Category Archives: Covid-19

DES MOINES- Today, the Auditor released a report on a special investigation of the Step Up, Stop the Spread public service announcement campaign that occurred in November 2020, the height of the Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), or COVID-19, Pandemic in Iowa. The campaign was designed to raise public awareness in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Im proud of the Step Up, Stop the Spread public service announcement, Gov. Reynolds said. I felt it was important for me and other leaders to address Iowans during the height of the pandemic. And the law clearly allows it.

In his report, the Auditor claims the Governor mishandled CARES Act dollars by using those funds for video advertisements containing the likeness, voice, or name of the Governor in violation of Iowa Code section 68A.405A.

That statute reads, in part:

Except as provided in sections 29C.3 and 29C.6, a statewide elected official or member of the general assembly shall not permit the expenditure of public moneys under the control of the statewide elected official or member of the general assembly, including but not limited to

The auditors reportignores the opening clause: Except as provided in sections 29C.3 and 29C.6. That is a significant error, as 29C.6 relates to the powers and authority of the Governor during a public health disaster emergency.

The Step Up, Stop the Spread campaign promoted social distancing and mask-wearing in November 2020, which was the peak of positive cases of COVID-19 in Iowa. Hospitals and health care facilities were filling with patients being treated for COVID-19.And significantly, the Governors Public Health Proclamation of Disaster Emergency mandated (in certain situations) mask-wearing and required social distancing.

Promoting the requirements and recommendations of a disaster proclamation in a public awareness campaign is a clear example of the public-emergency exemption in Iowas image-and-likeness statute. And in case of any confusion, Section 29C.6(10)--which, again, is specifically mentioned in section 68A.405A-- provides for the use of all available resourcesof the state government as reasonably necessary to cope with the disaster emergency and of each political subdivision of the state.

Auditor Sand didnt once ask to meet with our team regarding his concern or his investigation. If he had, we would have pointed him to this essential part of the law that he clearly missed, said Chief of Staff Sara Craig.

Any competent reading of the plain language of state code would have acknowledged the role of the Governor in promoting an emergency order. Neither the Governors Office nor the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board were consulted prior to the issuance of Auditor Sands report. If that had happened, anyone within those offices could have directed the Auditor to the plain language of Iowas image-and-likeness statute and pointed out that, during a disaster emergency, the Governor may address Iowans in a public service announcement.

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Gov. Reynolds releases statement on COVID-19 public service announcement | Office of the Governor of Iowa - Governor Kim Reynolds

The Regeneron Pharmaceuticals company logo is seen on a building at the company's Westchester campus in Tarrytown, New York, U.S. September 17, 2020. Picture taken September 17, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

The U.S. health regulator authorized a lower dose of Regeneron Pharmaceutical's COVID-19 antibody cocktail that can be given by injection, a move that could ease logistical challenges stemming from administering a higher dose intravenously.

The therapy, REGEN-COV, and a similar treatment developed by rival Eli Lilly (LLY.N) were being given through one-time infusion and required patients to be isolated.

Regeneron had been working on a lower dose of its cocktail that can be given subcutaneously to address the challenges that have weighed on demand for antibody drugs.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had in November authorized a 2,400 mg dose of REGEN-COV, administered as a single dose directly injected to a vein for non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The agency has now lowered it to 1,200 mg and allowed the administration of casirivimab and imdevimab by injecting under the skin when intravenous infusion is not possible and would lead to treatment delay, Regeneron said on Friday. (https://bit.ly/34Lt0TQ)

The therapy belongs to a class of drugs called monoclonal antibodies, which mimic natural antibodies the body produces to fight off the infection.

Eli Lilly's antibody combination received U.S. emergency use authorization in February, while an antibody drug by Vir Biotechnology Inc (VIR.O) and GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK.L), which is also administered through intravenous infusion, was granted authorization late last month. read more

Regeneron said it expects to submit an application for full approval of REGEN-COV in non-hospitalized patients later this summer.

The drugmaker expects to deliver at least 1 million doses of the therapy to the U.S. government in the second quarter and said the government may accept additional doses of up to 1.25 million doses through September.

