Stress as a meaningful variable in models of covid-19 spreading -
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+Covid-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus – 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was first identified in Wuhan China in December 2019. Because of Covid-19 worldwide spreading in 2020, urgent hygiene and lockdown measures have been implemented with fundamental consequences on the lives of people in all sectors of society. Besides visible socio-economic and documented health effects, the impact of Covid-19 on people’s mental health including stress-related effects on disease spreading remains yet to be addressed. Here, we argue about the relevance of incorporating stress factors into models of covid-19 spreading and the level of detail in which such models should take stress into consideration.
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The National Seroprevalence of SARS−CoV−2 Antibody in the Asymptomatic Population -
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+Abstract The seroprevalence of COVID-19 in the self−reported well US population is currently unknown. In September we tested a convenience sample of 63,106 life insurance applicants for COVID−19 and found a prevalence of 6.6%. This population was specifically selected because they were not being evaluated clinically but solely being tested for mortality risk. Using 2019 US census estimates this equals more than 11.1 million (bootstrap 95% CI: 10.8 − 11.5 million) asymptomatically infected patients, which is double the number of cases reported to CDC as of September 1st.
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Relationship between nursing home COVID-19 outbreaks and staff neighborhood characteristics -
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+The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on nursing homes in the US, with upwards of a third of deaths occurring in nursing homes, and more in long-term care facilities. By combining data on facility-level COVID-19 deaths with facility-level data on the neighborhoods where nursing home staff reside for a sample of eighteen states, this paper finds that staff neighborhood characteristics are a large and significant predictor of COVID-19 outbreaks. One standard deviation increases in average staff tract population density, public transportation use, and non-white share were associated with 1.3 (SE .33), 1.4 (SE .35), and 0.9 (SE .24) additional deaths per 100 beds, respectively. These effects are larger than all facility management or quality variables, and larger than the effect of the nursing home9s own neighborhood characteristics. These results suggest that staff communities are likely to be an important source of infection, and that disparities in nursing home outbreaks may be related to differences in the types of neighborhoods nursing home staff live in.
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Ethnicity, Household Composition and COVID-19 Mortality: A National Linked Data Study -
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+Background: Ethnic minorities have experienced disproportionate COVID-19 mortality rates. We estimated associations between household composition and COVID-19 mortality in older adults (≥65 years) using a newly linked census-based dataset, and investigated whether living in a multi-generational household explained some of the elevated COVID-19 mortality amongst ethnic minority groups. Methods: Using retrospective data from the 2011 Census linked to Hospital Episode Statistics (2017-2019) and death registration data (up to 27th July 2020), we followed adults aged 65 years or over living in private households in England from 2 March 2020 until 27 July 2020 (n=10,078,568). We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for COVID-19 death for people living in a multi-generational household compared with people living with another older adult, adjusting for geographical factors, socio-economic characteristics and pre-pandemic health. We conducted a causal mediation analysis to estimate the proportion of ethnic inequalities explained by living in a multi-generational household. Results: Living in a multi-generational household was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 death. After adjusting for confounding factors, the HRs for living in a multi-generational household with dependent children were 1.13 [95% confidence interval 1.01-1.27] and 1.17 [1.01-1.35] for older males and females. The HRs for living in a multi-generational household without dependent children were 1.03 [0.97 - 1.09] for older males and 1.22 [1.12 - 1.32] for older females. Living in a multi-generational household explained between 10% and 15% of the elevated risk of COVID-19 death among older females from South Asian background, but very little for South Asian males or people in other ethnic minority groups. Conclusion: Older adults living with younger people are at increased risk of COVID-19 mortality, and this is a notable contributing factor to the excess risk experienced by older South Asian females compared to White females. Relevant public health interventions should be directed at communities where such multi-generational households are highly prevalent. Funding: This research was funded by the Office for National Statistics.
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LOW PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN (MSM) DURING THE SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDERS TO PREVENT THE COVID-19 SPREAD: RESULTS FROM A NATIONWIDE STUDY -
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+Introduction: Little is known about how sheltering in place to contain the spread of COVID-19 over extended periods affects individuals9 psychological well-being. This study9s objective was to analyze the factors associated with MSM9s low psychological well-being in the COVID-19 pandemic context. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted online in the entire Brazilian territory (26 states and federal district) in April and May 2020. The participants were recruited using an adapted version of Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS). Data were collected using social media and MSM dating apps. We estimated the prevalence, crude prevalence ratio (PR), and respective confidence intervals (CI95%). Results: Only 44.4% of the sample presented high levels of well-being. Low psychological well-being appeared associated with the youngest age group (PR: 2.76; CI95%: 1.90-4.01), polyamorous relationships (PR: 2.78; CI95%: 1.51-5.11), not complying with social isolation measures (PR: 6.27; CI95%: 4.42-8.87), not using the social media to find partners (PR: 1.63; CI95%: 1.06-2.53), having multiple sexual partners (PR: 1.80; CI95%: 1.04-3.11), having reduced the number of partners (PR: 2.67; CI95%: 1.44-4.95), and group sex (PR: 1.82; CI95%: 1.23-2.69) Conclusion: The well-being of MSM living in Brazil was negatively affected during the social distancing measures intended to control the spread of COVID-19. Policy Implications: Planning and implementing public policies and actions to promote psychological well-being are needed to improve MSM9s resilience through the adoption of safe strategies and behavior.
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Amilorides inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro by targeting RNA structures -
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+The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and the likelihood of future coronavirus pandemics, has rendered our understanding of coronavirus biology more essential than ever. Small molecule chemical probes offer to both reveal novel aspects of virus replication and to serve as leads for antiviral therapeutic development. The RNA-biased amiloride scaffold was recently tuned to target a viral RNA structure critical for translation in enterovirus 71, ultimately uncovering a novel mechanism to modulate positive-sense RNA viral translation and replication. Analysis of CoV RNA genomes reveal many conserved RNA structures in the 5’-UTR and proximal region critical for viral translation and replication, including several containing bulge-like secondary structures suitable for small molecule targeting. Following phylogenetic conservation analysis of this region, we screened an amiloride-based small molecule library against a less virulent human coronavirus, OC43, to identify lead ligands. Amilorides inhibited OC43 replication as seen in viral plaque assays. Select amilorides also potently inhibited replication competent SARS-CoV-2 as evident in the decreased levels of cell free virions in cell culture supernatants of treated cells. Reporter screens confirmed the importance of RNA structures in the 5’-end of the viral genome for small molecule activity. Finally, NMR chemical shift perturbation studies of the first six stem loops of the 5’-end revealed specific amiloride interactions with stem loops 4, 5a, and 6, all of which contain bulge like structures and were predicted to be strongly bound by the lead amilorides in retrospective docking studies. Taken together, the use of multiple orthogonal approaches allowed us to identify the first small molecules aimed at targeting RNA structures within the 5’-UTR and proximal region of the CoV genome. These molecules will serve as chemical probes to further understand CoV RNA biology and can pave the way for the development of specific CoV RNA-targeted antivirals.
