SAN DIEGO (AP) — Several gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have tested positive for the coronavirus in what is believed to be the first known cases among such primates in the United States and possibly the world.

The park’s executive director, Lisa Peterson, told The Associated Press on Monday that eight gorillas that live together at the park are believed to have the virus and several have been coughing.

It appears the infection came from a member of the park’s wildlife care team who also tested positive for the virus but has been asymptomatic and wore a mask at all times around the gorillas. The park has been closed to the public since Dec. 6 as part of the state of California’s lockdown efforts to curb coronavirus cases.

Veterinarians are closely monitoring the gorillas and they will remain in their habitat at the park, north of San Diego, Peterson said. For now, they are being given vitamins, fluid and food but no specific treatment for the virus.

“Aside from some congestion and coughing, the gorillas are doing well,” Peterson said.

While other wildlife has contracted the coronavirus from minks to tigers, this is the first known instance of transmission to great apes and it is unknown if they will have any serious reaction.

Wildlife experts have expressed concern about the coronavirus infecting gorillas, an endangered species that share 98.4 percent of their DNA with humans and are inherently social animals.

The gorillas infected at the San Diego safari park are western lowland gorillas, whose population has declined by more than 60% over the last two decades because of poaching and disease, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

The safari park tested feces of the troop of gorillas after two apes began coughing Jan. 6. Positive test results were confirmed by the U.S Department of Agriculture National Veterinary Services Laboratories in three gorillas. Feces from all eight in the troop are being taken for testing.

Zoo officials are talking to experts who have been treating the coronavirus in humans in case the animals’ develop more severe symptoms. They will remain together since separating them could be harmful to the gorillas that live in tight-knit groups.

“This is wildlife, and they have their own resiliency and can heal differently than we do,” Peterson said.

The safari park on Monday added more safety measures for its staff, including requiring face shields and eye goggles when working in contact with the animals.

The confirmation that gorillas are susceptible to the coronavirus contributes to information about how the pandemic may affect these species in their native habitats where they come into contact with humans and human materials, the park officials said.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park plans to share what it learns with health officials, conservationists and scientists to develop steps to protect gorillas in the forests of Africa.

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Two COVID-19 vaccines might be nearing the finish line, but scientists caution it’s critical that enough people volunteer to help finish studying other candidates in the U.S. and around the world.

Moderna Inc. and competitor Pfizer Inc. recently announced preliminary results showing their vaccines appear more than 90% effective, at least for short-term protection against COVID-19.

If those early results hold up and U.S. regulators agree the shots are safe, emergency use of small, rationed supplies could start in late December. Other countries with contracts for early doses would undertake their own reviews.

But multiple vaccines will be needed to meet global demand and help end the pandemic, raising concern that studies that still need to sign up thousands of volunteers could run short if people wait for an already OK’d option instead.

“We don’t want to see that happen,” said Dr. James Cutrell, an infectious disease expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Supplies aside, other COVID-19 vaccines under development may work differently in different populations and “we likely will benefit from having a menu of vaccine options,” Cutrell said.

“We still need volunteers,” stressed National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, urging Americans to sign up.

Additionally, participants in the Moderna and Pfizer studies who originally got dummy shots would almost certainly be offered the real vaccine if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows emergency use. But no one knows how long protection would last, meaning those studies also must continue to track recipients somehow.

“It’s one thing to be effective two months after your last vaccination and another thing to be effective a year” later, said Dr. Jesse Goodman of Georgetown University, a former director of the FDA‘s vaccine division. “It’s going to be really important to complete these clinical trials and the trials of the other vaccines so we can make comparisons.”

The promising Moderna and Pfizer news bodes well for some of their competitors, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert whose team at NIH helped develop the Moderna candidate.

Those shots target the “spike” protein that studs the surface of the coronavirus, and the early results prove that’s enough to generate “a protective response,” Fauci said. “Conceptually this looks good” for other spike-focused vaccines made in different ways.

Here’s a scorecard of the frontrunners in the global vaccine race:

GENETIC CODE VACCINES

The Moderna-NIH vaccine and the candidate developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech aren’t made with the coronavirus itself, meaning there’s no chance anyone could catch it from the shots.

Instead, the vaccines are made with a brand-new technology that injects a piece of genetic code for the spike protein. That messenger RNA, or mRNA, instructs the body to make some harmless spike protein, enough to prime the immune system to react if it later encounters the real virus.

There are no licensed mRNA vaccines for people, so scientists had no idea if or how well the COVID-19 candidates might work.

Both manufacturers are working to scale up production in factories in the U.S. and Europe. They can’t simply partner with other vaccine companies to take on some of the work because the technology is so different than the way most of today’s shots are made.