Regeneron is also developing the cocktail as a preventive medicine. read more

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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U.S. authorizes Regeneron's COVID-19 antibody therapy for injection - Reuters

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Biggest challenge to reach herd immunity is vaccinating those who had COVID-19, APH says - KXAN.com

Harrisburg, PA - The Department of Health today announced that additional COVID-19 testing sites will open to the public in Luzerne and Cumberland counties. The sites are available through a partnership with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare (AMI).

The virus is still present in our communities, which is evident from the daily count of COVID-19 cases statewide, Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. This reinforces the need for continued testing across the state. We encourage anyone who feels they need or want a test to take advantage of any of the COVID-19 testing clinics, if they think they have been exposed to COVID-19. Much of the news and attention has shifted to COVID-19 vaccines, but testing is still a critical part of our response to ultimately stop the spread of COVID-19.

Luzerne County

Beginning Monday, June 7 through Thursday, June 10, testing will be available daily, from 9 AM to 6 PM for the Pierogi Fest at 470 Main Street, Edwardsville, PA, 18704. This will be a drive-thru and walk-up site.

Cumberland County

Beginning Tuesday, June 8 through Saturday, June 19, testing will be available daily, Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 AM to 6 PM at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds, 1000 Bryn Mawr Road, Carlisle, PA, 17013. This will be a drive-thru and walk-up site. Testing will take place within the pavilion on the southeast side of the Fairgrounds. Please enter through Gate 3, located just off of Bryn Mawr Road. When testing is completed, please exit out of the same gate.

There are two other AMI COVID-19 testing sites currently operating across the commonwealth:

The Luzerne county site at the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport will run Mondays through Fridays through June 25.

The Centre county site will run Tuesdays through Saturday through July 3.

In addition, Pennsylvanians can find testing sites in their area on the locator map here.

Up to 450 people can be tested per day. Mid-nasal passage swab PCR tests will be performed. Testing is on a first-come, first-serve basis and is completely free. No appointment is necessary. Testing is open to individuals who are not county residents. Patients must be ages 3 and older and are not required to show symptoms of COVID-19 in order to be tested. Patients are encouraged to bring a photo-ID. Registration will also be completed on-site. The turnaround time for testing results is one to three days after testing.

The AMI testing site will be open to anyone who feels they need a test. It is important that even people with no symptoms who have tested positive isolate in order to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Individuals who are tested should self-quarantine while they await their test results. Individuals who live with other people should self-quarantine in a private room and use a private bathroom, if possible. Others living in the home with the individual awaiting test results should also stay at home. The department has additional instructions for individuals waiting for a COVID-19 test result. Individuals who test positive will receive a phone call from AMI while individuals who test negative will receive a secured-PDF emailed to them from AMI.

The department believes that increased testing in counties will help determine the prevalence of the virus and assist the county in moving forward. There are currently 28 counties in the commonwealth where the percent of positive cases is above 5 percent on the Early Warning Monitoring Dashboard. Each county is being monitored as the state continues to examine all available data.

The department has contracted with AMI to perform pop-up COVID-19 testing in counties across the state since September 2020. The contracts were funded by the federal Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) Enhancing Detection grant. Counties under the initial contract, as well as the total number of patients tested, can be found here. Counties served under the first contract extension, as well as the total number of patients tested, can be found here.

From March 2020 through June 3, 2021, the department has received 14,098,785 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results. From May 2020 through June 3, 2021, the department has received 3,558,303 antigen test results. The total combined number of tests reported to the department is 17,657,088 since COVID-19 testing began in the commonwealth. The number of Pennsylvanians who have been tested by PCR or antigen tests is 6,219,233 which roughly equates to 48.6 percent of the Pennsylvania population. Some people have been tested more than once.

Counties in need of a long-term COVID-19 testing site should contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health to discuss the possibility of setting up a pop-up site through AMI.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people who are fully vaccinated do not get testing following a known exposure, if asymptomatic, with some exceptions for specific settings. Otherwise, the department recommends getting tested for COVID-19 if you come in contact with an infected individual or if you are experiencing symptoms.

