Immunology

WATCH: E.R. Doctors Urge A Reopening: Lockdown Creating Public Health Crisis, Doctors ‘Pressured’ To Add COVID To Death Reports, Quarantining Healthy…

During a press conference on Wednesday, California emergency room doctors Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi of Accelerated Urgent Care told reporters that nationwide lockdown policies are not an appropriate reaction to what current data shows about the China-originated novel coronavirus but are instead causing measurable public health issues, like spikes in domestic violence, sexual abuse, depression, and spreading fear to non-COVID-19 related would-be patients that are skipping out on vital health care.

We understand microbiology, we understand immunology, and we want strong immune systems, Dr. Erickson told reporters, rebuffing inconsistent shelter-in-place orders . I dont want to stay in my home and develop a weak immune system, and then come out and get a disease.

Erickson noted that quarantining the healthy is like nothing hes seen before.We decided to keep people at home and isolate them, even though everything weve studied about quarantine, typically you quarantine the sick, he explained. When someone has measles you quarantine them. Weve never seen the healthy, where you take those without disease and without symptoms and lock them in your home. So, some of these things from what weve studied from immunology and microbiology arent really meshing with what we know as people of scientific minds who read this stuff.

E.R. doctors across the nation, from California, to Wisconsin, to New York, said Erickson, are seeing folks avoid critical lifesaving care out of fear.

When I talk to E.R. physicians around the country, whats happening? he said. Well, because COVID has become the focus, people with heart disease, people with cancer, hypertension, and various things that are critical are choosing not to come in based on fear. So what thats doing is forcing the health care system to focus on COVID and not focus on a myriad of other things that are critical because we dont have the staff there and the major complaint is fear.

Meanwhile, he claimed, the fatality rate for COVID-19, which he said might be more contagious than the flu, is on-par with flu fatality rates, if not lower.

In Kern County, weve tested 5,213 people and we have 340 positive COVID cases. Well, thats 6.5 percent of the population. Which would indicate a widespread viral infection similar to the flu, the doctor said. So if you look at California, these numbers are from yesterday, we have 33,865 COVID cases out of a total of 280,900 total tested, thats 12 percent of Californians were positive for COVID.

Well, we have 39.5 million people, if we just take a basic calculation and extrapolate that out, that equates to about 4.7 million cases throughout the state of California. Which means this thing is widespread, thats the good news. Weve seen 1,227 deaths in the state of California with a possible prevalence of 4.7 million. That means you have a 0.03 chance of dying from COVID-19 in the state of California, he continued, adding, 96% of people in California who get COVID recover.

Dr. Massihi said the initial reaction to apply shelter-in-place two months ago, when all we could rely on was theoretical data, was likely the right call, but now that there is available real data, lockdown orders could create additional harm outside of COVID-19.

Dr. Erickson repeatedly called the initial models, which projected millions of COVID-19 deaths, woefully inaccurate. What they are seeing across the nation, and even in the rest of the world, however, is millions of cases, small amount of death, he reiterated multiple times.

This holds true even in New York, he argued. There are 19,410 deathsout of 19 million people which is a 0.1% chance of dying from COVID-19 in the state of New York, and they have a 92% recovery rate if you are diagnosed with COVID, Dr. Erickson said.

Asked by a reporter if social distancing was key to dropping our deaths relative to model predictions, Dr. Erickson highlighted Sweden and Norway: both Scandinavian countries, Norway with lockdown and Sweden without. There is no real difference between their death rates to indicate lockdown is warranted, he argued.

Lockdown orders have resulted in, for one thing, a community spike in child molestation, the doctor noted.Molestation is increasing at a severe rate. We could go over multiple cases of children who have been molested due to angry family members who are intoxicated, who are home who have no paycheck, he said. These things last a lifetime these are things that will follow these people and affect them in a negative fashion for their life and these are secondary effects from COVID.

Spousal abuse,alcoholism, anxiety, depression, and suicide have also spiked in their community, Dr. Erickson said. Education has dropped off, economic collapse, medical industry, he added, were all suffering because our staff isnt here and we have no volume. These are all real things that Im seeing every day. I dont read about this stuff; Im seeing it in my clinics. We have clinics from Fresno to San Diego and these things are spiking in our community. These things will affect people for a lifetime, not for a season. So lets lets make sure were clear on that.

