The Food and Drug Administration laid out updated safety standards Tuesday for makers of COVID-19 vaccines after the White House blocked their formal release, the latest political tug-of-war between the Trump administration and the government’s public health scientists.In briefing documents posted on its website, the FDA said vaccine makers should follow trial participants for at least two months to rule out safety issues before seeking emergency approval. That requirement would almost certainly preclude the introduction of a vaccine before Nov. 3.President Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted a vaccine could be authorized before Election Day, even though top government scientists working on the effort have said that timeline is very unlikely. On Monday, Trump said vaccines are coming “momentarily,” in a video recorded after he returned to the White House.Former FDA officials have warned that public perception that a vaccine was being rushed out for political reasons could derail efforts to vaccinate millions of Americans.A senior administration official confirmed to the AP on Monday that the White House had blocked FDA’s plans to formally publish the safety guidelines based on the two-month data requirement, arguing there was “no clinical or medical reason” for it.But the FDA tucked the information into a memo posted ahead of an Oct. 22 meeting of its outside vaccine advisory panel. The group of non-governmental experts is scheduled to discuss general standards for coronavirus vaccines, part of FDA’s effort to publicize its process and rationale for vaccine reviews. While information prepared for such panels does not carry the weight of a formal FDA guidance document, the release of the information makes clear the FDA plans to impose the safety standards for any vaccine seeking an expedited path to market.To meet the FDA’s threshold, companies would need to submit two months of follow-up from half of their trial participants after they receive their last vaccine dose to show there are no major side effects or health problems. Because vaccines are normally given to otherwise healthy people, the FDA requires strict evidence of their safety.The requirements are aimed at companies seeking rapid approval through the FDA’s emergency authorization pathway. That accelerated process, reserved for health emergencies, allows medical products onto the market based on a lower bar than traditional FDA approval.Initial doses of vaccines for emergency use would likely be reserved for medical workers and people with health conditions that make them particularly vulnerable to coronavirus. Full FDA approval for the general population will require significantly more data and is not expected until mid-2021.An FDA spokeswoman said Tuesday the vaccine guidelines are still “under review” but added that “the FDA has already communicated with individual manufacturers about its expectations.”The White House’s attempt to block the information’s release follows a string of instances in which the Trump administration has undercut its own medical experts working to combat the pandemic. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn has been attempting to shore up public confidence in the vaccine review process for weeks, vowing that career scientists, not politicians, will decide if the shots are safe and effective.Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has stoked excitement by saying he expects data on whether the company’s candidate works to be ready in late October. But a number of variables would still have to align for the company to submit, and the FDA to review and green light, a vaccine application before Nov. 3. Pfizer’s competitors Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are working on longer research timelines.Vaccine development typically takes years, but the U.S. government has invested billions in efforts to accelerate the process and help multiple drugmakers prepare multiple candidates. All the doses will be purchased by the federal government for use vaccinating the U.S. population.Beyond exposing the rift between the White House and FDA, the release of the information may have limited practical effect.FDA scientists have been discussing the guidelines publicly for weeks and have made clear that the recommendations have already been shared with each of the vaccine developers.”The companies know what we’re expecting,” said Dr. Peter Marks, head of FDA’s vaccine division, in an online interview last week with the nonprofit Friends of Cancer Research.Instead, Marks said, releasing the guidelines was “an attempt to help the public see what we’re requiring of COVID-19 vaccines.” He added that the guidelines would explain that all upcoming vaccines would be reviewed by FDA’s independent panel of outside vaccine advisers before the agency makes its own final decision. 
…

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off Tuesday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying 60 Starlink satellites for the company’s internet satellite constellation system.The launch marks the 13th Starlink mission.  The company says the goal of Starlink is to create a network that will help provide reliable and affordable internet across the globe, particularly to remote and rural areas where internet service is otherwise not available.  The satellites reportedly deployed into orbit about an hour after the launch.SpaceX is one of the U.S. space agency NASA’s commercial partners, which supplies its reusable rocket launch system and other rockets for the agency’s space program.  The company says its reusable booster came back to earth Tuesday and landed on one of the company’s unmanned “drone” ships in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast.
 
