Isro tests futurist fuel cell system that could power space station – IndiaTimes

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BENGALURU: Isro Friday said it has successfully tested a futuristic fuel cell based power system that could help power the proposed space station while also holding the potential for significant societal applications. The 100W class Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell based Power System (FCPS) was tested in space on the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module or POEM, launched onboard PSLV-C58 on January 1. Fuel cell is an ideal power source for the Space Station as it provides both power and pure water. The objective of the experiment was to assess Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel cell operation in space and to collect data to facilitate the design of systems for future missions. During the short duration test onboard POEM, 180W power was generated from Hydrogen and Oxygen gases stored onboard in high-pressure vessels, Isro said.

ISRO rings in New Year with successful launch of PSLV-C58 carrying XPoSat and 10 payloads

The ability to produce electricity directly from fuels without any intermediate step renders them very efficient, the space agency said, adding that with water as the only byproduct, they are totally emission free. These features make them ideal candidates for space missions involving humans where electric power, water and heat are essential since a single system can meet multiple requirements in the mission. Fuel Cells also possess significant societal application potential, Isro said. They are also considered to be the most appropriate solution to replace the engines of various type of vehicles in use today and to power standby power systems. Fuel Cells can provide range and fuel recharge time equaling that of todays conventional engine, which gives them a distinct advantage over batteries, and are expected to facilitate emission free transportation. Fuel cell is an ideal power source for the Space Station as it provides both power and pure water, Isro said.

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Isro tests futurist fuel cell system that could power space station - IndiaTimes

Crew Wraps Up Station Upkeep, Conducts Fiber Optics and Antimicrobial Investigations on Friday – NASA Blogs

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An aurora and an atmospheric glow crown Earths horizon beneath a starry sky in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 262 miles above the Canadian province of Quebec.

A week of science and station upkeep continued on Friday aboard the International Space Station. Ahead of their off-duty weekend, the seven Expedition 70 crew members completed an array of tasks to wrap up maintenance activities and resume microgravity research investigations.

On Tuesday, NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli kicked off a multi-day-long study investigating the efficiency of an antimicrobial coating in space. JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa took over this work on Friday, continuing the investigation to help researchers better understand how the coating holds up over time.

Furukawa and Moghbeli then teamed up to inspect and change out cartridges in masks that are used in the unlikely event an emergency were to occur on station. Later on, Furukawa transferred data collected earlier this week during his and NASA Flight Engineer Loral OHaras acoustic monitoring sessions. At the end of the day, OHara configured the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) for an ongoing fiber optics investigation.

Station Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) spent Friday wrapping up tasks conducted earlier this weekstowing spacesuit hardware and charging the VR Mental Care battery. In the evening, Mogensen performed a VR for Exercise session, which focuses on the use of a virtual reality environment for biking aboard the orbiting laboratory. Not only does this mitigate bone and muscle loss that occurs in low-Earth orbit, but can increase motivation for daily exercise and boost morale.

The Roscosmos trio split up their duties Friday, carrying out ongoing tasks from the week. Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko removed and replaced hardware in the Zvezda service module, while Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub completed some orbital plumbing. Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov performed an experiment that studies the glow of Earths nighttime atmosphere in near-ultraviolet.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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Crew Wraps Up Station Upkeep, Conducts Fiber Optics and Antimicrobial Investigations on Friday - NASA Blogs

STEMonstrations, Station Upkeep, and Hearing Assessments Top Wednesday’s Schedule – NASA Blogs

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The suns first rays begin illuminating Earths atmosphere in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 262 miles above the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.

A STEMonstration, station upkeep, and routine hearing assessments kept the Expedition 70 crew busy on Wednesday. The seven orbital residents split up duties aboard the International Space Station as they continue their microgravity research missions into the new year.

NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli began her day recording a STEMonstration for teachers and students grades 5-8, demonstrating how to use a microscope for cell research aboard the station. To connect with students and teachers around the world, crew members will routinely record short three- to five-minute educational videos that demonstrate popular STEM topics in microgravity. Afterward, Moghbeli moved onto some station and spacesuit upkeep to install restraint straps and stowage bags on spacesuits that will be used for upcoming spacewalks this year, and perform inspections of various modules around the station.

Experiencing 16 sunrises and sunsets per day can affect crew members circadian rhythms while in low-Earth orbit. To counter this, the Circadian Light investigation tests a new lighting system to help astronauts maintain an acceptable circadian rhythm, which could in turn boost cognitive performance. ESA (European Space Agency) Commander Andreas Mogensen began his day performing a Circadian Light assessment before moving into surveying various station segments to send to grounds teams for assessments of station configuration.

JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa focused his day on prepping the Life Sciences Glovebox for upcoming research and measuring acoustic levels within the orbiting laboratory.

Near the end of the day, NASA Flight Engineer Loral OHara was joined by cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Konstantin Borisov to complete routine hearing assessments using specially designed space software to measure auditory function while exposed to the microgravity environment.

Kononenko also spent part of his day removing and replacing hardware in the Zvezda service module and running the 3D printer once more, while Borisov picked back up on inventory audits that began yesterday.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: http://www.nasa.gov/subscribe

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STEMonstrations, Station Upkeep, and Hearing Assessments Top Wednesday's Schedule - NASA Blogs

NASA and Russia will keep launching each other’s astronauts to ISS until 2025: report – Space.com

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NASA and Russia have agreed to keep launching American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts on each other's spacecraft, media reports suggest.

Roscosmos announced both it and NASA will continue the International Space Station launches with each other's crew members through at least 2025, "to maintain the reliability of the ISS as a whole," according to multiple reports including the Moscow Times.

A NASA spokesperson confirmed the agreement in an email to Space.com. "NASA and Roscosmos have amended the integrated crew agreement to allow for a second set of integrated crew missions in 2024 and one set of integrated crew missions in 2025," the spokesperson wrote. "For continued safe operations of the space station, the integrated crew agreement helps ensure that each crewed spacecraft docked to the station includes an integrated crew with trained crew members in both the Russian and U.S. Operating Segment systems."

NASA and Roscosmos have an existing agreement to launch crew members on each other's spacecraft, to allow for independent launch access for both nations and backup in case of trouble. Right now the manifest includes SpaceX Dragon for NASA missions, and Soyuz for Russia. (When Boeing Starliner is ready, presumably it will be included too for U.S. missions.)

The ISS is manifested to last until at least 2030, as most of the international coalition has agreed to stick with it. Russia will remain until 2028 or so, based on the most recent reports; the country is working on a different set of space plans in the future.

Related: NASA working to get private space stations up and running before ISS retires in 2030

Though NASA and Russia are the chief ISS partners alongside the European Space Agency, Japan and Canada, relations changed in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine to the condemnation of most of the world. Most space partnerships were severed with Russia aside from the ISS, which remains for space policy reasons.

Russia and NASA operate different segments of the space station with different operational responsibilities. They also send up cargo ships for resupply missions and interface with the crew in independent mission controls.

Since 2022, Russia has teamed up with China to launch a moon-facing alliance. NASA also has its own group, under the Artemis Accords, a coalition of 30-plus nations that themselves promise peaceful space exploration norms with a subset of countries also participating in moon exploration.

The Artemis Accords aim to put astronauts on the moon no earlier than 2025 with Artemis 3, and have already launched Artemis 1 (uncrewed) in 2022 around the moon. Artemis 2, with four astronauts on board, should launch around the moon in 2024 or so.

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NASA and Russia will keep launching each other's astronauts to ISS until 2025: report - Space.com

Experience the Launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Mission – NASA

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Digital content creators are invited to register to attend the launch of the eighth SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket that will carry crew to the International Space Station for a science expedition mission. This mission is part of NASAs Commercial Crew Program.

The targeted launch date for the agencys SpaceX Crew-8 mission is no earlier than mid-February from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch will carry NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and mission specialist Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin, to the International Space Station to conduct a wide range of operational and research activities.

If your passion is to communicate and engage the world online, then this is the event for you! Seize the opportunity to see and share the #Crew8 mission launch.

A maximum of 50 social media users will be selected to attend this three-day event and will be given access similar to news media.

NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to:

NASA Social registration for the Crew-8 launch opens on Friday, Jan. 5, and the deadline to apply is at 3 p.m. EST Tuesday, Jan. 9. All social applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

APPLY NOW

Yes. This event is designed for people who:

Users on all social networks are encouraged to use the hashtag #NASASocial and #Crew8. Updates and information about the event will be shared on X via @NASASocial and @NASAKennedy, and via posts to Facebook and Instagram.

Registration for this event opens Friday, Jan. 5, and closes at 3 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 9. Registration is for one person only (you) and is non-transferable. Each individual wishing to attend must register separately. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Because of the security deadlines, registration is limited to U.S. citizens. If you have a valid permanent resident card, you will be processed as a U.S. citizen.

After registrations have been received and processed, an email with confirmation information and additional instructions will be sent to those selected. We expect to send the acceptance notifications on Jan. 17.

All social applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Those chosen must prove through the registration process they meet specific engagement criteria.

If you do not make the registration list for this NASA Social, you still can attend the launch offsite and participate in the conversation online. Find out about ways to experience a launch here.

Registration indicates your intent to travel to NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida and attend the three-day event in person. You are responsible for your own expenses for travel, accommodations, food, and other amenities.

Some events and participants scheduled to appear at the event are subject to change without notice. NASA is not responsible for loss or damage incurred as a result of attending. NASA, moreover, is not responsible for loss or damage incurred if the event is cancelled with limited or no notice. Please plan accordingly.

Kennedy is a government facility. Those who are selected will need to complete an additional registration step to receive clearance to enter the secure areas.

IMPORTANT: To be admitted, you will need to provide two forms of unexpired government-issued identification; one must be a photo ID and match the name provided on the registration. Those without proper identification cannot be admitted.

For a complete list of acceptable forms of ID, please visit: NASA Credentialing Identification Requirements.

All registrants must be at least 18 years old.

Many different factors can cause a scheduled launch date to change multiple times. If the launch date changes, NASA may adjust the date of the NASA Social accordingly to coincide with the new target launch date. NASA will notify registrants of any changes by email.

If the launch is postponed, attendees will be invited to attend a later launch date. NASA cannot accommodate attendees for delays beyond 72 hours.

NASA Social attendees are responsible for any additional costs they incur related to any launch delay. We strongly encourage participants to make travel arrangements that are refundable and/or flexible.

If you cannot come to the Kennedy Space Center and attend in person, you should not register for the NASA Social. You can follow the conversation online using #NASASocial.

You can watch the launch on NASA Television or http://www.nasa.gov/live. NASA will provide regular launch and mission updates on @NASA, @NASAKennedy, and @Commercial_Crew.

If you cannot make this NASA Social, dont worry; NASA is planning many other Socials in the near future at various locations! Check backherefor updates.

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Experience the Launch of NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 Mission - NASA

Spacesuit Loop Scrubs and Routine Station Maintenance for Crew on Thursday – NASA Blogs

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NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli configures spacewalking tools inside the International Space Stations Quest airlock.

Another day of station upkeep is underway aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. The Expedition 70 crew spent most of the day on spacesuit and station maintenance, auditing equipment, and wrapping up experiments started earlier this week.

In the morning, NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli was joined by ESA (European Space Agency) Commander Andreas Mogensen to perform a loop scrub on spacesuits that will be used during upcoming spacewalks this year. Moghbeli then reconfigured the hardware to initiate iodination, which is performed to remove contaminants from transfer loops.

Mogensen had a busy rest of the day, completing a VR Mental Care session, which demonstrates the use of virtual reality for mental relaxation. He then moved on to station upkeeprestocking the battery pantry and completing monthly maintenance on the orbital labs treadmillbefore rounding out the day with a hearing assessment.

NASA Flight Engineer Loral OHara began the day setting up a microphone to be worn on her shoulder to take sound measurements around the station and then completed some orbital plumbing tasks, removing and replacing the filter in the waste and hygiene compartment.

Earlier in the week, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa hydrated and incubated production packs for the BioNutrients-1 investigation. On Thursday, Furukawa retrieved the samples to inspect and photograph, which will help researchers better understand on-demand production of human nutrients over long-duration missions. He then wrapped up his day installing the Robotics Work Station for upcoming research.

All three cosmonauts aboard the station continued audit and inventory tasks that started earlier this week. Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko inventoried the Rassvet module, while Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub audited medical kits and Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov audited light units throughout Roscosmos segments. Borisov also ran a Pilot-T session, an ongoing experiment to practice piloting techniques, while Chub replaced the carbon monoxide sensor in the Zarya module.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: http://www.nasa.gov/subscribe

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Spacesuit Loop Scrubs and Routine Station Maintenance for Crew on Thursday - NASA Blogs

Nasa builds towards new space stations – Electronics Weekly

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The US Space Agency highlights the work of its three competing commercial space station partners Axiom Space, Orbital Reef and Starlab for the design and development of possible new orbital destinations.

We are ending the year on a high note with multiple important milestones being completed by our partners, said Angela Hart, manager of the Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program at NASA Johnson Space Center. Over the past few months, we have been able to dig into the details of the specific hardware and processes of these stations and are moving forward to multiple comprehensive design reviews next year.

For example, Axiom Space, which holds a firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract with NASA, is on schedule to launch and attach its first module, says the agency. The module is named Axiom Hab One, and is due to attach to the International Space Station in 2026.

Four modules are planned for the Axiom Commercial Segment attached to the station. And after the space stations retirement, the Axiom Commercial Segment will separate and become a free-flying commercial destination, named Axiom Station.

The hatches of the Axiom Hab One module are fabricated and prepared to undergo pressure testing to ensure a strong enough seal to withstand the vacuum of space, writes Nasa. Manufacturing of the Axiom Hab One module is underway, and the critical design review will occur in 2024. During this review, NASA will assess the maturity of the Axiom Space design and provide feedback necessary to ensure safe operations when it is attached to the International Space Station.

The Jeff Bezos-backed Blue Origin, which was awarded a contract by Nasa in 2021 to develop a free-flying space station named Orbital Reef, has also recently completed tests, reports the agency for a window system and a structural demonstration. It writes:

For the structural test, Blue Origin used a prototype of their space stations main module, called the Core, to demonstrate the manufacturing processes required to build the final pressurized modules of the station. The test supports validation of the structural models and analytical tools for the Cores structural design.

The International Space Stations cupola, a room with seven windows overlooking the Earth, is the cornerstone of crewed missions for both research and astronaut morale. Orbital Reef will incorporate multiple windows on its Core, with each window spanning about twice the size of a car windshield. For the window test, Blue Origin evaluated the window integration structure design concept and its performance against the pressures and temperatures the windows will be exposed to while in orbit.

The third example given of progress for a new space station involved Starlab, a station being developed by Voyager Spaces Exploration Segment, in partnership with Airbus and Northrop Grumman.

Voyager Space recently completed three milestones, said the North American agency: a system definition review and the initiation of two pairs of milestones for an optical link demonstration and alternative urine processor demonstration.

Free-space optical, also called laser communications, allows for higher data rates and more energy-efficient communications than radio frequency communication systems. A major goal of the optical communication demonstration is to conduct testing from the International Space Station to the ground to establish the capabilities needed for Starlab. This initial milestone, within the optical link demonstration milestone pair scope, validated the Starlab testing plan. The optical link is planning to be tested next on the International Space Station.

You can read more on the Nasa website.

The ISS is expected to be deorbited by a dedicated NASA spacecraft in 2031.

Image: Axiom Space A hatch of the Axiom Hab One module, which will attach the module to the ISS.

See also: Nasa invites students to rise to 2024 Human Exploration Rover Challenge

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Nasa builds towards new space stations - Electronics Weekly

Dawn Breaks Over Earth: A Spectacular Sunrise Seen From the Space Station – SciTechDaily

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Astronaut photograph of the Sun rising above Earths horizon captured from the International Space Station on September 29, 2023.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are uniquely positioned to capture striking photos of the Sun and Earth.

As the International Space Station orbited over the southern Indian Ocean, an astronaut looked eastward and captured this photo of the Sun rising above Earths horizon.

This edge-on photo of Earths limb reveals several atmospheric layers. The lowest layer, known as the troposphere, appears orange and red as these wavelengths of light are scattered by particles of dust, smoke, and smog. Directly above the troposphere is the stratosphere. This blue layer is usually cloud-free and extends as much as 50 kilometers (30 miles) above Earths surface. The region directly above the stratosphere is known as the mesosphere.

