AWARE and AWAKE

The United States broke its daily record for new coronavirus infections on Friday as it reported 84,218 new cases due to outbreaks in virtually every part of the country, according to a Reuters tally. The spike in cases comes less than two weeks before the presidential election on Nov. 3 and is hitting battleground states such as Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. On Thursday, the United States reported a near-record 76,195 new cases. The previous record was 77,299 new cases on July 16. At the time, hospitalizations for COVID-19 patients hit 47,000 and two weeks later deaths rose to an average of 1,200 per day. Now, hospitalizations are over 41,000 and deaths average nearly 800 per day. Sixteen states had record one-day increases in new cases on Friday and 11 reported a record number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Antibodies against the novel coronavirus follow a classic pattern with a rapid increase within the first three weeks after symptoms, and detectable up to seven months post contracting the disease, according to a new study which assessed 300 patients infected with the virus and 198 post-COVID-19 volunteers. According to the research, published in the European Journal of Immunology, the participants had antibodies with confirmed neutralisation activity for up to six months post infection. The scientists, led by Marc Veldhoen from Instituto de Medicina Molecular (IMM) in Portugal, monitored the antibody levels of over 300 COVID-19 hospital patients and healthcare workers, 2500 university staff, and 198 post-COVID volunteers. They setup an in-house sensitive specific and versatile COVID-19 serology test. The study revealed that 90 per cent of subjects have detectable antibodies up to seven months post contracting COVID-19. It also found that age was  not a confounding factor in levels ...

The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the United States on Thursday was the second highest on record, coming in just short of a midsummer peak as the spread of the novel coronavirus accelerates in nearly every region of the country. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all accelerating as cooler weather descends on much of the country. With 76,195 new cases on Thursday, the United States was approaching its one-day record high of 77,299 new cases on July 16. Only India has reported more cases in a single day: 97,894 on Sept. 17. U.S. deaths are also trending higher, with 916 fatalities reported on Thursday, a day after the country recorded over 1,200 new deaths for the first time since August. COVID-19 deaths are up 13% from last week, averaging 785 a day over the past seven days.

  Scientists at the University of Tokyo built a secure chamber with mannequin heads facing each other. One head, fitted with a nebulizer, simulated coughing and expelled actual coronavirus particles. The other mimicked natural breathing, with a collection chamber for viruses coming through the airway.

Government has set aside about Rs 50,000 crore ($7 billion) to vaccinate the world’s most populous nation after China against the coronavirus, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration estimates an all-in cost of about $6-$7 per person in the nation of 1.3 billion, the people said, asking not to be identified as the details are private. The money provisioned so far is for the current financial year ending March 31 and there will be  no shortage of further funds for this purpose, they added. Vaccine Math: India is said to estimate two injections per person at $2 a shot Another $2-$3 is said to be set aside per individual as infrastructure costs such as storage and transport Details based on recommendations of a working group, the people said A Finance Ministry spokesman couldn’t immediately be reached when tried on his mobile.