navan
/
Daily-Dose
mirror of https://github.com/navanchauhan/Daily-Dose.git
1
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Projects Releases Wiki Activity

Added daily report

This commit is contained in:
Navan Chauhan 2023-01-27 12:48:28 +00:00
parent f400155ee6
commit df4db4cdff
3 changed files with 658 additions and 2 deletions
Show Stats Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

186
archive-covid-19/27 January, 2023.html Normal file
View File

@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="" xml:lang="" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head>
<meta charset="utf-8"/>
<meta content="pandoc" name="generator"/>
<meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=yes" name="viewport"/>
<title>27 January, 2023</title>
<style>
code{white-space: pre-wrap;}
span.smallcaps{font-variant: small-caps;}
span.underline{text-decoration: underline;}
div.column{display: inline-block; vertical-align: top; width: 50%;}
div.hanging-indent{margin-left: 1.5em; text-indent: -1.5em;}
ul.task-list{list-style: none;}
</style>
<title>Covid-19 Sentry</title><meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" name="viewport"/><link href="styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="../styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.css" rel="stylesheet"/><script src="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.js"></script></head>
<body>
<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>SPEAR: a Sparse Supervised Bayesian Factor Model for Multi-omic Integration</strong> -
<div>
Motivation: Unsupervised factor modeling, which preserves the primary sources of data variation through low-dimensional factors, is commonly applied to integrate high-dimensional multi-omics data. However, the resulting factors are suboptimal for prediction tasks due to the separation between factor construction and prediction model learning. A supervised factor model that effectively utilizes the responses while accounting for structural heterogeneity across omics is needed. Results: We present SPEAR, a supervised variational Bayesian framework that decomposes multi-omics data into latent factors with predictive power. The method adaptively determines factor rank, emphasis on factor structure, data relevance and feature sparsity. SPEAR improves reconstruction of underlying factors in synthetic examples and prediction accuracy of COVID-19 severity and breast cancer tumor subtypes. Availability: SPEAR is a publicly available R-package hosted at https://bitbucket.org/kleinstein/SPEAR.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.25.525545v1" target="_blank">SPEAR: a Sparse Supervised Bayesian Factor Model for Multi-omic Integration</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>First virological and pathological study of Göttingen Minipigs with Dippity Pig Syndrome (DPS)</strong> -
<div>
Dippity Pig Syndrome (DPS) is a well-known but rare complex of clinical signs affecting minipigs, which has not been thoroughly investigated yet. Clinically affected animals show acute appearance of red, exudating lesions across the spine. The lesions are painful, evidenced by arching of the back (dipping), and the onset of clinical symptoms is generally sudden. In order to understand the pathogenesis, histological and virological investigations were performed in affected and unaffected Gottingen Minipigs (GoMPs). The following DNA viruses were screened for using PCR-based methods: Porcine cytomegalovirus (PCMV), which is a porcine roseolovirus (PCMV/PRV), porcine lymphotropic herpesviruses (PLHV-1, PLHV-2, PLHV-3), porcine circoviruses (PCV1, PCV2, PCV3, PCV4), porcine parvovirus 1 (PPV1), and Torque Teno sus virus (TTSuV1, TTSuV2). Screening was also performed for integrated porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERV-A, PERV-B, PERV-C) and recombinant PERV-A/C and their expression as well as for the RNA viruses hepatitis E virus (HEV) and SARS-CoV-2. Eight clinically affected and one unaffected GoMPs were analyzed. Additional unaffected minipigs had been analyzed in the past. The analyzed GoMPs contained PERV-A and PERV-B integrated in the genome, which are present in all pigs and PERV-C, which is present in most, but not all pigs. In one affected GoMPs recombinant PERV-A/C was detected in blood. In this animal a very high expression of PERV mRNA was observed. PCMV/PRV was found in three affected animals, PCV1 was found in three animals with DPS and in the healthy minipig, and PCV3 was detected in two animals with DPS and in the unaffected minipig. Most importantly, in one animal only PLHV-3 was detected. It was found in the affected and unaffected skin, and in other organs. Unfortunately, PLHV-3 could not be studied in all other affected minipigs. None of the other viruses were detected and using electron microscopy, no virus particles were found in the affected skin. This data identified some virus infections in GoMPs with DPS and assign a special role to PLHV-3. Since PCMV/PRV, PCV1, PCV3 and PLHV-3 were also found in unaffected animals, a multifactorial cause of DPS is suggested. However, elimination of the viruses from GoMPs may prevent DPS.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.26.525667v1" target="_blank">First virological and pathological study of Göttingen Minipigs with Dippity Pig Syndrome (DPS)</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Antibody escape, the risk of serotype formation, and rapid immune waning: modeling the implications of SARS-CoV-2 immune evasion</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, widespread community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has ushered in a volatile era of viral immune evasion rather than the much-heralded stability of “endemicity” or “herd immunity.” At this point, an array of viral variants has rendered essentially all monoclonal antibody therapeutics obsolete and strongly undermined the impact of vaccinal immunity on SARS-CoV-2 transmission. In this work, we demonstrate that antigenic drift resulting in evasion of pre-existing immunity is highly evolutionarily favored and likely to cause waves of short-term transmission. In the long-term, invading variants that induce weak cross-immunity against pre-existing strains may co-circulate with those pre-existing strains. This would result in the formation of serotypes that increase disease burden, complicate SARS-CoV-2 control and raise the potential for increases in viral virulence. Less durable immunity does not drive positive selection as a trait, but such strains may transmit at high levels if they establish. Overall, our results draw attention to the importance of inter-strain cross-immunity as a driver of transmission trends and the importance of early immune evasion data to predict the trajectory of the pandemic.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.25.23285031v1" target="_blank">Antibody escape, the risk of serotype formation, and rapid immune waning: modeling the implications of SARS-CoV-2 immune evasion</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>LY6E protects mice from pathogenic effects of murine coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
<div>
LY6E is an antiviral protein that inhibits coronavirus entry. Its expression in immune cells allows mice to control murine coronavirus infection. However, it is not known which immune cell subsets mediate this control or whether LY6E protects mice from SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we used tissue-specific Cre recombinase expression to ablate Ly6e in distinct immune compartments or in all epiblast-derived cells, and bone marrow chimeras to target Ly6e in a subset of radioresistant cells. Mice lacking Ly6e in Lyz2-expressing cells and radioresistant Vav1 expressing cells were more susceptible to lethal murine coronavirus infection. Mice lacking Ly6e globally developed clinical disease when challenged with the Gamma (P.1) variant of SARS-CoV-2. By contrast, wildtype mice and mice lacking type I and type III interferon signaling had no clinical symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Transcriptomic profiling of lungs from SARS-CoV-2-infected wildtype and Ly6e knockout mice revealed a striking reduction of secretory cell-associated genes in infected knockout mice, including Muc5b, an airway mucin-encoding gene that may protect against SARS-CoV-2-inflicted respiratory disease. Collectively, our study reveals distinct cellular compartments in which Ly6e confers cell intrinsic antiviral effects, thereby conferring resistance to disease caused by murine coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.25.525551v1" target="_blank">LY6E protects mice from pathogenic effects of murine coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Rapid engineering of SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic antibodies to increase breadth of neutralization including XBB.1.5 and BQ.1.1</strong> -
<div>
An antibody panel that broadly neutralizes currently circulating Omicron variants was obtained by in vitro affinity maturation using phage display. Starting from a single parent clone, antibody engineering was performed in iterative stages in real time as variants emerged using a proprietary technology called STage-Enhanced Maturation (STEM). Humanized from a rabbit antibody, the parent clone showed undetectable neutralization of later Omicron variants, while an early stage IgG possessing only an engineered light chain potently neutralizes some BA.2 but not BA.4/BA.5 lineage variants. However, the final heavy and light chain engineered mAbs show potent neutralization of XBB.1.5 and BQ.1.1 by surrogate virus neutralization test, and biolayer interferometry shows pM KD affinity for both variants. Our work not only details novel therapeutic candidates but also validates a unique general strategy to create broadly neutralizing mAbs to current and future SARS-CoV-2 variants.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.25.525589v1" target="_blank">Rapid engineering of SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic antibodies to increase breadth of neutralization including XBB.1.5 and BQ.1.1</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Incident autoimmune diseases in association with a SARS-CoV-2 infection: A matched cohort study</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Objectives: To investigate whether the risk of developing an incident autoimmune disease is increased in patients with previous COVID-19 disease compared to people without COVID-19. Method: A cohort was selected from German routine health care data covering 38.9 million individuals. Based on documented diagnoses, we identified individuals with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed COVID-19 through December 31, 2020. Patients were matched 1:3 to control patients without COVID-19. Both groups were followed up until June 30, 2021. We used the four quarters preceding the index date until the end of follow-up to analyze the onset of autoimmune diseases during the post-acute period. Incidence rates (IR) per 1000 person-years were calculated for each outcome and patient group. Poisson models were deployed to estimate the incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of developing an autoimmune disease conditional on a preceding diagnosis of COVID-19. Results: In total, 641,704 patients with COVID-19 were included. Comparing the incidence rates in the COVID-19 (IR=15.05, 95% CI: 14.69-15.42) and matched control groups (IR=10.55, 95% CI: 10.25-10.86), we found a 42.63% higher likelihood of acquiring autoimmunity for patients who had suffered from COVID-19. This estimate was similar for common autoimmune diseases, such as Hashimoto thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, or Sjoegren syndrome. The highest IRR was observed for autoimmune disease of the vasculitis group. Patients with a more severe course of COVID-19 were at a greater risk for incident autoimmune diseases. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with an increased risk of developing new-onset autoimmune diseases after the acute phase of infection.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.25.23285014v1" target="_blank">Incident autoimmune diseases in association with a SARS-CoV-2 infection: A matched cohort study</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Men have approximately 2- to 3-fold greater overdose mortality than women for synthetic opioids, heroin and psychostimulants including cocaine across the lifespan: Analysis of state-level CDC data for 2020-2021</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Drug overdoses are an escalating cause of mortality in the United States, with potential sex differences across the lifespan. The objective of this study was to use state-level nationally representative data that includes the COVID-19 pandemic period to determine overdose mortality for specific drug categories across the lifespan of men and women. We used Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Multiple Cause of Death 2020-2021 data on overdose mortality, for 50 states and District of Columbia, across 10-year age bins (age range: 15-74). The outcome measure was sex-specific crude overdose death rate (per 100,000) for: synthetic opioids excluding methadone (ICD-10 code: T40.4; e.g., fentanyl), heroin (T40.1), psychostimulants with abuse potential (T43.6; e.g., methamphetamine), and cocaine (T40.5). Multiple regression analyses adjusted for ethnic-cultural background and household net worth from Census data, and sex-specific rate of misuse of the relevant substances, from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2019-2020). For each of these major drug categories, men had greater overall overdose mortality than women. Although overall rates of mortality differed across jurisdictions, the sex ratio of mortality for each drug category was relatively stable (≈2- to 3-fold greater mortality in men vs women). These findings survived adjustment for state-level ethnic-cultural and economic variables, and for sex-specific misuse of each drug type (especially in the 25-34, 35-44, 45-54 and 55-64 age bins). These findings underscore the need for research into sex- and gender-based mechanisms underlying differential vulnerability in overdose mortality for these drugs, based on their diverse pharmacodynamics and pathophysiology.