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Whole Genome Sequencing for Revealing the Point Mutations of SARS-CoV-2 Genome in Bangladeshi Isolates and their Structural Effects on Viral Proteins -
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+Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is the recent global pandemic caused by the virus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus has already killed more than one million people worldwide and billions are at risk of getting infected. As of now, there is neither any drug nor any vaccine in sight with conclusive scientific evidence that it can cure or provide protection against the illness. Since novel coronavirus is a new virus, mining its genome sequence is of crucial importance for drug/vaccine(s) development. Whole genome sequencing is a helpful tool in identifying genetic changes that occur in a virus when it spreads through the population. In this study, we performed complete genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 to unveil the genomic variation and indel, if present. We discovered thirteen (13) mutations in Orf1ab, S and N gene where seven (7) of them turned out to be novel mutations from our sequenced isolate. Besides, we found one (1) insertion and seven (7) deletions from the indel analysis among the 323 Bangladeshi isolates. However, the indel did not show any effect on proteins. Our energy minimization analysis showed both stabilizing and destabilizing impact on viral proteins depending on the mutation. Interestingly, all the variants were located in the binding site of the proteins. Furthermore, drug binding analysis revealed marked difference in interacting residues in mutants when compared to the wild type. Our analysis also suggested that eleven (11) mutations could exert damaging effects on their corresponding protein structures. The analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genetic variation and their impacts presented in this study might be helpful in gaining a better understanding of the pathogenesis of this deadly virus.
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Machine learning analysis highlights the down-trending of the proportion of COVID-19 patients with a distinct laboratory result profile -
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+Background: New York City (NYC) experienced an initial surge and gradual decline in the number of SARS-CoV-2 confirmed cases in 2020. A change in the pattern of laboratory test results in COVID-19 patients over this time has not been reported or correlated with patient outcome. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of routine laboratory and SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test results from 5,785 patients evaluated in a NYC hospital emergency department from March to June employing machine learning analysis. Results: A COVID-19 high-risk laboratory test result profile (COVID19-HRP), consisting of 21 routine blood tests, was identified to characterize the SARS-CoV-2 patients. Approximately half of the SARS-CoV-2 positive patients had the distinct COVID19-HRP that separated them from SARS-CoV-2 negative patients. SARS-CoV-2 patients with the COVID19-HRP had higher SARS-CoV-2 viral loads, determined by cycle-threshold values from the RT-PCR, and poorer clinical outcome compared to other positive patients without COVID19-HRP. Furthermore, the percentage of SARS-CoV-2 patients with the COVID19-HRP has significantly decreased from March/April to May/June. Notably, viral load in the SARS-CoV-2 patients declined and their laboratory profile became less distinguishable from SARS-CoV-2 negative patients in the later phase. Conclusions: Our study visualized the down-trending of the proportion of SARS-CoV-2 patients with the distinct COVID19-HRP. This analysis could become an important tool in COVID-19 population disease severity tracking and prediction. In addition, this analysis may play an important role in prioritizing high-risk patients, assisting in patient triaging and optimizing the usage of resources.
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Head Start and Families’ Recovery from Economic Recession: Policy Recommendations for COVID-19 -
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+Objective: This article examines whether the availability of Head Start during the Great Recession mitigated the impact of this crisis on poverty rates among families with young children. Background: The first two decades of the 21st century have witnessed two major economic crises: the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. Poverty rates among families with young children grew substantially during the Great Recession. Families with young children are also more vulnerable to instability during the COVID-19 pandemic as job losses have been steeper and childcare availability has been significantly curtailed. Programs like Head Start that support at-risk families may mitigate such negative consequences. Method: This study uses data from the American Community Survey from 2006 through 2016 and state-level data on Head Start availability from Program Information Reports. Growth curve modeling is used to examine how the availability of Head Start predicted poverty growth during the Great Recession and the speed of recovery post-recession. Results: States with higher rates of Head Start enrollment had a smaller increase in family poverty during the Great Recession and a more stable recovery than states with lower Head Start enrollment. Conclusions: These findings suggest that greater access to Head Start programs prevented many families from falling into poverty and helped others exit poverty during the Great Recession. Implications: The findings provide clear, evidence-based policy recommendations. Increased federal funding for Head Start is needed to support families during a COVID-19 recession. States should supplement these allocations to expand Head Start enrollment for all eligible families.
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Racial Disparities in COVID-19 and Excess Mortality in Minnesota -
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+The COVID-19 pandemic has produced vastly disproportionate deaths for communities of color in the United States. Minnesota seemingly stands out as an exception to this national pattern, with white Minnesotans accounting for 80% of the population and 82% of COVID-19 deaths. We examine confirmed COVID mortality alongside deaths indirectly attributable to the pandemic – ‘excess mortality’ – in Minnesota. This analysis reveals profound racial disparities: age-adjusted excess mortality rates for whites are exceeded by a factor of 2.8-5.3 for all other racial groups, with the highest rates among Black, Latino, and Native Minnesotans. The seemingly small disparities in COVID deaths in Minnesota reflect the interaction of three factors: the natural history of the disease whose early toll was heavily concentrated in nursing homes; an exceptionally divergent age distribution in the state; and a greatly different proportion of excess mortality captured in confirmed-COVID rates for white Minnesotans compared with most other groups.
