新型コロナウイルスが変異したことで感染力が強まったことを確認したということです。 　東京大学医科学研究所の河岡義裕教授は新型コロナウイルスが変異したことで感染力が強まったと発表しました。変異はD614Gと呼ばれ、ウイルスの表面にある突起部分で起きたもので、変異の前よりも細胞に結合しやすくなったということです。河岡教授はハムスターなどを使った実験で変異したウイルスが従来のウイルスよりも飛沫（ひまつ）感染しやすいことを確認しました。現在、世界で蔓延（まんえん）しているのはこの変異ウイルスですが、変異前のウイルスをもとに作ったワクチンも効果が期待されるとしています。 It was confirmed that the infectivity of the new coronavirus was strengthened by the mutation. Professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo, announced that the mutation of the new coronavirus increased the infectivity. The mutation, called D614G, occurs in a protrusion on the surface of the virus (Spikes), which means that it is easier to bind to cells in humans than it was before the mutation. Professor Kawaoka confirmed in experiments using hamsters, hamsters with mutated version of viruses are more susceptible to droplet (himatsu) infection than hamsters with conventional viruses. Currently, it is this mutant virus that is widespread in the world, but it is expected that vaccines made based on the virus before mutation will also be effective. Video translated by Youngbin Noh

Like other countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan is experiencing a rising interest in learning new cooking recipes, particularly local culinary traditions. In a short article for Atlas Obscura, Makiko Itoh looks at how the recent cooking craze has hit Japan through the lens of a particular dairy product, known as so. Recently, the Japanese dairy industry had a problem with being unable to sell its surplus milk supply overseas due to the transit disruptions created by the pandemic. In response, Japanese consumers were encouraged to purchase more milk to save the industry and to use them for local recipes. One recipe in particular, known as so, has gained increased interest from Japanese foodies. According to Itoh, so is a cheese-like dairy product that was first created during the Nara and Heian periods of Japanese history, when dairy farming was at its height. So was popular among aristocrats, and even the Japanese emperors of the time were avid consumers. However, according to Itoh, the rise of the Kamakura Shogunate and the samurai warrior class caused the popularity of so and other dairy products to decline markedly. So making was recently revived by foodies and history buffs, who have helped popularize the recipe again for new consumers and amateur cooks.

The COVID-19 pandemic, aside from encouraging people to take up new hobbies, has encouraged people to look to the past for methods of dealing with the risks of the pandemic. In an article for Atlas Obscura, journalist Matthew Taub looks at how the people of Florence, Italy, have dealt with the new reality of COVID-19 by using a medieval innovation: wine windows. According to Taub, a wine window, or buchette del vino, is a type of medieval storefront common in Florence that dates back to the 17th century, when the plague commonly ravaged the population of the city. Insteading of risking exposure by entering an osteria, or bar, Florentines eager for wine and merriment were passed wine through a narrow window by metal plate. Shopkeepers would then sanitize the metal plates used to transfer money and products with vinegar. Over 200 wine windows have been tallied, or 1 for every city block. With the arrival of COVID-19, 5-6 restaurants in Florence have reactivated their wine windows to serve wine, as well as coffee and gelato. Aside from providing modern Florentine shoppers with safe access to red wine, these reopened wine windows are also raising awareness about Florence's medieval past and the necessity of preserving antique architecture.

This email was sent to me to set up an appointment to get a free COVID-19 test done at my school. This goes to show how the University is taking top priority in not only helping the St.Mary's community. This is helpful because not many students can afford to go get tested and now that we are going on break the University wants to take extra precaution. These screen shots are really important to keep as a reminder that the University did everything they can to provide help for students that want to go back home and visit during break but also making sure they do it in a safe way. This goes to show how it is to live during a pandemic were it's a big deal that we are provided with free testing.