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.20.23284833v2" target="_blank">Men have approximately 2- to 3-fold greater overdose mortality than women for synthetic opioids, heroin and psychostimulants including cocaine across the lifespan: Analysis of state-level CDC data for 2020-2021</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>HPV and HBV vaccine hesitancy, intention and uptake in the era of social media and COVID-19: A review</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization named vaccine hesitancy as one of the top 10 threats to global health. The impact of hesitancy on uptake of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines was of particular concern, given the markedly lower uptake compared to other adolescent vaccines in some countries, notably the United States. With the recent approval of COVID-19 vaccines coupled with the widespread use of social media, concerns regarding vaccine hesitancy have grown. However, the association between COVID-related vaccine hesitancy and cancer vaccines such as HPV is unclear. To examine the potential association, we performed two reviews using Ovid Medline and APA PsychInfo. Our aim was to answer two questions: (1) Is COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, intention, or uptake associated with HPV or HBV vaccine hesitancy, intention, or uptake? and (2) Is exposure to COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on social media associated with HPV or HBV vaccine hesitancy, intention, or uptake? Our review identified few published empirical studies that addressed these questions. Our results highlight the urgent need for studies that can shift through the vast quantities of social media data to better understand the link between COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and disinformation and its impact on uptake of cancer vaccines.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.25.23285015v1" target="_blank">HPV and HBV vaccine hesitancy, intention and uptake in the era of social media and COVID-19: A review</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Country Learning on Maintaining Quality Essential Health Services (EHS) during COVID-19 in Timor-Leste: A mixed methods qualitative analysis</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Objective: This research study examines the enabling factors, strengths, and challenges experienced by the Timor-Leste health system as it sought to maintain quality essential health services (EHS) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: A mixed methods qualitative analysis Setting: National, municipal, facility levels in Baucau, Dili and Ermera Municipalities in TLS Participants Key informant interviews (n=40) and focus group discussions (n=6) working to maintain quality EHS in TLS. Results: A reduction in people accessing general health services was observed in 2020, reportedly due to fears of contracting COVID-19 in healthcare settings, limited resources (eg. human resources, personal protective equipment, clinical facilities, etc) and closure of health services. However, improvements in maternal child health services simultaneously improved in the areas of skilled birth attendants, prenatal coverage, and vitamin A distribution, for example. Five themes emerged as enabling factors for maintaining quality EHS including 1) high level strategy for maintaining quality EHS, 2) implementation of quality activities across the three levels of the health system, 3) measurement for quality and factors affecting service utilization 4) the positive impact of quality improvement leadership in health facilities during COVID-19, and 5) learning from each other for maintaining quality EHS now and for the future. Other countries may benefit from the challenges, strengths and enablers found on planning for quality. Conclusion: The maintenance of quality essential health services (EHS) is critical to mitigate adverse health effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. When quality health services are delivered prior to and maintained during public health emergencies, they build trust within the health system and promote healthcare seeking behavior. Planning for quality as part of emergency preparedness can facilitate a high standard of care by ensuring health services continue to provide a safe environment, reduce harm, improve clinical care, and engage patients, facilities, and communities.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.11.23284424v2" target="_blank">Country Learning on Maintaining Quality Essential Health Services (EHS) during COVID-19 in Timor-Leste: A mixed methods qualitative analysis</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Estimations of SARS-CoV-2 endemic characteristics</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The fourth year of the COVID-19 pandemic without decreasing trends in the global numbers of new daily cases, high numbers of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants and re-infections together with pessimistic predictions for the Omicron wave duration force studies about the endemic stage of the disease. The global trends were illustrated with the use the accumulated numbers of laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, the percentages of fully vaccinated people and boosters and the results of calculation of the effective reproduction number provided by Johns Hopkins University. The modified SIR model showed the presence of unsteady equilibrium. The global numbers of new daily cases will range between 300 thousand and one million, daily deaths between one and 3.3 thousand.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.24.23284980v1" target="_blank">Estimations of SARS-CoV-2 endemic characteristics</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Spatial and Temporal Origin of The Third SARS-Cov-2 Outbreak in Taiwan</strong> -
<div>
Since the first report of SARS-CoV-2 in December 2019, Taiwan has gone through three local outbreaks. Unlike the first two outbreaks, the spatial and temporal origin of the third outbreak (April 20 to November 5, 2021) is still unclear. We assembled and analyzed a data set of more than 6,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes, including 300 from Taiwan and 5812 related sequences downloaded from GISAID as of 2021/12/08. We found that the third outbreak in Taiwan was caused by a single virus lineage belonging to Alpha (B.1.1.7) strain. This lineage, T-III (the third outbreak in Taiwan), carries four distinct genetic fingerprints, including spike M1237I (S-M1237I) and three silent changes. The T-III is closest to the sequences derived from Turkey on February 8, 2021. The estimated age of the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) of T-III is March 23, 2021 (95% highest posterior density [HPD] February 24 - April 13, 2021), almost one month before the first three confirmed cases on April 20, 2021. The effective population size of the T-III showed approximately 20-fold increase after the onset of the outbreak and reached a plateau in early June 2021. Our results reconcile several unresolved observations, including the occurrence of two infection clusters at the same time without traceable connection and several airline pilots who were PCR negative but serum IgM-/IgG+ for SARS-CoV-2 in late April. Therefore, in contrast to the general notion that the third SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Taiwan was sparked by two imported cases from USA on April 20, 2021, which, in turn, was caused by the partial relaxation of entry quarantine measures in early April 2021, our comprehensive analyses demonstrated that the outbreak was most likely originated from Europe in February 2021.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.04.498645v2" target="_blank">Spatial and Temporal Origin of The Third SARS-Cov-2 Outbreak in Taiwan</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis with or without uveitis: a novel form of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome in children</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background COVID-19 is a complex multisystem disease, frequently associated with kidney injury. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed a striking increase in the incidence of acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (aTIN) without or with uveitis (TINUs) among children. This prompted us to examine whether SARS-CoV-2 might be the underlying trigger. Methods We conducted a French nationwide retrospective cohort study. We included all consecutive children diagnosed with aTIN or TINUs of undetermined cause between April-2020 and March-2021. SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses were tested by a luciferase immunoprecipitation system and compared to age-matched controls. Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and molecular microbiology analyses were performed on kidney biopsies. Results Forty-eight children were included with a median age at diagnosis of 14.7 years (9.4-17.6). aTIN and TINUs incidence rates increased 3-fold and 12-fold, respectively, compared to pre-pandemic years. All patients had impaired kidney function with a median eGFR of 31.9 ml/min/1.73m2 at diagnosis. Kidney biopsies showed lesions of acute tubulointerstitial nephritis and 25% of patients had fibrosis. No patient had concomitant acute COVID-19. All 16 children tested had high anti-N IgG titers and one had anti-S IgGs. Next-generation sequencing failed to detect any infectious agents in kidney biopsies. However, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected by PCR in two kidney samples supporting a potential direct link between SARS-CoV-2 and aTIN/TINUs. Conclusions We describe a novel form of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome in children, unique in its exclusive kidney and eye involvement, and its distinctive anti-SARS-CoV-2 N+/S- serological profile. Our results support a causal association linking SARS-CoV-2 infection to this newly-reported burst of renal/eye inflammation.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.23.23284848v1" target="_blank">Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis with or without uveitis: a novel form of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome in children</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Public attitudes to social care in Wales following the COVID-19 pandemic</strong> -
<div>
Background. The COVID-19 pandemic has shone further light on some of the challenges facing social care in Wales, as in many countries, and looks to have exacerbated a crisis that was already extant. This has led to the intensification of longer-standing arguments that social reform is necessary and that the pandemic presents an added impetus and opportunity for reform. Methods. An online survey was completed by 2569 respondents between February 11th and March 11th, 2022. Additionally, online focus groups were conducted with a sample of 14 participants. The inclusion criteria were adults aged 18 years and over living in Wales. Results. Four-in-ten of those who felt that they or someone in their household or close family needed social care during the past two years did not receive or make use of it. The pandemic was cited as a major reason why many of those who may have needed social care didn’t access it Satisfaction with social care was variable, with approximately one-third either very or quite dissatisfied, and a little over half either very or quite satisfied with social care services for themselves or a household or close family member. Discussion. Social care policymakers and providers should seek to understand and address what people feel are the main barriers to accessing or using social care, including increasing provision for those who need it, encouraging and enabling those who feel they need social care to apply, consider broadening the eligibility criteria where appropriate, and simplifying the application process.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/7jnca/" target="_blank">Public attitudes to social care in Wales following the COVID-19 pandemic</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Framing COVID-19 preprint research as uncertain: A mixed-method study of public reactions</strong> -
<div>