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Psychological responses during the COVID-19 outbreak among university students in Bangladesh -
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+Mental health problems in students are considered a public health challenge. We assessed the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS) with the DASS-21, as well as associated factors, among university students in Bangladesh early in the COVID-19 outbreak. We hypothesized high levels of DAS and associations between DAS and factors previously reported (poor sleep, lack of exercise, heavy internet use) and those linked to disadvantage (e.g., low monthly family income). We also enquired about participants’ satisfaction with their pursuit of their academic studies while living under COVID-19 restrictions. An internet-based survey was conducted during the month of April 2020, involving 3,122 Bangladeshi university students aged 18 to 29 years (59.5% males; mean age 21.4±2 years). Prevalence estimates of depression, anxiety and stress were, respectively, 76.1%, 71.5% and 70.1% for at least mild symptoms, 62.9%, 63.6% and 58.6% for at least moderate symptoms, 35.2%, 40.3%, and 37.7% for at least severe symptoms and 19.7%, 27.5% and 16.5% for at least very severe symptoms. There was a suggestion that these rates were higher than in previous, pre-COVID-19 studies among Bangladeshi students. Regression analyses with DASS-21-score as a dependent variable revealed associations with factors mostly as hypothesized. The largest effect size on DAS symptoms was related to students’ satisfaction with their academic studies during the pandemic. As this survey used cross-sectional and self-reported methods, causality cannot be inferred. Mental health monitoring of students attempting to cope with the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak may be useful and feasible.
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Emergency Physicians and Personal Narratives Improve the Perceived Effectiveness of COVID-19 Public Health Recommendations on Social Media: A Randomized Experiment -
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+Background: Containment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic requires the public to change behavior under social distancing mandates. Social media are important information dissemination platforms that can augment traditional channels communicating public health recommendations. The objective of the study is to assess the effectiveness of COVID-19 public health messaging on Twitter when delivered by emergency physicians and containing personal narratives. Methods: On April 30, 2020, we randomly assigned 2007 U.S. adults to an online survey using a 2x2 factorial design. Participants rated 1 of 4 simulated Twitter posts varied by messenger type (emergency physician vs federal official) and content (personal narrative vs impersonal guidance). Main outcomes were: perceived message effectiveness (35-point scale); perceived attitude effectiveness (15-point scale); likelihood to share Tweets (7-point scale); and writing a letter to their governor to continue COVID-19 restrictions (write letter or none). Results: The physician/personal message had the strongest effect and significantly improved all main messaging outcomes except for letter-writing. Unadjusted mean differences between physician/personal and federal/impersonal were: perceived messaging effectiveness (3.2 [95%CI, 2.4-4.0]); perceived attitude effectiveness (1.3 [95%CI, 0.8-1.7]); likelihood to share (0.4 [95%CI, 0.15-0.7]). For letter-writing, physician/ personal made no significant impact compared to federal/ impersonal (odds ratio 1.14 [95%CI, 0.89-1.46]). Conclusions: Emergency physicians sharing personal narratives on Twitter are perceived to be more effective at communicating COVID-19 health recommendations compared to federal officials sharing impersonal guidance.
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The aging whole blood transcriptome reveals a potential role of FASLG in COVID-19 -
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+The risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age as older patients are at the highest risk. Although it is still unclear whether the virus is blood-transmitted, the viral RNA is detected in serum. Identifying how Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) interacts with specific blood components during aging is expected to guide proper therapies. Considering that all human coronavirus require host cellular molecules to promote infection, we investigated the aging whole blood transcriptome from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database to explore differentially expressed genes (DEGs) translated into proteins potentially interacting with viral proteins. From a total of 22 DEGs in aged blood, five genes (FASLG, CTSW, CTSE, VCAM1, and BAG3) changed expression during aging. These age-related genes are involved in immune response, inflammation, cell component and cell adhesion, and platelet activation/aggregation. Both males and females older than 50 overexpress FASLG compared with younger adults (20-30 years old), possibly inducing a hyper-inflammatory cascade that activates specific immune cells. Furthermore, the expression of cathepsins (CTSW and CTSE) and the anti-apoptotic co-chaperone molecule BAG3 was significantly increased throughout aging in both gender. By exploring publicly available Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing (scRNA-Seq) data on peripheral blood of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients, we found FASLG and CTSW expressed mainly in natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ (cytotoxic) T lymphocytes whereas BAG3 was expressed in CD4+ T cells, naive T cells, and CD14+ monocytes. The increased expression of FASLG in blood during aging may explain why older patients are more prone to severe acute viral infection complications. These results indicate FASLG as a prognostic candidate and potential therapeutic target for more aggressive clinical manifestation of COVID-19.
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Significant inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by a green tea catechin, a catechin-derivative and galloylated theaflavins in vitro -
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+Potential effects of teas and their constituents on SARS-CoV-2 infection were studied in vitro. Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 was significantly reduced by a treatment with green tea, roasted green tea or oolong tea. Most remarkably, exposure to black tea for 1 min decreased virus titer to an undetectable level (less than 1/1,000 of untreated control). An addition of (-) epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) significantly inactivated SARS-CoV-2, while theasinensin A (TSA) and galloylated theaflavins including theaflavin 3, 3’-di-gallate (TFDG) had more remarkable anti-viral activities. Virus treated with TSA at 500 M or TFDG at 100 M showed less than 1/10,000 infectivity compared with untreated virus. TSA and TFDG significantly inhibited interaction between recombinant ACE2 and RGD of S protein. These results strongly suggest that EGCG, and more remarkably TSA and galloylated theaflavins, inactivate the novel coronavirus.
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Ecological Countermeasures for Pandemic Prevention -
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+Ecological restoration should be regarded as a public health service. Unfortunately, the lack of quantitative linkages between environmental and human health has limited recognition of these principle. Advent of COVID-19 pandemic provides the impetus for the further discussion. We propose ecological countermeasures as highly targeted, landscape-based interventions to arrest the drivers of land use-induced zoonotic spillover. We provide examples of ecological restoration activities that reduce zoonotic disease risk and a five-point action plan at the human-ecosystem health nexus. In conclusion, we make the case that ecological countermeasures are a tenant of restoration ecology with human health goals.