Dr. Erickson also noted that doctors across the country have felt pressured to include COVID on death reports.Its interesting, when Im writing up my death report, Im being pressured to add COVID, Dr. Erickson said hes heard doctors tell him. Why is that? Why are we being pressured to add COVID? To maybe increase the numbers and make it look a little bit worse than it is? I think so.

So this is what Im hearing from physicians I talked to in Wisconsin, New York, and everywhere, he said.

Lockdown measures are wildly inconsistent, favoring big businesses, Dr. Erickson added.So big businesses are open, little businesses are not? Theres no science behind that. As weve gone over, that is not science, theres other factors in play that we dont have time to go into, but its not science. I want to make that clear.

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WATCH: E.R. Doctors Urge A Reopening: Lockdown Creating Public Health Crisis, Doctors 'Pressured' To Add COVID To Death Reports, Quarantining Healthy...

Immunology

Flagsticks, handshakes and masks: Infectious disease experts clarify coronavirus risks, say golf ranks as one of the safest sports" – Golf Digest

One thing about a pandemic in the digital age is theres no shortage of information. Its the good information that has been more elusive, and that extends to our understanding of the coronavirus in a golf setting. Can you get the virus from even walking past another golfer? Is there danger in reaching into the hole for your ball? Should we be playing while wearing masks?

In consulting a series of infectious disease specialists, all of whom are still learning more about the virus themselves, several consistent themes emerge. The good news? Golf is relatively safe, especially during a time when so much else seems rife with hazard. Golf has got to be one of the safest sports under the current circumstances, said Dr. Charles G. Prober, a professor of pediatrics (infectious diseases) and of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University.

But since nothing is without risk these days, we put a series of common golf-specific questions to three experts, Dr. Prober of Stanford, Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Senior Scholar at Johns Hopkins Universitys Center for Health Security, and Dr. J. Trees Ritter, DO, Fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America. Their responses should help you understand what should and shouldnt be off limits, and where uncertainty remains. Above all, they might provide assurance that a golf course, navigated properly, can still be a refuge.

Can I contract the virus just walking by other golfers at the course?

This you shouldnt sweat. Though the virus main form of transmission is through person-to-person contact, all three experts emphasized just walking by other players on the course or in the parking lot was not a significant risk. The virus doesnt teleport from one person to another. It has to have some mechanism to get there, Adalja said. Yes, an infected golfer could emit respiratory droplets by sneezing or coughing in your direction, but thats why the doctors all cited the now-standard practice of maintaining a six-foot gap as a precaution. More is better, but these respiratory droplets really dont spread much more than spitting distance, Dr. Ritter said. When youre outside, the risk is even lower. Of course, the most important advice in this context is to tell anyone who is sick or symptomatic to stay home.

What if Im sharing a golf cart with someone?

No question sitting within close proximity of someone for 18 holes invites more risk than walking a sufficient distance apart, which is why many courses are temporarily restricting the use of carts, or at least limiting their usage to one person per cart. Although the experts say riding in a cart is not a significant risk, they do acknowledge it violates the six-foot rule. Additionally, they say golfers sharing carts sends the wrong message at a time when caution is still paramount. While it maybe isnt a huge risk, there are other factors to consider, Ritter said. Its better to be pretty rigid up front on what people can and cannot do just to keep them in that mindset.

The other variable when using a golf cart is touching a surface, like a steering wheel, that someone else has touched before you, a risk that courses can mitigate by sanitizing their vehicles between uses. If not, the experts advocated two other steps that youre surely familiar with by now: 1. Dont touch your face. 2. Wash your hands. And since washing your hands is not always an option in the middle of a course, an alcohol-based (at least 60 percent alcohol) hand sanitizer might be as valuable in your bag these days as an adjustable driver.

Speaking of touching stuff, my golf course says not to touch the flagstick or rake a bunker? Is that really a danger?