For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit Responding to COVID-19 on pa.gov.

The Department of Health is working to ensure the vaccine is provided in a way that is ethical, equitable and efficient to all Pennsylvanians:

All Pennsylvanians age 12 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine. Use Vaccine Finder to find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you.

A commonwealth COVID-19 vaccination guide explains the current process for getting one. Pennsylvanians with questions about the vaccination process can call the Department of Health hotline at 1-877-724-3258.

All of the locations that received vaccine and how much they have received can be found on the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution webpage.

Vaccine dashboard data can also be found on the website to find more information on the doses administered and showcase demographic information.

Frequently asked questions can be found here.

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

Get vaccinated with one of the three safe and effective vaccines available to provide the best layer of protection.

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.

Clean surfaces frequently.

Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.

Download theCOVIDAlert PA app and make your phone part of the fight.The free app can be found in theGoogle Play Storeand theApple App Storeby searching for covidalert pa.

Updated Coronavirus Links: Press Releases, State Lab Photos, Graphics

Press releases regarding coronavirus

Latest information on the coronavirus

Photos of the states lab in Exton(for download and use)

Coronavirus and preparedness graphics(located at the bottom of the page)

Community preparedness and procedures materials

MEDIA CONTACT: Mark O'Neill - ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov

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Department of Health Announces Free COVID-19 Testing Site in Luzerne and Cumberland Counties - Pennsylvania Pressroom

As part of an effort to Bring Back Louisiana Summer and encourage people to go Sleeves Up and get their COVID-19 shots, free admission to Louisiana state parks is being offered now for anyone who has been vaccinated, Gov. John Bel Edwards and Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser announced today. Vaccinated individuals can gain free entry into all of Louisianas 21 State Parks through July 31. This offer is available to all visitors from Louisiana and elsewhere who have been vaccinated, no matter when they got their shot. This offer does not extend to tour groups.

With new and improved facilities, there has never been a better time to take advantage of Louisianas beautiful state parks. Many sites also offer splash pads for kids. Visit LAStateParks.Com for a full list of sites. These perks are part of the Bring Back Louisiana Summer initiative, which will announce more fun rewards in the near future.

Louisianas state parks are beautiful, educational and now free for those who are vaccinated against COVID-19, which is a great way to help Bring Back Louisiana and celebrate our state this summer, Gov. Edwards said. I appreciate Lt. Governor Nungessers support of the Bring Back Louisiana campaign and for making admission free for the vaccinated, Gov. Edwards said. In addition to the offer of free entrance in Louisiana State Parks, a number of national companies are offering incentives to their customers and employees who take the COVID-19 vaccine. Today we announced some new perks for people who are vaccinated, but we have more announcements planned for the coming weeks, so people should go get their shots now so they dont miss out. Right now, nearly 32 percent of our population is fully vaccinated, and that number needs to keep growing.

"As we open our doors to tourists from across Louisiana and the world, we are glad to participate and offer this incentive, that will bring visitors to our beautiful State Parks, Lt. Gov. Nungesser said.

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Louisiana State Parks Offer Free Admission to People Vaccinated Against COVID-19 as the State Works to Bring Back Louisiana Summer | Office of...

The global tally for the coronavirus-borne illness climbed above 172 million on Friday, while the death toll rose to 3.7 million, according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. remained in the lead globally in cases with 33.3 million and deaths with 596,434, JHU data show, but the seven-day average for cases has fallen 48% from two weeks ago, according to a New York Times tracker, for deaths has dropped 28% and for hospitalizations has declined 22% as vaccinations continue to increase. The number of Americans fully vaccinated increased to 136.6 million, or 41.2% of the total population, while the number of people who are at least 18 years old who have been fully vaccinated grew to 134 million, or 52% of the population. The World Health Organization warned on Thursday of a possible third wave of cases in Africa, with eight countries reporting a surge of more than 30% in new infections, the New York Times reported. The variant that first emerged in India, now called delta variant, is believed to be contributing to the surge.India is second in cases at 28.6 million, and third by fatalities at 340,702, numbers that are held to be vastly undercounted given a shortage of tests. Brazil is third with 16.8 million cases, and second in deaths at 469,388. The U.K. has 4.5 million cases and 128,075 deaths, the fifth-highest toll in the world and most in Europe.

