Macaque Monkeys, Predictions for COVID-19, and a Beetle
(Inside Science) -- In this monthly recap, Alistair Jennings from Inside Science sums up some of the most interesting recent science topics:
Macaque monkeys treated with the experimental drug called REGN-COV2 harbored less of the SARS-CoV-2 virus than untreated ones -- and when the researchers examined their lung tissue, they found less damage and fewer signs of pneumonia. The researchers then tested the treatment on hamsters, who develop a more severe form of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. But here, there was a bit of a mystery: Treated hamsters had less pneumonia in their lungs but no significant change in the amount of virus in the system.
A group of Norway-based scientists have published a model that predicts COVID-19 cases will continue rise into the winter -- peaking in December and January -- if we don’t make adequate interventions. But there is some good news: The pandemic has led to the biggest drop in carbon dioxide emissions in over a century.
The diabolical ironclad beetle. This beetle’s exoskeleton is so strong that it can withstand being run over by a car and resist the bite force of its predators.
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