The finding is not the result of any new intelligence, and the report released Saturday was completed at the behest of the Biden administration and former CIA Director William Burns. It was declassified and released Saturday on the orders of President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency, John Ratcliffe, who was sworn in Thursday as director.

The nuanced finding suggests the agency believes the totality of evidence makes a lab origin more likely than a natural origin. But the agency’s assessment assigns a low degree of confidence to this conclusion, suggesting the evidence is deficient, inconclusive or contradictory.

“I had the opportunity on my first day to make public an assessment that actually took place in the Biden administration. So it can’t be accused of being political,” Ratcliffe told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” He said the CIA “has assessed that the most likely cause of this pandemic that has wrought so much devastation around the world was because of a lab-related incident in Wuhan. And so we will continue to investigate that moving forward.”

Earlier reports on the origins of COVID-19 have split over whether the coronavirus emerged from a Chinese lab, potentially by mistake, or whether it arose naturally. The new assessment is not likely to settle the debate. In fact, intelligence officials say it may never be resolved, due to a lack of cooperation from Chinese authorities.

The CIA “continues to assess that both research-related and natural origin scenarios of the COVID-19 pandemic remain plausible,” the agency wrote in a statement about its new assessment.

Instead of new evidence, the conclusion was based on fresh analyses of intelligence about the spread of the virus, its scientific properties and the work and conditions of China’s virology labs.

Lawmakers have pressured America’s spy agencies for more information about the origins of the virus, which led to lockdowns, economic upheaval and millions of deaths. It’s a question with significant domestic and geopolitical implications as the world continues to grapple with the pandemic’s legacy.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told “Fox News Sunday” it was important now “to make China pay for unleashing this plague on the world.” He mentioned imposing tariffs or passing legislation that would repeal China’s permanent most favored nation status.

Chinese authorities have dismissed speculation about COVID’s origins as unhelpful and motivated by politics. On Saturday, a spokesperson for China’s U.S. embassy said the CIA report has no credibility.

“We firmly oppose the politicization and stigmatization of the source of the virus, and once again call on everyone to respect science and stay away from conspiracy theories,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.

While the origin of the virus remains unknown, scientists think the most likely hypothesis is that it circulated in bats, like many coronaviruses, before infecting another species, probably racoon dogs, civet cats or bamboo rats. In turn, the infection spread to humans handling or butchering those animals at a market in Wuhan, where the first human cases appeared in late November 2019.

Some official investigations, however, have raised the the question of whether the virus escaped from a lab in Wuhan. Two years ago a report by the Energy Department concluded a lab leak was the most likely origin, though that report also expressed low confidence in the finding.

The same year then-FBI Director Christopher Wray said his agency believed the virus “most likely” spread after escaping from a lab.

Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term, has said he favors the lab leak scenario, too.

“The lab leak is the only theory supported by science, intelligence, and common sense,” Ratcliffe said in 2023.

The CIA said it will continue to evaluate any new information that could change its assessment.

She hears a sound that breaks her focus. Was that a cough? Will her mask protect her?

COVID-19 remains a very present threat for the 55-year-old. Scarbro has multiple immune disorders, making her vulnerable to infection.

“Any minute anybody could cough, just incidentally,” said Scarbro, who lives in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. “And that cough could be the one thing that could make me sick.”

This month marks the fifth anniversary of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. The virus would go on to kill 1.2 million Americans and disrupt countless lives.

While the pandemic’s emergency phase ended in May 2023, the threat of infection remains a governing force in the lives of people like Scarbro. They protect themselves from the virus with masks and isolate themselves in small family bubbles. Some grasp for unproven strategies — gargling with antiseptic mouthwash, carrying a personal carbon dioxide monitor to check the ventilation of indoor spaces.

In online support groups, they trade research about the danger of repeat infections and cognitive impairment. They miss the empathy they felt during the early days of the pandemic. Some have lost friendships, but they strive to maintain the social ties that are important to mental health.

Scarbro’s bowling league helps her feel connected to her neighbors. But recently, she’s detected more stares and skeptical looks from strangers when she bowls in a mask.

“There was more respect and understanding, but now they’re over it,” she said. “They expect me to be over it, but they don’t understand that even before COVID-19, these were the precautions I needed to take.”

Most Americans have developed some level of protection against severe disease from previous COVID-19 infections, vaccinations or both. But immunocompromised people like Scarbro, who has common variable immune deficiency, must be constantly vigilant. Unlike the flu, COVID has not settled into a seasonal pattern.