The Sunthe focal point in this imageis front and center in NASAs Heliophysics Big Year. This big year celebration began with the annular solar eclipse in October 2023 and continues with a total solar eclipse in April 2024. It concludes with the Parker Solar Probes closest approach to the Sun in December 2024.

The total solar eclipse in April 2024 will pass over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. In addition to putting on an impressive show, the eclipse offers research opportunities including the chance for scientists to study the Suns effect on Earths ionosphere. This is the region spanning from about 80600 kilometers (50400 miles) above Earths surface, overlapping with the top of the atmosphere and the beginning of space. It is where the space station and other satellites in low Earth orbit hang out, and where radio and GPS signals bounce around.

During a solar eclipse, astronauts on the space station can sometimes see the Moons shadow passing over Earth. Views of sunrises are much more common, with astronauts witnessing as many as 16 sunrises every 24 hours.

Astronaut photograph ISS070-E-1178 was acquired on September 29, 2023, with a Nikon D5 digital camera using a focal length of 170 millimeters. The image was provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit at Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by a member of the Expedition 70 crew. It has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public and to make those images freely available on the Internet.

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Dawn Breaks Over Earth: A Spectacular Sunrise Seen From the Space Station - SciTechDaily

Space Station Crew Members Kick-Start New Year With Advanced Science – SciTechDaily

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Four Expedition 70 crew members share New Years remarks. From left, Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA, Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA, Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA, and Flight Engineer Loral OHara of NASA. Credit: NASA

The seven-member Expedition 70 crew was back to work after Monday saw an off-duty day for the International Space Station residents. A variety of activities took place in orbit on Tuesday, while some members conducted cleaning activities and others picked back up on scientific research to kick-start the new year.

Flight Engineer Loral OHara of NASA spent part of her day unstowing materials in the Combustion Integrated Rack to prep for the SoFIE-GEL investigation. As part of ongoing science, crew members study burning in microgravity to determine how material flammability is affected by fuel temperatures. To continue this research, OHara swapped out a used manifold gas bottle in the experiment with a new one. In the evening, she donned the Actiwatch to monitor sleep-wake patterns throughout the night.

Expedition 70 Flight Engineers (from left) Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral OHara, both from NASA, pose for a portrait inside the Destiny laboratory module. Credit: NASA

Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA cleaned up in the Harmony module in the morning, then set out to replenish the water supply in the distribution and recovery reservoirs of Plant Habitat-06an investigation that studies the physiological and genetic responses to defense activation in wild-type tomatoes. Afterward, Moghbeli began an experiment to test the efficiency of an antimicrobial coating in space.

Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) began the day swapping out the heart rate monitor on CEVIS, the stations bicycle. He then completed a robotics training session, practicing the capture of a cargo craft, reviewing how to control free-flying assistants, and operating the robotic arm. After lunch, Mogensen deployed the Life Sciences Glovebox that will be used for ongoing science activities this week, then analyzed water from the stations water processor assembly.

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut and Expedition 70 Commander Andreas Mogensen gets ready for the Christmas season and poses for a fun portrait wearing a Santa Claus hat. Credit: NASA

Meanwhile, Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) hydrated and incubated production packs for the BioNutrients-1 investigation which uses technology for on-demand production of human nutrients over long-duration missions.

The three cosmonauts aboard the orbiting laboratoryOleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Konstantin Borisovsplit up maintenance duties on Tuesday. Kononenko ran the 3D printer in Zvezda and audited cargo in the Prichal module, while Chub conducted maintenance on the water management system and Borisov inventoried accessories of the Roscosmos docking system.

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Space Station Crew Members Kick-Start New Year With Advanced Science - SciTechDaily

In space, no one can hear you scream … at the alien-infested space station you’re cleaning – Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

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Its the holidays, and theres no better time to gather around a console for some couch games.

But if youve been playing Overcooked, then you might know all too well that theres a fine line between laughing together and everyone questioning their friendships and relationships. Sure, the first few levels seem like an episode of The Three Stooges where everyone is laughing at the silly onscreen antics but things quickly morph into what seems like an elaborate heist movie, where precise timing and teamwork are needed to beat the harder levels.

Ive had friends who need to take a minute after having their dish accidentally slapped out of their hands by a dashing teammate, spoiling the entire level. Mercifully, no controllers have been thrown.

If youre not entirely burned by the experience and are still interested in couch cooperative games, then I would suggest taking a look at Out of Space, a 2020 release where, this time, you and a team of up to five friends are tasked with cleaning out a derelict space station. It still has the same goofy art style and welcoming approach of Overcooked, but it offers more manageable leaps in difficulty.

You and your friends will take on the role of astronaut roommates moving into a spaceship where the previous renters must have forfeited their deposit, failing to clean up an alien infestation. Youll work together, moving from room to room to clean up the goop and clear out the aliens with a broom, a refillable water bucket and a grinder to turn the trash into money.

In addition to clearing out rooms, youll need to manage your characters energy and food levels, which plays out with you building out the rooms as you move through the station. In rooms newly freed from the alien goop, youll be building simple bedrooms, kitchens and other utilities that will help you stay on your feet and equipped for the challenges.

It still requires teamwork and coordination with players, but the pace is friendlier. Beyond your hunger and sleepiness, theres no ticking time clock on the game, and you can clear rooms at your own pace.

In our playthroughs this holiday, wed work methodically through the ships by doublechecking everything for specks of infestation before moving onto the next room, us all gathered around the airlock with brooms, buckets, and a sink installed nearby. In it, theres a pleasant rhythm of housebuilding management and panicked action when an alien slipped past our defenses and laid eggs in the kitchen.

Those moments of panic when the alien infestation gets out of hand when an alien has slipped past or snuck in through an air vent are some of the best. If you let your guard down, it doesnt take much to get overwhelmed, but a bit of quick thinking and teamwork can usually stabilize the situation. You might have lost access to the bedroom, but you can work together to figure out a solution, even if its as basic as splashing water on your sleepy teammates.

In many ways, Out of Space is what I wanted Overcooked to be.

The slower pace and more manageable challenge means that you get to spend more time digging into the roleplaying elements of a management simulator. Instead of each level feeling like you were getting set in the blocks of a sprint, each new level of Out of Space feels like an opportunity to try something new and have fun with friends.

Theres still plenty of failure and frustration to be found in Out of Space you can definitely mess things up by opening a door before everyones ready, just ask me how but it seems like you always have a chance to dig yourself out of the tailspin and emerge a stronger team ... as long as you dont go opening the airlock too early.

Rating: Four of five stars

Platforms: PC (reviewed), MacOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4

Release Date: Feb. 26, 2020

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In space, no one can hear you scream ... at the alien-infested space station you're cleaning - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

From Spacesuit Loop Scrubs to VR Therapy: Decoding a Day of Science Aboard the ISS – SciTechDaily

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Expedition 70 Flight Engineers (from left) Loral OHara and Jasmin Moghbeli, both NASA astronauts, pose for a portrait while installing helmet lights on spacesuits and checking the functionality of their spacesuits components. Credit: NASA

Thursday marked another day of station upkeep aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The Expedition 70 crew spent most of the day on spacesuit and station maintenance, auditing equipment, and wrapping up experiments started earlier this week.

In the morning, NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli was joined by ESA (European Space Agency) Commander Andreas Mogensen to perform a loop scrub on spacesuits that will be used during upcoming spacewalks this year. Moghbeli then reconfigured the hardware to initiate iodination, which is performed to remove contaminants from transfer loops.

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut and Expedition 70 Commander Andreas Mogensen replaces computer hardware inside the Advanced Space Experiment Processor-2 (ADSEP-2) that can house and process samples for a variety of biological and physical science experiments. Credit: NASA

Mogensen had a busy rest of the day, completing a VR Mental Care session, which demonstrates the use of virtual reality for mental relaxation. He then moved on to station upkeeprestocking the battery pantry and completing monthly maintenance on the orbital labs treadmillbefore rounding out the day with a hearing assessment.

NASA Flight Engineer Loral OHara began the day setting up a microphone to be worn on her shoulder to take sound measurements around the station and then completed some orbital plumbing tasks, removing and replacing the filter in the waste and hygiene compartment.

JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa poses for a portrait next to the Cell Biology Experiment Facility Incubator Unit inside the International Space Stations Kibo laboratory module. Credit: NASA

Earlier in the week, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa hydrated and incubated production packs for the BioNutrients-1 investigation. On Thursday, Furukawa retrieved the samples to inspect and photograph, which will help researchers better understand on-demand production of human nutrients over long-duration missions. He then wrapped up his day installing the Robotics Work Station for upcoming research.

All three cosmonauts aboard the station continued audit and inventory tasks that started earlier this week. Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko inventoried the Rassvet module, while Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub audited medical kits and Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov audited light units throughout Roscosmos segments. Borisov also ran a Pilot-T session, an ongoing experiment to practice piloting techniques, while Chub replaced the carbon monoxide sensor in the Zarya module.

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From Spacesuit Loop Scrubs to VR Therapy: Decoding a Day of Science Aboard the ISS - SciTechDaily

JN.1 is Canadas new dominant COVID-19 subvariant. Heres what to know – Global News

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A new COVID-19 subvariant, known as JN.1, has emerged and is now the prevailing strain across Canada, prompting health experts to caution that it may be more infectious and could even have extra symptoms.

Currently, the subvariant makes up the highest proportion of all COVID-19 variants, accounting for more than half (51. 9 per cent) of all infections in Canada, according to the latest data from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

JN.1 was first detected in Canada on Oct. 9, and since then has rapidly increased.

If this virus continues to circulate at high levels, that means more virus, which means more mutations and more evolution, which means more of this same kind of issue happening repeatedly, warned Ryan Gregory, a professor of integrative biology at the University of Guelph, and evolutionary biologist.

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1:54 Low vaccine uptake fuels spike in respiratory illnesses: health officials

On Dec. 10, the JN.1 subvariant made up 26.6 per cent of all COVID-19 variants in Canada, but was not the dominant strain. At that time, HV.1 still made up 29 per cent of all subvariants, according to PHAC data. By Dec. 17, JN.1 made up the highest percentage (38.5 per cent) of all subvariants across Canada. Meanwhile, HV.1 fell to 24.4 per cent.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Dec. 19 added JN.1 to its list of variants of interest, its second-highest level of monitoring. Despite the categorization, the health organization said JN.1 poses a low additional public health risk.

Two days later, on Dec. 21, PHAC labelled it as a variant of interest in Canada.

As the subvariant continues to circulate, here is what we know so far about JN.1.

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The JN.1 subvariant is a sublineage of BA.2.86 that emerged in Europe in late August 2023. It is another Omicron variant, according to PHAC. Gregory explained that JN.1 is a grandchild of BA.2.86. The original BA.2.86 probably evolved within a single person with a long-term infection over a year, he added.

So, somebody was infected. The virus continued to replicate and change within their body and then it reentered the rest of the population, he said. Once it gets back into the main population, its now evolving at the level of among hosts.

This in turn created the more competitive and successful JN.1. It featured a single alteration in the spike protein, enhancing its ability to effectively bind to cells, according to Gregory.

6:14 Holiday health update: Navigating the flu, RSV and COVID

It has massively managed to compete with the existing things that were out there, which suggests that its either very good at transmitting, and escapes immunity that is otherwise conferred by prior infection or previous vaccination, he said. So in other words, its different enough that your immune system, having been trained on older variants, doesnt recognize it as well.

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He also believes JN.1 may be the starting point for subsequent evolutions, much like the XBB variant. The XBB variant, another sublineage of Omicron, started circulating the world in late 2022. In 2023, some of its descendents, such as XBB.1.5 and EG.5, became dominating COVID-19 infections.

It is currently not known whether JN.1 infections produce different symptoms from other variants, health experts say.

The typical symptoms of COVID-19 according to the government are:

Additionally, Gerald Evans, an infectious disease specialist at Queens University in Kingston, Ont., said he has heard more people report gastrointestinal (GI) issues, such as diarrhea.

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The one thing I have been hearing about, they have GI symptoms, and these are not new, these have been recorded since COVID came out, he said. But anecdotally, the number of people having GI symptoms seems to be slightly higher, but you have to be careful with that because its an observational bias. But it does strike me that its becoming a bit more of a theme in the last month.

Gregory agreed with this observation but added that it may still be too early to tell if this is a hallmark symptom of the JN.1 variant.

He added that it is difficult to determine which symptoms go with what variant, especially when so many are circulating and there is less testing for COVID-19.

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Due to JN.1s fast growth, experts like Gregory say its either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems. However, PHAC said in an email to Global News on Dec. 19, there is no evidence of increased severity associated with this variant.

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The WHO also stated last month that it is anticipated that this variant may cause an increase in COVID-19 cases amid a surge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season.

Since the spike protein is also the part that existing vaccines target, current vaccines should work against JN.1 and other lineages of BA.2.86, explained Evans. Preliminary evidence shows that protection by the XBB recombinant vaccine also guards against JN.1, he added. However, he cautioned, If it has been a year since your last vaccine or COVID infection, you may be more susceptible.

Personal protective measures are effective actions to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, PHAC stated. They include things like staying home when sick, properly wearing a well-fitted respirator or mask, improving indoor ventilation and practicing respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.

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These measures are most effective when layered together, PHAC stated in an email.

Laboratory studies also suggest that the current therapeutic antiviral options, such as Paxlovid, available in Canada are expected to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 sub-lineages, PHAC added.

In some parts of the country, COVID-19 cases have been steadily increasing since the fall, yet the numbers appear to be stable now, according to Evans. However, while infection numbers remain stable, they are still very high and very steep, he warned, well beyond influenza, RSV and all the other viruses.

4:50 Kingston pharmacist urging residents to get vaccinated to avoid getting sick this winter season

He believes there may have been a holiday spike in COVID0-19 infections for several reasons, but most importantly noting that the uptake COVID-19 vaccine has been very poor.

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As of Dec. 8, PHAC reported that 14.6 per cent of eligible Canadians have received the updated vaccines targeting XBB.1.5.

The second reason, of course, is were in the middle of the respiratory virus season, Evans said. And although there are still a fair percentage of people who are being careful, there are a lot of people really have just gone back to what life was like before 2020. And. Thats, of course, a moment of opportunity for all these viruses to kind of take off.

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JN.1 is Canadas new dominant COVID-19 subvariant. Heres what to know - Global News

The death rate of COVID-19 infection in different SARS-CoV-2 variants was related to C-reactive protein gene … – Nature.com

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The findings of this comprehensive study demonstrate considerable evidence that there are associations between two polymorphisms of the CRP gene (rs1205 and rs1800947) with COVID-19 mortality.

CRP levels were statistically significantly higher in deceased patients than in recovered patients, as shown in this study. Several studies have found that CRP can be used as a biomarker for COVID-19 infection severity and mortality8,19. Angiotensin II converting enzyme (ACE2) can produce CRP when it interacts with SARSCoV220. The production of CRP by hepatocytes is stimulated by cytokines like interleukin6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) during COVID-19 development21. In one sense, CRP is responsible for activating the complement system, which contributes to inflammation. In contrast, severe COVID-19 patients will significantly damage their alveolar epithelial and endothelial barriers. The alveolar macrophages and epithelial cells are capable of producing a variety of cytokines and chemokines during an infection with SARS-CoV-2. In this phase, adaptive immunity is challenged by the significant decreases in lymphocytes and the T-cell-mediated immunosuppression. Therefore, in the context of COVID-19, uncontrolled SARS-CoV-2 infection could result in considerable macrophage infiltration, exacerbating acute lung damage22,23.

A number of SNPs are associated with plasma levels of CRP on the CRP gene. In addition to rs1205 and rs1800947 in the 3- and 5-flanking regions, rs1417938 is present in the intron, and rs1800947 appears in exon 224,25.

Currently, this is the first study to evaluate the relationship between CRP rs1205 and rs1800947 and COVID-19 mortality. COVID-19 death rates were significantly higher in patients with the CRP rs1205 T allele. In all patients, the MAF (T allele) was 0.42, which was lower in recovered patients (0.30) than in died patients (0.55). In other regions, the T allele was found in 0.597 Asians, 0.609 East Asians, 0.342 South Asians, 0.545 other Asians, 0.332 Europeans, 0.333 Latin Americans, and 0.201 Africans, as reported in the NCBI dbSNP database (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/rs1205).

