Category: Covid-19

NEWARK Social distancing measures took a dramatic but expected step on Saturday with Gov. Phil Murphy ordering all non-essential businesses closed. They have until 9 p.m. to comply.

The announcement came as New Jersey's death toll from the novel coronavirus reached 16 and the number of COVID-19 cases topped 1,327.

The disruptions, which are leading to massive unemployment claims, could last weeks, if not months, Murphy said.

The order taking effect 9 p.m. March 21 prohibits gatherings of any kind no weddings, no funerals, no in-person business meetings which previously had been limited to 50 people.

The order essentially requires that the state's 9 million residents remain home, although they're allowed to walk or run outside as long as they can maintain a safe distance from others.

The order comes with long list of exceptions. And while Murphy asked all businesses to have their employees to work from home whenever possible, he noted that construction, manufacturing, logistics, shipping and trucking work would continue.

Medical facilities such as doctors offices, hospitals, dentist offices, long-term care facilities, physical therapy offices and other medical offices also remain open.

There is no travel ban but people should try to stay home between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless they're commuting or have a reasonable reason to be out.

Retailers also are allowed to continue their businesses online.

Murphy said the choices have been to take action or "let the virus run its course" and "ultimately pay a huge price in fatalities and sickness and pay an enormous economic price."

"Our job collectively is to flatten the curve, break the back of that curve as aggressively and preemptively as possible. That comes with economic pain, enormous economic pain But at the end of the day, we will get through this. We know that," Murphy said during a news briefing Saturday at Rutgers University-Newark.

"While the economy pain is significant now, we will save many lives, we will keep a lot of people healthy and frankly, at the end of the day, the economic pain related to what we're doing will be a lot less consequential than if we had let this virus run amok."

The lobbying organization representing businesses and industry in the state said Saturday that the understand "the need to put public health first in confronting a global pandemic with uncertain reach."

"There is much guidance for which businesses are or are not included as essential,' but we still anticipate much confusion, requiring further detail and guidance," Michelle Siekerka, president and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association said in a written statement.

"While we recognize the pain many of our businesses are experiencing, we are pleased to see our manufacturers and other essential sectors remain in operation to continue their work during this challenging time, particularly those who make health-based products relevant to the coronavirus response."

Grocery stores and retailers offering foods

Convenience stores

Food banks

Restaurants that can provide take-out or delivery

Farmer's markets and farms that sell directly to customers

Pharmacies

Marijuana dispensaries

Medical supply stores

Liquor stores

Banks and financial institutions

Gas stations

Auto mechanics

Car dealerships for auto maintenance and repair

Pet supply stores

Hardware and home improvement stores

Vehicle rental locations

Laundromats and dry cleaners

Stores that principally sell supplies for children under 5 years

Pet stores and veterinary service locations

Printing and office supply shops

Mail and delivery stores

Businesses that require employees to be on site "should operate with the minimal number of on-site employees as possible to ensure critical operations can continue." Examples of such employees include cashiers or store clerks, construction workers, utility workers, repair workers, warehouse workers, lab researchers, IT maintenance workers, janitorial and custodial staff and certain administrative staff.

Murphy on Saturday also said that nannies and housekeepers would be considered necessary workers.

In addition to Saturday's order closing all non-essential retail, Murphy during the week had already taken steps to close certain retailers and services. Schools were closed this week and moved to online and remote learning. Murphy is keeping daycare centers open because he said essential workers who can't work from home need a place to leave their children.

Local police departments have been ticketing violators.

"If folks are monkeying around, we will take action," Murphy said Saturday.

Restaurants and bars that cannot provide take-out or delivery

Shopping malls except for restaurants with separate entrances

Gatherings of individuals such as parties, celebrations, or other social events, are cancelled. CDC guidance defines a gathering to include conferences, large meetings, parties, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events, weddings, and other types of assemblies

All recreational and entertainment businesses including casinos; racetracks; gyms and fitness centers

Entertainment centers such as movie theaters, performing arts centers, concert venues, and nightclubs

Personal-care businesses such as barbershops; hair salons; spas; nail and eyelash salons; tattoo parlors; massage parlors; tanning salons

Public and private social clubs.

Businesses that believe that they should be included on the list of essential establishments should reach out to the superintendent of the State Police.

Murphy also signed an order invalidating any county or municipal restrictions that conflict with his order.

Counties and municipalities are allowed to make further restrictions on online marketplaces for arranging or offering lodging and on public parks.

