Category: Science and Tech
Three Montana Grizzly Bears Euthanized Last Fall Tested Positive for Avian Flu
(NYT) The bears are believed to have contracted the virus from diseased birds, amid what a U.S.D.A. spokesman called the “largest foreign animal disease outbreak in U.S. history.” Three young grizzly bears in Montana that were euthanized last fall later tested positive for the highly contagious avian influenza, the state’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks service announced […]
Jan 31, 2023
‘Incredibly concerning’: Bird flu outbreak at Spanish mink farm triggers pandemic fears
(Science) Spread among captive mink could give the H5N1 strain opportunities to evolve and adapt to mammals. When mink at a big farm in Galicia, a region in northwestern Spain, started to die in October 2022, veterinarians initially thought the culprit might be SARS-CoV-2, which has struck mink farms in several other countries. But lab […]
Jan 31, 2023
When is it OK to make germs worse in a lab? It’s a more relevant question than ever
(NPR) Over 150 virologists have signed on to a commentary that says all the evidence to date indicates that the coronavirus pandemic started naturally, and it wasn’t the result of some kind of lab accident or malicious attack. They worry that continued speculation about a lab in China is fueling calls for more regulation of experiments with […]
Jan 31, 2023
How Effective Is Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir in Vaccinated Persons with COVID-19?
(NEJM) Preferred therapies for mild-to-moderate COVID-19 include a 3-day intravenous course of remdesivir or nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid). The only published randomized trial of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir was conducted prior to widespread vaccination (N Engl J Med 2022; 386:1397. opens in new tab). Thus, clinicians need further information on the effectiveness of this treatment in more-heavily immune populations. Investigators […]
Jan 24, 2023
A New Report Outlines a Vision for National Wastewater Surveillance
(New York Times) The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated the promise of tracking pathogens in sewage. Now, the nation needs to act on it, experts say. Wastewater surveillance provided valuable public health information during the Covid-19 pandemic and merits “further development and continued investment,” according to a new report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine […]
Jan 24, 2023
Airplane lavatories deliver new hope for the CDC’s variant hunt
(Politico) The cramped, damp and poorly lit airplane toilet is among the scourges of air travel, a source of dread for young and old alike. But the deafening “swoosh” of the airplane lavatory may have finally found a higher calling: helping government scientists detect deadly viruses entering the United States. As Covid-19 cases explode in […]
Jan 17, 2023
Can you use an expired at-home COVID-19 test?
(NBC) Many of us may have stored extra at-home COVID-19 tests in case they are needed in the future, but what should you do if the kit is past its expiration date? According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a COVID-19 testing kit should not be used if it is expired since the parts […]
Jan 17, 2023
What seniors need to know about taking Paxlovid
(CNN) A new coronavirus variant is circulating, the most transmissible one yet. Hospitalizations of infected patients are rising. And older adults represent nearly 90% of US deaths from Covid-19 in recent months, the largest portion since the start of the pandemic. What does that mean for people 65 and older catching Covid for the first […]
Jan 17, 2023
USDA reports more H5N1 avian flu in mammals, including bears
(CIDRAP) The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently reported 12 more highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu detections in mammals, including skunks, bears, a raccoon, and a red fox. Most of the animals that tested positive were from West Coast states, including Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Oregon reported the virus in […]
Jan 10, 2023