Several studies have demonstrated that CRP levels are functionally influenced by the rs1205 SNP. CRP is a major component of the innate immune system, so this SNP may have an impact on SARS-Co-2 pathogenesis. A genome-wide association meta-analysis found that an intron variant (rs67579710) was associated with COVID-19 hospitalizations in 24,741 cases and 2,835,201 controls. Due to its location within the thrombospondin-3 gene, this variant may affect thrombosis related to COVID-19 rather than inflammatory pathways26,27.

According to the current study, all three variants of CRP rs1205 T allele were correlated with COVID-19 mortality. Several studies have found that CRP rs1205 affects both clinical outcomes and vaccination outcomes. It has been suggested that the frequency of rs1205 T allele was significantly higher in patients with community-acquired pneumonia compared with healthy controls, and T allele was associated with an increased risk of infection. Furthermore, the rs1205 CT and TT genotypes were substantially more common in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia than those with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia18.

As shown in our study, numerous studies with different diseases have shown that the rs1205 T allele is associated with lower serum CRP levels18,28. Since the rs1205 TT genotype results in lower serum CRP levels and is associated with lymph node metastasis in this form of cancer, rs1205 may be associated with thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer, myocardial infarction, systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis29,30. In studies with higher baseline CRP levels, pre-eclampsia risk is positively correlated with CRP genotypes. In contrast, as in the current study, CRP genotypes (including the rs1205 T allele) associated with lower CRP levels and have been correlated with greater infectious load. There may have been balanced selection on CRP polymorphisms during evolution because of these disparate effects18,31,32.

In this study, patients with the CRP rs1800947 G allele had a significantly higher death rate from COVID-19. In all patients, the MAF (G allele) was 0.47, with recovery patients having a lower value (0.40) than dying patients having a higher value (0.54). A study in Iran found that the frequency of G-allele was 0.45, which is similar to what we found in our study33. According to NCBI dbSNP database (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/rs1800947), Asians and East Asians were most likely to have the G allele 0.036, South Asians 0.000, other Asians 0.040, Europeans 0.056, Latin Americans 0.024, and Africans 0.010, respectively.

According to our results, the COVID-19 mortality rate was correlated with CRP rs1800947 GG genotype in all three variants, as well as with CRP rs1800947 CG genotype in the Alpha and Delta variants of the gene.

There is a strong association between the CRP rs1800947 and CRP expression and it has been shown to be associated with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer33,34,35. In contrast to the results of this study, previous reports have demonstrated that C-allele carriers have lower plasma levels of CRP than GG genotype. Clinical diagnosis and severity assessment of community-acquired pneumonia and COVID-19 are based on serum CRP levels19,36,37. The high mortality rate in deceased people infected with COVID-19 with GG genotype could be due to their higher serum CRP levels.

There is no correlation between the majority of SNPs and diseases or functional issues. In contrast, if SNPs are located on genes or regulatory regions such as promoters, enhancers, they may influence the function of genes involved in disease mechanisms36. CRP rs1800947 may have different effects. Since the rs1800947 SNP is silent, the mechanism behind expressed CRP levels could be linkage disequilibrium between the rs1800947 polymorphism and other functional SNPs both inside and outside the CRP gene. There is also the possibility that this polymorphism alters the kinetics of CRP translation, causing variable levels of CRP throughout the body38.

In this study, several limitations were observed that should be considered in future studies. Because there were no healthy controls in this study, the outcomes were not compared with healthy controls. This study should be confirmed with more research on other ethnic groups in Iran, since this country has a variety of ethnicities.

In conclusion, this study showed that COVID-19 mortality rate was correlated with CRP rs1205 TT genotypes and CRP rs1800947 GG genotypes across all three variants. In addition, higher CRP levels were observed in individuals with the CRP rs1205 CC genotype and the CRP rs1800947 GG genotype. To verify these findings, further research should be conducted in other regions.

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The death rate of COVID-19 infection in different SARS-CoV-2 variants was related to C-reactive protein gene ... - Nature.com

Donald Trump’s ‘miracle drug’ for COVID killed nearly 17000 people, reveals new study – Hindustan Times

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A drug promoted by former US President Donald Trump to cure COVID-19 has been linked to nearly 17,000 deaths, according to a new study. During the COVID pandemic, Trump urged Americans to take hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), an anti-malaria medicine that is also often used to cure rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, claiming that he himself had been taking the miracle drug.

After the outbreak of coronavirus, scientists suggested that HCQ could be effective in treating the deadly virus. On March 28, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug for an emergency use authorisation and started clinical trials.

While one scientist called the HCQ a "magic bullet" against coronavirus, Trump highlighted the "miracle" recovery made by a COVID infected woman after using the drug.

"The nice part is, it's been around for a long time...if things don't go as planned, it's not going to kill anybody," the ex-US president said during a COVID Taskforce briefing. In a tweet on March 21, 2020, he said that "FDA has moved mountains" and that the drug would be put to use "immediately" as an antidote to curb Covid transmission.

However in June 2020, the FDA revoked the emergency use authorisation of the drug as several studies, including one by New England Journal of Medicine, found HCQ had no benefit on COVID and led to significant surge in the risk of death. The FDA revoked the emergency use authorization on June 15, 2020.

A new study conducted by French researchers has found that nearly 17,000 people across six countries may have died after being prescribed hydroxychloroquine while hospitalized with the illness from March to July 2020 during the first wave of COVID. The research published in the February issue of Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy shows that increase in the number of deaths was driven by side effects like heart arrhythmia and muscle weakness.

The countries studied were the US, Turkey, Belgium, France, Spain, and Italy.

The US reported the highest numbers of deaths with 12,739, followed by Spain (1,895 deaths), Italy (1,822 deaths), Belgium (240 deaths), France (199 deaths), and Turkey (95 deaths).

The scientists analysed various studies that tracked hospitalisations due to COVID-19 and exposure to the drug and risk related to it.

The researchers said that the number of deaths could be much higher as their study only looked at only six countries between March and July 2020.

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Donald Trump's 'miracle drug' for COVID killed nearly 17000 people, reveals new study - Hindustan Times

COVID and flu cases are rising across the U.S. : Shots – Health News – NPR

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COVID cases are rising but hospitalizations and deaths are lower than last year's respiratory virus season. Patrick Sison/AP hide caption

COVID cases are rising but hospitalizations and deaths are lower than last year's respiratory virus season.

In most U.S. states, respiratory illness levels are currently "high" or "very high," according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday.

"After the holidays, after we've traveled and gathered, we are seeing what is pretty typical of this time of year, which is a lot of respiratory viruses," says Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the CDC.

A few viruses have been driving the upward trend, including flu which is very high and respiratory syncytial virus or RSV which appears to have peaked around Thanksgiving.

COVID-19 levels have climbed higher than last season's peak. Still, they remain far below where they were at the height of the pandemic as do levels of severe disease.

"We are still very far below the levels that we were seeing with the omicron peak [in the 2021-2022 virus season]," says Amy Kirby, who leads the CDC's National Wastewater Surveillance System. "We're not looking at that really massive wave of infections. This is much more on par with what we saw [in the 2022-2023 season]."

And while COVID levels are still higher than they were last season, other COVID metrics including emergency room visits, hospitalization rates and deaths are lower now than previous seasons, indicating that "COVID-19 infections are causing severe disease less frequently than earlier in the pandemic," according to the CDC.

Respiratory viruses are hitting the southeast especially hard, said the CDC's Cohen, "but no part of the country is spared."

Flu levels are especially concerning. "The influenza virus is the thing that's really skyrocketing right now," says Dr. Steven Stack, public health commissioner for the state of Kentucky and president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. "Influenza is sharply escalating and driving more hospitalizations."

The flu is coming in later this season, compared with the 2022-2023 season, when "RSV and flu really took off right at the same time along with COVID," says Marlene Wolfe, assistant professor of environmental health at Emory University and a program director at WastewaterScan. "All three of those together were pretty nasty. This year, there's more of an offset."

That has been good news so far for hospital capacity, which has remained stable this season, meaning that people who are quite ill and need medical care are generally able to get it.