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Coronavirus tally: Global cases of COVID-19 top 172 million and more than 2 billion vaccine doses have been administered - MarketWatch

Patients receiving dialysis are required to receive their treatments in clinics multiple times a week, meaning they were unable to effectively self-isolate.

Patients receiving dialysis treatments for kidney failure faced increased risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of NephrologyCJASN. These individuals are required to receive their treatments in clinics multiple times a week, meaning they were unable to effectively self-isolate.1

In order to conduct this study, investigators examined information on 5755 patients who received dialysis in London at 51 different clinics. Between March 2 and May 31, 2020, 17% a total of 990of the studied (17%) patients tested positive for COVID-19, and 465 (8%) were admitted to hospitals with suspected COVID-19. The risk of COVID-19 was higher in patients who were older, had diabetes, lived in local communities with higher COVID-19 rates, and received treatment at dialysis clinics that served a larger number of patients. Conversely, risks were lower for patients who received dialysis in clinics with a higher number of available side rooms and that had mask policies for asymptomatic patients. The researchers found no independent association with sex, ethnicity, or measures of deprivation.1

Taken together, the findings confirm the high rates of symptomatic COVID-19 among patients receiving in-center dialysis and suggest sources of transmission both within dialysis units and patients' home communities, said Ben Caplin, MBChB, PhD, in a press release. The work also suggests that in addition to isolation of confirmed cases, addressing factors that might reduce transmission from patients without suspected or confirmed disease might provide an additional opportunity to further modify the impact of COVID-19 in this population.1

The researchers note that the findings remained consistent when adjusting for community burden of disease, which suggests that COVID-19 disease risk associated with dialysis treatment overwhelms social and demographic factors. They recommend any planning for future waves of disease take account of how these results may be affected by the wider availability of testing patients that are asymptomatic, patients and those providing care using surgical facemasks, and the potential impact of vaccination and/or acquired immunity.2

REFERENCES

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Study: Patients Receiving Dialysis at Higher Risk of COVID-19 Infection - Pharmacy Times

Did COVID-19 originate with bats or scientists? Most experts continue to contend that the most likely origin of SARS-CoV-2 (the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19) is a natural zoonotic spillover event between an animal reservoir (most likely bats) and humans. But over the last year of the pandemic, another theory has gained momentum: The SARS-CoV-2 virus may have resulted from an accident in a laboratory in China where scientists were working with closely related viruses. In the wake of the World Health Organization-led mission to Wuhan to examine the origins of the pandemic, proponents of the lab-leak theory have charged the investigative team with conflicts of interest, and suggested that the teams efforts failed to rule out the possibility of a lab release. Some have gone on to claim that scientists have maintained a conspiracy of silence about the possibility of a lab release in order to protect their funding or avoid a backlash from their government.

The desire to identify the origins of the novel coronavirus is perfectly understandable. COVID-19 has killed millions of people and upended everyday life. Theres an intuitive sense that finding out how the pandemic began might help to prevent another one from occurring. The Biden administration is redoubling efforts to determine the origins of COVID-19 after the intelligence community indicated that it had insufficient information to make a determination.

However, while answering the question of where the novel coronavirus came from is important, many of the most important policy decisions the United States needs to make to prevent future pandemics do not depend on viral origins. Very little about pandemic response or preparedness for future pandemics turns on the particulars of how this one started. Laboratory biosafety was already an issue before the pandemic, and the origins of this particular virus dont change the need for reform to prevent these rare but potentially catastrophic events. Regardless of how COVID-19 began, U.S. policy priorities should focus on both identifying and preventing the spread of zoonotic pathogens and bolstering safety and security in high-containment laboratories.