Danger is probably overstating it. Prober calls flagsticks an extraordinarily ineffective way to get the disease, because infection depends on a rare confluence of circumstances: someone sick contaminating the flagstick, the virus persisting on the flagstick despite exposure to ultraviolet light (which is believed to reduce the viability of the virus on a surface), then you touching the exact same part of the flagstick and ultimately your face. So in other words a lot has to happen, and the same can be said for rakes. But again, theres always a chance. Any type of touched surface has the potential for transmission, Adalja said, which is why he said, the same rules apply: If you touch something someone else touched, better to wash your hands and not touch your face.

How about reaching into a golf hole to get my ball?

There will be very minimal risk in those types of situations, Adalja said. You can dream up any kind of odd situation where the virus transmits in these special circumstances, but that wouldnt be something I would be worried about. Similarly, there isnt much use worrying about your putter clanking against someone elses putter if thats your new form of celebration. So much of what we talk about is that its all possible, but its pretty improbable many of these implied scenarios would result in infection, Ritter said.

Should I be playing golf with a mask?

As in society as a whole, consensus around masks is elusive. But our experts were skeptical of masks helping, especially as a defense mechanism. Masks are not really to protect you, but to protect other people, Adalja said. Also, Prober said, masks risk doing more harm than good because people tend to adjust them frequently. So theyre probably got their hands on their face more, including their eyes and their nose, he said.

What about a handshake?

Again, if the cardinal rule is to maintain distance, then handshakes need to be avoided. And if for some reason muscle memory takes over and you revert to old habits, you can probably guess what the doctors recommend. If youre going to shake hands with someone, Adalja said, you need to wash your hands.

GOLF + THE CORONAVIRUS: Is playing golf safe during the crisis? | How clubs/courses are adjusting | State-by-state breakdown of where golf is allowed and where it isn't | Golf's governing bodies release a newand tentativeschedule | PGA Tour announces plans to resume play in June, unveils modified 2020 schedule | No fans, plenty of questions: What a scaled-down PGA Tour event looks like | Complete list of pro/amateur tournaments canceled or postponed | How meditation can help your coronavirus anxiety | In praise of playing golf alone | 10 timelyand timelessgolf books to take your mind off the real world

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Flagsticks, handshakes and masks: Infectious disease experts clarify coronavirus risks, say golf ranks as one of the safest sports" - Golf Digest

Immunology

Antibodies of COVID-19 patients may teach scientists how to protect others – BSA bureau

Some severely ill coronavirus patients have already been treated on an experimental basis with the blood plasma of recovered patients

Dr. Ziv Shulman of the Department of Immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science says that the blood of coronavirus patients who have fully recovered from the disease contains a blueprint for building a molecule that may accelerate others recovery, or possibly form the basis of a vaccine.

Some severely ill coronavirus patients have already been treated on an experimental basis with the blood plasma of recovered patients, which is teeming with antibodies against the virus. But this method is unlikely to offer a large-scale method of treatment or prevention, as it depends on plasma donations from recovered patients, alone. In contrast, synthetic antibodies could be produced in large amounts by pharmaceutical companies and they are relatively safe.

Dr. Shulman is an expert in the part of the immune response in which certain antibodies the bodys memory of infection and protection against reinfection are produced and processed. This is the adaptive immune responsethe mechanism by which the bodys immune system recognizes specific invading microbes and reacts with both short-term and long-term antibodies.

He and his lab were the first in the world to visualize all of the antibody-forming cells in intact lymph nodesthe organs where immune cells improve antibody efficiency through a series of mutations. This achievement, which shed new light on the how, what, when, and where of the production of protective antibodies, revealed the lymph node nichespockets in which antibodies undergo rigorous selection, so that only the most fit are sent off to target and bind to invading pathogens.

This and other research in Shulmans lab has identified and characterized the training process that immune cells undergo, providing an unprecedented level of detail about the step-by-step process by which the bodys immune system optimizes its adaptive, protective response.

These findings and the expertise they have gained will now be directed toward the production and optimization of antibodies that will target one invader in particular: the COVID-19 virus.

Fully trained and certified in biosafety proceduresa must for coronavirus researchDr. Shulman and his team are in the process of establishing an experimental platform for handling samples from convalescent coronavirus patients.

Telltale signs

Together with Dr. Ron Diskin from the Department of Structural Biology, and clinicians, Dr. Shulman has obtained access to patients who have fully recovered from the coronavirus. These patients have volunteered to let the scientists examine their blood for telltale signs of antibodies generated in response to the coronavirus.

