The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, seems to mutate its genes four times slower than seasonal flu, which is good news for the potential of a successful vaccine. Source: https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-mutation-rate.html
Tag: flu
How the Telephone Failed Its Big Test During 1918’s Spanish Flu Epidemic
Fast Company’s technology editor harrymcc writes:
When the Spanish flu struck in 1918, the U.S. reacted in ways that sound eerily familiar, by closing public places and telling people to stay at home. The one technology that promised to make isolation less isolating was the telephone, which was used for commerce, education, and even news distribution. But the phone itself got caught…
Will the spread of covid-19 be affected by changing seasons?
The factors that cause flu to decline in spring might apply to covid-19 too. But we don’t know yet if warm weather can curb the spread of the coronavirus Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2239380-will-the-spread-of-covid-19-be-affected-by-changing-seasons/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
C.D.C. Weighs Advising Everyone To Wear a Mask
Widespread use of nonmedical masks could reduce community transmission. But recommending their broad use could also cause a run on the kind of masks that health care workers desperately need. From a report: Should healthy people be wearing masks when they’re outside to protect themselves and others? Both the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have…
NYT Investigates America’s ‘Lost Month’ for Coronavirus Testing
The New York Times interviewed over 50 current and former U.S. health officials, senior scientists, company executives, and administration officials to investigate America’s “lost month” without widespread coronavirus testing, “when the world’s richest country — armed with some of the most highly trained scientists and infectious disease specialists — squandered its best chance of containing the virus’s spread.”
With capacity so limited,…
America’s FDA Grants Emergency Approval for a 15-Minute Coronavirus Test
While many coronavirus tests provide results within hours or days, America’s Food and Drug Administration “has authorized the emergency use” of a new rapid coronavirus test from medical device manufacturer Abbott that could results in less than 15 minutes, reports NBC News:
The FDA told Abbott it authorized the test’s use after determining that “it is reasonable to believe that your product…
Social Distancing Is Slowing Not Only COVID-19, But Other Diseases Too
“As governments around the world have pushed their citizens away from populated places to slow the spread of Covid-19, they may not have realized that they were also combatting other infectious diseases, such as the seasonal flu,” reports Quartz. The data comes from Kinsa Health, a company that collects anonymized thermometer readings from its active user base to estimate the share…
Could the summer bring an end to COVID-19?
Like some other respiratory viruses such as the flu, is there a chance that the new coronavirus will spread less as temperatures increase? Source: https://www.livescience.com/warmer-weather-slow-coronavirus-spread.html
Google vs. Oracle Case Postponed Due to Coronavirus
An anonymous reader quotes the Dev newsletter from Inside.com:
The U.S. Supreme Court has postponed hearing oral arguments in the Google vs. Oracle copyright case and all other cases because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the Supreme Court has done so since the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918. [“The Court also shortened its argument calendars in August 1793 and…
What Happens If the US Does Absolutely Nothing To Combat COVID-19?
On Monday, the Imperial College report on COVID-19 was released and the results are terrifying. For those who may not know, the Imperial College in London “has advised the government on its response to previous epidemics, including SARS, avian flu and swine flu,” reports The New York Times. “With ties to the World Health Organization and a team of 50 scientists,…