新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大で各地で外出が制限されるなか、サンタクロースがプレゼントを配れるか不安に思う子どもに対し、イタリアのコンテ首相が「特別な許可証」があると答えました。 　イタリアでは現在、外出制限を伴うロックダウンが導入されています。5歳のトンマーゾくんはコンテ首相に対し、サンタクロースの外出を制限しないよう懇願するメールを送っていました。コンテ首相は12日、フェイスブックで「サンタさんは国際的な特別許可証を持っていて、世界中の子どもたちにプレゼントを配ることができる」と答えました。さらに、「サンタさんはマスクをして適切な距離を保っていると言っていた」と付け加えています。トンマーゾくんがサンタクロースのためにツリーの下に消毒液を置いておくと約束したことには、「素晴らしいアイデア」と応じました。また、コンテ首相はウイルスの撃退だけでなく、他のプレゼントをお願いすることも忘れないよう呼び掛けました。 Italy's Prime Minister Conté replied that he made a "special permit" for children who were worried that Santa Claus would be able to give out presents as the spread of the new coronavirus restricted his outings. In Italy, lockdown with restrictions on going out is currently going on. Five-year-old Tommaso sent an email to Prime Minister Conté begging him not to restrict Santa Claus from going out. "Santa has an international special permit and can give out presents to children around the world," Conte said on Facebook on the 12th. He added, "Santa said he was wearing a mask to keep a proper distance". To keep Tommaso's promise by the disinfectant under the tree for Santa Claus was a "great idea." In addition to fighting off the virus, Prime Minister Conté also called on him to remember to ask for other gifts. Video translated by Youngbin Noh

This is a picture of me in Charles Francis Hall at St. Mary's University, where I'm a student. One of the things which is happening here is the Fang Squad, which encourages social distancing and the wearing of masks. I'm modeling the teeshirt I was lucky enough to get. It's important to me because both myself and people I care about are members of the higher risk group.

As cases are rapidly rising in the United States many cities are imposing more restrictions again such a closing down certain public spaces and services. Chicago recently issued a 30 day stay at home advisory and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is floating the idea of imposing more restrictions if the high transmission rate continues. Officials are telling people to cancel any Thanksgiving plans people might have as a result of the rising cases all over the country.

NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio is contemplating whether or not to shut down schools in the city again. Ironically schools would be shut down but bars and restaurants might stay open despite the very low transmission rate in public schools. Other cities have begun canceling in-person classes such a Boston. Other countries such as Germany deemed schools an essential service and has left them open. There is much concern among NYC teachers as they weigh the costs of a total shift to online school again.

Following the rise in COIVD-19 cases the world is seeing recently, Texas has become the first state to reach 1 million total cases with El Paso as one of its main hotspots. California became the second state to reach 1 million cases just recently.

The Los Angeles Times released a map of how likely someone is to contract COVID-19 anywhere in the United States. Officials predict a rise in cases in the next two weeks due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Traveling and fly is set to increase dramatically and more people (especially) will be together which is going to lead to a rise in cases. This map shows where in America is it more likely to contract Covid.

The Washington Post reported that over 130 members of the Secret Service are either in quarantine or have contracted the virus. 130 people accounts for around 10% of the total number of secret service agents. The outbreak comes as a result of the amount of traveling President Donald Trump did before the election. The White House has received massive amount of criticism for their lack of care.

I am currently a freshman in the Northeastern NU.in program living in Boston. Although initially on track to spend my first college semester living in London, I feel very fortunate to be able to attend in-person classes and get to explore the city of Boston. I know a lot of students who have to attend the entirety of their college experience online, and quite a few of my friends opted to defer to next year. 2020 has started a new era, not the roaring 20's everyone had hoped for but rather a complete cultural reset. Social activities are limited to small socially distanced groups and meeting new people in college just became 20x more difficult. It's interesting how conversations with friends has evolved to rely on heightened expressions of the eyes where most of the time you have no idea what faces lie beneath masks. I do however find that having these difficult experiences bonds the community in ways that weren't there before. Businesses ensure the safety of the public with health and safety precautions. The YMCA next to Northeastern campus has started to serve free meals, and Copley square continues to hold socially distanced farmers markets to support local produce. There is a sense of mutual understanding, shared emotions. Having in-person classes and NU.in events has helped me find a community of my own. With in-person classes however, comes cyclical COVID testing. I, myself, have become quite skilled at swabbing the back interior of my nose. It's hard to imagine life resorting back to normal, but I feel like my experiences of safely exploring Boston and navigating a bizarre college experience has proven to me that we are a resilient population that can endure and grown from the stresses of the pandemic.

