Resources for Teaching about Coronavirus - June 2020

Here are two links to interesting Washington Post articles:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/06/30/there-is-no-safe-way-reopen-colleges-this-fall/ – laying out the reasons why three scientists think it is not safe to reopen colleges this fall

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/07/01/coronavirus-autopsies-findings/ – describing autopsy findings with relevance to understanding the pathophysiology of COVID-19

Friends have alerted me to two informative articles, which may be of interest to you.

Coronavirus May Be a Blood Vessel Disease, Which Explains Everything

Many of the infection’s bizarre symptoms have one thing in common

https://elemental.medium.com/coronavirus-may-be-a-blood-vessel-disease-which-explains-everything-2c4032481ab2

Tests indicate 're-positive' patients aren't really catching COVID-19 a second time and are immune

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/5/19/1946135/-South-Korea-reports-patients-who-test-positive-for-COVID-19-a-second-time-cannot-spread-the-disease?detail=emaildkre

Hello,

I’m writing with two articles that suggest that:

(1) you should give a wide berth to runners

(2) it might be smart to avoid using public toilets and at home perhaps close the lid when you flush.

I hope you all continue in good health,

Ingrid

Can runners spew viruses farther than 6 feet? (From Philadelphia Inquirer)

Health officials have been advocating for 6 feet as the accepted threshold for social distancing. But no one knows for sure what the correct distance is.

The Brits are using a a 2-meter rule, an extra 7 inches of protection against the coronavirus. The Australians, at 1.5 meters, are standing a bit closer.

“But," my colleague Tom Avril asks, "what if the droplet-spewer is on the move?”

A new simulation from engineers in Belgium and the Netherlands show people running side by side, behind each other, and in a staggered formation. As the simulation continues, it shows how runners leave a “slipstream” of particles from their mouth.

“It makes complete sense that if you are following someone who is exhaling the virus, you have more of a chance breathing it in,” said Jose-Luis Jimenez, a chemistry professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder who was not involved in the study.

So take extra precautions when near someone who is exercising, said study author Bert Blocken,

If running, stay 30 feet behind someone going in the same direction. For biking, aim for 60 feet or go to another lane.

Or as Avril writes: “For those huffing and puffing through their morning jog, Blocken said the solution is simple: stay in your own lane.”

David A. Johnson, MD

Medscape – April 09, 2020

Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape's Coronavirus Resource Center.

Hello. I'm Dr David Johnson, professor of medicine and chief of gastroenterology at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the United States and the world at large, the reasons behind its rapid epidemiologic spread remain astoundingly unknown. We don't really have a good answer for why most patients develop this disease. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that approximately 25% of infected patients may not have clinical signs or symptoms, meaning gastrointestinal (GI) or the classic respiratory illness, but may still be viral shedders. A percentage of patients with an asymptomatic prelude may also have viral shedding for about 2 to 3 days before they then develop the more classic respiratory illness.

In light of the puzzling nature of this epidemiologic spread, we've adapted social distancing. However, I want to talk about one other potential means of its spread: the toilet.

As we know, GI diseases can be transmitted via the fecal-oral route. Now researchers looking at hospitals in Wuhan, China, that treated COVID-19-positive patients have provided valuable new data on its transmission. They found that although the intensive care units were good at containing the spread of the virus outside of the patients' rooms, there was a high concentration of the virus in the air samples taken from the patients' toilets.

What are the implications of that finding? Droplets of SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease COVID-19, can be spread and live in the air for up to 3 hours, and be disseminated to hard surface areas where they can live up to 3 to 4 days. That is quite concerning when you consider that flushing a toilet can create an aerosolized plume of these viral particles, which can then spread elsewhere within proximity. We know that toothbrushes left in proximity to the toilet gain viral spread quite rapidly, mirroring levels observed in the toilet itself. That same thing can occur for cell phones, which many people take with them into the bathroom. However, this mode of transmission has not been well studied as it relates to COVID-19.

We do have available evidence with another coronavirus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Researchers looked at the Amoy Gardens apartment complex in Hong Kong, which experienced a large community outbreak of SARS during the 2003 epidemic. Using airflow dynamics studies, they were able to retrospectively track the spread of the virus from one individual patient—the index case—to other residents of the complex. They reported that the patient's toilet exhaust fan, which created a negative pressure effect, vented into the apartments above and also to the outside. They linked this to 187 cases in the complex with available data. This analysis suggests that the SARS virus was able to be transmitted by microdroplets through inhalation, touch, and potentially fecal-oral routes.We can and should practice social distancing, taking a step back so we're 6 feet away from each other. But what do we do to address concerns that the toilet microbiome may put us at risk for COVID-19?

