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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>How to run behavioural experiments online: best practice suggestions for cognitive psychology and neuroscience</strong> -
<div>
The combination of a replication crisis, global COVID-19 pandemic, and recent technological advances have accelerated the on-going transition of research in cognitive psychology and behavioural neuroscience to the online realm. When participants cannot be tested in-person in the laboratory, data of acceptable quality can be collected online still. While conducting research online has many advantages and generic advice on their infrastructure and implementation exists, numerous pitfalls can hinder researchers addressing their research question appropriately or even result in unusable data. Here, we present detailed best practice suggestions that span the range from initial study design to the final interpretation of the data. These suggestions take a critical look at issues regarding the recruitment of typical and (sub)clinical samples, their comparison, and the importance of context dependency for each part of a study. We illustrate our suggestions by means of a recent online study investigating cognitive working memory skills in adult dyslexia.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/nt67j/" target="_blank">How to run behavioural experiments online: best practice suggestions for cognitive psychology and neuroscience</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Lockdown Lives: A longitudinal study of inter-relationships amongst feelings of loneliness, social contacts and solidarity during the COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020.</strong> -
<div>
We examine how social contacts and feelings of solidarity shape experiences of loneliness during the COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020. From the PsyCorona database, we obtained longitudinal data from 23 countries, collected between March and May 2020. Results demonstrated that, although online contacts help to reduce feelings of loneliness, people who feel more lonely are less likely to use that strategy. Solidarity played only a small role in shaping feelings of loneliness during lockdown. Thus, it seems we must look beyond the current focus on online contact and solidarity to help people address feelings of loneliness during lockdown. Finally, online contacts did not function as a substitute for face-to-face contacts outside the home - in fact, more frequent online contact in earlier weeks predicted more frequent face-to-face contacts in later weeks. As such, this work provides relevant insight into how individuals manage the impact of restrictions on their social lives.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/hx5kt/" target="_blank">Lockdown Lives: A longitudinal study of inter-relationships amongst feelings of loneliness, social contacts and solidarity during the COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Hydrogel-based slow release of a receptor-binding domain subunit vaccine elicits neutralizing antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
<div>
The development of effective vaccines that can be rapidly manufactured and distributed worldwide is necessary to mitigate the devastating health and economic impacts of pandemics like COVID-19. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which mediates host cell entry of the virus, is an appealing antigen for subunit vaccines because it is efficient to manufacture, highly stable, and a target for neutralizing antibodies. Unfortunately, RBD is poorly immunogenic. While most subunit vaccines are commonly formulated with adjuvants to enhance their immunogenicity, we found that clinically-relevant adjuvants Alum, AddaVax, and CpG/Alum were unable to elicit neutralizing responses following a prime-boost immunization. Here we show that sustained delivery of an RBD subunit vaccine comprising CpG/Alum adjuvant in an injectable polymer-nanoparticle (PNP) hydrogel elicited potent anti-RBD and anti-spike antibody titers, providing broader protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern compared to bolus administration of the same vaccine and vaccines comprising other clinically-relevant adjuvant systems. Notably, a SARS-CoV-2 spike-pseudotyped lentivirus neutralization assay revealed that hydrogel-based vaccines elicited potent neutralizing responses when bolus vaccines did not. Together, these results suggest that slow delivery of RBD subunit vaccines with PNP hydrogels can significantly enhance the immunogenicity of RBD and induce neutralizing humoral immunity.
</div>
<div class="article-link article- html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.31.437792v3" target="_blank">Hydrogel-based slow release of a receptor-binding domain subunit vaccine elicits neutralizing antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Opaganib in COVID-19 pneumonia: Results of a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2a trial</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Rationale: Opaganib, an oral sphingosine kinase-2 inhibitor with antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, was shown to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro. We thus considered that opaganib could be beneficial for moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of opaganib on supplemental oxygen requirements, time to hospital discharge and its safety in COVID-19 pneumonia hospitalized patients requiring supplemental oxygen. Methods: This Phase 2a, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, was conducted between July and December 2020 in eight sites in the USA. Forty-two enrolled patients received opaganib (n=23) or placebo (n=19) added to standard of care for up to 14 days and were followed up for 28 days after their last dose of investigational product. Main Results: By Day 14, 50.0% of patients in the opaganib and 22.2% in the placebo group no longer required supplemental oxygen for at least 24 hours, while 86.4% and 55.6%, respectively, were discharged from hospital. The relative decrease in total supplemental oxygen requirement from baseline to Day 14 was 61.6% in the opaganib versus 46.7% in the placebo arms. The incidence of ≥ Grade 3 treatment-emergent adverse events was 17.4% and 33.3% in the opaganib and placebo groups, respectively. Three deaths occurred in each group. Conclusions: In this proof-of-concept study, patients receiving oral opaganib required less supplemental oxygen, resulting in earlier hospital discharge, with no safety concerns arising. These findings support further evaluation of opaganib in this population.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article- html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.23.21262464v1" target="_blank">Opaganib in COVID-19 pneumonia: Results of a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2a trial</a>
</div></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Role of Emotion in Child Maltreatment Risk during the COVID-19 Pandemic</strong> -
<div>
Purpose: Preliminary research early in the COVID-19 pandemic suggested children appeared to be at increased risk for child maltreatment, particularly as parents struggled with mental health and economic strains. To identify the potential affective elements that may contribute to such increased maltreatment risk, the current study focused on whether maternal worry about children’s behavior specifically and maternal anger were related to increased risk for neglect or physical or psychological aggression six months into the pandemic. Method: The racially diverse sample included 193 mothers who completed an online survey during late September-early October 2020. Results: Mothers’ reported increases in neglect and physical and psychological aggression during the pandemic were significantly related with established measures of maltreatment risk. Furthermore, path models indicated that maternal anger and worry about children’s behavior, as well as their interaction, were significantly related to indicators of physical aggression risk and neglect during the pandemic, but only maternal anger related to increased psychological aggression during the pandemic. Conclusions: Maternal worry and anger about children’s behavior may be exacerbating risk for maltreatment under the stressful conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings suggest affective reactions of both parental worry and anger focused on child behavior warrants greater empirical attention and consideration in intervention efforts.
</div></li>
</ul>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/cgznf/" target="_blank">Role of Emotion in Child Maltreatment Risk during the COVID-19 Pandemic</a>
</div>
<ul>
<li><strong>Young children’s ability to make predictions about novel illnesses</strong> -
<div>
Understanding disease transmission is a complex problem highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These studies test whether 3- to 6-year-old children in the United States use information about social interactions to predict disease transmission. Before and during COVID-19, children predicted illness would spread through close interactions. Older children outperformed younger children, with no associations between task performance and pandemic experience. Children did not predict that being hungry or tired would similarly spread through close interactions. Participants include 196 3—6-year-olds (53% girls, 47% boys; 68% White, 9% Black, 7% Asian, 6% Hispanic or Latinx), with medium-sized effects (d=0.6, ηp2=0.3). These findings suggest that thinking about social interaction supports young children’s predictions about illness, with noted limitations regarding children’s real-world avoidance of disease-spreading behaviors.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/6s3c8/" target="_blank">Young children’s ability to make predictions about novel illnesses</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>The effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in preventing severe illness and death- real-world data from a cohort of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: Due to the unprecedented speed of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development, their efficacy trials and issuance of emergency use approvals and marketing authorizations, additional scientific questions remain that need to be answered regarding vaccine effectiveness, vaccination regimens and the need for booster doses. While long-term studies on the correlates of protection, vaccine effectiveness, and enhanced surveillance are awaited, studies on breakthrough infections help us understand the nature and course of this illness among vaccinated individuals and guide in public health preparedness. Methods: This observational cohort study aimed at comparing the differences in clinical, biochemical parameters and the hospitalization outcomes of 53 fully vaccinated individuals with those of unvaccinated (1,464) and partially vaccinated (231) individuals, among a cohort of 2,080 individuals hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: Completing the course of vaccination protected individuals from developing severe COVID-19 as evidence by lower proportions of those with hypoxia, abnormal levels of inflammatory markers, requiring ventilatory support and death compared to unvaccinated and partially vaccinated individuals. There were no differences in these outcomes among patients who received either vaccine type approved in India. Conclusion: With a current rate of only 9.5% of the Indian population being fully vaccinated, efforts should be made to improve the vaccination rates as a timely measure to prepare for the upcoming waves of this highly transmissible pandemic. Vaccination rates of the communities may also guide in the planning of the health needs and appropriate use of medical resources.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.26.21262705v1" target="_blank">The effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in preventing severe illness and death- real-world data from a cohort of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Integrating Health Behavior Theories to Predict COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance: Differences between Medical Students and Nursing Students</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Abstract Background: This study aimed to explore behavioral-related factors predicting the intention of getting a COVID-19 vaccine among medical and nursing students using an integrative model combining the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among medical and nursing students aged &gt; 18 years in their clinical years in Israel between 27 August and 28 September 2020. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to predict acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine. Results: A total number of 628 participants completed the survey. Medical students expressed higher intentions of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 than nursing students (88.1% vs. 76.2%, p &lt; 0.01). The integrated model based on HBM and TPB was able to explain 66% of the variance (adjusted R2 = 0.66). Participants were more likely to be willing to get vaccinated if they reported higher levels of perceived susceptibility, benefits, barriers, cues to action, attitude, self-efficacy and anticipated regret. Two interaction effects revealed that male nurses had a higher intention of getting vaccinated than did female nurses and that susceptibility is a predictor of the intention of getting vaccinated only among nurses. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that both models considered (i.e., HBM and TPB) are important for predicting the intention of getting a COVID-19 vaccine among medical and nursing students, and can help better guide intervention programs, based on components from both models. Our findings also highlight the importance of paying attention to a targeted group of female nurses, who expressed low vaccine acceptance. Keywords: SARS Coronavirus; Health Belief Model; healthcare workers; Theory of Planned Behavior; vaccine acceptance
