Image: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Edinson Cavani 
Image:Harry Maguire Little he could have done about either goal, and given zero protection from his back four. A disappointing European debut.Wan-Bissaka – 4Casual on the ball, and laboured in defence. The tenacity in the tackle that prompted United to spend £50m on the right-back was nowhere to be seen in Istanbul. Made just one tackle in his 76 minutes.Harry Maguire – 4Maguire’s leadership skills were absent as a disorganised United defence were caught several times in the first half. Saw a lot of the ball in a quarter-back role, with Istanbul sat deep, but struggled to get things going from defence. Edin Visca then capitalised on more woeful marking, smashing in at the back post after Juan Mata had been caught in possession.Anthony Martial pulled a goal back with a header before half-time but United weren’t able to find an equaliser and the result, after Sunday’s defeat to Arsenal, piling more pressure on Solskjaer.Here are our player ratings for Manchester United from the match…Dean Henderson – 6- Advertisement – Manchester United were beaten 2-1 by Istanbul Buyuksehir in the Champions League on Wednesday – but how did Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s players perform?Former Premier League player Demba Ba put the hosts ahead when he was bizarrely left completely unmarked and able to run from the halfway line before slotting past Dean Henderson unchallenged.- Advertisement – 
Image:Axel Tuanzebe with Demba Ba Paul Pogba – 5Desperately tried to take Istanbul defenders out of the game by beating them one-on-one, but was snuffed out constantly. Failed to bring the quality on the ball United needed.Mason Greenwood and Timothy Fosu-Mensah – 5Ultimately too late to make much of an impact – Greenwood ran the ball out of play during a rare opportunity in the box, while Fosu-Mensah got out of jail with his pace as Fredrik Gulbrandsen looked to race through on goal.What’s next?Manchester United travel to Everton in the Premier League on Saturday at 12.30pm. Istanbul Basaksehir host Genclerbirligi in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday at 1pm. Replaced at half-time for Scott McTominay after being given the runaround by Demba Ba in the first half. Hauled down the former Chelsea and Newcastle man when he looked to be through on goal, but only saw yellow. Brilliant in Paris, abject in Istanbul. 
Image:Nemanja Matic Substitutes Scott McTominay – 6A Solskjaer favourite it seems, brighter on the ball and vocal throughout, but struggled to have much of an impact at the base of United’s midfield.Edinson Cavani – 5Hardly saw the ball and was forced out wide left constantly by a brilliant Rafael, formerly of United’s stable. 
Image:Juan Mata Bruno Fernandes – 4One of his worst games in a United shift, giving the ball away 34 times, more than any other player on the pitch. That can partly be explained by the Portuguese trying to force the game open, but very little, if anything, came off for him, and his set-piece delivery was poor. Axel Tuanzebe – 3- Advertisement – 
Image:Anthony Martial halved the deficit Marcus Rashford – 4Looked laboured, and struggled to make any runs off the ball to create space as the hosts played deep and compact. Managed one shot on goal in 76 minutes, despite United having nearly 70 per cent of the ball.Anthony Martial – 5Good header to half the deficit, but otherwise quiet and struggled to hold the ball in the final third. Lack of service didn’t help. Luke Shaw – 5Caught high up the pitch for Istanbul Basaksehir’s second – the hosts queued up at his side the defence as Maguire shuffled over to defend Ba before his dummy – but redeemed himself with a fine assist for Martial’s goal, and some industrious running in the second half.Nemanja Matic – 3Surrendered his duties for the first goal as Ba lurked 15 yards behind him for a bizarre opener, and then moved to centre-back in the second half. Solskjaer called the opener “unforgivable” after the game.Equally woeful on the ball; those low, fizzed balls forward into feet we are so used to seeing from Matic were almost exclusively chucked to opponents. Juan Mata – 4Neat and tidy on the ball, but United lack tempo with both him and Matic playing in the same side. Robbed running back towards his goal for the hosts’ second goal.Donny van de Beek – 5 Looked OK on the ball, but tried nothing adventurous, and was hooked after an hour. Started promisingly but faded. 