The Shulman team plans to use DNA sequencing and other techniques to clone the patients antibody-encoding genes and then reproduce them in the lab. This will allow them to identify the antibodies that are most effective in binding and neutralizing the viral proteins.

Dr. Shulman says, Patients who have been infected by the coronavirus and recovered hold the cure for the disease. By reproducing antibodies that target and neutralize viral proteins, it may be possible to use them to treat patients who suffer from severe symptoms. In addition, antibody injections might be used as a prophylactic treatmenta passive vaccinethat would protect medical staff from coronavirus infection.

Dr. Shulman is supported by the Azrieli Foundation, the Sir Charles Clore Research Prize, the Comisaroff Family Trust, the Lowy Foundation, theMorris Kahn Institute for Human Immunology,the Gerald O. Mann Charitable Foundation, the Moross Integrated Cancer Center, the David M. Polen Charitable Trust, andRising Tide Foundation

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Antibodies of COVID-19 patients may teach scientists how to protect others - BSA bureau

Immunology

Afraid of bringing coronavirus home? Experts have answers – Yahoo Singapore News

Even as millions of Americans remain isolated at home, they're still left wondering if they're bringing the virus into their house when they go to the market, walk the dog or take a run.

We posed these questions and others to epidemiologist Dr. Stephen Morse and virologist Dr. Vincent Racaniello- both from Columbia University.

Beginning with - what should you do immediately when you get home?

(SOUNDBITE) (English) DR. STEPHEN MORSE, PROFESSOR OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, SAYING:

"If I'm wearing a raincoat or something like that over a light jacket, then I can put that away in the closet and after a few days, I won't have to worry about that/"Then I would go and wash my hands and I'd probably wash my face too, just as a precaution."

But if you were around many people - for example - on a crowded subway car? Then Dr. Racaniello says you might want to change your clothes.

What about your shoes?

Dr. Racaniello says it's best to leave them outside or by the entrance of your home.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) DR. VINCENT RACANIELLO, HIGGINS PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY & IMMUNOLOGY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, SAYING:

"The virus is not going to rise off, that's the thing, once the virus is settled on any object, it's just staying there. So if you don't touch it, you know, if you have shoelaces, you're going to come in and wash your hands anyway, that'll take care of that. Then the next morning, you put your shoes on. You go wherever you're going, and at some point, wash your hands. Just make sure you're not touching your face. I don't think you need to Lysol your shoes. No."

As for handling mail and groceries?

The doctors said it was fine to discard or recycle the outer packages and to put the inner items away without individually washing them. But it was essential to always wash your hands after.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) DR. VINCENT RACANIELLO, HIGGINS PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY & IMMUNOLOGY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, SAYING:

"Contaminated packages, I haven't seen anything that would suggest that that's a major way of transmission. So I think what we do now is we put everything away and we wash our hands."

The doctor said it was important to be careful of high-touch surfaces like car doors, elevator buttons, key pads and credit cards.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) DR. VINCENT RACANIELLO, HIGGINS PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY & IMMUNOLOGY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, SAYING:"The guy gives it back and that could be contaminated, the credit card, so you have to make sure you wash your hands. And the other place that's a high risk I think is in the store, any store where you put your card in, you punch a number in, those pads are high risk because hundreds of people are going through a day with dirty hands."

Morse said it was a good idea to wipe your phone down too.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) DR. STEPHEN MORSE, PROFESSOR OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, ON WIPING DOWN A PHONE, SAYING:"

"Phones are often neglected, and you use them a lot and very often you hold them up to your face and you touch them. "

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages frequent handwashing for at least 20 seconds and disinfection of surfaces with an alcohol-based cleaner as methods of prevention

The CDC also recommends all Americans wear face masks in public settings when social distancing is impossible.

Does that include while jogging?

(SOUNDBITE) (English) DR. VINCENT RACANIELLO, HIGGINS PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY & IMMUNOLOGY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, SAYING:

"You dont need to wear a mask. If you can stay six feet away..Some countries have banned jogging, which I think is completely unnecessary because you're not usually jogging next to someone. If you pass someone, just make sure you stay away from them, and I think it's fine. I think it's good. I think people need to do certain things, otherwise we're all going to go crazy. It's a balance between being very careful and maintaining your sanity."

