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<title>09 August, 2023</title>
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<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>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="covid-19-sentry">Covid-19 Sentry</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-preprints">From Preprints</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-pubmed">From PubMed</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-patent-search">From Patent Search</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-preprints">From Preprints</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>The Usage of Mindsponge Theory for Explaining the Protective Behavior Against COVID-19 in The Early Stage of Pandemic</strong> -
<div>
The COVID-19 pandemic has caught the public’s attention globally, especially in the early stage of the pandemic in China. COVID-19 was perceived as a big threat to human health and well-being. Acquiring more initial information about COVID-19 has made people perceive a higher threat and presented a higher demand for related information. People’s initial information acquisition may be important in their behavioral responses. The high demand for COVID-19-related information has led Pang et al. [1] to investigate 4,605 Chinese regarding their perceived threat and information-processing strategies in pandemic situations. Findings showed that the high demand for COVID-19-related information has made respondents more likely to seek and process information, subsequently motivating their protective behavior. The perceived threat could positively affect protective behavior but failed to predict the experiential assessment. Information-seeking behavior and experiential assessment significantly influence protective behavior. Information-seeking behavior facilitated analytical assessment and decreased experiential assessment, thus predicting people’s protective behavior [1].
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/fm823/" target="_blank">The Usage of Mindsponge Theory for Explaining the Protective Behavior Against COVID-19 in The Early Stage of Pandemic</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Socio-demographic determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Ontario: Exploring differences across the Health Region model</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a worldwide public health concern. Although vaccines against this disease were rapidly developed, vaccination uptake has not been equal across all the segments of the population. In particular, it has been shown that there have been differences in vaccine uptake across different segments of the population. However, there are also differences in vaccination across geographical areas, which might be important to consider in the development of future public health vaccination policies. In this study, we examined the relationship between vaccination status (having received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine), and different socio-economic and geographical factors. Our results show that between October of 2021 and January of 2022, individuals from underrepresented communities were three times less likely to be vaccinated than White/Caucasian individuals across the province of Ontario in Canada, and that in some cases, within these groups, individuals in low-income brackets had significantly higher odds of vaccination when compared to their peers in high income brackets. Finally, we identified significantly lower odds of vaccination in the Central, East and West Health Regions of Ontario within certain underrepresented groups. This study shows that there is an ongoing need to better understand and address differences in vaccination uptake across diverse segments of the population of Ontario that the pandemic has largely impacted.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.04.23293662v1" target="_blank">Socio-demographic determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Ontario: Exploring differences across the Health Region model</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Genetic Variant rs1205 is Associated with COVID-19 Outcomes: The Strong Heart Study and Strong Heart Family Study.</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: Although COVID-19 infection has been associated with a number of clinical and environmental risk factors, host genetic variation has also been associated with the incidence and morbidity of infection. The CRP gene codes for a critical component of the innate immune system and CRP variants have been reported associated with infectious disease and vaccination outcomes. We investigated possible associations between COVID-19 outcome and a limited number of candidate gene variants including rs1205. Methodology/Principal Findings: The Strong Heart and Strong Heart Family studies have accumulated detailed genetic, cardiovascular risk and event data in geographically dispersed American Indian communities since 1988. Chi-square tests, logistic regression and generalized linear mixed models (implemented in SOLAR) were used in analysis. Genotypic data and 91 COVID-19 adjudicated deaths or hospitalizations from 2/1/20 through 3/1/23 were identified among 3,780 participants in two subsets. Among 21 candidate variants including genes in the interferon response pathway, APOE, TMPRSS2, TLR3, the HLA complex and the ABO blood group, only rs1205, a 39 untranslated region variant in the CRP gene, showed nominally significant association in T-dominant model analyses (odds ratio 1.859, 95%CI 1.001-3.453, p=0.049) after adjustment for age, sex, center, body mass index, and a history of cardiovascular disease. Within the younger subset, association with the rs1205 T-Dom genotype was stronger, both in the same adjusted logistic model and in the SOLAR analysis also adjusting for other genetic relatedness. Conclusion: A T-dominant genotype of rs1205 in the CRP gene is associated with COVID-19 death or hospitalization, even after adjustment for relevant clinical factors and potential participant relatedness. Additional study of other populations and genetic variants of this gene are warranted.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.04.23293551v1" target="_blank">Genetic Variant rs1205 is Associated with COVID-19 Outcomes: The Strong Heart Study and Strong Heart Family Study.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Estimating epidemic dynamics with genomic and time series data</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Accurately estimating the prevalence and transmissibility of an infectious disease is a critical part of genetic infectious disease epidemiology. However, generating accurate estimates of these quantities, informed by both time series and sequencing data, is challenging. Birth-death processes and coalescent-based models are popular methods for modelling the transmission of infectious diseases, but they struggle with estimating the prevalence of infection. We extended our approximation of the likelihood for a point process of viral genomes and time series of case counts so it can estimate historical prevalence, and we implemented this in a BEAST2 package called Timtam. In a simulation study the approximation recovered the parameters from simulated data, even when we aggregated the point process data into a time series of daily case counts. To demonstrate how Timtam can be applied to real datasets, we estimated the reproduction number and the prevalence of infection through time during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak onboard the Diamond Princess using a time series of confirmed cases and sequence data. We found a greater prevalence than previously estimated and comment on how differences in the algorithms used could explain this.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.03.23293620v1" target="_blank">Estimating epidemic dynamics with genomic and time series data</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>GRAPHENE FIELD EFFECT BIOSENSOR FOR CONCURRENT AND SPECIFIC DETECTION OF SARS-COV-2 AND INFLUENZA</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the need for devices capable of carrying out rapid differential detection of viruses that may manifest similar physiological symptoms yet demand tailored treatment plans. Seasonal influenza may be exacerbated by COVID-19 infections, increasing the burden on healthcare systems. In this work, we demonstrate a technology, based on liquid-gated graphene field-effect transistors, for rapid and ultraprecise detection and differentiation of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 surface protein. Most distinctively, our device consists of 4 onboard graphene field-effect electrolyte-gated transistors arranged in a quadruple architecture, where each quarter is functionalized individually (with either antibodies or chemically passivated control) but measured collectively. Our sensor platform was tested against a range of concentrations of viral surface proteins from both viruses with the lowest tested and detected concentration at ~50 ag/mL, or 88 zM for COVID-19 and 227 zM for Flu, which is 5-fold lower than the values reported previously on a similar platform. Unlike the classic Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test, which has a turnaround time of a few hours, our technology presents an ultrafast response time of ~10 seconds even in complex media such as saliva. Thus, we have developed a multi-analyte, highly sensitive, and fault-tolerant technology for rapid diagnostic of contemporary, emerging, and future pandemics.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.04.22280705v3" target="_blank">GRAPHENE FIELD EFFECT BIOSENSOR FOR CONCURRENT AND SPECIFIC DETECTION OF SARS-COV-2 AND INFLUENZA</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Prediction of Daily New COVID-19 Cases - Difficulties and Possible Solutions</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Epidemiological compartmental models, such as SEIR (Susceptible, Exposed, Infectious, and Recovered) models, have been generally used in analyzing epidemiological data and forecasting the trajectory of transmission of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Experience shows that accurately forecasting the trajectory of COVID-19 transmission curve is a big challenge to researchers in the field of epidemiological modeling. Multiple factors (such as social distancing, vaccinations, public health interventions, and new COVID-19 variants) can affect the trajectory of COVID-19 transmission. In the past years, we used a new compartmental model, l-i SEIR model, to analyze the COVID-19 transmission trend in the United States. The letters l and i are two parameters in the model representing the average time length of the latent period and the average time length of infectious period. The l-i SEIR model takes into account of the temporal heterogeneity of infected individuals and thus improves the accuracy in forecasting the trajectory of transmission of infectious diseases. This paper describes how these multiple factors mentioned above could significantly change COVID-19 transmission trends, why accurately forecasting COVID-19 transmission trend is difficult, what the strategies we have used to improve the forecast outcome, and some of successful examples that we have obtained.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.04.23293429v1" target="_blank">Prediction of Daily New COVID-19 Cases - Difficulties and Possible Solutions</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Equivalent Binding Of Sera From Omicron And Delta Period To Future Omicron Subvariants.</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, virus evolution and large-scale vaccination programs have caused multiple exposures to SARS CoV-2 spike protein, resulting in complex antibody profiles. Binding of sera to spike protein of future variants in the context of heterogeneous exposure, has not been studied. We tested archival sera (delta and omicron period) stratified by anti-spike levels for reactivity to omicron subvariant (BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.2.75, BA.4/5 and BF.7) spike. Antibody reactivity to wild-type (CLIA) and subvariants (ELISA) spike were similar between periods (p&gt;0.05). Both High S group and Low S group of delta and omicron periods were closely related to future subvariants by Antigenic Cartography. Anti-spike antibodies to wild type (S1/S2 and Trimeric S) clustered with subvariant-binding antibodies. Low S group interspersed between High S group on hierarchical clustering. Hybrid immunity caused by cumulative virus exposure in delta or omicron periods caused equivalent binding to future variants. Low S antibody group demonstrating similar binding is a prominent finding.