Coronavirus concentrations in sewage seen as leading indicator of outbreaks, study says The genetic code found in sewage sludge could be a leading indicator of COVID-19 outbreaks, anticipating the presence of the virus by seven days and hospital admissions by three days, a new study from researchers at Yale University says.
The research, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, determined that concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewage sludge from a New Haven, Conn., wastewater treatment facility could be used to model the number of COVID-19 cases in the area.
Meanwhile, in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak in nursing homes is falling under further scrutiny. Cuomo, who signed legislation granting hospital and nursing home executives immunity from lawsuits related to the novel coronavirus last month, previously received a big-money boost from a powerful health care industry group, according to a new report. The New York governor is set to meet with President Trump Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
The president still wants a Fourth of July celebration to take place in the nation's capital, despite pleas from Democratic lawmakers to cancel it due to the coronavirus pandemic. The White House announced that the event was still on after members of the House and Senate from Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. led by Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., asked the administration to "immediately suspend any plans of such an event" in a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt.
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney., D-N.Y., on Wednesday threatening to boycott briefings held by the committee during the coronavirus pandemic, Fox News has learned exclusively. The letter says the briefings harm "Minority rights" and do not comply with the framework for remote business set up by the House. Republicans in their letter also panned the briefings as "quasi-hearings" and "fake hearings."
The majority of small businesses in the U.S. are optimistic about reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic, a new study says. Nearly three-quarters of businesses (74 percent) expect to return to business as usual within six months of coronavirus restrictions being lifted, the Connected Commerce Council (3C) said Wednesday.
And almost half of American adults delayed or skipped medical care amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to data released Wednesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll. Of the 48 percent of adults who skipped medical care, 11 percent reported a worsening in their or a family member’s condition, according to the data.
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And there were several other developments: A potential coronavirus vaccine developed in China appeared safe and able to generate an immune response after an early trial in more than 100 people, according to a new study. The vaccine, called Ad5-nCoV, is being developed by the Chinese company CanSino Biologics and was one of the first coronavirus vaccines to enter early human trials back in March. Officials for Walt Disney World Resort have announced July 11 as a tentative reopen date for select areas of the Florida theme park. New technology can detect an anti-virus antibody in just 20 minutes, according to researchers in Japan. If a suitable reagent is developed, they say that the tech could be used to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Hundreds of salons in New Jersey plan to reopen on June 1, despite the governor's executive order, because their businesses are at "a breaking point," salon owner said on "Fox & Friends" Wednesday. Los Angeles officials fed up with locals tossing their unwanted masks and gloves on the ground during the coronavirus outbreak reportedly are asking the city’s Bureau of Sanitation and Attorney’s Office to find new ways to crack down on offenders, ranging from increased penalties to expanded enforcement. |
