UK’s mutating variant a concern as it might undermine vaccines, scientist says
The coronavirus variant first found in the British region of Kent is a concern because it is mutating and so could undermine the protection given by vaccines against developing COVID-19, the head of the UK’s genetic surveillance programme said. What’s concerning about this is that the 1.1.7 variant that weContinue Reading
Covid-19 cases are falling in the U.S. It could be a calm before a variant-driven storm
STAT News writes about the recent drop in new cases in the United States and the changes in the virus that could cause rapid growth again. What could also be happening, said infectious disease expert Kristian Andersen of Scripps Research Institute, is that the variants, which share some mutations, areContinue Reading
Covid: Why Australia’s ‘world-class’ quarantine system has seen breaches
Australia’s hotel quarantine system has been an extremely effective first line of defence against Covid-19. Even the most effective COVID control can have problems… So far, more than 211,000 people have gone through this quarantine. It’s a costly but effective method that is used in only a few other nationsContinue Reading
Where the pandemic has been deadliest
Axios has created a map of COVID-19 deaths relative to population size. In the seven states hit hardest by the pandemic, more than 1 in every 500 residents have died from the coronavirus.Continue Reading
WHO says Covid ‘most likely’ originated in animals and spread to humans, dismisses lab leak theory
An international team of scientists led by the World Health Organization said Tuesday that the coronavirus “most likely” originated in animals before spreading to humans and dismissed a theory that the disease had been leaked by a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan. In terms of understanding what happenedContinue Reading
What If We Never Reach Herd Immunity?
The Atlantic reports on why hitting the threshold might actually be impossible. But vaccines can still help end the pandemic. While COVID-19 vaccines are very good—even unexpectedly good—at preventing disease, they are still unlikely to be good enough against transmission of the virus, which is key to herd immunity. On the whole, weContinue Reading
Anthony Fauci Reveals When You Can Finally Shed Your Coronavirus Mask
Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation’s leading infectious diseases experts, has some bad news for anyone hoping to take off the mask after receiving a coronavirus shot. Fauci reiterated that herd immunity in the range of 70-85% must be achieved before masking and other public health restrictions could beContinue Reading
South Africa puts AstraZeneca vaccines on hold
South Africa will put on hold use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 shot in its vaccination program, after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild-to-moderate infection caused by the country’s dominant coronavirus variant.Continue Reading
Why the U.S. Is Underestimating Covid Reinfection
As millions of Americans struggle to recover from covid and millions more scramble for the protection offered by vaccines, U.S. health officials may be overlooking an unsettling subgroup of survivors: those who get infected more than once. Identifying how common reinfection is among people who contracted covid — as wellContinue Reading
Covid-19 masks: Which mask is best for you, and when to use it
CNN has a breakdown of respirators and masks based on current scientific knowledge, and what experts are saying on how to best use them. While N95-style masks are still difficult to obtain, there are many options for surgical style and cloth mask. It is important to consider how the maskContinue Reading
