide group) and Cic6 (bearing a chloro group) potently decreased SARS-CoV-2 viral…</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>Potent Toxic Effects of Taroxaz-104 on the Replication of SARS-CoV-2 Particles</strong> - Polyphenolics and 1,3,4-oxadiazoles are two of the most potent bioactive classes of compounds in medicinal chemistry, since both are known for their diverse pharmacological activities in humans. One of their prominent activities is the antimicrobial/antiviral activities, which are much apparent when the key functional structural moieties of both of them meet into the same compounds. The current COVID-19 pandemic motivated us to computationally screen and evaluate our library of…</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>Binding of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein to the Asialoglycoprotein Receptor on Human Primary Hepatocytes and Immortalized Hepatocyte-Like Cells by Confocal Analysis</strong> - CONCLUSION: The absence of ACE-2 receptors and inhibition of spike binding by an antibody to the ASGr1 on both PHH and HLC suggested that the spike protein interacts with the ASGr1. The differential antibody blocking of spike binding to AT2, PHH and HLC indicated that neutralizing activity of SARS-CoV-2 binding might involve additional mechanisms beyond RBD binding to ACE-2.</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>Antiviral peptides from aquatic organisms: Functionality and potential inhibitory effect on SARS-CoV-2</strong> - Several antiviral peptides (AVPs) from aquatic organisms have been effective in interfering with the actions of infectious viruses, such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 and Herpes Simplex Virus-1 and 2. AVPs are able to block viral attachment or entry into host cells, inhibit internal fusion or replication events by suppressing viral gene transcription, and prevent viral infections by modulating host immunity. Therefore, as promising therapeutics, the potential of aquatic AVPs for use against…</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>Potential Candidates against COVID-19 Targeting RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase: A Comprehensive Review</strong> - Due to the extremely contagious nature of SARS-COV-2, it presents a significant threat to humans worldwide. A plethora of studies are going on all over the world to discover the drug to fight SARS-COV-2. One of the most promising targets is RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), responsible for viral RNA replication in host cells. Since RdRp is a viral enzyme with no host cell homologs, it allows the development of selective SARS-COV-2 RdRp inhibitors. A variety of studies used in silico…</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>Immunopharmacological perspective on zinc in SARS-CoV-2 infection</strong> - The novel SARS-CoV-2 which was first reported in China is the cause of infection known as COVID-19. In comparison with other coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV and MERS, the mortality rate of SARS-CoV-2 is lower but the transmissibility is higher. Immune dysregulation is the most common feature of the immunopathogenesis of COVID-19 that leads to hyperinflammation. Micronutrients such as zinc are essential for normal immune function. According to the assessment of WHO, approximately one-third of the…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>An international, interlaboratory ring trial confirms the feasibility of an open-source, extraction-less “direct” RT-qPCR method for reliable detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in clinical samples</strong> - Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is used worldwide to test and trace the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). “Extraction-less” or “direct” real time-reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is an open-access qualitative method for SARS-CoV-2 detection from nasopharyngeal or oral pharyngeal samples with the potential to generate actionable data more quickly, at a lower cost, and with fewer experimental…</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>Rapalogs downmodulate intrinsic immunity and promote cell entry of SARS-CoV-2</strong> - Infection by SARS-CoV-2 generally causes mild symptoms but can lead to severe disease and death in certain populations, including the immunocompromised. Drug repurposing efforts are underway to identify compounds that interfere with SARS-CoV-2 replication or the immunopathology it can elicit. Rapamycin is among those being currently tested in clinical trials for impacts on COVID-19 severity. While rapamycin and rapamycin analogs (rapalogs) are FDA-approved for use as mTOR inhibitors in multiple…</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>CRISPR/Cas-New Molecular Scissors in Diagnostics and Therapeutics of COVID-19</strong> - The current pandemic of COVID-19, with its climbing number of cases and deaths, has us searching for tools for rapid, reliable, and affordable methods of detection on one hand, and novel, improved therapeutic strategies on the other. The currently employed RT-PCR method, despite its all-encompassing utility, has its shortcomings. Newer diagnostic tools, based on the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/Cas(CRISPR-Cas) system, with its better diagnostic accuracy measures,…</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>Structurally modified compounds of hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir and tetrahydrocannabinol against main protease of SARS-CoV-2, a possible hope for COVID-19: Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation studies</strong> - Now a days, more than 200 countries faces the health crisis due to epidemiological disease COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus. It will cause a very high impact on world’s economy and global health sector. Earlier the structure of main protease (M^(pro)) protein was deposited in the RCSB protein repository. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and remdesivir were found to effective in treatment of COVID-19 patients. Here we have performed docking and molecule dynamic (MD) simulation study of HCQ and…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers: potential allies in the COVID-19 pandemic instead of a threat?</strong> - Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the leading player of the protective renin-angiotensin system (RAS) pathway but also the entry receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). RAS inhibitors seemed to interfere with the ACE2 receptor, and their safety was addressed in COVID-19 patients. Pedrosa et al. (Clin. Sci. (Lond.) (2021), 135, 465-481) showed in rats that captopril and candesartan up-regulated ACE2 expression and the protective RAS pathway in lung…</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 vitro antiviral activity of the anti-HCV drugs daclatasvir and sofosbuvir against SARS-CoV-2, the aetiological agent of COVID-19</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: Daclatasvir, alone or in combination with sofosbuvir, at higher doses than used against HCV, may be further fostered as an anti-COVID-19 therapy.</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 spike protein dictates syncytium-mediated lymphocyte elimination</strong> - The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus is highly contagious and causes lymphocytopenia, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We demonstrate here that heterotypic cell-in-cell structures with lymphocytes inside multinucleate syncytia are prevalent in the lung tissues of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. These unique cellular structures are a direct result of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as the expression of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein is…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The in silico mechanism of hVKOR interaction with acetaminophen and its metabolite, as well as N-acetyl cysteine: caution on application in COVID-19 patients</strong> - Acetaminophen and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) are being used as supportive care in patients suffering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The coagulopathy and cerebral hemorrhage have been recently reported in these patients. Prolonged acetaminophen use increases the international normalized ratio (INR) and the risk of bleeding among patients taking anti-coagulants. Inhibition of vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR) by acetaminophen and NAC in chronic applications has been reported, however,…</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>Successful treatment of vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia (VIPIT)</strong> - Cases of unusual thrombosis and thrombocytopenia after administration of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca) have been reported. The term vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia (VIPIT) was coined to reflect this new phenomenon. In vitro experiments with VIPIT patient sera indicated that high dose intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) competitively inhibit the platelet activating properties of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine induced antibodies. Here, we report a case of a 62-year-old…</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>Compositions and methods for the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) infection</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU321590214">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>5-(4-TERT-BUTOXY PHENYL)-3-(4N-OCTYLOXYPHENYL)-4,5-DIHYDROISOXAZOLE MOLECULE (C-I): A PROMISING DRUG FOR SARS-COV-2 (TARGET I) AND BLOOD CANCER (TARGET II)</strong> - The present invention relates to a method ofmolecular docking of crystalline compound (C-I) with SARS-COV 2 proteins and its repurposing with proteins of blood cancer, comprising the steps of ; employing an algorithmto carry molecular docking calculations of the crystalized compound (C-I); studying the compound computationally to understand the effect of binding groups with the atoms of the amino acids on at least four target proteins of SARS-COV 2; downloading the structure of the proteins; removing water molecules, co enzymes and inhibitors attached to the enzymes; drawing the structure using Chem Sketch software; converting the mol file into a PDB file; using crystalized compound (C-I) for comparative and drug repurposing with two other mutated proteins; docking compound into the groove of the proteins; saving format of docked molecules retrieved; and filtering and docking the best docked results. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN320884617">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>AQUEOUS ZINC OXIDE NANOSPRAY COMPOSITIONS</strong> - Disclosed herein is aqueous zinc oxide nano spray compositions comprising zinc oxide nanoparticles and a synthetic surfactant for controlling the spread of Covid-19 virus. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN321836709">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>一种肝素类药物组合物、喷鼻剂及其制备方法及应用</strong> - 本发明公开了一种肝素类药物组合物、喷鼻剂及其制备方法及应用。该肝素类药物组合物包括肝素钠和阿比朵尔。本发明中的肝素类药物组合物首次采用肝素钠和阿比朵尔联合使用，普通肝素钠联合1μM/L以上的阿比朵尔病毒抑制效率显著高于单独普通肝素钠或单独阿比多尔组（p&lt;0.05）。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN321712860">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>USING CLINICAL ONTOLOGIES TO BUILD KNOWLEDGE BASED CLINICAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) WITH THE ADOPTION OF TELECONFERENCING FOR THE PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRES/SATELLITE CLINICS OF ROYAL OMAN POLICE IN SULTANATE OF OMAN</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU320796026">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>抗SARS-COV-2中和抗体</strong> - 本公开提供了针对SARS‑COV‑2的新颖中和抗体和其抗原结合片段。还提供了包括其的药物组合物和试剂盒以及其用途。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN321712812">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Peptides and their use in diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU319943278">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Method and compositions for treating coronavirus infection</strong> - A method of treating viral infection, such as viral infection caused by a virus of the Coronaviridae family, is provided. A composition having at least oleandrin is used to treat viral infection. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU319943054">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">**一种4-肟-5<code>-（2-甲基丙酰基）尿苷的制备方法** - 本发明公开了一种4‑肟‑5</code>‑（2‑甲基丙酰基）尿苷的制备方法，包括：S1：在酸存在条件下，使得化合物1和2,2‑二甲氧基丙烷在有机溶剂中反应得到化合物2；S2：在碱存在条件下，使得化合物2在有机溶剂中反应得到化合物3；S3：在羟胺水溶液存在条件下使化合物3在有机溶剂中反应得到化合物4；S4：在酸存在条件下使化合物4在有机溶剂中反应得到化合物I。本发明制备得到的结晶性能良好的固体，且制备条件简单，转化率以及原子经济性好。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN321712529">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>一种COVID-19假病毒及其制备方法和用途</strong> - 本发明涉及生物技术领域，特别是涉及一种COVID‑19假病毒及其制备方法和用途本发明，所述COVID‑19假病毒由外壳蛋白质粒与辅助质粒经病毒包装而成，所述外壳蛋白质粒包括表达COVID‑19 S蛋白的质粒、表达COVID‑19 M蛋白的质粒和表达COVID‑19 E蛋白的质粒。本发明的COVID‑19假病毒采用三质粒系统包装，以S/M/E蛋白替代表达VSV‑G蛋白，比仅含有S蛋白的假病毒感染能力更强、灵敏度更高。而且，COVID‑19假病毒携带两种荧光报告基团，不同的荧光报告基团可应用于不同的场景，使得COVID‑19假病毒应用时更简便。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN321712520">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>The Significance of the Derek Chauvin Verdict</strong> - The New Yorker’s Jelani Cobb discusses the trial’s outcome. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-significance-of-the-derek-chauvin-verdict">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Forgotten History of the Purging of Chinese from America</strong> - The surge in violence against Asian-Americans is a reminder that America’s present reality reflects its exclusionary past. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-forgotten-history-of-the-purging-of-chinese-from-america">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>How 1.5 Degrees Became the Key to Climate Progress</strong> - The number has dramatically reorganized global thinking around the climate. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-a-warming-planet/how-15-degrees-became-the-key-to-climate-progress">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Trump Administration Is Over, but the Trump Crisis Is Not</strong> - Many Republicans are acting like the Capitol insurrection never happened, and much of Washington is fine with it. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/the-trump-administration-is-over-but-the-trump-crisis-is-not">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Why Bitcoin Is Bad for the Environment</strong> - Cryptocurrency mining uses huge amounts of power—and can be as destructive as the real thing. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/why-bitcoin-is-bad-for-the-environment">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>How to help kids catch up after a year of pandemic learning</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hSMPJNTXxChVVoeAKWGp_SAmUA4=/0x0:2667x2000/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69174451/GettyImages_1232327663.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Kindergartners are back in class for the first time in a year at the 9th Street Elementary School in Los Angeles on April 13. | Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
This strategy could help America’s schoolchildren make up for lost time.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tB7JJY">
The moment of truth for Gregory Heights Elementary School came last June.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="93jGqP">
The school in Burien, Washington, had closed its buildings in the spring when the pandemic forced lockdowns around the country. That meant students — about 50 percent of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and about 40 percent of whom are learning English as a second language — traded classrooms for worksheets and Zoom meetings, and saw their teachers a lot less than before. After a few months of this, “we began to just think about how many hours of lost instruction we had,” principal Robin Totten told Vox. “Going into the next year, if that didn’t change, what were we going to do?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CaCF7N">
One option was remediation: taking kids back and redoing everything they’d missed. But <a href="https://www.crpe.org/thelens/what-post-katrina-new-orleans-can-teach-schools-about-addressing-covid-learning-losses">research from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina</a> showed this approach didn’t work well — students got bored doing work below their grade level and didn’t make enough progress. So Gregory Heights, along with its district, Highline Public Schools, tried something different: acceleration, in which students keep doing grade-level work but get targeted help catching up when they don’t understand something. Instead of going back and redoing everything with students, it’s about “just giving them those little scaffolded pieces, so that they can tackle the grade-level standard lesson,” Totten said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0LfHYQ">
It’s still early, but the results have been encouraging: “From fall to winter we saw really great growth” in student learning, Totten said. And the approach could be a model for other schools now trying to help kids rebound from not one but two school years deeply marked by the pandemic.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dK3RjM">
Ever since schools around the country closed their buildings last spring, educators and families alike have been worried about how the shift online would affect kids’ learning. Early research was concerning: A <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/covid-19-and-student-learning-in-the-united-states-the-hurt-could-last-a-lifetime">June 2020 analysis</a> found that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/05/us/coronavirus-education-lost-learning.html">the average student could fall seven months behind</a> due to the pandemic, with Latinx students losing nine months and Black students losing 10. <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/12/01/938048852/some-good-news-student-reading-gains-are-steady-while-math-slows-down">More recent studies</a> have been more encouraging, showing students losing ground in math but not in reading. However, researchers are concerned that many students of color and those living in poverty aren’t being captured in the data.
</p>
<div class="c-wide-block">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZliYmAfUPPabrSpDumA4gEtVIbo=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22460787/GettyImages_1232295910.jpg"/> <cite>Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner gives kindergartener Isabella Hernandez a new backpack. Some LAUSD schools have reopened for in-person classes, with safety standards and mandatory Covid-19 testing of students in place.
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</figure>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PgljNt">
Now, with many schools likely to <a href="https://www.vox.com/22368320/schools-covid-fall-reopening-cdc-2021-vaccine">reopen full time in the fall</a>, districts around the country are facing the challenge of figuring out how much their students have missed and how to address it. Some are planning a remedial approach, even holding students back a grade so they can repeat all the material they missed. But some experts say that approach could actually widen educational inequity by depriving Black, Indigenous, and other students of color of access to grade-level work. What’s more effective, they say, is what Gregory Heights is doing: keeping kids moving forward, even if they need a little help to stay on track.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Hy7Srt">
“Our tendency as a system has been to go backward and meet kids where they are,” Bailey Cato Czupryk — vice president of practices, diagnostics, and impact at TNTP, an education nonprofit that advocates for acceleration — told Vox. But “you don’t close the gaps we see in performance by holding a subset of kids back and deciding they don’t get to try grade-level stuff.”
