The Mink Link – Science Chronicle

Since June, 214 people in Denmark have been reported to have been infected with a variant of the novel coronavirus — cluster 5 — associated with farmed minks. This includes 12 cases reported on November 5, eight of whom had a link with mink farming while four cases were from the community. Preliminary findings indicate […]

No evidence to suggest cluster 5 variant increases coronavirus transmissibility, disease severity — Science Chronicle

A good article to read when you think of the mink link and Covid-19.

Mothers’ Lifestyle Predicts When Offspring will have First Heart Attack or Stroke

Previous research has shown that parents pass on health to their offspring through both genes and shared environment/lifestyle. This was the first study to examine whether parents’ heart health was associated with the age at which offspring develop cardiovascular disease. In addition, it investigated the influence of each parent separately.

The study was conducted in offspring-mother-father trios from the Framingham Heart Study — a total of 1,989 offspring, 1,989 mothers, and 1,989 fathers. Offspring were enrolled at an average age of 32 years and followed over 46 years (1971-2017) for the development of cardiovascular events. “Crucially, the study followed offspring into most of their adult life when heart attacks and strokes actually occur,” explained Dr. Muchira

European Society of Cardiology. “Mothers’ lifestyle predicts when offspring will have first heart attack or stroke.” ScienceDaily, 4 November 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201104194708.htm.

Journal Reference: Muchira JM, Gona PN, Mogos MF, et al. Parental cardiovascular health predicts time to onset of cardiovascular disease in offspring. Eur J Prev Cardiol., 2020 DOI: 10.1093/eurjpc/zwaa072

Science Daily Covid-19 Links – 11.06.20

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “COVID-19 ‘super-spreading’ events play out-sized role in overall disease transmission: Mathematical analysis suggests that preventing large gatherings could significantly reduce COVID-19 infection rates.” ScienceDaily, 2 November 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201102173232.htm.

Journal Reference: Felix Wong, James J. Collins. Evidence that coronavirus superspreading is fat-tailed. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2020; 202018490 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2018490117

University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. “Review finds almost 20 percent of COVID-19 patients only show gastrointestinal symptoms: Radiologists encouraged to remain watchful for signs of the virus.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 November 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201103104734.htm.

Journal Reference: Kevin Lui, Mitchell P. Wilson, Gavin Low. Abdominal imaging findings in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a scoping review. Abdominal Radiology, 2020; DOI: 10.1007/s00261-020-02739-5

Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Study uncovers subset of COVID-19 patients who recover quickly and sustain antibodies: Researchers identify patients who cleared the disease faster and had a persistent antibody response, with important implications for immunity.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 November 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201103121044.htm.

Journal Reference: Yuezhou Chen, Adam Zuiani, Stephanie Fischinger, Jyotsna Mullur, Caroline Atyeo, Meghan Travers, Felipe J.N. Lelis, Krista M. Pullen, Hannah Martin, Pei Tong, Avneesh Gautam, Shaghayegh Habibi, Jillian Bensko, Deborah Gakpo, Jared Feldman, Blake M. Hauser, Timothy M. Caradonna, Yongfei Cai, John S. Burke, Junrui Lin, James A. Lederer, Evan Christopher Lam, Christy L. Lavine, Michael S. Seaman, Bing Chen, Aaron G. Schmidt, Alejandro Benjamin Balazs, Douglas A. Lauffenburger, Galit Alter, Duane R. Wesemann. Quick COVID-19 Healers Sustain Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Production. Cell, 2020; DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.10.051

Texas A&M University. “Four major predictors of COVID-19 emerge in new study: Researchers identified socioeconomic predictors that could inform future pandemic response.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 November 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201104114724.htm>.

Journal Reference: Richard S. Whittle, Ana Diaz-Artiles. An ecological study of socioeconomic predictors in detection of COVID-19 cases across neighborhoods in New York City. BMC Medicine, 2020; 18 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s12916-020-01731-6

Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Rapid changes in biomarker of inflammation may be a key predictor of COVID-19 outcomes: Results provide insight into underlying mechanisms of inflammation that may help anticipate clinical trajectories of COVID-19 patients.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 November 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201105112947.htm.

Journal Reference: Alisa A. Mueller, Tomoyoshi Tamura, Conor P. Crowley, Jeremy R. DeGrado, Hibah Haider, Julia L. Jezmir, Gregory Keras, Erin H. Penn, Anthony F. Massaro, Edy Y. Kim. Inflammatory Biomarker Trends Predict Respiratory Decline in COVID-19 Patients. Cell Reports Medicine, 2020; 100144 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2020.100144

Executive Summary

  • Super spreading events are real so avoid large crowds when possible and wear a mask.
  • I had the worst stomach bug in my entire life back in February. I ate only to keep my strength up but no foods were appealing. The thought of alcohol made me cringe. It lasted a week and I lost five pounds. Covid?
  • Did I develop and sustain antibodies?
  • The socioeconomic predictors of Covid-19 are pretty much what they have been for many years. The virus has merely put a spotlight on existing economic and other inequalities in the world.
  • C-Reactive Protein (CRP).

