As Months Pass, Scientists Get Clearer Picture Of How People Catch Coronavirus
The main transmission route is close-up, person-to-person interactions for extended periods, and new research shows that people younger than 20 are half as susceptible to getting COVID-19. In other science news: determining your risk for testing positive; self-cleaning masks; killing the virus with UV light; how cattle might play a role in the pandemic; and more.
The Wall Street Journal:
How Exactly Do You Catch Covid-19? There Is A Growing Consensus
Six months into the coronavirus crisis, there’s a growing consensus about a central question: How do people become infected? It’s not common to contract Covid-19 from a contaminated surface, scientists say. And fleeting encounters with people outdoors are unlikely to spread the coronavirus. Instead, the major culprit is close-up, person-to-person interactions for extended periods. Crowded events, poorly ventilated areas and places where people are talking loudly—or singing, in one famous case—maximize the risk. (Hernandez, Toy and McKay, 6/16)
Reuters:
Explainer: The Coronavirus Risks Of Everyday Activities As Economies Reopen
Reuters asked five epidemiologists and public health experts to rate eleven everyday activities on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being a low-risk activity and 5 being a high risk activity. The scientists agreed that precautions can be taken to make all of these activities safer. “Higher-risk activities are those that are indoors, with poor ventilation and lots of people for long periods of time,” said Ryan Malosh, a researcher at the University of Michigan. “Lower-risk activities are outdoors, with ample space to socially distance, few people outside your household, and for shorter periods of time.” (6/16)
Modern Healthcare:
Researchers Develop Model To Predict COVID-19 Risk
Researchers at Cleveland Clinic have developed a risk-prediction model healthcare providers can use to forecast a patient's likelihood of testing positive for COVID-19, as well as their outcomes from the disease, according to a news release. Nomogram, the risk-prediction model, shows the relevance of age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, vaccination history and current medications in COVID-19 risk, according to a new study published in the medical journal CHEST. The risk calculator is freely available online. (Coutre, 6/16)
Reuters:
Lighting Maker Signify: UV Light 'degrades' Coronavirus Quickly
Signify, the world’s largest lighting manufacturer, said on Tuesday researchers at Boston University had confirmed an ultraviolet light made by the company works to degrade most coronavirus in a laboratory setting in a matter of seconds. The sun’s rays are already known to degrade viruses outdoors, and the lighting maker hopes UV lights can be used to help reduce the amount of virus in indoor areas. (6/16)
Reuters:
Self-Cleaning Mask Can Kill Viruses With Heat From Phone Charger, Researchers Say
Israeli researchers say they have invented a reusable face mask that can kill the coronavirus with heat by drawing power from a mobile phone charger. The disinfecting process takes about 30 minutes - and users should not wear the mask while it is plugged in, said Professor Yair Ein-Eli, who led the research team at Technion University in Haifa. (6/17)
Reuters:
Under 20s Around Half As Susceptible To COVID-19, Study Finds
People under 20 are around half as susceptible to COVID-19 as people aged 20 or above, according to research published on Tuesday, and clinical symptoms of the pandemic disease appear in only about a fifth of infections in children and teens. (Kelland, 6/16)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Why Some People Get Coronavirus Symptoms, But Still Test Negative
A Redwood City resident among the passengers of the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship took seven coronavirus tests over a two-week period with results fluctuating between positive, negative and inconclusive. Dr. Joseph Fair, a virologist and epidemiologist, tested negative for COVID-19 four different times despite being hospitalized in New Orleans. One of the most challenging aspects of the world’s response to the pandemic has been the reliance on testing, said Kelly Wroblewski, director of infectious diseases at the Association of Public Health Laboratories. (Vainshtein, 6/16)
The Washington Post:
Children Are Only Half As Likely To Get Infected With The Coronavirus, Study Finds
The findings could influence policymakers who are facing tough decisions about when and how to reopen schools and day-care centers. Distance learning has been challenging for teachers, students and parents, and there is pressure on officials to restart in-person schooling and day care to free up parents who have been juggling work and child care. (Achenbach and Meckler, 6/16)
NPR:
Researchers Look To Cattle For Treatment For COVID-19
It turns out, cows may play an important role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. SAB Biotherapeutics is in the business of making what are known as polyclonal antibodies. These are a collection of different antibodies that a body makes to ward off a specific invading organism. The company has made polyclonal antibodies to treat influenza and MERS. Now it's making them with the aim of treating or even preventing COVID-19. To make them, SAB uses cows. (Palca, 6/17)
NPR:
Asymptomatic Vs Presymptomatic: How The Virus Spreads
It's called asymptomatic spread. Recently a scientist with the World Health Organization created confusion when she seemed to suggest it was "very rare." It's not, as the WHO attempted to clarify. NPR science reporter Pien Huang explains what scientists know about asymptomatic spread, and what might have caused the WHO's mixed messages. (6/17)