Sergio Bichao is deputy digital editor at New Jersey 101.5. Send him news tips: Call 609-359-5348 or email sergio.bichao@townsquaremedia.com.

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NJ COVID-19 shutdown: Here's what's closed and allowed to open - New Jersey 101.5 FM Radio

South Koreans are famously nonchalant about North Korean nuclear weapons. Bewilderingly to the rest of us, they keep calm and carry on whenever Pyongyang threatens to turn Seoul into a sea of fire. The South Korean approach to Covid-19 could not have been more different.

On 16 January, the South Korean biotech executive Chun Jong-yoon grasped the reality unfolding in China and directed his lab to work to stem the viruss inevitable spread; within days, his team developed detection kits now in high demand around the world.

There has been a general consensus in South Korea to trust in and respect the advice coming from doctors and scientists

Meanwhile, the South Korean government assumed the virus would hit. Experience with the 2003 Sars epidemic proved useful: existing governmental units in the ministries of health, welfare and foreign affairs, regional municipalities and the presidents office were mobilised. As a result, South Korea has been effective in controlling the nations mortality rate not through travel bans but instead through widespread rigorous quarantine measures and testing, now even exporting domestically produced test kits such as the 51,000 diagnostic products sent this week to the United Arab Emirates.

Most importantly, South Korea immediately began testing hundreds of thousands of asymptomatic people, including at drive-through centres. South Korea employed a central tracking app, Corona 100m, that publicly informs citizens of known cases within 100 metres of where they are. Surprisingly, a culture that has often rebelliously rejected authoritarianism has embraced intrusive measures.

On 17 March, a temporary provision entailed a small subsidy of 454,900 South Korean won (313) a month to cover basic living expenses. The same funding is available to those who are self-isolating, regardless of whether they test positive for the virus. Its not hugely generous, but provides subsistence for those whose lives are upended by necessary measures such as the ministry of educations closure of schools.

Other nations would be wise to copy the South Korean model: on 29 February, 700 people tested positive in the primary South Korean outbreak city of Daegu. By 15 March, 41 new cases were reported there.

There is, however, no time for complacency. As expected, based on the continued lack of immunity in the population, on 18 March, the number of cases began rising again, with Seoul now bracing for the worst.

From 16 March, South Korea started to screen all people arriving at airports, Koreans included. South Koreans have universal health care, double the number of hospital beds compared to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) norms (and triple that of the UK), and are accustomed to paying half what Americans pay for similar medical procedures. At this historic juncture, there has been a general consensus to trust in and respect the advice coming from doctors and scientists.

But it hasnt all been smooth sailing: church officials south of Seoul were revealed to have sprayed salt water into parishioners mouths on the false premise it would stave off the infection. Worse, no one disinfected the bottles nozzle, and 46 people from the congregation have already tested positive. Also, despite South Koreas laudable healthcare apparatus, foreigners living in the country underscore disparities. With no Chinese allowed signs on numerous businesses and restaurants, some fear seeking medical advice.

The South Korean model is not without costs. In pre-pandemic days, the nations Oscar-winning film Parasite presciently showed the world how the rich can survive by working from home while their children enjoy the comfort of remote learning without worrying about food. These cultural imbalances are not unique to South Korea. Wealthy, independent schools are sending children home equipped with computers, books and musical instruments for remote learning, a situation being partially offered by state-run institutions, if at all.

In cities such as New York where there is now widespread community transmission of Covid-19 it is likely too late to follow the South Korean model. Efforts need to be focused elsewhere, including a wartime-like mobilisation to vastly increase the production of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and the ventilator machines needed to treat the critically ill.

Oscars in hand, Bong Joon-ho, the director of Parasite, charmed the world on 10 February: I will drink until next morning, thank you. A week later, back in Seoul and well before most governments had woken up to the serious challenge they faced, he had already changed his tone, promising to wash [his] hands from now on, and participate in this movement to defeat coronavirus.

Alexis Dudden is professor of history at the University of Connecticut. Andrew Marks is a doctor and chair of physiology at Columbia University

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South Korea took rapid, intrusive measures against Covid-19 and they worked - The Guardian

Covid-19 and the Stiff Upper Lip The Pandemic Response in the United Kingdom  nejm.org

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Covid-19 and the Stiff Upper Lip The Pandemic Response in the United Kingdom - nejm.org

TUCSON - The confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Arizona hasincreased to 104, according to data released by the Arizona Department ofHealth Services Saturday morning.