</p>
<h3 id="FWCjxd">
We’re just starting to find out how the pandemic has affected kids’ learning
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IiQ25i">
When schools moved their classes online in the spring of 2020, teachers and parents had lots of reasons to worry. First were <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/4/9/21200159/coronavirus-school-digital-low-income-students-covid-new-york">basic issues of access</a>: In a <a href="https://www.newsday.com/business/technology/internet-schools-homework-computer-1.32096937">2019 analysis by the Associated Press</a>,<strong> </strong>about 17 percent of students nationwide lacked a computer at home, and 18 percent lacked broadband internet access. Low-income families and families of color were especially likely to be without these resources, according to the AP. That meant a significant number of students simply couldn’t attend remote classes, although many school districts sent iPads or laptops to students’ homes in an effort to remedy the problem.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dOnOwf">
Then there were the pressures online learning put on families: Remote lessons often require a parent or other adult to help the student with technology and staying on task, especially at younger ages, and that simply wasn’t possible in many households, whether because parents were working during school hours or because they had limited English fluency or other barriers. Again, low-income families were more likely to face obstacles in helping kids with online school, <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/4/9/21200159/coronavirus-school-digital-low-income-students-covid-new-york">experts said</a>.
</p>
<div class="c-float-right c-float-hang">
<aside id="x0KjX1">
<q>“Every student will have experienced this period differently, and there’s a large risk, from an equity standpoint”</q>
</aside>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BYDqE4">
On top of these challenges has been the trauma of the pandemic itself, during which millions of people have lost jobs, countless families have fallen into poverty, and nearly <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-04-07/nearly-40-000-children-have-lost-a-parent-to-covid-analysis-shows">40,000 children have lost a parent to Covid-19</a>. Learning new material under such circumstances has been, for many students, difficult, to say the least.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2jgosv">
Given all that, recent research on learning during the pandemic is, in some ways, reassuring. In fall 2020, the nonprofit NWEA studied students’ performance on reading and math assessment tests, and compared it to scores for students in the same grades in fall 2019, before the pandemic began. In math, the 2020 students scored about 5 to 10 percentile points lower than the 2019 group — a “moderate” drop, NWEA research head Beth Tarasawa <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/12/01/938048852/some-good-news-student-reading-gains-are-steady-while-math-slows-down">told NPR</a>. But in reading, students this fall scored about the same on average as they did before the pandemic.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lXNxve">
The group also measured individual students’ performance over time, comparing their test scores in early 2020 with their scores in the fall. “We saw, on average, students showed growth in both math and reading across the grade levels in almost all grades,” Tarasawa told NPR. “Most students made some learning gains in both reading and math since COVID started.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AKrwD4">
But amid the positive news, the researchers also found something deeply concerning. About a quarter of students never took the assessment tests this fall, meaning they’re not represented in NWEA’s analysis. And those students, the group found, were more likely to be Black, Indigenous, or other people of color, or to attend high-poverty schools — essentially, the groups that experts were already concerned about with regard to remote education.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Cqj3gef1ebxuKTyyLIRi__i6o78=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22460810/GettyImages_1312861034.jpg"/> <cite>Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Sabrina Werley works with fourth-grade student Jeremiah Ruiz at Cumru Elementary School in Cumru, Pennsylvania, on April 14.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="333Sbi">
Some students might not have taken the tests because they lacked internet access, while others may have stopped going to school entirely. Indeed, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/21/us/coronavirus-schools-washington-dc.html">chronic absenteeism</a> has been a serious problem during the pandemic, with hundreds or even thousands of students missing from classes in some districts. Miami-Dade County public schools, for example, opened with more than 10,000 fewer students than in 2019, <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article249722423.html">according to ABC News</a>. The district sent <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article249722423.html">teams of social workers</a> to locate and help the students, but as of March, about 1,000 remained unaccounted for.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3dCUj2">
“We believe that these were the students who were in crisis prior to the COVID-19 crisis,” Miami-Dade County Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/thousands-students-reported-missing-school-systems-nationwide-amid/story?id=76063922">told ABC</a>. “These were probably poor students, probably English language learners, learners who may have had a disability, may have had home insecurity, food insecurity, and may have had a fragile immigration status.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LRMYyS">
Overall, the missing test scores in the NWEA are yet more evidence of something that’s concerned educators since Covid-19 first hit: It seems to be having the biggest impact on students who already faced inequities at school.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RiZKT6">
“We already knew that Black and brown students weren’t getting the support that they need even before the pandemic,” Kayla Patrick, a senior data and policy analyst at the Education Trust, told Vox. “And then the pandemic made all of that worse.”
</p>
<h3 id="JCHHHr">
Some places are responding to the pandemic by holding kids back
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VeOJLL">
Now, the question is what schools and districts should do to address the impact of the pandemic on students in ways that shrink those inequalities rather than widening them.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Qanohp">
Some districts are likely to treat 2020 as something of a lost year, Czupryk told Vox. Those districts basically take the view that “you should take kids back to where they were in spring 2020 and do all the stuff they would have done,” Czupryk said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NSViiQ">
At the extreme end of that approach would be actually holding kids back a grade. Eighteen states have laws on the books requiring students to repeat third grade if they don’t meet certain literacy standards, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/22/repeat-school-year-482336">Politico reports</a>, most inspired by a Florida law passed in 2002. The latest such law is Tennessee’s, passed in January in an effort to address the pandemic’s impact on learning.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uboz77P1kwYKO9oNGjYRtke9PMc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22460832/GettyImages_1310181902.jpg"/> <cite>Jessica Christian/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Second-grader Michelle Sharp, 8, arrives for the first day of partial in-person instruction at Garfield Elementary School in Oakland, California, on March 30.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="e2XzlY">
But experts say having students repeat a grade can backfire, pointing to research showing that the practice <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/22/repeat-school-year-482336">stigmatizes students, harms their self-esteem</a>, and makes them <a href="https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/texas-lawmakers-consider-giving-authority-to-parents-to-have-students-repeat-a-grade-due-to-pandemic/">more likely to drop out of school</a>. In particular, “I don’t want to see retention policies really target Black and brown communities and have only those kids having to repeat a grade,” Patrick said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YS2Oam">
More broadly, some say there’s a danger in simply assuming that particular kids have lost ground academically because of their race or family income. That’s because if schools overestimate students’ learning loss, they may fail to give them grade-level work, pushing them even further behind, Chase Nordengren, a senior research scientist with NWEA, told Vox. “Assumptions are really a threat to equity, because they limit the kinds of experiences that students have access to.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="byXGFa">
Even as we acknowledge inequities in access, Nordegren said, it’s important to “understand that every student is different, and when we come back this fall, every student’s individual level of proficiency is going to need to be understood really well.”
</p>
<h3 id="iAVp2h">
But experts say the better approach is “acceleration”
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qdEA4a">
And for students who have missed out on a lot this year, experts say there’s a better way to help than just making them repeat material. The best approach, they argue, is to keep kids at grade level but give them specific help when they face an obstacle due to something they missed, a process sometimes called targeted remediation or “just in time” learning.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Gajo1S">
At Gregory Heights Elementary, for example, third-graders are learning double-digit multiplication right now. But some of them don’t have their single-digit multiplication facts down yet. Rather than holding them back or putting them in a remedial class, teachers can pull them into small Zoom groups to figure out what their specific challenges are. When teachers worked with one student individually, they found that she actually only had trouble multiplying sixes and sevens. So the question, Totten said, was, “what could we do with sixes and sevens to help her learn those more quickly?”