With COVID-19 lockdowns, many people are seeking pets for company. Smugglers, however, are taking advantage of this by selling smuggled dogs for large amounts of money. There has also been an uptick in the number of dogs abandoned due to various reasons including financial struggle.

With the rise of COVID-19, it is easy to forget the risks posed by other diseases to the health of the global community. But as Vox's Julia Belluz reminds readers, the risk posed by measles is still existent and increasing as the current COVID-19 pandemic unwinds. Belluz cites data from the World Health Organization (WHO), medical institutions, and epidemiologists that demonstrate that there has been a significant increase (556%) in measles cases worldwide in the lead up to the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase in cases, according to medical officials, can be attributed to the rise of vaccine skepticism, an anti-intellectual movement that believes that vaccines cause autism and other medical ailments. In addition to the anti-vaccination movement, childhood immunizations for measles have declined significantly (250,000 dose deficit) in the wake of the pandemic, as medical doctors that would usually oversee vaccination campaigns are overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases. This massive deficit in vaccinations is creating the conditions for future outbreaks of measles, which will devastate marginalized communities already impacted by COVID-19. Belluz ends the article by calling for further vaccination campaigns, but she also acknowledges that the current Trump administration is unlikely to carry it out to fruition.

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have been pressured to develop bad habits such as overeating, alcoholism, doom scrolling, and impulse shopping. But one pandemic indulgence that stands out to medical officials and journalists is smoking, which damages lungs and puts one at an increased risk from dying of COVID-19. In an article for Vox, journalist Melinda Fakuade provides readers with an overview of the reasons why more people have taken up smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic in spite of the increased risk of death. According to Fakuade, a major factor that explains the increased prevalence of smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic is the sheer boredom that comes with being unable to leave home without risking contracting COVID-19. Not being able to leave home and spend money on other amenities also increases one's access to discretionary spending, which can be used to fund cigarette smoking and other bad habits. Fakuade also emphasizes the role of stress, which induces people to take up bad habits such as smoking as a coping mechanism. According to her, smoking functions as a way of maintaining a routine and sense of control in a time of extreme instability. Finally, Fakuade considers whether or not the increased prevalence of smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic constitutes a reflection of an internal "death wish," on the part of smokers.

When I imagined my daily college experience growing up, it always included going to class, going to the dinning hall, and meeting up with friends. Never would I have thought that this routine would include setting aside 15 minutes of my day to go inside a socially distanced tent while wearing a mask, to submit a nasal sample to a testing lab. I knew coming to college during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic would be different than what I expected and I had accepted that frequent COVID-19 testing would be a large part of my experience. As a student at Northeastern University, it is policy to get tested at the university's testing site every three days. This process includes making an appointment, completing a daily wellness check, getting tested, and scanning your student ID to confirm compliance with the testing policy. Testing has become part of my daily routine as a student and is oddly something that feels very normal, when the whole concept of it is quite the opposite. I expect testing, along with socially distanced classes, online classes, and this altered reality to continue to be a part of my routine as a Northeastern student for a quite a while. However, I have accepted this and am glad to do so in order to participate in the college experience have awaited my whole life.

