NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Concert Genetics, a technology company dedicated to advancing precision medicine, today announced the publication ofreal-world data on utilization and coding variability in medical claims for Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based diagnostic tests. The study was done in collaboration with Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and focuses on diagnostic testing among cancer patients in the U.S. It was accepted for presentation in the General Poster Session at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network's NCCN 2020 Annual Conference and is available online from JNCCNJournal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

"The breathtaking speed of innovation in precision medicine is outpacing the healthcare system's ability to adapt," said Rob Metcalf, CEO of Concert Genetics. "As a result, the real-world data for observational research is often unavailable, too sparse, or insufficiently granular for evidence development. Concert's focus is delivering transparency and connectivity in genetic testing to enable precision medicine, and we were delighted to utilize our proprietary data and patented analytics to make this research possible."

The joint abstract is titled "Real-World Utilization and Coding Variability in Medical Claims for Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)-Based Diagnostic Tests Among Cancer Patients in the U.S." It was scheduled to be presented at NCCN 2020, which was postponed due to COVID-19. The abstract is available at the following URL: https://jnccn.org/view/journals/jnccn/18/3.5/article-pHSR20-083.xml.

Concert's proprietary method for collecting and analyzing data in this space is described in U.S. Patent No. 10,223,501: "Tracking, Monitoring, and Standardizing Molecular and Diagnostic Testing Products and Services."

About Concert GeneticsConcert Genetics is a software and managed services company that advances precision medicine by providing thedigital infrastructure for reliable and efficient management of genetic testing. Concert's market-leading genetic test order management platform leverages a proprietary database of the U.S. clinical genetic testing market (today more than 140,000 testing products) and integrates with leading electronic health record and laboratory information management systems. Concert also provides genetic testing management solutions to leading health plans across the U.S. Learn more at http://www.ConcertGenetics.com.

CONTACT

Nick TazikConcert Genetics(615) 861-2634ntazik@concertgenetics.com

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Concert Genetics Presents Real-World Data on Utilization of NGS-Based Diagnostic Tests in NCCN 2020 Abstract - news-herald.net

By mining a vast trove of genetic data,researchers at theUniversity of Virginia School of Medicineare enhancing doctors ability to treat cancer, predict patient outcomes and determine which treatments will work best for individual patients.

The researchers have identified inherited variations in our genes that affect how well a patient will do after diagnosis and during treatment. With that information in hand, doctors will be able to examine a patients genetic makeup to provide truly personalized medicine.

Oncologists can estimate how a patient will do based on the grade of the tumor, the stage, the age of the patient, the type of tumor, etc. We found [adding a single genetic predictor] can improve our predictive ability by 5% to 10%, said UVAs Anindya Dutta. Many of the cancers had multiple inherited genetic change that were predictive of outcome, so if we add those in, instead of a 10% increase we might get a 30% increase in our ability to predict accurately how patients will do with our current therapy. Thats amazing.

Dutta, the chair of UVAs Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, believes reviewing the inherited genetic makeup of a patient can provide similar benefits for predicting outcome and choosing therapy for many, many other conditions, from diabetes to cardiac problems. As such, the approach represents a major step forward in doctors efforts to tailor treatments specifically to the individuals needs and genetic makeup.

The research offers answers to questions that have long perplexed doctors.Every clinician has this experience: Two patients come in with exactly the same cancersame grade, same stage, received the same treatment. One of them does very well, and the other one doesnt, Dutta said.The assumption has always been that there is something about the two that we didnt understand, like maybe there are some tumor-specific mutations that one patient had but the other did not. But it occurred to us that with all this genomic data, there is another hypothesis that we could test.

Instead of a 10% increase we might get a 30% increase in our ability to predict accurately how patients will do with our current therapy. Thats amazing.

- Anindya Dutta

To determine if genetic differences in the patients could be the answer, Dutta and his colleagues did a deep dive into the Cancer Genome Atlas, an enormous repository of genetic information assembled by the National Institutes of Healths National Cancer Institute. The researchers sought to correlate inherited genetic variations with patient outcomes.

This incredibly smart M.D.-Ph.D. student in the lab, Mr.Ajay Chatrath,decided that this was a perfect time to explore this, Dutta recalled. With the help of cloud computing services at UVA, we managed to download all this genomic sequencing data and identify what are known as germline variants not just tumor-specific mutations, but the mutations that were inherited from the parents and are present in all cells of the patient.

The researchers started small, but soon realized how quickly the work could be done and how big the benefits could be. Once we realized this was a very easy thing to do, we went on to do all 33 cancers and all 10,000 patients, and that took another six months, Dutta said. All of this came together beautifully. It was very exciting that every single member in the lab contributed to the analysis.

Dutta is eager to share his findings in hopes of finding collaborators and inspiring researchers and private industry to begin mining the data for other conditions. This is very low-hanging fruit, he said. Germline variants predicting outcome can be applicable to all types of diseases and not just cancer, and [they can predict] responsiveness to all types of therapy, and thats why Im particularly excited.

The researchers have published their findings in the scientific journal Genome Medicine. The studys authors were Chatrath, Roza Przanowska, Shashi Kiran, Zhangli Su, Shekhar Saha, Briana Wilson, Takaaki Tsunematsu,Ji-Hye Ahn, Kyung Yong Lee, Teressa Paulsen, Ewelina Sobierajska, Manjari Kiran, Xiwei Tang, Tianxi Li, Pankaj Kumar, Aakrosh Ratan and Dutta.

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, grants R01 CA166054, R01 1094 CA60499, T32 GM007267, AHA 18PRE33990261; and a Cancer 1095 Genomics Cloud Collaborative Support grant. The Seven Bridges Cancer 1096 Genomics Cloud has been funded by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health.

To keep up with the latest medical research news from UVA, subscribe to theMaking of Medicineblog.

Link:

UVA Finds Way to Improve Cancer Outcomes by Examining Patients' Genes - University of Virginia

Siddhartha Mukherjee:

Well, there are several things we have learned.

First of all, we have learned that a that the virus is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets or so-called fomites. That's the main mode of transmission.

The second thing that we have learned, or trying to learn, we're in the middle of learning, is that there are several people who are asymptomatic who may be shedding virus. That's a very, very important idea. That is to say that there may be a child or someone who doesn't have any symptoms, no fever, no diarrhea, no respiratory symptoms, but nonetheless is shedding the virus.

We need to identify those people and isolate and potentially quarantine them, so that they don't keep spreading the virus.

The third thing that we are learning, which we haven't learned for sure, is that there seems to be if you do the right kind of test, there seems to be a way to predict whether you're going to have very severe disease vs. a more mild form of the disease.

And that helps because that will help us triage patient to those who are either going to be sick and therefore require urgent attention vs. those who may become less sick and may be able to be managed more conservatively too.

Continued here:

What scientists know about COVID-19 -- and what they don't - PBS NewsHour

Thursday, April 02, 2020

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Moreno De Luca on GoLocal LIVE

"We know that autism is one of the mental health conditions that has the strongest genetic basis and that is because we know the chances of someone having autism are greater if there are other people with autism in their family," said Moreno De Luca.