</p>
<div class="c-float-right c-float-hang">
<aside id="ODsuYy">
<q>“It’s not like we had an exceptionally just, equal, or equitable education system before the pandemic. These gaps existed before.”</q>
</aside>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="noV84i">
Another student, who has special needs, is still working on being able to spell and handwrite letters. But his grade is working on five-paragraph essays. Rather than keep him from working on essays until his handwriting is perfect, teachers have him use Google Translate to dictate his work into a computer. “He can still look for the organization, like his class is doing, he can still develop his theme, he can still develop his claim,” Totten said. “We know that we still have to work with him on actually writing himself and being able to do the spelling piece, but using a strategy, he’s able to do the work at his grade level.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="C2zat1">
Gregory Heights started using the approach in September, and so far educators are pleased with the results, at least as measured by assessments students took in fall and winter. Students began returning to school buildings on a hybrid schedule in March, and the district has not yet announced a schedule for the fall. But whatever happens, Gregory Heights plans to continue and refine the acceleration approach, helping teachers identify what skills are the most important to teach in a limited amount of time. “If I’m truly going to accelerate,” Totten asks, “am I going to do every one of these lessons, or am I going to cut out some of these lessons and spend more time on other lessons?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xYUjv2">
District-wide, the real test of the method may not come until next spring, when Washington students are likely to take their next round of statewide tests (the tests were paused this year due to the pandemic). But <a href="https://opportunitymyth.tntp.org/choosing-the-opportunity-gap">previous research by TNTP</a> has found that when students who have fallen behind are given grade-level work along with stronger instruction and higher expectations, they catch up more quickly than those who don’t get grade-level assignments. The group has seen what students “are capable of when we as grown-ups let them try, rather than deciding before they even get up to the plate that they’re not going to get a hit,” Czupryk said.
</p>
<div class="c-wide-block">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_8ki7KO3LCoX5VFveGSjiGGS0Tw=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22460845/GettyImages_1310181524.jpg"/> <cite>Jessica Christian/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
First-graders Kiara Morris, 6 (left), and Tatiana Morris, 7, sanitize their hands as they arrive for the first day of partial in-person instruction at Garfield Elementary School in Oakland, California, on March 30.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YBYUsu">
Districts from Alabama to California are taking such messages to heart and planning an acceleration approach to help their students catch up after the past 18 months, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/03/15/pandemic-school-year-changes/">according to the Washington Post</a>. And the Department of Education <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/documents/coronavirus/reopening-2.pdf?utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=">recommended an acceleration approach</a> to address pandemic learning gaps in a reopening handbook released earlier this month, which also noted that funds from the American Rescue Plan can be used for tutoring or summer school programs to help support acceleration.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wQvLZI">
The increased interest in the approach could help districts address the longstanding inequities that have only been exacerbated by the pandemic. For example, in <a href="https://opportunitymyth.tntp.org/">a 2018 report</a>, TNTP found that classes composed predominantly of students from higher-income families spent twice as much time on grade-level work as classes with students from lower-income backgrounds. An emphasis on acceleration could help districts examine what they offer their students and make sure they’re giving every student the opportunity to excel.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8aXHqf">
“It’s not like we had an exceptionally just, equal, or equitable education system before the pandemic,” Czupryk said. “These gaps existed before.”
</p></li>
<li><strong>Breaking down the 2021 Best Picture nominees</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XokqpeAldFoWjYBMiNMnwa0l2po=/100x0:1700x1200/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69113602/headshots_1617909999945.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Daniel Kaluuya in <em>Judas and the Black Messiah</em>, Alan Kim in <em>Minari</em>, Gary Oldman in <em>Mank</em>, and Anthony Hopkins in <em>The Father</em>. | Warner Bros; A24; Netflix; Sony Pictures Classics
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The merits, demerits, and awards chances of each film in a weird year at the Oscars.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="O9qI1Y">
The most prestigious award at the <a href="https://www.vox.com/oscars">Oscars</a> is the Best Picture trophy, and every year, between five and 10 movies compete for the prize. What makes the contest interesting is that there aren’t any set rules about what constitutes a “best” picture. It’s just the movie (for better or worse, depending on the year) that Hollywood designates as its standard-bearer.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sZwmZx">
The film that wins represents the American movie industry’s view of its accomplishments in the present and its aspirations for the future.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="p3pzZw">
In this strange, strange year — with a pandemic wreaking havoc on the film industry and big questions looming about the future of theaters and streaming — it is perhaps surprising that the eight <a href="https://www.vox.com/22331513/best-picture-oscars-2021-nominees-streaming">2021 Best Picture nominees</a>, on the whole, are pretty great.
</p>
<aside id="pHQgxr">
<div>
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</aside>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="u6fFWJ">
The <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/12/4/22150234/mank-review-netflix-fincher">most-nominated film overall</a> is about the politics, business, and history of Hollywood — no surprise, since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the professional organization that gives out the Oscars) tends to love movies about movies. Two films center on characters who are struggling to retain part of themselves in the midst of <a href="https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-father">memory loss</a> and <a href="https://www.metacritic.com/movie/sound-of-metal">hearing loss</a>, respectively.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qpiRD0">
Two more films explore the politics and activism of the late 1960s, <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/21515051/trial-of-the-chicago-7-review-sorkin-netflix">one focusing on a court case</a> and <a href="https://www.vox.com/22272309/judas-black-messiah-review-hbo-max-black-panthers-kaluuya-stanfield">one on a state-sanctioned assassination</a>. There’s a <a href="https://www.vox.com/22205072/promising-young-woman-review-carey-mulligan">biting and satirical revenge thriller</a> in the mix. And finally, two films explore the promise and peril of the American Dream: one about <a href="https://www.vox.com/22274856/minari-review-yeun-chung">a family of Korean-Americans in 1980s Arkansas</a>, and <a href="https://www.vox.com/22289457/nomadland-review-zhao-mcdormand-streaming-hulu">one set in the contemporary West</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FZ4uLd">
In the run-up to the <a href="https://www.vox.com/22213752/oscars-2021-coronavirus-date-streaming">delayed-by-two-months Oscars on April 25</a>, the Vox staff is looking at each of the Best Picture nominees in turn. What makes this film appealing to Academy voters? What makes it emblematic of the year? And should it win? We’ll publish a roundtable discussion for each of the nominees as we approach these most unusual Oscars, in a most unusual year.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="N9qWFY">
<em>— Alissa Wilkinson, Vox film critic</em>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="b0pP73">
</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="ef6PgM"/>
<h3 id="MQLGf1">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/22363939/trial-chicago-7-aaron-sorkin-oscars-best-picture-roundtable"><em>The Trial of the Chicago 7</em>: Our mixed feelings about the movie and its director Aaron Sorkin, explained</a>
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="L1bHRC">
The historical courtroom drama seems like a classic Oscar film. And for better or worse, it’s peak Sorkin. Will it win?
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Two white men in a courtroom in suits and ties, one standing, one sitting." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xUt5AIMIF-Kr9eAx8oc6gfEBnxc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/21961811/C7_02912_CRr.jpg"/> <cite>Niko Tavernise / Netflix</cite>
<figcaption>
Mark Rylance and Eddie Redmayne in <em>The Trial of the Chicago 7</em>.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7Bc2ko">
</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="wdOUTb"/>
<h3 id="KffYGo">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/22363995/mank-best-picture-roundtable-fincher-oldman-citizen-kane-netflix"><em>Mank: </em>Should the most-nominated film at the Oscars win Best Picture?</a>
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2sWR4Y">
David Fincher’s complicated movie about Hollywood and the making of <em>Citizen Kane </em>may be the least “popular” of the Best Picture nominees — whatever that means in this weird year — but it’s also the most-nominated film by a long shot.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A black and white image of Amanda Seyfried playing Marion Davies, in a circus-inspired costume with a big hat." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SNLgcpD9NAH7gBrow-0b_5Gn_0g=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22430176/mank.jpg"/> <cite>Netflix</cite>
<figcaption>
Amanda Seyfried in <em>Mank.</em>
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</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="giYU9R">
</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="VFMsMt"/>
<h3 id="3TUaoA">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/22364056/promising-young-woman-oscars-best-picture-roundtable"><em>Promising Young Woman</em>’s explosive ending and Best Picture chances, explained</a>
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nfYoLE">
Our critics have wildly differing opinions about Emerald Fennell’s much-discussed darkly comedic revenge thriller starring Carey Mulligan. Will the Oscars?