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.18.21257416v2" target="_blank">Integrating Health Behavior Theories to Predict COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance: Differences between Medical Students and Nursing Students</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>A Community-Based Participatory Research to Assess the Feasibility of Ayurveda Intervention in Patients with Mild- to-Moderate COVID-19</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Innovative strategies are required to manage COVID-19 in the communities. Back to Roots was a collaborative, community-based pilot intervention project in the British Asian community. To assess the efficacy and safety of Ayurveda intervention in relieving symptoms of mild-to-moderate COVID-19, a community based participatory research framework was used. Twenty-eight patients were enrolled with confirmed COVID-19 clinical stages of mild-to-moderate COVID-19, symptomatic, and between 20 to 70 years of age. Routine management was followed by all patients managing at home, additionally patents taking Ayurveda intervention for 14 consecutive days. The efficacy and safety of Ayurveda intervention were evaluated. There were suggestions of Ayurveda9s advantage in improved symptoms relief, clinical recovery in 7 days. However, a control group was not included but data triangulations from separate usual care found the difference statistically significant. Ayurveda intervention may potentially have a beneficial effect on patients with COVID‐19, especially for those with mild to moderate symptoms. A further definitive large‐scale clinical trial is necessary.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.20.21250198v2" target="_blank">A Community-Based Participatory Research to Assess the Feasibility of Ayurveda Intervention in Patients with Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Comparison of Antibody Levels in Response to SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Vaccination Type in a Midwestern Cohort</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
We present preliminary data in an ongoing observational study reporting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein reactive antibody levels from a convenience cohort of over 200 individuals in Kansas City. We observe stable antibody levels over 11 months in individuals who recovered from COVID19 infection caused by SARS-CoV-2. Our data revealed higher-than recovered levels from naive individuals vaccinated with Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and similar-to recovered levels from Johnson &amp; Johnson (J&amp;J) recipients. For all vaccines, inoculation after recovery resulted in higher antibody levels than vaccination alone. Responses to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines decreased over time from high initial levels but at the time of publication remain higher than those for recovered or J&amp;J recipients. Within our limited cohort we did not see strong demographic trends other than higher antibody levels in recovered female individuals.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.16.21262036v2" target="_blank">Comparison of Antibody Levels in Response to SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Vaccination Type in a Midwestern Cohort</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>County-Level Estimates of Excess Mortality associated with COVID-19 in the United States</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. has been largely monitored on the basis of death certificates containing reference to COVID-19. However, prior analyses reveal that a significant percentage of excess deaths associated with the pandemic were not directly assigned to COVID-19. Methods: In the present study, we estimate a generalized linear model of expected mortality in 2020 based on historical trends in deaths by county of residence between 2011 and 2019. We use the results of the model to generate estimates of excess mortality and excess deaths not assigned to COVID-19 for 1,470 county-sets in the U.S. representing 3,138 counties. Results: During 2020, more than one- fourth of U.S. residents (91.2 million) lived in counties where less than 75% of excess deaths were assigned to COVID-19. Across the country, we estimated that 439,698 excess deaths occurred in 2020, among which 86.7% were assigned to COVID-19. Some regions (Mideast, Great Lakes, New England, and Far West) reported the most excess deaths in large central metros, whereas other regions (Southwest, Southeast, Plains, and Rocky Mountains) reported the highest excess mortality in nonmetro areas. The proportion assigned to COVID-19 was lowest in large central metro areas (79.3%) compared to medium or small metros (87.4%), nonmetro areas (89.4%) and large fringe metros (95.2%). Regionally, the proportion of excess deaths assigned to COVID-19 was lowest in the Southeast (81.1%), Far West (81.2%), Southwest (82.6%), and Rocky Mountains (85.2%). Across the regions, the number of excess deaths exceeded the number of directly assigned COVID-19 deaths in the majority of counties. The exception to this was in New England, which reported more directly assigned COVID-19 deaths than excess deaths in large central metro areas, large fringe metros, and medium or small metros. Conclusions: Across the U.S., many counties had substantial numbers of excess deaths that were not accounted for in direct COVID-19 death counts. Estimates of excess mortality at the local level can inform the allocation of resources to areas most impacted by the pandemic and contribute to positive protective behavior feedback loops (i.e. increases in mask-wearing and vaccine uptake).
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.23.21255564v5" target="_blank">County-Level Estimates of Excess Mortality associated with COVID-19 in the United States</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Predicting mortality in SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) positive patients in the inpatient setting using a Novel Deep Neural Network</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background The second-wave of CVOID-19 pandemic is anticipated to be worse than the initial one and will strain the healthcare systems even more during the winter months. Our aim was to develop a machine learning-based model to predict mortality using the Neo-V framework. We hypothesized this novel machine learning approach could be applied to COVID-19 patients to predict mortality successfully and high accuracy. Methods The current Deep-Neo-V model is built on our previously statistically rigorous machine learning framework [Fahad-Liaqat-Ahmad Intensive Machine (FLAIM) framework] that evaluates the statistically significant risk factors, generate new combined variables and then supply these risk factors to deep neural network to predict mortality in RT-PCR positive COVID-19 patients in the inpatient setting. We analyzed adult patients (≥18 years) admitted to the Aga Khan University Hospital with a working diagnosis of COVID-19 infection (n=1228). We excluded patients that were negative on COVID-19 on RT-PCR, had incomplete or missing health records. The first phase selection of risk factor was done using Cox-regression univariate and multivariate analyses. In the second phase, we generated new variables and tested those statistically significant for mortality and in the third and final phase we applied deep neural networks and other traditional machine learning models like Decision Tree Model, k-nearest neighbor models and others. Results A total of 1228 cases were diagnosed as a COVID-19 infection, we excluded 14 patients after the exclusion criteria and (n=)1214 patients were analyzed. We observed that several clinical and laboratory-based variables were statistically significant for both univariate and multivariate analyses while others were not. With most significant being septic shock (hazard ratio [HR], 4.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.91-6.37), supportive treatment (HR, 3.51; 95% CI, 2.01-6.14), abnormal international normalized ratio (INR) (HR, 3.24; 95% CI, 2.28-4.63), admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) (HR, 3.24; 95% CI, 2.22-4.74), treatment with invasive ventilation (HR, 3.21; 95% CI, 2.15-4.79) and laboratory lymphocytic derangement (HR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.6-4.86). Machine learning results showed our DNN (Neo-V) model outperformed all conventional models (Neo-V) and Deep-FLAIM models with test set accuracy of 99.53%, sensitivity of 89.87%, and specificity of 95.63%; positive predictive value, 50.00%; negative predictive value, 91.05%; and area under the curve of the receiver-operator curve of 88.5. Conclusion Our novel Deep-Neo-V model outperformed all other machine learning models. The model is easy to implement, user friendly and with high accuracy.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.13.20247254v3" target="_blank">Predicting mortality in SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) positive patients in the inpatient setting using a Novel Deep Neural Network</a>
</div></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>State- and County-Level COVID-19 Public Health Orders in California: Constructing a Dataset and Describing Their Timing, Content, and Stricture</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Without vaccines, non-pharmaceutical interventions have been the most widely used approach to controlling the spread of COVID-19 epidemics. Various jurisdictions have implemented public health orders as a means of reducing effective contacts and controlling their local epidemics. Multiple studies have examined the effectiveness of various orders (e.g. use of face masks) for epidemic control. However, orders occur at different timings across jurisdictions and some orders on the same topic are stricter than others. We constructed a county-level longitudinal data set of more than 2,400 public health orders issues by California and its 58 counties pertaining to its 40 million residents. First, we describe methods used to construct the dataset that enables the characterization of the evolution over time of California state- and county-level public health orders dealing with COVID-19 from January 1, 2020 through June 30,</p></div></li>
</ul>
<ol start="2021" type="1">
<li>Public health orders are both an interesting and important outcome in their own right and also a key input into analyses looking at how such orders may impact COVID-19 epidemics. To construct the dataset, we developed and executed a search strategy to identify COVID-19 public health orders over this time period for all relevant jurisdictions. We characterized each identified public health order in terms of the timing of when it was announced, went into effect and (potentially) expired. We also adapted an existing schema to describe the topic(s) each public health order dealt with and the level of stricture each imposed, applying it to all identified orders. Finally, as an initial assessment, we examined the patterns of public health orders within and across counties, focusing on the timing of orders, the rate of increase and decrease in stricture, and on variation and convergence of orders within regions.