"Many of the studies are showing us that theres hundreds if not thousands of individual rare genetic variants, that when we put them all together, are going to explain anywhere between 30 and 40% of cases of autism," he added. "So what this means in a nutshell and just the impact of this information is that potentially one out of every three people with autism are going to have an underlying genetic cause for their autism even if those individual genetic causes is going to be very rare."

"Our work focuses precisely on those rare genetic changes we want to identify what those individuals rare genetic variants are, to understand how they lead to clinical presentations like autism and to understand what other areas of mental health are impacted," said Moreno De Luca.

"Im very surprised to see more and more of the studies that are coming out to the point where science is moving so quickly what that means is most of our work is our ability to analyze the data that were acquiring and our ability to make sense of all that vast amount of data," he said. "I think things are moving extremely rapidly and Im very excited about whats coming in the next couple of years."

Path to Brown

Moreno De Luca, MD, MSc is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist at the Verrecchia Clinic for Children with Autism and Developmental Disabilities at Bradley Hospital, where he also provides genetic psychiatry consultation to people with autism spectrum disorder, or neuropsychiatric conditions arising from a clinically-identifiable genetic cause.

I really knew I wanted to focus on both psychiatry and on genetics and I thought I had to pick between the two, said the Colombian native. It turns out theres an entire new field call psychiatric genetics and autism seems like the best opportunity to fuse those two interests together."

"I knew I wanted to do my clinical training here in the U.S. because of the great programs that are here and the clinical networks I came to Emory University for a postdoctoral fellowship in neurogenetics. From there I moved to Yale for my residency in adult psychiatry and finally I came here to Brown for my fellowship in Child and Adolescent psychiatry where I stayed on board as an attending psychiatrist at Bradley Hospital and an assistant professor at Brown University."

About Alpert Medical School -- and Smart Health

Since granting its first Doctor of Medicine degrees in 1975, the Warren Alpert Medical School has become a national leader in medical education and biomedical research. By attracting first-class physicians and researchers to Rhode Island over the past four decades, the Medical School and its seven affiliated teaching hospitals have radically improved the state's health care environment, from health care policy to patient care.

"Smart Health" is a GoLocalProv.com segment featuring experts from The Warren Alpert Medical School GoLocal LIVE.

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Brown Alpert Medical School Autism Expert on Latest Advances in Research and Testing - GoLocalProv

Getting tested for coronavirus in the U.S. has been difficult to impossible for many people, starting with technical difficulties with the kits initially developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and continuing with shortages in swabs, reagents and other parts of test kits.

But despite these problems, private labs and companies are developing new tests to detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Some of these tests are designed to detect the virus without having to send samples to centralized laboratories. Others are blood tests that are meant to reveal whether someone has been exposed to the coronavirus in the past, even if they aren't currently sick.

The emerging array of tests can be hard to keep straight. Below, we break down the different types of tests and highlight some of the new tests that are slowly becoming available.

Related: Read live updates on the coronavirus

Most coronavirus testing discussed by public officials and the media refers to polymerase chain reaction testing, better known as PCR. These tests start with a nasopharyngeal swab, or a swab that goes up the nose far back into the throat. This swab collects mucous, saliva, bits of cells and if present viral RNA. The samples are then sent to a lab, where researchers apply chemicals to remove everything but the RNA. Enzymes are then added to transcribe the RNA into DNA. Next, this DNA is put into a real-time PCR (RT-PCR) machine along with another set of chemicals. The RT-PCR machine heats and cools the samples in a process that essentially Xeroxes the DNA, making thousands of copies of any genetic material in the samples.

Scientists then use sets of DNA fragments that complement fragments found in the coronavirus. If any viral genetic material is present, these fragments will bind to it. Chemical markers attached to the DNA release fluorescence when this DNA binding occurs. It's these flashes of fluorescence that scientists use to determine whether the virus is present in a sample.

The CDC's original failed test for the coronavirus was a PCR test. It did successfully detect SARS-CoV-2, said David Kroll, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. But one of the chemicals used in the test also responded to non-coronavirus genetic material as if the virus were present returning false positive results. After this failure, the Food and Drug Administration issued Emergency Use Authorizations for private labs and hospitals to develop their own coronavirus PCR tests. These tests still have to meet the CDC's bar for accuracy, but they don't have to go through the long process of typical FDA approval. As of March 30, 20 emergency authorizations had been granted for different tests. The up-to-date list is on the FDA website.

These privately developed tests differ slightly from one another. They may home in on different regions of the coronavirus genome, for example. And some are made to work with a specific company's RT-PCR equipment, said Dr. Bobbi Pritt, a pathologist and microbiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. But these technical differences don't change how the tests function.

"They're all detecting the viral genetic material," Pritt told Live Science.

Large companies are ramping up production of coronavirus tests. For instance, Roche's test was given emergency authorization on March 13, and Stat News reported that the company could produce 400,000 tests a week. Likewise, Thermo Fisher Scientific plans to produce 5 million tests by April 3.

Typically, a RT-PCR tests take just a few hours to complete, according to ThermoFisher Scientific. But transporting samples to central labs takes time, as does preparing the samples to run. There have been reports of people waiting a week or more for test results as labs inundated with samples struggle to keep up.

The other limit to RT-PCR is that it detects only active infections. If someone has previously contracted the coronavirus and has recovered, RT-PCR won't detect it.

Some companies are rolling out point-of-care tests, which are tests that can be done entirely within clinics or doctors' offices or even in the parking lot of a mobile drive-through testing site.

These tests can be helpful for letting medical professionals know right away if a patient has COVID-19, which might save valuable hospital space and personal protective equipment (PPE). A negative test means that a person might be sent home without concern for infecting others, or treated by health care providers without gear such as N95 masks. Quick testing might also help a sick doctor or nurse know whether they must self-isolate for 14 days or whether they can return to the front lines more quickly, Pritt said.

Point-of-care tests can use PCR or other methods of quickly copying the genetic material in a sample so that any viral genes are detectable. Regardless of the precise reactions used, these tests require a proprietary piece of equipment, usually around the size of a toaster, and a set of one-time-use cartridges that contain all the chemicals needed for the procedure. The patient gives a sample, usually via a nasopharyngeal swab, which is inserted into the cartridge. The cartridge goes into the testing device, which heats and cools it to facilitate the proper chemical reactions. The results come back in less than an hour.

Similar technology is already used for rapid testing for other viruses, such as influenza, said Laura Dullanty, the marketing manager for Mesa Biotech, a San Diego-based company that received emergency-use authorization from the FDA for a new 30-minute coronavirus test on March 24. Developing the test, which is PCR-based, wasn't a huge technical challenge, said Melissa Obtera, a scientist and project manager at the company. The company used the CDC's chemical primers as a starting point, along with the equipment it already has for flu and RSV (a respiratory virus most common in babies and toddlers).

Related: How does the new coronavirus compare with the flu?