“There’s never a time when they can relax a little bit,” said Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University. “That’s a really challenging and exhausting thing to ask someone to do.”

Who are the people still cautious about COVID-19? They include young caregivers of vulnerable relatives, people with chronic health conditions and families rallying around a loved one. In interviews with The Associated Press, they talked about how they manage the trade-offs and the toll of isolation on their mental health.

‘How hard is it to put a mask on?’

Before the pandemic, Bazia Zebrowski, 61, of Newbury, Ohio, dined out, shopped for groceries and took her dog, Shadoh, to the park. When she felt well, she occasionally could get together with friends despite having myalgic encephalomyelitis, a condition formerly known as chronic fatigue syndrome that causes inflammation, immune system problems, fatigue and pain.

Now she keeps close to home, venturing out only for medical appointments. Her husband does the shopping and wears a mask at his workplace.

They have not had COVID-19 and hope their luck holds. Getting sick would be a disaster, she said, potentially triggering a relapse or superimposing long COVID-19 onto her illness.

“I don’t consider myself COVID cautious. I consider myself COVID competent,” Zebrowski said. “Cautious would imply that I have an unreasonable fear of something. I do not have an unreasonable fear of this disease.”

What does Zebrowski miss about pre-pandemic times? “I miss the illusion that people are willing to care for each other,” she said. “How hard is it to put a mask on? It rattles your faith in humankind … (you learn) how little the people in your life understood how sick you were to begin with.”

Trauma is part of the experience of having a chronic illness, said DePaul University psychologist Leonard Jason, who has studied myalgic encephalomyelitis for more than three decades.

“Then you’re traumatized by the societal reaction to the illness,” he said.

Protecting a partner

Some people aren’t sick themselves but are taking precautions to protect a family member. Steve Alejandro, 42, of Wentzville, Missouri, calls himself a COVID shielder.

His wife, Ashley Alejandro, 44, also has myalgic encephalomyelitis. “She’s got maybe four good hours a day,” Alejandro said. “There’s not a thing in the world I wouldn’t do to protect those four hours.”

Alejandro changed careers during the pandemic, leaving behind “my whole support system” so he could sell vintage books online from home. His three children — now 20, 18 and 12 — never went back to in-person school after lockdowns ended and are continuing their learning at home.

“We’ve really come together,” Alejandro said. “This is a choice that can be made and you can win at it.”

In Miami, Kira Levin is the primary caregiver for her 98-year-old grandmother. She said the thought of getting COVID-19 and risking her grandmother’s health is terrifying.

So, at a July wedding, the 29-year-old was the only bridesmaid and attendee in a mask — an N95 layered with a pretty mask to match the bride’s green color scheme.

“I didn’t take off the mask for pictures and nobody asked me to,” Levin said. “And I felt incredibly grateful for that.”

‘COVID Cautious’ dating

Denver-based sisters Jacqueline and Alexa Child stay masked while going to concerts and dining outdoors with friends who don’t share the same level of COVID-19 caution.

“We have done everything we possibly could to maintain our mental health and our social life,” said Jacqueline, who has an immune disease that makes her vulnerable to infections. “There’s nothing worse than being disabled and isolated. As someone who has been disabled and isolated, I don’t want that isolation part.”

Jacqueline, 30, and her sister Alexa, 34, launched a dating app called Dateability in 2022 for people who are disabled or chronically ill, though all are welcomed. Users can add a “COVID Cautious” tag to their profiles to signal they’re interested in meeting others who take precautions. The Child sisters say 10% of their 30,000 users add “COVID Cautious” to their dating profiles.

“It’s a market that we didn’t expect to target but we happily accept,” Jacqueline said.

Alexa said the precautions started as a way to protect Jacqueline, “but they’re no longer about that.” She’s trying to avoid long COVID, a long-term disability.

Tossing aside the threat of long COVID is hard to imagine for Yale University immunologist Akiko Iwasaki. Though people have been studying the virus since its emergence, she said scientists still don’t know how pieces of the virus can stick around in the blood of some people for more than a year after they’ve recovered from the illness.

Iwasaki still wears masks indoors and stays up to date with vaccines.

“I just can’t afford to get sick and become chronically ill,” she said. “I feel that we really are in a position to be able to better understand the disease, to help millions of people.”

A new normal

While Scarbro understands that others are ready to return to “normal,” it’s not that easy for her or her family. It’s true for many others with chronic immune illnesses, said Jorey Berry, CEO of Immune Deficiency Foundation.

