General News

As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has doubled in one week’s time, passing the 400,000 mark, a story in The Washington Post shows hundreds of young Americans have now been killed by the disease.

North Korea’s ongoing claims that it is COVID-19 free will most certainly continue to be questioned. Back in the U.S., the New York Times investigates why coronavirus conspiracy theories flourish and why it matters.

Science Investigates the Origins of SARS-CoV-2 

There are several news stories out today about the possible origins of COVID-19. In this article, NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins, debunks the claim the disease came from a lab and explains what scientists know about the novel coronavirus. A new study covered by the Deseret News suggests there may be a link between human exploitation of nature and pandemics. And an Australian news outlet explains why scientists say it probably came from bats.  (more…)

General News

While we know we’re in store for several challenging weeks ahead in the United States, there’s news today that China has ended its lockdown in the Wuhan province. However, according to an article in the New York Times, normal life there remains a distant dream. Back in the U.S., there’s also some good news. America’s most influential coronavirus model has revised its estimates and likely COVID-19 deaths have moved downward. But as we have come to realize, these models fluctuate and not every model agrees. (more…)

General News 

We’re all aware of the painful human toll of COVID-19 outbreaks in New York, New Jersey, Louisiana and California. Now we’re beginning to see alarming surges in other parts of the country. Florida now has over 13-thousand confirmed cases. Illinois has 11-thousand and Michigan has over 15-thousand. Hospitals have become crowded in several states, which is why it’s puzzling that some medical centers are reducing staff levels. At Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami-Dade County, employees are being asked to go on temporary furloughs due to financial strains. Meanwhile, The Washington Post spoke with an Illinois physician whose sole job right now is addressing COVID-19-associated breathing problems. He says, it’s basically like being right next to a “nuclear reactor”. (more…)

General News 

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has now pushed past 1 million globally. The BBC says the White House is soon expected to advise Americans living in coronavirus hotspots to wear masks or scarves in public to help stop disease spread. And as New York remains the U.S. city most impacted by the outbreak, there are worries Washington D.C. will be the next hot spot.

An analysis of smartphone location data by the New York Times shows many lower-income workers continue to move around the country, while those who make more money are staying home and limiting their exposure to the coronavirus. Meanwhile, fivethirtyeight.com released a series of polls showing Americans’ shifting concerns about the coronavirus over the past few weeks. 

Outside of the U.S., Germany has so far been able to maintain a relatively low coronavirus mortality rate. CNBC looked into why this is the case.  (more…)

General News 

Some disturbing news today: Experts now say SARS-CoV-2 may be spread through simply talking or breathing. Even more troubling is news that the death-toll projections released earlier this week have already been revised upward. As The Washington Post explains, the original projections were that 100,000 to 240,000 could die in the U.S. Under the revised model, estimated daily death totals would add up to 170,000 after the first three months.

Science News 

Some better news now. CNN reports the FDA has authorized the first coronavirus antibody test. Meanwhile, Popular Science. published an article highlighting the impacts of COVID-19 on animal studies. (more…)

We have a new resource to share with you, a video about the many important ways animal research is helping to combat the COVID-19 epidemic. We’ve uploaded the brief, two-minute clip to YouTube and Vimeo. We’ve also shared it on our social media channels including our Facebook page. We invite you to share it widely as well. As many of you are likely aware, animal research opponents have continued to campaign against animal studies, despite their vital importance in identifying new treatments and developing vaccines.  

We’re planning to release additional videos in the weeks ahead. If you have a topic you think we should cover, feel free to contact us.  

AMP added lots of new information to our password-protected FAQ today. We’ve heard several questions from institutions being targeted with pandemic-related animal rights claims. Some organizations have been named in press releases. Others have received letters or been criticized in communications sent by research opponents to federal agencies. 

In response, we’re offering advice on how to manage these issues. Visit the password-protected FAQ portion of our website for more information. Contact us if you would like to request access. Note: This FAQ was created to assist communications staff and also research and veterinary administrators.    

General News 

As we mentioned yesterday, grim news was likely coming in the form of new COVID-19 projections and we received that data late Tuesday. At this point, experts predict the disease is likely to cause 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the U.S., even with mitigation efforts. If we did not act, projections suggest 1.5 million to 2.2 million Americans could die. As the New York Times noted, even under the best-case scenario, more Americans will die from coronavirus in the weeks and months ahead than those who died in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. More information from The Washington Post. Meanwhile, in a BBC article UN Secretary General António Guterres warned the outbreak is the biggest world challenge since World War Two.   (more…)

The Lab Rat Chat podcast recently posted an episode which included discussion about how and why animals are necessary for the development of COVID-19 vaccines. Jeff Marshall and his cohost Danielle Dady spoke about this topic with Dr. Rudolf Bohm, Associate Director and Chief Veterinary Medical Officer at the Tulane National Primate Research Center. 

The discussion took place in early March, before coronavirus became a serious U.S. health threat. 

The full episode and all other editions of the podcast can be found here. Lab Rat Chat was launched through AMP’s Michael D. Hayre Fellowship in Public Outreach. 

General News 

According to the New York Times, Americans will today get a closer look at new statistical models for COVID-19 that led governors and mayors across the country to order more than 250 million people to stay home. The information is expected to be grim. Meanwhile, in an interview with NPR, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield says that according to the data his agency is seeing, approximately one in four of those infected with the virus remain asymptomatic. 

Some of the most striking images related to this outbreak demonstrate how public life has essentially vanished as nations around the globe practice social distancing. A New York Times photo essay shows the current scenes at Pike Place Market in Seattle.   (more…)