During the COVID-19 pandemic, journalists were encouraged to convey uncertainty surrounding preliminary scientific evidence, including mentioning when research is unpublished or unverified by peer review. To understand how public audiences interpret this information, we conducted a mixed method study with U.S. adults. Participants read a news article about preprint COVID-19 vaccine research in early April 2021, just as the vaccine was becoming widely available to the U.S. public. We modified the article to test two ways of conveying uncertainty (hedging of scientific claims and mention of preprint status) in a 2 × 2 between-participants factorial design. To complement this, we collected open-ended data to assess participants’ understanding of the concept of a scientific preprint. In all, participants who read hedged (vs. unhedged) versions of the article reported less favorable vaccine attitudes and intentions and found the scientists and news reporting less trustworthy. These effects were moderated by participants’ epistemic beliefs and their preference for information about scientific uncertainty. However, there was no impact of describing the study as a preprint, and participants’ qualitative responses indicated a limited understanding of the concept. We discuss implications of these findings for communicating initial scientific evidence to the public and we outline important next steps for research and theory-building.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/wcd58/" target="_blank">Framing COVID-19 preprint research as uncertain: A mixed-method study of public reactions</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>In the name of health and illness: An inquiry into Covid-19 vaccination policy in postsecondary education in Canada</strong> -
<div>
Since the launch of the Covid-19 global vaccination campaign in December of 2020, vaccination in postsecondary institutions has been a contested issue. International evidence indicates that these institutions have achieved high vaccination rates and Canadian public health agencies exclude them entirely from the list of institutions at risk of outbreaks. On the other hand, influential observers, and postsecondary institutions themselves insist that not only achieving, but also maintaining, “up-to-date” vaccination - through mandates if necessary – remains critical to contain the crisis. However, with the increasing recognition that vaccines do not stop viral spread, that young populations are at exceedingly low risk of severe Covid-19, hospitalization, and death - with a survival rate of over 99.98% - and that mandated medical interventions have a troubled history with repercussions to this day, the soundness of current vaccination policies in postsecondary institutions cannot be assumed. Drawing from the medicalization tradition and interpretive phenomenology, our study explores, through in-depth interviews, how vaccination policies within and beyond postsecondary institutions have shaped perceptions of the Covid-19 crisis, beliefs about the role, risks, and benefits of vaccination, and life choices and chances of students in Canada. We find that students largely comply with vaccination policies, whether by conviction, convenience, or coercion, and that the discourse and social practices promoted by the policies limit opportunities for free debate and exchange across vaccination statuses. Regardless of this status, students do resist, albeit very limitedly given the high cost of noncompliance. We discuss the implications of our findings for policy, equity, and for the power of medical social control in the Covid-19 era.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/gdbj3/" target="_blank">In the name of health and illness: An inquiry into Covid-19 vaccination policy in postsecondary education in Canada</a>
</div></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Digital Tools to Expand COVID-19 Testing in Exposed Individuals in Cameroon</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: Digital based contact tracing<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation;   Find<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Evaluation of the Outcome of COVID-19 Patients Discharged Home on Oxygen Therapy</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: Phone satisfaction questionnaire<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Centre Hospitalier René Dubos<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>Evaluation of Corfluvec Vaccine for the Prevention of COVID-19 in Healthy Volunteers</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Corfluvec component 1 low dose;   Biological: Corfluvec component 2 low dose;   Biological: Corfluvec component 1 high dose;   Biological: Corfluvec component 2 high dose;   Biological: Corfluvec low dose;   Biological: Corfluvec high dose;   Biological: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Tatyana Zubkova;   MDP-CRO, LLC;   St. Petersburg State Pavlov Medical University<br/><b>Active, not recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Study of Efficacy and Safety of Azvudine vs. Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir in the Treatment of COVID-19 Infection</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Azvudine;   Drug: Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Shandong Provincial Hospital;   Central hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University;   The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University;   The Affiliated Hospital Of Southwest Medical University;   Gansu Provincial 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>A Chatbot to Enhance COVID-19 Knowledge</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Device: chatbot;   Other: Printed educational booklet<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Sun Yat-sen University<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>Low-Dose Radiation Therapy for Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Radiation: Low-Dose Radiation Therapy<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Jiangsu Cancer Institute &amp; Hospital;   Nanjing Chest Hospital;   The Affiliated BenQ Hospital of Nanjing Medical University;   Central South University;   Zhongda 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>Tetrandrine Tablets Used in Hospitalized Adults With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Tetrandrine<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Peking University Third 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>A Phase 2 Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of QLS1128 Orally in Symptomatic Participants With Mild to Moderate COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: QLS1128;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Efficacy of Megadose Vitamin C in Severe and Critical Ill COVID-19 Patients.</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Vitamin C;   COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Vitamin C;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Zhujiang Hospital<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>Oropharyngeal Immunoprophylaxis With High Polyphenolic Olive Oil as Clinical Spectrum Mitigating Factor in COVID-19.</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Dietary Supplement: High polyphenolic olive oil. (Early harvest olive oil).<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Hospital General Nuestra Señora del Prado<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>A Randomized, Phase I Study of DNA Vaccine OC-007 as a Booster Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19 Respiratory Infection;   COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Reaction<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: DNA vaccine OC-007;   Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Matti Sällberg<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>Multicenter Randomized Double-blind Placebo-controlled Study to Investigate Azvudine in Symptomatic Adults With COVID-19 at Increased Risk of Progressing to Severe Illness</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19 Respiratory Infection<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Azvudine;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Peking Union Medical College 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>UC-MSCs in the Treatment of Severe and Critical COVID-19 Patients With Refractory Hypoxia</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Mesenchymal Stem Cell;   COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: UC-MSCs treatment<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Shanghai East Hospital;   Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital<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>Safety and Efficacy of the Therapy With BREINMAX® for the Treatment of Patients With Asthenia After COVID-19</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Asthenia;   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Ethyl methyl hydroxypyridine succinate + Meldonium;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Promomed, LLC<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>Aerosolized Versus Intravenous Colistin-based Antimicrobial Regimens in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients With Bacterial Coinfection: A Randomized Controlled Trial</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Secondary Bacterial Infection in COVID-19 Patients<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Colistin<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Beni-Suef University<br/><b>Completed</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>Waning humoral and cellular immunity after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with psoriasis treated with methotrexate and biologics: a cohort study</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with anti-TNF has an impact on the immunity elicited by mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination in patients with psoriasis, resulting in a faster waning of humoral and cellular markers of immunity, however, the clinical implications are unknown.</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>Identification of niclosamide as a novel antiviral agent against porcine epidemic diarrhea virus infection by targeting viral internalization</strong> - Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), an enteropathogenic coronavirus, has catastrophic impacts on the global pig industry. However, there remain no effective drugs against PEDV infection. In this study, we utilized a recombinant PEDV expressing renilla luciferase (PEDV-Rluc) to screen potential anti-PEDV agents from an FDA-approved drug library in Vero cells. Four compounds were identified that significantly decreased luciferase activity of PEDV-Rluc. Among them, Niclosamide was further…</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>Hepatitis D virus interferes with hepatitis B virus RNA production via interferon-dependent and -independent mechanisms</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that HDV interferes with HBV through both IFN-dependent and IFN-independent mechanisms. Specifically, we uncover a new viral interference mechanism in which proteins of a satellite virus affect RNA production of its helper virus. Exploiting these finding could pave the way to the development of new therapeutic strategies against HBV.</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>Two pan-SARS-CoV-2 nanobodies and their multivalent derivatives effectively prevent Omicron infections in mice</strong> - With the widespread vaccinations against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we are witnessing gradually waning neutralizing antibodies and increasing cases of breakthrough infections, necessitating the development of drugs aside from vaccines, particularly ones that can be administered outside of hospitals. Here, we present two cross-reactive nanobodies (R14 and S43) and their multivalent derivatives, including decameric ones (fused to the immunoglobulin M [IgM] Fc) that maintain potent…</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>Thiopurine therapy in inflammatory bowel disease in the pandemic era: Safe or unsafe?</strong> - CONCLUSION: Emerging evidence suggests that TP therapy is safe during the current pandemic and does not carry an elevated risk when used as monotherapy on in combination with other IBD drugs. In-vitro studies demonstrate that TP is a potential therapeutic for present and future betacoronavirus pandemics.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Discovery, synthesis and mechanism study of 2,3,5-substituted [1,2,4]-thiadiazoles as covalent inhibitors targeting 3C-Like protease of SARS-CoV-2</strong> - The 3C-like protease (3CL^(pro)) is essential for the replication and transcription of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), making it a promising target for the treatment of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, a series of 2,3,5-substituted [1,2,4]-thiadiazole analogs were discovered to be able to inhibit 3CL^(pro) as non-peptidomimetic covalent binders at submicromolar levels, with IC(50) values ranging from 0.118 to 0.582 μM. Interestingly, these…</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>Exploration of Fuzheng Yugan Mixture on COVID-19 based on network pharmacology and molecular docking</strong> - After the World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as a global pandemic, global health workers have been facing an unprecedented and severe challenge. Currently, a mixturetion to inhibit the exacerbation of pulmonary inflammation caused by COVID-19, Fuzheng Yugan Mixture (FZYGM), has been approved for medical institution mixturetion notification. However, the mechanism of FZYGM remains poorly defined. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular and related…</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>N-Phenylpyridine-3-Carboxamide and 6-Acetyl-1H-Indazole Inhibit the RNA Replication Step of the Dengue Virus Life Cycle</strong> - Dengue virus (DENV) is a Flavivirus that causes the most prevalent arthropod-borne viral disease. Clinical manifestation of DENV infection ranges from asymptomatic to severe symptoms that can lead to death. Unfortunately, no antiviral treatments against DENV are currently available. In order to identify novel DENV inhibitors, we screened a library of 1,604 chemically diversified fragment-based compounds using DENV reporter viruses that allowed quantification of viral replication in 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>Soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibition alleviates chemotherapy induced neuropathic pain</strong> - Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a particularly pernicious form of neuropathy and the associated pain is the primary dose-limiting factor of life-prolonging chemotherapy treatment. The prevalence of CIPN is high and can last long after treatment has been stopped. Currently, late in the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still increased psychological pressures on cancer patients as well as additional challenges in providing analgesia for them. These include the risks of nonsteroidal…</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>Growth of Executive Functions in Preschool-Age Children During the COVID-19 Lockdown: Empirical Evidence</strong> - CONCLUSION: Our findings illuminate the negative effects the pandemic-related social restrictions had on the growth of children’s cognitive flexibility and working memory. For working memory, the effect of social isolation varied depending on the child’s gender.</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>Exploring novel targets of sitagliptin for type 2 diabetes mellitus: Network pharmacology, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and SPR approaches</strong> - CONCLUSION: This study used different methods to prove that ACE2 may be another novel target of sitagliptin for T2DM, which extended the application of ACE2 in improving diabetes mellitus.</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>Luteolin-rich fraction from <em>Perilla frutescens</em> seed meal inhibits spike glycoprotein S1 of SARS-CoV-2-induced NLRP3 inflammasome lung cell inflammation <em>via</em> regulation of JAK1/STAT3 pathway: A potential anti-inflammatory compound against inflammation-induced long-COVID</strong> - CONCLUSION: The findings suggested that luteolin and PFEA can modulate the signaling cascades that regulate Spike S1-induced lung inflammation during the incidence of Long-COVID. Consequently, luteolin and P. frutescens may be introduced as potential candidates in the preventive therapeutic strategy for inflammation-related post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of Anti-C5a Antibody BDB-001 for Severe COVID-19: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 1 Clinical Trial in Healthy Chinese Adults</strong> - CONCLUSION: The results of this phase I study supported that BDB-001 is a potent anti-C5a inhibitor with safety, tolerability, and no immunogenicity. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CTR20200429.</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 genetically encoded BRET-based SARS-CoV-2 M<sup>pro</sup> protease activity sensor</strong> - The main protease, M^(pro), is critical for SARS-CoV-2 replication and an appealing target for designing anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents. Therefore, there is a demand for the development of improved sensors to monitor its activity. Here, we report a pair of genetically encoded, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based sensors for detecting M^(pro) proteolytic activity in live cells as well as in vitro. The sensors were generated by sandwiching peptides containing the M^(pro) N-terminal…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Evaluation of a biotin-based surrogate virus neutralization test for detecting postvaccination antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants in sera</strong> - A severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) was used to determine the degree of inhibition of binding between human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) and the receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike protein by neutralizing antibodies in a biosafety level 2 facility. Here, to improve the sensitivity and specificity of the commercial sVNT, we developed a new biotin based sVNT using biotinylated RBD and HRP conjugated streptavidin…</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
<script>AOS.init();</script></body></html>

470
archive-daily-dose/27 January, 2023.html Normal file
View File

@ -0,0 +1,470 @@
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="" xml:lang="" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head>
<meta charset="utf-8"/>
<meta content="pandoc" name="generator"/>
<meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=yes" name="viewport"/>
<title>27 January, 2023</title>
<style>
code{white-space: pre-wrap;}
span.smallcaps{font-variant: small-caps;}
span.underline{text-decoration: underline;}
div.column{display: inline-block; vertical-align: top; width: 50%;}
div.hanging-indent{margin-left: 1.5em; text-indent: -1.5em;}
ul.task-list{list-style: none;}
</style>
<title>Daily-Dose</title><meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" name="viewport"/><link href="styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="../styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><style>*{overflow-x:hidden;}</style><link href="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.css" rel="stylesheet"/><script src="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.js"></script></head>
<body>
<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>What Happened to the Washington Post?</strong> - After a decade of growth, the paper is laying off staff and was reportedly on track to lose money last year. Its publisher and C.E.O. says it’s all part of a bold strategy. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-communications/what-happened-to-the-washington-post">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Democratic Party’s Political Gift to Ron DeSantis</strong> - Republicans’ sustained and successful courting of Latino voters in South Florida could be a road map for the G.O.P. in 2024. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-democratic-partys-political-gift-to-ron-desantis">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Two Supreme Court Cases That Could Break the Internet</strong> - A cornerstone of life online has been that platforms are not responsible for content posted by users. What happens if that immunity goes away? - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/two-supreme-court-cases-that-could-break-the-internet">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>How Native Americans Will Shape the Future of Water in the West</strong> - Tribal nations hold the rights to significant portions of the Colorado River. In the increasing drought, some are showing the way to sustainability. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-southwest/how-native-americans-will-shape-the-future-of-water-in-the-west">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Trump Enablers Dance On</strong> - As the ex-President runs unopposed, so far, even Facebook welcomes him back. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/the-trump-enablers-dance-on">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>You can now sponsor refugees yourself. Here’s how.</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wYx57LgCbqNrt-ysYlnM5W-9nyc=/960x0:8640x5760/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71911469/refugees_beach_GettyImages_1242899014.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Meena Mosazai, her husband Matan Atal, and their child visit a park near their home in Seattle, Washington, in 2022. Mosazai worked previously for a nonprofit in Afghanistan and was also a journalist before she had to change professions due to a threat received from a stranger. | Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Biden’s new Welcome Corps program offers an amazing opportunity to do good.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Q04Yxt">
America likes to tell a certain <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/01/the-story-behind-the-poem-on-the-statue-of-liberty/550553/">story</a> about itself: It’s a safe haven, a place of refuge for the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. It’s a story that history shows <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2022/6/14/23162982/refugees-united-states-displaced-people-afghanistan-ukraine-biden-trump">hasn’t</a> always been true. But thankfully, it just got easier for Americans to take matters into their own hands and turn that aspiration into a reality.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="x2c4WC">
The Biden administration on January 19 launched the <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__t.nylas.com_t1_208_8j8vb5kx0mjzmks3e17il4nmv_1_ab625e6a593afd0d8c3a069df9515e9eaeb0712e46b802dc2e6a4206369feb9f&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=7MSjEE-cVgLCRHxk1P5PWg&amp;r=kV_pE3Fk2uPZQgQK0cNHqCollNEYBT3dTA9DKAIWwEw&amp;m=mMxYFsoQlAK8KtxYxv7_CieAqPKc9bLlkJzs21u0-cO200yQFW-8N_-Xk21Mx-HX&amp;s=e3cQ3tJ9LWdMVKGgqrI3kJBEHlE3znVKE-PdvTJTTQo&amp;e=">Welcome Corps</a>, a new program that will allow groups of Americans to directly sponsor refugees to resettle in their communities.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eavuLd">
Whereas recent programs have focused on bringing over people from specific places — Afghanistan, Ukraine, Venezuela — this program makes it possible for private citizens to resettle people from any place in the world, so long as they are refugees as defined by the US <a href="https://www.archivesfoundation.org/documents/refugee-act-1980/">Refugee Act</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ayhBap">
Under the Welcome Corps program, you and a few of your friends can pool together funds to provide an immigration pathway that allows vulnerable people who may not otherwise be able to immigrate the ability to rebuild their lives in the US. Forming a private sponsor group involves bringing together at least five adults in your area and collectively raising $2,275 for each person you want to resettle in your community. With that money, sponsors commit to helping them through the first three months there, which can include securing and furnishing housing, stocking the pantry with food, supporting job hunts, and registering kids for school.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vE2jCO">
It’s a powerful way to <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2016/03/why-does-refugee-resettlement-change-lives/">improve life</a> for the newcomers, granting them protection from persecution or violence in their country of origin, plus the chance to access health care, education, and socioeconomic opportunities. It can also improve life for everyone who’ll be in the newcomers’ orbit, including you and your neighbors. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/12/28/afghan-refugees-welcome-america/">Research suggests</a> welcoming refugees will likely benefit your community as a whole, for example by opening new businesses that revitalize neighborhoods. In Canada, a similar private sponsorship program has proven <a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/canada-private-sponsorship-model-refugee-resettlement">immensely popular and successful</a> over the past decade.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XR1hH7">
But you might be thinking: Why should it fall to private citizens to fork over the cash, time, and energy to resettle refugees? Shouldn’t<strong> </strong>that be the government’s job?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WCdNx7">
One thing to note is that private citizens have long been part of the resettlement process in some form or other — for example, through <a href="https://www.lirs.org/circle-of-welcome/">co-sponsorships</a> between faith-based groups (like churches, synagogues, or mosques) and the government infrastructure. And by directly sponsoring refugees, citizens can offer them more social support than the government could alone, in part because they’re focused on one specific refugee or refugee family, rather than splitting their focus among thousands, as is inevitably the case with government agencies.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4GoVjZ">
“When refugees have to flee their home country, they lose social networks and social capital,” said Elizabeth Foydel, ​​the private sponsorship program director at the nonprofit <a href="https://refugeerights.org/">International Refugee Assistance Project</a>, one of <a href="https://welcome.us/press/welcome-announces-welcome-corps">many groups</a> that pushed for the Welcome Corps. “It’s a really hard aspect of coming to a new place. But if you’re being sponsored by a private sponsor group, you get the benefit of tapping into all their social connections and maybe integrate into the fabric of the community more easily.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kzsBAJ">
Still, it’s a fair point: This <em>is</em> the government’s job. That’s why the advocacy groups that pushed for the Welcome Corps program insisted that any refugees who come to the US via private sponsorship should be <em>in addition to</em> the number of traditional, government-assisted resettlement cases.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SQUPUj">
The State Department has <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2022/6/14/23162982/refugees-united-states-displaced-people-afghanistan-ukraine-biden-trump">signaled that it agrees</a>. This means that by sponsoring a refugee, you can play a role in allowing the US to take in more refugees overall. It really is additive.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="X6LDN8">
And unlike prior programs for Afghans or Ukrainians, which were temporary, ad hoc responses to crises, the Welcome Corps is intended to be a permanent fixture. The hope is that it’ll complement the traditional resettlement process, which has been struggling for years.