Quote for Today – 11.06.20

We come together on this special day
Sing our message loud and clear
Looking back, we’ve touched on sorrowful days
Future pass, they disappear
You will find peace of mind
If you look way down in your heart and soul
Don’t hesitate ’cause the world seems cold
Stay young at heart, ’cause you’re never, never old

Earth Wind & Fire

Tonight I traveled back in time 45 years to a world full of peace, love, and understanding. Nowadays we can do better. We must do better.

Lockdown sceptics vs zero-Covid: who’s got it right? — Tim Harford

Covid in the UK hasn’t been quite as polarised as Brexit or the political landscape of the United States. But it is polarised enough. At one extreme are the zero-Covid advocates; at the other, the lockdown sceptics. Who is right? Some lockdown sceptics have advanced a variety of dishonest or deluded views over the course…

Lockdown sceptics vs zero-Covid: who’s got it right? — Tim Harford

The Latest in COVID-19 News: Week Ending 11.07.20 – NEJM Journal Watch

Over the past week, U.S. researchers reported a secondary infection rate of 53% among household contacts of people with COVID-19. In another study, risk factors for transmission among close contacts of infected people — like sharing a vehicle or being spoken to by the infected person within 2 meters — were detailed. Elsewhere, the FDA warned about false-positives with rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2. And in Denmark, all farmed minks were set to be killed after reports that a SARS-CoV-2 mutation had jumped from minks to humans.

https://www.jwatch.org/fw117204/2020/11/07/latest-covid-19-news-week-ending-nov-7

Click on the link above for the NEJM Journal Watch weekly update. 

Meanwhile in El Paso…

A fourth mobile morgue has been sent to El Paso as the Texas border town grapples with an ever-growing COVID-19 crisis.

Citation: El Paso Gets Fourth Mobile Morgue as COVID-19 Deaths Surge – Medscape – Nov 05, 2020. — https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/940459?src=rss

Covid-19 Data and Rapid Testing

Rapid Covid-19 tests are being deployed by the millions across the nation. The federal government is sending these tests, which can provide results in minutes, to states for educators, students, nursing home patients, first responders, and other sites. That’s a good thing. But in a rush to get individual test results, we’re making a dangerous public health mistake: We’re losing critical data about Covid-19.

For months, the U.S. has struggled to get accurate information about Covid-19 cases and testing about different demographic groups. As rapid tests surge — and are performed at sites that don’t follow specific Covid-19 data reporting processes — even more information will be lost.

The hidden public health hazard of rapid Covid-19 tests — https://www.statnews.com/2020/11/05/rapid-covid-19-tests-hidden-public-health-hazard/?utm_campaign=rss

Nutrition Matters

By many measures, the population of the United States is the unhealthiest of any high-income country despite spending much more money, as a share of the economy, on health care. The incidence of chronic disease is higher and life expectancy is lower.

Many chronic conditions plaguing Americans, such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, are avoidable with a prudent diet and lifestyle. Today, more than 42% of American adults have obesity, as do 19.3% of children of age 19 and under. The U.S. has the world’s 12th-highest obesity rate, after Kuwait. (The top 10 are all small Pacific island nations.)

Diet makes a difference. Nearly half of all deaths in the U.S. from heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes are associated with diet, such as the over-consumption of processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages and insufficient intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Make America healthy again by paying more attention to nutrition — https://www.statnews.com/2020/11/04/nutrition-make-america-healthy-again/?utm_campaign=rss

Presented without the usual snarky comment from yours truly. Read the full article. You’ll find more links for your reading pleasure.

U.S. Election Discussion Thread — Climate Etc.

by Judith Curry No words. The only thing crazier than the U.S. election is this morning’s hurricane forecast. I have no words re the election.  For a diversion, here is my hurricane forecast for Eta. Summary:  current: TERRIBLE.  forecast: CRAZY Latest from NHC (7 am EST): 145 mph max sustained winds, min pressure 936 mb, […]

U.S. election discussion thread — Climate Etc.

I am re-posting this article by Judith Curry. Yes, the headline is somewhat misleading but I’m glad I clicked and read her post. There’s another hurricane coming.

Admit it. We all need a diversion from the election.