Loh Down on Science: Special Pandemic Edition

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My Mask is Your Mask May 26, 2020

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You’re wearing a mask on a walk, minding your own business, and then AHHHHHH, somebody pops up behind you, on a bicycle without a mask! No!

This is Emily Sarah Sumner with the Loh Down on Science: Special Pandemic Edition.

When you think of a mask, what do you think of? Before COVID, masks were not very commonly worn in the US. In western countries, many associated masks with robbers, masquerade balls, and surgeons.

In Eastern countries are different. For example, in South Korea and China, masks have already a part of everyday life for quite some time. Masks are thought of as polite. It is rude NOT to wear a mask when you are sick.

Masks are more than just a fashion statement. Research has shown that masks can be useful in preventing the spread of the coronavirus! If you have coronavirus, the droplets that come out of your mouth can get others sick. When you cover your mouth with a simple piece of fabric, those droplets can’t travel as far. Scarves, old t-shirts, anything will do!

Countries that are having LESS outbreaks of the coronavirus have worn masks long far before the COVID-19 even existed. Thailand, China, and South Korea all successfully flattened (for now) their curves. On the other hand, the countries hardest hit - like the US, Italy, and Brazil - did not have universal mask-acceptance prior to the virus.

Research suggests that communal mask-wearing can help stop the spread of the virus. Some places in the US have set rules for everybody to wear facial coverings when in public, like Massachusetts and New York City. However, this is not the case for the whole country. In the US, one study showed that less than HALF of people have started wearing masks since the start of this pandemic.

So I only need to wear a mask if I’m feeling sick, right? No! Research has shown that many people with the coronavirus may show no symptoms for a while.

Let’s say Justin is an asymptomatic carrier of the coronavirus and you are healthy. If Justin is NOT wearing a mask, the chance of him infecting you is high, even if you choose to wear a mask. If Justin IS wearing a mask, the chance of him infecting you is low. It’s even lower if you decide to wear a mask too. Universal mask-wearing is one of the strongest weapons we have against the coronavirus.

My mask protects you, and your mask protects me! Pretty cool, right?

My mask is your mask! Your mask is my mask! These masks were made for you and me! (And keep smiling.)

Deus Ex Vaccina May 24, 2020

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The world waits for a coronavirus vaccine. But this isn’t the first time it’s taken a little longer than ideal.

For nearly forty years, scientists have searched for a vaccine for HIV, the virus behind the AIDS epidemic. Although they’re still searching, drugs, treatment and technology have made an HIV diagnosis a little better. The good news is that coronavirus shares more in common with other viruses than a devious trickster like HIV... and it all comes down to copying skills.

Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.

References:

Picheta, R. What happens if a coronavirus vaccine is never developed? It has happened before. CNN Health (2020).
Bazell, R. Finding the way again after failed AIDS vaccine. NBC News (2007).
Ries, J. COVID-19 Will Mutate — What That Means for a Vaccine. Healthline (2020).

Zoomed Out May 17, 2020

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Global pandemic have skyrocketed downloads of video conferencing apps. Soon after, many found themselves zoomed out. It turns out that some of the most important communication is in nonverbal. How do we recapture the details lost to pixelated video?

References

The video apps we're downloading amid the coronavirus pandemic, World Economic Forum
Dimberg, Ulf, Monika Thunberg, and Kurt Elmehed. "Unconscious facial reactions to emotional facial expressions." Psychological science 11.1 (2000): 86-89.
Sonnby-Borgström, Marianne, Peter Jönsson, and Owe Svensson. "Emotional empathy as related to mimicry reactions at different levels of information processing." Journal of Nonverbal behavior 27.1 (2003): 3-23
Wi-Fi Calling Up 78%, Voice Calls 29%, MediaPost

Pandemic Buzz May 17, 2020

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Pandemic: quite a BUZZ word these days. We stay home, wear masks, and wash hands like crazy. But what would bees do? Hint: dance party!

For over a century, bees have faced their own pandemic, V. destructor mites. Western honey bees are not as well-equipped to deal with them as their Eastern counterparts. Eastern honey bees throw mite-cleaning shindigs and even turn to more desperate measures, but Western honey bees might need a little help from their human friends.

Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.

References:

McAfee, A. Honey Bees Are Struggling with Their Own Pandemic. Scientific American (2020).
Werner, R. Co-adaptation of Apis cerana Fabr. and Varroa jacobsoni Oud. Apidologie, Springer Verlag 30 (2-3), pp.97-110 (1999).
Page, P., Lin, Z., Buawangpong, N. et al. Social apoptosis in honey bee superorganisms. Sci Rep 6, 27210 (2016).