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"></p>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.08.20224915v8" target="_blank">State- and County-Level COVID-19 Public Health Orders in California: Constructing a Dataset and Describing Their Timing, Content, and Stricture</a>
</div></li>
</ol>
<ul>
<li><strong>Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with lymphoid malignancies</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
ABSTRACT Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection results in high mortality rates in patients with hematologic malignancies. Persistent and/or recurrent COVID-19 has not yet been demonstrated in this population. We identified patients with B-cell lymphomas as having a particularly high risk for persistent SARS-CoV-2 positivity. Subsequent analysis of patients with lymphoid malignancies and COVID-19 identified discrete risk factors for severity of primary infection as compared to disease chronicity. Active therapy and diminished T-cell counts were key drivers of acute mortality in lymphoma patients with COVID-19 infection. Conversely, B-cell depleting therapy was the primary driver of re-hospitalization for COVID-19. In patients with persistent SARS-CoV-2 positivity, we observed high levels of viral entropy consistent with intrahost viral evolution, particularly in patients with impaired CD8+ T-cell immunity. These results suggest that persistent COVID-19 infection is likely to remain a risk in patients with impaired adaptive immunity and that additional therapeutic strategies are needed to enable viral clearance in this high-risk population. Statement of Significance We establish persistent symptomatic COVID-19 infection as a novel clinical syndrome in patients with lymphoid malignancies and identify B-cell depletion as the key immunologic driver of persistent infection. Furthermore, we demonstrate ongoing intrahost viral evolution in patients with persistent COVID-19 infection, particularly in patients with impaired CD8+ T-cell immunity.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article- html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.25.21262417v1" target="_blank">Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with lymphoid malignancies</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Antibodies anti-SARS-CoV2 time-course in patients and vaccinated subjects: an evaluation of the harmonization of two different methods</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The time-course of antibodies anti SARS-CoV2 is not yet well elucidated, especially in people who underwent a vaccination campaign. In this study we measured antibodies anti-S1 and anti-RBD with two different methods both in patients and in vaccinated subjects. 108 specimens from 48 patients diagnosed as COVID-19 affected (time from the onset of symptoms from 3 to 368 days) and 60 specimens from 20 vaccinated subjects (collected after 14 days from the first dose, 14 days and 3 months after a second dose of Comirnaty) were evaluated. We used an ELISA method that measure IgG against anti-Spike 1 and a chemiluminescence immunoassays that measure IgG anti-RBD. In the patients, antibodies concentrations tend to decline after a few months with both methods, but persist relatively high up to nearly a year after symptoms. In vaccinated subjects, antibodies were already detectable after the first dose, but after the booster they show a significant increase. However, the decrease is rapid, given that after 3 months after the second vaccination they are reduced to less than a quarter. The conversion of the results into BAU units improves the relationship between the two methods. However, in vaccinated subjects there was no evidence of proportional error after the conversion, while in the patients the difference between the two methods remained significant.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.28.21262543v1" target="_blank">Antibodies anti-SARS-CoV2 time-course in patients and vaccinated subjects: an evaluation of the harmonization of two different methods</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 III Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Proxalutamide (GT0918) in Hospitalized Subjects With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: GT0918;   Drug: Standard of care;   Drug: Matching placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Suzhou Kintor Pharmaceutical Inc,<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Study of PF-07321332/Ritonavir in Non-hospitalized Low-Risk Adult Participants With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: PF-07321332;   Drug: Ritonavir;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Pfizer<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Targeting de Novo Pyrimidine Biosynthesis by Leflunomide for the Treatment of COVID-19 Virus Disease</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: leflunomide<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:  <br/>
Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust<br/><b>Active, not recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Andrographis Paniculata vs Boesenbergia Rotunda vs Control in Asymptomatic COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Andrographis Paniculata;   Drug: Boesenbergia;   Other: Standard supportive treatment<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Mahidol University;   Ministry of Health, Thailand<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>Efficacy of PJS-539 for Adult Patients With COVID-19.</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Covid19;   COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: PJS-539 Dose 1;   Drug: PJS-539 Dose 2;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Hospital do Coracao;   Covicept<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>Enhancing COVID Rehabilitation With Technology</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Behavioral: NexJ Connected Wellness;   Other: Usual Care<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   University of Ottawa;   Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR);   Ottawa Hospital Research Institute<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 I/II Clinical Trial of Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Sf9 Cells) in Children and Adolescents</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cells);   Other: Placebo control<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   WestVac Biopharma Co., Ltd.;   West China Hospital<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Treatment of Covid-19 With a Herbal Compound, Xagrotin</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Combination Product: Xagrotin<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:  <br/>
Biomad AS;   Directorate of health of Sulaimani, Iraq -KRG<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>Philippine Trial to Determine Efficacy and Safety of Favipiravir for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Combination Product: Favipiravir + Standard of Care;   Procedure: Standard of Care<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   University of the Philippines;   Department of Health, Philippines<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Evaluation of the Effects of Bradykinin Antagonists on Pulmonary Manifestations of COVID-19 Infections (AntagoBrad- Cov Study).</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: C1 Inhibitor Human;   Drug: Icatibant Injection;   Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   GCS Ramsay Santé pour l’Enseignement et la Recherche<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>Combination of Dietary Supplements Curcumin, Quercetin and Vitamin D for Early Symptoms of COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Standard of care;   Dietary Supplement: combination of curcumin, quercetin and Vitamin D<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Ayub Teaching Hospital<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Evaluation of Safety and Immunogenicity of a Novel Vaccine for Prevention of Covid-19 in Adults Previously Immunized</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: A vaccine composed of a recombinant S1 antigen<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Hospital do Coracao;   Farmacore Biotecnologia Ltda<br/><b>Withdrawn</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>Preventive Dendritic Cell Vaccine, AV-COVID-19, in Subjects Not Actively Infected With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: AV-COVID-19<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:  <br/>
Aivita Biomedical, Inc.;   PT AIVITA Biomedika Indonesia;   Kariadi Hospital;   Central Army Hospital RSPAD Gatot Soebroto<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>Phase 3 Clinical Study Evaluating Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (NONS) Efficacy To Treat and Prevent the Exacerbation of Infection in Individuals With Documented Asymptomatic or Mild COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: to be given as a treatment<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:  <br/>
Salmaniya Medical Complex<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>A Phase I Study to Determine Safety and Immunogenicity of the Candidate COVID-19 Vaccine AZD1222 Delivered by Aerosol in Healthy Adult Volunteers</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Covid19;   SARS-CoV-2 Infection<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: 1x10^9 vp AZD1222;   Biological: 5x10^9 vp AZD1222;   Biological: 1x10^10 vp AZD1222<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Imperial College London;   University of Oxford;   AstraZeneca<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>Identification of Natural Inhibitors Against SARS-CoV-2 Drugable Targets Using Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, and MM-PBSA Approach</strong> - The present study explores the SARS-CoV-2 drugable target inhibition efficacy of phytochemicals from Indian medicinal plants using molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and MM-PBSA analysis. A total of 130 phytochemicals were screened against SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S)-protein, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), and Main protease (M^(pro)). Result of molecular docking showed that Isoquercetin potentially binds with the active site/protein binding site of the Spike, RdRP, and Mpro…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>An overview of potential inhibitors targeting non-structural proteins 3 (PL(pro) and Mac1) and 5 (3CL(pro)/M(pro)) of SARS-CoV-2</strong> - There is an urgent need to develop effective treatments for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in a global pandemic that has not only affected the daily lives of individuals but also had a significant impact on the global economy and public health. Although extensive research has been conducted to identify inhibitors targeting SARS-CoV-2, there are still no effective…</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>DAMPening COVID-19 Severity by Attenuating Danger Signals</strong> - COVID-19 might lead to multi-organ failure and, in some cases, to death. The COVID-19 severity is associated with a “cytokine storm.” Danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are proinflammatory molecules that can activate pattern recognition receptors, such as toll-like receptors (TLRs). DAMPs and TLRs have not received much attention in COVID-19 but can explain some of the gender-, weight- and age-dependent effects. In females and males, TLRs are differentially expressed, likely…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>In Silico Identification of MicroRNAs targeting the Key nucleator of Stress Granules, G3BP: Promising Therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2 Infection</strong> - Stress granules (SGs) are non-membrane ribonucleoprotein condensates formed in response to environmental stress conditions via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). SGs are involved in the pathogenesis of aging and aging-associated diseases, cancers, viral infection, and several other diseases. GTPase-activating protein (SH3 domain)-binding protein 1 and 2 (G3BP1/2) is a key component and commonly used marker of SGs. Recent studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein via…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>In silico molecular docking of SARS-CoV-2 surface proteins with microbial non-ribosomal peptides: identification of potential drugs</strong> - Outbreak of COVID-19 by SARS-CoV-2 infection caused severe acute respiratory syndrome that has been declared a public health emergency of international concern. To control infections, there is urgent need to develop an effective therapeutic strategy. COVID-19 viral spike glycoprotein and proteases play major role in viral entry and mediating virus replication and spread and thus can serve as potential antiviral drug target. Being highly specific, efficacious and safe, peptides hold their place…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>In silico screening of FDA approved drugs against ACE2 receptor: potential therapeutics to inhibit the entry of SARS-CoV-2 to human cells</strong> - An unknown coronavirus that emerged sometime at the end of 2019 in China, the novel SARS-CoV-2, now called COVID-19, has spread all over the world. Several efforts have been made to prevent or treat this disease, though not with success. The initiation of COVID-19 viral infection involves specific binding of SARS-CoV-2 to the host surface of the receptor, ACE2. The ACE2- SARS-CoV-2 complex then gets transferred into the endosomes where the endosomal acidic proteases cleave the S protein present…</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>Digital PCR can augment the interpretation of RT-qPCR Cq values for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics</strong> - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious, acute respiratory disease caused mainly by person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Its emergence has caused a world-wide acute health crisis, intensified by the challenge of reliably identifying individuals likely to transmit the disease. Diagnosis is hampered by the many unknowns surrounding this disease, including those relating to infectious viral burden. This uncertainty is exacerbated by disagreement surrounding 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>In vitro data suggest that Indian variant B.1.617 of SARS-CoV-2 escapes neutralization by both receptor affinity and immune evasion</strong> - CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.617, as well as the better-studied variants B.1.351 and P.1 (all containing a mutation at position E484) display increased transmissibility both due their higher affinity for the cell receptor ACE2 and their ability to partially bypass immunity generated against the wild-type virus. For variant B.1.36 (with a point mutation at position N440), only increased affinity seems to play a role.