Some hospitals in different parts of the country from Massachusetts to Illinois to California are starting to require masks for staff again and in some cases for patients and visitors.

Health officials say that getting the latest flu and COVID-19 vaccines now can still protect people this season. While Stack, with Kentucky's Department for Public Health, encourages seasonal preventive shots for everyone 6 months and older, he says it's particularly important for "everybody who is elderly and not even old elderly like young elderly, 60 and older," since they are more likely to get very sick from these viruses.

CDC data shows that fewer than half of U.S. adults have gotten a flu shot this fall and winter. That's still better than the vaccination rate for this season's COVID-19 booster, which fewer than 20% of U.S. adults have gotten, even though COVID-19 remains the bigger danger.

"The thing that is putting folks into the hospital and unfortunately taking their lives the virus that is still the most severe [at the moment] is the COVID virus," says the CDC's Cohen.

Beyond vaccines, health officials say there's still a place for masking as a preventive measure.

Those who are sick should stay home and watch their symptoms. If they progress beyond a runny nose and a light cough "to body aches, fevers, difficulty moving through your day, a heavier runny nose, a worsening cough ... [those more severe symptoms] should trigger you to go get tested," says Cohen.

Getting tested and diagnosed early, with COVID-19 or the flu, can help those at risk of serious illness get access to prescription pills that can reduce their chances of ending up in the hospital.

Flu and COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments should be covered by health insurance.

For those who are uninsured, the government is also offering a program called Test to Treat that offers free tests, free telehealth appointments and free treatments at home.

Cohen says people can protect themselves over the next few weeks by staying aware of what's happening in the community and their individual circumstances.

"You want to know what's happening in your community," she says. "Is there a lot of virus circulating? And then, what are the tools that I could layer on to protect myself, depending on who I am, my age, my risk, as well as who I'm around?"

The CDC has maps of COVID-19 hospitalizations down to the county level on its website, and it provides weekly updates on respiratory viruses nationwide. Cohen says there are many tools including vaccines, masks, rapid tests and treatments available to help people reduce their risks this season.

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COVID and flu cases are rising across the U.S. : Shots - Health News - NPR

Covid Has Resurged, but Scientists See a Diminished Threat – The New York Times

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The holidays have come and gone, and once again Americans are riding a tide of respiratory ailments, including Covid. But so far, this winters Covid uptick seems less deadly than last years, and much less so than in 2022, when the Omicron surge ground the nation to a halt.

Were not seeing the signs that would make me think that were heading into another severe wave, said Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. So far, were in relatively good shape.

Still, there are few masks in sight, and just a fraction of the most vulnerable people have received the latest Covid shots, she noted.

Its not too late, Dr. Rivers added. We have not even reached peak yet for Covid, and once you reach peak, you still have to get down the other side. That leaves plenty of time for the vaccine to provide some protection.

Federal officials are relying on limited data to measure this years spread. After the end of the public health emergency in May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped tracking the number of Covid infections. The agency now has only partial access to information from states about vaccination rates.

But trends in wastewater data, positive tests, emergency department visits, hospitalization rates and deaths point to a rise in infections in all regions of the nation, according to the C.D.C. These patterns have prompted many hospitals to reinstate mask policies, after initially resisting a return to them this fall.

As in previous years, the numbers have steadily been rising all winter, and are expected to increase further after holiday travel and get-togethers.

Many of the infections are caused by a new variant, JN.1, which has rapidly spread across the world in recent weeks. I think that theres no doubt its helping drive, pretty substantially, this winter wave, said Katelyn Jetelina, a public health expert and author of a widely read newsletter, Your Local Epidemiologist.

Unfortunately, its coming at the same exact time as us opening up our social networks due to the holidays, she said, so theres kind of a perfect storm going on right now.

Some scientists have pointed to rising levels of the virus in sewage samples as an indicator that infections are at least as high this year as they were at this time last year. But Dr. Rivers urged caution in interpreting wastewater data as a proxy for infections and said hospitalizations were a more reliable metric.

In the week that ended on Dec. 23, hospitalizations rose by nearly 17 percent from the previous week. There were about 29,000 new hospital admissions, compared with 39,000 the same week last year and 61,000 in 2021.

And weekly hospitalizations are increasing more slowly than in previous years, Dr. Rivers said.

Covid is still claiming at least 1,200 lives per week. But that number is about one-third the toll this time last year and one-eighth that in 2021.

We are in this pretty big infection surge right now, but whats really interesting is how hugely hospitalizations have and continue to decouple from infections, Dr. Jetelina said.

She said she worried most about hospitals buckling under the weight of multiple epidemics at once. Even in years before the pandemic, outbreaks of just influenza and respiratory syncytial virus could strain hospitals; rising Covid rates now overlap both illnesses, adding to the burden.

The C.D.C. estimates that so far this season, there have been at least 7.1 million illnesses, 73,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths from the flu.

While Covid tends to be mild in children and young adults, influenza and R.S.V. are most risky for young children and older adults. All three diseases are particularly dangerous for infants.

Emergency department visits for Covid are highest among infants and older adults. While R.S.V. has leveled off in some parts of the country, hospitalization rates remain high among young children and older adults.

The JN.1 variant accounts for nearly half of all Covid cases in the United States, nearly six times the prevalence just a month ago. The variant has one mutation that gives it a greater ability to sidestep immunity than its parent, BA.2.86, which was limited in its spread.

JN.1 may in fact be less transmissible than previous variants. But its immune evasiveness, coupled with the disappearance of preventive measures like masks, may explain its exponential growth worldwide, said Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease physician and postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University.

Still, JN.1 does not appear to cause more severe illness than previous variants, and the current vaccines, tests and treatments work well against all of the current variants.

Experts urged all Americans including those not at high risk of severe illness to opt for vaccines against both Covid and flu, to use masks and air purifiers to prevent infections, to be tested and treated and to stay home if they become ill.

Even those who do not become severely sick run the risk of long-term complications with every new viral infection, researchers noted.

Im not at high risk, to be honest Im young and vaccinated, Dr. Rivers said. But I continue to take precautions in my own life because I do not want to deal with that disruption, and the risk that I could develop a longer-term illness.

But few Americans are following that advice. As of Dec. 23, only 19 percent of adults had received the latest Covid vaccine, and about 44 percent had opted for the annual flu shot. Just over 17 percent of adults aged 60 and older had received the vaccine for R.S.V.

Even among those 75 and older, who are at highest risk from Covid, only about one in three have received the latest shot, according to the C.D.C.

Many people dont realize that shots that protect against the newest variants are available, or that they should be vaccinated even if they are not at high risk, said Gigi Gronvall, a biosecurity expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

Even if the Covid vaccine does not prevent infection, it can shorten the duration and severity of illness, and minimize the risk of long-term symptoms, including brain fog, fatigue, movement problems and dizziness collectively known as long Covid.

Im sure also there are plenty of people who are actively hostile to the idea, but most of the people I encounter, they just dont even know about it, Dr. Gronvall said.

Poor availability of the shots, particularly for children and older adults, has also limited the vaccination rates.

Dr. Gronvall struggled to find a Covid vaccine for her teenage son. Dr. Jetelina has yet to find any for her young children. She said her grandparents, who are both in their mid-90s, also had an incredibly challenging time.

One of them is in a nursing home and still hasnt been immunized because she happened to be sick the one day the vaccines were offered.

Many nursing home residents and staff members remain unvaccinated, because the staff doesnt understand the benefits, said Dr. Karan, who worked with nursing facilities in Los Angeles County.

Financial incentives can improve vaccine coverage, but the lack of awareness about the benefits is a major problem, he said.

Experts also urged people who develop symptoms to take a test and ask for antiviral drugs Tamiflu for influenza, Paxlovid for Covid especially if they are at high risk of complications.

Paxlovid is still available free of charge to most people, but many patients and even doctors avoid it out of a mistaken belief that it causes Covid symptoms to rebound, experts said. Recent studies did not find a relationship between antiviral drugs and symptom rebound.

For many viruses, including the flu, we know that earlier use of antivirals is going to be beneficial, Dr. Karan said. You stop viral replication quickly, you have less of an immune dysregulation thereafter.