Image:Bruno Fernandes – Advertisement –
Month: November 2020
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Live match preview – Everton vs Man Utd 07.11.2020
On scrutiny of his position following several poor performances, a bullish Solskjaer said: “Of course there’s always pressure and expectations on us.“You’re a top coach or a manager when you win, and you’re bad when you lose because that’s the last game you played. You’re not really better than your last game but every game of football becomes history quickly and we need to go into Goodison Park in a positive frame of mind.”How to followFollow Everton vs Manchester United in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle. 
Image:Jordan Pickford will start in goal for Everton The Colombia international missed the match at Newcastle with a knock but Ancelotti has said he will play on Saturday even though he views with scepticism the player’s assertion he is fully fit.“He said that he’s 100 per cent I have some doubt that he’s 100 per cent but it doesn’t matter for me,” said the Italian. 
– Advertisement – Ancelotti has also been boosted by the return of centre-back Mason Holgate, who has been out since sustaining an injury in pre-season.Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has no fresh squad concerns, with Alex Telles back in training after being ruled out recently following a positive Covid-19 test.“We’ve not lost any [players] from the Istanbul trip,” he said. “Same group, same squad.” Sky Sports News reporter James Cooper says Manchester United continue to back manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer despite two straight defeats against Arsenal and Istanbul Basaksehir A look at some of the key stats surrounding the fixtures in matchweek eight of the Premier League 2:48
4:40 The Everton manager also confirmed goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, rested last weekend, will start against United, adding: “I talked to him every day this week, we laughed, we are together. He knows what to do. He starts.”- Advertisement – Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Everton vs Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday; kick-off 12.30pmTeam newsEverton playmaker James Rodriguez will return to face an under-pressure Manchester United side with manager Carlo Ancelotti reporting a near fully-fit squad for the Goodison Park clash.- Advertisement – Jones Knows’ predictionPeople bounce back. That’s a well-known fact. However, the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer story is on the verge of getting pulped if results and performances do not pick up.His sliding doors moment as a top-level manager could come at Goodison Park. Another stinky showing is bound to linger over the international break, especially with a manager like Mauricio Pochettino declaring he is ready for a return.This erratic United side are a punter’s nightmare. One day, sublime, another day atrocious.It’s impossible to predict which team will turn up. But what we can control is Everton’s reliability at home. Carlo Ancelotti’s side have lost just one of their last 15 Premier League games at Goodison Park, winning four this season and scoring 18 goals in that period.With Lucas Digne and James Rodriguez hopefully back, I would like to think we will see a more dangerous Everton to the one that plodded to a limp defeat at Newcastle. If they can get service into Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ancelotti’s men should be well equipped to bulldoze their way past a flaky United.JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 3-1 (18/1 with Sky Bet)Opta statsEverton are unbeaten in their last three league games against Man Utd (W1 D2), with both games last season ending 1-1. They last went four without defeat against the Red Devils in March 1990 (W2 D2).Manchester United have won more Premier League games against Everton than any side has won against another in the competition’s history (36). Meanwhile, their 16 wins at Goodison Park is the joint-most away wins for a club at a specific venue in the competition (Man Utd also 16 at Villa Park).Everton are looking to avoid losing three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since December 2019, while manager Carlo Ancelotti hasn’t lost three league games in a row since November 2006 with AC Milan.After a run of scoring in 17 consecutive games, netting 39 goals in the process, Manchester United have failed to score in their last two Premier League matches (0-0 vs Chelsea, 0-1 vs Arsenal). They last failed to score in three consecutive league games in February.Manchester United have won each of their last six Premier League away games – only between April-August 1993 (7) have they won more consecutively on the road in the competition.Everton haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their last seven Premier League home games, last having a longer such run between May-November 2015 (8). Indeed, the Toffees have conceded at least twice in each of their last four league games at Goodison Park.Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored eight goals in his seven Premier League games this season, only failing to score in one game so far. The striker has scored in just one of his seven Premier League appearances vs Man Utd, but it was in his last such match against them (1-1 at Goodison Park, March 2020).Manchester United have conceded four penalties in their six Premier League games this season, already more than they had in their 38 games last season (3). Indeed, only in four completed campaigns have they ever faced more penalties in the competition (5 in 2006-07 and 2016-17, 6 in 2010-11 and 2018-19).Marcus Rashford has been involved in six goals in his last four Premier League away games for Manchester United, scoring three and assisting three.Man Utd’s Bruno Fernandes has been involved in 12 goals in his nine Premier League away games so far (8 goals, 4 assists), only failing to register a goal involvement in one of those nine matches (vs Crystal Palace in July). Even if he fails to get a goal or assist in this game, it will be the highest number of goal involvements in a player’s first 10 Premier League away games in the competition’s history.Pitch to Post Preview Podcast: Jamie Carragher on Man City vs Liverpool; Steve Bruce on Callum Wilson; Chelsea’s title chances assessedJamie Carragher and Steve Bruce are among the guests on this week’s Pitch to Post Preview Podcast.Sky Sports pundit Carragher joins Peter Smith and Adam Bate to look ahead to the big Super Sunday clash between Man City and Liverpool, while Steve Bruce is on the line to discuss Newcastle’s Friday Night Football trip to Southampton and the form of star striker Callum Wilson.Also on the show we analyse how Chelsea have turned around their defensive problems, how Leicester have coped with injury problems, and Adam makes a bold Pitch.Listen to the Sky Sports Pitch to Post Podcast on: Spotify | Apple | Castbox – Advertisement –