“While the rest of the world is able to kind of go back to their regular lives, our community doesn’t have that luxury,” she said.

Scarbro, her husband and children are constantly taking into account other people’s COVID-19 safety practices.

And as the world turns back to pre-COVID life, Scarbro’s family is doing what they can to keep her healthy — but not in complete isolation.

“I feel very scared about the future,” she said. “I know that people are done, and I respect that, but it’s only going to make it harder for me and my family to keep me safe.”

Biden called into the Wilmington, Delaware, headquarters of his former campaign during a visit by Vice President Kamala Harris, whose bid for the White House has been endorsed by Biden. The president sought to pep up the staff, urging them to give “every bit” of their “heart and soul” to Harris. Biden also vowed to be “out on the road” campaigning for his vice president.

“If I didn’t have Covid, I’d be standing there with you,” said Biden, whose voice sounded a touch gravelly.

The president was last seen in public late Wednesday after arriving at a U.S. air base in Dover, Delaware, after testing positive for COVID-19 while campaigning in Las Vegas earlier in the day. He then motorcaded to his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The White House says Biden plans to return to the White House on Tuesday afternoon.

Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, said that the president had completed his 10th dose of the COVID-fighting medication Paxlovid on Monday morning and continued to perform all of his presidential duties.

“His symptoms have almost resolved completely. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal,” O’Connor wrote. “His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear.”

The White House said Biden received separate briefings on Monday from homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall and national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Both briefings were conducted virtually.

Biden’s public schedule for the week has remained clear as he recovers from the virus, but he said in his letter on Sunday that he planned to deliver an address to the nation this week to discuss his decision to end his candidacy.

Biden plans to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House this week, according to a person familiar with the president’s schedule who was not authorized to comment publicly.

Biden also plans to meet at the White House later this week with the families of Americans who are still being held hostage in Gaza, according to a statement from the group of families who met privately with Sullivan earlier Monday.

It would be the second time that Biden has met with the families. The families again publicly urged Israel and Hamas to come to an agreement on a cease-fire deal that would release their loved ones. Biden in late May proposed a three-phased deal aimed at returning remaining hostages taken by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and could potentially lead to a permanent truce to end the nine-month war in Gaza.

“We’re going to keep working to an end to the war in Gaza,” Biden said during his call-in to the campaign headquarters. “I’ll be working really closely with the Israelis and with the Palestinians to try to work out how we can get the Gaza war to end, and Middle East peace, and get all those hostages home. I think we’re on the verge of being able to do that.”

The indictment filed Tuesday in federal court in Charleston charges Timothy Priddy with making false statements to federal agents in August 2022 and in grand jury testimony the following month about the payments.

Gov. Jim Justice told reporters Thursday that Priddy has been suspended from his job, “and we’ll have to let the courts make a decision on his fate, that’s for sure.”

Priddy held various manager positions with the state Bureau for Public Health’s Center for Threat Preparedness. He was promoted to deputy director in March 2021 and to director in January 2022, according to the indictment.

An email left for Priddy was returned with a message that “As of October 17, 2023 I am no longer with the DHHR Center for Threat Preparedness.” It wasn’t immediately clear whether Priddy has an attorney who could comment on the charges.

Prosecutors said the federal investigation was trying to determine whether one or more vendors providing COVID-19 tests and mitigation services to the state overbilled or otherwise received payment from federal funds disbursed through the state’s main health agency, the Department of Health and Human Resources.

Prosecutors said the vendor reported the results of about 49,000 COVID-19 tests between October 2020 and March 2022 but submitted invoices reflecting the cost of about 518,000 test kits. Despite the discrepancy, Priddy certified at least 13 of the invoices totaling about $34 million, they said..

The indictment did not name the vendor but said the company was from out of state and provided test kits, laboratory analysis and community testing events throughout West Virginia.

DHHR spokesperson Jessica Holstein said Thursday that the health agency’s contract with the company for diagnostic testing services ended in October 2022. She said the agency has cooperated fully with federal investigators.

“DHHR takes extremely seriously its responsibility as a steward of taxpayer dollars and is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability,” Holstein said in an email.

According to its contract, the vendor was required to provide nasal swab diagnostic testing for COVID-19 and upload test results immediately. The tests were for specific DHHR programs and initiatives, including residential youth facilities and hospice agencies, locations such as pharmacies where people go to get tested for COVID-19, and kits for emergency medical services workers who were required to be tested frequently.

Vendors contracted by the state were required to report the test results so that officials would have accurate information on the number of active COVID-19 infections and geographical areas experiencing outbreaks, the indictment said.