The level of community spread has been updated to moderate,meaning there have been confirmed cases in 5-12 counties.

Maricopa County has 49 confirmed cases, the highest number of cases confirmed in one Arizona county.

Preventing Coronavirus

COVID-19 spreads through the air when an infected personcoughs or sneezes. Symptoms are thought to appear within 2 to 14 days afterexposure and consist of fever, cough, runny nose, or difficulty breathing.Those considered at highest risk for contracting the virus are individuals withtravel to an area where the virus is spreading, or individuals in close contactwith a person who is diagnosed as having COVID-19.

The best ways to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses,including COVID-19, are to:

Washyour hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and waterare not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Avoidtouching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoidclose contact with people who are sick.

Stayhome when you are sick.

Coveryour cough or sneeze with a tissue, then immediately throw the tissue in thetrash.

Cleanand disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Public health officials advise residents that flu and otherrespiratory diseases are circulating in the community, and are recommendingeveryone get a flu shot and follow basic prevention guidelines.

If you have recently traveled to an area where COVID-19 iscirculating, and have developed fever with cough or shortness of breath within14 days of your travel, or have had contact with someone who is suspected tohave 2019 novel coronavirus, please stay home. Most people with COVID-19develop mild symptoms. If you have mild symptoms, please do not seek medicalcare, but do stay home and practice social distancing from others in thehousehold where possible. If you do have shortness of breath or more severesymptoms, please call your health care provider to get instructions beforearriving.

For the latest information about COVID-19, visitwww.pima.gov/COVID19orby calling 520-626-6016.

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Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Arizona rises to 104 - KVOA Tucson News

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) -- The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has confirmed two deaths of coronavirus, one in Johnson and the other previous case in Wyandotte county.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has confirmed that as of Saturday afternoon, the state has 57 cases of coronavirus, including two deaths.

Johnson County still has the most cases, with 25; Wyandotte County has 13 cases, Leavenworth County has 4 cases, Douglas county has 3 cases, Morris and Butler County each have two cases, and Cherokee, Franklin, Jackson, Linn, Mitchell, Reno, Riley and Sedgwick Counties each have one case.

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A new death of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Kansas, totaling 2 deaths - WIBW

Cadet spoke to CNN through labored breaths and coughing from her hospital bed Friday, hours after she found out she'd tested positive for Covid-19, the illness caused by coronavirus. She says she has asthma, but it's normally well-controlled. She never expected to be one of many who are hospitalized by the virus.

"I did not think it was going to get me this bad," Cadet said. "My asthma is really under control otherwise."

Cadet had been working "light duty" for the past several weeks, taking care of maintenance around the Fire Department of New York station where she works. She had no patient contact and stayed in the station. As officials began to warn the public to maintain "social distancing," Cadet said her only contact with the outside world was through her work as an "essential worker."

She stayed at the station but said her co-workers responded to multiple calls where they came in contact with people who were showing symptoms of the coronavirus. Some of the people they treated later tested positive for the virus, her coworkers told her.

"I wasn't even having patient contact, just exposed to my co-workers," Cadet said.

When asked about Cadet's case, FDNY spokesman Jim Long said, "Covid-19 is at the level of community exposure and has been for many days."

He added that 15 members of the fire department had tested positive for coronavirus, and that there were no reports of breaches in personal protective equipment on coronavirus-related calls.

Cadet says there are not enough masks or protective gear and that exposure is inevitable.

"Cross-contamination is eventually going to happen. Everybody's calling 911, everybody's got symptoms," Cadet said. "We are the first line of defense. We're going to go somewhere and we're going to treat this patient, we're going to do the best to decontaminate our ambulance and then go onto the next assignment. Everybody's going to come in contact."

FDNY has an entire unit tasked with monitoring the level of protective equipment like masks, Long said.

"We're good as we speak right now, but every day that adjusts and changes," Long said.

This week the guidelines for FDNY's workers changed. They are now expected to continue working after exposure to patients who have tested positive for Covid-19, as long as they aren't showing symptoms of the virus, said Oren Barzilay, the president of the union that represents EMTs, paramedics and fire inspectors in the FDNY.

The guidelines say that because there is now "sustained community transmission" of the virus in New York City, quarantining people who travel or come in contact with Covid-19 positive cases "is no longer scientifically valid."

"It's like putting fuel on fire. It makes no sense to us that they're asking us to continue spreading this virus," Barzilay said.

