Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Since a novel coronavirus first made its presence known in China, public health officials around the world have had one fervent hope: That people who are infected but not sick would pass the virus to others only rarely. That would give these silent spreaders no more than a bit part in driving a global outbreak.That hope is in danger of being dashed.In the period before the Chinese government threw up a massive barricade around the province of Hubei to block the coronavirus’ escape, almost 9 out of 10 infections were transmitted by...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Since a novel coronavirus first made its presence known in China, public health officials around the world have had one fervent hope: That people who are infected but not sick would pass the virus to others only rarely. That would give these silent spreaders no more than a bit part in driving a global outbreak.That hope is in danger of being dashed.In the period before the Chinese government threw up a massive barricade around the province of Hubei to block the coronavirus’ escape, almost 9 out of 10 infections were transmitted by...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Conspiracy theorists need little more than suspicion, some cherry-picked facts and vibrant imaginations to spin tales about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. But for the scientists working to establish the facts, the path to the truth is much more plodding.Their search will take them through a trove of medical records whose quotidian details will be important guideposts to the time and circumstances of the coronavirus’ birth as a human pathogen. Patients’ recall of their whereabouts and contacts will matter too.But even if the...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Conspiracy theorists need little more than suspicion, some cherry-picked facts and vibrant imaginations to spin tales about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. But for the scientists working to establish the facts, the path to the truth is much more plodding.Their search will take them through a trove of medical records whose quotidian details will be important guideposts to the time and circumstances of the coronavirus’ birth as a human pathogen. Patients’ recall of their whereabouts and contacts will matter too.But even if the...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement If you were responsible for tracking the pandemic, divining what the coronavirus’ next trick will be, and keeping illness and death to a minimum, you’d be really worried right now.The COVID-19 vaccines are making a difference, and they’ve prevented nearly all recipients from becoming very sick or dying. But with infections surging among the unvaccinated, hospitalizations reaching a height not seen since February, and just half the population fully inoculated, the coronavirus is not done with us yet.And new perils lie in wait that...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement If you were responsible for tracking the pandemic, divining what the coronavirus’ next trick will be, and keeping illness and death to a minimum, you’d be really worried right now.The COVID-19 vaccines are making a difference, and they’ve prevented nearly all recipients from becoming very sick or dying. But with infections surging among the unvaccinated, hospitalizations reaching a height not seen since February, and just half the population fully inoculated, the coronavirus is not done with us yet.And new perils lie in wait that...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Breaking News Advertisement California scientists have discovered a homegrown coronavirus strain that appears to be propagating faster than any other variant on the loose in the Golden State.Two independent research groups said they stumbled upon the new strain while looking for signs that a highly transmissible variant from the United Kingdom had established itself here. Instead, they found a new branch of the virus’ family tree — one whose sudden rise and distinctive mutations have made it a prime suspect in California’s vicious holiday surge....…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Breaking News Advertisement California scientists have discovered a homegrown coronavirus strain that appears to be propagating faster than any other variant on the loose in the Golden State.Two independent research groups said they stumbled upon the new strain while looking for signs that a highly transmissible variant from the United Kingdom had established itself here. Instead, they found a new branch of the virus’ family tree — one whose sudden rise and distinctive mutations have made it a prime suspect in California’s vicious holiday surge....WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement President Trump has described his campaign rallies as “fun,” “wonderful,” “,” and, of course, “.” An effort to calculate whether those events have increased the spread of the coronavirus in the United States suggests that “contagious” and “deadly” would also apply.For the record:A rigorous attempt to gauge the after-effects of 18 of the president’s reelection rallies, all held in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests they have led to more than 30,000 additional cases and at least 700 additional deaths.Those casualties would...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement President Trump has described his campaign rallies as “fun,” “wonderful,” “,” and, of course, “.” An effort to calculate whether those events have increased the spread of the coronavirus in the United States suggests that “contagious” and “deadly” would also apply.For the record:A rigorous attempt to gauge the after-effects of 18 of the president’s reelection rallies, all held in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests they have led to more than 30,000 additional cases and at least 700 additional deaths.Those casualties would...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement In the first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of Californians bought new guns and changed the way they stored their firearms in a bid to counter the unrest, government crackdowns and societal disintegration they feared would be unleashed by the public health emergency, a new survey has found.The UC Davis researchers who conducted the survey detected shifts in gun ownership trends that they said are likely to drive an uptick in firearm-related injuries and deaths, including suicides and the consequences of accidental...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement In the first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of Californians bought new guns and changed the way they stored their firearms in a bid to counter the unrest, government crackdowns and societal disintegration they feared would be unleashed by the public health emergency, a new survey has found.The UC Davis researchers who conducted the survey detected shifts in gun ownership trends that they said are likely to drive an uptick in firearm-related injuries and deaths, including suicides and the consequences of accidental...WW…