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A young white woman with rainbow-striped hair in a nurse’s costume stares grimly forward." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/z_um4GKbgeLHOTuizwvK1xdMyjY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22203951/promising_young_woman.jpg"/> <cite>Focus Features</cite>
<figcaption>
Carey Mulligan in <em>Promising Young Woman.</em>
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</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3mtwz5">
</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="JfG4SF"/>
<h3 id="Lr01Nl">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/e/22128147">Don’t sleep on <em>The Father</em>, one of our favorite Best Picture nominees</a>
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OTA9l1">
The film, which stars Anthony Hopkins, is a heartbreakingly brilliant adaptation of an award-winning play about a man and his daughter dealing with his dementia.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A middle-aged white woman and her father sit in a living room, talking to one another." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mz5isBPOBNBS-e_upXyHvanXmuQ=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22430204/thefather.jpg"/> <cite>Sony Pictures Classics</cite>
<figcaption>
Olivia Colman and Anthony Hopkins in <em>The Father.</em>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="07WTqW">
</h3>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="eFor6O"/>
<h3 id="THg719">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/e/22128089">On <em>Nomadland</em>, the Oscars, and that Amazon question</a>
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SE5g10">
How the Best Picture nominee depicts grief, gig employment, and the American heartland.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A white woman stands against the backdrop of the Badlands, with a small smile on her face." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jVGs5Ljid3EEqv8gGI9hxKNV3QY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22314916/nomadland_01anomadland_rec709_100nits_239FF_still_01_20200723_R2_rgb.jpg"/> <cite>Searchlight Pictures</cite>
<figcaption>
Frances McDormand in <em>Nomadland.</em>
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</figure>
<h3 id="liZKxD">
</h3>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="xb0Q7I"/>
<h3 id="wG42n9">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/22364083/sound-of-metal-review-best-picture-oscars-roundtable">Why Best Picture nominee <em>Sound of Metal</em> resonates</a>
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xs5LYp">
Great performances and fascinating technical choices power the riveting drama starring Riz Ahmed as a drummer who’s going deaf.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A man wearing headphones." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/adxgnSRbKx144Q01EQvK-M65DaQ=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22430379/soundofmetal.jpeg"/> <cite>Amazon Studios</cite>
<figcaption>
Riz Ahmed in <em>Sound of Metal</em>.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="MCWIZ1">
</h3>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="djJa4u"/>
<h3 id="kqYSNO">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/e/22128014">How Best Picture nominee <em>Judas and the Black Messiah</em> questions the meaning of freedom</a>
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aTnrm6">
The powerful drama about the assassination of Black Panthers leader Fred Hampton presents moral queries that rhyme with the present.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A Black man stands in a beret." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Rl3nKIrO7-5Ma99Yhi7PXLlcXSc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22430382/judasblackmessiah.jpeg"/> <cite>Warner Bros.</cite>
<figcaption>
Daniel Kaluuya in <em>Judas and the Black Messiah.</em>
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</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="0407fU"/>
<h3 id="7zeoVq">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/e/22128064"><em>Minari </em>is America</a>
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YmS2Qh">
Why we love this Best Picture nominee.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A Korean man and a woman stand in an embrace." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JKv0CGJv3F7F-bsb347GAuIkUSM=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22297160/MINARI_02964.jpg"/> <cite>Josh Ethan Johnson/A24</cite>
<figcaption>
Yeri Han and Steven Yeun in <em>Minari</em>.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="M4xq92">
The 2021 Oscars will air live on Sunday, April 25, on ABC.
</p></li>
<li><strong>Minari is America</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A father and son look into the distance together." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xdM0mIx2PtyG1xLl2WTW18QewjE=/0x0:1816x1362/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69174328/49105867006_4bbc0a1a72_k.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Alan Kim and Steven Yeun in <em>Minari.</em> | Courtesy of Sundance Institute
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</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Why we love this Best Picture nominee.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="94xNzW">
Eight films are in the running for Best Picture, the most prestigious award at the <a href="https://www.vox.com/oscars">Oscars</a>, this year. That’s a lot of movies to watch, analyze, and enjoy. So in the days leading up to the <a href="https://www.vox.com/22213752/oscars-2021-coronavirus-date-streaming">April 25 ceremony</a>, Vox staffers look at each of the nominees in turn. What makes this film appealing to Academy voters? What makes it emblematic of the year? And should it win?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kWZxce">
Below, Vox film critic Alissa Wilkinson, senior culture reporter Alex Abad-Santos, identities reporter Fabiola Cineas, and critic at large Emily VanDerWerff talk about <em>Minari</em>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1818032/">Lee Isaac Chung</a>’s vibrant family drama about a Korean American family living in the Ozarks in the 1980s.
</p>
<h3 id="FrvhPQ">
<em>Minari</em>’s specificity is what makes it so appealing
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0zpESE">
<strong>Alissa Wilkinson: </strong>I first saw <em>Minari </em>in a different world: at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020, on a huge screen in an auditorium filled with ecstatic audience members. The filmmakers were there, and the reception was rapturous. I remember just being so happy to watch it.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Te3nLB">
Turns out it’s the only one of the Best Picture nominees I saw on a big screen (boy, it hurts to say that), and I’m delighted the movie’s buzz persisted into awards season and that so many people have found it so incredibly meaningful.
</p>
<aside id="xp1eyi">
<div>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sIfGDY">
There are a lot of entry points to <em>Minari</em>. There’s the experience of immigrants and their children, people of Asian descent in particular. There’s the feeling of what it’s like to grow up in rural America, especially if you’re not white and the dominant community around you is. There’s the oddities and quirks of American religious communities. There’s the battle to maintain a youthful dream and a marriage in difficult times. And a lot more, too.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6QwsEV">
I know all of you found your way into this film from different directions. What spoke to you?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qTjgHR">
<strong>Emily VanDerWerff: </strong>I love stories that draw you in with their specificity. <em>Minari</em> is “about” a lot of things, if you want to pull back to the thematic level, and it has a ton of elements it’s mixing together in its plot. But two key ingredients that the movie nails are its depiction of running a small family farm and its depiction of rural evangelical Christianity.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aId4FM">
After watching this movie, I jokingly remarked to Alissa that it was a surprisingly accurate portrayal of agricultural policy in the 1980s. While I don’t think <em>Minari</em> will teach you how to run a farm in the 1980s, it does offer an overview of both the pitfalls and benefits of getting into agriculture at a time when banks were loaning money to small family farmers and the US government was doubling down on farm subsidies, but also at a time when the specter of corporations driving smaller family farms out of business loomed large. What is Jacob’s (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3081796/">Steven Yeun</a>) struggle to find anyone to buy his vegetables about but the way the market suffocated operations like his, slowly but surely? Okay, Jacob’s struggle is about way more than just that. But I appreciated how <em>Minari</em> got its details about farm life in a rural area right without really overstating them.