The real challenge, Obtera told Live Science, will be producing the cartridges and testing systems quickly. The company must practice social distancing on the manufacturing lines to keep workers from falling ill. Nonetheless, Dullanty said, the company is currently working with several county health departments and hospital systems to get the tests into use.

Meanwhile, Illinois-based medical technology company Abbott announced that it had emergency-use authorization to ship its rapid coronavirus tests starting this week. The test can return positive results in 5 minutes and rule out the coronavirus in 13 minutes, according to a news release. It uses a set of proteins to amplify viral genetic material without the temperature changes needed in traditional PCR. The company plans to start shipping 50,000 tests a day by April 1.

Cepheid, a California-based biotech company, has also received emergency authorization for its point-of-care PCR coronavirus test, Live Science previously reported. The test can return results in 45 minutes, according to Cepheid. The company begins shipping the tests this week.

While the point-of-care tests have benefits, they likely won't be a major factor in increasing overall testing rates, Kroll said. Abbott's test, for example, can run a sample in 5 minutes, but that's only one sample. Traditional PCR machines at central labs may take a few hours, but a machine can run large numbers of tests at a time. Many use standard 96-well plates, so they can run 96 samples at once. Thus, a point-of-care test might be able to provide quicker answers to individual patients, but they can]t handle the large numbers of tests needed to get a clearer picture of the pandemic.

Beyond detecting active infections, getting a handle on the pandemic will require tests that can detect anyone who has ever been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 even if they fought it off without showing symptoms. These tests, called serological tests, search the blood for antibodies to the virus.

Knowing who has already been infected is important for three reasons, Kroll said. One, health care workers who have been exposed and likely have immunity can go to work with less fear, and perhaps use less PPE than those who have not been exposed. That could help ease the strain on scarce PPE supplies, Kroll told Live Science. In addition, by testing the general population, individuals may be able to ease their social-distancing routine and even go back to work first once stay-at-home orders ease. Finally, those who have been sick might be able to help cure those who are severely ill.

"Serology could potentially be used to identify people who have protective immunity that could help other people," Pritt said.

It's called convalescent plasma treatment, and it works on a simple principle: Those who have fought off the infection have antibodies in their blood that helps the immune system take down SARS-CoV-2. These antibodies can be isolated from the blood of recovered patients and then injected into patients who are ill. The hope is that the antibodies will start stimulating the sick patients' immune systems to better fight the disease. This treatment is now being tested in New York City.

The CDC has been developing two serological tests for coronavirus for weeks, Stat News reported. On March 18, virologist Florian Krammer of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and colleagues posted a preprint paper describing their serological test, which they are now working to get into clinical use. The Krammer lab has set up a website describing their ingredients and techniques for any other lab that would like to use them. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic are developing serological tests as well, Pritt said.

There are also efforts to import already-developed serological tests from other countries. For example, the distributor Ideal Rehab Care Inc. has been approved to import a test from a Singapore-based manufacturer, according to the distributor's law firm.

Some companies are working on rapid serological tests that can be delivered at the point of care. SureScreen Diagnostics, for example has developed a testing strip to detect antibodies to the coronavirus in the blood; it works a bit like an at-home pregnancy test, with a paper readout and a colored line to indicate infection. The company touts the test as a way to work around the shortage of the swabs needed for PCR-based tests. But rapid antibody testing likely won't help detect cases early, Pritt said, as it typically takes around 8 days for the body to mount an antibody response to the virus. Serological testing may be useful in some cases where someone has been sick for more than 8 days without access to a test for active infections, she said.

"When you get into serology, it's more of these potential uses that we're still learning a lot about," Pritt said.

As coronavirus has shown itself to be widespread in the U.S., there has been some debate over the value of testing versus assuming anyone with symptoms has COVID-19, Kroll said. But even with widespread community transmission, testing can help track the disease, especially as it penetrates into lesser-hit regions.

"It's too serious of a disease to back off on testing," he said.

Originally published on Live Science.

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Coronavirus testing is ramping up. Here are the new tests and how they work. - Livescience.com

TOKYO & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Modalis Therapeutics Corporation (Modalis) today announced that the company has entered into a license agreement with Editas Medicine, Inc., under which Modalis has obtained a license to certain intellectual property that is controlled by Editas Medicine. Modalis is utilizing its proprietary epigenetic gene modulation technology, CRISPR-GNDM (Guide Nucleotide Directed Modulation), to treat patients with serious genetic disorders. Additional details including financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"Our goal is to create CRISPR based gene therapies for genetic disorders, most of which fall into the orphan disease category. There should be no disease that is ignored because of its small patient population, and our mission to develop disease modifying treatments for these diseases reflects our belief that Every Life Deserves Attention. We are proud to be the pioneer in CRISPR based gene modulation therapy, said Haru Morita, Chief Executive Officer of Modalis.

We are pleased to establish this license agreement with Modalis Therapeutics as their mission is aligned with our mission to make transformative medicines for people living with serious diseases of unmet clinical need. CRISPR technology has many uses and applications, and we are pleased to include Modalis in our expanding portfolio of licensees so the greatest number of patients may benefit in the future from transformative medicines, said Cynthia Collins, president and chief executive officer, Editas Medicine.

About Modalis

Modalis Therapeutics is developing precision genetic medicines through epigenetic gene modulation. Founded by Osamu Nureki and leading scientists in CRISPR gene editing from University of Tokyo, Modalis is pursuing therapies for orphan genetic diseases using its proprietary CRISPR-GNDM technology which enables the locus specific modulation of gene expression or histone modification without the need for double-stranded DNA cleavage, gene editing or base editing. Modalis is focusing initially on genetic disorders caused by loss of gene regulation resulting in excess or insufficient protein production which includes more than 660 genes that are currently estimated to cause human disease due to haploinsufficiency. Headquartered in Tokyo with laboratories and facilities in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company is backed by leading Japanese investors including Fast Track Initiative, SBI Investment, UTokyo-IPC, SMBC Venture Capital, and Mizuho Capital. For additional information, visit http://www.modalistx.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200331005248/en/

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Modalis Obtains Access to Foundational CRISPR IP - BioSpace

NEW YORK, April 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) announced today the formation of its formal Medical Advisory Team who provide MDA with strategic guidance on issues that impact research and clinical care for people living with muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related neuromuscular disorders more than 43 diseases. Each of the team members is a leading clinician at an MDA Care Center and is an internationally known expert in muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases. The MDA Care Center network spans over 150 locations at the nation's top medical institutions.

"We believe that engaging this team of world-class experts across neuromuscular diseases will enable MDA to lead the way in speeding the development of groundbreaking therapies and treatment paradigms that will transform the lives of those we serve," says Lynn O'Connor Vos, President and CEO of MDA. "These physicians are pillars of the neuromuscular disease community, each with focused expertise in specific diseases. Together, they will provide critical advice to MDA on our innovations in science and care programs and help ensure that we are making the maximum impact as the landscape of neuromuscular research, care and treatments evolve."