Preparing for the Next Pandemic

Whatever the origins of this pandemic, the United States has its work cut out to prepare for the next one. Lets assume, for the sake of argument, that the lab hypothesis is true. Efforts to prepare for natural spillover events do not then become less important. Since the 1940s, roughly 350 emerging infectious diseases have been identified. Of these, nearly three-quarters have zoonotic origins. Our understanding of how such diseases emerge is incomplete, but we know that there are a number of human behaviors that are likely contributing to this pattern: increasing demand for animal protein, factory farming and other agricultural intensification measures, wildlife trade, urbanization, extraction industries, changes in the food supply chain, and pet ownership, as well as increases in temperature, humidity, and other factors related to global climate change. Zoonotic crossover events are not limited to China, or even to Asia. Emerging infectious diseases have appeared all over the world: Zika in Latin America, Ebola virus disease in sub-Saharan Africa, H1N1 in bird reservoirs as disparate as Vietnam or Mexico; and henipaviruses in Australia. Coronaviruses have reservoirs in China, yes, but also in Africa, the Americas, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

If investigators are able to conclusively prove that the COVID-19 pandemic originated in a laboratory conducting research into coronaviruses, humanity will continue to confront the risk that a future spillover will result in another pandemic that is equally or more devastating. Fortunately, there are steps that the scientific community can take to manage this risk, including using predictive surveillance and developing other zoonotic risk-assessment tools. Early detection of such pathogens can help experts to isolate and contain them so that they do not spread widely. We can also promote behavioral change in high-risk populations and fund research into universal vaccines for zoonotic frequent-flyers like coronaviruses.

Lets say the converse is true, however. If evidence is found that satisfies even the most ardent lab-leak proponent that COVID-19 originated in an animal population, does that obviate the need to address laboratory biosafety and biosecurity? Absolutely not. Even as COVID-19 emerged, questions arose about the role of high-containment labs around the world. As the number of these labs increases, the risk of a consequential accident also increases.

Policymakers have debated biological safety in high-containment labs for most of this century. Biosafety, biosecurity, and awareness-raising among life scientists are ongoing topics of discussion at the Biological Weapons Convention. Biosafety is a major focus in the Global Health Security Agenda. The World Health Organization has maintained a guide for the responsible conduct of life sciences research with dual-use potential for more than a decade. In short, biosafety and biosecurity receive significant policymaker attention at the highest levels of international organizations, but that awareness doesnt necessarily translate into national-level action to manage biological risk and ensure protection from accidents. Even the states that have been most vocal in driving discussion of biosafety and biosecurity in international spheres have struggled with their own biorisk management. The United States has had a number of high profile laboratory incidents over the years, involving anthrax, highly pathogenic avian influenza, and smallpox, even as it has continued to develop and expand its high-containment lab capacity already the largest in the world.

Transparency and Biosecurity

Critics might claim that lab releases in the United States can be investigated transparently, while the potential COVID-19 release in China cannot. Indeed, China has put severe restrictions on research into the origins of the virus and prohibited scientists from speaking with journalists. During the World Health Organization-led investigation, members of the team were prevented from accessing patient data and other important research. After Australia pressed for an independent inquiry into the origins of the pandemic, China responded with threats and economic retaliation.

However, opacity surrounding public health is not a problem that is limited to authoritarian societies like China. Globally, biosafety norms are poorly implemented and reviews of biosafety and biosecurity are often conducted in secret. Even in the United States, there is no coordinated approach to laboratory biosafety or reporting laboratory accidents. As a result, public awareness of biosafety incidents often relies on local engagement between towns and specific labs, or comes from journalists filing Freedom of Information requests. The U.S. Government Accountability Office has consistently criticized U.S. biological security and safety for decades, but even recent developments in regulating the funding of potentially high-consequence gain of function research have been criticized as lacking transparency around the makeup of the review board, decision-making procedure, and notification of funded experiments. If this is the case for the United States, it is easy to imagine that other countries with less experience with biosafety and security might see it as politically advantageous to remain mum about incidents or problems. Clearly, more work is needed around the world to make sure that all countries have biorisk management policies and appropriate oversight measures in place, and that theyre open about the problems they encounter and their efforts to solve them.