</p>
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The film takes a similar approach to Christianity. Jacob’s hired hand, Paul (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001599/">Will Patton</a>), practices a version of Pentecostalism that he seems to have largely invented himself, which involves speaking in tongues, praying over the crops, and hauling a cross down the road every Sunday. <em>Minari</em>’s depiction of Paul’s faith is in addition to how it shows the Yi family joining a nearby church and encountering microaggressions — both well-meaning and not so well-meaning — from its many white congregants.
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What I like about these details is that the movie doesn’t particularly feel the need to comment on them. <em>Minari</em> succeeds because it stays firmly rooted in the point-of-view of young David (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10910136/">Alan Kim</a>), so when his parents are on the verge of splitting up but ultimately seem to resolve their differences, we understand their story only as much as he does. Yes, as adults we can likely fill in the blanks better than he can, but <em>Minari </em>is careful to never overplay its hand.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Vz77RS">
That approach creates a movie where I remember individual moments and images more than I do the story’s overall sweep, but maybe that’s the point. Maybe we’re meant to think about this movie like we would our own childhoods — as a series of islands of memory, surrounded by vast oceans of what we have forgotten or never really understood in the first place.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VpanoG">
Also: Shoutout to Soon-ja (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0950926/">Youn Yuh-jung</a>), the best onscreen grandma in ages.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="An older Korean woman smiles, with a background of lush green treees." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/thTzF7MNTgeGC7a5Makxwiip2gI=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22459617/minari.jpeg"/> <cite>Courtesy of A24</cite>
<figcaption>
Youn Yuh-jung is the first South Korean actress nominated for an Oscar.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wfWasP">
<strong>Alex Abad-Santos: </strong>There are two very authentic things about how this movie captures growing up Asian American in the ’80s: The first is how Soon-ja does what’s known as the Asian squat, and the second is how the family, like my family, loves its soda pop. Everyone in my family can Asian squat, though my mom absolutely hates the look of it, and growing up, my parents always had soda stocked in the fridge.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Td1WgI">
But beyond the “Oh my gosh, is that a sliver of my life on screen?” moments, I loved how <em>Minari</em> was a story about a family trying to survive. It’s about parents doing what they think is best for their kids; about the life-affirming connections we have with our mothers and grandmothers; the way we will move mountains, maybe even causing friction with our spouses and significant others, for our parents; and how survival is its very own kind of love.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XcSk74">
One of the scenes seared into my brain happens when Soon-ja arrives and starts pulling all this stuff, stuff you can find only in Korea, out of her suitcase. Her daughter, Monica (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3680658/">Yeri Han</a>), crumbles with joy at the sight of her haul. It’s such a brief scene, but it gets across not only how much Monica misses her mother and her home — everything she gave up to move to America — but also how well Soon-ja knows her daughter, understands how lonely she is, and brings these items to nourish Monica’s soul.
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And that’s just one moment of countless others.
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<strong>Fabiola Cineas:</strong> I can’t stop thinking about little David’s expressions, particularly the moment before he commits the biggest mischief of all — serving Soon-Ja, his grandmother, a teacup of his pee. As soon as the camera focused on his face, allowing us to see his eyes gleeful with malintent, I knew something bad was going to happen. The close shots of David’s face were some of the most authentic moments in this film for me because he perfectly captured what it feels like to be a first-generation immigrant growing up in a country where your parents weren’t born but are fighting to survive.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hFmhoK">
My family came to America in the late 1970s from Haiti, and it’s surreal how much of our story is wrapped up in <em>Minari</em>. Though we didn’t grow up in a rural part of the country, no matter where you are, the immigrant experience is about isolation, pushing your way in, and carving out space for your culture and journey.
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All of this is to say I saw myself in David, from being suspicious of the “foreign” grandparent who urges you to eat stale treats to grimacing at the fact that your grandparent smells like a faraway land. Other moments: David having to go fetch a stick for a beating (been there!), and being immigrants at a white church. The way Soon-ja watches wrestling — narrating every kick and blow — has inspired me to investigate the connection between immigrant women and wrestling. This is the same way my mother has watched wrestling for decades. It’s something I’ve never been able to understand or explain. I have recorded it on camera, though.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RtsriV">
I appreciate how <em>Minari </em>didn’t have to force any narratives or include any extreme plot points to draw people into this story about a Korean family trying to make it in America. What’s fascinating is how normal the story is.
</p>
<h3 id="rOpK9T">
<em>Minari</em> challenges Hollywood’s attitudes about what is “American”
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lzizKZ">
<strong>Alissa:</strong> Yes! You’re all pointing to something I think conventional Hollywood movies sometimes forget — that movies become more interesting to viewers when they lean into specificity, rather than trying to appeal to a broad audience by being more vague or general. Not every detail of <em>Minari</em> is familiar to every audience, but some details are, and I think that’s what has made it work so well for so many people who’ve seen it.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="a7tEE5">
At the same time, it’s undeniably an Asian American story. A lot of conversation about the movie — thanks to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/28/movies/minari-foreign-language-film.html">Golden Globes designating it a “foreign language film”</a> — pushes back on ideas about what counts as “American” and what makes something “foreign.” It’s a matter that movies have run into before, even recently (see also <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/7/9/18761355/farewell-review-awkwafina-lulu-wang"><em>The Farewell</em></a>), and taps into big and very important questions.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ApvVgs">
<em>Minari</em> is a story set in America about people living in America, produced by an American company, written and directed by an American based in part on his own childhood memories. The Oscars won’t file it under <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/2/4/21042912/international-oscars-foreign-film-rules-language">the “international” film category</a> for all of those reasons, but there’s still a sense that a movie in which a lot of the dialogue isn’t in English might be seen, by some, as “foreign.”
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This might be too big a question, but I want to hear what you think: Are we past the point where it’s valuable or even advisable to think about “foreign films” at all? And for you, what category <em>does</em> <em>Minari</em> fit into? How would you characterize the film to someone if you’re encouraging them to see it?
