Free Republic

Both surgical and cotton masks were found to be ineffective for preventing the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 from the coughs of patients with COVID-19. A study conducted at two hospitals in Seoul, South Korea, found that when COVID-19 patients coughed into either type of mask, droplets of virus were released to the environment and external mask surface. A brief research report is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. During respiratory viral infection, face masks are thought to prevent transmission, leading health care experts to recommend their use during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a shortage of both N95 and surgical masks, which...

When it comes to deciphering our ancient family tree, DNA from fossils is the new gold standard. But after about half a million years, even the best-preserved DNA degrades into illegibility, leaving the story of our early evolution shrouded in mystery. A new study of proteins taken from the tooth of an enigmatic human ancestor reveals their rough place in the family tree -- and shows how ancient proteins can push beyond the limits of DNA. The new study is "a landmark paper," says Mark Collard, an archaeologist at Simon Fraser University who wasn't involved with the work. "Ancient protein...

A task force led by the American Thoracic Society in New York has temporarily endorsed using hydroxychloroquine for hospitalized coronavirus patients with “severe pneumonia.” The group stressed the recommendation only applies to hospitalized patients where the “clinical condition is sufficiently severe to warrant investigational therapy.” And the endorsement only applies to cases where the patient can be informed of the malaria drug’s possibly lethal side effects, the task force said. The group further warned its recommendation would not apply in the event of a “shortage of drug supply.”

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here. President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are pushing ahead with an aggressive effort to get more federal judges confirmed amid the global coronavirus pandemic, as they grapple with the possibility that the November elections could wrest away Republican control of the Senate and White House. Losing the White House or control of the Senate would be a major blow to efforts to install conservative jurists on the federal bench, as the president nominates judicial nominees and the Senate confirms them....

At this time, states reporting on worldometer are 1046 deaths today. States not reporting yet will come in about 100, estimate up, say 150, gives a daily total of about 1196. Assuming reporting is a day late, the range from INME is 1166. Other metrics coming in low - NY hospital beds, NY peaking, etc. I've been watching Maine, which is at the bottome of the range - namely zero deaths. The "probable range" cone is so big as to be useless.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has caused the COVID-19 pandemic, has evolved and divided into two different groups, according to the latest study of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology. Professor Lê Thị Quỳnh Mai, deputy director of the institute said the scientists had conducted the study after it cultivated and isolated the virus since Việt Nam recorded the first people positive with the virus. Mai said at first, patients mostly returned from Asian countries but now the patients mostly had been in European countries. The virus Việt Nam isolated in COVID-19 patients coming from Europe was found to be...

WASHINGTON — In the early hours of Monday morning, Joe Biden’s campaign sent an email to state leaders offering to connect them with desperately needed coronavirus resources. But at least two Republican states believe they never got the email, while one governor’s office said the campaign’s efforts to insert themselves in the pandemic was only making their jobs harder. In the email obtained by The Post, Biden’s political chief of staff Stacy Eichner told state officials that the former veep’s presidential campaign had received a “significant number of offers” from organizations and people eager to offer resource

DOW finishes up 1,627 NASDAQ 500 S&P 175

A series of rare artefacts dating back to the Roman Empire, and even later, have been discovered in Long Melford. Among the objects unearthed was a tool – crafted from a sheep's leg bone – which is thought to have been used as a bobbin by workers in the weaving trade during the Romano British era. Engraved markings have been etched on the object, which experts say could relate to yarn, a piece of fibre typically used to create various textiles. On first inspection, members of Long Melford Heritage Centre had identified the object as a whistle or knife handle...

Al Kaline, the legendary Detroit Tigers outfielder who played for more than two decades, has died at the age of 85.

In the year AD 430, Roman north Africa was overrun by a warlike barbarian horde known to history as the Vandals. Under the leadership of their brutal king, Gaiseric, the Vandals were bent on plunder, ruin and conquest to such an extent that the name of their nation lives on as a common noun in the English language with negative connotations reverberating across 15 centuries. With Roman military resistance collapsing on every front before the overwhelming attack, Saint Augustine found himself trapped in his home city of Hippo Regius, deathly ill and under siege by a Vandalic host. More about...

Monday on ABC’s “The View,” co-host and network legal analyst Sunny Hostin accused President Donald Trump of “endangering American lives” with “misinformation” during the administration’s press conferences on the coronavirus pandemic. Hostin said, “I just don’t even think that certain networks should even air these press conferences. I think they are akin to Trump’s rallies. I think they’re dangerous for the American Public. I mean, I almost think that you listen to them at your own peril.”

Trump touts hydroxychloroquine as a cure for Covid-19. Don't believe the hype The anti-malaria drug could be ‘one of the biggest game-changers’, Trump claimed, but there is no magic cure Faced with a global coronavirus pandemic that is increasingly centered upon the US, Donald Trump has touted several drugs that he claims can help tackle the outbreak. In March, the US president used a press conference to promote the use of hydroxychloroquine, a common anti-malaria drug, to treat Covid-19, saying: “I sure as hell think we ought to give it a try.” Chloroquine: Trump's misleading claims spark hoarding and overdoses...

Defense Secretary Esper backed acting Navy Secretary Modly’s decision to relieve Capt. Crozier of command over memo seeking help in protecting sailors amid coronavirus outbreak on board

Why is so much perfectly good milk draining into pits instead of replenishing empty dairy aisles? Frustrated shoppers have reason to cry over spilled milk. Dairy farmers are dumping millions of gallons of the stuff. Meanwhile, some dairy products are sold out at many grocery stores across the country, due to intense demand for basic household goods amid the coronavirus crisis. USA Today reports on one farm in Wisconsin: “About 7 o’clock Tuesday night, Golden E Dairy got the call that any dairy farmer would dread. They were being asked to dump 25,000 gallons of fresh milk a day because...

Questions Asked on the Form The 2020 Census is easy. You will answer a simple questionnaire about yourself and everyone who is or will be living with you on April 1, 2020. Explore the questions you'll be asked on your 2020 Census form. You'll find tips for responding and information on how the Census Bureau will use your answers.

Good And WELCOME To The Howie Carr Show!

An executive order that says the state can take ventilatorsAs deaths spiraled upward in New York City and downstate suburbs, Governor Andrew Cuomo Friday announced that he was scrambling to find more of the ventilators that keep the sickest COVID-19 patients alive. "We could have people dying because there are no ventilators, but there are hospitals in other parts of the state that have ventilators that they're not using," he said. Governor Cuomo shown opening the state's first drive-through COVID-19 mobile testing center in New Rochelle as the pandemic first hit NYS. Photo: Office of Gov. Cuomo Much of Cuomo’s...

Dolly Parton announced that she’s donating $1 million to help find a “cure” for the coronavirus and is encouraging her fans to donate if they can as well. The 74-year-old took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a note in which she revealed that she’s been talking with a friend who is involved with research at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. She explained that she was inspired to donate after hearing positive things from him as the world continues to hope for an end to the ongoing pandemic. “My longtime friend Dr. Naji Abumrad, who’s been involved in research at...

Boris Johnson has been moved to intensive care after his coronavirus symptoms worsened, Downing Street have confirmed. A statement from Number 10 said: "over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital. "The PM has asked Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, who is the First Secretary of State, to deputise for him where necessary. "The PM is receiving excellent care, and thanks all NHS staff for their hard work and dedication."