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Afraid of bringing coronavirus home? Experts have answers - Yahoo Singapore News

Immunology

This CU Professor’s Research Could Hold a Clue to Treating COVID-19 – 5280 | The Denver Magazine

Dr. Mercedes Rincon's dining room home office. Rincon is a professor of Immunology & Microbiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine. She hopes her research on the molecule frequently produced in inflammation could shed light on possible treatments for COVID-19. Photo courtesy of Dr. Mercedes Rincon

Dr. Mercedes Rincon has studied a relatively obscure molecule that's often present in the lungs of COVID-19 patients for nearly three decades.

By the time Dr. Mercedes Rincon sits down at her computer at 11:30 p.m., shes already counseled her 93-year-old father, who lives alone in Madrid, about how to stay safe and stave off loneliness amidst the lockdown. Shes already met remotely with graduate students and lab techs overseeing a number of projects at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. And shes already participated in a virtual conference about arthritis research.

Her real work, though, has not yet begun.

Rincon, a Spanish-born professor in CUs Department of Immunology and Microbiology, has been studying a relatively obscure molecule known as interleukin-6 (IL-6) since 1994. Typically the concern of arthritis and cancer researchers, IL-6which is commonly produced in inflammationhas never been the sexiest subject. During the nearly 30 years shes been studying it, Rincons endured plenty of ribbing from colleagues about the somewhat unimpressive molecule.

Nobody is laughing now, though.

When the novel coronavirus began wreaking havoc on human lungs, Rincon saw a familiar microscopic face in the mix: IL-6 is consistently present in the lungs of the most severely affected patients. Whether IL-6 is a cause or a consequence of the novel coronavirus, Rincon isnt sure, but she hypothesizes that drugs like tocilizumab (traditionally used to treat rheumatoid arthritis), could possibly target IL-6 and prevent it from producing more damaging inflammatory molecules. Early results from studies in China, as well as research in Europe and at the University of Vermont, show some promise.

We cant conclude anything yet, Rincon cautions. We have to be careful. We need more data.

Which is why she s working into the small hours of Friday morning. Rincon wants the University of Colorado to be at the forefront of this research, so she spends the night writing a grant proposal. With a little funding and a little luck, Rincon and her ridiculed molecule might just provide Coloradansand the rest of the worldwith a reason to hope.

This story is powered by COLab, the Colorado News Collaborative. 5280 joined this historic collaboration with more than 20 other newsrooms across Colorado to better serve the public.

Jay edits and writes stories for 5280.com and assists the magazine with overall digital strategy.

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This CU Professor's Research Could Hold a Clue to Treating COVID-19 - 5280 | The Denver Magazine

Physiology

Stream some music and call me in the morning – yoursun.com

To boost your immune system, doctors recommend a healthy diet that embraces fruits and veggies and has no vitamin deficiencies. But how about a little Prokofiev?

Sound like quackery? Its not. Numerous studies, including a 2019 review in the journal Annual Research & Review in Biology, have found that both performing and listening to music can have a significant impact on the immune system. And as COVID-19 fosters global tension and fear, everyone is looking for ways to mitigate that stress and boost the immune system to ward off viral infections.

Certainly music has an impact on the brain, and anxiety and stress impact the immune system, said Andrew Levin, a neurologist at the University of Pittsburgh.

STRESS RELIEF

Dr. Levin, an amateur trumpet player who performs with several local ensembles, said hes not an expert in the ways music interacts with the brain. But it works for him.

Music is a part of my stress release paradigm, he said, adding that he hasnt had much time lately to play. We know that music can affect brain states, so I dont believe it is much of a stretch to say that music can indirectly affect our physiology, and there is research that supports this notion.

According to a 2013 review in the journal Brain Behavior and Immunity, the emotional and psychological effects of listening to music have direct impact on biomarkers and hormone levels. Immunoglobulin A, which plays a crucial role in immune functions, was cited as being particularly responsive to music. There is also general consensus among researchers that listening to music reduces cortisol levels, with one 2007 study in the Journal of Music Therapy by A.J. Ferrer stating that music can be as effective as diazepam in reducing vital signs of anxiety.