MDA's medical advisors will help lead the effort, along with more than 2,000 health care providers, to establish new clinical trials geared toward integration of MDA's innovative MOVR technology hub, which allows clinicians and researchers to share a wealth of disease-related information, establish professional protocols, and accelerate innovation.

Tonight, Dr. Barry Byrne, who will serve as chief medical advisor for the team, is joining MDA's EVP, Chief Advocacy & Care Services Officer, Kristin Stephenson for an MDA Facebook Live conversation about the precautions and best practices needed to protect the neuromuscular community in light of COVID-19. The event, scheduled for Thursday, April 2 from 6:00 to 6:30 pm EDT is accessible at https://www.facebook.com/MDAOrg/. The recording will be available for viewing after the event on MDA's COVID-19 resource page. The conversation will feature a live Q&A answering questions from people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases including MDA families, and aims to provide the answers to questions regarding care duringthese uncertain times, and will cover topics related to preparedness, community impact, telemedicine and MDA's Care Center network of over 150 multidisciplinary care teams at top medical institutions nationwide.

Barry J. Byrne, MD, PhD, is an ardent supporter of newborn screening and has been an innovator and early adopter of new FDA-approved therapies that have the potential to alter the course of some neuromuscular disorders. He was the first physician to administer an approved gene therapy to a neuromuscular patient in the U.S.

"We are just beginning to realize the impact of the current revolution in the treatment of neuromuscular disorders. Newborn screening and access to newly-approved therapies are changing patients' lives when diagnosed with neuromuscular diseases; the MDA Care Center network is ready to provide these innovative treatments," says Dr. Byrne. "Disease-modifying therapies are no longer a thing of the future. There is an urgent need to bring innovative care, cutting-edge clinical research and new breakthrough treatments to the community."

Dr. Byrne will continue in his role as the associate chair of pediatrics and director of the Powell Gene Therapy Center at the University of Florida College of Medicine as he assumes this new position. He is also director of the MDA Care Center at the University of Florida.

Matthew B Harms, MD, will serve as a medical expert on ALS and other neuromuscular disorders. He is active in clinical research. Dr. Harms is associate professor of neurology at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeonsand serves at MDA's ALS Care Center at Columbia University. Dr. Harms received MDA's Diamond Award for his work directing an international effort with whole genome and transcriptome sequencing to bring precision medicine to ALS treatments.

John W. Day, MD, PhD, completes the Medical Advisory Team. Dr. Day is professor of neurology and pediatrics and director, Division of Neuromuscular Medicine at Stanford University. He directs Stanford's MDA Care Centers, which uniquely integrate the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Pediatric and Transitional Neuromuscular Clinic with the Stanford Hospital Neuroscience Health Center's Neuromuscular and ALS Research and Clinic.The comprehensive team of investigators and clinicians in the Stanford Neuromuscular Program have helped develop novel gene modification and gene replacement treatments for spinal muscular atrophy, muscular dystrophy and ALS, and have spearheaded development of centralized data hubs like MDA's MOVR for neuromuscular disease.

About Barry J. Byrne, MD, PhD

Dr. Byrne is a clinician scientist who is studying a variety of rare diseases with the specific goal of developing therapies for inherited muscle disease. As a pediatric cardiologist, his focus is on conditions that lead to skeletal muscle weakness and abnormalities in heart and respiratory function. His group has made significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of Pompe disease, a type of neuromuscular disorder caused by an excess of a type of sugar (glycogen) in certain muscles. The research team has pioneered the use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) mediated gene therapy to restore heart and skeletal muscle function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Pompe, Friedrich's ataxia and other neuromuscular diseases. His group at the Powell Center has also established a series of new methods for large-scale AAV manufacturing to enable access for a wide variety of conditions.

About Matthew B. Harms, MD

Dr. Harms' post-doctoral and faculty work in neurogenetics led to the discovery of genes for dominant spinal muscular atrophy and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 1D. He sees patients in the Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Center, the Adult Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinic, the Pediatric Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinic, and until recently, the ALS Clinic of the Bronx VA Hospital. His laboratory straddles Columbia's Motor Neuron Center and the Institute for Genomic Medicine, with a focus on generating, integrating, and analyzing clinical, genomic and transcriptomic datasets for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurological disorders.

About John W. Day, MD, PhD

Dr. Day has combined his expertise in synaptic physiology, genetics and neuromuscular medicine to help define the molecular mechanisms underlying myotonic dystrophy and other muscular dystrophies, neuropathies and ataxias. Under his leadership, the Stanford Neuromuscular Program is dedicated to the elucidation and treatment of neuromuscular diseases, integrating clinical care and clinical research with Stanford's basic science and translational programs. All Stanford pediatric and adult neuromuscular patients are asked to participate in research and are followed over time with functional evaluations. The Stanford Neuromuscular Program mission aligns fully with the goals of the MDA: to diagnose, investigate and characterize neuromuscular disorders precisely and completely; to develop novel treatments for neuromuscular disease; to incorporate novel treatments into the comprehensive care of patients with neuromuscular disorders; to advocate and support patients and families affected by neuromuscular disease so they can live life as fully and independently as possible; and to train the next generation of experts in neuromuscular diagnosis, care and research.

About MDA

MDA is committed to transforming the lives of people affected by muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. We do this through innovations in science and innovations in care. As the largest source of funding for neuromuscular disease research outside of the federal government, MDA has committed more than$1 billionsince our inception to accelerate the discovery of therapies and cures. Research we have supported is directly linked to life-changing therapies across multiple neuromuscular diseases. MDA's MOVR is the first and only data hub that aggregates clinical, genetic, and patient-reported data for multiple neuromuscular diseases to improve health outcomes and accelerate drug development. MDA supports the largest network of multidisciplinary clinics providing best in class care at more than 150 of the nation's top medical institutions. Our Resource Center serves the community with one-on-one specialized support, and we offer educational conferences, events, and materials for families and healthcare providers. Each year thousands of children and young adults learn vital life skills and gain independence at summer camp and through recreational programs, at no cost to families. For more information visitmda.org.

SOURCE Muscular Dystrophy Association

https://www.mda.org

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Muscular Dystrophy Association Announces Formation of Strategic Medical Advisory Team of Experts in Neuromuscular Care and Research - PRNewswire

Mount Sinai President David Reich tours the field hospital set up by Samaritans Purse in Central Park Photo: Mount Sinai Hospital.

LGBTQ advocates are expressing concern after Samaritans Purse, a North Carolina-based humanitarian aid organization with an evangelical Christian bent, established a 68-bed tent hospital in Central Park to treat overflow patients from Mount Sinai Hospital who are experiencing respiratory distress due to COVID-19.

While the additional facility will lessen the burden on the main Mount Sinai Hospital, equality advocates say there appears to be a catch: all medical workers working at the facility have been asked to agree with a Statement of Faith, part of which expresses vehement opposition to homosexuality and variant gender identities.

Samaritans Purse is led by Franklin Graham, an evangelical preacher and the son of the famous televangelist Billy Graham. Franklin Graham has previously made disparaging comments about the LGBTQ community, and, critics claim, has a track record of attempting to use humanitarian missions to proselytize to desperate people seeking out food, medical care, or other services in the midst of manmade, epidemiological, or natural disasters.

