Science News Roundup: Russian scientists say Sputnik V performs well against COVID mutations; Virus can be transmitted via lung transplant and more

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

As a child, she beat bone cancer. Now she's headed into space.

Bone cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux is thrilled to be going into space. As a crew member on SpaceX's Inspiration4, the world's first all-commercial astronaut mission to Earth's orbit, Arceneaux hopes that as the first person to go into space with a prosthesis, she can inspire others.

Virus can be transmitted via lung transplant; COVID-19 deadlier than flu for ICU patients

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

COVID-19 can be transmitted via lung transplant Archaeologists uncover ancient ceremonial carriage near Pompeii

Archaeologists have unearthed a unique ancient-Roman ceremonial carriage from a villa just outside Pompeii, the city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD. The almost perfectly preserved four-wheeled carriage made of iron, bronze and tin was found near the stables of an ancient villa at Civita Giuliana, around 700 metres (yards) north of the walls of ancient Pompeii.

Russian scientists say Sputnik V performs well against COVID mutations

A Russian trial testing the effectiveness of revaccination with the Sputnik V shot to protect against new mutations of the coronavirus is producing strong results, researchers said on Saturday. Last month President Vladimir Putin ordered a review by March 15 of Russian-produced vaccines for their effectiveness against new variants spreading in different parts of the world.

Queensland skies light up as Chinese space junk burns up in atmosphere

Social media in Queensland, Australia lit up on Thursday night, matching the flashing night sky as users posted short videos of what experts later said was debris from a Chinese rocket burning up as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. "I thought it was a meteorite at first, but later as it split, my mate and I began thinking it was space junk," said Jasper Nash, who filmed one of the videos circulating on social media. "It was very fascinating."

(With inputs from agencies.)