Friday, July 10, 2020

science news 10.7.2020

Just some covid-19 news today (from zoonotic sources to human behaviour issues), there doesn't seem to be much else:


A global system for monitoring wildlife pathogens to prevent zoonotic disease spillover
In a Perspective, Mrinalini Watsa argues that a rigorous decentralized system for global wildlife disease surveillance is needed to address the looming potential for outbreaks of novel zoonotic diseases.

Bats offer clues to treating COVID-19
Bats carry many viruses, including COVID-19, without becoming ill. Biologists at the University of Rochester are studying the immune system of bats to find potential ways to "mimic" that system in humans.



Bats--the only flying mammals--are highly mobile, constantly bringing new pathogens into their communities. According to University of Rochester biologists, that's one reason they have evolved to have immunity to so many viruses that plague humans, who have only recently (in evolutionary terms) come to be highly mobile and more likely to live in densely populated centers.
Credit: Getty Images photo


For background for these two, see my recent feature on the zoonotic sources of Covid-19 (Open Access).


New study supports remdesivir as COVID-19 treatment


Distorted passage of time during the COVID-19 lockdown
A survey conducted in the U.K. suggests that social and physical distancing measures put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted people's perception of how quickly time passed compared to their pre-lockdown perceptions. Ruth S. Ogden of Liverpool John Moores University, U.K., presented these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on July 6, 2020.

Our itch to share helps spread COVID-19 misinformation
A study co-authored by MIT scholars contains bad news and good news about Covid-19 misinformation -- and a new insight that may help reduce the problem.
See also my feature on covid communications, which is out now and on open access.

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