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.04.23293670v1" target="_blank">Equivalent Binding Of Sera From Omicron And Delta Period To Future Omicron Subvariants.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>What Risk Factors to Cause Long COVID and Its Impact on Patient Survival Outcomes when Combined with the Effect from Organ Transplantation in the Acute COVID</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in solid organ transplant (SOT) patients is associated with more severe outcomes than non-immunosuppressed hosts. However, exactly which risk factors cause Long COVID in acute COVID cases remains unknown. More importantly, the impact of Long COVID on patient survival remains understudied, especially when examined alongside the effect of SOT. Methods All patients have been identified with acute COVID in the National COVID Collaborative Cohort registry from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2022. We compared patient demographics in Long COVID vs. those without Long COVID based on descriptive statistics. Multivariable logistics regressions were used to determine the factors related to the likelihood of developing Long COVID from a case of acute COVID. Multi-variables Cox regression was used to determine the time-to-event outcome of patient survival with Long COVID. Results This study reviewed data from a cohort of 6,416,500 acute COVID patients. Of that group, 31,744 (0.5%) patients developed Long COVID from ICD diagnosis. The mean (q1, q3) age was 39 (22, 57) years old, and 55% of patients were female. From this cohort, a total of 31,744 (1%) developed Long COVID and 43,565 (1%) had SOT, with a total of 698 SOT patients identified with Long COVID. Mean age of those with Long COVID was 52 (39, 64) years old and 64% of patients were female. Most of the SOT patients were kidney transplant recipients. From the Cox regression analysis of patient survival, there were many significant factors related to patient survival (death), with elderly SOT patients having a much higher hazard ratio of 27.8 (26.3, 29.4). Conclusion This study has identified the important risk factors that are more likely to cause Long COVID in an acute COVID cohort. We investigated hazard ratios of patient survival based on multivariable Cox models, which found that Long COVID had a more direct impact on survival in elderly patients and those with SOT.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.03.23293622v1" target="_blank">What Risk Factors to Cause Long COVID and Its Impact on Patient Survival Outcomes when Combined with the Effect from Organ Transplantation in the Acute COVID</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Crowdsourcing Temporal Transcriptomic Coronavirus Host Infection Data: resources, guide, and novel insights.</strong> -
<div>
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 reawakened the need to rapidly understand the molecular etiologies, pandemic potential, and prospective treatments of infectious agents. The lack of existing data on SARS-CoV-2 hampered early attempts to treat severe forms of COVID-19 during the pandemic. This study coupled existing transcriptomic data from SARS-CoV-1 lung infection animal studies with crowdsourcing statistical approaches to derive temporal meta-signatures of host responses during early viral accumulation and subsequent clearance stages. Unsupervised and supervised machine learning approaches identified top dysregulated genes and potential biomarkers (e.g., CXCL10, BEX2, and ADM). Temporal meta-signatures revealed distinct gene expression programs with biological implications to a series of host responses underlying sustained Cxcl10 expression and Stat signaling. Cell cycle switched from G1/G0 phase genes, early in infection, to a G2/M gene signature during late infection that correlated with the enrichment of DNA Damage Response and Repair genes. The SARS-CoV-1 meta-signatures were shown to closely emulate human SARS-CoV-2 host responses from emerging RNAseq, single cell and proteomics data with early monocyte-macrophage activation followed by lymphocyte proliferation. The circulatory hormone adrenomedullin was observed as maximally elevated in elderly patients that died from COVID-19. Stage-specific correlations to compounds with potential to treat COVID-19 and future coronavirus infections were in part validated by a subset of twenty-four that are in clinical trials to treat COVID-19. This study represents a roadmap to leverage existing data in the public domain to derive novel molecular and biological insights and potential treatments to emerging human pathogens. The data from this study is available in an interactive portal (http://18.222.95.219:8047).
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.14.520483v2" target="_blank">Crowdsourcing Temporal Transcriptomic Coronavirus Host Infection Data: resources, guide, and novel insights.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Virtual Social Interaction and Loneliness Among Emerging Adults Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic</strong> -
<div>
Many social activities moved online during the global COVID-19 pandemic, yet research investigating whether virtual social interactions facilitate social connectedness has been inconclusive. In this study, participants completed online questionnaires assessing objective social isolation, loneliness, mental health, and virtual social interactions. There was clear evidence for worsening mental health among emerging adults during the COVID-19 pandemic characterized by large increases in depressive symptoms (mean increase = 8.35, 95% CI [6.97, 9.73], t(118) = 118, p &lt; .001), and large decrements in happiness (mean decrease = -0.71, 95% CI [-0.84, -0.57], t(118) = 10.09, p &lt; .001) and social satisfaction (mean decrease = -0.81, 95% CI [-1.00,-0.62], t(115) = 8.28, p &lt; .001) post-pandemic onset. In line with expectations, those living in larger households amid the pandemic reported lower levels of loneliness and higher levels of happiness. A negative association was found between household size (an index of objective social isolation) and loneliness, b = -3.01, t(79) = 2.60, p = .011, 95% CI [-5.32, -0.71], and a positive association was found between household size and happiness, b = 22.86, t(75) = 3.30, p = .001, 95% CI [9.06, 36.65]. However, contrary to expectations, there was no association between loneliness and frequency of virtual social interactions. There was also no association between frequency of virtual social interactions and either happiness or depression. More research investigating social connectedness in the context of virtual social interactions is warranted.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/2ghtd/" target="_blank">Virtual Social Interaction and Loneliness Among Emerging Adults Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Post-COVID symptoms in the absence of organic deficit - Lessons from diseases we know</strong> -
<div>
Given the increasing number of patients suffering severe physical symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection for which there is no conclusive organic explanation, it is important to remember a phenomenon well known in medicine: the authenticity and significance of symptoms does not necessarily depend on organic impairment. Rather, the same symptoms and their intensity can occur when structure is intact, but body signals are misinterpreted and incorrectly processed in the brain. For breathlessness, fatigue and dizziness there are already established experimental paradigms to measure such dysfunctions in the absence of organic impairment. Here, we describe these paradigms and explain how they could help to better understand persistent and debilitating symptoms after COVID-19.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/yqar2/" target="_blank">Post-COVID symptoms in the absence of organic deficit - Lessons from diseases we know</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Online Asynchronous Learning English for Specific Purposes Terminology</strong> -
<div>
The pandemic and military actions in the country triggered our study in considering the challenges Ukrainian higher education faces referring asynchronous learning. We assume that the challenges are threefold – namely – psychological, technical (availability of means for providing asynchronous communication and technological (scientifically grounded methods of quality asynchronous learning). In our study the focus is on the methods of asynchronous learning specialized terminology. The background of the research was the study of the literature concerning benefits and limitations of asynchronous learning and implementing online courses into the learning process. The purpose of this research was to prove the effectiveness of asynchronous learning specialized vocabulary with the help of the Moodle-based course. The aim was achieved by fulfilling the following tasks: literary review to study the benefits and limitations of asynchronous and synchronous learning for finding the most suitable mode of communication for the Ukrainian students, to design a Moodle-based course, to verify it in the experimental learning. The experiment was conducted in 2020 in the time of Covid-19 pandemic at the National Technical University of Ukraine, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, and involved seventy students of the Power Engineering Department. The research purpose of both the article and the experiment was to assess the effectiveness of the developed online simulator which included audio recordings of native English specialists’ communication, interdisciplinary and industry-specific terminology, training tasks, and instructional guidelines. The outcome of the research proves the efficiency of applying an online simulator in the development of students’ professional competence in terms of adequate using interdisciplinary and industry-specific terminology.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/bwamx/" target="_blank">Online Asynchronous Learning English for Specific Purposes Terminology</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>The impact of COVID-19 on household energy consumption in England and Wales from April 2020 – March 2022</strong> -
<div>
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people lived, worked, and studied around the world, with direct consequences for domestic energy use. This study assesses the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns in the first two years of the pandemic on household electricity and gas use in England and Wales. Using data for 508 (electricity) and 326 (gas) homes, elastic net regression, neural network and extreme gradient boosting predictive models were trained and tested on pre-pandemic data. The most accurate model for each household was used to create counterfactuals (predictions in the absence of COVID-19) against which observed pandemic energy use was compared. Median monthly model error (CV(RMSE)) was 3.86% (electricity) and 3.19% (gas) and bias (NMBE) was 0.21% (electricity) and -0.10% (gas). Our analysis showed that on average (electricity; gas) consumption increased by (7.8%; 5.7%) in year 1 of the pandemic and by (2.2%; 0.2%) in year 2. The greatest increases were in the winter lockdown (January – March 2021) by 11.6% and 9.0% for electricity and gas, respectively. At the start of 2022 electricity use remained 2.0% higher while gas use was around 1.9% lower than predicted. Households with children showed the greatest increase in electricity consumption during lockdowns, followed by those with adults in work. Wealthier households increased their electricity consumption by more than the less wealthy and continued to use more than predicted throughout the two-year period while the less wealthy returned to pre-pandemic or lower consumption from summer 2021. Low dwelling efficiency was associated with a greater increase in energy consumption during the pandemic. Additionally, this study shows the value of different machine learning techniques for counterfactual modelling at the individual-dwelling level, and our approach can be used to robustly estimate the impact of other events and interventions.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/m5p3b/" target="_blank">The impact of COVID-19 on household energy consumption in England and Wales from April 2020 – March 2022</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Human-Network Regions as Effective Geographic Units for Disease Mitigation</strong> -