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Efficacy and Safety of Favipiravir in Moderate COVID-19 Pneumonia Patients without Oxygen Therapy: A Randomized, Phase III Clinical Trial</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested favipiravir may be one of options for moderate COVID-19 pneumonia treatment. However, the risk of adverse events, including hyperuricemia, should be carefully considered.</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>Suppressive Monocytes Impair MAIT Cells Response via IL-10 in Patients with Severe COVID-19</strong> - Immune cell responses are strikingly altered in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the immunoregulatory process in these individuals is not fully understood. In this study, 23 patients with mild and 22 patients with severe COVID-19 and 6 asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 were enrolled, along with 44 healthy controls (HC). Peripheral immune cells in HC and patients with COVID-19 were comprehensively profiled using mass cytometry. We found that in patients with severe…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>All-Trans Retinoic Acid Exhibits Antiviral Effect against SARS-CoV-2 by Inhibiting 3CLpro Activity</strong> - The pandemic of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread despite the global efforts taken to control it. The 3C-like protease (3CLpro), the major protease of SARS-CoV-2, is one of the most interesting targets for antiviral drug development because it is highly conserved among SARS-CoVs and plays an important role in viral replication. Herein, we developed high throughput screening for SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitor based on AlphaScreen. We screened 91 natural product compounds and found…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Antiviral Activity of Umifenovir In Vitro against a Broad Spectrum of Coronaviruses, Including the Novel SARS-CoV-2 Virus</strong> - An escalating pandemic of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus is impacting global health, and effective antivirals are needed. Umifenovir (Arbidol) is an indole-derivative molecule, licensed in Russia and China for prophylaxis and treatment of influenza and other respiratory viral infections. It has been shown that umifenovir has broad spectrum activity against different viruses. We evaluated the sensitivity of different coronaviruses, including the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus, to umifenovir using in vitro…</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 Novel Frameshifting Inhibitor Having Antiviral Activity against Zoonotic Coronaviruses</strong> - Recent outbreaks of zoonotic coronaviruses, such as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), have caused tremendous casualties and great economic shock. Although some repurposed drugs have shown potential therapeutic efficacy in clinical trials, specific therapeutic agents targeting coronaviruses have not yet been developed. During coronavirus replication, a replicase gene cluster, including RNA-dependent RNA…</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>IFN-λ1 Displays Various Levels of Antiviral Activity In Vitro in a Select Panel of RNA Viruses</strong> - Type III interferons (lambda IFNs) are a quite new, small family of three closely related cytokines with interferon-like activity. Attention to IFN-λ is mainly focused on direct antiviral activity in which, as with IFN-α, viral genome replication is inhibited without the participation of immune system cells. The heterodimeric receptor for lambda interferons is exposed mainly on epithelial cells, which limits its possible action on other cells, thus reducing the likelihood of developing…</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>Non-Nucleotide RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Inhibitor That Blocks SARS-CoV-2 Replication</strong> - SARS-CoV-2 has caused an extensive pandemic of COVID-19 all around the world. Key viral enzymes are suitable molecular targets for the development of new antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 which could represent potential treatments of the corresponding disease. With respect to its essential role in the replication of viral RNA, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is one of the prime targets. HeE1-2Tyr and related derivatives were originally discovered as inhibitors of the RdRp of flaviviruses. Here,…</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Anti-Sars-Cov-2 Neutralizing Antibodies</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU333857732">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Expression Vector for Anti-Sars-Cov-2 Neutralizing Antibodies</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU333857737">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>DEVELOPMENT OF CNN SCHEME FOR COVID-19 DISEASE DETECTION USING CHEST RADIOGRAPH</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU333857177">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SARS-COV-2 BINDING PROTEINS</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU333402004">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A PROCESS FOR PREPARING MONTELUKAST SODIUM FOR TREATING COVID 19 PATIENTS</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU333857132">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>IDENTIFICATION OF ANTI-COVID 19 AGENT SOMNIFERINE AS INHIBITOR OF MPRO &amp; ACE2-RBD INTERACTION</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU333857079">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Deep Learning Based System For Detection of Covid-19 Disease of Patient At Infection Risk.</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU333857030">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>자외선살균등</strong> - 본 발명은 사람의 의복이나 사용한 마스크 등에 부착하여 있다 호흡기로 유입되어 감염을 유발할 수 있는 COVID-19와 같은 유해균류를 간편하게 살균하기 위한 휴대용 자와선살균등에 관한 것이다. 반감기가 길고 인체에 유해한 오존을 발생하지 않으면서 탁월한 살균능력이 있는 250~265nm(최적은 253.7nm) 파장의 자외선을 발광하는 자외선램프를 본 발명의 막대형의 자외선살균등 광원으로 사용하고 비광원부를 손으로 잡고 의복이나 사용한 마스크 등 유해균류가 부착되었을 것으로 의심되는 곳에 자외선을 조사하여 간편하게 유해균류를 살균하므로써 감염을 예방하기 위한 휴대용 자외선살균등에 관함 것이다. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=KR332958765">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Protein chip and kit for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 S antigen</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU333400883">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>桑黄和百蕊草复方作为新型冠状病毒治疗药物或抗病毒制剂的用途</strong> - 本发明公开了桑黄和百蕊草复方作为新型冠状病毒治疗药物或抗病毒制剂的用途。本发明提供了桑黄和百蕊草的应用：在制备治疗新型冠状病毒所致疾病的药物中的应用；在制备治疗新型冠状病毒感染的药物中的应用；在制备预防新型冠状病毒所致疾病的药物中的应用；在制备预防新型冠状病毒感染的药物中的应用；在制备新型冠状病毒抑制剂中的应用。发明人在前期研究发现桑黄和百蕊草具有抗新冠病毒的作用效果。进一步的，将百蕊草提取物与桑黄提取物组合使用，组合药物的毒性并没有增加，同时百蕊草有很强的抗炎作用，桑黄具有调节人体免疫力作用，这种组合药物对于治疗新冠肺炎病人是理想的选择药物。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN333965968">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Afghanistan, Again, Becomes a Cradle for Jihadism—and Al Qaeda</strong> - The terrorist group has outlasted the trillion-dollar U.S. investment in Afghanistan since 9/11. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/afghanistan-again-becomes-a-cradle-for-jihadism-and-al-qaeda">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Have You Already Had a Breakthrough COVID Infection?</strong> - The question of what “infection” means is just one of the riddles posed by the late-stage pandemic. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/science/medical-dispatch/have-you-already-had-a-breakthrough-covid-infection">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Meeting “the Other Side”: Conversations with Men Accused of Sexual Assault</strong> - In 2011, I helped launch a movement to aid survivors on college campuses. That meant I also had to think hard about the rights of those under scrutiny. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-activism/meeting-the-other-side-conversations-with-men-accused-of-%20sexual-assault">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Veterans Struggling to Save Afghan Allies</strong> - For many who served in Afghanistan, the flawed evacuation efforts have brought feelings of shame and betrayal. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-veterans-struggling-to-save-afghan-allies">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>U.S. Retaliation for the Kabul Bombing Won’t Stop ISIS or End Terrorism</strong> - The central flaw in U.S. strategy is the belief that military force can eradicate extremist groups or radical ideologies. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/us-retaliation-for-the-kabul-bombing-wont-stop-isis-or-end-%20terrorism">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Should vaccinated people worry about long Covid?</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Health care workers wearing masks and sitting listening to a concert." src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/_eow3UaYZ5OMBoZdOyArSnM0oRU=/42x0:2709x2000/1310x983/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69792461/GettyImages_1210874758_copy.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
There is still a lot about long Covid we don’t know, such as what causes it or why some people seem to develop long Covid symptoms while others don’t. | Patrick Baz/AFP via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Here’s what we know about long Covid — with some hope for the future.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iENaRW">
Over the past few months, experts and officials have tried to prepare the world for a future in which Covid-19 is here to stay. They predict the vaccines <a href="https://www.vox.com/22621760/covid-19-risk-delta-vaccines-provincetown-study">will by and large defang the virus</a>. There will still be a few cases of serious illness and death, but the coronavirus will be reduced to the level of a seasonal flu — a disease we’d be much better off without, but mild enough we won’t shut down society to fight it.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OucVGr">
But this optimistic vision has always left open a big question: What about long Covid?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vrtfKb">
Covid-19 is most known for causing acute illness, from a cough and fever to hospitalization and death. But in some cases it seems to cause longer-term complications, including breathing difficulties, fatigue, and brain fog, though the effects vary from person to person. While Covid-19 typically resolves in the span of weeks, long Covid can last at least months after an infection.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qfb7Lq">
“Without treatment, we’ve seen individuals who got sick in February or March of 2020 and are still sick and still extremely debilitated,” David Putrino, who’s treated long Covid patients at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York, told me.
</p>
<div class="c-float-right c-float-hang">
<div id="iROnCa">
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8ljt1X">
These long-term complications aren’t unique to the coronavirus; other viruses, including seasonal flu, <a href="https://www.vox.com/22298751/long-term-side-effects-covid-19-hauler-
symptoms">cause long-term symptoms</a> too, sometimes even similar ones. But as more people have been infected by the coronavirus, and more have subsequently developed long Covid, the long-term problems have received more attention.
</p></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZhazOZ">
So even in the context of a post-vaccine world, does long Covid makes the coronavirus too dangerous to live with? Can the world really treat it like a flu-level illness if it’s causing debilitating long-term problems for many?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NfvYWp">
The truth is there’s still a lot about long Covid we simply don’t know. We don’t know what causes it, or why some people seem to develop long Covid symptoms while others don’t. We don’t know with much precision how often long Covid occurs. We don’t know how variants of the virus, including <a href="https://www.vox.com/22547537/delta-coronavirus-variant-covid-19-vaccines-masks-lockdown">delta</a>, have altered the risk. We don’t even know if all the cases believed to be long Covid are actually caused by the coronavirus.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZgO7Cx">
Nor do we know much about breakthrough cases among vaccinated people leading to long Covid, though we know there have been some cases. The vaccines very likely help to prevent long Covid by reducing both the likelihood of infection and severity of illness, both of which are associated with long-term complications. “If you’re not getting infected with Covid, you’re not going to get long Covid,” Putrino said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MWR1na">
All of this uncertainty makes it difficult to make any kind of sweeping declarations about long Covid. But based on my conversations with experts, the best we can say goes something like this: Long Covid is relatively rare, especially among vaccinated people. It will likely become rarer over time, especially as more people get vaccinated and the population in general develops stronger immune defenses against the coronavirus.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3THbuS">
“The hope is that over time as more variants emerge, as we keep getting more booster vaccinations, [and] as our body becomes more accustomed to producing antibodies to this virus type, we’re going to see cases of long Covid reducing — to the point where it’s not really a thing anymore,” Putrino said. But he cautioned, “This is conjecture. We don’t know for sure.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="W3uhvJ">
It’s helpful, then, to view long Covid through two lenses: what the outlook is right now, in August 2021, and what it might look like in a few months or years. How worried you should be today if you’re vaccinated depends, like many things in the pandemic, on your own risk tolerance. But in the long term, there are some hopeful signs.