“It is not a very easy or quick swap,” said Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel.

TROJAN HORSE VACCINES

A different way to target the spike protein: Use another, harmless virus to carry the spike gene into the body. Once again, the body produces some spike protein and primes the immune system.

Britain’s Oxford University and AstraZeneca are making their version of this “viral vector” vaccine with a cold virus, or adenovirus, that normally infects chimpanzees. Studies of tens of thousands of people are underway in the U.K., U.S. and several other countries.

Johnson & Johnson is using a human adenovirus for its version, and is the only option in advanced U.S. testing aiming to show if a single dose rather than two would be enough.

China’s government authorized emergency use of CanSino Biologics’ adenovirus shots in the military ahead of any final testing. Russia likewise began offering an adenovirus vaccine ahead of late-stage tests.

PROTEIN VACCINES

Novavax makes its vaccine candidate by growing harmless copies of the coronavirus spike protein in the laboratory and packaging them into virus-sized nanoparticles.

There are protein-based vaccines against other diseases, so it’s not as novel a technology as some of its competitors. Novavax has begun a large final-stage study in Britain, and is set soon to begin another in the U.S.

“KILLED” VACCINES

Spike-focused vaccines aren’t the only option. Making vaccines by growing a disease-causing virus and then killing it is a tried-and-true approach — it’s the way Jonas Salk’s famed polio shots were made.

China has three so-called “inactivated” COVID-19 vaccine candidates in final testing in several countries, and has allowed emergency use in some people ahead of the results. An Indian company is testing its own inactivated candidate.

Safely brewing and then killing the virus takes longer than newer technologies. But inactivated vaccines give the body a sneak peek at the germ itself rather than just that single spike protein.

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Building on the company’s comprehensive efforts to help slow the spread of the virus, on Friday, May 22 CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) will open 14 new COVID-19 test sites at select CVS Pharmacy drive-thru locations across California. The opening of additional test sites across the state and country will be announced by the end of the month.

These new sites will utilize self-swab tests and mark the next phase of the company’s nationwide COVID-19 testing strategy, announced April 27. CVS Health expects to have up to 1,000 locations across the country offering this service by the end of May, with the goal of processing up to 1.5 million tests per month, subject to availability of supplies and lab capacity. The 14 test sites in California are part of nearly 350 locations across 14 states including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.

“While the large-scale test sites we’ve been operating since early April have proven successful, this new approach allows us to utilize our presence in communities across the country and bring testing closer to home,” said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Health. “Our frontline employees will continue to play a critical role in the testing process, with members of their communities directly benefiting from their dedication and selflessness.”

Once fully operational, more than half of the company’s 1,000 test sites will serve communities with the greatest need for support, as measured by the CDC‘s Social Vulnerability Index. The index tracks a variety of census variables including poverty, lack of access to transportation, and crowded housing that may weaken a community’s ability to prepare for and recover from hazardous events like natural disasters and disease outbreaks.

Self-swab tests will be available to individuals meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, in addition to age guidelines. Patients must register in advance at CVS.com beginning Friday, May 22 to schedule an appointment. Patients will be required to stay in their cars and directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window where they will be provided with a test kit and given instructions, and a CVS Pharmacy team member will observe the self swab process to ensure it is done properly. Tests will be sent to an independent, third-party lab for processing and the results will be available in approximately three days.

Testing will not take place inside any retail locations, and CVS Pharmacy, HealthHUB and MinuteClinic will continue to serve customers and patients.

The new testing sites in California include:

CVS Pharmacy, 7740 Rancho Santa Fe Road, Carlsbad, CA 92009

CVS Pharmacy, 16 3rd Avenue Extension, Chula Vista, CA 91910

CVS Pharmacy, 645 East Palomar Street, Chula Vista, CA 91911

CVS Pharmacy, 1150 Baker Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

CVS Pharmacy, 14220 Schleisman Road, Eastvale, CA 92880

CVS Pharmacy, 1299 Broadway, El Cajon, CA 92021

CVS Pharmacy, 572 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon, CA 92020

CVS Pharmacy, 8101 Greenback Lane, Fair Oaks, CA 95627

CVS Pharmacy, 491 East Alessandro Boulevard, Riverside, CA 92508

CVS Pharmacy, 921 Pacific Coast Highway, Seal Beach, CA 90740

CVS Pharmacy, 1350 Florin Road, Sacramento, CA 95831

CVS Pharmacy, 14589 Camino Del Norte, San Diego, CA 92128

CVS Pharmacy, 3350 Palm Avenue, San Diego, CA 92154

CVS Pharmacy, 18080 Imperial Highway, Yorba Linda, CA 92886

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Building on the company’s comprehensive efforts to help slow the spread of the virus, on Friday, May 22 CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) will open 14 new COVID-19 test sites at select CVS Pharmacy drive-thru locations across California. The opening of additional test sites across the state and country will be announced by the end of the month.