</p>
<h3 id="QXfOSz">
Why the US has been failing refugees
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cQ1crh">
Biden’s official <a href="https://www.state.gov/the-presidential-determination-on-refugee-admissions-for-fiscal-year-2022/">target for fiscal year 2022</a> was to resettle 125,000 refugees, an ambitious goal that<strong> </strong>was set to respond to growing global displacement. Instead, it resettled <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/refugee-admissions-target-2022-biden-administration/">around 25,400</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="y9AAJO">
“We very much have a national mythos around being a safe haven and being a nation of immigrants,” Foydel told me. “And for a long time, the US was the top country in terms of resettlement. But I think it’s definitely fair to say that we’ve been falling short over the past several years. You see a pretty significant decline overall.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aB9e96">
Just look at this chart. From a high in 1980, when the US <a href="https://www.archivesfoundation.org/documents/refugee-act-1980/">Refugee Act</a> was signed into law, the number of admitted refugees has generally declined.
</p>
<div id="5rssvw">
<div id="datawrapper-D7Y3d">
</div></div></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CNDpWR">
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KxZvnc">
If you look back 40 years ago or so, you can see that refugee resettlement used to be a bipartisan issue. There are comparable numbers in a George W. Bush year and in a Barack Obama year, for example. But over the past couple of decades, we’ve seen pretty extreme politicization of what’s supposed to be a core part of the American narrative, one that ultimately began to weigh on refugee numbers.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="43OxA9">
The 9/11 attacks were a major inflection point, Foydel explained. After that, it became <a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/two-decades-after-sept-11-immigration-national-security">more common to view refugees</a> — especially those from the Middle East — as possible security threats. The resulting security vetting process became so incredibly rigorous as to function as a bottleneck.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AjvoSL">
Then came the rise in <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/04/what-is-nativist-trump/521355/">nativist discourse</a> during the Trump presidency. The Trump administration slashed refugee admissions to a historic low of <a href="https://www.rollcall.com/2020/10/01/trump-administration-slashes-refugee-cap-to-new-historic-low/">15,000</a>. Since the funding of refugee agencies is tied to the refugee cap, agencies were forced to lay off staff and shutter offices. Travel restrictions associated with <a href="https://www.hias.org/sites/default/files/impact_of_covid_on_refugees_and_asylum_seekers.pdf">the Covid-19 pandemic</a> also played a role in slowing down refugee resettlement. <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/19/canada-now-leads-the-world-in-refugee-resettlement-surpassing-the-u-s/">Canada — which has little more than a tenth of the US population — overtook America</a> as the global leader in resettlement.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pfdIg9">
Under Biden, the US has been trying to rebuild the resettlement infrastructure, though arguably too slowly. The agencies have been in the undesirable position of having to rebuild even while they try to serve thousands of Afghans, Ukrainians, and others with the scant resources they currently have.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SWZgFx">
That’s where the Welcome Corps comes in.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5GcywL">
“It’s very much our hope that that’ll significantly increase capacity,” Foydel told me. “What’s exciting about the private sponsorship program is that it can be a permanent, sustainable mechanism for Americans.”
</p>
<h3 id="4CvTPz">
Here’s how to form a private sponsor circle, in 6 steps
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="slxhhz">
The private sponsorship program will have two streams. One is identification: If a group of sponsors has someone particular in mind — for example, someone they used to work with abroad — they can nominate that person for resettlement. (One example might be a former foreign correspondent posted for a stint in Bangladesh, who wants to sponsor someone they worked with there as a refugee.) The other is matching: If a group doesn’t have a particular person in mind, they will be matched with someone who is already being processed, helping that person to get out of a very lengthy pipeline that <a href="https://www.rescue.org/topic/refugees-america#:~:text=Security%20screenings%20are%20intense%20and,refugees%20arrive%20in%20the%20States.">can otherwise take years</a> to traverse.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xPkcTV">
For now, prospective sponsors are limited to the matching stream; later this year, the identification stream will open up.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AoriuV">
Remember, even if the US government does somehow manage to meet its admissions target for fiscal year 2023 — which is, once again, <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/09/27/memorandum-on-presidential-determination-on-refugee-admissions-for-fiscal-year-2023/">125,000 refugees</a> — advocates’ expectation is that private sponsorship would be able to bring in thousands more above and beyond that.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3ck3P4">
Here’s how you can help achieve that.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YGuN9C">
<strong>1) Form a group of five or more adults.</strong> If you’re excited about this program, you can reach out to four friends to start<strong> </strong>a conversation. (You can email them this <a href="https://welcomecorps.org/">page</a> or even this article to get the conversation going.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rn1qaH">
<strong>2) Have each group member complete a mandatory background check.</strong> This is a quick <a href="https://app.sterlingvolunteers.com/en/Candidates/Account/Register">online process</a> checking whether you have a criminal record.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PKEGpZ">
<strong>3) Have one group member complete an </strong><a href="https://sponsoressentials.org/"><strong>online course</strong></a><strong>.</strong> This gives you some tips on how to ensure your sponsor circle will be skillful and successful.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BIG4va">
<strong>4) Fill out a </strong><a href="https://welcomecorps.org/resources/welcome-plan/"><strong>welcome plan</strong></a><strong>.</strong> You’ll want to devote at least a day to this since it requires you to research the resources available in your community for needs like job and language training. (Starting February 1, you can get help with creating your welcome plan at official <a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_D2ORN68rQ4WEfSSB9XxJ1Q?_x_zm_rtaid=sxiJvv-nRZWxwF_KpGdvzQ.1674682026462.4c7d61fe8e92193d19104185be2099a4&amp;_x_zm_rhtaid=19">support sessions</a> held every Wednesday at 7:30 pm ET.) You also need to sign a simple <a href="https://welcomecorps.org/wp-content/uploads/Private-Sponsor-Group-Commitment-Welcome-Corps.pdf">commitment form</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BcZRzD">
<strong>5) Fundraise.</strong> You’ll need bank records or other proof showing that you’ve got $2,275 per newcomer you hope to welcome. Here’s a <a href="https://welcomecorps.org/resources/fundraising-guide/">fundraising guide</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lzXkys">
<strong>6) Fill out the </strong><a href="https://apply.welcomecorps.org/s/"><strong>application form</strong></a><strong>. </strong>Once you’ve done steps 1-5, this will only take 10 minutes.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nbS8d7">
That’s it! If your group is motivated, you can probably complete this process over a couple of weeks of intermittent work. Once you submit the application, it’ll be a few weeks until you hear back. If your application is approved, the sponsored refugees will arrive one to two months later. You can welcome them into your community, and play a small role in helping America live up to its vision of itself.
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>3 takeaways from this year’s weird cold-and-flu-and-Covid season</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A photo illustration shows a woman from the 1950s sneezing into a handkerchief covering her nose and mouth, with a red circle expanding from the sneeze." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pgJJxh7Mv9hTd-sSXCEYCvjEecA=/240x0:4061x2866/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71911389/GettyImages_1378994532_dot.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Bita Honarvar/Vox; H. Armstrong Roberts/Classicstock/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Believe it or not, we are not going to be sick forever.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8K06Iz">
The triple threat of <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/10/27/23421344/covid-19-flu-rsv-symptoms-vaccines-2022">influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (or RSV), and Covid-19</a> has been another stress test for a battered US health care system this winter. But after a succession of waves, it seems that it’s letting up, at least for now.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VNbQEM">
After a notable increase in hospitalizations began in late November, this winter’s Covid-19 wave appears to have <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html">peaked earlier this month</a>, with hospitalizations and deaths now down 25 percent and 1 percent respectively over the past two weeks. (The US is also reporting fewer cases, down from an average of about 65,000 new cases every day to about 46,000 daily cases now, but case data has become less reliable with the prevalence of at-home testing.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jTNz6j">
Influenza activity nationwide has also been steadily declining for several weeks, based on <a href="https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/fluview/fluportaldashboard.html">positive test results</a> reported to the CDC. The <a href="https://gis.cdc.gov/GRASP/Fluview/FluHospRates.html">hospitalization rate</a> for the flu has been dropping since cresting in December, shortly after the initial surge in activity.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9blYBr">
RSV kickstarted this cold-and-flu season, with <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/research/rsv-net/dashboard.html">hospitalizations peaking in mid-November</a> at twice the levels seen in the most recent pre-pandemic RSV season, before dropping off. Experts were struck then by the early, dramatic increase in illness, compared to what had generally been the pre-Covid norm, and warned of the flu and Covid surges to follow.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nlUURu">
Those have now come and gone, though people are still getting sick and some hospitals remain <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/12/29/23510957/covid-19-surges-rural-hospitals-primary-care-rsv-flu-monkeypox">strapped for staff and resources after three difficult years</a>. There also remains the possibility of a second influenza wave, experts say, if another strain of the virus emerges and starts spreading widely, something that can happen and has happened in previous flu seasons.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rnfGDx">
But if not, the worst of this strange respiratory virus season may have passed. Three successive surges and peaks, packed into three months. I asked what experts made of this experience, as we collectively settle into a true new normal. The federal government is considering how to set up annual Covid-19 vaccines. US hospitals are still adjusting to what they describe as a period of permanent near-crisis.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dQnFEK">
With the novel coronavirus no longer novel, but a fixture of our viral ecosystem, we are trying to figure out what to expect from it and the other respiratory viruses it is competing with every year when temperatures drop.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="r93C8Z">
That is a work in progress — and experts’ reflections on this weird cold, flu, Covid, and RSV season painted a picture of a viral world in transition. Here’s what they learned, and what it might tell us about illnesses in the future.