</p>
<h3 id="Dsdx7M">
What long Covid looks like now
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6dZ0z7">
There are some things about long Covid we do know. It’s a real medical problem, although its symptoms, severity, and duration vary from person to person. These symptoms aren’t permanent in all cases — potentially not <em>any</em> of them — but they can last for a year or more. And <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/18/opinion/long-covid-treatment.html">some treatments</a>, part of a nascent and growing field of medicine, can potentially cut down the symptoms’ duration.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TZ5QHm">
Most cases of Covid-19 don’t lead to long Covid. The <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/news/statementsandletters/theprevalenceoflongcovidsymptomsandcovid19complications">limited</a> <a href="https://www.fairhealth.org/press-release/nineteen-percent-of-asymptomatic-covid-19-patients-develop-long-haul-
covid">data</a> so far suggests 10 to 25 percent of adults infected with Covid-19 might develop long Covid (although experts advise a lot of caution in interpreting those numbers since the data here isn’t of great quality).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="h0lM30">
While we don’t know what causes long Covid, there are <a href="https://www.vox.com/22369734/long-hauler-
covid-vaccine">some theories</a> — all speculative for now. One possibility is that lingering reservoirs of the virus or fragments of it continue to wreak havoc in the body. Another is that long Covid is part of the body’s healing process after fighting off the coronavirus. Yet another is that, because the SARS-CoV-2 virus is novel to humans, it can lead to a long-lasting overreaction by the immune system.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EK8NcZ">
A major unknown is if all the detected long Covid cases are even caused by the coronavirus, given that some of the people who present long-term symptoms <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/18/opinion/long-covid-treatment.html">test negative for Covid-19 and related antibodies</a>. Experts don’t deny that the symptoms are real, but it’s also possible that psychosocial circumstances or other pathogens could be behind some cases.
</p>
<div class="c-float-right c-float-hang">
<aside id="OKXymq">
<q>“The problem is that we know very little about how frequently breakthrough infections lead to long Covid” —Akiko Iwasaki</q>
</aside>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5ARj5W">
Many viruses, like seasonal flu, <a href="https://www.vox.com/22298751/long-
term-side-effects-covid-19-hauler-symptoms">can cause long-hauler symptoms</a>. One study in <em>Pathogens</em> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8233978/">suggested</a> some long Covid cases may be due to reactivations of the Epstein-Barr virus that causes mononucleosis. (When I was in high school, I lost months to fatigue due to recurring mono.) So some people showing up at the doctor’s office with long Covid could have “long flu,” mono, or another disease entirely. “It’s hard to say,” Putrino acknowledged.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="S4MkKu">
Long Covid remains a unique threat right now for two reasons: There’s still a lot of coronavirus out there, as the country deals with a recent surge driven by the delta variant. And compared to pathogens like the flu, fewer people have immune defenses built up against the virus, likely boosting the chances of developing Covid-19 and then long Covid compared to the risk of suffering long-term complications from the flu.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lnTuyT">
The good news: These risks can be mitigated with vaccines.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OIsPuI">
The vaccines cut the chances of getting infected by the coronavirus in the first place. To the extent long Covid cases are caused by the virus, that means fewer cases of long Covid. The delta variant and waning efficacy have complicated this, increasing the risk someone is infected with the virus even after vaccination — potentially necessitating booster shots. But the vaccines still offer some protection against the risk of any infection.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zAGs46">
The vaccines also offer protection against severe disease. This protection has so far held up against the delta variant and despite concerns about waning efficacy: <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7034e1.htm">Multiple</a> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7034e2.htm">studies</a> have found the vaccines are still around 90 percent effective against hospitalization or worse, both during delta’s spread and months after the shots are administered. A <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7034e5.htm">recent study</a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found unvaccinated people are 29 times as likely to be hospitalized with Covid-19 than fully vaccinated people.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Zlqk83">
That’s especially important because long Covid also seems much more likely to develop in people who had severe cases of Covid-19. A <a href="https://www.fairhealth.org/press-release/nineteen-
percent-of-asymptomatic-covid-19-patients-develop-long-haul-covid">study</a> analyzing private health care claims, by the nonprofit FAIR Health, found that hospitalized Covid-19 patients were almost twice as likely as patients who weren’t hospitalized but were symptomatic to develop “post-Covid conditions.” Patients without symptoms were even less likely to develop longer-term conditions than those with symptoms, although it did happen in some cases.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/2XykHfXXNiUKuyPt2U5jzHA6p1A=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22809498/GettyImages_1233213258_copy.jpg"/> <cite>NurPhoto via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
A woman waits outside a vaccination hub in Terlizzi, Italy. Long Covid risks can be mitigated with vaccines.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wLC6pQ">
So to the extent that the vaccines make you less likely to get sick in the first place, and much less likely to get severely ill if you do get sick, they reduce your chance of getting long Covid. If you do get sick, though, there’s a lot we don’t know.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4eZIsh">
Some breakthrough infections can lead to long Covid, as one <em>New England Journal of Medicine</em> <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2109072">study</a> tracking Israeli health care workers found. But that study also found the overall prevalence was low: Among nearly 1,500 fully vaccinated health care workers who were exposed to the coronavirus or had related symptoms, just seven, of 39 breakthrough infections, reported persistent symptoms after more than six weeks.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vmFERZ">
Still, that’s one estimate from a small study looking at a somewhat narrow time period. “The problem is that we know very little about how frequent breakthrough infections lead to long Covid,” Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at the Yale School of Medicine, told me.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ta3xbM">
Perhaps the best that can be said is the vaccines likely help, probably significantly, but it’s unclear just how much. Given that, and the spread of the delta variant, some experts say it makes sense for those worried about long Covid to remain cautious and mitigate exposure even after getting the vaccine, at least for now.
</p>
<h3 id="D8eBLz">
What long Covid might look like in the future
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YOQIZ3">
Moving forward, there are some reasons to be hopeful about long Covid.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="I5x6Nh">
For one, the Covid-19 pandemic will end. Through vaccination, natural infection, or both, the population will continue to build immunity against the coronavirus. Over time, this buildup will turn into a bulwark against SARS-CoV-2 — one that may not stop the virus from spreading entirely (experts expect the virus will instead become endemic, meaning it will still circulate as illnesses like colds and the flu do), but will at least reduce the number of infections and especially cut down on the most severe outcomes, like hospitalization and death.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="X9gaAJ">
Those population-level defenses will mean fewer infections and less severe illness, both of which will translate to fewer cases of long Covid over time.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YkIo9T">
Putrino offered an optimistic, albeit speculative, possibility: If long Covid is caused by an overreaction from an undeveloped immune system to a novel coronavirus, then the steady buildup of immunity and continued exposure to the virus over time could help reduce the risk of long Covid. In that case, the remaining incidents of Covid-19 as the virus turns endemic may be less likely to lead to long Covid.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PLYdFP">
“We need to focus on being a little more patient,” Putrino argued. “A year and a half feels like a long time. But in terms of how long it takes for our bodies to change and adapt to things, it’s a very short amount of time.”
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/EA1IIUD2dkG5RgouMa7O51oKyi0=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22809529/GettyImages_1231789523_copy.jpg"/> <cite>Christophe Archambault/AFP via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
A Covid-19 patient at the pneumology unit of a hospital in Paris, France.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rQvAuM">
We’ll also hopefully learn much more about long Covid going forward. That may help with prevention, such as techniques or treatments to stop Covid-19 from leading to long Covid. It could also help with the treatment of long Covid, potentially reducing its severity or duration. (This will require taking long Covid seriously — something medical and research communities <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/08/long-
haulers-covid-19-recognition-support-groups-symptoms/615382/">haven’t</a> <a href="https://www.vox.com/22298751/long-
term-side-effects-covid-19-hauler-symptoms">done</a> in the past with “long haulers” dealing with other diseases.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uKODpT">
Over time, a waning pandemic and the reduced risk of getting Covid-19 could help us live with the virus, including with the possibility of long Covid. Just like people have learned to live with the flu and the severe outcomes it can cause (including long-term health complications and tens of thousands of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html">deaths a year</a> in the US), so too will people learn to live with a Covid-19 that’s weakened by the vaccines and natural immunity.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PbTEN7">
Just as is true with the flu, different individuals have different risk tolerances. Some people may choose to go out less during periods in which cases rise, continue to wear masks, or seek out booster shots. Others may decide the low chances of complications after they get a vaccine, if they even decide to get the shot, are tolerable enough to continue living as normal, even when cases rise within their community. Many will fall in between.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="M2nUvN">
“Some people will do everything possible to prevent their risk, and other people will not worry as much,” Céline Gounder, an epidemiologist at New York University, told me. “It’s going to depend on the person.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="P1mgvP">
So the solution to long Covid may look a lot like the other scary, uncertain things about the pandemic, from variants to breakthrough cases: There’s no perfect option, but the best we can do is get as many people vaccinated as possible to defang the coronavirus — and greatly reduce the risk of long Covid — even if it’s never truly eliminated.