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Convalescent Plasma for Treatment of COVID-19: An Open Randomised Controlled Trial - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Biological: SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma; Other: Standard of care Sponsors: Joakim Dillner; Karolinska Institutet; Danderyd Hospital; Falu Hospital Not yet recruiting
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Ivermectin for Severe COVID-19 Management - Condition: COVID-19 Intervention: Drug: Ivermectin Sponsors: Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University; NeuTec Pharma Completed
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IFN-beta 1b and Remdesivir for COVID19 - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Drug: Interferon beta-1b; Drug: Remdesivir Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong Recruiting
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COVID-19 And Geko Evaluation: The CAGE Study - Condition: Covid19 Intervention: Device: geko T3 Sponsor: Lawson Health Research Institute Not yet recruiting
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A Phase Ⅱ Clinical Trial of Recombinant Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) Vaccine (Sf9 Cells) - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Biological: Low-dose Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cells) (18-59 years) & Two dose regimen; Biological: Low-dose Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cells) (18-59 years) & Three dose regimen; Biological: High-dose Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cells) (18-59 years) & Two dose regimen; Biological: High-dose Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cells) (18-59 years) & Three dose regimen; Biological: Low-dose Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cells) (60-85 years) & Two dose regimen; Biological: Low-dose Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cells) (60-85 years) & Three dose regimen; Biological: High-dose Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cells) (60-85 years) & Two dose regimen; Biological: High-dose Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cells) (60-85 years) & Three dose regimen; Biological: Low-dose placebo (18-59 years) & Two dose regimen; Biological: Low-dose placebo (18-59 years) & Three dose regimen; Biological: High-dose placebo (18-59 years) & Two dose regimen; Biological: High-dose placebo (18-59 years) & Three dose regimen; Biological: Low-dose placebo (60-85 years) & Two dose regimen; Biological: Low-dose placebo (60-85 years) & Three dose regimen; Biological: High-dose placebo (60-85 years) & Two dose regimen; Biological: High-dose placebo (60-85 years) & Three dose regimen Sponsors: Jiangsu Province Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; West China Hospital Recruiting
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Resolving Inflammatory Storm in COVID-19 Patients by Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids - - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Drug: Omegaven®; Drug: Sodium chloride Sponsor: Karolinska University Hospital Recruiting
Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial 4 (ACTT-4) - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Drug: Baricitinib; Drug: Dexamethasone; Other: Placebo; Drug: Remdesivir Sponsor: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Recruiting
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Vitamin D and Zinc Supplementation for Improving Treatment Outcomes Among COVID-19 Patients in India - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Dietary Supplement: Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol); Dietary Supplement: Zinc (zinc gluconate); Dietary Supplement: Zinc (zinc gluconate) & Vitamin D (cholecalciferol); Other: Placebo Sponsors: Harvard School of Public Health; Foundation for Medical Research; University Health Network, Toronto Not yet recruiting
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WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Trial for COVID-19 Treatments - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Drug: Remdesivir; Drug: Acalabrutinib; Drug: Interferon beta-1a; Other: Standard of Care Sponsor: The University of The West Indies Not yet recruiting
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COVID-19 Thrombosis Prevention Trials: Post-hospital Thromboprophylaxis - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Drug: Apixaban 2.5 MG; Drug: Placebo Sponsors: Thomas Ortel, M.D., Ph.D.; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Not yet recruiting
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Efficacy and Safety of Ovotransferrin in COVID-19 Patients - Condition: Covid19 Intervention: Dietary Supplement: Ovotransferrin Sponsor: Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico Paolo Giaccone Palermo Not yet recruiting
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Using Travelan to Boost Immune Response in Vitro to COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19 Intervention: Other: Travelan OTC Sponsor: Hadassah Medical Organization Active, not recruiting
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A Single-Arm Safety and Feasibility Study of Defibrotide for the Treatment of Severe COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19 Intervention: Drug: Defibrotide Sponsors: Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Jazz Pharmaceuticals Not yet recruiting
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The Efficacy and Safety of SCTA01 in Hospitalized Patients With Severe COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Drug: SCTA01; Other: Placebo Sponsor: Sinocelltech Ltd. Not yet recruiting
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From PubMed
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A five day course of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 may reduce the duration of illness - Ivermectin, an FDA-approved anti-parasitic agent, was found in vitro to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication. To determine the rapidity of viral clearance and safety of ivermectin among adult SARS-CoV-2 patients we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral ivermectin alone (12 mg once daily for 5 days) or in combination with doxycycline (12 mg ivermectin single dose and 200 mg stat doxycycline day-1 followed by 100 mg 12hrly for next 4 days) compared with placebo among 72…
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2-Pyridone natural products as inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease - The disease, COVID-19, is caused by the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) for which there is currently no treatment. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M^(pro)) is an important enzyme for viral replication. Small molecules that inhibit this protease could lead to an effective COVID-19 treatment. The 2-pyridone scaffold was previously identified as a possible key pharmacophore to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 M^(pro). A search for natural, antimicrobial products with the 2-pyridone moiety was…
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Synergism of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma Triggers Inflammatory Cell Death, Tissue Damage, and Mortality in SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Cytokine Shock Syndromes - COVID-19 is characterized by excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and acute lung damage associated with patient mortality. While multiple inflammatory cytokines are produced by innate immune cells during SARS-CoV-2 infection, we found that only the combination of TNF-α and IFN-γ induced inflammatory cell death characterized by inflammatory cell death, PANoptosis. Mechanistically, TNF-α and IFN-γ co-treatment activated the JAK/STAT1/IRF1 axis, inducing nitric oxide production and…
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CD147-spike protein is a novel route for SARS-CoV-2 infection to host cells - In face of the everlasting battle toward COVID-19 and the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2, no specific and effective drugs for treating this disease have been reported until today. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a receptor of SARS-CoV-2, mediates the virus infection by binding to spike protein. Although ACE2 is expressed in the lung, kidney, and intestine, its expressing levels are rather low, especially in the lung. Considering the great infectivity of COVID-19, we speculate that…
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Proton pump inhibitor or famotidine use and severe COVID-19 disease: a propensity score-matched territory-wide study - No abstract
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MBD2 serves as a viable target against pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting macrophage M2 program - Despite past extensive studies, the mechanisms underlying pulmonary fibrosis (PF) still remain poorly understood. Herein we demonstrated that lungs originated from different types of PF patients including coronavirus disease 2019, systemic sclerosis associated interstitial lung disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and mice following bleomycin (BLM)-induced PF are characterized by the altered methyl-CpG-binding domain 2 (MBD2) expression in macrophages. Depletion of Mbd2 in macrophages…
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Safety and Efficacy of Ixekizumab and Antiviral Treatment for Patients with COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial - OBJECTIVES: A severe epidemic of COVID-19 has broken out in China and has become a major global public health event. We focus on the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)-like changes and overactivation of Th17 cells (these produce cytokines) in patients with COVID-19. We aim to explore the safety and efficacy of ixekizumab (an injectable drug for the treatment of autoimmune diseases) to prevent organ injury caused by the immune response to COVID-19. Ixekizumab is a human monoclonal…
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Is spironolactone the preferred renin-angiotensin-aldosterone inhibitor for protection against COVID-19? - The high mortality of specific groups from COVID-19 highlights the importance of host-viral interactions and the potential benefits from enhancing host defenses. SARS-CoV-2 requires angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)2 as a receptor for cell entry and infection. While both ACE inhibitors and spironolactone can upregulate tissue ACE2, there are important points of discrimination between these approaches. The virus requires proteolytic processing of its spike protein by transmembrane protease…
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Amotosalen and ultraviolet A light treatment efficiently inactivates severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in human plasma - CONCLUSION: Amotosalen/UVA light treatment of SARS-CoV-2 spiked human plasma units efficiently and completely inactivated >3·32 ± 0·2 log of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, showing that such treatment could minimize the risk of transfusion-related SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
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Evolutionary and structural analysis of SARS-CoV-2 specific evasion of host immunity - The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is spreading fast worldwide. There is a pressing need to understand how the virus counteracts host innate immune responses. Deleterious clinical manifestations of coronaviruses have been associated with virus-induced direct dysregulation of innate immune responses occurring via viral macrodomains located within nonstructural protein-3 (Nsp3). However, no substantial…
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Primidone blocks RIPK1-driven cell death and inflammation - The receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) is a key mediator of regulated cell death and inflammation. Recent studies suggest that RIPK1 inhibition would fundamentally improve the therapy of RIPK1-dependent organ damage in stroke, myocardial infarction, kidney failure, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Additionally, it could ameliorate or prevent multi-organ failure induced by cytokine release in the context of hyperinflammation, as seen in COVID-19 patients….