…

U.S. President Donald Trump urged Americans not to “be afraid” of COVID-19 after he returned to the White House Monday evening after 72 hours of hospitalization for the deadly virus.In a show of fitness, he climbed the steps of the South Portico, standing on the Truman Balcony where he removed his mask, gave a double thumbs-up gesture and saluted the Marine One helicopter as it prepared to take off from the South Lawn. Without putting his facemask back on, the president then walked into the White House where others were awaiting his arrival.Earlier, as he walked out of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center,  Trump said, “Thank you very much, everybody.”Stepping off the helicopter and walking toward the White House residence, the president paused to turn to the cameras, waved and gave a thumbs-up. Asked by VOA how he was feeling, a muffled reply of “real good” could be heard. Later in the evening, he tweeted out a recorded message about COVID19, saying “Don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it.””We’re going back, we’re going back to work. We’re going to be out front,” he said. “Don’t let it dominate your lives. Get out there, be careful,” he added.FILE – President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden participate in the first presidential debate, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland.Next presidential debate
Trump’s reelection campaign said the Republican president, trailing former Vice President Joe Biden in the polls, plans to participate in the Oct. 15 second debate against the Democratic Party nominee.  “Though he may not entirely be out of the woods yet, the team and I agree that all our evaluations, and most importantly, his clinical status, support his return home” to the White House, which has medical facilities and practitioners to monitor the president around the clock, his primary physician, Dr. Sean Conley, told reporters Monday afternoon.  “Every day a patient stays in the hospital unnecessarily is a risk to themselves,” he added. “Right now, there’s nothing being done upstairs here that we can’t safely conduct down home.” Before leaving the hospital, the president tweeted, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” adding that he felt better than he did 20 years ago. I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Dr. Sean Conley, physician to President Donald Trump, center, and other doctors, walk out to talk with reporters at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 5, 2020.Physicians ‘cautiously optimistic’
Speaking with reporters at the hospital, Conley, an osteopath and a commander in the U.S. Navy, declined to answer some questions, such as the condition of the president’s lungs, citing patient confidentiality.    The president is taking a steroid, dexamethasone, which is typically not administered in mild or moderate cases of the coronavirus, along with a five-day course of remdesivir, an antiviral medication.    Trump’s physicians remain “cautiously optimistic and on guard, because we’re in a bit of unchartered territory when it comes to a patient that received the therapies he has so early in the course,” Conley said. “If we can get through to Monday with him remaining the same, or improving, better yet, then we will all take that final deep sigh of relief.” After tweeting a video on Sunday that he was “getting great reports” from his doctors, Trump promised a little surprise for his supporters outside the hospital where he is being treated.            President Donald Trump drives past supporters gathered outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 4, 2020.Drive by criticism
His decision to do a drive-around for supporters Sunday evening was condemned by one attending physician at Walter Reed as irresponsible.          Dr. James Phillips, who is also chief of disaster medicine at The George Washington University in Washington, tweeted that the special vehicle the president was riding in is sealed against chemical attack.     “The risk of COVID-19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play,” said Phillips, referring to the driver and an accompanying agent in the front seat who appeared to be wearing masks, face shields and gowns.     That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play.— Dr. James P. Phillips, MD (@DrPhillipsMD) October 4, 2020“Appropriate precautions were taken in the execution of this movement to protect the president and all those supporting it, including PPE,” White House spokesman, Judd Deere, said. “The movement was cleared by the medical team as safe to do.”      On Monday Conley said the drive was only “for a short period of time,” and the agents in the vehicle with Trump were adequately protected.  Infection date unclear
Earlier Sunday, the doctors treating the president revealed that their patient had earlier experienced “two episodes of transient drops in his oxygen saturation.”         Conley received word last Thursday evening that both Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus after one of the president’s close aides, Hope Hicks, was confirmed to be ill with the infection.      The doctor declined again on Monday, when pressed by reporters, to answer when Trump last tested negative for COVID-19, something considered important for doing adequate contact tracing to try to limit the spread of the virus.   “I don’t want to go backwards,” the physician said. “The contact tracing, as I understand it, is being done. I’m not involved with it.”      Trump’s campaign on Friday put a hold on all previously announced events involving the president’s participation.  
  Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen, along with Sarah Pence and her husband Michael Pence and their daughter, right, arrive on Marine Two at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Oct. 5, 2020, as he departs for Utah.Return to campaign trail
Vice President Mike Pence is making campaign appearances this week, as well as facing off Wednesday evening against Sen. Kamala Harris of California, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee.      “As far as travel goes, we’ll see,” Conley replied when asked how soon Trump could get back on the campaign trail with less than a month before the Nov. 3 presidential election.  
  