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Pandemic unemployment insurance is about to end at maybe the worst possible time</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/XjeEauisVMMV7nMhGq5yLcBkcbY=/333x0:3000x2000/1310x983/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69792387/GettyImages_1233598380_copy.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Restaurant owners in California are facing a labor crisis unable to find enough workers amid reopening orders. | Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The dangerous delta variant is spreading. The future of schools is unclear. And millions of workers are about to be kicked off unemployment.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="upB5sK">
Sean thought he’d be back to work by now. Over the summer, the cafe where he worked before the pandemic reached out, saying he could have his old job back by early September. The cafe was located on a tech company’s campus in California, and his former boss wanted to staff up as office employees started coming in. (Sean spoke to Vox on the condition that his identity and that of his employer remain anonymous.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="oYRJt0">
It looked like his return to work would coincide pretty nicely with the wind-down of the unemployment insurance he’d been relying on to get by. “Everything was going fine,” he says — until it wasn’t. In mid-August, the cafe told him they wouldn’t need him back after all. “Due to the delta surge, the campus was completely closed again with no solid date for starting the process again,” he explains. “There’s a chance I get contacted in the fall, but my gut tells me it’s a done deal until next year.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ykSzy6">
Like many workers relying on unemployment, Sean is hoping Covid-related unemployment benefits will be extended through the end of the year so he can find some time to devise a plan B, especially given that the <a href="https://www.vox.com/coronavirus-
covid19/22630979/covid-19-vaccine-booster-shots-delta-variant">delta variant</a> is <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/05/where-big-companies-stand-on-delta-variant-and-return-to-office-
plans.html">changing so many businesses’ plans</a>. But that scenario is extremely unlikely. On Labor Day, expanded unemployment benefits put in place in response to the pandemic are set to expire, and there’s virtually no political appetite in Washington to extend them.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nIpb3G">
“The Biden administration has not made it a priority, and outside of [Democratic Sen.] Ron Wyden, you haven’t heard too many people in the Senate be willing to push on that,” said Andrew Stettner, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, a liberal think tank. “It doesn’t seem like right now there would even be 50 votes in the Senate.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4aAoyK">
That means that the extra $300 per week in federal employment benefits in place since December 2020 will end, as will programs aimed at people who wouldn’t normally qualify for unemployment insurance, such as freelancers, gig workers, and the long-term unemployed, which were put in place in the spring of 2020. Stettner <a href="https://tcf.org/content/report/7-5-million-workers-face-devastating-
unemployment-benefits-cliff-labor-day/?agreed=1">estimates</a> 7.5 million workers will lose all their benefits. Those who still qualify will only get what comes from states.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="74TPIV">
In a <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0326">letter</a> to leaders in Congress last week, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said they believe that cutting off the extra $300 is “appropriate.” They added that the White House thinks states can use remaining money from stimulus funds to help support some workers (namely, the workers who don’t normally qualify). But it’s not clear how many states are going to take that up. More than half have already <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/6/3/22465160/states-ending-
unemployment-labor-shortage-texas">cut off expanded unemployment benefits</a> over the summer.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2JNwgh">
“There will be a few extended benefits programs, but for the most part, there’s going to be nothing available,” Stettner said. He added that, gleaning from his early talks with states, most are not in a position to deliver anything with remaining stimulus dollars.
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<aside id="7pVTM8">
<q>Expanded unemployment programs have helped people avert economic disaster over the past 18 months, and it’s not clear what damage might be ahead</q>
</aside>
</div></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hxdwDF">
America’s jobs situation is certainly improving, with <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/11/weekly-
jobless-claims.html">20 million people receiving</a> some sort of unemployment compensation in February 2021 compared to <a href="https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf">around 12 million right now</a>. And according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 10 million job openings across the country as of June.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5Slp0r">
Still, there are questions about what the impact of cutting off expanded benefits now will be. Expanded unemployment programs have helped people avert economic disaster over the past 18 months, and it’s not clear what damage might be ahead. The dangerous delta variant is spreading and hitting many parts of the country hard. Hopes that the fall would bring more of a return to normal are fading. <a href="https://time.com/6092595/schools-remote-learning/">Some schools</a> have already started to pause in-person learning or switch to hybrid models, and some parents still <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/08/parents-covid-schools-decisions/619755/">prefer to keep their kids home</a> instead of in the classroom or in child care centers out of safety concerns. Return-to-the-office plans for many businesses are still in flux. Come early September, the people still out of a job aren’t going to be able to snap their fingers and land back at work.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Lc8PjD">
That’s certainly the case for Sean, whose hospitality job was unavoidably altered by the pandemic. He acknowledges <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22602133/work-from-home-
jobs-new-york">this has happened to thousands of others as well</a>. “It seems the line of work I was in, as well as thousands of other hospitality cooks, chefs, etc., has completely ceased to exist with the transition to work from home,” he says.
</p>
<h3 id="25vag4">
7.5 million people is a lot of people to cut off from unemployment insurance all at once
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="oAtAN1">
When the pandemic hit in early 2020, shutdowns meant millions of workers were laid off or furloughed seemingly overnight, and by no fault of their own. Since then, unemployment insurance <a href="https://www.vox.com/22348364/united-states-stimulus-covid-coronavirus">has made a meaningful difference</a> in helping those people maintain some sort of economic stability, along with other stimulus programs. But expanded unemployment insurance has also been controversial: Many Republicans, business groups, and even some Democrats have argued that it’s too much and is keeping people out of work. And as the economy has recovered, that argument has <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/labor-shortage-draws-attention-of-u-s-lawmakers-11622712602">only gotten louder</a> as some contingents hold that generous benefits are causing a labor shortage.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="B3f5Wv">
It is true that some workers are staying on the sidelines — in many parts of the country, it feels like there are “Help Wanted” signs everywhere, and business owners are complaining about not being able to find employees. But <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22435400/economy-unemployment-inflation">what’s not clear is exactly what is causing this</a>; it’s likely a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/05/07/jobs-report-labor-
shortage-analysis/">range of factors</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wr7ZCC">
Peter Ganong, a public policy professor at the University of Chicago who <a href="https://cpb-
us-w2.wpmucdn.com/voices.uchicago.edu/dist/1/801/files/2018/08/disincentive_effects_of_expanded_ui.pdf">has studied</a> the potential disincentive effects of expanded unemployment insurance through the spring of 2021, said that more benefits are having somewhat of an impact, but not a big one. “Only a very small fraction of the number of jobs we need to get back to the pre-pandemic level or trend reflect the unemployment insurance disincentive effect,” he said.
</p>
<div id="dic6lL">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
new results on the effect of UI supplements on job-finding <br/><br/>2 designs x 2 policy changes yield consistent pattern: small, precisely estimated disincentive effects<br/><br/>Disincentive remains small even after job openings up <a href="https://t.co/SsUHCHQddj">pic.twitter.com/SsUHCHQddj</a>
</p>
— Peter Ganong (<span class="citation" data-cites="p_ganong">@p_ganong</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/p_ganong/status/1420716432225144834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2021</a>
</blockquote>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OlSqIc">
Among states that cut off expanded benefits early over the summer (26 in total, all but one Republican-led), the move <a href="https://twitter.com/JedKolko/status/1428723650383863813?s=20">doesn’t appear to have significantly contributed to job growth</a>, though economists <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/05/business/july-unemployment-jobs-report.html">continue to debate</a> what will happen going forward. <a href="https://files.michaelstepner.com/pandemicUIexpiration-paper.pdf">New research</a> released in August, first reported on by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/20/business/economy/unemployment-
benefits-economy-states.html">the New York Times</a>, found that states ending benefits early didn’t meaningfully boost employment but did slash spending — a sign that it’s detrimental to workers and, potentially, the broader economy. The study found that <a href="https://twitter.com/arindube/status/1428671561280720907?s=20">for every eight workers</a> who lost benefits, one found a new job. Meanwhile, it estimates that workers lost $278 a week in benefits on average but gained just $14 a week in earnings. Their spending fell by $145 a week. In the 19 states analyzed, that translates to a $2 billion drop in spending and a $270 million increase in earnings.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jvW7o1">
More people are likely to reenter the workforce over the weeks and months to come, as they have in previous months and weeks. But the transition won’t be guaranteed or easy. Some workers are struggling to find jobs that match their skills and aren’t positioned to take just any job, or they’re older, or they don’t have the credentials required for certain positions, or, for whatever reason, they’re just not getting a call back.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gpjJft">
Sean, who has a degree in creative writing, has never been able to find a full-time position using that credential. Per California’s requirements, he has been applying for at least three jobs a week since July (even though he planned to go back to his prior employer until recently). He says he hasn’t gotten a single reply. “I have done a dozen or so skill assessments along with the applications, and I’m not hearing anything,” he says.
</p>
<h3 id="EGiXaM">
Workers really don’t know what the fall will bring
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ltVqlV">
When President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/3/10/22320350/biden-sign-
stimulus-bill-covid-19">signed the American Rescue Plan</a> in the spring, the White House and lawmakers rather arbitrarily anticipated that it would be appropriate for unemployment benefits to end on September 6. They didn’t anticipate some of the current challenges workers are facing, including the delta variant and an uncertain scenario for schools, that might render this a bad time to push the unemployed off a cliff.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="R66SwH">
There are myriad reasons people may not be able to return to work right now, or may be more hesitant to go back. Covid-19 cases and deaths are on the rise again. While the vaccines are available, many people are still nervous to get back out there.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3AS09B">
Whether offices will reopen or businesses will close back down is uncertain. Some events are <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9616601/2021-concerts-canceled-festivals-covid-19-delta-variant">already being canceled</a>, and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/29/how-major-tech-companies-are-responding-to-rising-
delta-variant-cases.html">offices are extending remote work</a>, both of which have important implications for many jobs. Workers in the live events space expecting that work to come back might need to figure out if it’s time for them to change careers altogether instead of continuing to wait it out. Businesses in areas where there used to be a lot of office workers may not need to hire as many employees back soon, or ever.
