Target and Whole Foods stores being recalled for a  salmonella outbreak that affected nine people in four states and causing three to be  hospitalized. The shrimp sold at Whole Foods falls under the brands, Whole Food’s 365 brand and Hannaford’s Nature’s Promise.

On  August 13^th it was announced, Avanti Frozen Foods Pvt. Ltd, is voluntarily expanding a prior recall issued on June 25,2021 to include certain consignments of various sizes of frozen cooked, peeled, deveined, shrimp (with some packaged with cocktail sauce) sold in various unit sizes, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The frozen shrimp products were distributed nationwide from November 2020 to May 2021.

This recall expansion has been initiated out of an abundance of precaution and will cover a large amount of product that has not been associated with any illness but been undertaken following discussions with FDA and CDC and reflects Avanti’s commitment to Public health and safety.

The CDC reopened its investigation as the  FDA requested Avanti reinvestigated its recall in June.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)  scientists have developed a new sample preparation method to detect SARS-CoV-2,  which is the virus that causes COVID-19.

The method bypasses extraction of the virus’ genetic RNA material, simplifying sample purification and potentially reducing test time and cost. The method is the result of a collaboration among researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI), the NIH Clinical Center (CC), and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR).

Diagnostic testing remains a crucial tool in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Standard tests for detection of SARS-CoV-2 involve amplifying viral RNA to detectable levels using a technique called quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). But first, the RNA must be extracted from the sample. Manufacturers of RNA extraction kits have had difficulty keeping up with demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, hindering testing capacity worldwide. With new virus variants emerging, the need for better, faster tests is greater than ever.

A team led by Robert B. Hufnagel, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the NEI Medical Genetics and Ophthalmic Genomic Unit, and Bin Guan, Ph.D., a fellow at the Ophthalmic Genomics Laboratory at NEI, used a chelating agent made by the lab supply company Bio-Rad called Chelex 100 resin to preserve SARS-CoV-2 RNA in samples for detection by RT-qPCR.

“We used nasopharyngeal and saliva samples with various virion concentrations to evaluate whether they could be used for direct RNA detection,” said Guan, the lead author of a report on the technique, which published this week in iScience. “The answer was yes, with markedly high sensitivity. Also, this preparation inactivated the virus, making it safer for lab personnel to handle positive samples.”

Hufnagel’s team made their discovery by testing a variety of chemicals using synthetic and human samples to identify those that could preserve the RNA in samples with minimal degradation while allowing direct detection of the virus by RT-qPCR.

“We think this novel methodology has clear benefits of increasing sensitivity, cost and time savings for testing,” said Hufnagel, “The method stabilizes the RNA at room temperature for easier transport, storage, and handling in clinical settings.”

Resource: NIH

According to family and co-workers a Las Vegas based flight attendant died from COVID-19. Maurice “Reggie” Shepperson tested positive for the coronavirus in July. A Southwest flight attendant, Marcia Hildreth, who called Reggie her best friend said that he had been fighting in a hospital from a month but didn’t survive.

His mother Dawn Shepperson told USA Today that her son was on a ventilator and had died on Tuesday and a nurse told her that the death was due to COVID-19. The 36-year-old had been fully vaccinated, used to wear masks, washed his hands, sanitized surfaces, and wiped everything down in hotel rooms according to his mother and friend.

Southwest Airlines spokesperson Brandy King confirmed that an employee based in Las Vegas had died on Tuesday but did not provide details. King said in a statement that they were heartbroken over the loss of their Southwest employee. It also stated that out of respect for the family they did not have additional information to share.

Shepperson’s mother, Dawn said that the airlines had contacted her and Hildreth said that the airlines had made arrangements for her to fly back to Vegas on Wednesday.

Shepperson worked throughout the pandemic. He never tested positive except in July. He was called a highflyer by co-workers. He worked on many flights since 2007 partly because of money and partly because he wanted to travel whenever he could. He had taken his mother along with him to Hawaii, in June. He had been with the airlines for nine years.

The Association of Flight Attendants -CWA, an organization that represents flight attendants who work at United, Frontier, Spirit, Hawaiian airlines and more said that 4000 flight attendants across the nation had contracted COVID-19 and 20 have died.

A huge majority of COVID-19 cases across the nation have been among the unvaccinated and the few breakthrough cases have been mild or asymptomatic. However, no vaccine can offer 100 percent protection, so the young man unfortunately succumbed to the virus. Some professions face more health hazards when compared with others.

Hildreth has started a GoFundme page to help with the cost of his funeral expenses.

Image Go Fund Me