Doctors said it is important to ensure that the president is no longer shedding virus and that he is in good enough physical shape before getting medical permission to travel.  Trump and Biden were about 4 meters apart on a debate stage last Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests at least 2 meters for social distancing purposes.           Biden’s campaign said the former vice president tested negative Friday for the coronavirus. A test on Sunday was also negative.            The coronavirus has killed 210,000 people in the United States and infected nearly 7.5 million across the country, according to Johns Hopkins University data.  
…

U.S. President Donald Trump urged Americans not to “be afraid” of COVID-19 after he returned to the White House Monday evening after 72 hours of hospitalization for the deadly virus.In a show of fitness, he climbed the steps of the South Portico, standing on the Truman Balcony where he removed his mask, gave a double thumbs-up gesture and saluted the Marine One helicopter as it prepared to take off from the South Lawn. Without putting his facemask back on, the president then walked into the White House where others were awaiting his arrival.Earlier, as he walked out of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center,  Trump said, “Thank you very much, everybody.”Stepping off the helicopter and walking toward the White House residence, the president paused to turn to the cameras, waved and gave a thumbs-up. Asked by VOA how he was feeling, a muffled reply of “real good” could be heard. Later in the evening, he tweeted out a recorded message about COVID19, saying “Don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it.””We’re going back, we’re going back to work. We’re going to be out front,” he said. “Don’t let it dominate your lives. Get out there, be careful,” he added.FILE – President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden participate in the first presidential debate, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland.Next presidential debate
Trump’s reelection campaign said the Republican president, trailing former Vice President Joe Biden in the polls, plans to participate in the Oct. 15 second debate against the Democratic Party nominee.  “Though he may not entirely be out of the woods yet, the team and I agree that all our evaluations, and most importantly, his clinical status, support his return home” to the White House, which has medical facilities and practitioners to monitor the president around the clock, his primary physician, Dr. Sean Conley, told reporters Monday afternoon.  “Every day a patient stays in the hospital unnecessarily is a risk to themselves,” he added. “Right now, there’s nothing being done upstairs here that we can’t safely conduct down home.” Before leaving the hospital, the president tweeted, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” adding that he felt better than he did 20 years ago. I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Dr. Sean Conley, physician to President Donald Trump, center, and other doctors, walk out to talk with reporters at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 5, 2020.Physicians ‘cautiously optimistic’
Speaking with reporters at the hospital, Conley, an osteopath and a commander in the U.S. Navy, declined to answer some questions, such as the condition of the president’s lungs, citing patient confidentiality.    The president is taking a steroid, dexamethasone, which is typically not administered in mild or moderate cases of the coronavirus, along with a five-day course of remdesivir, an antiviral medication.    Trump’s physicians remain “cautiously optimistic and on guard, because we’re in a bit of unchartered territory when it comes to a patient that received the therapies he has so early in the course,” Conley said. “If we can get through to Monday with him remaining the same, or improving, better yet, then we will all take that final deep sigh of relief.” After tweeting a video on Sunday that he was “getting great reports” from his doctors, Trump promised a little surprise for his supporters outside the hospital where he is being treated.            President Donald Trump drives past supporters gathered outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 4, 2020.Drive by criticism
His decision to do a drive-around for supporters Sunday evening was condemned by one attending physician at Walter Reed as irresponsible.          Dr. James Phillips, who is also chief of disaster medicine at The George Washington University in Washington, tweeted that the special vehicle the president was riding in is sealed against chemical attack.     “The risk of COVID-19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play,” said Phillips, referring to the driver and an accompanying agent in the front seat who appeared to be wearing masks, face shields and gowns.     That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play.— Dr. James P. Phillips, MD (@DrPhillipsMD) October 4, 2020“Appropriate precautions were taken in the execution of this movement to protect the president and all those supporting it, including PPE,” White House spokesman, Judd Deere, said. “The movement was cleared by the medical team as safe to do.”      On Monday Conley said the drive was only “for a short period of time,” and the agents in the vehicle with Trump were adequately protected.  Infection date unclear
Earlier Sunday, the doctors treating the president revealed that their patient had earlier experienced “two episodes of transient drops in his oxygen saturation.”         Conley received word last Thursday evening that both Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus after one of the president’s close aides, Hope Hicks, was confirmed to be ill with the infection.      The doctor declined again on Monday, when pressed by reporters, to answer when Trump last tested negative for COVID-19, something considered important for doing adequate contact tracing to try to limit the spread of the virus.   “I don’t want to go backwards,” the physician said. “The contact tracing, as I understand it, is being done. I’m not involved with it.”      Trump’s campaign on Friday put a hold on all previously announced events involving the president’s participation.  
  Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen, along with Sarah Pence and her husband Michael Pence and their daughter, right, arrive on Marine Two at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Oct. 5, 2020, as he departs for Utah.Return to campaign trail
Vice President Mike Pence is making campaign appearances this week, as well as facing off Wednesday evening against Sen. Kamala Harris of California, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee.      “As far as travel goes, we’ll see,” Conley replied when asked how soon Trump could get back on the campaign trail with less than a month before the Nov. 3 presidential election.  
  