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Covid Has Resurged, but Scientists See a Diminished Threat - The New York Times

Four years on, long covid still confounds us. Here’s what we now know. – The Washington Post

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Many people now view covid-19 as an almost routine inconvenience, much like flu, RSV and other seasonal infections. But four years after reports surfaced of a new respiratory illness, prompting a massive response among researchers, the diseases aftereffects commonly called long covid continue to confound doctors and patients alike.

We know a lot about this particular coronavirus, said Francesca Beaudoin, chair of the department of epidemiology at Brown University. That does not translate into an understanding of the long-term consequences of infection.

As many as 7 percent of Americans report having suffered from a slew of lingering symptoms after enduring covid-19, including fatigue, difficulty breathing, brain fog, joint pain and ongoing loss of taste and smell, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But there is still no clearly defined cause of, or cure for the syndrome.

The costs of our lack of understanding are vast, Beaudoin and others say, creating a huge new burden on the health-care system, as people report limitations in their daily activities including being able to work.

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Four years on, long covid still confounds us. Here's what we now know. - The Washington Post

How COVID and steroids are affecting the hips in young adults – IndiaTimes

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In a surprising turn of events post-COVID-19, doctors are noticing a rise in cases of Avascular Necrosis (AVN), a condition causing the death of bone tissue, particularly in the hips. What's more surprising is that this is happening to a much younger crowd, people between 20 to 40 years old, whereas it used to be more common in people in their forties or fifties. If you have been treated for COVID-19 in the past and are now experiencing hip joint pain- early detection could help you! This is not only a red flag for old people but also younger demographic. Why is this occurring? Steroids were used even earlier for the treatment of conditions like asthma, arthritis, certain malignancies, and various other inflammatory conditions. It was an important risk factor for the development of AVN even then, albeit the incidence was lesser and the condition was much slower in disease progression. On the contrary, we are observing that patients who were affected with COVID and received steroid treatment, even for a short duration and with a lower dose are presenting with a much rapid destruction of the joint. This implies that its not just the steroid therapy but also the hypercoagulability and other vascular-related pathologies associated with COVID-19 that are contributing to the musculoskeletal damage. It is unpredictable as to which patient can develop this dreaded complication.

So what are the tell-tale signs to watch out for? It is predominantly pain in the hips, worsening on weight bearing and sometimes occurring even at rest. In the initial stages, it could be asymptomatic. Early detection, helps us identify this condition sooner and take measures to slow down the progression. AVN progresses through multiple stages and may not be detected on X-rays in the initial grade. It can be identified on the x-ray, usually in stage 2 or 3 when there is already a collapse of the femoral head (the ball in the hip joint). MRI is the only diagnostic tool that helps us pick up the disease in the initial stages of the pathology. When identified early, patients could benefit from joint preservation procedures like decompression surgery combined with stem cell therapy that can salvage the hip joint. Total hip replacement is recommended for those with collapse of the joint and irreversible damage as in stage 3.

Importance of Breathing Exercises

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How COVID and steroids are affecting the hips in young adults - IndiaTimes

Catholic parishes in Tonawandas put wine chalice on shelf to ward off flu, Covid, other viruses – Buffalo News

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Some area Catholic churches have temporarily shelved their Holy Communion wine cups to help keep seasonal viruses at bay.

Citing an increase of various illnesses in our community, priests of the family of Catholic parishes in the Town of Tonawanda and cities of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda agreed this week to suspend distribution of wine in the chalice during Holy Communion.

The move was temporary and will be revisited as we get through this time of year when illnesses seem to rise, the priests said in a joint statement posted on Facebook.

We know many devoutly receive from the cup, but this is for the health of the community, the Facebook post noted.

The suspension applies to six parishes that make up Family #18: St. Amelia, St. Andrew Kim Mission and St. Christopher in the Town of Tonawanda; St. Francis of Assisi in the City of Tonawanda; and St. Jude the Apostle and Our Lady of Czestochowa in the City of North Tonawanda.

St. Gregory the Great is the biggest Catholic parish in the Buffalo Diocese, but the Rev. Leon Biernat says while many parishioners were enthusiastic about returning to the building worship, others were not due to worries about the coronavirus.

It had been brought up to me by a couple parishioners are we considering it? said the Rev. Michael Lamarca, pastor of the family of parishes.

Lamarca said he mentioned it Wednesday at a weekly meeting with fellow priests and it was unanimous right off the bat that weve all noticed more and more people getting sick.

Theres just so much out there, so we said, Lets just do it temporarily and well revisit it as we get through flu and Covid and RSV season, he added.

The Buffalo Diocese has not issued a directive and, so far, has left it up to pastors to decide. A diocese spokesman said officials were not aware of the communal wine chalice being removed for public health reasons at other parishes across the eight counties of the diocese.

Catholics believe bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the celebration of the Eucharist, and Holy Communion reception of the Eucharist is a central sacrament of the faith. The ritual dates back centuries.

Bishop Michael Fisher and three other bishops in the state this weekend lifted dispensations from obligatory Mass attendance that had been in place since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Body of Christ, in the form of an unleavened bread wafer, will continue to be offered at Communion in the Tonawanda parishes, and Catholic teaching promotes that receiving either the body or blood of Christ is as if receiving both.

Offering the Blood of Christ in the form of wine in a shared cup was halted during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the behest of bishops, the practice began returning to most parishes by fall 2022.

The rim of the communal chalice is wiped with a cloth after each recipient. It receives a wash in soapy water after the Mass.

Withholding the chalice during high respiratory virus season is a quite reasonable way to reduce some risk of disease transmission, said Dr. Thomas Russo, professor and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases in the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Respiratory viruses such as Covid-19, flu and RSV spread through respiratory droplets and secretions, and oral secretions potentially have infectious particles, he said.

Removing the chalice also can help limit exposure to norovirus, an extraordinarily infectious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea and can peak in the winter, Russo said.

On the other hand, assuming the person handing out Holy Communion is not infected, receiving it in wafer form should present little risk, he said.

The bigger concern is crowded churches with poor ventilation, said Russo, who recommended that people with high-risk conditions wear masks to cut down on exposure to airborne viruses.

This applies not just to church, he said, but any venue thats indoors, particularly if the ventilation is poor, if its crowded and other people arent wearing masks and youre high-risk. That would be a setting where you would want to wear a mask to protect yourself. Masking isnt perfect, but its not bad. Its better than no mask.

Lamarca said he wasnt sure exactly when the shared cup would return.

We didnt want to put a timeline on it, he said, because we wanted to see how things play out.

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Catholic parishes in Tonawandas put wine chalice on shelf to ward off flu, Covid, other viruses - Buffalo News

A new COVID variant is dominant in the US: Know these symptoms – Yahoo News

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A heavily mutated, fast-spreading new COVID-19 variant called JN.1 is on the rise in the United States. Last month, JN.1 swept the country and quickly overtook other variants of the coronavirus to become the dominant strain nationwide.

The highly contagious omicron subvariant now accounts for over 60% of all infections in the U.S., and it's expected to continue driving an increasing number of cases as the country approaches peak respiratory virus season. In fact, data show and some experts say the country is currently in its second-largest COVID wave, smaller than only the omicron surge in late 2021 and early 2022.

JN.1 is also gaining speed in other parts of the world. On Dec. 18, the World Health Organization classified JN.1 as a variant of interest due to its rapidly increasing spread globally.

In the U.S., the share of cases caused by the JN.1 variant has nearly doubled in recent weeks. JN.1 is currently considered the fastest-growing variant in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During a two-week period ending on Dec. 23, JN.1 accounted for about 44% of cases in the U.S., per the CDCs latest data. This was a steep increase from the previous two-week period ending on Dec. 9, when JN.1 made up 21% of cases.

After JN.1, the next most common strain in the U.S. right now is the HV.1 subvariant, which comprised about 22% of cases as of Dec. 23.

Scientists around the world have been closely monitoring JN.1, which has sparked some concern due to its rapid growth and large number of mutations. However, the new variant is closely related to a strain we've seen before: BA.2.86, aka "Pirola," which has been spreading in the U.S. since the summer.

JN.1 has one additional mutation compared to BA.2.86, which has more than 30 mutations that set it apart from the omicron XBB.1.5 variant. XBB.1.5 was the dominant strain for most of 2023 and it's the variant targeted in the updated COVID-19 vaccines, TODAY.com previously reported.

