Companies hoard COVID-19 vaccines, stalling future research.

Developing better products requires comparisons with existing shots that Pfizer and Moderna won't allow.

New clues to pandemic's origin surface, causing uproar.

Genetic sequences from Wuhan market may point to animal that spread SARS-CoV-2, but data remain hidden.

Now in charge, House Republicans ramp up probes.

New investigative panels will delve into pandemic origins and research ties with China.

Anywhere but here.

China now insists the pandemic didn't start within its borders. Its scientists are publishing a flurry of papers pointing the finger elsewhere.

Will viral interference hold off the tripledemic?

As multiple respiratory viruses surge, some researchers predict they will block one another.

Evidence backs natural origin for pandemic, report asserts.

Authors were dropped from broader Lancet review.

Looking for trouble.

Trapping bats with Supaporn Wacharapluesadee, who hunts for viruses to understand and prevent pandemic threats.

Fauci looks back-and ahead.

Loved and hated, NIAID's chief plots life after government.

ANYWHERE BUT HERE

The article reports on the beginning of the Coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19). It highlights the research finding which says that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is not originated from China. It mentions that China has not allowed foreign researchers to conduct independent origin studies in the country and United States President Joseph Robinette Biden criticized the World Health Organization report.

Making broader coronavirus vaccines is a struggle.

Efforts to protect against future variants or novel coronaviruses face funding constraints and other problems.

Do you hate your face mask? There's hope.

A U.S. government contest has 10 companies competing to make better face coverings.

First self-copying mRNA vaccine proves itself in pandemic trial.

Twist on current vaccines reduces dose, eases distribution.

New crop of mRNA vaccines aim for accessibility

The article discusses the clinical trials of new mRNA vaccines to combat COVID-19 that will be easier to store and cheaper, including one from China in a phase 3 trial. Vaccines produced by the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna rely on mRNA to direct cells to produce spike, a protein on SARS-CoV-2's surface, which are of high price and need to be stored at extremely low temperatures.

LOOKING FOR TROUBLE

The article offers information on Supaporn Wacharapluesadee, who hunts for viruses to understand and prevent pandemic threats. She tracked the Nipah virus, a bat-borne pathogen, and her quest had gained new importance during the COVID-19 pandemic, which originated when a bat coronavirus evolved into SARSCoV-2 and crossed over into humans. She sampled "Rhinolophus" to find a clue to SARS-CoV-2's origin.

Use of At-Home COVID-19 Tests - United States, August 23, 2021-March 12, 2022.

COVID-19 testing provides information regarding exposure and transmission risks, guides preventative measures (e.g., if and when to start and end isolation and quarantine), identifies opportunities for appropriate treatments, and helps assess disease prevalence (1). At-home rapid COVID-19 antigen tests (at-home tests) are a convenient and accessible alternative to laboratory-based diagnostic nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (2-4). With the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) and B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variants in 2021, demand for at-home tests increased† (5). At-home tests are commonly used for school- or employer-mandated testing and for confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a COVID-19-like illness or following exposure (6). Mandated COVID-19 reporting requirements omit at-home tests, and there are no standard processes for test takers or manufacturers to share results with appropriate health officials (2). Therefore, with increased COVID-19 at-home test use, laboratory-based reporting systems might increasingly underreport the actual incidence of infection. Data from a cross-sectional, nonprobability-based online survey (August 23, 2021-March 12, 2022) of U.S. adults aged ≥18 years were used to estimate self-reported at-home test use over time, and by demographic characteristics, geography, symptoms/syndromes, and reasons for testing. From the Delta-predominant period (August 23-December 11, 2021) to the Omicron-predominant period (December 19, 2021-March 12, 2022)§ (7), at-home test use among respondents with self-reported COVID-19-like illness¶ more than tripled from 5.7% to 20.1%. The two most commonly reported reasons for testing among persons who used an at-home test were COVID-19 exposure (39.4%) and COVID-19-like symptoms (28.9%). At-home test use differed by race (e.g., self-identified as White [5.9%] versus self-identified as Black [2.8%]), age (adults aged 30-39 years [6.4%] versus adults aged ≥75 years [3.6%]), household income (>$150,000 [9.5%] versus $50,000-$74,999 [4.7%]), education (postgraduate degree [8.4%] versus high school or less [3.5%]), and geography (New England division [9.6%] versus West South Central division [3.7%]). COVID-19 testing, including at-home tests, along with prevention measures, such as quarantine and isolation when warranted, wearing a well-fitted mask when recommended after a positive test or known exposure, and staying up to date with vaccination,** can help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Further, providing reliable and low-cost or free at-home test kits to underserved populations with otherwise limited access to COVID-19 testing could assist with continued prevention efforts.

Studies bolster pandemic origin in Wuhan animal market.

Close scrutiny of earliest cases and samples from market suggests virus crossed over from animals sold there.

Novel viruses highlight risks of Asia's wild animal trade.

Sampling of game in China reveals many viral threats.