<div>
Susceptibility to infectious diseases such as COVID-19 depends on how those diseases spread, and many studies have examined the decrease in COVID-19 spread due to reduction in travel. However, less is known about how much functional geographic regions, which capture natural movements and social interactions, limit the spread of COVID-19. To determine boundaries between functional regions, we apply community-detection algorithms to large networks of mobility and social-media connections to construct geographic regions that reflect natural human movement and relationships at the county level in the continental United States. We measure COVID-19 case counts, case rates, and case-rate variations across adjacent counties and examine how often COVID-19 crosses the boundaries of these functional regions. We find that regions that we construct using GPS-trace networks and especially commute networks have the lowest COVID-19 case rates along the boundaries, so these regions may reflect natural partitions in COVID-19 transmission. Conversely, regions that we construct from geolocated Facebook friendships and Twitter connections yield less effective partitions. Our analysis reveals that regions that are derived from movement flows are more appropriate geographic units than states for making policy decisions about opening areas for activity, assessing vulnerability of populations, and allocating resources. Our insights are also relevant for policy decisions and public messaging in future emergency situations.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/4mp6x/" target="_blank">Human-Network Regions as Effective Geographic Units for Disease Mitigation</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Within-host evolution of SARS-CoV-2: how often are mutations transmitted?</strong> -
<div>
Despite a relatively low mutation rate, the large number of SARS-CoV-2 infections has allowed for substantial genetic change, leading to a multitude of emerging variants. Using a recently determined mutation rate (per site replication), as well as parameter estimates for within-host SARS-CoV-2 infection, we apply a stochastic transmission-bottleneck model to describe the survival probability of de novo SARS-CoV-2 mutations. For narrow bottlenecks, we find mutations affecting per-target-cell attachment rate (with phenotypes associated with fusogenicity and ACE2 binding), have similar transmission probabilities to mutations affecting viral load clearance (with phenotypes associated with humoral evasion). We further find that mutations affecting the eclipse rate (with phenotypes associated with reorganization of cellular metabolic processes and synthesis of viral budding precursor material) are highly favoured relative to all other traits examined. We find mutations leading to reduced removal rates of infected cells (with phenotypes associated with innate immune evasion) have limited transmission advantage relative to mutations leading to humoral evasion. Predicted transmission probabilities, however, for mutations affecting innate immune evasion are more consistent with the range of clinically-estimated household transmission probabilities for de novo mutations. This result suggests that although mutations affecting humoral evasion are more easily transmitted when they occur, mutations affecting innate immune evasion may occur more readily. We examine our predictions in the context of a number of previously characterized mutations in circulating strains of SARS-CoV-2. Our work offers both a null model for SARS-CoV-2 substitution rates and predicts which aspects of viral life history are most likely to successfully evolve, despite low mutation rates and repeated transmission bottlenecks.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.08.552503v1" target="_blank">Within-host evolution of SARS-CoV-2: how often are mutations transmitted?</a>
</div></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Phase 2/3 Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of an (Omicron Subvariant) COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose of Previously Vaccinated Participants.</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: XBB.1.5 Vaccine (Booster);   Biological: XBB.1.5 Vaccine (single dose)<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Novavax<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>Effect of Natural Food on Gut Microbiome and Phospholipid Spectrum of Immune Cells in COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Dietary Supplement: Freeze-dried Mare Milk (Saumal)<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical 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>Effects of Exercise Training on Patients With Long COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Long COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: Exercise training<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Guangdong Provincial People’s 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>EFFECT OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY ON DEPRESSION AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH POST COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Post-COVID-19 Syndrome<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: rehacom<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Cairo University<br/><b>Enrolling by invitation</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>Intradermal Administration of a COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine in Elderly</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Vaccination; Infection;   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: Comirnaty<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Radboud University Medical Center<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 Safety and Immune Response Study to Evaluate Varying Doses of an mRNA Vaccine Against Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Healthy Adults</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: mRNA-CR-04 vaccine 10μg;   Biological: mRNA-CR-04 vaccine 30μg;   Biological: mRNA-CR-04 vaccine 100μg;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   GlaxoSmithKline<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Phase 3 Adolescent Study for SARS-CoV-2 rS Variant Vaccines</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: NVX-CoV2601 co-formulated Omicron XBB.1.5 SARS-CoV-2 rS vaccine;   Biological: Prototype/XBB.1.5 Bivalent Vaccine (5 µg)<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Novavax<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>Hyperbaric on Pulmonary Functions in Post Covid -19 Patients.</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Post COVID-19 Patients<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Device: hyperbaric oxygen therapy;   Device: breathing exercise;   Drug: medical treatment<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Cairo University<br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Dietary Intervention to Mitigate Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome;   Fatigue<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: Dietary intervention to mitigate Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome;   Other: Attention Control<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University of Maryland, Baltimore<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 II Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of BIMERVAX® When Coadministered With Seasonal Influenza Vaccine (SIIV) in Adults Older Than 65 Years of Age Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   SARS CoV 2 Infection;   Influenza, Human<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: BIMERVAX;   Biological: SIIV<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Hipra Scientific, S.L.U<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>HD-Tdcs and Pharmacological Intervention For Delirium In Critical Patients With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19;   Delirium;   Critical Illness<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Combination Product: Active HD-tDCS;   Combination Product: Sham HD-tDCS<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Suellen Andrade;   City University of New York<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>RECOVER-VITAL: Platform Protocol, Appendix to Measure the Effects of Paxlovid on Long COVID Symptoms</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Long COVID-19;   Long COVID<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Paxlovid 25 day dosing;   Drug: Paxlovid 15 day dosing;   Drug: Control<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Kanecia Obie Zimmerman<br/><b>Enrolling by invitation</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>RECOVER-NEURO: Platform Protocol, Appendix_A to Measure the Effects of BrainHQ, PASC CoRE and tDCS Interventions on Long COVID Symptoms</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Long COVID;   Long Covid19;   Long Covid-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: BrainHQ/Active Comparator Activity;   Other: BrainHQ;   Other: PASC CoRE;   Device: tDCS-active;   Device: tDCS-sham<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Duke 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>Directed Topical Drug Delivery for Treatment for PASC Hyposmia</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Post Acute Sequelae Covid-19 Hyposmia<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Beclomethasone;   Other: Placebo;   Device: Microsponge<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Duke 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>RECOVER-NEURO: Platform Protocol to Measure the Effects of Cognitive Dysfunction Interventions on Long COVID Symptoms</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Long COVID;   Long Covid19;   Long Covid-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: BrainHQ/Active Comparator Activity;   Other: BrainHQ;   Other: PASC CoRE;   Device: tDCS-active;   Device: tDCS-sham<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Duke University<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>TGF-β uncouples glycolysis and inflammation in macrophages and controls survival during sepsis</strong> - Changes in metabolism of macrophages are required to sustain macrophage activation in response to different stimuli. We showed that the cytokine TGF-β (transforming growth factor-β) regulates glycolysis in macrophages independently of inflammatory cytokine production and affects survival in mouse models of sepsis. During macrophage activation, TGF-β increased the expression and activity of the glycolytic enzyme PFKL (phosphofructokinase-1 liver type) and promoted glycolysis but suppressed the…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Escape from senescence: molecular basis and therapeutic ramifications</strong> - Cellular senescence constitutes a stress response mechanism in reaction to a plethora of stimuli. Senescent cells exhibit cell-cycle arrest and altered function. While cell-cycle withdrawal has been perceived as permanent, recent evidence in cancer research introduced the so-called escape-from-senescence concept. In particular, under certain conditions, senescent cells may resume proliferation, acquiring highly aggressive features. As such, they have been associated with tumour relapse,…</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>Comparative antibody and cell-mediated immune responses, reactogenicity, and efficacy of homologous and heterologous boosting with CoronaVac and BNT162b2 (Cobovax): an open-label, randomised trial</strong> - BACKGROUND: Few trials have compared homologous and heterologous third doses of COVID-19 vaccination with inactivated vaccines and mRNA vaccines. The aim of this study was to assess immune responses, safety, and efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 infection following homologous or heterologous third-dose COVID-19 vaccination with either one dose of CoronaVac (Sinovac Biotech; inactivated vaccine) or BNT162b2 (Fosun Pharma-BioNTech; mRNA vaccine).