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Non-Coding RNAs and SARS-Related Coronaviruses - The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in 2019 has caused a major health and economic crisis around the globe. Gaining knowledge about its attributes and interactions with human host cells is crucial. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are involved in the host cells’ innate antiviral immune response. In RNA interference, microRNAs (miRNAs) may bind to complementary sequences of the viral RNA strand, forming an miRNA-induced silencing complex, which destroys the viral RNA, thereby inhibiting viral protein expression….
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Investigation of beta-lactoglobulin derived bioactive peptides against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19): in silico analysis - The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which started in late 2019 in Wuhan, China spread to the whole world in a short period of time, and thousands of people have died due to this epidemic. Although scientists have been searching for methods to manage SARS-CoV-2, there is no specific medication against COVID-19 as of yet. Two main approaches should be followed in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2; one of which is to…
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Recovering coronavirus from large volumes of water - The need for monitoring tools to better control the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is extremely urgent and the contamination of water resources by excreted viral particles poses alarming questions to be answered. As a first step to overcome technical limitations in monitoring SARS-CoV-2 along the water cycle, we assessed the analytical performance of a dead end hollow fiber ultrafiltration coupled to different options for secondary concentrations to concentrate viral particles…
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Effects of Nitrite and Far-red Light on Coagulation - Nitric oxide, NO, has been explored as a therapeutic agent to treat thrombosis. In particular, NO has potential in treating mechanical device-associated thrombosis due to its ability to reduce platelet activation and due to the central role of platelet activation and adhesion in device thrombosis. Nitrite is a unique NO donor that reduces platelet activation in that it’s activity requires the presence of red blood cells whereas NO activity of other NO donors is blunted by red blood cells….
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From Patent Search
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AN EFFICIENT METHODOLOGY TO MANAGE THE ADMISSIONS IN HOSPITALS DURING THE PANDEMICS SUCH AS COVID 19 -
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Antiinfektive Arzneiform zur Herstellung einer Nasenspülung gegen COVID-19 -
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Einzeldosierte, wasserlösliche oder wassermischbare Arzneiform, umfassend mindestens einen antiinfektiven Arzneistoff, zur Herstellung einer Nasenspülung und/oder zur Verwendung in der lokalen Behandlung des menschlichen Nasenraums.
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Antiinfektive Arzneiform zur Herstellung einer Nasenspülung gegen COVID-19 -
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Einzeldosierte, wasserlösliche oder wassermischbare Arzneiform, umfassend mindestens einen antiinfektiven Arzneistoff, zur Herstellung einer Nasenspülung und/oder zur Verwendung in der lokalen Behandlung des menschlichen Nasenraums.
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A medicine for treating coronavirus-2 infection - The invention discloses a medicine for treating coronavirus-2 infection. The invention finds that T cells in COVID-19 patients is reduced and depleted finally, indicating that cytokines such as IL-10, IL-6, TNF-a may directly mediate reduction of T cells. Therefore, ICU patients need new treatment measures, and may even high-risk patients with low T cells count require early preventive treatment.
SARS-CoV-2 예방을 위한 mRNA기반 항원보강제 혼합물 합성 방법 - 본 발명은 SARS-CoV-2(코로나 바이러스) 예방을 위한 mRNA 항원보강제에 관한 것으로 코로나 바이러스에 대한 백신으로서 상기의 항원에 대한 예방을 목적으로 하고 있다. 아이디어에는 보강제에 해당하는 완전프로인트항원보강제(CFA)와 불완전프로인트항원보강제(IFA), 번역과 안정성의 최적화가 된 mRNA, mRNA 운반체, 양이온성 지질 나노입자(lipid nanoparticles)로 구성되며 기존의 백신에 비해 효율성과 안정성의 측면에서 더 향상된 효과를 가지고 있다.
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A PRIMER COMBINATION FOR DETECTING 2019NCOV BY LOOP-MEDIATED ISOTHERMAL AMPLIFICATION - The invention provides a primer combination for detecting 2019nCoV by loop mediated isothermal amplification. The primer combination comprises a forward external primer NCP-F3-2 shown in SEQ ID NO.1, a reverse external primer NCP-B3 2 shown in SEQ ID NO.2, a forward inner primer NCP-FIP-2 shown in SEQ ID NO.3, a reverse inner primer NCP-BIP-2 shown in SEQ ID NO.4 and a loop primer NCP-LB 2 shown in SEQ ID No.5. The method has the advantages of short detection time, high sensitivity and strong specificity for 2019nCoV, and the detection result can be observed by naked eyes, thereby greatly improving the detection efficiency of 2019nCoV.