According to the website for Samaritans Purse, the organization is specifically seeking Christianmedical staff to operate the Central Park extension.

Medical workers recruited by Samaritans Purse are expected to read and abide by the organizations Statement of Faith that regurgitates evangelical Christian doctrine, particularly with regard to human sexuality and the fixed, binary nature of gender.

See also: Christian radio host says COVID-19 pandemic will stop children from being brainwashed into normalizing sexual deviancy

One section reads: We believe Gods plan for human sexuality is to be expressed only within the context of marriage, that God created man and woman as unique biological persons made to complete each other. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason, we believe that marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female.

Its unclear how Samaritans Purse will ensure that medical staff are adhering to those principles or what adherence to those principles would look like in practice.

According to the Gothamist, a spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio who praised the erection of the overflow tent hospital said that the hospital will operate as a Mount Sinai facility, and therefore must adhere to the hospitals policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (in compliance with both city and state nondiscrimination laws).

Ourrecord on human rights is clear; and we are confident that the joint effort by Mt. Sinai and Samaritans Purse will save New Yorkers lives while adhering to the values we hold dear by providing care to anyone who needs it, regardless of background, Jane Meyer, the spokesperson for City Hall, said in a statement.

But openly gay New York State Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) fired off a warning shot, indicating that he and others would be monitoring the situation closely to ensure that Samaritans Purse isnt turning away or refusing to treat patients whose sexuality, identity, or lifestyle choices (such as a someone who engages in extramarital sex, or an IV drug user) do not conform to the Christian ideal expressed by Samaritans Purse.

COVID-19 doesnt discriminate, and neither should Franklin Graham, Hoylman said, as reported by the New York Daily News. Its unacceptable that a New Yorker infected with COVID-19 could be subjected to discriminatory treatment from an organization whose leader calls us immoral and detestable.

Brad Hoylman (left) Photo: Facebook.

Sadly, beggars cant be choosers: New York needs every ventilator we can get, Hoylman added. But homophobic pastor Franklin Graham and his field hospital operation in Central Park must guarantee all LGBTQ patients with COVID-19 are treated with dignity and respect. Well be watching.

Hoylamn, working with civil rights attorney Roberta Kaplan best known for successfully arguing before the Supreme Court that a section of the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional and that the federal government should recognize legal same-sex marriages has crafted a legal document for medical workers to sign when they are providing services in a place of public accommodation.

By signing, medical providers agree to abide by New York regulations prohibiting discrimination against patients based on a number of characteristics, including sexual orientation or gender identity.

For decades, Franklin Graham has traveled throughout the country preaching a gospel of bigotry and hate. Hes said advocacy for LGBTQ rights is immoral and that marriage equality is detestable. His organization supports those awful opinions and actively recruits volunteers who share them, Hoylman said in a press release. Graham and his volunteers are free to adhere to whatever bigoted beliefs theyd like. But when they come to New York they need to abide by our Human Rights Law, which ensures marginalized New Yorkers are not subject to discrimination.

We cant let a pandemic change New Yorks values, he added. New York City must require every doctor or volunteer working at Grahams Central Park field hospital along with anyone providing medical services in a place of public accommodation to sign a statement affirming their commitment to following New York Citys Human Rights Law.

See also: Federal court strikes down Trumps anti-LGBTQ health care rule allowing religious-based discrimination

Questions over whom Samaritans Purse medical staff will treat underscores a larger concern that LGBTQ advocates have been expressing for some time about a trend toward faith-based refusals, particularly as the Trump administration seeks to expand exemptions that would allow health care providers to refuse to perform certain procedures that purportedly conflict with their religious beliefs.

In a letter to Mount Sinai staff, Dr. Dennis Charney, the dean of Mount Sinais Icahn School of Medicine, and Dr. David Reich, the president and chief operating officer of the hospital who identifies as LGBTQ himself acknowledged concerns about Samaritans Purses policies and political positions, but effectively said that the hospital is accepting help from Samaritans Purse due to the severity of the pandemic and the importance of saving lives, reports Gay City News.

While we have strong differences of opinion with Samaritans Purse on this issue, this does not detract from our shared mission to save lives in our wonderfully multicultural and diverse city, Charney and Reich wrote. While many in this nation could have responded to calls for help, Samaritans Purse not only responded, but did so in a fashion that no other organization could accomplish so rapidly.

In response to a follow-up inquiry from Metro Weekly, a Mount Sinai spokesperson issued a statement clarifying that all health care workers at the field hospital respiratory care unit will adhere to Mount Sinais nondiscrimination policy.

In order to help address the overflow of patients in our hospitals, Samaritans Purse and The Mount Sinai Hospital are working together to establish a Field Hospital respiratory care unit which will be run as a part of Mount Sinai, spokesman Jason Kaplan said in the statement.

Inside a tent at the Samaritans Purse field hospital Photo: Mount Sinai Hospital.

As such, all workers will adhere to The Mount Sinai Hospital principles and guidelines when it comes to not discriminating against patients or staff based on actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, age, disability, marital, partnership or parental status, sexual orientation, alien or citizenship status, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by law, Kaplan added. In short, while our organizations may have differences of opinions, when it comes to COVID-19 we are fully united: we will care for everyone and no patients or staff will be discriminated against.

Ultimately, this virus kills people of every religious beliefs, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation, he noted. New York has lost over 1,000 people already, and more are dying every day. Mount Sinai and Samaritans Purse are unified in our mission to provide the same world-class care to anyone and everyone who needs it. No questions asked. We are all focused on one thing saving lives.

A spokesperson for Samaritans Purse rejected claims that any LGBTQ patients seeking care might be turned away or denied care.

Samaritans Purse does not discriminate in who we help, and we have a decades-long track record that confirms just that. We do not make distinctions about an individuals religion, race, sexual orientation, or economic status, Kaitlyn Lahm, the assistant director of marketing and media relations at Samaritans Purse, said in a statement responding to a Metro Weekly inquiry.

Our doors at the Emergency Field Hospital in the East Meadow are going to be open to all New Yorkers who need our help. We are here to save life, which is precious in Gods sight and we do it all in Jesus Name. We are a Christian organization and we hire Christians who share our statement of faith. We have a common denominator of our faith in Jesus Christ and sharing that hope.

Dr. Reich visiting the Samaritans Purse field hospital Photo: Mount Sinai Hospital.

But Ross Murray, the senior director of the GLAAD Media Institute, penned an op-ed in response to the establishment of the field hospital, expressing concerns that medical providers recruited by Samaritans Purse could choose to deny treatment to LGBTQ patients if they believed it violated their religious beliefs.

He said he was not surprised to hear about the requirement for volunteers to abide by the Statement of Faith.

When Graham claimed Satan is behind LGBTQ rights and advocacy, it signaled his willingness to prevent LGBTQ people from receiving access to coronavirus treatment. He can direct doctors to deny medications to HIV-positive patients, leaving them further at-risk for coronavirus. He may tell his hospital that they must turn away transgender people who come to them in a medical emergency, Murray wrote.