</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Post-infection treatment with the E protein inhibitor BIT225 reduces disease severity and increases survival of K18-hACE2 transgenic mice infected with a lethal dose of SARS-CoV-2</strong> - The Coronavirus envelope (E) protein is a small structural protein with ion channel activity that plays an important role in virus assembly, budding, immunopathogenesis and disease severity. The viroporin E is also located in Golgi and ER membranes of infected cells and is associated with inflammasome activation and immune dysregulation. Here we evaluated in vitro antiviral activity, mechanism of action and in vivo efficacy of BIT225 for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. BIT225 showed…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Role of the Tyrosine-Based Sorting Signals of the ORF3a Protein of SARS-CoV-2 on Intracellular Trafficking, Autophagy, and Apoptosis</strong> - The open reading frame 3a (ORF3a) is an accessory transmembrane protein that is important to the pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2. The cytoplasmic domain of ORF3a has three canonical tyrosine-based sorting signals (YxxΦ; where x is any amino acid and Φ is a hydrophobic amino acid with a bulky -R group). They have been implicated in the trafficking of membrane proteins to the cell plasma membrane and to intracellular organelles. Previous studies have indicated that mutation of the ^(160) YSNV ^(163)…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Discovery of Hybrid Thiouracil-Coumarin Conjugates as Potential Novel Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Agents Targeting the Virus’s Polymerase “RdRp” as a Confirmed Interacting Biomolecule</strong> - The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, along with its various strains, has emerged as a global health crisis that has severely affected humankind and posed a great challenge to the public health system of affected countries. The replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mainly depends on RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), a key enzyme that is involved in RNA synthesis. In this regard, we designed, synthesized, and characterized hybrid thiouracil and coumarin…</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>Transfer and biotransformation of the COVID-19 prodrug molnupiravir and its metabolite β-D-N4-hydroxycytidine across the blood-placenta barrier</strong> - BACKGROUND: Molnupiravir is an orally bioavailable prodrug of the nucleoside analogue β-D-N4-hydroxycytidine (NHC) and is used to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the pharmacokinetics and transplacental transfer of molnupiravir in pregnant women are still not well understood. In the present study, we investigated the hypothesis that molnupiravir and NHC cross the blood-placenta barrier into the fetus.</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>Self-Assembly Properties of an Amphiphilic Phosphate Ester Prodrug Designed for the Treatment of COVID-19</strong> - PF-07304814 is a water-soluble phosphate ester prodrug of a small molecule inhibitor for the SARS CoV-2 3CL protease designed for the treatment of COVID-19. The amphiphilicity and self-assembly behavior of the prodrug was investigated computationally and experimentally via multiple orthogonal techniques to better design formulations for intravenous infusion. The self-assembly of PF-07304814 into micellar structures enabled an increase in the solubility of lipophilic impurities by up to 1900x in…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SARS-CoV-2 hijacks neutralizing dimeric IgA for nasal infection and injury in Syrian hamsters</strong> - ABSTRACTPrevention of robust severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in nasal turbinate (NT) requires in vivo evaluation of IgA neutralizing antibodies. Here, we report the efficacy of receptor binding domain (RBD)-specific monomeric B8-mIgA1 and B8-mIgA2, and dimeric B8-dIgA1, B8-dIgA2 and TH335-dIgA1 against intranasal SARS-CoV-2 challenge in Syrian hamsters. These antibodies exhibited comparable neutralization potency against authentic virus by competing with…</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>Novel computational and drug design strategies for inhibition of monkeypox virus and <em>Babesia microti</em>: molecular docking, molecular dynamic simulation and drug design approach by natural compounds</strong> - CONCLUSION: These advanced computational strategies reported that 11 lead compounds, including dieckol and amentoflavone, exhibited high potency, excellent drug-like properties, and no toxicity. These compounds demonstrated strong binding affinities to the target enzymes, especially dieckol, which displayed superior stability during molecular dynamics simulations. The MM/PBSA method confirmed the favorable binding energies of amentoflavone and dieckol. However, further in vitro and in vivo…</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>Reflections on access to care for heavy menstrual bleeding: Past, present, and in times of the COVID-19 pandemic</strong> - The symptom of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) affects at least a quarter of reproductive-age menstruators. However, given the variance in diagnosing the underlying causes, barriers, and inequity in access to care for HMB, and therefore reporting of HMB, this figure is likely to be a gross underestimate. HMB can have a detrimental impact on quality of life. From the limited reports available it is estimated that around 50%-80% of people with HMB do not seek care for this debilitating symptom, and…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Inhibition by components of <em>Glycyrrhiza uralensis</em> of 3CLpro and HCoV-OC43 proliferation</strong> - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). 3CLpro is a key enzyme in coronavirus proliferation and a treatment target for COVID-19. In vitro and in silico, compounds 1-3 from Glycyrrhiza uralensis had inhibitory activity and binding affinity for 3CLpro. These compounds decreased HCoV-OC43 cytotoxicity in RD cells. Moreover, they inhibited viral growth by reducing the amounts of the necessary proteins (M, N,…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>An engineered recombinant protein containing three structural domains in SARS-CoV-2 S2 protein has potential to act as a pan-human coronavirus entry inhibitor or vaccine antigen</strong> - The threat to global health caused by three highly pathogenic human coronaviruses (HCoV), SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, calls for the development of pan-HCoV therapeutics and vaccines. This study reports the design and engineering of a recombinant protein designated HR1LS. It contains 3 linked molecules, each consisting of three structural domains, including a heptad repeat 1 (HR1), a central helix (CH), and a stem helix (SH) region, in the S2 subunit of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein. It was…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Structural-Based Virtual Screening of FDA-Approved Drugs Repository for NSP16 Inhibitors, Essential for SARS-COV-2 Invasion Into Host Cells: Elucidation From MM/PBSA Calculation</strong> - NSP16 is one of the structural proteins of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) necessary for its entrance to the host cells. It exhibits 2’O-methyl-transferase (2’O-MTase) activity of NSP16 using methyl group from S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) by methylating the 5-end of virally encoded mRNAs and shields viral RNA, and also controls its replication as well as infection. In the present study, we used in silico approaches of drug repurposing to target and inhibit the SAM…</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>Invalidation of geraniin as a potential inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2 main protease</strong> - Recently, geraniin has been identified as a potent antiviral agent targeting SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). Considering the potential of geraniin in COVID-19 treatment, a stringent validation for its Mpro inhibition is necessary. Herein, we rigorously evaluated the in vitro inhibitory effect of geraniin on Mpro using the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), fluorescence polarization (FP), and dimerization-dependent red fluorescent protein (ddRFP) assays. Our data indicate that…</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The End of Legacy Admissions Could Transform College Access</strong> - After the fall of affirmative action, liberals and conservatives want to eliminate benefits for children of alumni. Could their logic lead to reparations? - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-end-of-legacy-admissions-could-transform-college-access">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Mind-Bending World of Trump, His Indictments, and the 2024 Election</strong> - After weathering the former President’s assaults in late 2020 and early 2021, the American justice system, and its commitment to the rule of law, is about to be tested again. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-mind-bending-world-of-trump-his-indictments-and-the-2024-election">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Death of a Ukrainian Writer</strong> - Victoria Amelina was a gifted novelist who put fiction aside to devote herself to documenting the atrocities of Putin’s war. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-death-of-a-ukrainian-writer-victoria-amelina">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Legacy of the El Paso Shooting</strong> - Four years after twenty-three people were murdered by a white nationalist, Texas Republicans continue to speak about an immigrant invasion. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-legacy-of-the-el-paso-shooting">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>What the Webb Space Telescope Will Show Us Next</strong> - The astrophysicist Jane Rigby talks about the beauty of space, the possibility of life on other planets, and how the Webb sees hidden parts of the universe. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/what-the-webb-space-telescope-will-show-us-next">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>You don’t need to be rich to work with a financial planner</strong> -
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<img alt="An illustration of two hands holding an American dollar sign and a light bulb." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/C49W7xJqnh4PaONGzBGIFbHqPiY=/0x188:4929x3885/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72527738/GettyImages_1324377024.0.jpg"/>
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Getty Images/iStockphoto
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
What to know about the people who can help manage and grow your money — including how they get paid.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MPp1Hk">
My relationship with money has been one of intimacy. From the moment I began earning it, I preferred to keep my precious dollars where I could see them: easily accessible in my wallet or a bank, no cent left unaccounted. I probably would’ve stored all of my money in a sock under my mattress if such a practice wasn’t frowned upon. It should come as no surprise that I did not have a retirement account nor a credit card until well into my 20s.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="y6FaAJ">
Recognizing my relatively unsophisticated attitude toward saving, my tax preparer suggested I work with a financial planner in 2020. I wasn’t the stereotypical high-earning professional who I suspected frequented these financial experts; I was a full-time freelancer, one who did not make a ton of money, at that. But I wasn’t saving for retirement. Whatever cash I did have in savings wasn’t earning any interest.