Pfizer drug is more than 90% effective in preventing infection
A health worker holds blood samples during clinical trials for a Covid-19 vaccine at Research Centers of America in Hollywood, Florida, on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020.Eva Marie Uzcategui | Bloomberg | Getty Images It means that protection from Covid-19 is achieved 28 days after the initial vaccination, which consists of a two-dose schedule.The final vaccine efficacy percentage may vary, however, as safety and additional data continues to be collected.“The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19,” Pfizer’s Bourla said in a statement.“We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen,” Bourla continued.“With today’s news, we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis. We look forward to sharing additional efficacy and safety data generated from thousands of participants in the coming weeks.”Roughly 42% of the trial’s participants had diverse backgrounds, Pfizer and BioNTech said, adding that there haven’t been any serious safety concerns reported yet.The companies said they planned to submit for emergency use authorization to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration soon after they have two months of data, which is currently on track for the third week of November.Based on current projections, Pfizer and BioNTech expect to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020, and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.The companies said they plan to submit data from the full phase three trial, which began on July 27, for scientific peer-review publication. Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer, hailed the development as a “great day for science and humanity.”The results were based on the first interim efficacy analysis conducted by an external and independent Data Monitoring Committee from the phase three clinical study. The independent group of experts oversee U.S. clinical trials to ensure the safety of participants.The analysis evaluated 94 confirmed Covid-19 infections among the trial’s 43,538 participants. Pfizer and BioNTech said the case split between vaccinated individuals and those who received a placebo indicated a vaccine efficacy rate of above 90% at seven days after the second dose.- Advertisement – U.S pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German biotech firm BioNTech said their coronavirus vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 among those without evidence of prior infection, according to data published Monday from their late-stage vaccine trial.It comes as drugmakers and research centers around the world scramble to deliver a safe and effective vaccine in an attempt to bring an end to the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed over 1.25 million lives worldwide.Scientists are hoping for a coronavirus vaccine that is at least 75% effective, while White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci has previously said one that is 50% or 60% effective would be acceptable.- Advertisement –
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U.S. officials ‘optimistic’ pandemic could end
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ADM Brett P. Giroir testifies before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the Trump Administration’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, June 23, 2020.Kevin Dietsch | Pool via Reuters A senior administration official said Monday that U.S. health officials are “extremely encouraged” by the announcement that Pfizer‘s coronavirus vaccine is highly effective in preventing Covid-19.The news, combined with progress in the nation’s manufacturing and distribution plans for Covid-19 vaccines, makes U.S. health officials “very optimistic” that the vaccine and others in development “could effectively end the pandemic,” Adm. Brett Giroir, an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, told reporters on a conference call.“But until that vaccine is widely administered and distributed, we have much work to do,” he added. “I think we all realize our nation is in a critical phase in this pandemic, with significant community spread, cases averaging 100,000 per day over the last seven days and climbing, increase in hospitalizations with our three-day average estimated to be 61,000.”- Advertisement – – Advertisement – The announcement comes as the coronavirus continues to rapidly spread across the U.S. Over the past seven days, the country has reported an average of about 108,736 new cases per day, up more than 33% compared with a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. At least 30 states hit record highs in average daily new cases on Sunday, Hopkins data shows.Health officials fear the situation could become especially dire as people also get the seasonal flu and hospitals fill up. A coronavirus model from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, once cited by the White House, now projects more than 399,163 Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. by Feb. 1.A safe and effective vaccine is seen by investors and policymakers as a solution to get the global economy back on track after the pandemic wreaked havoc on nearly every country across the globe and upended businesses. There are currently four U.S.-backed front-runners with a vaccine in phase three clinical trials: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.Even with a vaccine, some infectious disease experts warn the coronavirus is likely to become as “endemic” as the annual flu virus.Giroir on Monday acknowledged that the coronavirus will likely never disappear from the planet. But he said he hopes that vaccines will bring the virus down to low levels and infections will be a rare occurrence, like polio.“Until that time, we have got to do the public health measures,” he said, urging people to wear masks, wash their hands and maintain their distance from others.
