Tag Archives: Research
Covid-19: “Superspreading Events” Responsible For Up To 80% Of Infections
From Scientific American (June 23, 2020):
In fact, research on actual cases, as well as models of the pandemic, indicate that between 10 and 20 percent of infected people are responsible for 80 percent of the coronavirus’s spread.
Researchers have identified several factors that make it easier for superspreading to happen. Some of them are environmental.
- Poorly ventilated indoor areas seem especially conducive to the virus’s spread – A preliminary analysis of 110 COVID-19 cases in Japan found that the odds of transmitting the pathogen in a closed environment was more than 18 times greater than in an open-air space.
- Places where large numbers of people congregate – As a group’s size increases, so does the risk of transmitting the virus to a wider cluster. A large group size also increases the chance that someone present will be infectious.
- The longer a group stays in contact, the greater the likelihood that the virus will spread among them – The benchmark used for risk assessment in her contact-tracing work is 10 minutes of contact with an infectious person, though the CDC uses 15 minutes as a guideline.
- Some activities seem to make it easier to spread respiratory gunk – Speech emits more particles than normal breathing. And emissions also increase as people speak louder. Singing emits even more particles, which may partially explain the superspreader event at the Washington State choir practice. Breathing hard during exercise might also help the spread of COVID-19.
TOP JOURNALS: RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM SCIENCE MAGAZINE (JUNE 19, 2020)
Research Infographics: “The Genetics Of Cancer”
Coronavirus Vaccines: The Promise And Peril In Fast-Tracking (WSJ Video)
As the coronavirus continues to spread around the globe, companies and academic labs are racing to develop a vaccine that would help society get back to normal. But there could also be costs to moving too quickly.
WSJ’s Daniela Hernandez explains. Photo illustration: Laura Kammermann
New Research Podcasts: “Human Brains Are Wired To Enjoy Musical Pitch”
In this month’s episode, we learn that human brains differentiate musical pitch a way that macaque monkeys do not. In fact, speech and music shaped the human brain’s hearing circuits. Researchers are studying these circuits with an eye on developing treatments for neurological disorders.
TOP JOURNALS: RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM SCIENCE MAGAZINE (MAY 29, 2020)
Health: “Inflammation – Part Hero, Part Villain” (Yale Medicine Magazine)
Top Science Podcasts: Latest Update On Covid-19 Vaccines, WHO Ultimatum
The first results from vaccine trials are in and they are encouraging, but scientists are still urging caution. We hear the lowdown on the types of vaccines being developed and what hope there is of rolling them out any time soon.
01:38 Trump vs the WHO
President Trump has given the WHO an ultimatum in a tweet, threatening to pull out of the organisation within 30 days unless unclear demands are met. We discuss what this means for the pandemic, the USA and the future of international health cooperation
12:06 Where are we with vaccines?
The first results from vaccine trials are in and they are encouraging, but scientists are still urging caution. We hear the lowdown on the types of vaccines being developed and what hope there is of rolling them out any time soon.
News: Coronavirus vaccine trials have delivered their first results — but their promise is still unclear
News: The race for coronavirus vaccines: a graphical guide
News: If a coronavirus vaccine arrives, can the world make enough?
25:20 One good thing
Our hosts pick out things that have made them smile in the last week, including hopeful antibody research, at-home sketch comedy and printable board games.
News: Potent human antibodies could inspire a vaccine
Video: Whiskers R we – SNL
Video:The wild affordable world of 1 Player Print’n’Play Games
Video:MORE of the Very Best Solitaire Print’n’Play Games
Video: Marble run league
Video: BBC goals at home (Only available in the UK)
30:04 The latest coronavirus research papers
Noah Baker takes a look through some of the key coronavirus papers of the last few weeks.
News: Coronavirus research updates
medRxiv: Saliva is more sensitive for SARS-CoV-2 detection in COVID-19 patients than nasopharangel swabs
Nature: Effect of non-pharmaceutical interventions to contain COVID-19 in China
Science: Changes in contact patterns shape the dynamics of the COVID-19 outbreak in China
New England Journal of Medicine:
Top New Science Podcasts: The Struggle To Reopen Labs After Covid-19 And Arsenic In Drinking Water
Online News Editor David Grimm talks with producer Joel Goldberg about the unique challenges of reopening labs amid the coronavirus pandemic. Though the chance to resume research may instill a sense of hope, new policies around physical distancing and access to facilities threaten to derail studies—and even careers.
Despite all the uncertainty, the crisis could result in new approaches that ultimately benefit the scientific community and the world. Also this week, Joel Podgorski, a senior scientist in the Water Resources and Drinking Water Department at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss the global threat of arsenic in drinking water. Arsenic is basically present in all rocks in minute amounts. Under the right conditions it can leach into groundwater and poison drinking water. Without a noticeable taste or smell, arsenic contamination can go undetected for years. The paper, published in Science, estimates that more than 100 million people are at risk of drinking arsenic-contaminated water and provides a guide for the most important places to test.
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