As the CEO of a religious institution, Graham canlegally instruct his field hospital to turn away LGBTQ people with symptoms, leaving them on their own to find care elsewhere. Its terrible to think that he would issue such an order, but Graham has long fought for religious hospitals, or even individual staff members, to be able to do just that, he added.

During this unprecedented national crisis, Franklin Graham must go on record and clarify that he will not turn away or discriminate against LGBTQ people at his field hospital, and that he will repeal his discriminatory ban on LGBTQ staff members, Murray concluded. With COVID-19 disproportionately affecting LGBTQ Americans, our lives may very well depend on it.

Editors note: This story was updated to include additional responses from Samaritans Purse and Mount Sinai Hospital.

Read more:

Gay couple told to leave home because homosexuals are contaminated by COVID-19

Tiger Kings Joe Exotic files $94 million lawsuit claiming he was targeted for being gay

Idaho governor signs two bills that discriminate against the transgender community

As a free LGBTQ publication, Metro Weekly relies on advertising in order to bring you unique, high quality journalism, both online and in our weekly edition. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced many of our incredible advertisers to temporarily close their doors to protect staff and customers, and so were asking you, our readers, to help support Metro Weekly during this trying period. We appreciate anything you can do, and please keep reading us on the website and our new Digital Edition, released every Thursday and available for online reading or download.

See the article here:

Group behind NYC COVID-19 tent hospital is forcing medical workers to abide by anti-gay statement of faith - Metro Weekly

Since humans havent previously been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, our bodies arent well equipped to deal with being infected by it. A vaccine would allow the body to safely develop an immune response to COVID-19 that could prevent or control infection. But it takes time to develop safe and effective vaccines usually five to ten years on average. Despite promising reports about potential coronavirus vaccines being developed worldwide, it could still take an estimated 12-18 months to develop one.

A vaccine must go through six crucial steps. Image credit: Gerd Altmann.

Its becoming quicker to develop new vaccines than it was in the past as we can build on research from vaccines used for other diseases.

During outbreaks, more resources and funding may also become available, which can speed up the process

Products might also be considered for use even before being formally granted licenses to control the disease in severely affected areas during emergencies.

The development of a potential novel coronavirus vaccine is being partly led by experts who were already developing vaccines for other coronaviruses.

This type of virus was identified as a possible cause of the next big pandemic as the other coronaviruses SARS and MERS have been responsible for two global outbreaks in the last 20 years.

Research on vaccines for these coronaviruses was already undergoing clinical trials.

The first new vaccine to enter human trials for COVID-19 was developed by the U.S. firm Moderna Therapeutics.

About 35 other companies and academic institutions are also working on COVID-19 vaccines.

Most are currently in pre-clinical testing, including one being developed by a team of researchers at the University of Oxford. The vaccine candidate was identified in January and is nearing the clinical testing phase.

During development, a vaccine needs to go through the following steps:

Basic understanding of the virus

In the past, most studies of human viruses looked at how the virus altered or affected human or animal cells in the lab.

Scientists first identify the proteins and sugars on the surface of the viruses or infected cells, then study whether these proteins can be used to produce an immune response.

In the present case, this stage was made easier for researchers after Chinese scientists found and published the genetic sequence of novel coronavirus in January.

Researchers worldwide have been able to identify the structure of proteins that make up the virus, create a genetic history of the family of viruses, and determine when the first human was infected.

It also enabled diagnostic testing kits to be developed, and lets researchers identify potential treatment options.

Vaccine candidates

This may involve isolating the live virus before inactivating or weakening it and then determining whether this modified virus, which is known as a vaccine candidate, might produce immunity in people.

Sometimes the live virus is not part of the process. Instead, its genetic sequence is used to make the vaccine.

The genetic sequence can also be used to make recombinant proteins, a vaccine production method that has been used before for vaccines like hepatitis B.

Researchers now know how to manufacture and test the relevant vaccine and check it has been made properly.

They even know about likely doses, including how many doses will be needed to build immunity.

This background knowledge speeds up the development of each new vaccine made using the same technology.

Pre-clinical testing

Initial safety testing is usually carried out in animals to give an idea of responses in humans.

These are also used to see how effective the vaccine is at preventing the disease, and allows researchers to adapt the vaccine.

During an outbreak, different research groups often work together to speed up this process.

Clinical trials testing in humans

This step is where many promising potential vaccines fail.

There are three phases of a clinical trial:

(i) testing on a few dozen healthy volunteers, looking at how safe the vaccine is, and if it has any adverse effects;

(ii) testing on several hundred people for efficacy (a target population who are ideally those most at risk of the disease);

(iii) testing on several thousand people for efficacy and safety.

Through these phases the vaccine needs to show its safe, leads to a strong immune response, and provides effective protection against the virus.

During an outbreak, experimental vaccines may be used in severely affected populations if theyre at high risk of disease, before progressing to regulatory approval.

Regulatory approvals

If regulators have approved similar products before, approval can be accelerated although this is not likely for COVID-19.

Use of a vaccine before full licensure can be considered in a public health emergency.

Production

Once a vaccine has been produced at a small scale and passed safety tests, it can be used in clinical trials.

However, significant manufacturing capacity, such as infrastructure, personnel and equipment, will be needed to produce large quantities of a vaccine for use.

Quality control is also needed. All of these processes are very carefully monitored.

Once licensed, policy must be developed to decide how to prioritize those who should be vaccinated, such as those in the most high-risk groups and locations.Along the way, if any of these vaccine candidates are shown to be unsafe or ineffective, researchers must return to the laboratory to develop a new candidate. This is why vaccine development can be a long and uncertain process.

Authors: Samantha Vanderslott, postdoctoral researcher in social sciences at the University of Oxford, Andrew Pollard, professor of pediatric infection and immunity at the University of Oxford, & Tonia Thomas, vaccine knowledge project manager at the University of Oxford.This article was originally published on The Conversation.

More here:

COVID-19 Vaccine: Here Are Steps It Will Need to Go Through During Development | Medicine - Sci-News.com

"Novel coronavirus" is the proper term for this brand-new virus wreaking havoc on our unprepared world.

But you can also call this nasty villain by its scientific name: severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2 for short.

Covid-19 seems to strike the elderly and immunocompromised the hardest, along with any of us with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, heart and lung disease. But the young shouldn't take anything for granted -- there have been numerous deaths among people aged 20 to 50, as well as a very few among children.

Covid-19 can also present with mild symptoms very similar to a typical cold or flu -- or no symptoms at all, which makes controlling the spread of the virus causing Covid-19 very difficult.

What is a coronavirus?

There they set up shop, producing millions of copies of themselves and causing those cells to rupture. Like the famous scene from the movie "Alien," the viral offspring shoot out into the bloodstream, with the goal of invading more and more cells.

As they multiply, humans began to spit them out into the universe with each exhalation, making us contagious days before we begin to cough, sneeze or have diarrhea -- all symptoms the virus creates to ensure it can leap from human to human, thus ensuring its survival.

