With more than 20 million acres of corn and soybeans, Illinois is among the top U.S. producers of those crops. To make it all happen, the state relies on thousands of farmworkers — some of whom travel to the state for seasonal work and others, like 35-year-old Saraí, who call…
Study assesses causes of higher COVID-mortality among men
Researchers in the United States, Germany and Uganda have conducted a study showing that the factors responsible for a higher rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality among males are specific to COVID-19 rather than related to men’s shorter life expectancy. Pascal Geldsetzer from Stanford University in California and colleagues…
House OKs $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Package
Billions of dollars to expand the fight against the coronavirus are included in the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package approved early Saturday morning in the U.S. House of Representatives. President Joe Biden urged quick action on the “the American Rescue Plan,” which now heads to the Senate. “We have no…
4 Million Doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine Are on the Way, Will Arrive as Early as Tuesday
https://www.youtube.com/embed/v-6qQGlAz9I Distribution of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine is already underway, with 4 million doses expected to arrive at sites across the United States as soon as Tuesday morning. "Literally it's on trucks as we're talking," Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky said during a Monday morning appearance on Today. …
Can vaccinated people still spread the coronavirus?
So you’ve gotten your coronavirus vaccine, waited the two weeks for your immune system to respond to the shot and are now fully vaccinated. Does this mean you can make your way through the world like the old days without fear of spreading the virus? Deborah Fuller is a microbiologist…
Deep learning-based splice-AI can help predict the onset of Alzheimer's disease
Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI, President Suh Pann-ghill) announced that the research team led by Dr. Jae-Yeol Joo discovered new cryptic splice variants and SNVs in PLCg1 gene of AD-specific models for the first time using Splice-AI. This research outcome was published in PNAS, a world-renowned academic journal. Prediction of…
Inhalable nanobody shows potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in vivo
Vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), are being administered worldwide. A successful, safe and targeted therapeutic drug to treat this infection is yet to emerge. Convalescent plasma, repurposed antivirals, neutralizing monoclonal antibodies, and highly selected nanobodies (Nbs) and multivalent…
Why some coronavirus strains are more infectious than others
Coronavirus outbreaks have occurred periodically, but none have been as devastating as the COVID-19 pandemic. Vivek Govind Kumar, a graduate student, and colleagues in the lab of Mahmoud Moradi at the University of Arkansas, have discovered one reason that likely makes SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, so much more…
New coronavirus variant surging in California
(HealthDay)—A coronavirus variant first identified in California is more contagious than previous forms of the virus and is spreading across the state, two new studies show. One study revealed that compared with other variants, this variant produces twice as many viral particles inside the body and may be better at…
Nearly One-Third of People with ‘Mild’ COVID-19 Cases Still Have ‘Persistent Symptoms’ Months Later: Study
A new study has found that nearly one-third of people who reported having "mild" cases of COVID-19 still experience lingering symptoms up to nine months later. In a letter published last week in the JAMA Network Open, researchers from the University of Washington conducted a study with 177 adults who…
Alaska governor contracts COVID-19, rests at home with mild symptoms
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters – Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy was diagnosed with COVID-19 and is resting at home with mild symptoms, his office said on Wednesday.FILE PHOTO: Governor of Alaska, Mike Dunleavy, speaks at the 2020 Census kickoff held at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., January 17,…