</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RCtFZC">
Three years later, I have a <a href="https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-sponsor/simplified-employee-pension-plan-sep">SEP IRA</a>, a <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/what-is-how-to-open-brokerage-account">brokerage account</a> — both set up and managed by my financial planner — and a home, whose down payment came from the funds (and accrued interest) from the brokerage account. While I am still far from the savviest with money, working with a financial adviser helped bolster my confidence. If you’re considering the assistance of an expert when it comes to your cash, here’s what I wished I knew before sitting down with a financial planner myself.
</p>
<h3 id="QdIWU1">
What do financial planners do?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RPbMtF">
There are two commonly used terms for financial professionals: financial advisers and financial planners. Financial adviser is a generic term for anyone who gives financial advice, says wealth adviser and certified financial planner <a href="https://access-wealth.com/member/levan-leo-chubinishvili-cfp/">Leo Chubinishvili</a>. <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/types-financial-advisors">Financial advisers</a> could be insurance brokers, stock or bond brokers, or a financial coach.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gBQ1WH">
Financial planners look at a client’s finances more holistically and help them manage their money and set financial goals for the future through detailed plans. They can assist with investing, retirement planning, life insurance, and budgeting. They are often certified by the <a href="https://www.cfp.net/">CFP Board</a> and will have passed an exam. “Some people may not know what to do with their money,” says <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/author/elizabeth-ayoola">Elizabeth Ayoola</a>, a <a href="https://www.vox.com/personal-finance">personal finance</a> expert at NerdWallet. “That’s where a financial planner can come in and guide you along that process and give you advice about how to invest, advice on how to protect your money.” Ayoola recommends working with a financial planner over an adviser.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6QIE3O">
The financial planners will look at their client’s cash, assets, debt, and budget, ask them what their goals and values are, evaluate their financial well-being, and develop a plan, which may include investment, retirement savings, or life insurance planning. They’ll provide specific recommendations like “your investment portfolio should be invested this way because your time horizon is this long and your risk tolerance at this level,” Chubinishvili says. Financial planners will then monitor the plan and suggest adjustments based on changing goals and life circumstances, like buying a house, having children, or even, in my case, a pandemic. You’ll give them access to bank accounts to make trades or move money into different accounts.
</p>
<h3 id="VBkhLq">
Do I need a financial planner?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZnhSo0">
Perhaps you aren’t sure what your financial goals are or, like me, feel you don’t make enough money to warrant paying a pro for assistance. If you’re young and have fairly straightforward financial goals, like saving for retirement and have a retirement plan through your employer, you might not need to work with a financial planner, Ayoola says. Maybe you don’t want to actively invest and are looking for a lower-cost option. <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/roboadvisor-roboadviser.asp">Robo-advisers</a> — an automated digital investment platform, like <a href="https://www.betterment.com/">Betterment</a> and <a href="https://www.wealthfront.com/">Wealthfront</a> — can also be a good option, according to Ayoola. “You can put in what your goals are, what you want to achieve, and it automates everything for you and does all the work for you,” she says. “For people who don’t want to stress, don’t want to think about or keep checking their portfolio, robo-advisers can be a great alternative.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aYjpeJ">
But for people who are closer to retirement, have more complex finances (maybe you’re a freelancer or are combining finances with your spouse), or need a little assistance investing, a financial planner can help. “It’s not always just about having money,” says certified financial planner <a href="https://www.brightinvestments.com/team/stacy-miller">Stacy Miller</a> of Bright Investments and a member of the <a href="https://www.napfa.org/">National Association of Professional Finance Advisors</a> Advisor Bureau. “It’s about a prospect not having the knowledge that they need. They need the advice. They need the expertise and the experience, and the planner is going to show them how to get that future financial security.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2z4KZt">
Age and income shouldn’t deter anyone from working with a financial planner. While most of his clients are older, Chubinishvili recently began working with a woman in her early 20s, developing a plan to allocate money to retirement savings, another savings account, and a brokerage account.
</p>
<h3 id="56jHTm">
How do I find a financial planner?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2313tF">
Experts agree the best way to find a financial planner is through a referral. Ask your family and friends if they work with a pro they’d recommend. My accountant referred me to my financial planner.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2X5nGN">
You can also search for a certified financial planner via <a href="https://www.letsmakeaplan.org/find-a-cfp-professional?limit=10&amp;pg=1&amp;sort=random&amp;latitude=39.9195&amp;longitude=-75.1565&amp;location_name=Philadelphia%2C%20PA%20US&amp;distance=5">online directories of CFPs</a> or other <a href="https://www.napfa.org/">financial advisers</a> to find one near you, though some may work with clients remotely, too.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yAxh7A">
To help narrow down a search, decide if you want to work with a planner of a specific race, ethnicity, or gender. Always read reviews and check their qualifications as well: that they’re, ideally, a CFP, that they don’t have any disciplinary actions against them, and their investing strategy. You can find this info online by searching the individual and the firm on the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s <a href="https://brokercheck.finra.org/search/genericsearch/grid">BrokerCheck</a> program and the <a href="https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/search/genericsearch/grid">Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5veGd5">
Chubinishvili suggests working with a financial planner who is a <a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-a-fiduciary-en-1769/">fiduciary</a>, meaning they have a legal responsibility to act in your best interest, not their own. If you can’t determine if they’re a fiduciary from their website, just ask them. Chubinishvili also recommends independent advisers who don’t work with bigger companies who may have products or services they’re trying to sell.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2IMIfq">
Before entering into an agreement with a financial planner, schedule an introductory call to determine their style and whether it aligns with your goals — and your gut feeling. Ask them about their investing philosophy and how they’ve worked with other clients. After your first meeting, evaluate how well they were able to answer your questions or break concepts down into digestible terms. Did their investment strategy align with your financial goals? Do they have a process for ending relationships with clients? Can you trust and connect with them? Because they have access to your money, this should be a person you can have faith in.
</p>
<h3 id="LOYwsS">
How do financial planners get paid?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Jle2vm">
Financial planners get paid in one of two pay structures: fee-only and commission-based. Fee-only planners charge a flat fee for an hourly rate or a consistent percentage of the assets they manage for you, Ayoola says. <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/articles/basics/04/022704.asp">Commission-based planners</a> earn money when they sell a product, like insurance packages and mutual funds. “That can add up over time,” Ayoola says, “and the ideal thing is to keep costs low, because that money that you are paying extra on commissions could go towards investing or saving.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eW4x5X">
Some financial planners may say they are “fee-based,” which Miller says is not the same as fee-only. Fee-based advisers may charge a flat fee but they can also receive commissions. “which means that the likelihood that they are also a fiduciary is very unlikely,” she says. “It’s hard to do what’s in the best interest of your client if you’re getting commission for making that choice.”