Certainly, hospitals caring for these patients need to pay close attention to toilet cleansing and determine whether there are venting systems that expel air from the toilet via a negative pressure effect. It also raises questions about the use of toilets in the public domain. Six-feet social distancing means I can see you, you can see me, and we can stay apart. But if I use a toilet, there's no way of knowing whether it was used prior by a symptomatic or asymptomatic viral carrier or shedder.

The aerosolization effect that can occur in toilets, leading to microdroplets that can be inhaled or persist on surface areas, raises some real concerns regarding epidemiologic spread. It may also be helpful in understanding why this rapid spread can occur when not linked to known contact with those positive for COVID-19.

Turning our attention to the toilets is something we need to do. It's very prudent for those caring for patients in the hospital. And for those who are out of the hospital and trying to stay healthy, consider avoiding public-domain toilets.

We don't have the answers yet, but there are some evidence-based steps that I encourage you to consider.

I'm Dr David Johnson. Thanks again for listening.

David A. Johnson, MD, a regular contributor to Medscape, is professor of medicine and chief of gastroenterology at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, and a past president of the American College of Gastroenterology. His primary focus is the clinical practice of gastroenterology. He has published extensively in the internal medicine/gastroenterology literature, with principal research interests in esophageal and colon disease, and more recently in sleep and microbiome effects on gastrointestinal health and disease.

Good morning Biology Teachers,

You may be interested in a webinar this afternoon, 3 PM-4 PM EDT.

Join scientist, educator, and author Joseph Levine in an engaging webinar on COVID-19 this Thursday, April 2nd at 3:00 pm EDT. SARS-CoV-2 is the newest viral threat to humanity, following HIV, SARS, MERS, and flu strains like the one that caused the 1918 pandemic. Why are some viruses so deadly? How do new ones arise and spread? Can we draw from experience to defeat this one? This webinar, ideal for online teaching, puts coronaviruses in context, invoking NGSS CCC’s and DCI’s in genetics, ecology, evolution, and immunology.

To sign up, go to https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7533681456036897550

Ingrid

How to Tell If We’re Beating COVID-19. This 7-minute video presents a very helpful and informative analysis of exponential growth and deviations from exponential growth that indicate effective actions to stop exponential growth in some countries. (https://www.realclearscience.com/video/2020/03/28/how_to_tell_if_were_beating_covid-19.html)

Suggestions about how to safely grocery shop and receive package deliveries (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/26/dont-panic-about-shopping-getting-delivery-or-accepting-packages/)

 Science Take-Out from RTNN 

RTNN is pleased to announce a weekly microscopy program for your quarantined viewing pleasure. Science Take-out will begin at noon on Tuesday, March 31st. Each week, Dr. Holly Leddy will explore a different theme using both a light microscope, a portable scanning electron microscope, and the support of RTNN technical staff. We’ll broadcast all sessions live and answer your questions. Join us for some take-out science as we explore the world at a much smaller scale. To learn more, please visit the Science Take-Out site: go.ncsu.edu/sci-take-out. (Maude Cuchiara, PhD, Research Triangle Nanotechnology Network, www.rtnn.org, (919) 515-6171)

The resources at this link look helpful.
http://view.ocrm3.pearson.com/?qs=c13d089703b035fdb2267b09dc387b1718c166af63cbe66e4ec34ab0793a5cc7471d654b783949c1623332acffc57932a2817df9095fe5614f1924efeca63ef880ffe6e33710a32f5c033f23fd473452
Ingrid

Have questions about the COVID-19 virus? Join Franklin Institute live on Facebook at 3:00 pm Monday–Friday as Chief Bioscientist Dr. Jayatri Das gives us updates.

You could be spreading the coronavirus without realizing you’ve got it

“The study concluded that 86 per cent of cases were “undocumented” – that is, asymptomatic or had only very mild symptoms (Science, doi.org/ggn6c2).… Such undocumented cases are still contagious and the study found them to be the source of most of the virus’s spread in China before the restrictions came in. Even though these people were only 55 per cent as contagious as people with symptoms, the study found that they were the source of 79 per cent of further infections, due to there being more of them, and the higher likelihood that they were out and about.” (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2238473-you-could-be-spreading-the-coronavirus-without-realising-youve-got-it/?utm_source=NSDAY&utm_campaign=8c5b903747-NSDAY_250320&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1254aaab7a-8c5b903747-373868199)

(https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/03/23/coronavirus-sense-of-smell/)

“The country showed that it is possible to contain the coronavirus without shutting down the economy, but experts are unsure whether its lessons can work abroad.”