Every Last Drop May 17, 2020

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Trying to destroy coronavirus? The World Health Organization says get to scrubbing! Twenty seconds at the sink should do it. But what if you don’t have soap… or clean water?

As cities have developed, water sources and waste streams develop with them. Even Paris began as a cesspool of typhoid and other diseases. For areas still developing, this poses a real challenge in times of extra handwashing. What can we learn from history, and how can that help our future?

Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.

References:

Kepnes, M. Unusual Place of the Month: Paris Sewers. Nomadic Matt (2018).
Hugo, V. Les Misérables. A. Lacroix, Verboeckhoven & Cie (1862).
Lesté-Lasserre, C. Coronavirus found in Paris sewage points to early warning system. Science (2020).
Singhal, S. Every drop counts in these times of COVID-19. Down to Earth (2020).
Gharib, M., Huang, P. 6 Solutions To Beat COVID-19 In Countries Where The Usual Advice Just Won't Work. NPR (2020).
1 in 3 people globally do not have access to safe drinking water – UNICEF, WHO. WHO (2019).

Inside Out May 17, 2020

Show notes

With so many options, it can be difficult to know which cleaning products are best - even when there isn’t a pandemic going on. Fortunately, there are many options that are effective against killing viruses. The main difference is in how you use them to clean a surface. And no, you cannot use them inside the body.

For more information, you can access an article by C&EN here, or this helpful graphic and description by Compound Chem here. Written and reported by Kellen Kartub, Ph.D. with production consultant Anny Celsi.

Quarantine 15 May 17, 2020

Show notes

Stuck in a house packed with snacks and limited ways to exercise? Tempted to turn to Ben and Jerry for sweet, sweet solace? Experts say this is normal...but not healthy! During times of stress or grief, even insects turn to sugary sweets to feel more calm. To curb our cravings, experts suggest improving our mental health. Exercise, paint, or express yourself! The great painter Pablo Picasso turned to art during tough times… should we do the same?

Written and recorded by Brenna Biggs.

References:

Robinson, B. What Is "Quarantine 15"?. Psychology Today (2020).
Berinato, S. That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief. Harvard Business Review (2020).
Julia. Creativity in a Time of Uncertainty. Decoding Creativity (2016).

Anty-Who? May 11, 2020

Show notes

As weird as their name sounds, antibodies are actually quite friendly! They help our bodies fight off infection. And their presence indicates if we have had a disease and if we are immune. That’s why researchers in the Weiss and Penner labs are hard at work developing a test to count the amount of antibodies in our blood!

For more information on the Weiss and Penner labs, you can read about their detector here and their research here! Based off an interview with Kristin Gabriel, written and reported by Kellen Kartub, Ph.D. with production consultant Anny Celsi. Photo by Apurva Bhasin and the Penner Lab. Many thanks to Emily Sanders and Apurva Bhasin as well as other members of the Weiss and Penner labs for their time and work!

Bye-Bye Beards? May 11, 2020

Show notes

Quarantine is taking no-shave November to a whole new level. But can beards be hotspots for the coronavirus? Before you grab your clippers, let’s grow through history!

Written and reported by Emily Sarah Sumner, PhD

References

https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/3/30/21195447/beard-pandemic-coronavirus-masks-1918-spanish-flu-tuberculosis
Barbeito, Manuel S., Charles T. Mathews, and Larry A. Taylor. "Microbiological laboratory hazard of bearded men." Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 15, no. 4 (1967): 899-906.
Wakeam, E., R. A. Hernandez, D. Rivera Morales, S. R. G. Finlayson, M. Klompas, and M. J. Zinner. "Bacterial ecology of hospital workers' facial hair: a cross-sectional study." Journal of Hospital Infection 87, no. 1 (2014): 63-67.
https://historycooperative.org/a-short-history-of-beard-styles/

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/pdfs/FacialHairWmask11282017-508.pdf

Knopf, Sigard Adolphus. Tuberculosis as a Disease of the Masses and how to Combat it. The Survey, 1901.
https://www.vox.com/videos/2017/3/17/14939608/beard-popularity-economics

The Sprawling Upside May 10, 2020

Show notes

The traffic in Los Angeles is doomed to live in infamy. Is there any benefit? With the outbreak of coronavirus, it’s become clear (again) that some cities have bigger outbreaks. Generally, bigger cities equal bigger outbreaks. The twist? Cities with the most efficient public transportation systems are the worst off! The good news is we may be able to use this information to target hitchhiking viruses.

Written and reported by Sumner L. Norman, Ph.D.

References