DOES THE SONG MATTER?

So, does it matter what sort of music youre listening to?

It does, but only whether you like the song. Prior associations and relationships with different types of music affect how your body responds. In general, research indicates that relaxing music (i.e. slower tempo, peaceful music) is better for calming frayed nerves, decreasing blood pressure and respiration and settling the heart rate.

Curiously, while major music streaming companies including Spotify and Bandcamp report dips in usage during the pandemic, classical music streaming has seen a bump, along with folk and childrens music.

GOOD VIBES

A report by the classical music streaming service Primephonic states that listeners habits have shifted from early morning and evening listening to business hours. Listening during lunch hour has doubled, and countries shut down the longest due to COVID-19 have seen up to a 50% increase in listening time.

This music provides hope, Primephonic CEO Thomas Steffens said in a phone call from the Netherlands.

He also said the rate of increase for new subscriptions is much higher than it was a month ago, even though Primephonic is marketing less.

The increase is a mixture of people who already like classical listening more and new listeners trying out the genre, like how many people are now trying new recipes, Steffens said.

Idagio, another classical music streaming service, also reports increased usage. Orchestras and opera houses around the country are streaming video performances and drawing millions of viewers. On Easter, Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli sang a selection of hymns in an empty cathedral in Milan. By the next evening, the performance had garnered more than 30 million views on YouTube.

Noah Potvin, a professor of music therapy at Duquesne University, said classical musics cultural associations include relaxation and refinement and a certain health image, and this is likely driving listeners to the genre.

Think of any Lexus or Mercedes commercial with soaring classical melodies, he said. That sense of security and peace is attractive right now.

Potvin is skeptical of some of the research linking music with the immune system, questioning whether its healthy to use music or any other tool to suppress anxiety.

The research is superficial, though I dont mean that in a pejorative way, he said. I think the information we have is valuable, but we need to go deeper.

Music therapists use music to treat acute anxiety and stress, but Potvin said a more valuable use is exploring how music can help listeners work through anxiety and stress instead of simply covering over such sensations, which can be counterproductive. Using music for progressive muscle relaxation is a common technique at the moment, he said.

Listening to music is not a cure-all. Its another example of the much-discussed mind-body connection that has so captured the public consciousness in recent years, which deals with how emotional and mental health have physical outcomes.

Im a skeptic by nature, so when I first heard of the mind-body connection I thought it was new-age woo-woo, Levin said. However, the more I learned about human physiology, and in particular neurophysiology and neurology, I became increasingly convinced that we actually underestimate how profound this connection is.

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Stream some music and call me in the morning - yoursun.com

Physiology

Exploring the Coronavirus Pandemic: How the Host and Virus Interact – Technology Networks

Weve heard a lot about ways to prevent infection with coronavirus including social distancing measures, hygiene and the mission to find an effective vaccine. But what happens if you are exposed to SARS-CoV-2? What does the virus do once it meets our cells, why do we develop the clinical signs we do, how does the immune system respond to the invader and why are some people more vulnerable than others?In a recent interview with Technology Networks, Professor Ben tenOever, a Professor of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, explained how he and his team are investigating the way host cells respond to viral infection, specifically SARS-CoV-2, and discusses some of the techniques that have been key in enabling them to understand the way different patients may respond.

During a normal response to infection, our body generates a call to arms and call for reinforcements that in combination enable our immune system to combat invaders. Professor tenOever highlights how, during infection with SARS-CoV-2, whilst the call for reinforcements signal remains, the virus effectively turns down the call to arms signals, impairing the immune systems ability to respond effectively. These observations go some way towards explaining the physiology of the disease, and why for those who additionally have a compromised or weakened immune system, complications are being seen.

Take a look at our Exploring the Coronavirus Pandemic interview series to discover more expert insights relating to the COVID-19 outbreak. Visit our coronavirus hubpage to stay updated with all the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Exploring the Coronavirus Pandemic: How the Host and Virus Interact - Technology Networks

Genetics

Genetics | Science News

Science News was founded in 1921 as an independent, nonprofit source of accurate information on the latest news of science, medicine and technology. Today, our mission remains the same: to empower people to evaluate the news and the world around them. It is published by Society for Science & the Public, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education.