Nearly 8,250 deaths from COVID-19 have occurred in West Virginia since March 2020, according to the the health agency’s dashboard.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania who studied blood and stool samples from people with severe long COVID, less severe long COVID and those without found decreased levels of serotonin, a neuro-transmitter that gives the body balance, Dr. Clary Marsh said.

Test animals treated with medications to increase the levels of serotonin showed improvement, he said.

“What’s really exciting is this is an opportunity perhaps for us to intervene and to see in a more specific way if we can identify people with long COVID symptoms who have low amounts of serotonin and who may benefit from using medications that elevate serotonin,” Marsh said.

Marsh spoke in a pre-recorded taping during Gov. Jim Justice’s weekly press briefing from Charleston.

A third COVID-19 vaccine is now available, he said.

The Novavax vaccine was built on older technology than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, but is equally effective against the COVID-19 strains that are circulating, Marsh said.

People who have gotten Moderna or Pfizer shots but not the updated vaccine can get a single Novavax shot, he said. Those without any vaccinations can get two doses, three to eight weeks apart, Marsh said.

The Novavax shot is for those 12 years and older while Moderna and Pfizer can be used by those over 6 months, he said.

While there has been an increase in deaths and hospitalizations because of the virus in recent weeks, it is substantially less than during other peaks in the pandemic.

“The most severe complications of COVID-19 are still seen in people who are older and people who are immuno-compromised,” Marsh said.

Information about resources is available at vaccinate.wv.gov where the vaccine calculator to determine when shots are needed is located, Marsh said. Where vaccines can be obtained can be found from local health care providers and pharmacies, he said.

The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use modified viral genetic material in human cells used for immunity. Novavax uses proteins resembling the virus to be entered into the body, the way it’s been done for three decades.

The Food and Drug Administration on Oct. 3 amended its emergency use authorization for the updated Novavax vaccine that better protects against the current variants.

Jess Mancini can be reached at jmancini@newsandsentinel.com.

The department confirmed the death of a 79-year-old man from Jackson County.

The state in its weekly Wednesday morning update also reported the deaths of a 70-year-old man from Raleigh County, a 74-year-old man from Kanawha County, an 88-year-old woman from Braxton County, a 97-year-old woman from Taylor County, a 71-year-old woman from Pocahontas County, a 95-year-old woman from Harrison County, an 83-year-old woman from Harrison County, a 79-year-old man from Mercer County, a 71-year-old woman from Berkeley County, a 92-year-old woman from Berkeley County and an 80-year-old woman from Marshall County.

West Virginia’s death count from the virus since the pandemic started more than three years ago was at 8,247 residents, the department said. Nationally, the death toll is about 1.1 million people.

On Oct. 4, the state reported 21 COVID deaths in the week prior, the most deaths in a week since March 29 when 32 deaths were recorded. The numbers are far less than during peaks in the pandemic since 2020.

COVID updates went to once a week earlier this year with the expiration of pandemic emergencies.

The department recommends West Virginians 6 months and older stay up-to-date with the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccination. At this time a 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 shot is recommended for most people ages 5 years and older. Those ages 6 months through 4 years have more specific recommendations. People who are moderately to severely immunocompromised may need additional shots for updated protection. COVID-19 vaccination is the best way to protect against severe disease, hospitalization and death from COVID-19, the department said.

“The bottom line is just this, it’s your choice whether or not to take the vaccine,” Gov. Jim Justice said Thursday. “That’s all there is to it.”

The governor said he’s always been respectful of those who decide not to get a vaccination.

“But I would always do what I’ve done in the past and that is to urge you, urge you to take the vaccine,” Justice said during his Thursday press briefing with reporters. “At the same time I would tell you we’re going to stand rock solid, rock solid, with the fact that if you choose not to do so, totally understand.”

Justice also said he would “especially urge the elderly to think about this.” Winter is approaching when the virus cranks up and gets the worst, he said.

It’s an individual decision, Justice said.

“And I’ll do the same,” he said. “I have not had my booster vaccine yet, but I’m going to look at it and make the best decision I can make.”

The latest shot has been adapted to the circulating strain of COVID-19, according to James A. Hoyer, the retired general who was the director of the interagency task force on vaccines during the pandemic. With the end of the public health emergencies, vaccine distribution has returned to normal methods, he said.

“It is important to us as individuals to get these updated shots,” Hoyer said.

Hoyer said in his situation, he has had recent family-related health issues.

