science.org SCIENCEILLUSTRATION: N.P.O. LAVOCHKINwill be reviewed by the National Academies
of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,
which 11 years ago criticized EPA for not
clearly presenting its methods in the earlier
assessment. If the agency formally classifies
formaldehyde as a carcinogen, EPA could
tighten restrictions on its use under the
Toxic Substances Control Act, although the
regulatory process is slow.Sub-subvariants hit New York state
COVID-19 |Two new lineages of SARS-
CoV-2, descendants of an already rapidly
spreading spinoff of the Omicron variant of
concern, have surged in central New York
state, accounting for more than 90% of infec-
tions there by 13 April—the first reported
instance of significant community spread for
the lineages in the United States, authori-
ties said. The New York State Department
of Health said last week that BA.2.12 and
BA.2.12.1 are more contagious than their par-
ent, the Omicron subvariant BA.2, and are
“likely contributing to the rising cases.” As
of 1 April, infection and hospitalization rates
in central New York were more than double
the state average. No evidence so far suggests
these latest versions of Omicron make people
sicker, the state said. BA.2.12.1 has a spike
protein mutation, L452Q, that increased the
infectivity of a previous variant of inter-
est, Lambda. BA.2.12.1 was first identified
in mid-January in Canada, where 63 cases
have now been found, and a few cases have
been detected in five other countries besides
the United States, but only in single-digit
numbers. More than 1900 U.S. cases have
been identified.U.K. tests antibiotic subscriptions
DRUG DEVELOPMENT |The United
Kingdom is moving closer to a world first:
paying pharma companies a subscription-
style fee for access to new antibiotics. The
model is designed to give companies a finan-
cial incentive to innovate. New antibiotics
are needed because their widespread use in
human and veterinary medicine has led to
the spread of resistant bacteria. But pharma
companies see little financial reward in
developing novel antibiotics, which are usu-
ally held in reserve for cases in which other
antibiotics do not work, and then given forNEWS
“
There should be a mandatory course
in public health in our nation’s law schools.
”
Vaccine researcher Peter Hotezabout a U.S. district court ruling that struck down the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 mask mandate on public transportation.T
he European Space Agency (ESA) announced last week it will
stop partnerships with Russia on three upcoming Moon mis-
sions because of the war in Ukraine. The agency said it would
shift instruments scheduled to fly on Russia’s Luna-25, -26, and
-27 probes to lunar missions planned by Japan and the United
States. ESA asked Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, to re-
move an instrument—a camera called Pilot D—that was already in-
stalled on the Luna-25 robotic lander, which is due for launch later this
year. The decision came after ESA announced in March it was suspend-
ing work with Russia on the ExoMars rover mission.The European Space Agency asked Russia to remove a camera experiment from its Luna-25 Moon lander.IN BRIEF
Edited byJeffrey BrainardLUNAR SCIENCEEurope quits Russian Moon missions
EPA ups formaldehyde warning
TOXICOLOGY |A long-delayed assessment
of the health effects of formaldehyde has
concluded that the widely used chemical
poses a greater cancer risk than had been
estimated, which could lead to greater
regulation. Most people are exposed to
formaldehyde in airborne emissions from
the glue in treated plywood and particleboard used in buildings. A draft assessment
12 years ago by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) that linked form-
aldehyde exposure to an increased risk of
leukemia and other cancers drew objections
from members of Congress and industry
representatives, who maintain that products
containing formaldehyde are safe. The new
draft, released last week, finds a higher risk
of myeloid leukemia. In an unusual step, it330 22 APRIL 2022 • VOL 376 ISSUE 6591