</p>
<h3 id="HvnFzh">
How involved should I be with my financial planner?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Zp99A8">
Your financial needs will dictate how often you’ll want to meet with your planner. If you’re nearing retirement or you came into an inheritance, you might want to meet with your financial planner more than someone who is at the beginning of their career and wants to start investing, Ayoola says. At the minimum, you should check in with your financial planner <a href="https://www.letsmakeaplan.org/financial-topics/articles/wealth-management/how-often-should-i-meet-with-my-certified-financial-planne-professional">once a year</a> to review your investments, budget, and how close you are to meeting your goals.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3D1Z8X">
If you’re a more hands-off client, you can choose a financial planner solely for their advice, not the implementation of it, Miller says. “They say, here’s your advice, here’s what you need to do for investments, for retirement, or tax planning, estate planning.” You take that advice and run with it.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RLBl9e">
Should you want to end the relationship, check your contractual agreement with your planner to ensure you’re following proper protocol, Ayoola says. If there’s no set process, Chubinishvili says you can simply find another adviser and let your new one handle the transfer of information and accounts. You can also call your adviser and ask them to remove themselves as users authorized to move money from your accounts. “Now you just have a brokerage or retirement account,” Chubinishvili says. “And it’s self-managed.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PhcGh2">
Just make sure you have a plan and advice for separating from your financial adviser, Miller says; you don’t want to face any taxes or penalties because you weren’t aware. For example, if you’re under 59-and-a-half years old and you pull all of your money out of a retirement account managed by an adviser you no longer want to work with, you will be taxed on that money and receive a penalty from the IRS.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="51GvRF">
Ultimately, these financial pros take a big-picture look at your financial life and goals and make suggestions based on where you are and where you want to be. Whether you’re a fledgling freelancer like I was, or an established professional with multiple investments, there’s utility in having a money person in your corner to answer all your calls and emails about interest and down payments.
</p></li>
<li><strong>The US has a new Covid-19 strain on the rise. Meet Eris.</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="People walking on a sidewalk, one dangling a disposable face mask from their hand." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/60pTdwBFx9oYQso4dPeNtlWzT1Q=/347x0:5894x4160/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72527665/1489205268.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
What “Eris” tells us about the future of the pandemic
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tPQFqA">
In the latest data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Covid-19 hospitalizations rose <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home">12.5 percent</a> between July 23 and July 29. Overall, they have been increasing since <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_weeklyhospitaladmissions_7dayeddiagnosed_00">July 1</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1jeQeS">
And in the last week, there was a <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#wastewater-surveillance">10 percent increase</a> in locations reporting their highest levels of SARS-CoV-2 ever in sewage wastewater (and that’s despite a decrease in the number of cities reporting the virus in their wastewater).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qJOm8s">
This is all to say: Covid-19 appears to be making a comeback. And what’s more, this summer uptick coincides with (but <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/covid-variant-eg5-california-18282920.php">may not be caused by</a>) a new dominant strain of the virus taking hold in the US. It’s called EG.5, <a href="https://twitter.com/TRyanGregory/status/1687784077577928704?s=20">unofficially nicknamed Eris</a>, and the CDC estimates it’s <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions">causing</a> 17.3 percent of current Covid-19 cases in the country. And it’s on the rise: Since the beginning of July, EG.5’s prevalence has increased 9.8 percent.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iVVtyB">
The EG.5 variant descended from the omicron variant, which <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/one-year-since-the-emergence-of-omicron#:~:text=It%20was%2026%20November%202021,of%20the%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic.">caused an explosive outbreak</a> in late 2021 and early 2022. Still, the World Health Organization (WHO) <a href="https://www.who.int/activities/tracking-SARS-CoV-2-variants">cites</a> EG.5 as a variant “under monitoring” and not one of “interest” or “concern.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="h0yAa7">
Infectious disease experts tell Vox the new strain is worth paying attention to, but are cautious in saying how concerned we should be.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zyQiyc">
“Although the EG.5 variant apparently has a slight competitive advantage [over other strains] — and we’ve seen the number of cases go up slightly and the number of hospitalizations go up slightly — I don’t think there’s any reason to expect a massive wave like we saw with omicron,” said Rebecca Wurtz, an <a href="https://www.vox.com/infectious-disease">infectious disease</a> physician and a professor of health policy and management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Dqe8RX">
A new Covid-19 variant understandably puts a country ravaged by the virus on edge, but compared to the last three summers, Covid-19’s impact on the health care system in the US remains low.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7l0HID">
As of now, if people keep up with prevention efforts, they should be able to stay safe, Ruth McDermott-Levy, a professor at the Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing at Villanova University, told Vox.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xFZlM8">
“I think we should be a little more alert,” McDermott-Levy said of the new variant. There are several reasons it’s unlikely to cause as bad of an outbreak as past variants. “But I think continue to be vigilant and pay attention.”
</p>
<h3 id="8Npx4p">
How severe and contagious is EG.5?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LJpH85">
The <a href="https://www.vox.com/22851808/omicron-symptoms-covid-19-vaccine-mild-variant">symptoms</a> of EG.5 don’t appear to differ much from other omicron subvariants. Infected individuals <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2023/08/07/eris-covid-variant-spread-symptoms-treatment/70543283007/">report</a> cough, fever, chills, shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, loss of taste or smell, and headaches, among other symptoms.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="z5oHcs">
The WHO <a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/who-adds-omicron-eg5-variant-monitoring-global-covid-markers-decline-further">reports</a> that EG.5 is not resulting in more cases or deaths than its predecessor, the XBB strain of omicron.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uj7d3Q">
But it’s possibly more contagious than other strains.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="J5ktZ7">
“The fact that [EG.5] is emerging quickly suggests that it does have some slight competitive advantage,” said Wurtz.<strong> </strong>This advantage is likely that it’s slightly more contagious or more capable of evading existing immunity, but, she added, more data is needed to confirm.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MMLRoi">
The good news is that this strain likely won’t cause as big of a wave as past variants, said Maureen Miller, an epidemiologist with the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. That’s because there’s more widespread immunity to SARS-CoV-2 either from vaccines or natural infection. But still, not everyone is equally protected, depending on when they were last vaccinated or exposed. “The bad news is that these protections wane,” she added. Given <a href="https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/covidnet/covid19_5.html">winter waves</a> of Covid-19 have historically been the largest, it’s vital that people check to see if they are <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html#:~:text=Everyone%206%20years%20and%20older,any%20original%20COVID%2D19%20vaccines.">up-to-date with their boosters</a>.
</p>
<h3 id="fE8R8b">
The hurdles to understanding EG.5
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QMv6K5">
While EG.5 does not appear to make people more ill, the reason for its prominence remains a mystery. Scientists do have genetic sequence data on EG.5 and have zeroed in on some of the mutations that set it apart from past variants, but they don’t know “exactly why this mutation confers an advantage,” Wurtz said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Z7g8ot">
One hurdle to understanding EG.5’s reach is the fact that there’s less outbreak data than earlier in the pandemic. As of August 8, the CDC <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions">only published</a> NowCast estimates of the proportion of Covid-19 variants in areas in New York and the western and southeastern US. In the past (even as recently as<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions"> early July</a>), data was available for much of the US.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pOoHvY">
“As of May 11, the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/end-of-phe.html#:~:text=May%2011%2C%202023%2C%20marks%20the,to%20the%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic.">emergency response to Covid was lifted</a> and that reduces funding” for the pandemic response, said McDermott-Levy. She noted that an increase in at-home testing could be contributing to the under-reporting. Also, she says, people might just be “tired” of Covid and therefore aren’t reporting cases. “But we’re reminded it’s not going to go away just because we’re tired of it.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SbqJ4c">
Thankfully, we’re not totally in the dark. The US has adopted some new approaches to understanding emerging strains, and “we have wastewater monitoring, which is a fantastic way to get a nonvoluntary, at-home sample of the entire population,” said Wurtz.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="21pEg4">
Wastewater surveillance involves states, cities, and tribal health departments <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#wastewater-surveillance">testing wastewater</a> for the presence and prevalence of the Covid-19 virus and reporting this data to the CDC. Despite some variance, overall there has been a rise in the areas reporting increasing rates of Covid-19 in their wastewater since early June.
</p>
<h3 id="L0u9Wo">
How to protect yourself
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="j7AsIx">
Across the country, people have started returning to pre-pandemic ways, but McDermott-Levy, who is currently recovering from a Covid-19 infection she got from a family gathering, says the current upswing in cases is a reminder that we need to remain cautious.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XFi5WZ">
“In retrospect, for my own case, I would have asked family members to test before they came. I used to do that,” she said. She also recommends practicing health habits, such as giving up smoking, to ensure your immune system is as strong as possible in case of infection.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6D3x4B">
All of the same Covid-19 prevention methods <a href="https://www.vox.com/even-better/2022/12/23/23516609/tripledemic-covid-flu-rsv-tips">still apply</a>. And the same groups are at highest risk for severe infection; the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html">elderly</a>, those with compromised immune systems, and those with chronic diseases, said Miller.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ciFaN8">
People should wear an N-95 mask, social distance when possible in public spaces, and keep up-to-date on vaccines and boosters. Soon, a new Covid-19 vaccine formula will be available. It’s specifically designed to protect against the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/06/27/covid-updated-booster-vaccine-xbb-fall/">XBB subvariants</a> (EG.5 descends from XBB) and will hopefully work to reduce the severity of EG.5 infections, said McDermott-Levy.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2nQ5Mo">
These shots are especially important given the upcoming back-to-school and winter seasons. There is an under-discussed seasonality to Covid-19 infections that lines up with weather patterns, said Miller. “When it’s too cold outside, people are inside. When it’s too hot outside, people are inside,” she said. Because the virus thrives in spaces where people are in close proximity, this is a problem.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aQEpEk">
Unfortunately, EG.5 and other future variants are merely a piece of the post-Covid world, but we do have the technology needed to track the virus’s rapid evolution. And that’s helpful, despite there being less data on Covid-19 cases overall.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4w9rCj">
“It’s important to pay attention, but also not to get extremely worried about each new variant,” said Wurtz. “This is the way it’s going to be and always has been with viruses, but we just didn’t have the ability to track [the genetics] the way we do now.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="I9toPL">
Scientists will learn more about this variant. In the meantime, being a little more Covid-vigilant can help.