Graduate student at ASU, Angelica S Ramos interviews mother of a new born baby. In this interview she discussed the struggles with prenatal care and her experience with birth during COVID. Fisher also discusses family support as a new mother amidst the pandemic and how her interactions with her family has changed. She mentions her worries with being high risk for contraction and how she copes with her worries. She also talks about her work as a teacher and how much that environment has changed for her and her students. In this interview, Fisher also talks about her close relationship with her grandmother who lived in assisted living and how their relationship has been forced to change. Lastly, she talks about her hopes for the future.

Graduate student at ASU, Angelica S Ramos interviews mother of four, Jennifer Martin of Kentucky, to get her first-hand experience of being a working mom during COVID. In this interview, they discuss the hardships of motherhood, how the routine of the household has changed and the hardships Jennifer has encountered. Jennifer also expresses excitement for moving out of the suburbs and into a farm, a decision which was made during COVID.

How a comic about flu masks from 1918 relates to the pandemic of 2020.

The story I wrote is about my perception of the beginning of the pandemic and what I learned after going to CVS to buy a card for mother's day.

On March 13th, 2020, my school like many others got the shocking news that we would have to shut down for a few weeks. At first I remained positive and said to my friends, "It'll only be a few weeks". However, I was very wrong. As the months went on, the time was extended more and more and my school and I become more and more discouraged. When we heard the news that our graduation would be temporarily cancelled and we would not be going back to school, the grade was devastated. My friends and I all facetimed together and cried over all the hard work we had done that may culminate in an online graduation. Our principals and school board did however work extremely hard to be able to hold an outdoor socially distanced graduation. I was extremely excited by this news. No matter what it looked like my grade and I would be able to celebrate the end of high school all together. Our school set up chairs 6ft apart where we the students would sit with our parents on the turf. The day of the graduation was the hottest and day of the summer and the sun was blazing down on all of us. Our school provided us with umbrellas in our school colors, blue and white, and gave the students BHS masks. Our principal began the ceremony in the traditional way, starting with a speech then calling up our class president. Later our vice principals were called to the stage to start their speeches. About halfway into the speech, they started to sing a COVID themed rap to the song "Alexander Hamilton". It was definitely untraditional however, it was amazing and it was the talking point of the day. We all walked across the stage and picked up our diplomas from a table so there would be no contact with anyone else. Overall, our COVID graduation was such a fun day and even though it was different than usual, it was such a nice way to celebrate finishing high school during such a crazy year.

The second lockdown was an extraordinarily difficult time for Victorian citizens. Our social media feeds were filled with Australians and the international community celebrating their newfound freedom, whilst we were stuck at home, demoralised, and overwhelmed with the rising cases and deaths in our hometown. This article struck me because it was the only publication I saw in this time which accurately captured the loneliness and hopelessness that was felt throughout the state.

Quebec has been one of the hardest hit provinces during the pandemic. This plan hopes to revitalize the economy by investing in workers, "buy local" initiatives, and research. This will also come with a deficit for next couple of years.

Following initial findings of Pfizer's vaccine being effective in preventing COVID-19 infection in more than 90% of people, Russia says its vaccine has 92% efficacy according to preliminary findings in stage three of the clinical trials. The trial results are based on 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The school system, the nation’s largest, has had strikingly few coronavirus cases. Even so, the mayor may end in-person classes because the city’s overall rate is surging.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced on Thursday that the city is issuing a 30-day COVID-19 stay-at-home advisory that will begin on Monday, November 16. The mayor also asked residents to “cancel traditional Thanksgiving plans” and stay indoors as cases continue to rise in the city.

The US literally cannot determine which state has the worst COVID infections because it's all just bad.

California became the second state to reach one million known COVID-19 cases on Thursday. On Wednesday, Texas became the first state to reach this milestone. The US in total has surpassed 10 million infections.

It is about the Spanish flu during 1918 and how it is similar to our current pandemic.

This is a post by Community Security Group (CSG), encouraging people to look out for each other: "Humans are social animals. We crave connection. As we spend more time in our homes, cut off from friends and family in a bid to stop the spread of the virus, the lack of physical touch can be mentally challenging. For people who live alone especially, this extended lack of contact may be particularly tough. But just because we’re physically distant from each other doesn’t mean we can’t still be emotionally close. Maintaining regular human connection is more important than ever as we navigate these difficult times."

