Kai Kupferschmidt
science journalist. molecular biologist. curious. Contributing Correspondent at @sciencemagazine, reporting on #covid19. Interested in all things #blue
Thought Leader
| #56 | Infectious Disease |
Last synced from Twitter 79d ago
Merkel orders tough curbs to tame virus
Germany on Wednesday ordered a new round of shutdowns for the cultural and leisure as well as food and drink sectors, in a bid to halt a surge in new coronavirus infections.
Kai Kupferschmidt
Here’s @AFP on Merkel’s presser
79d
Matt Hancock defends test and trace system - BBC News
The health secretary says the system is one part of the Covid fight and urges people to stay safe.
Virology, transmission, and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2
### What you need to know
Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in December 2019, there has been an unparalleled global effort to characterise the virus and the clinical course of disease. Coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2,...
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Kai Kupferschmidt
If you want an outline of what we have actually learnt about #SARSCoV2 since it emerged, how it spreads and causes disease, this new review by @mugecevik, @KrutikaKuppalli, @KindrachukJason and Malik Peiris is an excellent place to start.
82d
Explore The Ways Trump Or Biden Could Win The Election
Choose whether President Trump or Joe Biden will win each state in the 2020 presidential election and we’ll recalculate whether they have a path to 270 electoral votes and what their chance is of winning the Electoral College.
Kai Kupferschmidt
Okay, I spent way too much time these last two days tinkering with this amazing interactive from @FiveThirtyEight and now I know all the timelines I don‘t want to be a part of.
Oh and can someone tell my editor I‘m filing my story a bit late? 🤷♂️
83d
Susceptibility of Raccoon Dogs for Experimental SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Raccoon dogs might have been intermediate hosts for severe acute respiratory syndrome–associated coronavirus in 2002–2004. We demonstrated susceptibi...
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Kai Kupferschmidt
Back in April, @c_drosten told me that investigations into #covid19 origin should also look at farmed raccoon dogs in China as possible intermediate hosts. Now, German scientists have made the first step, showing the animals can get and transmit #SARSCoV2.
83d
COVID-19 can affect the heart
The family of seven known human coronaviruses are known for their impact on the respiratory tract, not the heart. However, the most recent coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has marked tropism for the heart...
Three Steps for Safe Pandemic Voting
Don’t wait until Election Day: Make a plan, vote early if you can and take the usual coronavirus precautions.
Kai Kupferschmidt
Everyone in the US should read and share this short piece about safely voting in a pandemic from @KrutikaKuppalli and @WhipClyburn. Few things are as important as elections, so:
Make a plan
Try to #VoteEarly
and
Remember the usual #covid19 precautions!
86d
The Case Against Donald Trump
The president of the United States poses a threat to our collective existence. The choice voters face is spectacularly obvious.
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Kai Kupferschmidt
„Trump is not responsible for all of the 220,000 #COVID19-related deaths in America. But through his avarice and ignorance and negligence and titanic incompetence, he has allowed tens of thousands of Americans to suffer and die, many alone, all needlessly“
86d
Understanding COVID-19 vaccine efficacy
Vaccine efficacy in high-risk groups and reduced viral shedding are important for protection
Gesundheitsminister Spahn positiv auf Corona getestet
Bundesgesundheitsminister Jens Spahn (CDU) ist positiv auf das Coronavirus getestet worden und befindet sich jetzt zuhause in Quarantäne. Bislang zeigten sich nur Erkältungssymptome, so sein Ministerium.
1
Kai Kupferschmidt
Germany‘s minister of health has tested positive for #sarscov2 and is isolating at home with only mild symptoms so far. Yet another reminder for all of us to be vigilant and protect ourselves and those around us.
86d
A Viral Theory Cited by Health Officials Draws Fire From Scientists
A manifesto urging reliance on “herd immunity” without lockdowns was warmly received by administration officials. But the strategy cannot stem the pandemic, many experts say.
Debunking the False Claim That COVID Death Counts Are Inflated
President Trump, a congressman and conspiracy fantasists have repeated the myth. But three kinds of evidence point to more than 218,000 U.S. deaths
In new strategy, Wellcome Trust will take on global health challenges
Giant biomedical research funder says it will focus on infectious disease, mental health, and global warming
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Kai Kupferschmidt
The @wellcometrust is one of the wealthiest foundations in the world, spending more than a billion pounds a year. Now under a new strategy it will start to focus on three issues: infectious disease, mental health and the health effect of global warming.
88d
Kai Kupferschmidt
„If you look at any of the challenges we face, not just the three we’ve chosen but any of the others, then I think the answers do not lie in returning to a 20th century nationalistic agenda“, says @JeremyFarrar of @wellcometrust. Couldn‘t agree more.
88d
England - Das Ende der Pocken | Pandemia - Die Welt. Die Viren. Und wir.
Das Pandemia-Team beschäftigt sich diesmal mit den Pocken, der ersten Krankheit, die vom Menschen ausgerottet werden konnte.
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Kai Kupferschmidt
Die neue Folge unseres @pandemiapodcast ist raus. Es geht um das Ende einer der grausamsten Geißeln der Menschheit: der Pocken. Und es geht um einen der größten Durchbrüche der Medizin: die Erfindung der Impfstoffe. viertausendhertz.de/pan13/ pic.twitter.com/nVUtBbXNtq
89d
How Americans View The Coronavirus Crisis And Trump's Response
We’re tracking how concerned Americans are about COVID-19, the economy and President Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Remdesivir and interferon fall flat in WHO’s megastudy of COVID-19 treatments
Solidarity fails to find mortality benefits in four treatments—but the global trial itself wins praise
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Kai Kupferschmidt
“This trial doesn’t help remdesivir, that’s for sure,” says @EricTopol. “It's not a dead duck as much as hydroxychloroquine, but it certainly is not the hope that was initially signaled.”
92d
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Kai Kupferschmidt
“It's disappointing that none of the four have come out and shown a difference in mortality, but it does show why you need big trials,” says @JeremyFarrar.
My story on @WHO’s Solidarity trial results is out (slightly delayed by having food poisoning 🤷♂️)
92d
Facebook says it will finally ban anti-vaccination ads
Facebook said Tuesday it is launching a new global policy that bans ads that discourage people from getting vaccines. The company previously did have a policy against vaccine hoaxes that were publicly identified by global health organizations.
Genomic evidence for reinfection with SARS-CoV-2: a case study
Genetic discordance of the two SARS-CoV-2 specimens was greater than could be accounted
for by short-term in vivo evolution. These findings suggest that the patient was infected
by SARS-CoV-2 on two separate occasions by a genetically distinct...