</p></li>
<li><strong>Is Zoom using your meetings to train its AI?</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A person having a videoconference with a doctor." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UUAuS_ym6Utk_xDDeLbLxBGeHhw=/171x0:5504x4000/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72527649/GettyImages_1404721213.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
A vaguely worded terms of service update made a lot of people think their private meetings were being used to feed Zoom’s AI machine. | David Espejo/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Zoom returns to the office — and to its problematic privacy ways.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SLi60O">
The week isn’t even half over and it’s already been a bad one for Zoom, the videoconferencing service that boomed during the pandemic. It’s facing yet another privacy scandal, this time over its use of customer data to train <a href="https://www.vox.com/2023/4/28/23702644/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning-technology">artificial intelligence</a> models. And its recent demand that its employees return to the office is a bad sign for the completely <a href="https://www.vox.com/remote-work">remote work</a> life that Zoom’s eponymous product tried to help make possible.
</p>
<aside id="11Ax3K">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LzCCKx">
Yes, the company that became <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/21726260/zoom-microsoft-teams-video-conferencing-post-pandemic-coronavirus">synonymous with videoconferencing</a> at a time when seemingly everyone was remote is now saying that maybe not everything can be done apart. It’s not just Zoom that’s doing this — there is a <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/10/12/23400496/remote-work-from-home-office-boss-manager-hypocrisy">larger trend</a> of companies <a href="https://www.vox.com/technology/2023/5/15/23721410/return-to-office-remote-work-commercial-real-estate">calling their employees back</a> to the office after months or years of working from home — but it seems particularly ironic in this case.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pR8T3x">
Now, Zoom’s not making everyone come back all the time. Its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zoom-tells-employees-return-to-office-remote-work-video-conferencing-2023-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">recent memo</a> to employees says that everyone who lives within 50 miles of a Zoom office will have to work out of it at least twice a week. This “structured hybrid approach,” the company said in a statement to Vox, “is most effective for Zoom.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="53fDcy">
“We’ll continue to leverage the entire Zoom platform to keep our employees and dispersed teams connected and working efficiently,” the company added.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CBNboR">
It’s not the best look when a company that relies on people doing as many things remotely as possible wants its employees to do some things together. If even Zoom, the company that helped Make Remote Work Possible, doesn’t want its employees to work remotely all the time, it might be time to <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2023/07/zoom-video-meeting-wave-goodbye/674776/">Zoom wave</a> away your dreams of working from home every day.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0lhcAU">
Lots of people are still using Zoom, of course. But the company has fallen back down to Earth as more people went outside and needed Zoom less. Its <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/ZM">stock price</a> is back to roughly where it was before the pandemic; it expressed concern in its most recent <a href="https://investors.zoom.us/static-files/50e0c380-f4bd-4a16-80e3-da56b64017ce">annual report</a> that it will not be able to convert enough of its large free user base to paid subscribers to remain profitable. Like <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2023/1/31/23579841/tech-worker-layoffs-industry-startups">many tech companies</a>, Zoom had a <a href="https://blog.zoom.us/a-message-from-eric-yuan-ceo-of-zoom/">round of layoffs</a>, cutting 1,300 <a href="https://www.vox.com/labor-jobs">jobs</a> — 15 percent of its workforce — in February. It has more competition from <a href="https://www.vox.com/google">Google</a> Meet and <a href="https://www.vox.com/microsoft">Microsoft</a> Teams and even <a href="https://www.vox.com/slack">Slack</a>, which would all surely love to lure Zoom’s considerable user base away from it for good. But it remains profitable. Just not as profitable as it was, and for understandable and predictable reasons.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dRFAta">
Even so, you’d think it wouldn’t want to risk upsetting a user base that now has plenty of other options by sneaking a line into its terms of service that taps into a widespread fear: that generative AI will replace us, very much helped along by the data we’ve <a href="https://www.vox.com/technology/2023/7/27/23808499/ai-openai-google-meta-data-privacy-nope">unknowingly provided</a>. And yet, that’s exactly what Zoom did.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DRMrLA">
The company released an updated and greatly expanded TOS <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230506063541/https://explore.zoom.us/en/terms/">at the end of March</a>. Companies do this all the time and almost no one takes the time to read them. But Alex Ivanovs, of Stack Diary, did take the time to read it. On Sunday, he <a href="https://stackdiary.com/zoom-terms-now-allow-training-ai-on-user-content-with-no-opt-out/">wrote about</a> how Zoom had used the TOS update to give itself what appeared to be some pretty far-reaching rights over customers’ data, and to train its machine learning and artificial intelligence services on that data. That, Ivanovs believed, could include training AI off of Zoom meetings — and there was no way to opt out of it.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="plOVdw">
Here’s what the TOS says, emphasis ours:
</p>
<blockquote>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bmZWWE">
You agree that Zoom compiles and may compile Service Generated Data based on Customer Content and use of the Services and Software. You consent to Zoom’s access, use, collection, creation, modification, distribution, processing, sharing, maintenance, and storage of Service Generated Data for any purpose, to the extent and in the manner permitted under applicable Law, including for the purpose of product and service development, marketing, analytics, quality assurance, <strong>machine learning or artificial intelligence (including for the purposes of training and tuning of algorithms and models)</strong>, training, testing, improvement of the Services, Software, or Zoom’s other products, services, and software, or any combination thereof, and as otherwise provided in this Agreement.
