Tag Archives: virology

ABC News reports: As factions inside President Donald Trump’s orbit have been floating theories about the novel coronavirus originating in a Chinese bio-research lab, U.S. scientists are hardening their belief that the virus emerged naturally, citing expanded research as proof. Dr. Robert Garry, a professor at the Tulane School of Medicine, authored one of the first major studies that refutes …

The Washington Post reports: The failure by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to quickly produce a test kit for detecting the novel coronavirus was triggered by a glaring scientific breakdown at the CDC’s central laboratory complex in Atlanta, according to scientists with knowledge of the matter and a determination by federal regulators. The CDC facilities that assembled the …

The New York Times reports: The first warning of the devastation that the coronavirus could wreak inside American nursing homes came in late February, when residents of a facility in suburban Seattle perished, one by one, as families waited helplessly outside. In the ensuing six weeks, large and shockingly lethal outbreaks have continued to ravage nursing homes across the nation, …

Reuters reports: Sweeping testing of the entire crew of the coronavirus-stricken U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt may have revealed a clue about the pandemic: The majority of the positive cases so far are among sailors who are asymptomatic, officials say. The possibility that the coronavirus spreads in a mostly stealthy mode among a population of largely young, healthy people showing …

The New York Times reports: The official global death toll from the virus surpassed 100,000 on Friday, with more than 1.5 million confirmed cases — figures that experts warn vastly understate the true extent of the epidemic. Trouble spots were emerging from Moscow to Jakarta, Indonesia, as the virus reached deeper into places that so far have been spared the …

Newsweek reports: COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, is now the deadliest disease in the United States, killing more people per day than cancer or heart disease. COVID-19 is the cause of 1,970 deaths in the U.S. per day. Just last week, COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death, averaging around 748 deaths per day, but as …

CNN reports: An influential model tracking the coronavirus pandemic in the United States now predicts that fewer people will die and fewer hospital beds will be needed compared to its estimates from last week. As of Monday, the model predicted the virus will kill 81,766 people in the United States over the next four months, with just under 141,000 hospital …

The Washington Post reports: The fast-spreading novel coronavirus is almost certainly killing Americans who are not included in the nation’s growing death toll, according to public health experts and government officials involved in the tally. The CDC counts only deaths in which the presence of the coronavirus is confirmed in a laboratory test. “We know that it is an underestimation,” …

The New York Daily News reports: The loss of taste and smell could be crucial warning signs in “hidden carriers” of the novel coronavirus, experts have revealed. The British Association of Otorhinolaryngology — which represents ear, nose and throat specialists — says the loss of senses often appears in patients who show none of the earlier known symptoms. “In young …

The New York Times reports: China on Thursday reported no new local infections for the first time since the coronavirus crisis began three months ago, reaching a milestone in its battle with the deadly outbreak that has upended daily life and economic activity around the world. As governments in Italy, the United States and elsewhere grapple with the pandemic, China …

Axios reports: All Georgia state Senate members and employees have been “asked to self-quarantine” for 14 days after a senator tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the legislature confirmed in a statement late Wednesday. Sen. Brandon Beach said he was tested Saturday after seeking medical attention for a cough and mild fever, per AJC.com. He turned up to vote Monday …

ABC News reports: President Donald Trump and the coronavirus task force are expected to discuss the latest national efforts in combating the spread of COVID-19. A briefing from the White House is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. The president is also scheduled to speak with airline industry executives and health care personnel on Wednesday regarding the response to coronavirus. The World …

CNN reports: West Virginia became the 50th state to report a case of the deadly novel coronavirus when Gov. Jim Justice announced the first positive test result Tuesday. Justice said the case was in the eastern panhandle of the state, but he gave no other details. The announcement comes just after the death toll from the virus in the United …

Sky News reports: Italy has recorded 368 new coronavirus deaths – its largest number of fatalities in a day since the start of the outbreak. A total of 1,809 people with COVID-19 have now died in the country, which is the hardest-hit by the virus in Europe, as the number of cases rose to more than 24,700. It comes after …

NorthJersey.com reports: Teaneck officials are calling for all residents to self-quarantine and only leave their residences for food and medicine as the township grapples with the most coronavirus cases in Bergen County. Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin called Teaneck “ground zero” Saturday and urged residents to self-quarantine as the number of cases surged to 18. Some 60% of Bergen County’s 31 confirmed …

The Associated Press reports: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is quarantining himself at home after his wife exhibited flu-like symptoms. Trudeau’s office said Thursday that Sophie Grégoire Trudeau returned from a speaking engagement in Britain and had mild flu-like symptoms, including a low fever late, Wednesday night. She is being tested for the COVID-19 disease and is awaiting results. The …

Reuters reports: China, where the disease originated, said its epidemic had peaked and the global spread could be over by June if other nations applied similarly aggressive containment measures as Beijing’s communist government. The Chinese government’s senior medical adviser, Zhong Nanshan, an 83-year-old epidemiologist renowned for helping combat the SARS outbreak in 2003, said the crisis could be over by …

Washington DC’s WTOP News reports: D.C. is under a state of emergency and a public health emergency, a move that comes after health officials announced a jump in the number of new coronavirus cases on Wednesday. Concerns around the outbreak have prompted a number of major event cancellations or schedule changes, and local places of worship are also adjusting how …

Axios reports: Congress’ in-house doctor told Capitol Hill staffers at a close-door meeting this week that he expects 70-150 million people in the U.S. — roughly a third of the country — to contract the coronavirus, two sources briefed on the meeting tell Axios. That estimate, which is in line with other projections from health experts, underscores the potential seriousness …

NPR reports: The COVID-19 viral disease that has swept into at least 114 countries and killed more than 4,000 people is now officially a pandemic, the World Health Organization announced Wednesday. “This is the first pandemic caused by coronavirus,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Eight countries — including the U.S. — are now each reporting more than 1,000 cases …