QUICK NOTE IN WASHINGTON POST, TODAY, 5/27 ”In a non–peer reviewed preprint study, German scientists say they have determined the cause of rare blood clots in some people who got the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.”
WASHINGTO POST MAY 26:
1. The majority of Navajo Nation, the largest Native American tribe in the United States, is immunized – about 70 percent are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to the tribe’s president. And leaders of other American Indian tribes say their vaccination numbers are similarly impressive. Reasons for this success, those leaders explain, include their sovereignty to distribute vaccines and cultural values that emphasize community.
2. One vaccinated person in Ohio will receive $1 million tonight when the state reveals the first winner from its immunization lottery. Nearly 2.8 million Ohioans have registered for the “Vax-a-Million” program, which in total will give $1 million prizes to five adults and full-ride scholarships to Ohio public colleges to five teens. Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said the lottery contributed to higher vaccination rates, particularly among young adults, in the state.
AMAZON MY BUILD STAND ALONE PHARMACIES
“…Amazon reportedly is considering delving deeper into the prescription drug business by either opening standalone retail pharmacies or adding pharmacies to its Whole Foods stores, Business Insider reported…Amazon acquired online pharmacy PillPack in 2018 and last year launched Amazon Pharmacy…”
‘Overrun with kids attempting suicide’: Children’s Colorado declares state of emergency (J. Harris: Why? Pot? Covid? School changes? Depressed or poor parenting?)
HOPKINS SELECTIONS:
1. RESEARCH
Characteristics of COVID-19 Cases and Outbreaks at Child Care Facilities — District of Columbia, July–December 2020 Among 469 child care facilities in the District of Columbia, 23.9% reported at least one COVID-19 case, and 5.8% reported outbreak-associated cases during July 1–December 31, 2020. Among 319 cases, approximately one half were among teachers or staff members. Outbreak risk was increased in facilities operating ❤ years, with symptomatic persons who sought testing ≥3 days after symptom onset, or with asymptomatic cases. (CDC MMWR, 5/21/2021)
2. RESEARCH
Mask Use and Ventilation Improvements to Reduce COVID-19 Incidence in Elementary Schools — Georgia, November 16–December 11, 2020 COVID-19 incidence was 37% lower in schools that required teachers and staff members to use masks and 39% lower in schools that improved ventilation. Ventilation strategies associated with lower school incidence included dilution methods alone (35% lower incidence) or in combination with filtration methods (48% lower incidence). Mask requirements for teachers and staff members and improved ventilation are important strategies in addition to vaccination of teachers and staff members that elementary schools could implement as part of a multicomponent approach to provide safer, in-person learning environments. (CDC MMWR, 5/21/2021)
GENETIC DIFFERENCES IN (BITTER)TASTE PERCEPTION MAY HELP DETERMINE COVID SUSCEPTIBILITY (J. Harris: Heavily edited but easy to read and interesting.)
“… Results: …Main Outcomes and Measures Participants underwent T2R38 phenotype taste testing to determine whether they were supertasters (those who experienced greater intensity of bitter tastes), tasters, or nontasters (those who experienced low intensity of bitter tastes or no bitter tastes) and underwent evaluation for lack of infection with SARS-CoV-2 via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and IgM and IgG testing. (A group of participants was randomly selected for genotype analysis to correlate phenotype). Participants were followed up until confirmation of infection with SARS-CoV-2 via PCR testing. Phenotype of T2R38 was retested after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The results were compared with clinical course:……….A total of 1935 individuals (1101 women [56.9%]; mean [SD] age, 45.5 [13.9] years) participated in the study. Results of phenotype taste testing showed that 508 (26.3%) were supertasters, 917 (47.4%) were tasters, and 510 (26.4%) were nontasters.
... A total of 266 participants (13.7%) had positive PCR test results for SARS-CoV-2. Of these, 55 (20.7%) required hospitalization. Symptom duration among patients with positive results ranged from 0 to 48 days. Nontasters were significantly more likely than tasters and supertasters to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 …(, to be hospitalized once infected (odds ratio, 3.9 [1.5-10.2]; P = .006), and to be symptomatic for a longer duration (mean [SE] duration, 23.7 [0.5] days vs 13.5 [0.4] days vs 5.0 [0.6] days; P < .001). A total of 47 of 55 patients (85.5%) with COVID-19 who required inpatient admission were nontasters. Conversely, 15 of 266 patients (5.6%) with positive PCR test results were supertasters.
Conclusions and Relevance This cohort study suggests that T2R38 receptor allelic variants were associated with participants’ innate immune response toward SARS-CoV-2. The T2R phenotype was associated with patients’ clinical course after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nontasters were more likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 than the other 2 groups, suggesting enhanced innate immune protection against SARS-CoV-2.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEASED FOR THE ONE WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING:
1. There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: ‘abstemious’ and ‘facetious.’
(Okay, admit it, you just went through a-e-i-o-u in your head.)
2. There are only four words in the English language which end in ‘dous’: tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
(You’re not possibly still doubting any of this, are you ?)
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