Earlier in the day, Pfizer announced its vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 among those without prior infection, hailing the development as “a great day for science and humanity.” Comparatively, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a vaccine for influenza reduces the risk of flu illness by 40% to 60% among the overall population.Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla told CNBC that the company is on track to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.“I believe this is likely the most significant medical advance in the last 100 years,” he said. “It is a great day for science. It is a great day for humanity when you realize your vaccine has 90% effectiveness. That’s overwhelming.”- Advertisement – – Advertisement –
For a preview of President Biden, look to his past.
His experience in the Senate defined his political outlook — one that prizes consensus, civility and bipartisanship as essential to at least some progress — and helps explain why he will enter the White House with great respect for Congress.Joe Biden has a mandate to be Joe Biden.After four years of President Trump in the White House, Mr. Biden promises, in many respects, a return to the past norms and traditions that have typically defined the office, whether that’s embracing the traditional role of serving as consoler in chief in times of tragedy or refusing to use Twitter to deliver messages to the American people. – Advertisement – Like President Bill Clinton, Joseph R. Biden Jr. is an empathetic extrovert with a sprawling network of friends. Like President George W. Bush, he respects American political traditions, and with President Barack Obama, he shares eight years of history, experiences and some Washington battle scars.But when Mr. Biden enters the White House in January, after four turbulent years of the Trump presidency and what is shaping up to be a chaotic transition period, he will bring with him his own set of instincts.- Advertisement – He can be loose with deadlines.At key points throughout the campaign, Mr. Biden wanted to take in as much information as possible and missed self-imposed deadlines on, for example, naming a running mate. Mr. Biden ultimately is decisive, his allies argue, saying that he is not the kind of person to second-guess or to walk back a promise once he has arrived at a deal in a negotiation. But on major political and personnel decisions, at least, he has demonstrated that he cannot be rushed.He’s a man of the Senate at heart.- Advertisement –
He has honed the ways he operates in Washington over 36 years as a senator and eight years as vice president. Based on his actions and attitudes throughout his most recent 18 months as a presidential candidate, here are four key elements of how Mr. Biden may approach governing come January, 48 years after he first arrived in Washington.He consults experts, elected officials and his inner circle.Mr. Biden relied this year on a blend of expert opinion and conversations with elected officials across the country as he formulated his plans to confront the extraordinary public health and economic crises at hand. – Advertisement –
The Final Word: ‘Hail Murray’ for MVP, the slumping Seahawks and are the Giants ready for a run? | NFL News
Highlights of the Week 10 matchup between the Buccaneers and the Panthers Kyler Murray would definitely deserve a mention here, but Tom Brady got back on track with a massive performance in Tampa Bay’s 46-23 win over the Carolina Panthers. A week after suffering the heaviest defeat of his career, Brady threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for another score. Tampa flexed their offensive muscle with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski and Cameron Brate making big plays in the passing game. Add in a 98-yard touchdown run from Ronald Jones and it was a good day at the office for the Bucs.Play of the Week 
2:01 Watch Neil Reynolds, Vince Young and Shaun Gayle’s reaction to Kyler Murray’s sensational Hail Mary touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins 
4:00 
6:49 Peter King thinks that the New Orleans Saints will face disciplinary action after footage emerged of the team celebrating last week’s victory without masks – Advertisement – 
Actors You Forgot Starred in the Film
