Through researching the relationship between diet and COVID-19 death rates, researchers have found a positive correlation between the consumption of fermented food and COVID-19 mortality rates.

Although aspects such as age structure, the timing of interventions, employment type, and housing conditions are likely to be the most relevant factors, other potentially relevant factors such as nutrition should not be overlooked, say Bousquet and colleagues.  

Study links fermented vegetable consumption to low COVID-19 mortality

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The study, which was conducted by Jean Bousquet, looked at COVID-19 mortality rates based on data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. For information on fermented food consumption, researchers looked at the Comprehensive European Food consumption Database to assess the consumption of different fermented foods from each European country.

The study found that “For each gram per day increase in the average national consumption of fermented vegetables, the risk for COVID-19 mortality fell by 35.4%.” Of all the fermented foods, only fermented vegetables made a significant impact on mortality rates. The study looked at the consumption of a variety of different fermented foods, including vegetables, milk, yogurt, sour milk, and pickled/marinated vegetables.

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Researchers believe that changes in the microbiota, fueled by less fermented foods and less diversity, may contribute to increased spread or severity of COVID-19.

Scientists may have to change the way they conduct COVID-19 studies, as the United States is facing a monkey shortage. Non-human primates are usually the last step before products go into human trials, but with over 100 new COVID-19 vaccines, therapies, and drugs in development, there aren’t enough monkeys to go around.

The reasons for the shortage are threefold. First, COVID-19 has created extraordinary demand for monkeys. Second, this coincided with a massive drop in supply from China, which provided 60 percent of the nearly 35,000 monkeys imported to the U.S. last year and which shut off exports after COVID-19 hit. And third, these pandemic-related events are exacerbating preexisting monkey shortfalls. A 2018 National Institutes of Health report had found that NIH-funded national primate centers would be unable to meet future demand and specifically discussed a “strategic monkey reserve” to provide “surge capability for unpredictable disease outbreaks.” A disease outbreak is upon us; the strategic monkey reserve was never created.”

The Atlantic

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Monkeys infected with COVID-19 are also required to be put in special labs, called Animal Biosafety Level 3 labs. There are a limited number of these labs in the United States.

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In an attempt to manage the monkey demand, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has formed a public-private initiative, Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV), designed to control which products and which companies get to use the limited supply of testing monkeys. This initiative has the potential to save time and move scientists closer to vaccines, treatments, and therapies for COVID-19, but it could also make it difficult for those who aren’t affiliated with the project to gain access to non-human primate trials. A quick look at the leadership organizations involved in ACTIV show names like Merck, Johnson & Johson, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In light of that, the decision to control access to the final stages of animal testing feels less like an efficiency or safety measure, and more like a way for those who already have the power to keep it.

Researchers tracking immune responses to COVID-19 say they’re seeing the signs of lasting immunity months after coronavirus infections have resolved. T cells and B cells capable of recognizing the virus and virus-fighting antibodies are present in people exposed to COVID-19, even in people who experienced mild infections. These studies provide hope that the second wave of coronavirus cases will be met with a natural immune response.

This is exactly what you would hope for…All the pieces are there to have a totally protective immune response.”

Marion Pepper, University of Washington

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Scientists have not yet found definitive proof that individuals who have experienced the virus will have immunity against reinfection. On the other hand, there has been no unambiguous evidence that reinfection is happening. Much of the research and media coverage has focused on the presence of antibodies, but immune responses also include B cells and T cells. In addition to that, low levels of antibodies remain in the blood months after COVID-19 recovery.

The antibodies decline, but they settle in what looks like a stable nadir…The response looks perfectly durable.”

Deepta Bhattacharya, University of Arizona

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Studies out of Sweden could have the potential to further this research and the public’s understanding of COVID-19 and herd immunity. The country famously did not impose lockdown or mask restrictions, instead asking citizens to voluntarily socially distance. Healthcare officials in the country have indicated that they hope widespread exposure to the virus will lead to herd immunity in the country.

The house, which is currently under Democratic control, will vote on legalizing cannabis at the federal level for the first time in history. The house would vote on the act during the week of September 21st. The bill, which is sponsored by Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y), would remove cannabis from the list of controlled substances at the federal level while expunging some cannabis-related criminal records. It would still be up to each state to determine the regulations for cannabis sales. The bill is expected to pass in the house but fail in the Republican-controlled senate.

Marijuana is currently regulated by a patchwork of laws at the state and federal levels, and Goers said legalization at the federal level would add “normalization” for businesses and states by legalizing marijuana at the federal level.

House will vote on federal marijuana legalization for the first time, bill’s future in Senate uncertain

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An overwhelming majority (91%) of Americans support the legalization of medical or recreational cannabis usage. A majority (59%) of Americans support both recreational and medical usage, whereas 32% think it should only be legal for medical purposes. While the results vary within the major political parties, a majority of both republicans and democrats support legalization.

Over the course of their presidencies, both Obama and Trump declined to enforce federal prohibitions against states that made cannabis legal for both recreational and medicinal use. While in office, Obama supported cannabis decriminalization but not legalization. Trump has said that he respects each state’s decision on whether or not to legalize cannabis.