Global norms and incentives are where the rubber hits the road for pandemic preparedness. Its reasonable in fact, vital to seek new ways to prevent laboratory accidents in the future. The worlds chief solution to this pandemic was the development of vaccines, a process driven by life sciences research, much of which took place in high-containment labs. Consequently, many political leaders may well choose to invest in more high-level biological research in the near future. If the solution to a lab release is more laboratory science, it makes sense to ensure that that science is carried out in a safe and secure manner. There is room for all countries to do better, and the United States should consider revitalizing its approach to promoting biosafety and biosecurity in the wake of the pandemic regardless of its origins.

As a final point, if the lab release hypothesis is true, we really shouldnt be surprised. An analysis in 2016 of gain of function research by Gryphon Scientific operated on the assumption that, eventually, a laboratory release of a potential pandemic pathogen would occur, a small number of those would lead to a local cluster, and a small number of those would seed a global pandemic. In other words, if COVID-19 did result from a lab release in China, it might simply have been bad luck, on top of whatever biosafety lapses China may have had which is all the more reason why, in addition to strengthening laboratory safety and security, the international community should do everything it can to develop appropriate infrastructure to handle a future pandemic.

Looking Ahead

There is one important scenario in which it would be absolutely vital to know the origins of COVID-19 in order to decide what to do next. If, as some scientists and politicians have suggested, the pandemic stemmed from a deliberate attempt to develop a biological warfare agent, this would have serious implications for the Biological Weapons Convention and the broader norm against the use of disease as a weapon. If a state party had violated its commitment to the treaty by developing biological weapons, the international community would need to determine how to hold that government accountable for its non-compliance a process with which states parties to the treaty have struggled in the past. Even treaties that have extensive verification provisions have grappled with what to do when a state party has demonstrably violated a treatys prohibitions. While some might criticize the Biological Weapons Convention for lacking a mechanism to verify compliance, such mechanisms dont solve the knotty political problem of what to do when flagrant violations take place. Moreover, the deliberate use of biological weapons could inspire copycat behavior by others, leading to the weakening of the norm against the use of disease as a weapon. Fortunately, to our knowledge no serious analysis of COVID-19s origins even from those who support a laboratory release hypothesis has concluded that anyone deliberately introduced the SARS-CoV-2 virus to the global population.

While its important to discover the origins of the pandemic, theres a danger in taking these efforts too far. Some have argued that conclusively demonstrating the pandemics origins in a lab release might help nations seeking to encourage China to pay financial reparations for the global economic cost of the virus to make their case. This could be a problematic approach. Not only is there no legal precedent under international law to hold a country liable for a pandemic, but in the long run this might be an unwise road for the United States, given its own history of laboratory accidents and safety lapses. Insisting that China bears responsibility for the pandemic and should be expected to pay compensation to other countries or the families of coronavirus victims could backfire in the future if the United States finds itself attempting to mitigate the consequences from a laboratory accident. Furthermore, legal efforts to blame China could fuel additional xenophobia against Asian-Americans, or even undermine U.S. foreign policy interests.

Meanwhile, the focus on where the virus came from should not divert attention from whats even more important preparing for the next pandemic. Political finger-pointing might make it far more difficult for researchers to collaborate internationally on pandemic preparedness efforts. Experts are already noting the possible implications for the National Institutes of Health and other research institutions of the growing tension between the United States and China, exacerbated by the allegations and skepticism around the viruss origins. This pandemic is far from over, despite the rollout of vaccines in the United States, and new potential pandemic diseases are already testing global health efforts elsewhere in the world. American experts therefore need to keep a laser-like focus on the real enemy: the causative agents of disease.

There will be far more blame to share if the international community becomes so fixated on the circumstances surrounding this unique case that its unable to see the big picture and predict or prepare for the next pandemic. Theres work that can be done in that respect while maintaining agnosticism about the origins of COVID-19. Regardless of the source, we need to be better prepared to respond to the next virus.