Most viewers recall Carrey’s unforgettable performance as the grumpy, green Whoville outcast, but he’s not the only big name to appear in the festive flick. Christine Baranski, Molly Shannon, Bryce Dallas Howard and more round out the comedy’s all-star cast. During a 2016 interview at the Toronto Film Festival, Howard reflected on the early days of her career and dished on secrets from the Grinch set.“I was getting to hang around sets when I was a kid, a lot,” the daughter of director Ron Howard said at the time. “My first job, which isn’t really a job, is that I got to squeeze orange juice for everyone [on set] in the morning.”- Advertisement – “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch!” The live-action version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas has become a modern holiday favorite — but many of its stars often go unnoticed.Jim Carrey steals the show as the titular character of the classic Dr. Seuss tale, which hit theaters in November 2000. The movie grossed more than $345 million worldwide, becoming the second highest-grossing holiday movie of all-time next to 1990’s Home Alone. Though it was initially met with mixed reviews, How the Grinch Stole Christmas scored nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design at the 2001 Academy Awards — and took home the win for Best Makeup.- Advertisement – – Advertisement – The Rocketman actress eventually worked her way up to helping out behind the scenes of some of her dad’s projects, and after sometimes wandering into the background of scenes, Bryce was given an official role.“I got to be an extra, which is really a supporting artist, and I got to be paid for that,” she recalled. “You know what, it was as a Who in The Grinch.”Baranski and Shannon each received ample screen time as Martha May Whovier and Betty Lou Who, respectively. However, there’s one iconic actor who’s never seen but is heard in the adaptation of the children’s book. Anthony Hopkins, known for his haunting portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs, lends his voice as Whoville’s narrator.- Advertisement – Scroll down to see more stars you might have forgotten were in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
CDC reports 29% flu-shot coverage in kids with asthma
The effect of the vaccine shortage on coverage in children with asthma is unknown, the CDC says. The prioritization advice might have contributed to the higher rate in asthmatic children than in children with no asthma, or the shortage might have caused lower vaccinate rates in all children, relative to other seasons. The figure comes from the first attempt to estimate flu vaccination coverage specifically in children with asthma, for whom the shots have been recommended since 1964, the CDC reports in the Mar 9 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Previously the CDC estimated a flu vaccination rate of 34.8% in 2004-05 for children with any of several risk factors for flu complications. That estimate, based on 685 children sampled in the CDC ‘s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, did not include a separate assessment of coverage in children with asthma. The survey revealed a vaccination rate of 29.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 24.5% to 33.9%) for children with asthma and 10.3% (95% CI, 9.3% to 11.5%) for children without asthma. Among children with asthma, 2- to 4-year-olds had the highest rate, 32.9%, versus 28.0% for 5- to 12-year-olds and 28.8% for 13- to 17-year-olds. In 2005 the CDC added questions about flu vaccination in children to its National Health Interview Survey, an ongoing, in-person household survey of the US civilian population. In the interviews, information about one randomly selected child from each household is collected from an adult family member. The 2004-05 flu season brought an unexpected shortage of vaccine, when problems at a Chiron plant in England kept about 50 million doses off the US market. Because of the shortage, the CDC recommended prioritizing high-risk groups for vaccination, and children with asthma were included in the priority group of people with chronic medical conditions, the report notes. Responses from interviews conducted between March and August of 2005 were used to estimate vaccination coverage in the preceding flu season. A total of 5,124 children, aged 2 to 17 years, were included in the analysis; children were considered vaccinated if they had received a flu shot between September 2004 and February 2005. The article says 557 children, or about 10.9% of the sample, were reported to have asthma. Nationally, about 8.9% of children younger than 18about 6.5 millionhad asthma in 2005, the CDC says.