This "virus zombie invasion" comes in all sort of shapes, sizes and genetic strategies. All coronaviruses are covered with pointy spires of protein, giving them the appearance of having a crown or "corona" -- hence the name. Coronaviruses use these spikes to latch onto and pierce our cells.

Coronaviruses are part of the RNA brigade of viruses, which are much less stable than their DNA-based comrades. Why is that important? Because instability leads to mistakes in copying genetic code.

That leads to mutations -- thousands, millions, billions of mutations. Sooner or later, one mutation hits pay dirt and allows the virus to cross the great divide between different species. A few million/billion/trillion more mistakes creates another mutation that allows that virus to spread easily. Now the virus is both in its new host and it is contagious.

It's that type of mutation which gives humanity viruses like SARS-CoV-2.

Where did the novel coronavirus come from?

Some of those coronviruses can cross species, such as between pigs, cats and dogs, but for the most part coronaviruses stay loyal to their original hosts. Until, of course, they become that lucky mutation.

"Usually viruses from one animal really don't effectively transmit to other animal species or even to people," said Dr. John Williams, chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

"So usually if a virus goes from an animal to a human, it's sort of dead end. That person gets sick but it doesn't spread further," said Williams, who has studied coronaviruses for decades.

"MERS is extremely deadly, about 30% of people who are infected with MERS will die," Williams said. "So the virus got over one of the barriers -- it's able to infect humans, grow in them and cause disease -- but thankfully it really doesn't spread well person to person, other than very, very close contacts."

SARS has been more difficult to pin down.

"SARS caused death in about 10% of people that became infected and it did spread person to person but not super effectively," Williams said. "There weren't many people walking around without symptoms or with mild symptoms, who could be spreading it.

"This new virus, SARS-CoV-2, has overcome more barriers," Williams added. "It spreads easily person to person and a lot of people can have either mild disease or they might not even have symptoms, yet they can have the virus and spread it."

At this time, scientists don't know where the novel coronavirus began.

"These things are more difficult than [identifying] dinosaurs, because there's no fossil record of a virus," Williams said. "For example, the main virus I study, human metapneumovirus, is clearly a virus that has circulated in humans for decades if not a few centuries.

"However, when you look at the genetics of the virus, its closest genetic relative is a bird virus," he added. "So, did that virus jump to humans way back and become established? That's what we think. But it isn't impossible that a human virus jumped to birds and became established there."

Original post:

What is coronavirus and Covid-19? An explainer - CNN

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SACases update:

The latest number of confirmed cases is 1 353.

The number of coronavirus-related deaths has risen to five.

Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal still account for the majority of cases in the country.

READ MORE |All the confirmed cases of coronavirus in SA

About 1 471 South African citizens stranded abroad have appealed to the government to return home amid the global outbreak of Covid-19, government revealed in a briefing on Tuesday.

"We empathise with their plight and are doing whatever is within our means to assist them to be safe, as comfortable as possible, and to travel back to South Africa," Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) Naledi Pandor.

The minister further revealed that, of the total stranded citizens, 723 are students, 204 are workers, 224 are tourists and 320 have not disclosed.

"I cannot say that these numbers are 100 percent accurate as it is based on people who have approached us for assistance through our missions and consular services. There may be more people in need of assistance that we do not know about yet," she added.

READ MORE | Govt working hard to bring home almost 1 500 stranded South Africans - Pandor

Gauteng has recorded its first coronavirus casualty.

The province revealed that a 79-year-old male patient, who had tested positive for Covid-19, died on Monday.

The deceased was earlier admitted to a private hospital in Mogale City, west of Johannesburg, on Saturday.

The man is the first Covid-19 casualty in the province, while the number of deaths in the country has risen to five.

Gauteng premier David Makhura said in a statement on Tuesday that he was saddened by the man's death.

"I wish to convey our heartfelt condolences and express our collective grief to the family and friends of the deceased," Makhura said.

READ MORE | Coronavirus: 79-year-old man is Gauteng's first Covid-19 death

Another confirmed Covid-19 death in South Africa is an elderly pastor who was at a church gathering in Bloemfontein which was attended by five international guests who later tested positive for the coronavirus, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize revealed in a briefing on Tuesday.

The Free State Department of Health's spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, confirmed, after consultation with his family, his identity.

John Hlangeni, 85, died at Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein on Monday.

"Hlangeni succumbed while being treated at our health facility. As it is, as has been explained before, the effects of Covid-19 are more severe in older persons and also to those who have underlying health issues," said Mvambi.

Health MEC Montseng Tsiu has sent her condolences to the Hlangeni family, relatives and the Global Reconciliation Church in which Hlangeni served.

READ MORE | Elderly pastor dies after contracting coronavirus at Bloem church gathering

The government has conceded the first round of social grant collections during the lockdown had teething problems as there was no enforcement of social distancing in the long queues.

Long queues, a lack of queue management, issues of social distancing not being adhered to, and cash running out at certain collection points were just some of the issues faced by the South African Social Security Agency on Monday as people came out in their droves to collect their grants.

News24 reported that at the Denlyn shopping complex in Mamelodi, there was no police presence or queue management as hundreds of people with disabilities and the elderly lined up to collect their grants.

READ MORE | Govt addresses physical distancing, long Sassa queues

Fifty people, who previously tested positive for Covid-19 in Cape Town, have recovered and their period of self-isolation lifted.

According to the premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde, the 50 completed 14 days of self-isolation and can now, in accordance with the guidelines set out by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, come out of isolation.

However, they still have to obey the 21-day lockdown laws, like other members of the public, and so can only leave their homes for essentials like medical care, food, cash and to collect grants.

Currently, 13 people are being treated for Covid-19 in hospitals in the province, with three patients in intensive care.

READ MORE | From isolation to lockdown: 50 people in Cape Town recover from coronavirus

For the latest global data, follow this interactive map from Johns Hopkins University & Medicine.

Positive cases worldwide are now more than 860 000, while deaths are more than 42 000.

The United States, Italy and Spain all have more than 90 000 cases.

Italy and Spain both have more than 8 000 deaths.

Strict containment measures might have already saved up to 59 000 lives across 11 European countries battling the spread of the new coronavirus, experts in Britain say.

Basing their modelling on the numbers of recorded deaths from Covid-19, researchers from Imperial College London said most countries it looked at had likely dramatically reduced the rate at which the virus spreads.

Using the experiences of countries with the most advanced epidemics like Italy and Spain, the study compared actual fatality rates with an estimate of what would have happened with no measures such as school closures, event cancellations and lockdowns.

"With current interventions remaining in place to at least the end of March, we estimate that interventions across all 11 countries will have averted 59 000 deaths up to 31 March," said the report, which was released Monday.

READ MORE | Lockdowns may have saved 59 000 lives in Europe, study says

Faced with a looming shortage of lifesaving ventilators, US hospitals are scrambling for solutions and planning for the worst with the coronavirus pandemic.