“It is exceptionally important to me to get that updated COVID-19 shot that has been adapted so I can better protect myself, just as with the flu vaccine that is adapted each year for various flu strains,” he said.

The West Virginia COVID-19 vaccine information line is 833 734-0965.

The Department of Health and Human Resources on Wednesday reported 21 deaths from COVID-19 in the past week in West Virginia, the highest weekly death toll since March 29 when 32 deaths were recorded in the prior week, however, the numbers are a fraction of the previous pandemic peaks.

The higher numbers will continue with colder weather approaching, Dr. Sherri Young, interim secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources, said.

Data collected over more than three years of the pandemic has made predicting trends, hospitalizations and deaths easier, she said.

Besides precautions, such as getting tested if symptoms warrant it and staying home if the virus is caught then wearing a mask in public, staying up-to-date with vaccines is important, Young said.

“This is our opportunity to make a difference,” she said.

Jess Mancini can be reached at jmancini@newsandsentinel.com.

Now that COVID-19 vaccines are not being distributed by the federal government, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stopped printing new cards.

The federal government shipped more than 980 million cards between late 2020, when the first vaccines came out, through May 10, according to the latest available data from the CDC.

Federal and local health officials don’t expect the discontinuation of the cards to be a particularly big change, since the days of keeping them tucked in purses and wallets to ensure entry into festivals, bars and restaurants are largely over. If you’ve held on to your card, it’s still valid as proof of vaccination. Otherwise, people who need their COVID-19 immunization records will need to request them just like any other vaccine.

In many cases, the clinic, pharmacy or health department that provided the shot can provide those records. Every state and some cities have an immunization registry, though rules vary on when records are included and options for obtaining copies of your records. Records from the mass vaccination sites held early in the pandemic also should be available in those registries, depending on state laws. There is no national registry for immunization records.

For example, Texas requires patients’ written consent to be included in the registry, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District spokesman David Andres Alegria said. Other places, including Wyoming and Philadelphia’s city-specific record system, require vaccine providers to log all vaccinations.

Many states offer digital vaccination records for individuals either online or through an app. Users can save a certificate or a QR code that proves they are vaccinated. And some websites will even track and alert patients when they’re due for another one.

“One of the positives (during the pandemic) was having increased autonomy on your patient record, especially the immunization record,” said Jeff Chorath, who manages the immunization information system in Washington state. Washington offers two digital options for obtaining vaccination records — a comprehensive list of all of a person’s vaccinations noted in the state database and one specific to COVID-19 vaccines.

Other states don’t have the same options, so it might take longer to get your records. There could also be gaps in state databases; for example, if you were vaccinated by a federal health provider, those records may be tracked in a separate system.

As for your old card — if you still have it — maybe don’t mail it off to the Smithsonian quite yet. You should save it like any other health record, Wyoming Department of Health nurse consultant Heidi Gurov said.

“It’s always good to keep those in a safe spot,” she said.

Four million people in the U.S. have received the latest COVID-19 vaccine since it was approved last month, CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen said Wednesday, and a total of 10 million doses have been shipped to providers.

The department in Wednesday’s weekly virus update reported 21 deaths attributed to the virus in the week since the Sept. 27 update when 11 deaths were reported. Updates shifted to once a week earlier this year around the time of the expiration of the pandemic emergencies.

Among the 21 deaths reported on Wednesday were two from the Mid-Ohio Valley, a 90-year-old man from Ritchie County and a 75-year-old man from Roane County.

Other fatalities reported were an 88-year-old woman from Raleigh County, a 72-year-old woman from Berkeley County, a 71-year-old woman from Marshall County, an 88-year-old man from Cabell County, a 72-year-old woman from Braxton County, a 96-year-old woman from Harrison County, a 67-year-old woman from Mingo County, a 90-year-old woman from Wayne County, a 66-year-old man from Marion County, a 72-year-old man from Mason County, a 70-year-old man from Pendleton County, an 81-year-old man from Nicholas County, an 84-year-old woman from Hampshire County, an 86-year-old man from Jefferson County, an 85-year-old woman from Harrison County, a 79-year-old man from Harrison County, a 62-year-old man from Mercer County, a 95-year-old man from Mineral County and a 73-year-old man from McDowell County.

The death toll since the pandemic started in early 2020 in West Virginia was at 8,235 as of Wednesday.

State health officers have predicted a rise in the COVID deaths and hospitalizations with colder weather and that the trend of increasing hospitalizations and infections around the country would eventually reach the state, albeit at much lesser numbers than in previous surges in the pandemic.