Amanda Moodie is a policy fellow at the National Defense Universitys Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD Center) in Washington, D.C. Her policy support at the center focuses on the international legal regimes that regulate the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons. She regularly serves as a member of the U.S. delegation to meetings of the states parties of the Biological Weapons Convention.

Nicholas G. Evans is an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where he teaches biomedical ethics and security studies. He has been published in the British Medical Journal, Nonproliferation Review, and ELife. His book, The Ethics of Neuroscience and National Security, was released with Routledge in May 2021.

The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and are not an official policy or position of the National Defense University, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

Image: Xinhua (Photo by Fei Maohua)

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The Origin of COVID-19 and Preventing the Next Pandemic - War on the Rocks

IMMOKALEE

A heartbroken family in Immokalee is grappling with the loss of a fourth loved one to COVID-19.

Their father fought the virus for weeks and hoped to have a bilateral lung transplant, but Raul Diaz died last Saturday.

The Diaz family is preparing for his funeral, and they want to lay him to rest in style. He never got his dream car, so they hope someone with it can lead his funeral.

Its been a tragedy what weve been through, son Luis Diaz said.

In May, the family grasped onto faith. They cheered when their dad was his own battle with COVID-19 and was taken to Tampa from NCH.

Raul was approved for a bilateral lung transplant because COVID-19 destroyed his own. In order to have the surgery, he needed to get better first.

But now, the family is grieving their fourth loss to COVID-19.

My grandfather passed away. My uncle passed away. My grandmother passed away, and my father passed away Saturday, son Wilfredo Diaz said.

They want to make their dads dream come true even in death.

Theyre hoping someone out there has a 1957 Chevy Bel Air, their dads dream car, to lead the way during his funeral.

My father was my mechanic, my father was my electrician, my father was my plumber, my father was my everything, and when this first started, my car had messed up, and it was very difficult to not be able to reach out to him to come fix something for me, Luis said. I have depended on him my entire life, and it is very hard with what we are going through.

If you happen to own the Rauls dream car, the Diaz family would love to hear from you. They can be reached at (239) 503-0579.

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Immokalee family loses 4th loved one to COVID-19, have special wish - Wink News

Dr. Emond in 2008 had lured Dr. Kato away from the University of Miami, for his rare expertise in intestinal transplants and so-called ex vivo operations for cancer, in which the surgeon cuts out abdominal organs to get at hard-to-reach tumors, and then sews the organs back in. Most important, Dr. Emond saw in Dr. Kato a willingness to push the limits of what could be done surgically to help patients.

He brought his culture of innovation, Dr. Emond said. And his personal capability, his ability to work for long hours, never quitting, never giving up, no matter how difficult the situation, carrying out operations that many would deem impossible.

In his first year at Columbia, Dr. Kato and his team operated successfully on a 7-year-old girl, Heather McNamara, whose family had been told by several other hospitals that her abdominal cancer was inoperable. The surgery, which involved removing six organs and then putting them back in, took 23 hours.

More and more patients from around the country, and around the world, began seeking out Dr. Kato for operations that other hospitals could not or would not perform. He had also begun making trips to Venezuela to perform liver transplants for children and teach the procedure to local surgeons, and he created a foundation to help support the work there as well as in other Latin American countries.

As Dr. Katos colleagues struggled to save him, a waiting list of surgical patients clung to hopes that he would soon be able to save them.

Gradually, Dr. Pereira said, there were signs of recovery.

You come in early in the morning to see him, he said. The hospital hallways are empty and everybodys looking at each other, scared and anxious. You go into the intensive care unit dreading bad news, and the team is giving you a sort of hopeful thumbs-up that maybe hes looking better.

Dr. Kato spent about a month on a ventilator, and a week on ECMO. Like many people with severe Covid, he was tormented by frightening and vivid hallucinations and delusions. In one, he was arrested at the Battle of Waterloo. In another, he had been deliberately infected with anthrax; only a hospital in Antwerp could save him, but he could not get there. He saw the white light that some people describe after near-death experiences. I felt like I died, he said.

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When a Surgeon Became a Covid-19 Patient: I Had Never Faced the Reality of Death - The New York Times