SARS-CoV-2's family tree

Plus: A new HIV variant; drugstore antibody tests; the world's best new building [View this email online]( [NPR]( Goats and Soda editor's note Kat Hubbs for NPR Like millions of folks, I spit into a vial and mailed it to a company that uses DNA to trace your ancestry. I was hoping to uncover surprising insights about my forebears. That’s what the ads for these companies promise. Instead I found … nothing I didn’t already know. I was who I thought I was: of Russian/Eastern European descent, 100%. The family tree of SARS-CoV-2, however, is full of surprises. This week, inspired by epidemiologist Emma Hodcroft, [we commissioned an illustration of the family tree of the virus that sparked a pandemic.]( The virus had two black sheep that were definitely not predicted. To learn more about what Hodcroft calls “the puzzle of omicron,” [read this story and check out her version of the family tree as well as ours.]( As for me, I’m beginning to think that maybe a boring family tree isn’t such a bad thing after all. Marc Silver Editor, Goats and Soda --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- in the news Asif Salman/URBANA [A rural hospital in Bangladesh is named the world's best new building]( The prestigious architectural prize celebrates the 80-bed hospital's human-centered design, built in harmony with the waterlogged local environment, working with a modest budget and local low-cost materials. [Oxfam says the rich got richer in the pandemic, and the wealth gap is killing the poor]( The poverty-fighting charity points to unprecedented new wealth accrued by the ultra-rich — and asserts that the result of the world's growing inequality is "economic violence" for the impoverished. [Marital rape is still legal in India. A court decision could change that]( Women's groups have petitioned the Delhi High Court to close a legal loophole and criminalize marital rape. A decision is expected soon. Men who oppose the petitions have gone on a "marriage strike." infectious disease Ashley Cooper/Getty Images [Drug-resistant malaria is emerging in Africa. Doctors are worried — yet hopeful]( Resistance to the drug artemisinin was confirmed in Africa. Without better surveillance, experts say it is hard to track the threat. [Discovery of HIV variant shows virus can evolve to be more severe — and contagious]( Findings from a new study help answer questions about why some people get more severe and transmissible HIV than others — and serve as a reminder that viruses don't always weaken over time. [The future of the pandemic is looking clearer as we learn more about infection]( Scientists are beginning to come up with answers to the question of how long antibodies from an infection can protect you — and what they'll protect you from. coronavirus faq Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images [My drugstore now offers antibody tests. Is it worth getting one?]( Antibody tests may be coming soon to a pharmacy near you. Here's what the tests reveal — and don't reveal — about you and COVID-19. links we like - The Guardian profiles a [Zimbabwean artist who is responding to COVID]( by creating sculptures. - What it takes to create [Tamil, Turkish, Portuguese versions of the viral game Wordle]( from Rest of World. - A woman in St. Louis discovers [her mom's secret past ... as a 1960s Vietnamese rock star]( Listen to the audio story in PRI's The World. - Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara [performs a contemporary take on her country's traditional music]( for NPR Tiny Desk. --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [goatsandsoda@npr.org](mailto:goatsandsoda@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Health, Daily News, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Goats and Soda emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]