Doctors said it is important to ensure that the president is no longer shedding virus and that he is in good enough physical shape before getting medical permission to travel.  Trump and Biden were about 4 meters apart on a debate stage last Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests at least 2 meters for social distancing purposes.           Biden’s campaign said the former vice president tested negative Friday for the coronavirus. A test on Sunday was also negative.            The coronavirus has killed 210,000 people in the United States and infected nearly 7.5 million across the country, according to Johns Hopkins University data.  
…

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now acknowledging that COVID-19 can spread through small particles in the air over an extended distance and for hours at a time.  The CDC has long insisted that the coronavirus is transmitted mainly between people standing within two meters of each other, through droplets produced by talking, breathing, coughing or sneezing.  But FILE – Personnel at the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) work the Emergency Operations Center in response to the coronavirus, among other threats, Feb. 13, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia.The CDC posted a similar guidance last month suggesting the virus could spread through aerosols over an extended distance.  But the agency abruptly removed the guidance a few days later, saying it was mistakenly posted before it had gone through a proper technical review.  The method of how COVID-19 is transmitted has been under intense debate among health experts for months. Back in July, more than 200 scientists from over 30 countries published an open letter to the World Health Organization urging the agency to consider evidence that the virus can be spread through airborne transmission.   FILE – COVID-19 patients are being treated at the Tshwane District Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, July 10, 2020.Another study released Monday reveals that nearly a third of hospitalized COVID-19 patients experienced some type of neurological disorder, including confusion, headaches, confusion, dizziness or muscle pain.  Researchers observed the outcomes of more than 500 coronavirus patients admitted to a hospital system in Chicago between March and April, the earliest days of the outbreak in the U.S.  The researchers found that only 32% of the patients with neurological problems were able to handle routine daily activities after being released, like cooking or handling financial issues, compared to 89% of patients who did not have such problems.  The researchers said the most severe neurological symptom was encephalopathy, which is characterized by “altered mental function ranging from mild confusion to coma.”   Meanwhile, several U.S. news outlets say the White House has rejected a proposal by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to  implement a set of strict new guidelines for emergency authorization of a new COVID-19 vaccine.FILE – A volunteer is injected with a vaccine as he participates in a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination study at the Research Centers of America, in Hollywood, Florida, Sept. 24, 2020.The new rules — which would have required drug makers to observe participants in late-stage clinical trials for at least two months after they receive a second and final dose of an experimental vaccine —  would have certainly pushed a possible vaccine well past the November 3 presidential election, defying predictions made by President Donald Trump.    The World Health Organization says roughly one in 10 people around the world may have been infected with the coronavirus.        FILE – Commuters ignoring physical distancing norms push each other as they try to board on a long distance bus in Kolkata, India, Oct. 1, 2020.The head of the health emergencies program at the World Health Organization, Michael Ryan, said Monday that the agency’s “best estimates” indicate 10% of the world’s population could have contracted the virus.        That estimate, which would amount to more than 760 million people, is more than 20 times the number of confirmed cases in the world and would still leave more than 90% of the population susceptible to the virus.       Speaking to a special session of WHO’s 34-member executive board in Geneva, Ryan said the figures vary between countries, but said the estimate means “the vast majority of the world remains at risk.”      “We are now heading into a difficult period,” he said.      The number of confirmed worldwide cases tallied by the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center surpassed 35 million on Monday, a week after surpassing 1 million coronavirus deaths.       Madrid Emergency Service health workers conduct rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 in the southern neighborhood of Vallecas in Madrid, Spain, Oct. 2, 2020.Several European nations hit their own pandemic milestones, with Germany reporting Monday its total confirmed cases exceed 300,000, Britain recording its 500,000th case, and Spain becoming the first European country to surpass 800,000 total coronavirus cases.     
…