"Introducing Rivkah Yurkowicz from Chabad Malvern presenting a simple step by step guide to braiding your holiday challah"

When quarantine struck my family, my brother came home from Illinois State University due to safety reasons. Once he came home, my family started to play tons of board games and watched tons of movies just to spend time together. This was a rare moment as we haven't been living together as a family since my brother moved out, so it was a special time for all of us. This was a fun time for all of us because we got to come together as a family for the first time in a long time.

This is a video by Sassoon Yehuda Sephardi Synagogue of a "2020/5781 Pre-Yom Kippur inspiring message from Rav and Rabbanit Hassan, for our community."

This is a video of the 2020-5781 Rosh Hashana message from Rabbi Ben Hassan and Rabbanit Sharona Hassan for the Sassoon Yehuda Sephardi Synagogue: "We were delighted to have Rabbi Hassan deliver a drasha and inspire us for for the year ahead"

This is a weekly video message from Chabad on Carlisle to their congregation. This one is for Sukkot and encouraging people to donate to their charity appeal.

Chabad on Carlisle 'Cookoff August 2020': "A great team of very hard working volunteers cooked up delicious Shabbos packages today which will be delivered to isolated seniors. (Covid-safe protocols were followed). We may be physically distant but the love and care is always there! A big thank you to the awesome volunteers!"

On Tuesday 15 September Chabad on Carlisle held an online Q&A with their Rabbis, along with musical entertainment, for Rosh Hashanah

Earlier in the year, Minneapolis was one of the first locations to start crying, "Defund the Police..." Now after a long year of protests and riots and all other types of struggles, the city realizes that those they had previously seen as the enemy, the source of the problem were actually the ones holding back the tide and now they see how much the police are really needed.

This was a project assigned by Professor peralta to better understand how we could interview a person about food and see how the COVID-19 virus has affected their relationship with it.

A college student's experiences related to food before and during pandemic in the U.S.

This story is used to tell how one person's food and eating was affected during Covid-19.

This is an interview I gave to a fellow classmate about his experiences with COVID-19 and how it has impacted his relationship with food. We both had very similar experiences, with Andrew telling me how COVID-19 and the subsequent quarantine we all had to go through led to him eating dinners more often with his family, and overall being able to spend more time together. I think this goes to show that as difficult as the pandemic has been, and as much as it has kept us apart from our loved ones in some cases, it has also brought other families even closer together.

Our college class did a project where we interviewed fellow students about their food habits before and during the pandemic.

This is an interview with my classmate, Liam Driscoll. We did this as an assignment for HIST-W300, Global History of Food at Indiana University

interviewed a fellow student for a class assignment

This was an assignment that I did as part of a course on the global history of food. As a class, we interviewed each other to see how one's experience with covid was going. In particular, we asked questions about how one's experience with food has changed since the covid lockdown began.

This is an assignment by Prof Christine Peralta at Indiana University Bloomington for her HISTW300 students to create oral history transcripts. *may include private health info

In this photo Rabbi Chaim Herzog of Chabad of Melbourne is delivering shmura matzah to Claude Schwarz. In the period before Passover the custom is to receive hand baked shmura matza for the seder night.

In this article, author Paul Boyer discusses the lack of logic behind the Defund the Police movement and asks who really would benefit from a decreased police presence. The article makes some sound points and raises important questions that many might not have even considered.

Throughout the year, Law Enforcement has been under the microscope, more so than every before. With all the negative attention being heaped on officers, police, troopers, and deputies, it can be hard to remember that they too are being affected by this pandemic and that no one is safe or immune. The current statistics (as of Nov 2020) show that the #1 killer of law enforcement officers is COVID-19. Hopefully, the new year will bring smaller numbers and a brighter outlook for Law Enforcement.