Mar 8, 2007 (CIDRAP News) Only about 29% of the 6.5 million American children with asthma, a group at risk for influenza complications, received flu shots in the 2004-05 season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today. Children who had asthma and had had an attack in the year preceding the interview had significantly higher vaccination coverage than those who had had no episodes in the preceding year: 35.9% versus 20.0% (P<.001). Vaccination coverage also increased with the number of medical visits in the preceding year. The CDC says possible ways to boost vaccination rates include year-round scheduling of flu vaccination appointments and computerized reminder systems. In a 2006 study, vaccination coverage for children with asthma increased significantly from 23.2% to 35.1% after a year-round scheduling policy was adopted. Although children with asthma were nearly three times as likely to have been vaccinated as children without asthma, the finding indicates that "influenza vaccination coverage among children with asthma is inadequate and that opportunities for vaccination during health-care provider visits likely are being missed," the CDC says. CDC. Influenza vaccination coverage among children with asthmaUnited States, 2004-05 influenza season. MMWR 2007 Mar 9;56(9):193-6 [Full text]
Many Americans confused about avian flu and food safety
Jun 12, 2007 (CIDRAP News) – A nationwide survey indicates that many Americans have misconceptions about food safety issues related to avian influenza, researchers from Rutgers University said yesterday.Researchers from the Food Policy Institute at Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experimental Station, based in New Brunswick, N.J., conducted the survey to gauge the public’s knowledge about H5N1 avian influenza and determine how Americans would respond if the virus were found in US poultry. The results were announced yesterday in a press release from Rutgers University.The research team interviewed 1,200 adults by telephone between May 3 and Jun 5, 2006, according to the 32-page survey report. Investigators used random-digit dialing to select survey participants from all 50 states. They first asked a series of questions to gauge respondents’ overall awareness of avian flu and how the disease spreads and is prevented. Then they asked what respondents would do if the threat of avian influenza increased, particularly regarding poultry buying and consumption.Nearly all (93%) of the respondents had heard of avian influenza, yet more than half said they knew little about it. A 22-question objective test within the survey confirmed the respondents’ view of their own avian flu knowledge: half scored less than 60%. Women, those with less education, and those with less objective knowledge about H5N1 were more likely to have misconceptions about the risks of eating poultry, the group found.Most of the respondents said their risk of contracting H5N1 was low, but many believed the risk to others was higher, the survey revealed.Only about two thirds of respondents were aware that most chicken sold in the United States is produced domestically, under tightly controlled conditions, and that poultry products from countries with H5N1 outbreaks are banned.Though Americans seem to be aware of avian influenza, they are uncertain of food-related transmission risks, the researchers found. While more than two-thirds of the survey respondents believed that the avian flu virus is present in the uncooked meat of infected poultry, less than half understood that proper cooking kills the virus.Further, when asked what they would do if the H5N1 virus turned up in US chickens, 40% of respondents said they would stop eating chicken products, rather than limiting their risk by using proper cooking and food handling procedures. The researchers said this result is consistent with findings among European consumers.Among other misconceptions, many Americans believe it’s easy to identify H5N1-contaminated raw meat, the researchers said.Respondents said they would turn away from chicken products if a wild bird with the H5N1 virus was found in the United States or if poultry outbreaks were reported in Canada or Mexico.William K. Hallman, director of the Food Policy Institute, said in the press release that the results point to specific communication needs. “The results of the study suggest that much of the American public does not yet have the information they need to make informed choices abut purchasing, preparing, and consuming poultry products, should avian influenza emerge in the United States,” he said.Though consumers’ actual behavior often differs from what they predict it will be, the research group concluded that domestic poultry consumption would drop dramatically if avian flu emerged in the United States. “The resulting economic and social impacts would likely be substantial,” they wrote.Targeted messages to consumers should include information on the safety of the US poultry supply, food handling techniques to avoid cross-contamination, and properly cooking chicken to at least 165ºF, the researchers said.See also:Jun 11 Rutgers press releasehttp://ur.rutgers.edu/medrel/viewArticle.html?ArticleID=5834Dec 7, 2005, CIDRAP News story “FAO, WHO give food safety tips for bird flu era”