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Billions of dollars are being invested in the development of vaccines against the coronavirus. Until one arrives, many scientists have turned to tried-and-true vaccines to see whether they may confer broad protection, and may reduce the risk of coronavirus infection, as well.

Old standbys like the Bacille Calmette-Guerin tuberculosis vaccine and the polio vaccine appear to help train the immune system to respond to a broad variety of infections, including from bacteria, viruses and parasites, experts say.

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Understanding the mechanism of virus transmission

Thu, 2020-07-30 12:29 — mike kraft

The Devastating Impact of Infectious Disease Outbreaks - ISSA The impact of having a simple conversation with another person is enough to spread diseases. Eleni Sakas ISSA

By Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner | July 29, 2020

As an epidemiologist or “disease detective,” a question I am frequently asked regarding SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 disease) is: “How does someone become infected?”

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Russia claims it's on track to approve Covid-19 vaccine by mid-August. But speed of process raises questions

Thu, 2020-07-30 12:09 — mike kraft

Russia claims it's on track to approve Covid-19 vaccine by mid-August. But speed of process raises questions Russia intends to be the first in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine, in less than two weeks -- despite concerns about its safety, effectiveness and over whether the country has cut essential corners in development, CNN has learned. Matthew Chance, CNN CNN

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Costa Rica-made plasma shown to inhibit coronavirus, ready for clinical trials

Thu, 2020-07-30 11:46 — mike kraft

Costa Rica-made plasma shown to inhibit coronavirus, ready for clinical trials: UCR Alejandro Zúñiga The Tico Times Costa Rica

Costa Rica is set to begin clinical trials on antibody-rich plasma that has been extracted from horses with the purpose of treating COVID-19 patients.

Two versions of the plasma were shown to inhibit the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in tests performed at the National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases in the United States.

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In France, a virus cluster splits generations, raises fears

Thu, 2020-07-30 11:33 — mike kraft

A virus cluster in France splits generations, raises fears PARIS (AP) — As the sun went down, their partying got into full flow, with an unwanted guest: the coronavirus. An outbreak among 18- to 25-year-olds at a seaside resort on the Brittany coast... AP NEWS

ARIS (AP) — As the sun went down, their partying got into full flow, with an unwanted guest: the coronavirus.

An outbreak among 18- to 25-year-olds at a seaside resort on the Brittany coast is crystallizing fears that the virus is flaring again in France, on the back of vacationers throwing COVID-19 caution to the summer winds.

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Worldwide map of the spread of the novel coronavirus

Thu, 2020-07-30 09:09 — mike kraft

Tracking the spread of the novel coronavirus Reuters maps all places where COVID-19 cases have been confirmed. Gurman Bhatia Reuters

At least 667,650 people globally have died from COVID-19 and 17,118,787 have been infected by the novel coronavirus that causes it, following an outbreak that started in Wuhan, China, in early December. The World Health Organization referred to it as a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

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The Coronavirus Could Dodge Some Treatments, Study Suggests

Wed, 2020-07-29 18:45 — mike kraft

In a laboratory in New York City, researchers coaxed a key piece of the coronavirus — its infamous outer “spike” — to mutate so that it became invisible to disease-fighting antibodies, according to a new study that has not yet been published in a scientific journal.