(https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/world/asia/coronavirus-south-korea-flatten-curve.html)

The article at the link below shows models and discusses various strategies to prevent coronavirus from spreading. To summarize: the most interesting basic point is that quarantining doesn’t really work, since it seldom can be maintained—instead those efforts are better directed at social distancing over a broader range. In other words, given a LARGE-sized population, it is less effective to try to isolate the sick SUBSET of the population (because some inevitably will escape/violate it), than it is to implement social distancing across the ENTIRE population.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/

Here is another valuable document that is a crowd sourced list of resources from the American Society of Microbiologists. It includes links for teaching tools and a free online textbook.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17m1gUVprX8CqYP5P0ijnkLBtD-zkPdgvkKnjQyiSE8k/edit#gid=0

FedEx and UPS delivery truck drivers are showing up for work sick.  The conditions described in the facilities could make them a breeding ground for the transmission of the virus.  Since the virus can live for possibly 24 hours on cardboard, be very careful how you handle the outer boxes of your packages.  And, of course, you have no idea how healthy the people are who packed the cartons in the first place (or for that matter, the people at Giant who gather your groceries for delivery or stock the shelves). Maybe online shopping is not such a great idea these days. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/21/business/coronavirus-ups-fedex-xpo-workers.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_200322&campaign_id=2&instance_id=16974&segment_id=22534&user_id=8816b688b5ddf87b2697ab93c7a90823&regi_id=174655980322

The article at the link below explains why soap is generally better than bleach for cleaning surfaces. New research suggests that the virus lasts for up to four hours on clothes and wood, about a day on cardboard, two days on stainless steel, and three days on a type of hard plastic called polypropylene, although it might last longer on heavily contaminated surfaces in public spaces.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/03/why-soap-preferable-bleach-fight-against-coronavirus/?cmpid=org=ngp::mc=crm-email::src=ngp::cmp=editorial::add=SpecialEdition_20200320&rid=8816B688B5DDF87B2697AB93C7A90823

Sharing from Vernier:

So far, 39 states have announced widespread school cancellations and closures as a result of COVID-19. Consequently, educators and administrators are currently scrambling to find remote learning solutions because they’re having to transition their classes to an online format with no prep time.

To give you the support you need during this precarious time, Vernier has put together some online resources to help engage students with STEM remotely.

Our online resources include free trials to Vernier Video Analysis™ and Pivot Interactives, and over 80 free experiments with sample data covering a large range of subjects. With these tools, you can help your students form a deep understanding of key scientific concepts outside the classroom and laboratory.

https://www.vernier.com/remote-learning/?utm_campaign=remote-learning-solutions&utm_source=house-file&utm_medium=&utm_content=

Contact us by email at support@vernier.com 

Or by phone at 1-888-837-6437 

Vernier Software & Technology released a new Online Resources web-page. The link is right at the top of the Vernier website under "Explore Resources", so it's easy to find.  However, to make it even easier here's the direct link:  https://www.vernier.com/remote-learning/?utm_campaign=remote-learning-homepage-banner&utm_source=website <https://www.vernier.com/remote-learning/?utm_campaign=remote-learning-homepage-banner&utm_source=website>

Here’s the news flash from Vernier :

"To give you the support you need during this precarious time, Vernier has put together some online resources to help engage students with STEM remotely.

Our online resources include free trials to Vernier Video Analysis™ and Pivot Interactives, and over 80 free experiments with sample data covering a large range of subjects. With these tools, you can help your students form a deep understanding of key scientific concepts outside the classroom and laboratory."

If you’re looking for fact-based information about COVID-19 and how it spreads, one source is Science Matters: Let’s Talk About COVID-19, a free 19-our course by Imperial College of London, one of the top public health research universities in the world. 

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

To be aware of the scale of the emerging outbreak and know how to track trends using reliable sources of information

Another source that explains why people in the US are at substantial risk is

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/12/814522489/singapore-wins-praise-for-its-covid-19-strategy-the-u-s-does-not. 

As you probably already know, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html is a good source of information and advice.

Wishing you good health,

Ingrid

I received the following from Wiley.