Intensive care units at besieged hospitals in New York and other cities are taking an "all hands on deck" approach recruiting doctors from various specialties to help handle the influx of severely ill Covid-19 patients.

They are also finding ways to fill another crucial gap: A limited supply of ventilators, machines that provide breathing support to patients in respiratory distress.

Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration officially approved one alternative to standard ventilators: anaesthesia machines. The equipment, normally used to put surgery patients under, can be adjusted to provide oxygen to ICU patients.

READ MORE | Too many patients, too few ventilators: How US hospitals try to cope with coronavirus

From medical workers struggling to care for the rising tide of Covid-19 patients to the billions of people told to stay home to slow the pandemic, everyone is waiting for one thing: a vaccine.

There is no known treatment for the new coronavirus that emerged in China late last year and has since proliferated across the planet, infecting more than half a million people and claiming more than 30 000 lives.

In mid-January, researchers from China published the genetic sequence of the virus, firing the starting gun for dozens of research labs across the world in the race to find effective drugs.

The approaches have varied dramatically. Some teams are looking at the effects of existing medicines as potential treatments, some are experimenting with repurposing common drugs. Others are using cutting-edge technologies to fashion radically new types of vaccines.

Just over 60 days after the genetic sequence of Covid-19 was shared, the first potential vaccine began human trials.

READ MORE | Race for vaccine tests limits of drug innovation

According to a new alert released this week by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, may be a symptom of the new coronavirus, with experts estimating it could be present in 13% of Covid-19 cases.

The Covid-19 virus, officially named SARS-CoV-2, primarily causes respiratory infection. Common symptoms include a dry cough, fever, and shortness of breath.

Recent research has revealed that some patients may also experience digestive symptoms such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal discomfort. Sudden loss of smell also seems be an indicator of the virus - especially in people who may not be exhibiting other symptoms or meeting the vital criteria for testing, a previous article by Health24 reported. And now, most recently, pink eye has been included as a rare symptom of the virus.

READ MORE | Pink eye could be a less common symptom of the new coronavirus

Genetic mutations that put some younger people at high risk for severe illness from the new coronavirus will be investigated in an international study.

Plans call for enrolling 500 patients worldwide who are under age 50, have been diagnosed with Covid-19 and admitted to an intensive care unit, and have no underlying health problems such as diabetes, heart disease or lung disease.

Studying these patients' DNA may identify genetic mutations that make some people more susceptible to infection, according to study leader Jean-Laurent Casanova. That could eventually help doctors identify people most at risk of developing severe coronavirus disease.

"We're going to try to find the genetic basis of severe coronavirus infection in young people," he said. Casanova is an investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

READ MORE | Could gene mutations explain coronavirus cases in the young?

HEALTH TIPS(as recommended by the NICD and WHO)

Avoid contact with people who have respiratory infections

Maintain physical distancing stay at least one metre away from somebody who is coughing or sneezing

Practise frequent hand-washing, especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, as your hands touch many surfaces and could potentially transfer the virus

Practise respiratory hygiene cover your mouth with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Remember to dispose the tissue immediately after use.

Here is the original post:

Coronavirus morning update: SA deaths now 5, but 50 recoveries in CT, and lifesaving lockdown - Health24

The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) first appeared in the Wuhan district of Hubei province of China in early December 2019. The first case was reported by China on January 7, 2020, and this aroused variable interest worldwide, with most countries initially ignoring the novel infection. Fortunately, Indian health authorities sensed the danger, largely because the country has always been alert to new infections. The scientific think-tank at the Indian council of Medical Research (ICMR) became active immediately and the first laboratory confirmed case was identified at ICMRs National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, sometime towards the end of January.

A look at the world Covid meter shows that there is striking variation in mortality rates across countries, ranging from 0.2% to 15% depending on age, the smoking habit and pre-existing co-morbidities. It may be too early to tell, but in general, countries in the Northern hemisphere have faced the maximum brunt, and those in the Southern hemisphere (and those located proximate to the Equator) have so far escaped high infection numbers.

Three factors seem to be playing a role in the observed lower numbers in India with almost zero occurrence of severe Covid-19 cases (until now). First, broad-based immunity in the population due to the extensive microbial load. The Indian population has been exposed to a vast variety of pathogens, including bacteria, parasites and viruses leading to the generation of broad specific memory T-cells in the system, ready to attack additional foreign invaders.

For example, the three main killers of Tuberculosis, HIV and Malaria have plagued India, Africa and several countries in the Southern hemisphere much more than the European and North American nations. In the context of CoV-2 coronavirus, the beneficial role of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine has been much talked about and debated, while there has already been an extensive usage of this drug at the community level in India -- this too may ultimately prove beneficial.

Second, epigenetic factors that include environment and food habits may also play a beneficial role for countries such as India; much literature is already available in Ayurveda and other Indian systems of medicine on the definitive beneficial effects of Indian spices in augmenting immunity.

Third, and most important, is the possible role of immune response genes in the Indian population. These genes are collectively referred to as comprising the human leucocyte antigen system or simply, the HLA genes. Their main biological function is to present invading foreign antigens to the immune systems, since T-cells, which act as the bodys soldiers come into play only when pathogens are presented to them in a more formal manner in association with HLA genes. In other words, the pathogen must first attach to compounds created by HLA genes before T-Cells attack it. If no such compounds are produced by the body, then the T-Cells are ineffective. As a consequence of the microbial load, the Indian population possesses a high genetic diversity of HLA, much more extensive than Caucasian populations. Indeed, studies by the author at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, over several decades revealed the presence of several novel HLA genes and their alleles in the Indian population, most of which do not occur in other ethnic groups. Such genetic diversity of HLA could affect viral fitness.

The question then is:Why should genetic variation in HLA genes play a role in the Covid-19 progression? One hint comes from earlier studies in related viral diseases: Certain genetic variants of the HLA system provide protection against such viruses, while others increase genetic susceptibility to them. Another source of indirect evidence comes from recent clinical Covid-19 studies which showed that rapid T-cell response appears to be crucial for recovery from Covid-19, and reduced functional diversity of T cells in peripheral blood could predict progression of Covid-19.

The big question is:Does this give Indians a better chance at fighting the virus effectively? From the epidemiological data so far, it seems so (although much more extensive research is required). However, it is important for us to keep viral loads in check and below the threshold levels. In this context, the complete lockdown announced by the government is highly timely and most desirable. It is imperative that the virus replication cycle gets disrupted as early as possible before it gains numbers that may become difficult for us to counter.

To this end, the images of crowds gathering in several places whether for panic buying or interstate movements are disturbing. They could jeopardise all efforts and mitigate whatever natural advantages we enjoy.

The State must act fast to enforce the lockdown, even forcibly if necessary. India may be the outlier in fighting the coronavirus infection and succeed in keeping the overall numbers lower than the rest of the world with minimal deaths.

Narinder Kumar Mehra is the ICMR National chair and former Dean of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

The views expressed are personal

See original here:

Can India be an outlier in the spread of Covid-19? | Opinion - Hindustan Times