Long said that FDNY workers could continue to work as long as they don't have symptoms. He said that firefighters, EMS and other workers at FDNY will be "tracked" daily after encountering someone who tested positive for coronavirus.

"They'll be responsible for taking a look and checking in on their health -- taking their temperature, do they have a cough, is it a new cough, sore throat?" Long said. "They'll report back to us on a daily basis."

Long said if FDNY workers show symptoms, they would be placed under a seven-day quarantine and could return to work if they remained fever free for three days. The workers would be paid and the time off would not count against their leave. This is a change from the department's previous 14-day quarantine policy, before city guidelines were changed regarding health care workers quarantining if exposed to a positive coronavirus case.

He said that as of Friday, 127 members of the fire department had been quarantined after coming in contact with people who tested positive for coronavirus. That was before the new guidelines came out this week. Those already under quarantine will remain there for two weeks and can return to work if they don't have symptoms, Long said.

Information and guidelines are constantly changing, Long said, and FDNY is working to do what's best for their workers.

"This is a completely different event than we're accustomed to. It's not a fire, it's not a building collapse. The road we're traveling is unknown and we're learning, at times, as we go," Long said. "We're trying to identify what's good for our membership, what's good for their families and ultimately the people that we serve."

"If you are a health care worker who has had a known high-risk exposure to a patient(s) with confirmed Covid-19, you should take extra care to monitor your health but can keep working," according to New York City's health department guidelines. "There is no requirement for 14 day quarantine of healthcare workers with high-risk exposures in the setting of sustained community transmission as we have in New York City."

But EMS workers present a unique problem over other health care workers who are based in hospitals and clinics, they often are coming into people's homes, Barzilay said, adding that they often respond to calls from the elderly or immunocompromised.

"We are now putting other people's lives at risk," Barzilay said. "Now they've exposed this elderly person to the coronavirus."

Cadet said she believes she'll spend the next two days in the hospital, hooked up to oxygen. She can't go home now, she said, because she fears exposing elderly family members to the virus.

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EMS workers expected to keep working after coronavirus exposure - CNN

This blog is the first in a series providing regional analysis on the effects of the coronavirus.

By Alejandro Werner

, , Espaol, Franais, , Portugus,

COVID-19 is spreading very quickly. This is no longer a regional issueit is a challenge calling for a global response. Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have been hit later than other regions from the pandemic and therefore have a chance to flatten the curve of contagion.

Efforts on multiple fronts to achieve this goal are underway. In addition to strengthening health policy responses, many countries in the region are taking measures of containment, including border closures, school closings, and other social distancing measures.

For the region, a 2020 with negative growth is not an unlikely scenario.

These measures, together with the world economic slowdown and disruption in supply chains, the decline in commodity prices, the contraction in tourism, and the sharp tightening of global financial conditions are bringing activity to a halt in many Latin American countriesseverely damaging economic prospects. For the region, the recovery we were expecting a few months ago will not happen and a 2020 with negative growth is not an unlikely scenario.

Deep impact

The resulting increase in borrowing costs will expose financial vulnerabilities that have accumulated over years of low interest rates. While the sharp fall in the oil price is expected to benefit the oil importing countries in the region, it will dampen investment and economic activity in countries that are heavily dependent on oil exports.

In the event of a local outbreak, service sector activity will likely be hit the hardest as a result of containment efforts and social distancing, with sectors such as tourism and hospitality, and transportation particularly affected.

Moreover, countries with weak public health infrastructures and limited fiscal space to ramp up public health services and support affected sectors and households would come under significant pressure.

The economic impact of the pandemic is likely to vary due to regional and country-specific characteristics.

South America will face lower export revenues, both from the drop in commodity prices and reduction in export volumes, especially to China, Europe and the United States which are important trade partners. The sharp decline in oil prices will hit the oil exporters especially. The tightening of financial conditions will affect negatively the large and financially integrated economies and those with underlying vulnerabilities. Containment measures in several countries will reduce economic activity in service and manufacturing sectors for at least the next quarter, with a rebound once the epidemic is contained.

In Central America and Mexico, a slowdown in the United States will lead to a reduction in trade, foreign direct investment, tourism flows, and remittances. Key agricultural exports (coffee, sugar, banana) as well as trade flows through the Panama Canal could also be adversely affected by lower global demand. Local outbreaks will strain economic activity in the next quarter and aggravate already uncertain business conditions (especially in Mexico).

In the Caribbean, lower tourism demand due to travel restrictions and the fear factoreven after the outbreak recedeswill weigh heavily on economic activity. Commodity exporters will also be strongly impacted and a reduction in remittances is likely to add to the economic strain.