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A family stands together." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KP6-URzs9r7HkWl2-9v1YQiRVs0=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22297175/MINARI_01590.jpg"/> <cite>Josh Ethan Johnson/A24</cite>
<figcaption>
The ensemble cast of <em>Minari</em> makes it shine.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2NAXDP">
<strong>Fabiola:</strong> So glad you brought up that Golden Globes controversy, Alissa. Can any of you help me understand why, under the Golden Globes rules, a “foreign language film” can’t compete in the awards’<strong> </strong>Best Picture categories? And how did they decide that at least 50 percent of words in English = American? Why not 60 percent, or 80? It all seems so arbitrary and a clear sign that this is just a way to “other” films and filmmakers like <em>Minari</em> and Lee Isaac Chung. <em>Minari</em> is as American as it gets, and so is Chung. It’s past time for these rules to change, to stop forcing (typically) nonwhite filmmakers to go through extra levels of scrutiny just to be judged alongside what this country has deemed the norm — whiteness.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="whPnjF">
Every time a controversy like this happens, people start trying to investigate how American the filmmaker is. In <em>Minari</em>’s case, even though the Oscars have more readily recognized the film as American, I’ve seen people attempt to unnecessarily overexplain how Chung is from Denver or that he went to Yale as a way to make viewers feel comfortable. It shouldn’t matter where he was born or where he went to school. Dear white people: Stop making Asian Americans jump through hoops as a form of repentance for being great.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="liOI65">
<strong>Alex:</strong> This gets at my problem with the Oscars. On the one hand, I feel like, who cares what these people think (see <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/2/25/18239309/oscars-2019-green-book-best-picture"><em>Green Book</em> winning Best Picture in 2019</a>)<em> </em>in the grand design of things? These awards shouldn’t be a mark of quality, especially when they reward mediocre movies.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eLLkIs">
On the other hand, if <em>Minari</em> wins, I will be so happy that it got recognized for being the beautiful film that it is. It’ll be a sign of filmic justice: A splendid movie wins for being the best movie of the entire year (which also happened last year with <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/2/10/21131004/parasite-best-picture-oscars-2020"><em>Parasite</em></a><em>)</em>. And yes, that is a testament to how idiotic the Oscars are and their power over me.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UqVHix">
I do think a Best International Film category should exist at the Oscars, but only because the Academy can be so myopic in its vision of what “good” movies look like and are (though the organization is trying to fix this by <a href="https://www.vox.com/22332389/oscars-academy-diversity-membership-2021">being more inclusive in its membership</a>). I know that increases the potential for siloing international movies, but without an international category, would they get recognized at all? (Like, how does the renowned Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar only have one Oscar nomination for directing, ever?)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="icGGEk">
I think the entire debacle at the Golden Globes was based on an uncomfortable reality: that Asian and Asian American experiences still aren’t considered American. And I can’t think of a more “American movie” about the proverbial American dream that touches upon American ideas of religion, class, and family than <em>Minari</em> this year.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="scJ1ea">
Meanwhile, Glenn Close can do some <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/21547862/hillbilly-elegy-netflix-explained-rural-vance">hilariously horrendous poverty cosplay in <em>Hillbilly Elegy</em></a> and generate buzz and think pieces about what that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/nov/30/how-hillbilly-elegy-tries-and-fails-to-show-the-real-america">movie</a> and <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516588&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newyorker.com%2Fculture%2Fcultural-comment%2Fthe-lives-of-poor-white-people&amp;referrer=vox.com&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2F22364023%2Fminari-oscars-best-picture-foreign-international-american-roundtable" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">book</a> say about “real” America.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dpOTPF">
<strong>Emily: </strong>It’s fascinating that the stodgy Academy seems to be moving in the right direction on this, recognizing more and more films in a language other than English (and even giving <em>Parasite</em> Best Picture last year) and correctly recognizing that movies like <em>Minari</em> aren’t “foreign films,” since they’re made right here. And as that’s happening, the Golden Globes is moving ever more toward stodginess in this and many other matters. (The Globes, after all, got the <em>Green Book</em> and <em>Bohemian Rhapsody</em> awards train running a couple of years ago.) It’s the reverse of what you might have expected even 10 years ago.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bhSVk6">
But I think it’s a telling example of how the Academy has started to think about cinema as a global enterprise — even if the Oscars will probably always think of that enterprise as being centered on the United States — while the Globes are so intent on not seeing past these shores that they can’t even recognize movies made <em>here</em> in a language other than English. In the big picture, this doesn’t really matter, but it is kind of surprising to be a critic saying something akin to, “Well, you gotta hand it to the Oscars!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mraVR7">
And the Oscars are right to embrace <em>Minari</em>, not just because it’s great (which it is) but also because its coming-of-age narrative is the sort of thing the Oscars have increasingly embraced as a way to honor all sorts of experiences that they haven’t really centered before this last decade. That everything from <em>Moonlight</em> to <em>Lady Bird</em> to <em>Minari</em> more or less fits the “coming-of-age period piece” genre I’ve just described shows how versatile it is. Growing up, after all, is one of the few things all human beings have to do, and we can find commonality in it even when the specifics might be different.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VcEpdt">
But I also hope the Academy ventures beyond that genre when recognizing stories about communities that have rarely been at the center of “Oscar movie” discourse. Last year’s victory for <em>Parasite</em> — a wildly entertaining thriller that doubles as a critique of capitalism — bodes well in this regard, and I hope the Oscars keep moving in that direction.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A Korean man and a woman stand in an embrace." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JKv0CGJv3F7F-bsb347GAuIkUSM=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22297160/MINARI_02964.jpg"/> <cite>Josh Ethan Johnson/A24</cite>
<figcaption>
Yeri Han and Steven Yeun in <em>Minari.</em>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Lo9dH3">
<strong>Alissa: </strong>Not to toot my own horn, but I did have a <a href="https://www.vox.com/22332389/oscars-academy-diversity-membership-2021">great conversation</a> with Walt Hickey, who writes about the awards from a statistics and data perspective, about how the changing makeup of the Academy hit an inflection point this year and starts to explain some of the shifts Emily points to above.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cV7Ypl">
Okay. So we all love <em>Minari</em>. If someone else told you they loved <em>Minari</em>, what might you tell them to see, read, or experience as well? Did it bring anything to mind for you?
</p>
<h3 id="k4bv1G">
What to watch and read after <em>Minari</em>
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WP7F2k">
<strong>Alex:</strong> I mean, for me there are a lot of parallels with one of my favorite all-time movies, <em>Giant</em>, about Texas, race, society and identity, and James Dean being rude about oil<em>. Minari</em> and <em>Giant</em> are separated by decades and maybe don’t look similar on the surface, but in terms of scope about the promises of American prosperity, the reality of said prosperity, and the future of the American dream, the two films<em> </em>speak the same language and are part of the same legacy.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ekQ2tq">
I also kept thinking about the Netflix series<em> </em><a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2015/11/8/9690904/master-of-none-netflix-review"><em>Master of None</em></a><em>. </em>That show, created by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2106637/">Aziz Ansari</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1520649/">Alan Yang</a>, was about a lot of things from episode to episode, but one of the throughlines were kids realizing their parents’ journeys. For Ansari’s protagonist, Dev Shah, and Shah’s friend, Brian Chang (played by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0950515/">Kelvin Yu</a>), a few episodes focus on their coming to terms with their parents’ immigration to America and what that identity means.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MqJiGj">
<strong>Emily: </strong>I might recommend Apple TV+’s <em>Little America</em>, a frequently terrific anthology series telling the stories of American immigrants who moved here from all over the world. (I should also point out that <em>Little America</em> is produced by Epic, which, like Vox, is owned by Vox Media.) Another TV series that tackles the immigrant experience, albeit from a wildly different point of view, is FX’s spy drama <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-americans"><em>The Americans</em></a>. I don’t know that it’s the most natural overlap with <em>Minari</em>, but it’s fantastic, and everybody should find an excuse to watch it.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DtStrs">
In the world of film, there are a ton of amazing coming-of-age stories that might be enjoyed by <em>Minari</em> fans, but for some reason, I’m drawn to <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006249/">Satyajit Ray</a>’s Apu trilogy, beginning with <em>Pather Panchali</em>. Ray’s films depict a young boy growing up in India amid poverty and other hardships in the early 20th century. Yet they capture a similar sense of the ways the horrors of our childhood are often understood by us as just how life is when we’re kids. Ray’s movies are among my favorites ever made, and if you’re just looking for another movie with kids trying to adjust to tricky living situations, they’d be a great pick.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="F6nSWo">
