Feb 7, 2020 - Health

Vaccine candidate for coronavirus on track for human trials in April

A scientist is at work in the VirPath university laboratory as they try to find an effective treatment against 2019-nCoV. Photo: Jeff Pachoud/AFP via Getty Images

The National Institutes of Health and biotech company Moderna, one of several companies working to develop treatment for the novel coronavirus, are on track for human clinical trials for a vaccine in two and half months, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci, said in a press briefing Friday.

Why it matters: If the trials prove effective, the vaccine could help protect people from future outbreaks. The researchers were able to successfully take the virus's genetic code and express proteins for animal trials. “I’m happy to tell you there are no glitches so far," Fauci said.

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Mike Allen, author of AM
8 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Trump sees court fight as virus respite

Spotted at Trump's rally last night at Harrisburg International Airport in Middletown, Pa. Photo: Joshua Roberts/Reuters

At a rally in Pennsylvania last night, President Trump basked in adulation for Judge Amy Coney Barrett and said: "She should be running for president!"

Why it matters: She might as well be. The Trump campaign is thrilled to be talking about something besides the president's handling of COVID, and is going all-in to amp up the court conversation.

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Mike Allen, author of AM
9 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Democrats feel boxed in on strategy for Barrett confirmation fight

Photo: Chen Mengtong/China News Service via Getty Images

Democrats privately fear that going too hard on Judge Amy Coney Barrett in her confirmation hearings could wind up backfiring, if senators are perceived as being nasty to an accomplished woman.

Driving the news: Yesterday afternoon, NBC posted video of Coney Barrett outside her house in South Bend, Ind., loading four of her seven children — two of the seven adopted from Haiti, and another with Down Syndrome — into her Honda Odyssey minivan, then driving them all to her Air Force ride to Washington. "Good luck, Democrats," a Republican tweeted.

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Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10 a.m. ET: 32,881,747 — Total deaths: 994,821 — Total recoveries: 22,758,171— Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10 a.m. ET: 7,079,909 — Total deaths: 204,503 — Total recoveries: 2,750,459 — Total tests: 100,492,536 — Map.
  3. States: New York daily cases top 1,000 for first time since June — U.S. reports over 55,000 new coronavirus cases.
  4. Health: The long-term pain of the mental health pandemic — Fewer than 10% of Americans have coronavirus antibodies.
  5. Business: Millions start new businesses in time of coronavirus.
  6. Education: Summer college enrollment offers a glimpse of COVID-19's effect.
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