Policy priorities

The top priority is ensuring that front-line health-related spending is available to protect peoples wellbeing, take care of the sick, and slow the spread of the virus. In countries where there are limitations in health care systems, the international community must step in to help them avert a humanitarian crisis.

In addition, targeted fiscal, monetary, and financial market measures will be key to mitigate the economic impact of the virus. Governments should use cash transfers, wage subsidies and tax relief to help affected households and businesses to confront this temporary and sudden stop in production.

Central banks should increase monitoring, develop contingency plans, and be ready to provide ample liquidity to financial institutions, particularly those lending to small and medium sized enterprises, which may be less prepared to withstand prolonged disruptions. Temporary regulatory forbearance may also be appropriate in some cases.

Where policy space exists, broader monetary and fiscal stimulus can lift confidence and aggregate demand but would most likely be more effective when business operations begin to normalize. Given the extensive cross-border economic linkages, the argument for a coordinated, global response to the epidemic is clear.

Countries are starting to take policy initiatives in this direction. For example, additional funds are being secured for health spending in many countries including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. Moreover, Brazil announced an emergency economic package on March 17 that is targeted for supporting the socially vulnerable, maintenance of employment, and combatting the pandemic.

For our part, the IMF stands ready to help mitigate the economic fallout from the coronavirus and we have several facilities and instruments at our disposal.

In closing, I would like to iterate the importance of decisive actions by all of us to limit the economic fallout from the coronavirus and avert a humanitarian crisis. The Fund stands ready to assist and work with member countries in these difficult times.

The IMF and Covid-19

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COVID-19 Pandemic and Latin America and the Caribbean: Time for Strong Policy Actions - International Monetary Fund

HONOLULU (KHON) The Department of Health confirmed today that there are 10 new cases of coronavirus in the state; 8 on Oahu and 2 on Maui. The DOH stated there is no evidence of community spread.

According to the States COVID-19 Joint Information Center, all 10 cases are adults.

One of the Oahu cases is State Senator Clarence Nishihara, who announced earlier today that he had tested positive.

Another case is a civilian employee at Tripler Army Medical Center, making this case the first confirmed COVID-19 case within the Army community in Hawaii. Military medical personnel were informed of the positive test results on March 18.

According to Tripler, the employee had recently traveled to New York and started to develop symptoms after returning to Oahu, and took the precaution of self-isolating at home. The individual then pursued testing through an urgent care facility after personal notification that a close contact during travel had tested positive for COVID-19. The employee is currently in self-isolation and will be monitored by medical personnel from the medical center.

This is a developing story. We will update it as more details emerge.

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Ten new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Hawaii - KHON2

Cameron County Public Health officials announced Saturday that there is a second travel-related case of COVID-19 in the county.

An 81-year-old male from Harlingen tested positive after traveling to Florida, the release stated. On March 19, the patient was tested due to symptoms of cough, congestion, and fever. Cameron County Public Health received laboratory confirmation March 20.

The person is in home isolation and is not tied to the first travel-related case, which involves a 21-year-old man from Rancho Viejo who tested positive on March 19 after returning from a trip to Ireland and Spain.

Cameron County Public Health has implemented their COVID-19 action response plan and is conducting the epidemiological investigation to identify others who may have been exposed and test the individuals showing signs and symptoms, the release stated. Cameron County Public Health will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they are received.

If you have news you would like to contribute, you can reach The Monitor at (956) 683-4000.

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2nd travel-related COVID-19 case in RGV confirmed in Harlingen - Monitor

When exposed to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 twice in a row, two monkeys did not contract an infection a second time, according to a preliminary study. This could be good news for humans, who historically show an immune response to the virus that's similar to their primate cousins but experts say it's too soon to say for sure.

China, Japan and South Korea have reported cases of people testing positive for the coronavirus, recovering, being released from care and then later testing positive a second time. Evidence suggests that the virus can persist in the body for several weeks after recovery, so it may be that these patients still tested positive but were not reinfected, Live Science previously reported. However, we still know very little about how the human immune system responds to SARS-CoV-2, and whether those who have been infected develop lasting immunity.

The new research in monkeys, though preliminary, may help start to answer these questions.

Related: 11 deadly diseases that hopped across speciesMore: Coronavirus in the US: Map & cases

The small study, posted March 14 to the preprint database medRxiv, has not been peer reviewed. Additionally, the small study included only four rhesus macaques, two of which were exposed to the virus twice. That said, all four monkeys appeared susceptible to COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, developed symptoms that were similar to humans and generated specific antibodies in response to the virus.