<strong>Fabiola:</strong> <em>Minari</em> brought a couple of books to mind that I’d definitely recommend to someone looking for more. The first is Chang-rae Lee’s first novel <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516588&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fbooks%2Fnative-speaker%2F9781573225311&amp;referrer=vox.com&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2F22364023%2Fminari-oscars-best-picture-foreign-international-american-roundtable" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Native Speaker</em></a>, which is about a Korean American man trying to assimilate in American society. And he’s a spy (a connection to <em>The Americans</em>, Emily!), so there are many layers to the plot. Published a few years later (in the late ’90s) is Mia Tuan’s <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516588&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fbooks%2Fforever-foreigners-or-honorary-whites-the-asian-ethnic-experience-today%2F9780813526249&amp;referrer=vox.com&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2F22364023%2Fminari-oscars-best-picture-foreign-international-american-roundtable" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Forever Foreigners or Honorary Whites?: The Asian Ethnic Experience Today</em></a>, which explores Asian identity in America more broadly, and what it means to become a “true” American.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="V44Hw6">
For more recent works, I’d point to Min Jin Lee’s <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516588&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fbooks%2Fpachinko-national-book-award-finalist%2F9781455563920&amp;referrer=vox.com&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2F22364023%2Fminari-oscars-best-picture-foreign-international-american-roundtable" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Pachinko</em></a>, a powerful book about a Korean family that immigrates to Japan just before World War II (which we’ve covered <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/11/8/16552828/2017-national-book-award-nominees-reviews">here</a>, <a href="https://www.vox.com/2017/12/28/16807326/best-books-list-2017">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/4/29/21241087/ask-a-book-critic-quarantine-reading-travel">here</a>). Lastly, a friend of mine recommended to me the essay collection <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516588&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fbooks%2Fminor-feelings-an-asian-american-reckoning%2F9781984820389&amp;referrer=vox.com&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2F22364023%2Fminari-oscars-best-picture-foreign-international-american-roundtable" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning</em></a> by poet Cathy Park Hong, which explores Asian American consciousness and identity with some cultural criticism mixed in — it’s on my list.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EnUeZ4">
<strong>Alissa:</strong> I love that Alex recommended <em>Giant</em>! I’d also direct people back to the 2019 movie <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/7/9/18761355/farewell-review-awkwafina-lulu-wang"><em>The Farewell</em></a>, starring Awkwafina. <em>The Farewell</em> is quite different from <em>Minari</em> — it’s about a Chinese family, and it’s set in the present — but has a similar tone and mood, of humor and love and mourning.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ef9MVk">
And I also loved <a href="https://gen.medium.com/minari-and-me-86ac49d763f6">this reflection</a> by writer Alexander Chee following his viewing of <em>Minari</em>. “Lee Isaac Chung said his family got his film mixed up with their own memories,” he writes. “I think a lot of us are having this experience.” And then Chee goes on to write about his own experiences. I was glad to see the movie through his eyes.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8RYjNb">
Minari<em> is </em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/showtimes/title/tt10633456"><em>playing in theaters</em></a><em> and available to digitally rent on platforms including </em><a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/minari/umc.cmc.5u7h6eurfrgcrmullqzj6heow"><em>Apple TV+</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Minari-Steven-Yeun/dp/B08WLY2G31"><em>Amazon Prime</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Minari?id=ft2C0LLXSGM.P"><em>Google Play</em></a><em>, and </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KcEVLcGvH0"><em>YouTube</em></a><em>. It’s also playing in </em><a href="https://screeningroom.a24films.com/"><em>A24’s Screening Room</em></a><em>. Find our </em><a href="https://www.vox.com/22374044/oscars-2021-best-picture-nominees-reviews-roundtables"><em>discussions of the other 2021 Best Picture nominees here</em></a><em>.</em>
</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>Coronavirus | Tokyo under ‘emergency orders’ with Olympics three months away</strong> - IOC President’s visit to Hiroshima amidst the pandemic crisis raises opposition cries.</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>Night Hunt for the feature event</strong> - Night Hunt runs with a good chance in the Bourbon King Handicap (1,300m), the main event of the races to be held here on Saturday (April 24).1. OOTY</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>Soaring High lives up to its name in feature</strong> - R. Ramanathan’s ward Soaring High, ridden by P. Sai Kumar, won the Polished Chrome Handicap, the main event of the races held here on Friday (April 2</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>Axar Patel recovers from COVID-19, joins DC squad</strong> - Axar was the second IPL player to get infected.</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>Virat Kohli becomes first batsman to score 6,000 IPL runs</strong> - The RCB skipper reached the milestone in 196 matches</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>Makeshift hospitals to be set up soon: Sudhakar</strong> - Minister says Centre’s permission sought to import 2 lakh vials of Remdesivir directly</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>All Gujarat sectors working unitedly to tackle COVID-19: CM Vijay Rupani to PM Modi</strong> - The Chief Minister of Gujarat was speaking at a meeting held by the PM virtually with Chief Ministers of ten States with the most number of COVID-19 cases.</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>PM Modi raps Kejriwal for violating protocol of closed door meetings</strong> - Kejriwal livestreams part of CMs’ virtual meet</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Coronavirus | Empty oxygen tankers to be flown back by IAF planes for refilling</strong> - The Indian Air Force’s special planes will be used for this purpose, says Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope</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>Make COVID-19 vaccination affordable, accessible through Jan Aushadi scheme: IMA</strong> - The association also demanded transparency in the vaccine pricing.</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>Putin opponent Navalny ends hunger strike in Russian jail</strong> - Alexei Navalny refused food in a Russian jail for 24 days but his doctors appealed to him to stop.</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>Chernobyl radiation damage ‘not passed to children’</strong> - A study found no mutations associated with a parent’s exposure in the 1986 nuclear accident.</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>Black ballet dancer Lopes Gomes wins Berlin racism case</strong> - Berlin Staatsballett awards compensation after the ballerina complained of racism.</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>Sarah Voss: German gymnast’s outfit takes on sexualisation in sport</strong> - Sarah Voss defies convention by ditching the leotard for a full-body suit at the European championship.</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>Malta golden passports: ‘Loopholes’ found in citizenship scheme</strong> - Investors rented empty properties to fulfil the one-year residence requirement, leaked files show.</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>NASA’s bold bet on Starship for the Moon may change spaceflight forever</strong> - “It is transformational to degrees no one today can understand.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1757643">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Rocket Report: Amazon bypasses New Glenn, SLS ready for Florida shipment</strong> - “It’s extremely exciting to join with our partners to deploy new capabilities.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1759479">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Graphical Linux apps are coming to Windows Subsystem for Linux</strong> - You’ll need to be on the Dev channel of an Insider build to see the new feature. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1759568">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Astronauts safely launch into orbit on a used rocket [Updated]</strong> - For a few days, 2 Crew Dragons will be docked to the space station. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1759486">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>COVID-19 vaccinations declining even though all US adults are eligible</strong> - With 50% of adults vaccinated, health officials begin tackling vaccine skeptics. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1759596">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>The only joke I know.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
How does a cow introduce his wife…?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
He says, “meat patty”.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
I am very sorry.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Deathmanliftbob"> /u/Deathmanliftbob </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mwkxbb/the_only_joke_i_know/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mwkxbb/the_only_joke_i_know/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>I just memorized six pages of the dictionary…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
I learned next to nothing.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/YrNotYrKhakis"> /u/YrNotYrKhakis </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mwmmsu/i_just_memorized_six_pages_of_the_dictionary/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mwmmsu/i_just_memorized_six_pages_of_the_dictionary/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>My Jewish friend says this is a non-offensive Holocaust joke</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A Holocaust survivor died recently. Goes to Heaven and upon meeting God, he decided to tell a Holocaust joke. Then God said “That’s not funny”, to which the Jew replied “Oh, I guess you had to be there”.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/ryhaltswhiskey"> /u/ryhaltswhiskey </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mw6r4x/my_jewish_friend_says_this_is_a_nonoffensive/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mw6r4x/my_jewish_friend_says_this_is_a_nonoffensive/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>My parents told me I could be anyone I want to be.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
But it turns out that identity theft is a crime.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/ReasonReader"> /u/ReasonReader </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mwispj/my_parents_told_me_i_could_be_anyone_i_want_to_be/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mwispj/my_parents_told_me_i_could_be_anyone_i_want_to_be/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>My wife and I had two miscarriages last year, and I believe there should be more jokes about miscarriages so we talk about it more…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The only problem is most of the jokes die before you finish delivering them.
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<em>The title of the post is true and humor is how I deal with my pain</em>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/ruum-502"> /u/ruum-502 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mwszv9/my_wife_and_i_had_two_miscarriages_last_year_and/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mwszv9/my_wife_and_i_had_two_miscarriages_last_year_and/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
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