Hurricane Delta, the ninth storm of the Atlantic season, prompted forecasters to issue warnings for Mexico and Cuba, with the U.S. Gulf coast in striking distance later this week.  The U.S.-based National Hurricane Center said Mexico issued a hurricane warning for the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from Tulum north and west to Rio Largartos, including Cozumel. A hurricane watch remains in place for western Cuba, including the Province of Artemisia. The Cayman New service reports the center of Hurricane Delta is expected to pass near the southwest Cayman Islands early Tuesday, bringing heavy rains to the region. The Cayman Islands remain under a tropical storm watch. Forecasters expect Hurricane Delta will continue to gain strength over the coming days as it moves toward the southern Gulf of Mexico. 
…

The list of treatments President Donald Trump has received for his coronavirus infection range from experimental to over the counter. Here are the four most notable.  Antibody therapy Trump received an infusion of antibodies on Friday, the White House said. These germ-blocking proteins aim to prevent the coronavirus from entering cells and causing infection. Our immune systems normally make antibodies on their own, but it can take weeks for them to appear in response to a new infection such as the coronavirus. Injecting lab-grown antibodies offers a shortcut. Drugmaker Regeneron produced the dual-antibody cocktail Trump received. The therapy is experimental and has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Trump received it through the company’s “compassionate use” program, which Regeneron said is “intended for patients with serious or life-threatening conditions who do not have any viable or available treatment options.”  The product is one of two antibody therapies undergoing late-stage clinical trials. Both Regeneron and the other product’s manufacturer, Eli Lilly, recently announced encouraging results in press releases, but their data have not been reviewed by other experts.  “It’s, I think, a promising therapy. It’s not proven,” said Rajesh Gandhi, an infectious diseases physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Gandhi helped write COVID-19 treatment guidelines for the National Institutes of Health and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Remdesivir While antibody therapy is being tested for patients with mild disease, Trump received an antiviral drug on Saturday that is normally given to patients in worsening condition and which was originally developed to treat another viral disease, Ebola.  Trump’s oxygen levels dropped below a critical threshold sometime Saturday.  “That’s where the antiviral remdesivir has its greatest role,” Gandhi said.  Manufactured by drugmaker Gilead, remdesivir is the first new anti-coronavirus drug to receive emergency use authorization from the FDA.  The drug works by interfering with the machinery the virus uses to make copies of its genetic instructions.  It is not a panacea, however. It has not been shown to lower death rates, for example. It shortened hospital stays in one study. Another study found patients receiving remdesivir fared better than those getting a placebo, but not by much. Supplies of the drug have improved since the spring, Gandhi said, and the company is ramping up production.  Dexamethasone The fact that Trump was given dexamethasone suggests that at least at some point his condition was serious.  “In mild disease, we don’t give dexamethasone because it doesn’t help people who aren’t on oxygen and it may actually be harmful,” Gandhi said.  The cheap, widely available steroid does not work on the virus itself, but instead treats the side effects caused by the body’s response to the virus.  “That inflammatory response is trying to battle off the virus,” Gandhi said. “but sometimes it can itself lead to low lung function.”  The drug saved lives in a study. It lowered the death rate by about a third in patients on ventilators and by 18% in patients on supplemental oxygen. It didn’t help people who were less sick, however.  Famotidine Trump also took the over-the-counter antacid famotidine, which goes by the brand name Pepcid, but the reason is not clear.  It’s not uncommon for a patient being hospitalized to receive an antacid, Gandhi said.  “It’s a stressful time, and people are having heartburn or other symptoms,” he noted. On the other hand, “a few months ago, people had wondered about whether famotidine might have a role for treating COVID-19,” Gandhi added. “But the evidence for that is still lacking.” Trump in the past has supported unproven treatments, including the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine. A U.S. National Institutes of Health study ended early because it found no benefit from taking the drug.  Famotidine is “not a harmful drug. I could walk out and get it from my pharmacy,” Gandhi said. “But we just don’t know if it works.”  
…