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Mittel zur Stärkung der Abwehrkräfte und Erhöhung der Immunität -
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Mittel zur Stärkung der Abwehrkräfte und Erhöhung der Immunität, insbesondere gegen eine Covid19-Infektion aufgrund des Sars-CoV-2-Virus, mit folgender Wirkstoffkombination:
+
Plasma oder Serum, gewonnen aus dem Blut eines an Covid19 erkrankten und genesenen Menschens oder Tieres,
+
zumindest einem zugelassenen Medikament oder einer Kombination von zugelassenen Medikamenten und
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zugelassenen Vitaminen und Mineralstoffe.
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+
Vorrichtung zum Reinigen und/oder Desinfizieren von Objekten -
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Vorrichtung (1) zum Desinfizieren von Objekten mit einer Basiseinheit (2), mit einem Aufnahmebehälter (4) für Wasser, welcher an der Basiseinheit (2) montierbar und von der Basiseinheit demontierbar ist, mit einer Objekthalterung (6) zum Halten und/oder Stützen der Objekte (10), wobei diese Objekthalterung (6) in dem Aufnahmebehälter montierbar ist und mit einer elektrisch betriebenen Reinigungseinrichtung (8), welche in dem Wasser befindliche Objekte zumindest mittelbar reinigt oder desinfiziert, wobei diese Reinigungseinrichtung in der Basiseinheit befindliche Erzeugungsmittel zum Erzeugen einer elektrischen Spannung aufweist sowie einen Plasmagenerator und/oder eine Ultraschallerzeugungseinheit.
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Methods for treating Arenaviridae and Coronaviridae virus infections - Provided are methods for treating Arenaviridae and Coronaviridae virus infections by administering nucleosides and prodrugs thereof, of Formula I:
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+
wherein the ’ position of the nucleoside sugar is substituted. The compounds, compositions, and methods provided are particularly useful for the treatment of Lassa virus and Junin virus infections.
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\ No newline at end of file
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+ 07 December, 2020
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+Daily-Dose
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The President Is Acting Crazy, so Why Are We Shrugging It Off? - The dangerous “yeah, whatever” phase of Trump’s lame-duck Presidency. - link
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How the Fight Against COVID-19 Is Bringing About a Perilous Rise in Preventable Diseases in Poorer Nations - For many of the world’s poorest children, the death and devastation have only begun. - link
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How Joe Biden Could Help Internet Companies Moderate Harmful Content - Liberals and conservatives have found fault with Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act—but for very different reasons. - link
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Congress Must Act Now to Provide an Economic Bridge to the Coronavirus Vaccine - Unprecedented legislative action this past spring helped to stave off a Great Depression-style coronavirus downturn. The House and Senate need to act again. - link
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William Barr’s Break with Donald Trump - The Attorney General is, at long last, defending American democracy. - link
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From Vox
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Rudy Giuliani is the latest Trump associate to get the coronavirus -
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+President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, prepares to testify before the Michigan House Oversight Committee on December 2. | Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
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+He’s one of more than a dozen in Trump’s orbit to contract the coronavirus since October.
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+President Donald Trump announced on Twitter Sunday afternoon that his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has tested positive for the coronavirus.
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+Giuliani “has tested positive for the China Virus,” Trump tweeted, using the racist term he habitually uses for the coronavirus. “Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!”
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+.@RudyGiuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus. Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!
+
+Giuliani has been traveling constantly across the country in recent weeks, leading Trump’s failing legal efforts to contest the results of the 2020 presidential election, and has been in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona — all states with high virus case numbers — in the past two weeks. He has been in contact with members of Trump’s legal team in recent days, as well as witnesses incorrectly alleging voting improprieties, and Michigan lawmakers.
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+
+On Wednesday, he participated in testimony falsely claiming that votes were illegally cast in Michigan in an indoor, largely maskless session before Michigan’s House Oversight Committee. Depending on when Giuliani was infected, those in attendance may be at risk of exposure.
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+The president did not say on Sunday whether Giuliani is symptomatic, or if he plans to isolate to avoid infecting others with Covid-19. At 76 years old, and identifying as male, he is in a group considered to be at greater risk for complications and more negative outcomes of the disease.
+
+
+Giuliani is the latest of many figures and staffers in the president’s orbit to contract the coronavirus, including Trump himself, much of the president’s family, his chief of staff, multiple senior advisers, and the White House press secretary. All together, more than a dozen people in the president’s personal orbit have tested positive since October.
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+Some of this spread has been attributed to the fact that Trump’s inner circle has routinely declined to wear masks and abide by social distancing protocols. For instance, the president has held a number of large, maskless indoor events — including a party celebrating Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. That party was labeled a “super spreader” event by top federal infectious disease expert and national coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci.
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+Giuliani has participated in a number of these sorts of high-risk events, from the hearing on Wednesday to a rally the former mayor held for Trump ahead of the election. Like many on the president’s team, Giuliani has not shown strong support for precautions like mask wearing; in October, Giuliani criticized President-elect Joe Biden for his mask-wearing habit, and said that his use of them was meant to induce fear.
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+“It isn’t science to be wearing that mask, Joe, when you are giving a speech and people are 30-40 feet away from you,” Giuliani said during an interview with Fox News. “The only thing you can infect is the teleprompter that’s near you. So, I see through you. That’s a political statement to scare people, wearing that mask. You do not need that mask when you are standing at a podium.”
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Report: Microwave weapons may be behind mysterious illness afflicting US officials abroad -
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+The US embassy in Havana, Cuba, in 2017. | Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
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+
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+Experts offer more clarity on what might be behind “Havana syndrome” symptoms.
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+A new report from the National Academy of Sciences has found “directed” radio frequency energy to be the most plausible explanation for mysterious and debilitating neurological symptoms experienced by dozens of American diplomats and intelligence operatives in Cuba, China, and other countries starting in late 2016.
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+The State Department-commissioned report, reviewed by a number of journalists — including at NBC News and the New York Times — does not come to firm conclusions about the origins and nature of the affliction often referred to as “Havana syndrome,” but its account gives weight to theories that the illnesses are the results of deliberate attacks — which some members of the intelligence community suspect may have been carried out by Russia.
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+The symptoms suffered by those afflicted with Havana syndrome vary, but in reported cases, many experienced nausea, headaches, dizziness, and loss of hearing. These maladies were sometimes so severe and long-lasting that they caused officials to retire early.
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+As the New York Times explains, the language of the report suggests an intentional attack was behind the strange symptoms, and that they were caused by radio frequency energy — a kind of radiation that includes microwaves — since it describes the attacks as “directed” and “pulsed.” However, the report stated that the National Academy of Sciences “cannot rule out other possible mechanisms and considers it likely that a multiplicity of factors explains some cases and the differences between others.”
