CNN health | People with blood type O may have lower risk of Covid-19 infection and severe illness, two new studies suggest

(CNN) – People with blood type O may be less vulnerable to Covid-19 and have a reduced likelihood of getting severely ill, according to two studies published Wednesday. Experts say more research is needed.

The research provides further evidence that blood type (also known as blood group) may play a role in a person’s susceptibility to infection and their chance of having a severe bout of the disease. The reasons for this link aren’t clear and more research is needed to say what implications, if any, it has for patients.  —read more—

CNN politics | These states could legalize marijuana this November

(CNN) – Four more states could choose to legalize recreational marijuana through ballot measures this Election Day.

Voters in Republican-led Arizona and South Dakota and Democrat-led Montana and New Jersey will consider proposals to legalize recreational marijuana. Another red state, Mississippi, is weighing a pair of ballot questions to legalize medical marijuana. Currently, 11 states have legalized full, adult marijuana use. All but two did so by ballot initiative, which poses the question directly to voters.

Polls show that the ballots initiatives have support in Arizona, Montana and New Jersey.  –read more—

CNN politics | Ex-Attorney General Eric Holder accuses Republicans of using courts to facilitate ‘cheating’

Washington (CNN) – Former US Attorney General Eric Holder accused Republicans of using court challenges to facilitate “cheating” in the 2020 election and attempting to “suppress the vote all through the process.”

“There’s a lot of cheating that Republicans are trying to do here and they’re trying to get the courts to facilitate that cheating,” Holder, a Democrat who served in the Obama administration, told CNN’s Don Lemon Thursday night.

Pressed by Lemon as to what he meant by “cheating,” Holder replied that Republicans are “trying to change the rules at the end of the day. They tried to suppress the vote all through the process.”  —read more— 

CNN health | What we can learn from 1918’s deadly second wave

(CNN) – In the deadly fall wave of the 1918 flu pandemic, millions of people were doomed because they didn’t know what we know now about how viruses and respiratory illnesses spread.

We might face a similar fate if some people continue to ignore what a century of scientific progress and hindsight have taught us about ending pandemics.

The 1918 pandemic transpired in three waves, from the spring of 1918 to the winter of 1919 — ultimately killing 50 million to 100 million people globally. The first wave in the spring of 1918 was relatively mild. A majority of 1918 flu deaths occurred in the fall of 1918 — the second, and worst, wave of the 1918 flu.  —read more— 

CNN | Black Americans are fired up and flocking to the polls

(CNN) – Dave Richards arrived at his polling place before dawn, carrying a blue lawn chair and a giant bottle of water.

It was about 6 a.m. on October 12 — the first day of early voting in Georgia — and the business consultant was ready for a long wait in the Atlanta suburb of Smyrna. After three hours in line, Richards, 51, voted in what he called the most crucial election of his lifetime.

“This election is more important than the 2008 one for Barack Obama. That 2008 one was for change and making history. This election is for saving the US,” Richards said, citing concerns about racial justice and suppression of Black voters. “The racial divide that is going on, we need someone who is going to be a leader for everyone, not just their base.”  —read more— 

CNN politics | watch: Barack Obama delivers scathing takedown of Donald Trump

During a speech in Philadelphia, former President Barack Obama delivered a blistering account of his successor’s first four years in office, arguing that President Donald Trump has proved he is “incapable of taking the job seriously” and has shown no interest in “helping anybody but himself and his friends.” Read the transcript here.  —watch the full speech— 

CNN health | Eli Lilly pauses trial of its monoclonal antibody to treat coronavirus

(CNN) – Drugmaker Eli Lilly said Tuesday it is pausing its trial of a combination antibody treatment for coronavirus for safety reasons.

Usually, clinical trials are paused because a volunteer has suffered a side effect or become ill, but the company did not say what happened.

“Safety is of the (utmost) importance to Lilly,” a spokesperson told CNN by email.

It said the trial’s Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB), an independent group of medical experts who monitor clinical trials, recommended the pause.  —read more— 

CNN health | Johnson & Johnson pauses Covid-19 vaccine trial after ‘unexplained illness’

(CNN) – Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson said Monday it has paused the advanced clinical trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine because of an unexplained illness in one of the volunteers.

“Following our guidelines, the participant’s illness is being reviewed and evaluated by the ENSEMBLE independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) as well as our internal clinical and safety physicians,” the company said in a statement. ENSEMBLE is the name of the study.

“Adverse events — illnesses, accidents, etc. — even those that are serious, are an expected part of any clinical study, especially large studies.” The pause was first reported by Stat News.  —read more— 

CNN BUSINESS | It’s the end of pen-and-paper — and DocuSign is cashing in

New York (CNN Business) – The pandemic has accelerated the demise of pen-and-paper signatures — transforming once-boring DocuSign into a $37 billion tech darling suddenly worth more than Ford Motor, eBay or Best Buy.

Just as Zoom (ZM) is cashing in on the need to meet virtually, DocuSign’s eSignature business is thriving because it makes it easy to do paperwork remotely. Shares have skyrocketed more than 170% this year.

Organizations that never imagined a world without physical signatures have been forced to embrace it. Paperwork now being done with DocuSign (DOCU) includes everything from safely enrolling Covid patients into clinical trials and filling out welfare paperwork in New York State, to remotely onboarding new hires and signing sensitive bank documents.  —read more— 

CNN travel | Hotels offer free health care, doctors on demand and other Covid-19 safety amenities

(CNN) — What feels like a lifetime ago in the days before Covid-19, hotels lured travelers with amenities such as complimentary breakfasts, cocktail hours and yoga classes at the spa.

The world has changed quite a bit since then. Though people are beginning to tiptoe out from their Airbnbs and homes — away from stockpiled toilet paper, sourdough starter and new puppies — and even hop on planes, the travel industry recognizes the need to pivot.

Most properties are pledging best practices according to CDC and EPA guidelines such as frequent cleaning, air-filtration systems, contactless check-in and decreased capacity. Others are taking the opportunity to innovate, brainstorming new ways to make guests feel secure and relaxed, which range from luxe to odd.  —more—