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday said COVID-19 can spread through virus lingering in the air, sometimes for hours, acknowledging concerns widely voiced by public health experts about airborne transmission of the virus. The CDC guidance comes weeks after the agency published – and then took down – a similar warning, sparking debate over how the virus spreads. In Monday’s guidance, CDC said there was evidence that people with COVID-19 possibly infected others who were more than 6 feet away, within enclosed spaces with poor ventilation. Under such circumstances, CDC said scientists believe the amount of infectious, smaller droplet and particles, or aerosols, produced by people with COVID-19 become concentrated enough to spread the virus. The CDC has long warned of transmission through small droplets that shoot through the air and generally fall to the ground, which resulted in the six-feet social distancing rule. Aerosol droplets are much smaller and can remain suspended in the air, like smoke. While CDC stresses close-contact transmission is more common than through air, a group of U.S. scientists warned in an unrelated open letter published in medical journal Science on Monday that aerosols lingering in the air could be a major source of COVID-19 transmission. “The reality is airborne transmission is the main way that transmission happens at close range with prolonged contact,” the researchers said in a press call. Viruses in aerosols can remain in the air for seconds to hours, travel more than 2 meters and accumulate in poorly ventilated indoor air, leading to superspreading events, the researchers said. Since individuals with COVID-19 release thousands of virus-laden aerosols and far fewer droplets while breathing and talking, the scientists said the focus must be on protecting against airborne transmission. They also said that public health officials should clearly differentiate between droplets ejected by coughing or sneezing and aerosols that can carry the virus to greater distances Public health officials must highlight the importance of moving activities outdoors and improving indoor air, along with wearing mask and social distancing, the letter said. 
  
…

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany says she has tested positive for COVID-19.“After testing negative consistently, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms.” McEnany announced on Twitter.pic.twitter.com/SKT9xq8rqs— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) October 5, 2020She added that she had no knowledge of the positive test of Hope Hicks, an adviser to President Donald Trump, before holding a press briefing last Thursday. Hicks’ positive test was revealed Thursday evening.Trump announced Friday morning that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19. He was later taken to Walter Reed Medical Center for treatment. McEnany said she will “begin the quarantine process” and continue to work remotely.
…

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday there would be “tough times ahead” for businesses, as another international company announced it was suspending operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Johnson spoke with reporters as it was announced that Cineworld will temporarily close 127 theaters in Britain and 536 theaters in its U.S. Regal movie theater chain following news that the latest James Bond film will be postponed again.The closings will affect 40,000 employees in the United States and 5,000 in Britain.Johnson, while encouraging people to support their local movies theaters, said that despite government efforts to support jobs impacted by the pandemic, “clearly there are going to be tough times ahead.” He encouraged people to support their local movie houses that observe COVID-safe practices. Johnson also acknowledged that more than 15,000 coronavirus cases had been missed and not been transferred into the computer database due to a technical glitch. He said the cases, which were all positive between Sept. 25 and Oct. 2, and their contacts had been identified once the error was discovered.Johnson said the current infection rate in Britain was “pretty much where we thought we were,” and the next few days would tell whether the extra restrictions put in place in several parts of the country were working.He said if people followed the measures put in place in their areas, the so-called “rule of six” — limiting gatherings to six or less — self-isolation following contact, masks and hand-washing, he had “no doubt that we will be able to get on top of it, as indeed we did earlier this year.””This is all very much in our hands collectively,” he said.
…

The 2020 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to scientists Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice of the United States and Michael Houghton of Britain for their “seminal discoveries” into the identification of Hepatitis C virus. The three scientists “have made a decisive contribution to the fight against blood-borne hepatitis, a major global health problem that causes cirrhosis and liver cancer in people around the world,” the Nobel committee said in a statement.The advances have helped lead to new ways treating and curing Hepatitis C.“The discovery of Hepatitis C virus revealed the cause of the remaining cases of chronic hepatitis” after the discoveries of Hepatitis A and B viruses, “and made possible blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of lives,” the statement said.Born in 1935 in New York, Harvey Alter graduated with a medical degree at the University of Rochester Medical School. Alter worked for a long time as a senior investigator at the U.S. National Institutes of Health.Michael Houghton was born in Britain in the 1950s.  He received his doctorate degree in virology at King’s College London. Houghton is currently a Canada Excellence Research Chair in Virology at the University of Alberta, among other titles and accolades.Born in 1952 in Sacramento, California, Charles Rice received his doctorate degree in 1981 from the California Institute of Technology. He has also worked at Washington University School of Medicine as a researcher and professor. He joined the Rockefeller University in New York and from 2001 to 2018 he was the scientific and executive director of the Center for the Study of Hepatitis C.  Rice is still active there.This year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine is the 111th prize in the category that has been awarded since 1901.The laureates will each receive an equal share of the $1.1 million cash award.The Nobel Prizes for physics, chemistry, literature, and peace also will be announced this week. The prize for economic science will be announced next Monday.
…