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+The report concludes that “the larger issue is preparedness for new and unknown threats that might compromise the health and safety of U.S. diplomats serving abroad,” and notes that future instances may be “even more difficult to recognize quickly,” at least in part because attacks could be spaced farther apart, or used in a more targeted manner.
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+“These injuries have tormented those afflicted. Their illnesses and suffering are real and demand action from Congress,” tweeted Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who led successful calls to have the full report given to Congress for review. “To start, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee should hold a hearing on this ASAP so we can hear from Secretary [of State Mike] Pompeo directly about what is being done to uncover the source of these attacks and protect our public servants.”
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+Speculation about Havana syndrome has been ongoing for years
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+Beginning in Cuba in November 2016, over a dozen American diplomats reported feeling ill with mysterious and severe symptoms like loss of hearing and loss of balance. Shortly thereafter, experts began to speculate that they may have been attacked by a sonic weapon wielded by Cuban intelligence.
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+Similar sets of symptoms also surfaced in other places. Americans at the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China, developed symptoms of Havana syndrome in 2017. As GQ and the New York Times have reported, in the last year, a number of new incidents have been reported by CIA officers in Europe and Asia.
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+The timeline of the incidents, the plausible explanation of microwave weapons, and the specific locations in which they occurred have raised questions of whether Russia is behind them.
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+In 2018, US intelligence officials described Russia as the primary suspect behind what they believed to be attacks in Cuba and China. Russia has denied any involvement. NBC News reports that, now or then, no conclusive intelligence has pointed to that explanation. However, the Times notes a number of Russia experts at the CIA believe that all evidence points to the country being behind the illnesses.
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+Still, concrete evidence remains elusive; to compile the new report, experts ranked how plausible various explanations are, using limited evidence and educated conjecture based on expertise.
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+And as the Times reports, these experts and others in national security have pointed out that Russia, as well as the former Soviet Union, have a history of working with microwave weapons — and of using them against the US:
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+The [National Academy of Sciences] report does not point to a perpetrator, though it mentions “significant research in Russia/U.S.S.R.” on pulsed radiofrequency technology, as well as the exposure of military personnel in Eurasian communist countries to microwave radiation. The Soviet Union bombarded the American Embassy in Moscow with microwaves in the 1970s and ’80s. In a 2014 document, the National Security Agency discussed a microwave weapon used by a hostile country, which people familiar with the document said was Russia.
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+NBC News reports that a source said that the CIA used mobile phone location data to determine that some Russian intelligence operatives who were involved in microwave weapons programs were present in cities at the same time that CIA agents began suffering from symptoms of Havana syndrome.
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+Some of the US personnel experiencing Havana syndrome have reported anger and frustration, claiming that their own government has done far too little to attend to their health care needs and to investigate the origins of their health problems.
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+For instance, Marc Polymeropoulos, a former covert CIA operative who was struck by symptoms matching Havana syndrome in Moscow in 2017, has said the CIA has not taken adequate care of him and other injured CIA officers.
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+“It’s incumbent on them to provide the medical help we require, which does not include telling us that we’re all making it up,” he told GQ. “I want the Agency to treat this as a combat injury.”
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+Mark Lenzi, a diplomatic security officer who showed symptoms in China, told the Times he thinks the Trump administration has overlooked “inconvenient scientific and medical facts” in its assessment of the situation.
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+For advocates of these public servants, there is now hope that the new report, which provides the clearest estimation of what may have happened to date, could result in more pressure on the agencies to attend more carefully to their injured personnel. And it is seen as an important first step toward solving the mystery of what has happened to these officials once and for all.
+
+Kate McKinnon plays Giuliani overseeing a ridiculous roster of witnesses alleging fraud in the election.
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+
+In its December 5 cold open, Saturday Night Live parodied the testimony of Rudy Giuliani’s roster of witnesses at a widely-panned hearing before Michigan lawmakers last week, in which President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer tried to convince legislators to overturn the state’s election results.
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+
+The sketch sought to mock the way in which many of the witnesses, in real life, rehashed baseless claims of voter fraud and misconduct, and on one particularly notable occasion, became adversarial toward the Michigan lawmakers overseeing the hearing while floating conspiracy theories.
+
+
+Kate McKinnon, playing a theatrical and bumbling Giuliani, opened the hearing by declaring, “This election was stolen from the American people with a level of trickery not seen since Houdini.”
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+When asked for evidence of his claims, McKinnon’s Giuliani went on: “I have brought before you a dozen highly intelligent, barely intoxicated individuals who are all eyewitnesses, and after hearing their testimony you’re going to say, ‘Wow, Rudy was right, and he’s getting smarter and more respected every day.’”
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+
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+The first witness to offer their testimony was Cecily Strong playing Melissa Carone — a contract information technology worker for a voting systems company — who, in real life, made sweeping, evidence-free allegations about fraud at the hearing.
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+“I personally saw hundreds, if not thousands, of dead people vote for Democrats,” Strong’s Carone stated. “Did you check every poll? Did you talk to all the dead people?”
+
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+Heidi Gardner played another eyewitness, who claimed she saw Democrats serving ballots from food trucks. “The Democrats said, ‘It’s lunch time’ and then they opened the food truck and it was full — full of ballot sandwiches, ballot pizzas, ballot steaks, and ballot spaghetti,” she said.
+
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+Gardner’s testimony seems to be an allusion to the real-life Carone’s insinuations in an interview with Fox News’s Lou Dobbs that venders providing food to poll workers were carrying fraudulent votes.
+
+
+Beck Bennett played My Pillow chief executive Mike Lindell, a Trump ally who has made numerous implausible claims about voter fraud in recent weeks, and who, in SNL’s version of events, used his testimony as a thinly veiled advertisement for his company. Alex Moffat played a witness who described an alien abduction story and then clarified that he saw the aliens “clearly filling out absentee ballots, all of them for Biden.” Asked when it happened, he said it was “seven years ago.”
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+“If we have one more shot, we can get her in my basement for sure!” Davidson shouted.
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+McKinnon’s Giuliani wrapped up the hearing with a nod to the personal interests of those involved with keeping up Trump’s quixotic legal efforts to contest the election results: “The defense rests, but we will never rest, not until this election is overturned, or unless I get a full pardon or $10 million in cash.”
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From The Hindu: Sports
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Dennis Ralston, Hall of Fame tennis player, dies at 78 - He was considered the highest-ranked American player for three years in the 1960s, long before the sport’s computerised rankings system began.
