Changing America - Coronavirus dramatically loses ability to infect minutes after becoming airborne, a massive oil spill occurred in New Orleans, and the flu shot’s efficacy is in question

View in browser     ©istock New study says air knocks down COVID-19 infection rate by 90 percent By Shirin Ali   Researchers in the U.K. studied the infectivity rate of COVID-19 over the course of 20 minutes and found a decrease almost immediately after the virus became airborne. By the first two minutes, the infectivity rate dropped by 90 percent. Read the full story here       ©istock New documents reveal massive oil spill in New Orleans last month By Shirin Ali   A pipeline ruptured a few hundred feet from the Mississippi River in New Orleans last month, spilling more than 300,000 gallons of oil, and reports of the spill are only now being discovered. The spill occurred in a section of pipe that had previously been flagged for repairs.  Read the full story here     ©CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images Why the US could have a higher death rate from omicron than other countries By Shirin Ali   Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research Institute, tweeted a series of data points that compared daily COVID-19 cases and deaths for multiple large nations. Topol said the U.S. is likely to experience more cases and deaths than other larger, developed countries. Read the full story here     ©Céline Vidal Earliest evidence of modern humans in eastern Africa is older than previously thought By Joseph Guzman   In the late 1960s, scientists uncovered remains of Homo sapiens in the Omo Kibish Formation in southwestern Ethiopia and believed they were almost 200,000 years old. New research suggests they’re likely much older.  Read the full story here     Feature of the Week: © istock This year's flu shot effectiveness in question By Chia-Yi Hou Th This winter, the coronavirus and flu viruses are expected to infect many people, sometimes simultaneously. Some health experts are saying this year's flu shot is poorly matched to the strain that is circulating. Others say it is still too early to know.  Read the full story here           Did a friend forward you this email?   Sign up for Changing America       Forward Changing America       Privacy Policy  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©1998 - 2021 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

Link