May 4, 2017

African-Americans are more genetically diverse than previously thought

Jeff Nesbit (contributor)

A new study shows that African-Americans are more genetically diverse than scientists had previously believed.

The study, in Science, showed that 16 percent of African-Americans retain advantageous gene variations (like resistance to malaria) from indigenous hunter-gatherers in southern Africa who mixed with migrating Bantu-speakers. That's a higher percentage of gene-mixing than was previously known.

How they did it: Researchers analyzed genetic variations in more than 2,000 living individuals in 57 populations across Africa. They showed that Bantu-speakers migrated south through rainforests and then east over an 800-year period (which is also different than what researchers had believed previously). They then compared specific immune-related gene variations to estimate the African ancestry of more than 5,000 African-Americans in different locations in the U.S.

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World coronavirus updates: Spain tracks more cases than Italy

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens and confirmed plus presumptive cases from the CDC

Spain overtook Italy in its number of novel coronavirus cases on Saturday. The global death toll has surpassed 64,000, per Johns Hopkins data.

The latest: Dubai announced 24/7 sterilization efforts during a two-week lockdown, starting Saturday. About half the planet's population is on lockdown in response to the outbreak.

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U.S. coronavirus updates: Death toll surpasses 8,400

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

Recorded deaths from the coronavirus surpassed 8,400 in the U.S. on Saturday, per Johns Hopkins data. The death toll in the U.S. has risen over 1,000 every day for the past four days, since April 1.

The big picture: President Trump said Saturday America's is facing its "toughest week, between this week and next week." Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the U.S. should expect to see deaths continue to rise in this period.

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 8:30 p.m. ET: 1,197,405 — Total deaths: 64,606 — Total recoveries: 246,152 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 8:30 p.m. ET: 308,850 — Total deaths: 8,407 — Total recoveries: 14,652 — Map.
  3. Public health latest: CDC launches national trackers and recommends face coverings in public. Federal government will cover costs of COVID-19 treatment for uninsured. The virus is hitting poor, minority communities harder and upending childbirth.
  4. 2020 latest: "We have no contingency plan," Trump said on the 2020 Republican National Convention. "We're having the convention at the end of August."
  5. Business updates: Restaurants step up for health care workers. Employees are pressuring companies to provide protections during coronavirus.
  6. Oil latest: Monday meeting among oil-producing countries to discuss supply curbs is reportedly being delayed amid tensions between Saudi Arabia and Russia.
  7. Education update: Many college-age students won't get coronavirus relief checks.
  8. 1 🏀 thing: The WNBA postpones start of training camps and season.
  9. What should I do? Pets, moving and personal health. Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
  10. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

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Keep ReadingArrowUpdated 53 mins ago - Politics & Policy