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<aside id="oJVzSM">
<q>“We don’t know what the fall is going to bring, but we do know it’s not going to bring a full recovery that suggests people don’t still need support”</q>
</aside>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wyrkzD">
Child care and <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22639674/elder-care-family-costs-nursing-home-health-care">elder care</a> remain a challenge for many families. It’s not clear whether schools and day cares will go back to in-person learning and stay that way, meaning a parent may need to stay home. Families may also be hesitant about older parents staying in assisted living facilities and opt to move them home, another care burden.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="w7ULGi">
“For parents, and especially mothers, the ability to go back to work just isn’t there right now. Schools at this point seem to be planning to open, but the minute we see things are bad and kids are getting sick, then things may change again,” said Julie Kashen, a senior fellow and director for women’s economic justice at the Century Foundation. “We don’t know what the fall is going to bring, but we do know it’s not going to bring a full recovery that suggests people don’t still need support.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LWorcr">
Once benefits are cut off, and if people aren’t able to find work, that can do <a href="https://bfi.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/BFI_WP_2021-19.pdf">significant harm</a> to their finances and their lives. As the aforementioned research shows, it may also be detrimental to the economy, because people who don’t have money coming in also don’t have money to spend.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GFihWN">
“If you’re saying, ‘I’m just going to shut off your benefits,’ but I still don’t have child care, and I still don’t have a way to ensure my child is attending their digital school, how is that going to force me into the labor market?” Rebecca Dixon, executive director of the National Employment Law Project (NELP), <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/6/3/22465160/states-ending-
unemployment-labor-shortage-texas">told Vox earlier this year</a>. “It may force me into homelessness. It may force me to be hungry. There’s an enormous number of workers that are still behind on rent. This whole narrative is just completely wrong, and it’s incomplete.”
</p>
<h3 id="y3nmVc">
America needs to have a bigger conversation about unemployment insurance
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ue3pti">
“The anti-poverty response to the pandemic has been really dramatic, unlike anything we’ve ever done before. We’ve done a much better job of ensuring income risk from unemployment,” Ganong said. What that will mean down the road — especially as benefits are shut off — is up in the air. The Labor Department is upping investments in grants to help train some workers, which could help more people find something new. But workers have also found it difficult to decipher whether they need to switch jobs or not.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NIvTov">
Apart from what happens in the immediate term, there is one bigger issue in play here: <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-
highlight/21430930/covid-unemployment-600-cares-act-the-great-rebuild">America’s unemployment insurance system needs to be reformed</a>. It’s run as a federal-state program that leaves states with a lot of leeway as to how much assistance to provide workers, what parameters to put in place, and how easy or difficult to make accessing benefits. Many Americans <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/5/13/21255894/unemployment-insurance-system-problems-
florida-claims-pua-new-york">saw firsthand</a> when the pandemic hit just how hard the system is to navigate.
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<aside id="Xt6gKo">
<q>Congress has been guessing at how long expanded unemployment insurance will be needed from the outset of the Covid-19 outbreak</q>
</aside>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PTIV7M">
Congress has been guessing at how long expanded unemployment insurance will be needed from the outset of the Covid-19 outbreak. At the outset of the pandemic, President Donald Trump signed a bill putting in place $600 a week in extra federal unemployment benefits, which expired in July 2020. Then lawmakers added an extra $300 in benefits in December, which were extended under Biden. Now both the extra money and the expanded programs are supposed to wrap on Labor Day.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="L6TTAK">
Given the current scenario, reasonable minds could question whether conditions are right to cut people off. Lawmakers could <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22277339/covid-19-relief-bill-automatic-stabilizers">try to put in place conditions</a> to better automate unemployment benefits so that it’s based not on political whims but on the actual health and economic situation on the ground. They could also strengthen minimums required of states so that an unemployed worker in Mississippi isn’t positioned much worse than someone in Massachusetts.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="T2diEg">
There have been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-progressives-renew-federal-unemployment-benefits-biden-spending-
plan-2021-8">some rumblings from progressives</a> about the possibility of pushing for another extension of pandemic unemployment benefits, but many on the Hill believe that at this point, it’s really a nonstarter. “We don’t have the votes in the caucus for an extension,” one Democratic aide told Vox in an email.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9sCLmh">
Biden has urged Congress to take up unemployment insurance reforms as part of its upcoming budget reconciliation process, an agenda that he wants to include fraud prevention, equitable access, and adequate support. Those types of measures would make a real difference in the future, but they won’t help workers like Sean, who are being harmed by the cutoff right now. “Safety is really important in all of this, and I’m not mad at the company at all, no harsh feelings whatsoever,” Sean says. “I’m just frustrated by the situation as a whole.”
</p>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>What do hurricane categories mean?</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A satellite image of Hurricane Ida." src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/idFzu9s2a6ZjD4nEFNzqOAFUWCI=/0x0:2133x1600/1310x983/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69791087/20212411951_GOES16_ABI_smv_Sandwich_2400x2400_cropped.0.jpg"/></figure></li>
</ul>
<figcaption>
A satellite image of Hurricane Ida, on August 29, 2021. | Courtesy of NOAA/STAR
</figcaption>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Hurricane Ida’s Category 4 designation is based on wind speeds and potential property damage.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WGGuu8">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/8/28/22645870/hurricane-ida-gulf-coast-storm">Hurricane Ida</a> has begun pummeling the Gulf Coast, making landfall as a Category 4 storm on Sunday near Port Fourchon, Louisiana. The storm has already tied for the strongest recorded landfall in Louisiana, with winds at 150 miles per hour. Hurricane Laura in 2020 also had 150-mile-per-hour winds, as did an 1856 hurricane, according to <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2021-08-29-hurricane-ida-landfall-louisiana-breaking-news-
alert?cm_ven=dnt_social_twitter">the Weather Channel</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="C3ZMFX">
Hurricane Ida’s rapid development made preparation more challenging, as the Gulf Coast already<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/8/28/22645870/hurricane-ida-gulf-coast-storm">grapples with Covid-19 hospitalizations</a>. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell issued an evacuation order for only part of the city, because there simply wasn’t enough time to evacuate all of New Orleans.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="q692WO">
“Time is not on our side,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/28/us/time-is-not-on-our-side-new-orleans-mayor-warns.html">Cantrell</a> said in a press conference Saturday, noting that the hurricane was, “rapidly growing” and “intensifying.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DQHuBy">
Hurricanes’ destructive potential is often correlated with a measurement system called the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php">Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale</a>. It’s a five-tier scale ranking hurricanes from least destructive (Category 1) to most destructive (Category 5), with categories 3, 4, and 5 ranking as major hurricanes with extremely high wind speeds that have the potential to uproot trees, knock out electricity, tear the roofs off homes, or destroy them completely.
</p>
<h3 id="mBzlVx">
How hurricanes change so fast
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Y7B2Gy">
Most hurricanes that impact the US start out as thunderstorms off the coast of Africa, according to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (<a href="https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/storms/how-hurricanes-
form">UCAR</a>) Center for Science Education. Occasionally, several thunderstorms form at once and encounter a point of low atmospheric pressure called a tropical depression. The clouds rotate around the tropical depression — creating the beginnings of a hurricane’s characteristic swirl of clouds — and pick up speed as they draw energy from the warm water below.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xsGVH4">
If this mass of swirling clouds reaches a windspeed of 39 miles per hour or above, it’s classified as a tropical storm, the precursor to a hurricane. If the storm keeps picking up speed and reaches wind speeds of at least 75 miles per hour, then it’s officially a hurricane.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="os7KoR">
The formation of these storms depends on humid air, warm waters, and a tropical depression. These enable the air and water, as they interact, to release more moisture, creating more clouds. Air rotates the mass of clouds as it rises; in the Northern Hemisphere, air pulled into the center, or eye of a hurricane, bends to the right due to the earth’s rotation. In the Southern Hemisphere, that air bends to the left in the same weather phenomenon, called the Coriolis effect. The Coriolis effect doesn’t exist within 300 miles of the equator, so hurricanes (or tropical cyclones or typhoons, depending on the part of the world they hit) can’t form in that region.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="S1kmG8">
Thunderstorms intensify into tropical storms and hurricanes when the atmosphere and water are warm enough to generate increased energy to keep the storms moving. Cooler water weakens a hurricane; they also weaken when they hit land, but by that point, the damage has already started.
</p>
<h3 id="D5IPo7">
What is happening with Ida
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1V03HD">
Hurricane Ida reached Category 3 status early on Sunday morning as it moved toward the Louisiana coast, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/27/us/ida-forecast.html">the New York Times</a> reported. A Category 3 hurricane can cause “devastating” damage, according to the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php">National Hurricane Center</a>. With winds ranging from 111 to 129 miles per hour, Category 3 hurricanes can cause major damage, even on sturdy, well-built homes. These hurricanes can also damage trees and knock out electricity.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="h6lzJA">
Hurricane Irma, a Category 3 storm that hit Florida in 2017, caused “widespread devastation,” even though it had weakened from a Category 4 when it hit land over the Florida Keys.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="L8VNCI">
According to a report from the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL112017_Irma.pdf">National Hurricane Center</a>, Irma “was one of the strongest and costliest hurricanes on record in the Atlantic basin,” directly killing 47 people in Florida and the Caribbean, and causing a further 82 indirect deaths due to “a combination of falls during preparations for Irma’s approach, vehicle accidents, carbon monoxide poisoning from generators, chainsaw accidents, and electrocutions,” as well 14 deaths due to overheating from lack of air conditioning at a nursing home. Irma caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage, as well as a record 5 feet of flooding in Jacksonville.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3PIag0">
The <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCUAT4+shtml/290645.shtml">National Hurricane Service</a> upgraded Hurricane Ida to Category 4 Sunday, just an hour after it was designated a Category 3 hurricane.