Current democratic nominee and former vice president Joe Biden supports the decriminalization of cannabis, as well as the expunging of criminal records for cannabis usage but has not come out in support of legalization.

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The varying laws between state and federal levels can make business for cannabis dispensaries and other related businesses complicated. In some cases, banks will not work with dispensaries due to federal regulations, making dispensaries cash only and more vulnerable to theft. Legalizing cannabis at the federal level would hopefully make it easier for cannabis businesses to operate.

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine issued a report stating that children should return to school wherever possible. The committee stated that for younger children as well as children with special needs, online learning is virtually ineffective.

Emphasis was put on “common sense” precautions like handwashing, social distancing, and minimizing group activities including recess and lunch. Additionally, the committee called for all teachers and staff members to wear surgical masks and for all children to wear cloth face coverings.

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Schools are in need of upgraded ventilation and air-filtration systems, which should be funded by the state and federal governments, according to the report. These upgrades are estimated to cost $1.8 million per school district with eight school buildings and an average of 3,200 students.

Parents and teachers alike have spoken out in favor of both reopening schools and keeping schools closed, for a multitude of reasons and they both bring up very valid points. Unfortunately, this is a very complicated situation and there isn’t necessarily a correct answer.

Most studies suggest the virus poses minimal health risks to children under 18. And the report said that evidence for how easily children become infected or spread the virus to others, including teachers and parents, is “insufficient” to draw firm conclusions.

Citing Educational Risks, Scientific Panel Urges That Schools Reopen

On one side, schools offer valuable tools for many kids like social and emotional support, child care, nutrition, and many more things that adults often overlook. Many families don’t have access to wifi at home or only have access through smartphones. However, in poorer areas where families don’t have wifi, it is likely that those communities have been disproportionately by COVID-19 and may not have the ability to safely educate students.

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Experts in favor of returning to school keep pointing out that children aren’t getting adequate socialization. Experts also keep talking about the importance of social distancing, wearing masks, and limiting unnecessary social activities. Even in school, children would likely not get the proper socialization they needed even if they were in school again. Nearly 30% of the 3.8 million full-time teachers in America are over the age of 50, putting them in a high-risk category.

It’s difficult to look at the ways other countries have handled the pandemic and say what we should’ve done differently. With the poor health of the population of our nation and our lack of trust in the government, it is likely that we would’ve had high cases no matter how we handled it.

The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) has approved the trial release of genetically modified mosquitos. Oxitec, the company responsible for developing the mosquitos, has received approval to release 750 million modified mosquitoes in Monroe County, Florida over a two year period. The release could begin as early as 2021, although exact times and locations have not been announced to the public.

The public was also not able to vote on this approval, as the Florida Keys Mosquito Control Board members rejected a referendum that would have given Monroe County voters the ability to reject the GM mosquito trial. like they did in 2016. Control Board members have reported over 2,000 complaints from Florida residents in regards to the mosquitos. One point of contention is Oxitec’s failure to provide a detailed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

With all the urgent crises facing our nation and the State of Florida — the Covid-19 pandemic, racial injustice, climate change — the administration has used tax dollars and government resources for a Jurassic Park experiment. Now the Monroe County Mosquito Control District has given the final permission needed. What could possibly go wrong? We don’t know, because EPA unlawfully refused to seriously analyze environmental risks, now without further review of the risks, the experiment can proceed…”

Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director for the International Center for Technology Assessment and Center for Food Safety

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The company has genetically modified male mosquitos so that their offspring do not make it to adulthood. But a team of independent researchers discovered that some of the offspring do survive, leading to wild female mosquitos giving birth to mosquitos that reached sexual maturity. Early lab tests at Oxitec revealed that 3% of mosquito offspring survived. It’s unclear if the company continued tested the sexual viability of the survived offspring, but it’s unclear if slowly replacing the current mosquito population with a genetically modified alternative is a good idea for anyone other than the people profiting off of it.

The plan to release over 750 million genetically engineered mosquitoes into the Florida Keys in 2021 and 2022 has final approval from local authorities, despite objections from many local residents and environmental groups.

The proposal had already won state and federal approval.”With all the urgent crises facing our nation and the State of Florida — the Covid-19 pandemic, racial injustice, climate change — the administration has used tax dollars and government resources for a Jurassic Park experiment.

Now the Monroe County Mosquito Control District has given the final permission needed. What could possibly go wrong? We don’t know, because EPA unlawfully refused to seriously analyze environmental risks, now without further review of the risks, the experiment can proceed.

Jaydee Hanson, policy director for the International Center for Technology Assessment and Center for Food Safety

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This pilot project is designed to see if genetically engineered mosquitos are a viable alternative to spraying insecticides to control the Aedes aegypti, also known as the yellow fever mosquito. This species carries several deadly diseases including Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever.

The GM mosquito has been named OX5034. It has been altered to produce female offspring that die in the larval stage before they can bite and spread disease.

These mosquitos are also approved to be released in Harris County, Texas according to Oxitec, the U.S.-owned, British-based company that developed the GMO.

Do you think these GM mosquitoes are a better choice than spraying pesticides? Or is there a better alternative?