</p>
<h3 id="02MjkW">
<ol type="1">
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Influenza and RSV were able to spread easily after a couple slow years
</li></ol></h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MMAfXa">
RSV had already been behaving strangely, with an unusual summer spike presaging an equally unusual early start to its winter wave. This year’s peak <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/research/rsv-net/dashboard.html">arrived</a> almost two months earlier than in the 2019-2020 season, the last “normal” season before Covid-19 appeared.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SnNsDi">
This year was also much more severe, with a peak hospitalization rate that nearly doubled the 2019-2020 high. Experts generally attribute the timing and the seriousness of this year’s RSV and flu seasons to people’s lack of exposure after the past two years when masking and social distancing were more common. Children, who are typically vectors for viral spread, especially had not had as many chances to catch and spread diseases until this year.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TXAjrA">
“This flu season started really early because there were so many children with zero experience with flu, common colds, and RSV,” David Celantano, chair of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins, told me.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bvb18m">
This season has seen a lot of flu and even RSV among more vulnerable adults. People of all ages have generally been less exposed to disease for a few years now. Given the growing level of population immunity to Covid-19 after a brutal pandemic, it was easier for the other viruses that had been lying dormant to take hold.
</p>
<h3 id="XQ1W5p">
<ol start="2" type="1">
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">New variants have been driving Covid-19’s continued spread
</li></ol></h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uel4LH">
Covid experienced its third winter wave, after influenza and RSV had ripped through the population. This year’s cold-weather surge has been substantially smaller than what was the peak of America’s pandemic, January 2021, with about a quarter of the cases and a third of the hospitalizations, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html#:~:text=How%20cases%2C%20hospitalizations%20and%20deaths%20are%20trending">per the New York Times’s tracker</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KETeDQ">
The coronavirus was the opposite of its viral competitors: Most Americans have been exposed to it at least once in the past few years and maybe multiple times, and most of them have been vaccinated at least once or twice as well. Booster shots designed for the omicron variant have given the people who got them <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7205e1.htm?s_cid=mm7205e1_w">an additional layer of protection</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="53CsRA">
All of that built-up immunity likely explains the comparatively mild winter surge, experts say, though we have paid a high price to reach this point, with more than 1.1 million Americans dead, and more than 500 people still dying every day on average.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="peajQg">
And Covid-19 has continued to find ways to gain an advantage and continue spreading. While RSV and influenza spread can be attributed to dormant immunity, SARS-Cov-2 is still evolving quickly. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at the University of California San Francisco, ticked through more than a dozen variants, from BA2 to <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/23542148/xbb-covid-19-cases-variant-omicron-vaccine-pandemic-treatment">XBB1.5</a>, that have been circulating in the later phases of the pandemic.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8NMuNW">
“The ups and downs with Covid are related to the appearance of more transmissible variants,” Amesh Adalja, a John Hopkins infectious disease doctor, said, “versus what happened with influenza and RSV.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="R4xk9m">
The preexisting immunity should continue to lower the likelihood of severe disease for most people, though the elderly and immunocompromised are still at higher risk than others. The FDA has recently <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/23/health/covid-boosters-fda.html">outlined its plan</a> for people to receive annual booster shots, particularly as a way of protecting that population.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KVJ13X">
“The fact that immunity to Covid has been built up in the population (at a cost, it must be said) is good for future prospects,” Josh Michaud, infectious disease expert at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told me. “But exactly how next season or even the coming months play out is still hard to know.”
</p>
<h3 id="JpjJiS">
<ol start="3" type="1">
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">We are still in a post-pandemic transition phase for respiratory viruses
</li></ol></h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QZDOPq">
Infectious disease experts knew this year might be an outlier. Covid-19 has been the biggest disruption to the normal cycle of disease in a century, and we know from prior experience that major pandemics can be followed by a year or two of chaotic viral behavior before settling into a more normal pattern. It happened with both the 1918 flu and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wTYAD3">
For RSV and influenza, the past two years have been aberrations; it is reasonable to expect more normal patterns will resume in the future as immunity builds back up. (Still, every cold-and-flu season will be different — variation from season to season is a constant.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0irLD8">
“My guess is that this is entirely temporary and things will settle down into more routine patterns in coming seasons as typical population immunity gets back on track,” said Richard Webby, an infectious disease researcher at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tcTEIj">
Covid-19 is trickier to project, given its continuing evolution toward more transmissibility. So far, the protection from prior infection and vaccines seems to be effective for most people, at least in preventing them from ending up in the hospital. But it also continues to pose a threat to the unvaccinated, the elderly, and the immunocompromised — and yearly surges when the conditions are more favorable for viral spread (i.e., the winter) are to be expected.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0WqCaO">
“I would expect RSV and flu to be more like normal next year,” Bill Hanage, a Harvard University epidemiologist, told me. “Covid, it remains to be seen, but a peak in early January 2024 is almost certain.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BIuSui">
Experts also advised caution, as Covid is a virus we simply do not have the same familiarity with as, say, the flu virus, and it is still reaching some parts of the world (most importantly China) for the first time. Normal life in the United States may be moving on, but the pandemic’s story isn’t over yet.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="taqpSd">
“Are we past the worst? Probably,” Celentano said. “But I am not a betting man!”
</p></li>
<li><strong>Why Teslas keep catching on fire</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tMEVeJc5O_7zMwotTPfJuJY-TAM=/178x0:2845x2000/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71874215/glennharvey_2023_01_07_vox_tesla_final.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Glenn Harvey for Vox
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
EVs catch fire far less often than gas-powered cars, but firefighters still need to adapt.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="C7tzlX">
When Thayer Smith, a firefighter in Austin, Texas, received the call that a Tesla was on fire, he knew that he’d need to bring backup.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EwTSZH">
It was in the early morning hours of August 12, 2021, and a driver had slammed a Model X into a traffic light on a quiet residential street in Austin before crashing into a gas pump at a nearby Shell station. The driver, a teenager who was later arrested for <a href="https://cbsaustin.com/newsletter-daily/tesla-driver-crashes-into-tarrytown-gas-station-bursts-into-flames-thursday">driving while intoxicated</a>, managed to escape the car, but the Tesla burst into flames. As emergency responders <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f5lRDMQnk4">battled the fire in the dark of night</a>, bursts of sparks<strong> </strong>shot out of the totaled car, sending plumes of smoke up into the sky. It took tens of thousands of gallons of water, multiple fire engines, and more than 45 minutes to finally extinguish the blaze.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2eN2Bw">
“People have probably seen vehicles burning on the side of the road at one point or another,” Smith, the division chief at the Austin Fire Department, recalled. “Just imagine that magnified a couple times because of all the fuel load from the battery pack itself. The fact that it won’t go out immediately just makes it a little more spectacular to watch.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tJAwvW">
Like other Tesla fires, the fiery scene in Austin can be tied to the Model X’s <a href="https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/modelx/en_us/GUID-7FE78D73-0A17-47C4-B21B-54F641FFAEF4.html">high-voltage battery</a>. In Austin, the electric vehicle ignited after a <a href="https://www.fox7austin.com/news/austin-fire-battles-battery-fire-after-tesla-crash">slide across the base of a traffic pole</a> that the driver had knocked down caused the battery on the bottom of the car to rupture. At that point, the impact likely damaged one or several of the tiny cells that power the car’s battery, triggering a chain of chemical reactions that continued to light new flames. Though firefighters were able to put out the fire at the gas station, what remained of the car — little more than a burnt metal frame — reignited at a junkyard just a few hours later.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iOZfYo">
The Austin crash led to a lot of headlines, but EV fires are relatively rare. Smith said his department has seen just a handful of EV fires. While the US government doesn’t track the number of EV fires, specifically, Tesla’s reported numbers are far lower than the rate for highway fires overall, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) told Vox. The overwhelming majority of car fires are caused by traditional internal combustion vehicles. (This makes sense,<strong> </strong>in part because these vehicles carry highly flammable liquids like gasoline in their tanks, and, as their name implies, their engines work by <a href="https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/articles/internal-combustion-engine-basics">igniting that fuel</a>.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EBycS5">
Still, people have started associating EVs with dramatic fires for a few reasons. Videos of EV fires like the one in Austin <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/fake-news-can-cause-irreversible-damage-companies-sink-their-stock-n995436">tend</a> <a href="https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/video-backfires-with-claimed-german-electric-car-fire/">to</a> <a href="https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/oct/25/instagram-posts/batteries-dont-make-electric-vehicles-more-likely/">go</a> <a href="https://observers.france24.com/en/americas/20211130-misinformation-electric-cars-debunked">viral</a>, often <a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24347962/screenshots_in_response_to_EVs.pdf">attracting</a> comments that condemn President Joe Biden and the electrification movement. At the same time, misleading posts about EVs spontaneously exploding, or starting fires that can’t <a href="https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/politifact/2022/08/03/fact-check-electric-vehicle-fires-can-be-extinguished-with-water/65389595007/">be put out with water</a>, have helped promote the narrative that electric vehicles are far less safe than conventional cars. The research doesn’t bear this out. <a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24341423/39_07.pdf">Two</a> <a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24341429/39_07.pdf">recent</a> Highway Loss Data Institute reports found that EVs posed no additional risk for non-crash fires, and the NFPA told Vox that from a fire safety perspective, EVs are no more dangerous than internal combustion cars.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BOxoL6">
This narrative has another nefarious side effect: It stands to distract from a more complicated EV fire problem. Although they’re relatively rare, electric car fires present a new technical and safety challenge for fire departments. These fires burn at <a href="https://www.evfiresafe.com/ev-fire-key-findings">much higher temperatures</a> and require a lot more water to fight than conventional car fires. There also isn’t an established consensus on the best firefighting strategies for EVs, experts told Vox. Instead, there’s a hodgepodge of guidance shared among fire departments, associations that advise firefighters, and automakers. As many as half of the 1.2 million firefighters in the US might not be currently trained to combat EV fires, according to the NFPA.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fKG3Rt">
“The Fire Service has had 100 years to train and to understand how to deal with internal combustion engine fires,” remarked Andrew Klock of the NFPA, which offers EV classes for firefighters. “With electric vehicles, they don’t have as much training and knowledge. They really need to be trained.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kZvDta">
The stakes are incredibly high. If the White House has its way, electric vehicles will go mainstream over the coming decade. An executive order signed by President Biden calls for <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/08/05/biden-aims-big-boost-electric-cars-by-2030/">50 percent of new car sales to be electric by 2030</a>, and the administration is <a href="https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-awards-28-billion-supercharge-us-manufacturing-batteries">pouring</a> <a href="https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ultium-cells-doe-loan-for-its-three-facilities/638731/#:~:text=A%20joint%20venture%20between%20General,12%20press%20release.">billions</a> into building EV <a href="https://highways.dot.gov/newsroom/president-biden-usdot-and-usdoe-announce-5-billion-over-five-years-national-ev-charging">infrastructure</a> and battery factories across the country on the assumption that people will buy these cars. EV fires — and misinformation about them — could stand in the way of that goal.
