Coronavirus weekly-need-to-know: Antibody drug, college campuses, lifespan & more
Each week, we’ll offer you a round-up of our noteworthy coronavirus coverage.
More than 24.6 million people in the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Friday, Jan. 22, 11 a.m. EST, according to Johns Hopkins University. That includes more than 410,000 people who have died nationwide.
Globally, there are now more than 97.6 million confirmed cases of the highly infectious virus, with more than 2 million reported deaths.
About 15 million Americans have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Jan. 20, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracker shows. More than 2.3 million of them have been inoculated with their second dose, meaning they’ve received maximum protection against the coronavirus.
Here’s what happened between Jan. 15 and Jan. 21.
Antibody drug prevents COVID-19 in nursing home residents
An antibody-based drug that’s already being used as a COVID-19 treatment may now help prevent the disease in nursing home residents and staff, some of the most vulnerable individuals due to age and underlying health conditions.
American pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company announced Thursday that its Phase 3 clinical trial showed the drug reduced the chances of nursing home residents getting sick with COVID-19 by up to 80%.
Take a look at what else the clinical trial found.
Coronavirus deaths surpass 400,000 in the U.S.
Coronavirus has killed more than 400,000 people in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The U.S. reached the grim milestone Tuesday, almost one year since the first COVID-19 case was reported in the country and a little over a month after passing 300,000 coronavirus deaths on Dec. 14.
COVID-19 shortens U.S. life expectancy, particularly for Blacks, Latinos
A team of scientists said it analyzed coronavirus-related deaths in 2020 and predicted the life expectancy for all Americans will change to 77.48 years. That’s down about one year from the current nationwide level and represents an “enormous decline.”
But the life expectancy drop may be “even starker” for certain groups, particularly those in marginalized communities.
Two masks better than one in fight against COVID-19?
Experts say there’s not much scientific data as to the benefits or setbacks of wearing two masks, but they point out the practice may be beneficial when it comes to certain kinds of masks, such as those made of cloth.
For N95 or surgical masks, doubling up likely won’t do much to increase your protection, as those two types of masks are specifically designed to keep particles out, experts say.
Read on to learn more about how the kind of mask you wear influences whether two is better than one.
Colleges may be COVID-19 superspreaders in their area
A study of 30 college campuses across the nation suggests the education hubs are potential coronavirus superspreaders in their counties.
In some colleges, one in five students had contracted COVID-19 by the end of their fall term, which took place between Aug. 15 and Dec. 11. In about half of the schools studied, peak infections that were “well above” 1,000 cases per 100,000 people per week occurred within the first two weeks of class.
Here’s how college campuses might be contributing to county outbreaks.
DNA test can diagnose COVID-19 patients with pneumonia in hours
A team of scientists and doctors developed a DNA test that they say can more quickly diagnose hospitalized COVID-19 patients with other infections, such as pneumonia, while on a mechanical ventilator battling for their life.
The test can simultaneously detect up to 52 different respiratory pathogens within hours, as well as any signs of antibiotic resistance in the body, according to the researchers, reducing the misuse of antibiotics and the amount of waiting time before patients start accurate treatment.
Results are ready in about four hours, compared to a couple of days.
First COVID-19 case in U.S. reported about one year ago — a timeline
On Jan. 21, 2020, about one year ago from now, the U.S. announced it found its first case of the coronavirus, the mysterious pneumonia-like illness that experts believe sprang from an animal market in Wuhan, China, just a couple months prior.
The disease, later coined COVID-19, would soon change societies across the globe in ways that will leave permanent stains of pain and defeat, as well as of perseverance and triumph.
Here’s a timeline of the milestone events that happened throughout 2020.
Biden to sign orders focused on COVID-19 pandemic
Hours after taking office, Biden signed a slew of executive actions — including on the pandemic, racial and LGBTQ equity, immigration issues and environmental issues.
Take a look at what’s on the president’s list.
IN OTHER CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE OUTSIDE OF MCCLATCHY...
CDC still working on goal to double coronavirus sequences to expand hunt for mutations
CNN Poll: Americans’ willingness to get the coronavirus vaccine is on the rise
This story was originally published January 22, 2021 at 7:59 AM.