"According to our current study, the antibodies produced by the infected monkeys can protect the monkey from the reexposure to the virus," senior author Dr. Chuan Qin, director of the Institute of Laboratory Animal Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, told Live Science in an email.

Related: Can people spread the coronavirus after they recover?

Although interesting, these early results should be taken "with a grain of salt," Dr. Courtney Gidengil, a senior physician policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and an associate physician in pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Boston Children's Hospital, who was not involved in the study, told Live Science in an email. Given the limited data from both people and monkeys, it's unclear whether patients who seemingly "relapsed" hadn't actually recovered from their initial illness, or else generated too few antibodies to ward off the disease when exposed a second time, she added.

"While the findings seem reassuring in terms of the monkeys doing fine, I dont think we can generalize from it with certainty for humans, given the small sample size," Gidengil said.

Having heard the anecdotal reports of so-called reinfection in humans, Chuan's team aimed to see if rhesus macaques could become infected with COVID-19 twice in a row.

The team introduced SARS-CoV-2 into the throats of four adult macaques and closely monitored the animals' symptoms and vital signs. The team collected swab samples from the animals' noses, throats and anuses to track the changing concentration of the virus throughout the body. The team also euthanized and took tissue samples from one monkey seven days after infection to analyze the viral load in various organs.

The team also took X-rays of the monkeys' chests to look for tissue damage and signs of pneumonia. The team also identified antibodies present in the monkeys' blood.

Related: How deadly is the new coronavirus?

The "virus infection and pathology in monkey model are very similar to those of patients, but monkey models did not show severe symptoms of patients [or] death," Chuan said. The macaques showed decreased appetite, increased breathing rate and developed mild to moderate pneumonia about a week following infection. Viral concentrations in the nose and throat peaked around three days post-infection and then declined; the anal concentrations also peaked around three days after infection and fell to undetectable levels by day 14.

Blood samples revealed the monkeys developed antibodies built to target SARS-CoV-2 shortly after infection, with significant concentrations appearing in the blood by the 14th day and remaining elevated when checked 21 and 28 days after infection. At this point, the monkeys tested negative for the virus, their symptoms had subsided, their vital signs stabilized and their chest X-rays appeared normal, so the team considered them to be fully recovered.

At this point, they attempted to infect two of the monkeys a second time. But the infection did not take.

Swab samples collected from the monkeys did not contain detectable concentrations of the virus following reexposure and remained clear for 14 days. The team sampled tissues from one of the two monkeys five days after reexposure and noted neither tissue damage from the virus nor increased viral loads.

"No viral load was detected in these main tissues on [day five] after the monkey was exposed to the same dose of virus again," Chuan said. "So, we think the coronavirus did not survive for a long time in the body."

The results suggest that exposure to SARS-CoV-2 can protect rhesus macaques from subsequent infection and indicates that the monkeys could be useful in vaccine and treatment development. "Because of the similar immune response of [nonhuman primates] and human beings, [nonhuman primate] models are better to evaluate vaccines than other animals," Chuan said.

But can the small study tell us anything about human immunity to the virus?

"The big limitation of this study is that it's really a short-term rechallenge study," meaning the monkeys were "rechallenged" with the virus soon after recovering from the first infection, said Dr. Dean Winslow, a professor of hospital medicine at Stanford University Medical Center who specializes in infectious diseases.

Winslow said that, while it represents a solid first step toward understanding the immune response to this virus, the study should be replicated in a larger group of primates and the second exposure should take place further out from the first. Only then can we see whether and how immunity persists over longer periods of time, and how that relates to the clinical data we gather from human patients, Winslow told Live Science.

Additionally, future studies could probe how the generation of specific antibodies correlates with immunity to SARS-CoV-2. Different antibodies latch onto different parts of a virus's outer coat. So different antibody types may grant more or less immunity against a given virus. It would be valuable to take samples from an infected animal daily, tally the number and diversity of antibodies over time and determine which viral structures those antibodies target, Winslow said. These data could help reveal how and whether different antibodies create long-lasting immunity.

That said, you wouldn't expect to see those results from a short study of only four monkeys, Winslow added.

"This was a very nice, initial pilot study," he said. "But the limitations are what they are."

Originally published on Live Science.

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Macaque monkeys can't become reinfected with COVID-19, small study suggests. - Live Science