</p>
<h3 id="QQVREG">
How an EV fire starts
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BQ3Xb8">
An electric vehicle battery pack is made up of thousands of smaller lithium-ion cells. A single cell might look like a <a href="https://insideevs.com/news/532693/tesla-pouch-battery-cells-risk/">pouch</a> or <a href="https://electrek.co/2022/06/14/lg-invests-450-million-iproducing-tesla-4680-battery-cell-format/">cylinder</a>, and is filled with the <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/23027110/solid-state-lithium-battery-tesla-gm-ford">chemical components</a> that enable the battery to store energy: an anode, a cathode, and a liquid electrolyte. The cells are assembled into a battery pack that’s encased in extremely strong material, like <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/13/automobiles/key-to-tougher-teslas-titanium.html">titanium</a>, and that battery pack is<strong> </strong>normally bolted to the vehicle’s undercarriage. The idea is to make the battery almost impossible to access and, ideally, to protect it during even the nastiest of collisions.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QWeeK3">
Things don’t always go as planned. When an EV battery is defective or damaged — or just internally fails — one or more lithium-ion cells can short-circuit, heating up the battery. At that point, the tiny membranes that separate the cathode and the anode <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acsomega.1c06495">melt</a>, exposing the highly flammable liquid electrolyte. Once a fire ignites, heat can spread to even more cells, triggering a phenomenon called thermal runaway, firefighters told Vox. When this happens, flames continue igniting throughout the battery, fueling a fire that can last for hours.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8EoSsv">
The first moments of an EV fire might appear relatively calm, with only smoke emanating from underneath the vehicle. But as thermal runaway takes hold, bright orange flames can quickly engulf an entire car. And because EV batteries are packed with an incredible amount of stored energy, one of these fires can get as hot as <a href="https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/verify/electric-car-battery-fires-hotter-engine-fire-gas-car/275-e2dde72e-479b-4be1-ab8e-d70516519f02">nearly 5,000 degrees</a> Fahrenheit. Even when the fire appears to be over, latent heat may still be spreading within the cells of the battery, creating the risk that the vehicle could ignite several days later. One firefighter <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/now/federal-regulators-warn-risks-firefighters-100612424.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAEkG0Wix5To5jbqu4mTaJ6ro00XU8vleqkbv8BM8Iop5waMe_0YGymiLMAtAhqHhly-gbxQ4Y9ed_INxBB185OX3VMWZaUpwDC7kL6dtdoVK4Om689CYRlCt-5PrQ-6tROl0Q7Oj-zgJT9zXHcwKA1SxlN3um8vOvCH04To42sZj">compared</a> the challenge to a trick birthday candle that reignites after blowing it out.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NAdAwS">
Because EV fires are different, EV firefighting presents new problems. Firefighters often try to suppress car fires by, essentially, suffocating them. They might use foam extinguishers filled with substances like carbon dioxide that can draw away oxygen, or use a fire blanket that’s designed to smother flames. But because EV fires aren’t fueled by oxygen from the air, this approach doesn’t work. Instead, firefighters have to use lots and lots of water to cool down the battery. This is particularly complex when EV fires occur far from a hydrant, or if a local fire department only has a limited number of engines. Saltwater, which is extremely efficient at conducting electricity, can <a href="https://www.usfa.fema.gov/blog/ig-102022.html">make the situation even worse</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zjoGz1">
Michael O’Brian, a firefighter in Michigan who serves on the stored-energy committee for the International Association of Fire Chiefs, suggested that sometimes the best strategy is to simply monitor the fire and let it burn. As with all car fires, he says his priority isn’t to salvage the vehicle.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OKeT74">
“Our fire service in general across the United States [and] in North America is understaffed and overtaxed,” O’Brian explained. “If you’re going to commit a unit to a vehicle fire for two hours, that’s complicating.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dMPdKl">
Some EV batteries can make this problem worse. In 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and General Motors announced an expanded recall of all the Chevy Bolts the car company had manufactured <a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/recall-all-chevy-bolt-vehicles-fire-risk">because</a> tiny components inside some of the Bolt batteries’ cells <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/20/general-motors-issues-third-recall-for-chevrolet-bolt-evs-citing-rare-battery-defects/">were folded or torn</a>. Chrysler issued <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GuGYWTnJxDXuHKX497WeQDAqFGJMdkzpyeXcQhLANmc/edit">a recall</a> in 2022 after an internal investigation found that the vehicles had been involved in a dozen fires. Chrysler has yet to reveal the <a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2022/RCMN-22V077-7190.pdf">root cause of its battery issue</a> and told Vox it’s still investigating. The company’s temporary solution was a software update that <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-recalls-defects/recalled-chrysler-pacifica-hybrids-finally-get-a-fix-a1086718683/">monitors</a> when the car’s internal sensors determine that the battery might be at risk of igniting.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cQWT54">
Tesla’s vehicles have their own set of problems. Tesla cars have retractable exterior door handles that only extend electronically, and only when the car has power. An <a href="https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/first_responders/2016_Models_S_Emergency_Responders_Guide_en.pdf">emergency response guide for the 2016 Model S</a> says that if exterior door handles aren’t working, there’s a button on the inside of the vehicle that drivers can use to open the car manually. Yet some <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/12/28/tesla-battery-fire/">allege</a> that this feature makes it more difficult for emergency responders dealing with a Tesla fire. A lawsuit filed by the family of Omar Awan, a Florida doctor <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/10/23/man-died-burning-tesla-because-its-futuristic-doors-wouldnt-open-lawsuit-alleges/">who died</a> in 2019 after his Model S crashed and burst into flames, said that a police officer who arrived on the scene couldn’t open the doors from the outside.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EAz8WQ">
Similarly, in a YouTube video that captured a recent Tesla battery fire in Vancouver, an owner recounts having to smash open the car’s windows because the electronics stopped working and the doors wouldn’t open. “I could feel it in my lungs, man,” he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgZf-auOZxI&amp;t=0s">says on the recording</a>. Tesla has also faced several <a href="https://fortune.com/2019/01/09/tesla-battery-fire-speed-limiter-lawsuit/">other</a> <a href="https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/auto-news/state-farm-files-lawsuit-against-tesla-after-vehicle-fire-leads-to-1-2m-insurance-reimbursement/#:~:text=State%20Farm%20agreed%20to%20drop,Tesla%2C%20according%20to%20the%20automaker">lawsuits</a> alleging that its battery systems are dangerous. The company, which does not have a PR department, did not respond to a request for comment.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rTnCXC">
Experts Vox spoke to, including firefighters as well as fire safety officials, say that while Teslas are the most common electric cars on the road right now, EV firefighting goes far beyond any one carmaker. Perhaps the biggest challenge of all is that as EVs go mainstream, EV fires aren’t being studied as much as experts and government officials say they should be. “The unfortunate part is that we’re not really moving this as quickly as we should and updating it,” Lorie Moore-Merrell, the US fire administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), told Vox.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gxQSyt">
The national fire incident tracking system currently used by FEMA was invented in 1976 and was last updated in 2002, so it doesn’t specifically track electric vehicle fires. While the agency does plan to update the system with a new cloud platform, FEMA said it will only start building the technology later this spring, and then it will transition from the legacy system sometime in the late fall.