</p>
<h3 id="L8mU0M">
How Ida compares to Katrina and other major hurricanes
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Qbm2qZ">
As Hurricane Ida approached the Gulf Coast, politicians and headlines invoked comparisons to <a href="https://www.weather.gov/mob/katrina">Hurricane Katrina</a>, another storm that caused devastation in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Hurricane Katrina approached the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane and weakened to Category 3 as it made landfall.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WqqZ8k">
<a href="https://www.weather.gov/lch/rita_main">Hurricane Rita</a>, a Category 3 storm, hit less than a month later.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EiFRZo">
Katrina’s effects were widespread and long-term; the storm and its aftermath killed 1,833 people and caused <a href="https://www.weather.gov/mob/katrina">$108 billion</a> in damage.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ch2GJ5">
Hurricane Katrina was also notable for the ways in which it exposed stark racial divides, both while it was active and in the US government’s response to the storm.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8K7gNi">
“Images of poor, mostly Black New Orleans residents stranded on rooftops and crowded amid fetid conditions in what was then the Louisiana Superdome” accompanied news stories, the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/08/27/remembering-katrina-wide-racial-divide-over-
governments-response/">Pew Research Center</a> wrote in a 10-year retrospective.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Wq7YN9">
In a national poll conducted a week after the hurricane, 66 percent of Black respondents said they believed “the government’s response to the situation would have been faster if most of the victims had been white,” according to Pew.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FDjWX6">
And while New Orleans is still predominantly a Black city, there are 100,000 fewer Black citizens than there were before Katrina, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-race-and-ethnicity-ap-top-news-financial-markets-la-state-
wire-1ec467d7fd31cddb56d4797ef6101bf3">the AP</a> reported in 2020.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1oBZ74">
<a href="https://www.weather.gov/hgx/hurricaneharvey">Hurricane Harvey</a>, another Category 4 storm, hit Texas and Louisiana in August 2017; in two days, it was upgraded from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane. Hurricane Harvey slowed after it made landfall, causing torrents of rain to flood southeast Texas.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cXwyWn">
The rapidly intensifying nature of these storms is concerning, but scientists aren’t yet clear on whether it’s actually happening more often. In a piece in <a href="https://theconversation.com/hurricane-laura-was-another-storm-that-strengthened-fast-
but-is-rapid-intensification-really-becoming-more-common-145229">the Conversation</a> about Hurricane Laura — another storm that rapidly progressed from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane — Chris Slocum, a physical scientist at the NOAA and Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University, wrote, “The Atlantic has seen several hurricanes rapidly intensify like this in recent years.” However, storms that behave this way “are fairly rare,” so, he writes, “there isn’t enough information yet to say if rapid intensification is happening more often.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eIqDng">
Still rarer are Category 5 hurricanes, but they do happen, and they render affected areas “uninhabitable for weeks or months,” according to the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php">National Hurricane Center.</a>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="w9Ff01">
Hurricane Maria, the 2017 storm that demolished Caribbean islands including Puerto Rico, hit the island of Dominica as a Category 5 storm.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="v3gtG4">
A <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL152017_Maria.pdf">National Hurricane Center Tropical Cyclone report</a> sums up the devastation to Puerto Rico’s infrastructure:
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YM5PwA">
“Maria knocked down 80 percent of Puerto Rico’s utility poles and all transmission lines, resulting in the loss of power to essentially all of the island’s 3.4 million residents. Practically all cell phone service was lost and municipal water supplies were knocked out. At … the end of 2017, nearly half of Puerto Rico’s residents were still without power, and by the end of January 2018, electricity had been restored to about 65 percent of the island.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mWYBkB">
A study from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health estimated the death toll from Maria at <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/harvard-study-
estimates-thousands-died-in-puerto-rico-due-to-hurricane-
maria/2018/05/29/1a82503a-6070-11e8-a4a4-c070ef53f315_story.html">4,645</a>, although the numbers could be higher.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mR38SL">
Hurricane Ida will test the readiness of New Orleans’s infrastructure to handle storms of this magnitude after Hurricane Katrina. Those who have fled the area now don’t know when they’ll be able to go back home, or if home will even exist once the storm subsides. People who must remain — for one reason or another — will be dealing with power outages, water and supply shortages, flooding, and devastation yet to be seen.
</p>
<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>Discus thrower Vinod loses Paralympics bronze, declared ineligible in classification reassessment</strong> - Indian discus thrower Vinod Kumar on Monday lost his F52 category bronze medal at the Paralympics here after being found ineligible in disability cla</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>Born Queen, Mr Kool, Glorious Destiny, and Beauteous Maximus please</strong> - Born Queen, Mr Kool, Glorious Destiny, and Beauteous Maximus pleased when the horses were exercised here on Monday (Aug. 30).Outer sand: 600m: Wind S</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>President, PM lead nation in congratulating Indian Paralympic stars for their stellar show in Tokyo</strong> - Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi followed suit.</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>Sumit Antil clinches India’s second gold in Paralympics</strong> - The F64 category is for athletes with a leg amputation, who compete with prosthetics in a standing position.</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>Rajasthan govt announces cash rewards for Paralympic medal winners; shooter Avani Lekhara to get ₹3 cr</strong> - While Avani Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal, Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Singh Gurjar won silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the men’s javelin throw F46 final</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>10 arrested, 76 ‘stolen’ two-wheelers recovered</strong> - In some bikes, engine and chassis numbers were replaced with those of old vehicles, say police</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>Lokame Tharavadu provides mental relaxation: UN official</strong> - People stressed by COVID-19 can benefit by seeing the art expo: Muralee Thummarukudy</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>Union Education Minister seeks Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik’s intervention for issuing marksheets to UG students</strong> - Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the late publication of provisional results or non-issuance of marksheets were causing great suffering and jeopardising the career prospects of the students.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ennakkad girl bags global scholarship for research on product developed by her father</strong> - Rinta Susan Mathew set to do research at University of Manchester</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>1993 trains blast case: SC irked as accused jailed for 11 years without framing of charges</strong> - During the hearing, advocate Shoeb Alam, appearing for Hameer said the petitioner has been in custody since 2010 but charges have not been framed and trial is yet to commence.</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>Europe migrant crisis: More than 500 people rescued off Italian island</strong> - Italian coastguards rescue 539 people from a small fishing boat believed to have set off from Libya.</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>Lionel Messi makes PSG debut in 2-0 win at Reims as Kylian Mbappe scores both goals</strong> - Lionel Messi makes his Paris St-Germain debut as a 66th-minute substitute in a 2-0 win at Reims in Ligue 1, with Kylian Mbappe getting both goals.</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>Turkey lockdown: Pigeon-keeping in Istanbul on the rise</strong> - The ancient art of pigeon fancying, popular across Asia, enjoyed resurgence during the pandemic.</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>Max Verstappen declared winner of aborted rain-hit Belgian Grand Prix</strong> - Red Bull’s Max Verstappen declared the winner of a Belgian Grand Prix that lasted only two laps behind the safety car.</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>Milan fire: Flames engulf modern 20-storey block of flats</strong> - The tower is only 10 years old and questions are being asked about how the fire spread so dramatically.</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>Hurricane Ida slammed into Louisiana and then didn’t really weaken. Why?</strong> - This slow weakening is in stark contrast to a typical hurricane. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1790500">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Linux/BSD command line wizardry: Learn to think in sed, awk, and grep</strong> - “Do people <em>really</em> write these long, convoluted commands?” In a word: yes. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1788916">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The modern challenge of gaming without a strong Internet connection</strong> - Massive patch downloads, online-focused game designs hinder millions of players. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1790312">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>How game-makers are catering to disabled players</strong> - Hardware and software solutions open gaming to a wider audience than ever. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1790302">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A bad solar storm could cause an “Internet apocalypse”</strong> - Undersea cables would be hit especially hard by a coronal mass ejection. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1790321">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>My brother was murdered today</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
cop: do you mind identifying the body [puts hand on my shoulder] I have to warn you the body was hacked up.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
me: [tearing up] yes that’s my brother Reese.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
cop: you’re sure?
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
me: [nodding] those are Reese’s Pieces.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/MRChuckNorris"> /u/MRChuckNorris </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/pe4t44/my_brother_was_murdered_today/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/pe4t44/my_brother_was_murdered_today/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>A man goes to Heaven and meets Jesus.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
While Jesus is showing him round, he spots a broken clock. “What’s that there for?” he asks. Jesus says “that’s Mother Teresa’s clock it has never moved because she has never lied.” “Just over here is Abraham Lincoln’s clock. He lied twice, so it has moved twice.”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Where is Donald Trump’s clock?” asks the man. Jesus answers: “It’s in my office, I’m using it as a ceiling fan.”
</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Public-Fail4505"> /u/Public-Fail4505 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/pe6r86/a_man_goes_to_heaven_and_meets_jesus/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/pe6r86/a_man_goes_to_heaven_and_meets_jesus/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>I absolutely HATE when people make a post subtly implying that it’s their cake day just so people can wish them a happy birthday.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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You won’t catch me doing that today.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Delanretey"> /u/Delanretey </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/pe8u6z/i_absolutely_hate_when_people_make_a_post_subtly/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/pe8u6z/i_absolutely_hate_when_people_make_a_post_subtly/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>A Fleeing Taliban, desperate for water,</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
was plodding through the Afghan desert when he saw something far off in the distance. Hoping to find water, he hurried toward the oasis only to find a British soldier selling regimental ties. The Taliban asked, “Do you have water?” The soldier replied, “There is no water, the well is dry. Would you like to buy a tie instead? They are only £5.” The Taliban shouted, “You idiot infidel! I do not need an over-priced tie. I need water! I should kill you, but I must find water first!” “OK,” said the soldier, “It does not matter that you do not want to buy a tie and that you hate me. I will show you that I am bigger than that, and that I am a much better human being than you. If you continue over that hill to the east for about two miles, you will find our Sergeant’s Mess. It has all the ice cold water you need. Inshallah.” Cursing him, the Taliban staggered away over the hill. Several hours later he staggered back, collapsed with dehydration &amp; rasped: “They won’t let me in without a fucking tie!”
</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/snickerscowboy"> /u/snickerscowboy </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/pedkkq/a_fleeing_taliban_desperate_for_water/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/pedkkq/a_fleeing_taliban_desperate_for_water/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>I got fired from the sperm bank yesterday</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Apparently you’re not allowed to nudge the nearest co-worker and say, “get a load of this guy” every time someone walks in.
</p>
</div>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/LeeDunn0"> /u/LeeDunn0 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/pe82r7/i_got_fired_from_the_sperm_bank_yesterday/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/pe82r7/i_got_fired_from_the_sperm_bank_yesterday/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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