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Genetics | Science News

Genetics

Genetics – HMX | Harvard Medical School

Learn about the building blocks of life and the future of medicine.

The way we diagnose and treat diseases is changing, with new technologies enabled by a deeper understanding of the human genome and its relationship to health and disease.

In HMX Fundamentals Genetics, youll get an overview of key concepts behind the evolving fields of human genetics, genomics, and precision medicine.

Overview

The Central Dogma and Genetic Variation

Mendelian Inheritance of Disease

Identifying Mendelian Disease Genes

Chromosomal Aberrations

The Genetics of Cancer

Common Complex Traits

Human Population Genetics

Beyond the Genome Sequence

Genetics and Precision Medicine

Lecturer in Genetics, Harvard Medical School

As DNA sequencing becomes cheaper and more readily available, the role of genetics in medicine is expanding. With our increasing understanding of the variation in the human genome, we can start to predict how specific changes in DNA sequence will affect an individuals health. Human genetics is extremely complicated, but it is apparent that many human diseases are influenced by genetics. From a medical perspective, this includes everything from rare DNA sequence variants that drastically increase risk of a disease, to common variants that lead to small changes in risk.

Historically, genetics specialists have helped patients to navigate these situations, but genetics is beginning to permeate medicine as a whole. This means that health care professionals across many fields are faced with new questions. When do you recommend genetic testing to a patient? What kind of testing will provide the most conclusive results? How do you help the patient to understand those results, and use them to make decisions about his or her care? Moving forward, an understanding of the principles of genetics and an ability to apply them in todays medical landscape will be an enormous asset for any health care professional.

Even outside of medicine, genetics has a very important presence in our world today, so, fundamentally, what I would like students to take away from this course is a level of genetic literacy that will allow them to navigate the questions and decisions that they will face in their own lives.

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing now allows everyone to learn about their own genetics; these tests can potentially include information about health and disease risk and ancestry that have significant impacts for individuals and their families. When making decisions about genetic testing, it is important to be informed about exactly what you will learn and what the consequences of the results might be down the line.In this course, we put the fundamental principles of human genetics into the context of the world today, which will provide students with the tools and resources to ask the right questions and make informed genetic decisions.

Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical SchoolAssociate Physician, Brigham and Womens HospitalGeneticist, Brigham and Womens HospitalDirector, Genomes2People Research Program at Brigham and Womens Hospital

Genomics is inherently exciting, and you can see that because of its relationship to forensic law enforcement, reproduction, ancestry, cancer and all sorts of medical developments, and all of the controversy related to direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

The skeleton of genetics is sequencing, and people are building on that with gene expression, proteomics, metabolomics. So there are multiple layers of knowledge and exploration that are generating tremendous excitement in the world, and motivating enormous investment scientifically, educationally, financially, and entrepreneurially. So the question isnt really why Im interested in genomics, the question is why isnt everybody interested in genomics because its so fabulously interesting.

Senior Genetic Counselor and Project Manager, Brigham & Womens Hospital

Genetics is really a subspecialty of all specialties. The more we understand the genetic basis of biology, the more we will understand human health and disease. Having a strong background in genetics will be important as genomic technologies continue to expand and are implemented more and more into clinical care. Understanding how to look for patterns of disease and when to refer a patient to other specialists is an important tool for every health care provider, and as more patients have genetic results in their medical records, having the ability to understand how this is or is not important to your patients medical care will be of the utmost importance. Overall a global knowledge of genetics will help you to provide better care to your future patients.

I hope students are able to grasp some of the basic concepts about genetics and to understand why it is a vital part of medical care. I hope that this background knowledge will be useful to them if and when they care for patients who come to them with a genetic test result, a family history of genetic disease or a presenting genetic diagnosis. I hope this course excites them about the concept of genetics and genomics and encourages them to want to learn more as their career progresses.

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Genetics - HMX | Harvard Medical School

Genetics

Amazon.com: Genetics For Dummies (8601400110126): Robinson …

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Amazon.com: Genetics For Dummies (8601400110126): Robinson ...