</p>
<h3 id="Cyke4d">
Firefighting in the electric era
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KHQBIF">
Amid a barrage of news reports about the Model X fire in Austin last year, Tesla reached out to the city’s fire department. Michael McConnell, an emergency response technical lead at Tesla, first spoke with Smith, the division chief, on the phone and later sent him an email, which Vox obtained through a public records request, with advice on how the fire department might approach the same situation in the future.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aQcJcL">
“First of all, let’s debunk the myth of getting electrocuted. Lots of things have to go wrong in order for that to happen,” Smith said. “If the battery pack has not been compromised, then just leave it alone.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="boq3S1">
In the long, wide-ranging message, McConnell also explained what assistance Tesla could and could not provide. He offered online training sessions but could not arrange in-person training because, McConnell explained, he had “just too many requests.” A diagram for the Model X implied there was magnesium in a part of the car that did not, in fact, contain magnesium. There was no extrication video guide for the company’s Model Y car (extrication is the firefighter term for removing someone from a totaled vehicle). It would be difficult to get a training vehicle for the Austin firefighters to practice with, McConnell added, since Tesla is a “build to order manufacturer.” Most of Tesla’s scrap vehicles are recycled at the company’s Fremont plant, he said, though a car could become available if one of Tesla’s engineering or fleet vehicles crashed.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dSXZdu">
McConnell’s long email reflects the current approach to fighting EV fires and the fact that fire departments across the country are still learning best practices. Even now, there isn’t consensus on the best approach. Some firefighters have considered <a href="https://www.autoblog.com/2019/03/26/firefighters-dropped-smoldering-bmw-i8-water-tank/">using</a> cranes to lift flaming EVs into giant tanks of water, although some automakers discourage submerging entire vehicles. Rosenbauer, a major fire engine and firefighting equipment manufacturer, has designed <a href="https://www.rosenbaueramerica.com/fire-trucks/rosenbauer-equipment/">a new nozzle</a> that pierces through the battery casing and squirts water directly onto the damaged cells, despite some official automaker guides that say firefighters shouldn’t try rupturing the battery. Another factor that needs to be considered, added Alfie Green, the chief of training at the Detroit Fire Department, is that there are new car models released every year, and there is particular guidance on how to disconnect different cars.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="woJCaV">
While some standards have been released, others are still being developed, and fire departments are still catching up with National Transportation Safety Board recommendations. There’s also the matter of just getting the vast number of firefighters up to speed on EVs. O’Brian, the fire chief from Michigan, told Vox that the federal government needs to take a much more active role in funding research and helping buy EVs that fire departments can practice on.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BtAKdP">
Another complication is that EV fires present different risks in different places. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) hasn’t had to fight any electric car fires yet, but it is facing e-scooter and e-bike fires, which are on track to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/10/30/1130239008/fires-from-exploding-e-bike-batteries-multiply-in-nyc-sometimes-fatally">double compared to last year</a> and <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxnb3z/43-injured-in-manhattan-high-rise-fire-caused-by-electric-scooter-fire">disproportionately</a> endanger delivery workers in the city. Batteries that lack safety certifications or are charged improperly are more likely to ignite, explains John Esposito, the FDNY’s chief of operations. In November, 43 people were <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxnb3z/43-injured-in-manhattan-high-rise-fire-caused-by-electric-scooter-fire">injured</a> in a Manhattan building fire that the department ultimately linked to a battery-powered micromobility device — possibly a scooter — that had been kept inside an apartment.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RfxrHo">
Small towns face unique hurdles. In Irmo, South Carolina, which is home to fewer than 12,000 people, there’s concern about getting the right equipment to deal with EV fires. While there haven’t been any high-voltage battery fires yet, Sloane Valentino, the assistant chief of Irmo’s fire department, told Vox he’s not sure whether the town has enough engines to fight a Tesla fire while also responding to other fires in the area.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xkVL8f">
“We don’t have the capacity to deal with 30,000 gallons worth of toxic runoff. Some of it’s going to turn to steam,” Valentino told Vox. “We’re kind of back to, ‘Let it burn.’ When you see the big, violent flames shooting out of the car, just kind of protect what you can — try to cool the roadway — but let the car burn.”
</p>
<h3 id="SaMOFy">
Engineering a safer future
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FQb5RS">
While internal combustion vehicles have been around for over a century, EVs are still relatively new, which means they could become even safer as more money and research pour into the technology. Remember the melting separator in the battery that creates thermal runaway? General Motors is studying how its battery separator could contribute to improved battery safety. The Department of Energy is working on technology that could incorporate flame retardants directly into the batteries’ design. Engineers are also investigating new battery chemistries, like less-flammable electrolytes. Though research is still early, <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/23027110/solid-state-lithium-battery-tesla-gm-ford">solid-state batteries</a>, which would replace a liquid electrolyte with a solid that’s far less likely to ignite, also show promise.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CU4QTO">
“Batteries are hopefully going to be getting better over time,” said Michael Brooks, from the Center for Auto Safety. New regulation could push battery safety even further, he added.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hcH4X3">
In the meantime, fire departments are working on adjusting to this new category of fire — just another reminder that the rise of electric vehicles involves far more than simply replacing gas tanks with batteries. And firefighters will be the ones driving some of these new EVs. In May, the Los Angeles Fire Department <a href="https://www.lafd.org/news/lafd-chief-debuts-arrival-first-electric-fire-engine">debuted</a> the first electric fire truck to hit the road in the US. The bright red engine is made by Rosenbauer, and it comes with a front touchscreen, a remote control tablet, two onboard batteries, and a backup diesel range extender. Other departments are now waiting for their own EV fire trucks to arrive.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8TkC3v">
Meanwhile, back at the Austin Fire Department, Smith says he has encountered at least one EV fire since the Model X accident a year and a half ago. That one didn’t involve the battery, so it was like fighting any other car fire. But in the months following the 2021 crash, the fire department did go ahead and jury-rig a new firefighting nozzle to deal specifically with EV fires. The department hasn’t heard anything more from Tesla.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="G0uggM">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/authors/rebecca-heilweil"><em>Rebecca Heilweil</em></a><em> is a reporter at Vox covering emerging technology, artificial intelligence, and the supply chain.</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>Something Royal claims the Queen Elizabeth Cup</strong> -</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>Siege Courageous, Ruling Goddess, Nyaya and Sassy please</strong> -</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>Pride’s Angel and Baby Bazooka impress</strong> -</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>Suryakumar a trailblazer, will bring about global revolution in T20 cricket, says Ricky Ponting</strong> - Suryakumar's 1,100-plus runs last year came in 31 T20Is at an astonishing strike rate of 187.43 and an average of 46.56</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>Djokovic pounds Paul to reach 10th Australian Open final</strong> - Djokovic will meet Tsitsipas in Sunday's decider after the Greek booked his first final by beating Russian Khachanov in the earlier semi-final</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>Sea fury: relief camps opened in Ambalappuzha</strong> -</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>Avian influenza: Fund crunch hits Animal Husbandry dept.</strong> - Department forced to send suspected bird flu samples to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal by courier instead of airlifting them accompanied by an official</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>Andhra Pradesh Governor, teachers, students attend ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ with Prime Minister</strong> - Biswa Bhusan Harichandan distributes ‘Exam Warriors’ books among students</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>One dead, four injured in blast at plastic shredding unit in Kadiri of Andhra Pradesh</strong> - Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide used in the local air cooling systems might have caused the explosion, say forensic experts</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Golden jubilee of Telugu Samskrithika Sangham</strong> -</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>Spain church attacks: Suspect was facing deportation</strong> - A 25-year-old Moroccan is detained after a church caretaker is killed and a priest injured.</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>Ukraine war: Zelensky’s government launches anti-corruption drive</strong> - The government in Kyiv is trying to tackle corruption head-on, but it’s a risky strategy.</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>They sold a Picasso to flee the Nazis - now their heirs want it back</strong> - In 1938, Woman Ironing was sold to escape Germany. Now the heirs of the original owner want it back.</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>Czechs to vote in second round of presidential election</strong> - Former PM Andrej Babis and retired Nato general Petr Pavel are vying for the ceremonial but influential post.</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>Ukraine hit by Russian missiles day after West’s offer of tanks</strong> - Eleven people have been killed and 11 others injured after strikes hit buildings in several regions.</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>Deepfakes for scrawl: With handwriting synthesis, no pen is necessary</strong> - Free neural network demo generates dynamic, downloadable handwriting on the fly. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1912642">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Q4 2022 was a disaster for smartphone sales, sees the largest-ever drop</strong> - Phone sales plummeted 18 percent last quarter, 11 percent for the entire year. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1912768">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Antibiotic resistance induced by the widespread use of… antidepressants?</strong> - Bacteria evolve drug resistance more readily when antidepressants are around. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1912789">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Do mechanical keyboards really need arrow keys?</strong> - Angry Miao replaces bulky arrow buttons with a 2×0.5-inch capacitive touchpad. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1912689">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>MSG probed over use of facial recognition to eject lawyers from show venues</strong> - MSG says policy is legal, while NY AG alleges it may violate civil rights law. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1912764">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Andrew Tate says his Romanian jail is infested with lice. “Can you imagine sharing a cell with vile parasites?”</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Say the lice.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/james_s_docherty"> /u/james_s_docherty </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10lx5ss/andrew_tate_says_his_romanian_jail_is_infested/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10lx5ss/andrew_tate_says_his_romanian_jail_is_infested/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>What’s the difference between a $20 steak and a $55 steak?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
February 14th
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Barber606"> /u/Barber606 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10lwm0f/whats_the_difference_between_a_20_steak_and_a_55/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10lwm0f/whats_the_difference_between_a_20_steak_and_a_55/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>There’s a woman selling batteries in the park.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
She sells C cells by the seesaw.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Fuzzie8"> /u/Fuzzie8 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10m5uiv/theres_a_woman_selling_batteries_in_the_park/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10m5uiv/theres_a_woman_selling_batteries_in_the_park/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Why is “reverse cowgirl” illegal in Alabama?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Because you never turn your back on family.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Disastrous_Onion_411"> /u/Disastrous_Onion_411 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10m2789/why_is_reverse_cowgirl_illegal_in_alabama/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10m2789/why_is_reverse_cowgirl_illegal_in_alabama/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A juggler, and the police….</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A juggler, driving to his next performance, is stopped by the police.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“What are these matches and lighter fluid doing in your car?” asks the cop.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“I’m a juggler and I juggle flaming torches in my act.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Oh yeah?” says the doubtful cop. “Lets see you do it.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The juggler gets out and starts juggling the blazing torches masterfully.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A couple driving by slows down to watch. “Wow,” says the driver to his wife. "I’m glad I quit drinking. Look at the test they’re giving now!
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/DooleyMTV"> /u/DooleyMTV </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10m61lh/a_juggler_and_the_police/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10m61lh/a_juggler_and_the_police/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
<script>AOS.init();</script></body></html>

4
index.html
View File

File diff suppressed because one or more lines are too long