The shocking ease of buying DNA fragments to recreate the deadly 1918 flu virus

MIT researchers, working the the FBI, were able to order almost unchallenged DNA fragments that could be used to assemble a deadly virus. 

May 12, 2024 Check out STAT+

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By Pat Skerrett First Opinion Editor

On a trip to Washington D.C. for a Mother's Day family gathering, I fulfilled a small goal of mine: to get a Reader Card so I could use materials housed in the Library of Congress. Libraries are incredible places. From the Library of Alexandria, built in Egypt more than 2,000 years ago, to the Library of Congress, the 1,000+ Carnegie Libraries scattered across the U.S., and vibrant city library systems like the Boston Public Library, they are places of learning, of innovation, and sometimes of refuge. I'm not sure what project I'll delve into once Torie Bosch returns to captain the good ship First Opinion and I wholeheartedly re-embrace retirement, but I'm sure I'll find something. Libraries, of course, wouldn't be here — and neither would any of us — if it weren't for mothers. A shout out in praise of mothers past, present, and future. When the 2024 Pulitzer Prizes were announced this week. STAT's Bob Herman and Casey Ross were among the three finalists for their work uncovering how UnitedHealth Group used an unregulated algorithm deny care to some of the people the company insured, "highlighting the dangers of AI use in medicine." Great reporting rewarded! On to this week's dozen First Opinions, which ranged from the latest episode of the First Opinion Podcast to essays about caring for young caregivers, the shocking ease of recreating the deadly 1918 flu virus, and more. You can read them all here.

Adobe It shouldn't be easy to buy synthetic DNA fragments to recreate the 1918 flu virus An MIT experiment showed it was shockingly easy to buy synthetic DNA fragments that could replicate the deadly 1918 flu virus. By Kevin M. Esvelt Measles is coming back. My sister Marcie isn't Children's author Emmi S. Herman on the terrible impact that measles had on her family. "I think about Marcie every day." By Emmi S. Herman Caring for young caregivers, a hidden population Caregivers 18-24 years old, or even younger, represent a growing and vulnerable population. They need attention and support from doctors and teachers. By Kimia Heydari and Romila Santra Justin Sullivan/Getty Images As livestock move around the country, so does H5N1. The U.S. needs real-time tracking of livestock movements The presence of H5N1 bird flu virus in livestock in one state means its presence in others, given how livestock are moved around the U.S. By Shweta Bansal and Colleen Webb What nurses really want: sufficient staffing for patient care Nurses don't want pizza breaks or goody bags. They want better working conditions so they can do their best for their patients. By Karen B. Lasater and K. Jane Muir Digital devices can help clinicians prescribe physical activity More physicians need to prescribe physical activity for their patients. Wearable devices like smart watches, rings, and phones can help. By Laurie Whitsel, John Hernandez, and Candice Taguibao Justin Sullivan/Getty Images H5N1 communication has been strictly for the birds. Didn't the federal government learn anything from Covid? Federal agencies H5N1 communication follows in their missteps in Covid-19, mad cow disease, and other health crises. By Sara Gorman, Scott C. Ratzan, and Kenneth H. Rabin When heat threatens, use the wet bulb globe temperature to keep workers safe The wet bulb globe temperature is a better way to gauge the effects of heat and humidity on workers than the heat index. By Ashley Ward and Jordan Clark The world is relying on the United States to get value-based drug pricing right Value-based pricing — linking drug prices to the health and broader society benefits they bring — must include societal benefits. By Jason Shafrin, Louis Garrison, and Melanie D. Whittington Adobe Making the promise of monoclonal antibody therapies available to all Life-saving monoclonal antibodies must be made accessible, affordable, and available to people with compromised immune systems. By Ken McEldowney Listen: Why rehabilitation engineers need to listen to patients and their families Rehabilitation researcher James Sulzer speaks with Torie Bosch about the importance of centering patients in research and treatment. By STAT Staff

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