All of the COVID-19 variants that have gained dominance in the U.S. in the last year are descendants of omicron, which began circulating in late 2021. Since emerging, JN.1 has overtaken its parental strain BA.2.86, as well as HV.1, EG.5 or Eris and XBB.1.16, aka Arcturus.

JN.1's growth comes as COVID hospitalizations rise, influenza continues to spread and RSV activity remains high in many places, according to a Dec. 14 update from the CDC. The agency warned that at the end of the month, emergency rooms and hospitals could become strained, similarly to last year, especially in the South.

Will JN.1 cause a COVID-19 surge? Does JN.1 have different symptoms and is it still detected by COVID tests? Does it respond to vaccines and treatments? Here's what experts know about JN.1 so far.

JN.1 was first reported in August 2023 and it has spread to at least 41 countries so far, according to the WHO. It was first detected in the U.S. in September, the CDC said.

Just like the other newer variants, JN.1 is part of the omicron family.

"Think of (the variants) as children and grandchildren of omicron. They're part of the same extended family, but they each have their own distinctive personalities," Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells TODAY.com.

JN.1 descended from BA.2.86, which is a sublineage of the omicron BA.2 variant, TODAY.com previously reported that's what sets JN.1 and BA.2.86 apart from the other prevailing variants like HV.1 and EG.5, which descended from omicron XBB.

When its parent BA.2.86 emerged, everybody was worried because it had a lot of mutations and looked like it was going to evade a lot of the immunity from vaccines and infection in the population, Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D., professor and vice chair in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, tells TODAY.com. But (BA.2.86) sort of fizzled out, he adds.

Laboratory data suggest that Pirola is less contagious and immune-evasive than scientists once feared, NBC News reported.

JN.1, however, picked up an additional mutation in its spike protein called L455S, says Pekosz. Spike proteins help the virus latch onto human cells and play a crucial role in helping SARS-CoV-2 infect people, per the CDC. This mutation may affect JN.1's immune escape properties, says Pekosz.

"Now it's circulating and growing at a really fast rate compared to other variants, as well as the parent its derived from (BA.2.86), says Pekosz.

In early November, JN.1 accounted for fewer than 1% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Several weeks later, it was driving over 20% of cases, Dr. Michael Phillips, chief epidemiologist at NYU Langone Health, tells TODAY.com. Now, it's the dominant strain in the U.S.

Its not known whether JN.1 causes different symptoms from other variants, according the CDC.

Right now, theres nothing that says that JN.1 infection is any different from previous COVID variants in terms of disease severity or symptoms, but were paying close attention, says Pekosz.

The symptoms of JN.1 appear to be similar to those caused by other strains, which include:

According to the CDC, the type and severity of symptoms a person experiences usually depends more on a persons underlying health and immunity rather than the variant which caused infection.

While severe infections do still occur, overall (COVID-19) is causing a lot of milder illness, says Schaffner.

Some doctors have reported that upper respiratory symptoms seem to follow a pattern of starting with a sore throat, followed by congestion and a cough, NBC News previously reported.

The virus is adapting. ... I think its getting better at infecting humans and evading pre-existing immunity in the population ... but its not changing symptomology too much, says Pekosz.

At this time, theres no evidence that JN.1 causes more severe infection, the experts note.

One of the things these (omicron variants) have in common is that they are highly contagious, and as new variants crop up, they seem to be as contagious or even more contagious than the previous variants, says Schaffner.

According to the CDC, the continued growth of JN.1 suggests that the variant is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems.

Its probably a little bit more transmissible than its parental virus because weve seen an increase in case numbers that we didnt with (BA.2.86), says Pekosz. However, it is too early to tell how exactly JN.1's transmissibility or immune escape properties compare to other variants, such as HV.1, the experts note.

Many of the newer strains, including JN.1, have another mutation that affects how strongly the spike protein binds to cells in the respiratory tract, says Pekosz. We know that its probably helping the virus become better at replicating and helping the virus evade more of that pre-existing immune response, he adds.

JN.1 does not pose an increased public health risk compared to other variants currently in circulation, the CDC and WHO said.

The genetic changes in JN.1 could give it an advantage over other variants, but its unclear how that will affect cases in the coming months. So far, there doesnt seem to be a massive increase in transmission. ... We would be concerned if there was a huge surge in cases, says Pekosz.

Right now, JN.1 is increasing in terms of the percentage of COVID-19 cases its causing, and theres also been a slight increase in total cases," says Pekosz.

Test positivity, an early indicator of case levels, is also on the rise, says Phillips the rate was 12.7% during the week ending on Dec. 23, up from about 12% the week prior, per the CDC. (The CDC no longer tracks the total number of cases in the U.S.).

Hospitalizations have also risen by 17% and ICU admissions by 16.4% in the last two weeks, according to an NBC News analysis.

"The good news is that as of yet we're not seeing severe disease or hospitalizations going up significantly, and ICU admissions are still very low, but we're going to watch these carefully," says Phillips.

COVID-19 activity was expected to rise around this time as the U.S. enters winter and respiratory virus season, the experts note. In recent years, the virus has followed a pattern of increasing and peaking around new year, according to the CDC.

"Right now, we do not know to what extent JN.1 may be contributing to these increases or possible increases through the rest of December," the CDC said. Only time will tell whether JN.1 or another variant will cause a surge in infections this winter.

All COVID-19 diagnostic tests including rapid antigen tests and PCR tests are expected to be effective at detecting JN.1, as well as other variants, according to the CDC.

Testing is an important tool to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, especially ahead of indoor gatherings, says Schaffner.

The symptoms of COVID-19 are often indistinguishable from those caused by other viruses spreading right now, the experts note. These include respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and rhinovirus, which causes the common cold.

The experts urge anyone who becomes ill or is exposed to COVID-19 to take a test, especially people at higher risk of severe disease, such as people over the age of 65, who are immunocompromised and who have underlying health conditions.

Every American can order four free at-home COVID-19 tests from the government, which will be delivered by mail via the U.S. Postal Service. To order your free tests, go to COVIDTests.gov.

"Get tested because, whether it's COVID or flu, we have treatment available," says Schaffner. Current treatments are also expected to be effective against JN.1, the CDC said.

"JN.1 should be just as sensitive to the antivirals available as any other variants," says Pekosz, adding that antivirals like Paxlovid are most effective when taken within the first few days after infection.

The new, updated COVID-19 vaccines, recommended for everyone 6 months and older, are expected to increase protection against JN.1, as well as other variants, the CDC said.

Although the shots target omicron XBB.1.5, which has since been overtaken by HV.1, JN.1, EG.5 and others, there is still evidence that it will protect against new strains circulating this winter, TODAY.com previously reported.

Data from laboratory studies show that the vaccine appears to generate a strong immune response against JN.1's parent strain, BA.2.86, Schaffner notes.

The new vaccines also protect against severe disease, hospitalization and death, the experts emphasize. So even if you get COVID-19 after vaccination, the infection will likely be milder and it can keep you out of the hospital, Phillips adds.

However, uptake of the updated booster among the U.S. population has been low so far, the experts say. As of Dec. 22, only about 18% of adults and 7% of children have gotten the updated vaccine, according to the latest CDC data on vaccination trends.

On Dec. 14, CDC officials issued an alert to warn about low vaccination rates against COVID-19, flu and RSV in the U.S.

Now is the best time to get vaccinated if you haven't already, the experts say. "The sooner you get vaccinated, the sooner you'll be protected and it does take seven to 10 days for protection to build up to the maximum," says Schaffner.

Phillips recommends everyone, especially high-risk individuals, to get the seasonal influenza shot, as well. Hospitalizations for flu increased 200% over the past month, according to the CDC's Dec. 14 warning.

"Getting vaccinated is the best present you can give yourself and your family this holiday season," Schaffner adds.

Every day, but especially during respiratory virus season, people can take steps to protect themselves and others from COVID-19.

The experts encourage everyone to:

Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

Test if you have symptoms.

Isolate if you have COVID-19.

Avoid contact with sick people.

Improve ventilation.

Wear a mask in crowded, indoor spaces.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

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A new COVID variant is dominant in the US: Know these symptoms - Yahoo News