Items of recent pandemic news: Vaccination halves chances of long Covid; the role of auto-antibodies in severe disease; rising out-of-pocket costs of Covid; the unlikelihood that September 20 will see booster shots; and more. Plus a frippery. 1. Boosters will … Continue reading →
Items of recent pandemic news: The intelligence community on SARS-CoV-2’s origins; the EU tightens up with American travelers; delta doubles the chances of hospitalization; a new variant out of South Africa; and more. Plus a frippery. 1. The C.1.2 variant … Continue reading →
Ten days ago I speculated on when the US might arrive at the delta wave’s peak, and whether cases might then begin to drop precipitously — as had been the pattern first in India (which peaked in May) and then … Continue reading →
Items of recent pandemic news you may have missed: Emergent gets a manufacturing green light; an antibody cocktail is authorized for prophylaxis; the nations planning to issue booster doses; and the whiplash engendered by the delta variant. Plus a frippery. … Continue reading →
Items of recent pandemic news you may have missed: Too much testing of asymptomatic immune people? The new risk calculus of the delta variant, the coming mitigations, the anatomy of why delta spreads so fast, and more. Plus a frippery. … Continue reading →
Items of recent pandemic news you may have missed: What the delta variant actually does (hint: it doesn’t “transmit” better); about correlates of protection; and the unresolved question of how the J&J vaccine works against delta. Plus a frippery. J&J … Continue reading →
Nine items of recent pandemic news you may have missed: Rapid testing, mixing and matching vaccines, booster shots, the genetics predicting severe Covid-19, another blow to J&J, some mechanisms behind neurological damage, and more. Plus a frippery. 1. Pfizer wants … Continue reading →
This week the Update moves from its former strictly biweekly cadence to a weekly format; each issue will encompass a larger number of brief items. There may occasionally be longer features. Fear not, the frippery is here to stay. mRNA … Continue reading →
Two items of recent pandemic news: The FDA says myocarditis is a rare side effect of mRNA vaccines; and a scientist recovers early Wuhan genetic sequences that went missing last year for unknown reasons. Plus news briefs and a frippery. … Continue reading →
Two items of recent pandemic news: Billions to develop antivirals that can be taken by mouth; and a hard fail in a vaccine Phase III trial. Plus news briefs and a frippery. CureVac falls flat You may have heard by … Continue reading →
Three items of recent pandemic news: the seriousness of the Delta variant; how a bitter taste might predict the severity of a Covid-19 outcome; and results from the Novavax Phase III trial. Plus news briefs and a frippery. Novavax results … Continue reading →
Herewith a brief issue, as pandemic news has been thin over a holiday weekend. No news briefs today but of course there’s a frippery. WHO tackles naming the variants The designations given to the viral variants are not friendly; the … Continue reading →
Items of recent pandemic news: Moderna’s vaccine works in those 12 to 17 years old; the political nature of college mandates to vaccinate returning students; and a new, fast-spreading variant out of India. Plus news briefs and a frippery. B.1.617.2 … Continue reading →
Herewith three items of recent pandemic news: More studies on mixing vaccine doses; the FDA extends Pfizer’s authorization to ages 12+; and acknowledgement from the CDC that this virus is airborne. Plus news briefs and a frippery. It is indeed … Continue reading →
Four items of recent pandemic news: Pfizer applies for full FDA approval; Moderna’s booster testing; the CDC’s optimistic report; and what it means that the US is open to waiving vaccine patent rights. Plus news briefs and a frippery. Waiving … Continue reading →
