COVID-19 News from Around the Web

Nearly a quarter of people in the United States are experiencing symptoms of depression, according to a study published Wednesday. That's nearly three times the number before the COVID-19 pandemic began. And those with a lower income, smaller savings and people severely affected by the pandemic — either through a job loss, for example, or by the death of a loved one — are more likely to be bearing the burden of these symptoms. The mental health toll of the coronavirus pandemic seems to be far greater than previous mass traumas. Traumas linked to pandemic have included ongoing anxiety and fear of catching the disease, and grief over the illness or loss of loved ones as well as the economic fallout.

It seems possible, though how often it happens isn’t known. Even if people can get reinfected, the World Health Organization says it likely wouldn’t happen regularly. Health experts generally believe people who had COVID-19 will have some immunity against a repeat infection. But they don’t know how much protection, or how long it would last. This is important because if immunity wears off, it could pose a challenge for vaccines. Some experts say booster shots may be needed. It’s also unclear whether reinfected people would be able to spread the virus to others.

Studies are showing that the novel coronavirus can be detected in stool samples and anal swab samples for weeks. In fact, scientists are testing wastewater as an early tracking system for outbreaks. And a recent case on an airplane identified the airplane bathroom as the potential source. When you flush a toilet, the churning and bubbling of water aerosolizes fecal matter. That creates particles that will float in the air, which we will now politely call “bioaerosols”. Surprisingly little has been published on toilets and disease risk (well, maybe not surprisingly). So, what to do with all of this information to protect yourself? First, bathroom ventilation is your best defense. If you have an exhaust fan, turn it on when you enter the bathroom and leave it on when you’re done. If that fan is not on, or you don’t have one, crack open any windows (even just a few inches will help).

Although the benefits of gyms are clear (staying fit as a way to avoid a serious case of COVID-19), so too are the risks: lots of people moving around indoors, sharing equipment and air, breathing heavily — it could be a recipe for easy viral spread. There are scattered reports of coronavirus cases traced back to specific gyms. But gym owners say those are outliers and argue the dominant portrayal overemphasizes potential dangers and ignores their brief but successful track record of safety during the pandemic.

No. Health officials don’t recommend the clear plastic barriers as a substitute for masks because of the lack of research on whether they keep an infected person from spreading viral droplets to others. However, those who want extra protection may want to wear a face shield in addition to a mask. Face shields have the added benefit of protecting your eyes and discouraging you from touching your face by acting as a physical barrier.

Google is sharing its treasure trove of data about runny noses and fevers to help health researchers learn more about covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The data set could even help them predict future hot spots for the disease, or learn more about what long-term effects it has. The information goes back three years and includes up to 400 symptoms and conditions, not just those known to be associated with covid-19. It will have information on searches for things such as stress and diabetes so experts can learn more about secondary health impacts.

Contactless shopping and the elimination of free samples. Less browsing and “product discovery” and more focus on the expediency of repurchasing. These are ways the novel coronavirus has changed how Americans buy groceries. The pandemic has altered what products people purchase, when and where, who is buying them, and how much time is devoted to the endeavor. Americans are spending more, yet increasingly they are being offered fewer choices, both online and in person, slowing a years-long trend toward innovations that put “good for you” and “environmentally friendly” spins on established and much-loved products.

Early stage clinical trial results show the Covid-19 vaccine candidate made by Novavax is safe and elicits an immune response, according to a study published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine. The results had previously been announced by the company in early August. Using a randomized, placebo-controlled trial -- the gold-standard method of study -- scientists gave the vaccine or a placebo, an inert substance like saline, to 131 healthy adults in May. At day 35, there were no serious or unusual adverse events. One person reported a mild fever that lasted for a day after the second shot. Otherwise, most didn't have any reaction at all, or if they did have a reaction, it was mild.

The U.S. CDC on Tuesday issued a sweeping nationwide order temporarily halting millions of U.S. renters from being evicted, in a bid to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The order covers all 43 million U.S. residential renters as long as they meet income eligibility requirements, although an administration official said the government does not expect an “overwhelming” use of the program. The order lasts through Dec. 31 and applies to individual renters who do not expect to earn more than $99,000 this year or $198,000 for joint filers. It also applies to renters who did not report income in 2019 or received a stimulus check earlier this year.