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Premier League | Salah puts on a show for fans as Liverpool wallop Wolves 4-0 - The win over a lacklustre Wolves lifted Liverpool back up to second in the table on 24 points, behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur, who beat Arsenal 2-0 in the North London derby earlier on Sunday, on goal difference.
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Coronavirus | Second one-day international between South Africa and England postponed - The outcome of two unconfirmed positive COVID-19 tests from the England camp is awaited
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Sergio Perez goes from last to first in astonishing Sakhir GP - Tearful Frenchman Esteban Ocon was second for Renault, his first podium finish, and Canadian Lance Stroll took third for Racing Point as champions Mercedes’s race fell apart in a botched pitstop and bad luck.
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Premier League | Spurs back on top as Son and Kane sink Arsenal - Kane played in Son after 13 minutes for the South Korean to curl home a majestic opener for his 10th league goal of the season, much to the delight of the 2,000 fans in attendance.
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From The Hindu: National News
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Coronavirus live updates | After Pfizer, Serum Institute seeks emergency use nod for Covishield in India - Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 6.623 crore, death toll at 15.3 lakh.
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‘Operation Nigha’ to check smuggling of sand, liquor - ‘54 cases booked, 180 persons arrested and 80 vehicles seized so far’
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People embracing BJP in Kashmir: Shahnawaz Hussain - DDC stands for development, dynasty-free and corruption-free J&K, he says
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J&K administration seeks review of order on Roshni Act - In a U-turn, it files plea saying common people will suffer
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NGT directs Odisha to submit action plan on strengthening elephant corridors - The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Odisha government to prepare an action plan within three months on 14 identified elephant corridor
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From BBC: Europe
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Brexit: UK-EU trade talks continue as ‘sticking points’ remain - EU sources say the two sides are nearing an agreement on access to UK waters by EU fishing fleets.
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Climate change threatens ‘most Alps glaciers’ - By 2100, 92% of glaciers including popular ski resorts could be lost, Aberystwyth University says.
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France police security bill: Protests turn violent again - Protesters clash with police and vehicles are set alight for a second weekend over a controversial law.
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Couple divided for nine months by Covid and an ocean - A special pass for long-distance couples allowed Tina and Victor to reunite after nine months on different sides of the world.
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Zalando boss to quit ‘to prioritise wife’s career’ - The co-chief executive of Europe’s largest online fashion platform is cutting short his contract.
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From Ars Technica
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Two very different approaches to restoring vision - Reprogramming nerve cells and hardware implants both add to visual acuity. - link
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The incredible journey of the electronic plastic bottle - Researchers loaded containers with trackers and let them float away. - link
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Superkids must battle an alien invasion in We Can Be Heroes trailer - It’s Director Robert Rodriguez’s standalone sequel to his 2005 3D kids’ film. - link
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Review: Freaky is a familiar-but-fun riff on the classic body-swap concept - Latest horror/comedy from Christopher Landon spoofs Friday the 13th, Freaky Friday. - link
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New analysis: Extreme flows in US streams are rising - Mixed trends become clearer when similar streams are grouped together. - link
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+
From Jokes Subreddit
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An Arab family residing in Europe was considering putting their grandfather (Abdullah) in a nursing home. All the Arab Facilities were completely full, so they had to put him in an Italian one. After a few weeks there, they came to visit their Grandfather. -
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+“How do you like it here?” asked the grandson. “It’s wonderful! Everyone here is so courteous and respectful,” answered grandpa. “We’re so happy for you,” said the Grandson. “We were worried that this was the wrong place for you, since you’re a little different from everyone.”
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+
+“Oh, no! Let me tell you about how wonderfully they treat the residents here,” Abdullah said, with a big smile on his face. “There’s a musician here–he’s 85 years old. He hasn’t played the violin in 20 years, and everyone still calls him Maestro! There is a judge in here–he’s 90 years old. He hasn’t been on the bench in 25 years, and everyone still calls him Your Honor! There’s a dentist here too–95 years old. He hasn’t fixed a tooth for 30 years, and everyone still calls him Doctor!”
+
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+“And Me–I haven’t had sex for 35 years, and they still call me The Fucking Arab.”
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+[apologies for the racism; if it’s any consolation, am partly arab, so, yeah–just trying to laugh at myself whenever I can… cheers.]
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A suspected Covid-19 male patient is lying in bed in the hospital, wearing an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. A young student female nurse appears and gives him a partial sponge bath. -
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+“Nurse,”’ he mumbles from behind the mask, “are my testicles black?”
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+Embarrassed, the young nurse replies, “I don’t know, Sir. I’m only here to wash your upper body and feet.”
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+He struggles to ask again, “Nurse, please check for me. Are my testicles black?”
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+Concerned that he might elevate his blood pressure and heart rate from worrying about his testicles, she overcomes her embarrassment and
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+pulls back the covers.
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+She raises his gown, holds his manhood in one hand and his testicles gently in the other.
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+She looks very closely and says, “There’s nothing wrong with them, Sir. They look fine.”
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+
+The man slowly pulls off his oxygen mask, smiles at her, and says very slowly,
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+
+"Thank you very much. That was wonderful. Now listen very,
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+“Martha, soon I will be gone forever, and there’s something I have to know. In all of these 50 years of marriage, have you ever been unfaithful to me?”
+
+
+Martha replied, "Well Henry, I have to be honest with you. Yes, I’ve been unfaithful to you three times during these 50 years, but always for a good reason.
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+
+Henry was obviously hurt by his wife’s confession, but said, “I never suspected. Can you tell me what you mean by ‘good reasons?’”
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+
+Martha said, “The first time was shortly after we were married, and we were about to lose our little house because we couldn’t pay the mortgage.Do you remember that one evening I went to see the banker and the next day he notified you that the loan would be extended?”
+
+
+Henry recalled the visit to the banker and said, “I can forgive you for that. You saved our home, but what about the second time?”
+
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+Martha asked, “And do you remember when you were so sick, but we didn’t have the money to pay for the heart surgery you needed? Well, I went to see your doctor one night and, if you recall, he did the surgery at no charge.”
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+
+“I recall that,” said Henry. “And you did it to save my life, so of course I can forgive you for that. Now tell me about the third time.”
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+“Alright,” Martha said. “So do you remember when you ran for president of your golf club, and you needed 73 more votes?”
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+