</p>
</blockquote>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yg2xKN">
You can see why Ivanovs thought that Zoom wanted to use customer data and content to train its AI models, as that’s exactly what it seems to be telling us. His article was picked up and <a href="https://twitter.com/BiellaColeman/status/1688332659108257792">tweeted out</a>, which caused an understandable panic and backlash from people who feared that Zoom would be training its generative AI offerings on <a href="https://twitter.com/jeff_byrd/status/1688536125994860545">private company meetings</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/rumdood/status/1688396113353850880">telehealth visits</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Raging_Natural/status/1688585463387275264">classes</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/joshkeaton/status/1688588277643898880">voice-over</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/forcefivepod/status/1688363171051167744">podcast</a> recordings. The idea of Zoom watching and ingesting therapy sessions to create AI-generated images is a privacy violation in more ways than one.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TcHNME">
That’s probably, however, not what Zoom is actually doing. The company responded with a small update to its TOS, adding: “Notwithstanding the above, Zoom will not use audio, video or chat Customer Content to train our artificial intelligence models without your consent.” It also put up a <a href="https://blog.zoom.us/zooms-term-service-ai/">blog post</a> that said it was just trying to be more transparent with its users that it collects “service generated data,” which it uses to improve its products. It gave a few examples of this that seem both innocuous and standard. It also promoted its <a href="https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/16269138857229-How-Zoom-IQ-free-trial-features-handle-your-data-">new generative AI features</a>, which it does use customer content to train on only after obtaining consent from the meeting’s administrator.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="p3UzhD">
But the fact remains that Zoom’s initial TOS wording left it open to be interpreted in the creepiest way possible, and, after a <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/3/31/21201019/zoom-coronavirus-privacy-hacks">series of privacy and security missteps</a> over the years, there’s little reason to give Zoom the benefit of the doubt.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zCewYH">
Quick summary: Zoom was <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2020/11/ftc-requires-zoom-enhance-its-security-practices-part-settlement">dinged by the FTC</a> in 2020 for claiming that it offered end-to-end <a href="https://www.vox.com/encryption">encryption</a>, which it didn’t, and for secretly installing software that bypassed Safari’s security measures and made it hard for users to delete Zoom from their computers. It’s under a consent order for the next 20 years for that. Zoom also paid out <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/22/zoom-settlement-zoombombing-lawsuit">$85 million</a> to settle a class action lawsuit over <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/3/31/21201019/zoom-coronavirus-privacy-hacks">Zoombombing</a>, where trolls join unsecured meetings and usually show sexually explicit, racist, or even illegal imagery to an unsuspecting audience. It was caught sending user data to <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7e599/zoom-ios-app-sends-data-to-facebook-even-if-you-dont-have-a-facebook-account">Meta</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/technology/zoom-linkedin-data.html">LinkedIn</a>. Oh, and it <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/30/21242421/zoom-300-million-users-incorrect-meeting-participants-statement">played fast and loose</a> with its user numbers, too.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wDinsk">
There’s also still a question, even after Zoom tried to clear things up, of what counts as Customer Content and what counts as service generated data, which it’s given itself permission to use.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ltlh9r">
“By its terms, it’s not immediately clear to me what is included or excluded,” Chris Hart, co-chair of the privacy and <a href="https://www.vox.com/privacy">data security</a> practice at law firm Foley Hoag, said. “For example, if a video call is not included in Customer Content that will be used for AI training, is the derivative transcript still fair game? The <a href="https://explore.zoom.us/en/products/online-whiteboard/">whiteboard</a> used during the meeting? The <a href="https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/213756303-Conducting-polls-in-meetings">polls</a>? Documents uploaded and shared with a team?” (Zoom did not respond to a request for comment on those questions.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uAef9H">
Ivanovs, the author of the blog post that brought all of this to light, wasn’t satisfied with Zoom’s explanation either, noting in an update to his post that “those adjustments … [don’t] do much in terms of privacy.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cvP198">
So, yeah, not a great few days for Zoom, although it remains to be seen just how damaging this is to the company in the long run. The fact is, Zoom isn’t the only company that people have real fears about when it comes to its use of AI and how it trains its models. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which is trying to insert itself into as many business offerings as possible, was trained off of customer data obtained through its API until, OpenAI said, it realized that customers <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/05/sam-altman-openai-wont-tap-into-customer-apis.html">really don’t like that</a>. There are still concerns over what it does with what people put directly into ChatGPT, and many companies have <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/technology/this-tech-giant-accidentally-just-leaked-sensitive-info-to-chatgpt">warned employees</a> not to share sensitive data with the service because of this. And Google recently had its own brush with social media backlash over how it collects training data; you might have read about that <a href="https://www.vox.com/technology/2023/7/27/23808499/ai-openai-google-meta-data-privacy-nope">in this very newsletter</a> just a few weeks ago.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3tKOCW">
“I do think the reaction to Zoom’s terms changes reflects the concerns that people are generally having over the potential dangers to individual privacy given the increasing ubiquity of AI,” Hart said. “But the changes to the terms themselves signal the increasing and likely universal business need to organically grow AI technologies.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6pB3Rb">
He added: “To do that, though, you need a lot of data.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SMxKLz">
<em>A version of this story was also published in the Vox technology newsletter. </em><a href="https://www.vox.com/pages/newsletters"><em><strong>Sign up here</strong></em></a><em> so you don’t miss the next one!</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>Ooh La La, Antilope, Forty Niner and Chiraag 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>Swift and Floyd 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>Jyothi Surekha sets her sights on Asian Games gold</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>Bhavani Yadav clinches bronze medal in long jump at World Universities Games in Chengdu-China</strong> - Bhavani Yadav is a student of Alvas Education Foundation’s Sports Adoption Scheme in Moodbidri</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>WI vs India, T20I | Two losses won’t change long term plans, says Hardik Pandya</strong> - With this win, India has managed to keep the series alive by 2-1.</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>Karnataka: Businessman found murdered in Hassan</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>India succeeds in reducing emissions rate by 33% over 14 years: sources</strong> - Recently, India has also been trying to promote green hydrogen, manufactured by splitting water molecules using renewable energy.</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: Special postal cover released on Savara tribal community in Srikakulam district</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>Haryana violence | BJP delegation visits Nuh to meet admin officials, AAP stopped</strong> - A seven-member delegation of Aam Aadmi Party’s Haryana unit was stopped by police just before they entered Rewasan village under Rojka Meo Police Station area</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>Here are the big stories from Karnataka today</strong> - Welcome to the Karnataka Today newsletter, your guide from The Hindu on the major news stories to follow today. Curated by Nalme Nachiyar.</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>Forty-one migrants die in shipwreck off Italy</strong> - Forty-one migrants died in a shipwreck off the Italian island of Lampedusa, survivors tell local media.</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>Nine bodies found after fire at France holiday home</strong> - Two others are feared dead after the blaze at a lodging hosting people with learning disabilities.</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>Portugal battles wildfires amid third heatwave of the year</strong> - Temperatures in excess of 40C are expected to hit much of the Iberian peninsula this week.</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>Russia’s new schoolbook aims to justify war on Ukraine</strong> - The book makes numerous false claims and portrays Ukraine as an aggressive state run by nationalists.</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>Marseille police officers arrested over death during rioting</strong> - Mohamed Bendriss may have died after being hit by a police weapon during the unrest earlier this summer.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>NASA’s Artemis II crew meets their Moonship</strong> - NASA’s Orion spacecraft is taking a bit longer to prepare for its first crew flight. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1959800">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>New LG TVs relegate I/O to a box you can set 30 feet from the screen</strong> - Wireless-ish—but TV and port box still need power cords. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1959663">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Florida man gets unexplained leprosy case; doctors suspect local soil</strong> - Leprosy is not very contagious, and the CDC has not issued a travel advisory. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1959775">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Author discovers AI-generated counterfeit books written in her name on Amazon</strong> - Amazon resisted a removal request, citing lack of “trademark registration numbers.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1959662">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>With new Game Controller app, Netflix games move from mobile to the TV</strong> - The streamer promises you’ll be able to use it to play games on your TV soon. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1959645">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>A truck filled with Worcestershire sauce and a truck filled with quinoa crashed in front of the local charcuterie shop.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
When asked by reporters what had happened a witness replied, “Well… it’s kind of hard to say…”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Thegreatscott9"> /u/Thegreatscott9 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/15m1tot/a_truck_filled_with_worcestershire_sauce_and_a/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/15m1tot/a_truck_filled_with_worcestershire_sauce_and_a/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A guy says to his wife “gimme a blowjob.”</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
She says “Honey, could you PLEASE be bit a bit more romantic?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
He says “gimme a blowjob in the rain.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/skinnergy"> /u/skinnergy </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/15lvup0/a_guy_says_to_his_wife_gimme_a_blowjob/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/15lvup0/a_guy_says_to_his_wife_gimme_a_blowjob/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Black Guy, a Japanese guy, a Chinese Guy, an Arab, a Turk and a second Black guy walk into a bar</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The Arab guy sits down at the bar and subsequently, he gets served first.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The bartender says, “what’ll it be?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The Arab guy says to him, “I think I’ll get a Mich Ultra. Nothing too high calorie; I’m actually trying to lose a few pounds for the upcoming charity 5k next month.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The bartender looks at him and says, “well that’s all well and good, but I don’t see why you need to bring races into this.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Jane69_420"> /u/Jane69_420 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/15lxash/a_black_guy_a_japanese_guy_a_chinese_guy_an_arab/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/15lxash/a_black_guy_a_japanese_guy_a_chinese_guy_an_arab/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>John was at the grocery store buying beer for poker night with his buddies</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
When he is in the frozen food section a voluptuous redhead approaches him and says:
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Excuse me, I think you are the father of one of my kids”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
John replied: “ohhh, we’re you that redhead that I banged in the bathroom at Shannon’s a couple of years back?, you certainly look good”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The redhead replied: “No sir…, I’m a kindergartner teacher and I teach Timmy, your 5 year old son…”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/GlomerulaRican"> /u/GlomerulaRican </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/15m4ro0/john_was_at_the_grocery_store_buying_beer_for/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/15m4ro0/john_was_at_the_grocery_store_buying_beer_for/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A guy boards an airplane to Detroit and makes his way to his seat where he notices the guy sitting next to him looks very worried. He asks him if he’s afraid of flying.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“No, my company is moving me to Detroit. I’ve heard terrible things about Detroit; I’m worried about my family.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The guy tells him, “Look, it’s not at all like the rumors. I’ve lived in Detroit my whole life. Find a nice home in a nice suburb, get your kids into a decent school, the community is great… you’ll be fine, trust me.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The other guy seems to perk up and says, “Hey, thanks man, you’ve really calmed my nerves, I feel better. So what do you do in Detroit?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“I’m a tail-gunner on a Bud Light truck…”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Make_the_music_stop"> /u/Make_the_music_stop </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/15lchhz/a_guy_boards_an_airplane_to_detroit_and_makes_his/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/15lchhz/a_guy_boards_an_airplane_to_detroit_and_makes_his/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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