These new sites will utilize self-swab tests and mark the next phase of the company’s nationwide COVID-19 testing strategy, announced April 27. CVS Health expects to have up to 1,000 locations across the country offering this service by the end of May, with the goal of processing up to 1.5 million tests per month, subject to availability of supplies and lab capacity. The 14 test sites in California are part of nearly 350 locations across 14 states including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.

“While the large-scale test sites we’ve been operating since early April have proven successful, this new approach allows us to utilize our presence in communities across the country and bring testing closer to home,” said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Health. “Our frontline employees will continue to play a critical role in the testing process, with members of their communities directly benefitting from their dedication and selflessness.”

Once fully operational, more than half of the company’s 1,000 test sites will serve communities with the greatest need for support, as measured by the CDC‘s Social Vulnerability Index. The index tracks a variety of census variables including poverty, lack of access to transportation, and crowded housing that may weaken a community’s ability to prepare for and recover from hazardous events like natural disasters and disease outbreaks.

Self-swab tests will be available to individuals meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, in addition to age guidelines. Patients must register in advance at CVS.com beginning Friday, May 22 to schedule an appointment. Patients will be required to stay in their cars and directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window where they will be provided with a test kit and given instructions, and a CVS Pharmacy team member will observe the self swab process to ensure it is done properly. Tests will be sent to an independent, third-party lab for processing and the results will be available in approximately three days.

Testing will not take place inside any retail locations, and CVS Pharmacy, HealthHUB and MinuteClinic will continue to serve customers and patients.

The new testing sites in California include:

• CVS Pharmacy, 7740 Rancho Santa Fe Road, Carlsbad, CA 92009
• CVS Pharmacy, 16 3rd Avenue Extension, Chula Vista, CA 91910
• CVS Pharmacy, 645 East Palomar Street, Chula Vista, CA 91911
• CVS Pharmacy, 1150 Baker Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
• CVS Pharmacy, 14220 Schleisman Road, Eastvale, CA 92880
• CVS Pharmacy, 1299 Broadway, El Cajon, CA 92021
• CVS Pharmacy, 572 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon, CA 92020
• CVS Pharmacy, 8101 Greenback Lane, Fair Oaks, CA 95627
• CVS Pharmacy, 491 East Alessandro Boulevard, Riverside, CA 92508
• CVS Pharmacy, 921 Pacific Coast Highway, Seal Beach, CA 90740
• CVS Pharmacy, 1350 Florin Road, Sacramento, CA 95831
• CVS Pharmacy, 14589 Camino Del Norte, San Diego, CA 92128
• CVS Pharmacy, 3350 Palm Avenue, San Diego, CA 92154
• CVS Pharmacy, 18080 Imperial Highway, Yorba Linda, CA 92886

A complete list of CVS Pharmacy Drive-thru test sites can be found here.

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Riverside County health officials are encouraging young people to get tested for coronavirus because it is believed the group has been underrepresented in testing so far.

More than 71,000 people have been tested in Riverside County – at county- and state-run testing sites, clinics, hospitals and private facilities – and health officials say it is important that all segments of the population get tested to help determine the spread of coronavirus in the community. While adults have been well represented in testing, officials said they would like more of those 25 and younger to get screened.

According to census data, those 18 and under make up about 25 percent of Riverside County’s population, but that group has made up only 6.6 percent of the testing appointments at the county’s coronavirus testing sites.

“We would like to get a more complete picture of the illness as it has spread among young people,” said Kim Saruwatari, director of public health for Riverside County. “This will helps us better understand who in the community has the disease and how it might be moving among children and families.”

The county currently operates four drive up testing sites – Indio, Perris, Riverside and Lake Elsinore – and those who want to be screened do not have to have symptoms, although they do need an appointment. Parent permission is required for testing of minors. For an appointment, call 800-945-6171.

Appointments are also required at the eight state-operated walk-up testing sites spread throughout the county. To make an appointment at the state sites go online, click https://lhi.care/covidtesting, or for those without internet access call 888-634-1123.

“Testing is for everyone, regardless of immigration status or insurance, and it is free,” said Riverside County Board Chair and Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. “Testing has been expanded to be available for those with and without symptoms, and we encourage our young people to get themselves tested at one of our many testing sites.”

There is no cost to the person being tested at either the county or state operated facilities.

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