The past week’s count was the highest since March 29 when the weekly COVID fatalities was 32. The department reported over 100 deaths in March, compared to less than 35 in September.

The department recommends residents 6 months and older stay up-to-date with updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccinations.

The updated COVID-19 2023-24 shot is recommended for most people 5 and older. Those 6 months through 4 years have more specific recommendations.

People moderately to severely immunocompromised may need additional shots for updated protection. COVID-19 vaccination is the best way to protect against severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19, according to the state.

Hungarian-American Katalin Karikó and American Drew Weissman were cited for contributing “to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health,” according to the panel that awarded the prize in Stockholm.

The panel said the pair’s “groundbreaking findings … fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with our immune system.”

WHAT IS THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR?

Traditionally, making vaccines required growing viruses or pieces of viruses and then purifying them before next steps. The messenger RNA approach starts with a snippet of genetic code carrying instructions for making proteins. Pick the right virus protein to target, and the body turns into a mini vaccine factory.

In early experiments with animals, simply injecting lab-grown mRNA triggered a reaction that usually destroyed it. Those early challenges caused many to lose faith in the approach: “Pretty much everybody gave up on it,” Weissman said.

But Karikó, a professor at Szeged University in Hungary and an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and Weissman, of the University of Pennsylvania, figured out a tiny modification to the building blocks of RNA that made it stealthy enough to slip past immune defenses.

Karikó, 68, is the 13th woman to win the Nobel Prize in medicine. She was a senior vice president at BioNTech, which partnered with Pfizer to make one of the COVID-19 vaccines. Karikó and Weissman, 64, met by chance in the 1990s while photocopying research papers, Karikó told The Associated Press.

WHY DO MRNA VACCINES MATTER?

Dr. Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at Britain’s University of East Anglia, described the mRNA vaccines made by BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna Inc. as a “game changer” in shutting down the coronavirus pandemic, crediting the shots with saving millions of lives.

“We would likely only now be coming out of the depths of COVID without the mRNA vaccines,” Hunter said.

John Tregoning, of Imperial College London, called Karikó “one of the most inspirational scientists I have met.” Her work together with Weissman “shows the importance of basic, fundamental research in the path to solutions to the most pressing societal needs,” he said.

The duo’s pivotal mRNA research was combined with two other earlier scientific discoveries to create the COVID-19 vaccines. Researchers in Canada had developed a fatty coating to help mRNA get inside cells to do its work. And studies with prior vaccines at the U.S. National Institutes of Health showed how to stabilize the coronavirus spike protein that the new mRNA shots needed to deliver.

Dr. Bharat Pankhania, an infectious diseases expert at Exeter University, predicted the technology used in the vaccines could be used to refine vaccines for other diseases like Ebola, malaria and dengue, and might also be used to create shots that immunize people against certain types of cancer or auto-immune diseases including lupus.

HOW DID KATALIN KARIKÓ AND DREW WEISSMAN REACT?

“The future is just so incredible,” Weissman said. “We’ve been thinking for years about everything that we could do with RNA, and now it’s here.”

Karikó said her husband was the first to pick up the early morning call, handing it to her to hear the news. And Karikó was the one to break the news to Weissman, since she got in touch before the Nobel committee could reach him.

Both scientists thought it was a prank at first, until they watched the official announcement.

“I was very much surprised,” Karikó said. “But I am very happy.”

The two have collaborated for decades, with Karikó focusing on the RNA side and Weissman handling the immunology: “We educated each other,” she said.

Before COVID-19, mRNA vaccines were already being tested for diseases like Zika, influenza and rabies — but the pandemic brought more attention to this approach, Karikó said. Now, scientists are trying out mRNA approaches for cancer, allergies and other gene therapies, Weissman said.

“It’s already been going on for many years, but this has just given RNA the recognition,” Weissman said.

Karikó’s family is no stranger to high honors. Her daughter, Susan Francia, is a double Olympic gold medalist in rowing, competing for the United States.

The prize carries a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million) from a bequest left by the prize’s creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. The laureates are invited to receive their awards at ceremonies on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death.

Nobel announcements continue with the physics prize on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday and literature on Thursday. The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced Friday and the economics award on Oct. 9.

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This story has been updated to correct that Karikó is a professor at Szeged University, not Sagan’s University.

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Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands. Burakoff reported from New York. Associated Press writers Maria Cheng in London and Lauran Neergaard in Washington contributed.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Follow all AP stories about the Nobel Prizes at https://apnews.com/hub/nobel-prizes