October 9, 2020
On Thursday Harrison County reported 2 new cases, Gregg 3 and Smith 1. Covid Testing will again be available today and tomorrow at theCivic/Convention Center.
FROM JOHNS HOPKINS SELECTIONS:1. A Global Data Effort Probes Whether Covid Causes Diabetes(Wired) From Mohammad Shafi Kuchay, an endocrinologist who consulted on the cases, told WIRED via email that he and the other doctors assigned to the cases assumed the virus had somehow knocked out these patients’ insulin-making cells, giving them type 1 diabetes. And so the doctors put the men on a regimen of insulin injections. But as the months went by, they needed the injections less and less. They were shifted to oral antidiabetic drugs, and have been managing like this for more than two months now.
2. Global Shortage of Key Covid Drug Leads to NHS Rationing (The Guardian) A global shortage of remdesivir, one of the key Covid-19 drugs given to Donald Trump since he tested positive for the virus, is leading to rationing in the UK and pressure on the manufacturer to allow other companies to supply it. Remdesivir, made by the US company Gilead, is one of only two drugs proven to work against Covid-19. It has been shown to help patients recover faster from the disease and shorten the length of hospital treatment but is not a cure.
3.Eli Lilly Says its Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail is Effective in Treating Covid-19 (STAT News) Eli Lilly said Wednesday a monoclonal antibody treatment is effective in reducing levels of the virus that causes Covid-19 in patients, and also appears to prevent patients from visiting the emergency room or hospital.(J. Harris: Don’t buy stock yet; the results were barely significant statistically. However, it’s early yet; they will continue to improve their products.)
4. Analysis of Genomic Characteristics and Transmission Routes of Patients With Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 in Southern California During the Early Stage of the US COVID-19 Pandemic(JAMA) This case series of 192 patients found that 82% of SARS-CoV-2 isolates from Los Angeles shared closest similarity to those originating in Europe vs those from Asia (15%). Using the variation signature of the viral genomes, 2 main clusters were identified, with the top variants sharing genomic features from European SARS-CoV-2 isolates, and several subclusters of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks represented trackable community spread in Los Angeles. These findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 genomes in Los Angeles were predominantly related to the isolates originating from Europe, which are similar to viral strain distributions in New York, New York; a smaller subgroup of SARS-CoV-2 genomes shared similarities to those from originating from Asia, indicating multiple sources of viral introduction within the Los Angeles community.
5. Science Is Needed to Rescue the Nation From COVID-19, but Not Just Traditional Biomedical Science (JAMA) As the US pushes rigorous education in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), it is worth reflecting on this global pandemic and what kind of science society is not effectively using. So far, the greatest unmet need in successfully fighting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the US relates to the insights provided by the social sciences rather than by the traditional biomedical sciences. Sociologists and psychologists are as important in this crisis as virologists and epidemiologists. In the US, people are comfortable with and accustomed to scientists rescuing them or helping them avoid disaster. But when that does not work perfectly, or leaves temporary gaps, people are left to rely on something less predictable—the human psyche and human interaction—to prevent the spread of the virus.
‘SNL’ Nixes Morgan Wallen Appearance After Singer Violates COVID-19 Safety Protocols
THIS JUST IN: Dr. Jim Harris has been selected as the official doctor of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. Jerry Jone says that Harris is a natural fit.
GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK. CLICK ON “COMMENT” TO TELL US WHAT YOU THINK or use one of the alternative methods for providing feedback.