Why Patterns In Covid-19 Variation Might Resemble Seasonal Flu
We’ve learned that some variants of SARS-CoV-2 are more transmissible. Equally troubling is the possibility that future variants — or ones currently circulating off our radar — will in some way compromise our natural immune response, complicating our ability to treat critically …
Why America Should Look To China To Contain Covid-19
Since the earliest days of the Covid-19 pandemic, American news media has been rife with stories about how China handled – or according to many of the reports, mishandled – the initial outbreak. The most recent is a story in the New York …
The Trouble With Herd Immunity And Covid-19 Vaccines
Now that an independent advisory panel has voted in favor of approving Pfizer’s two-dose Covid-19 vaccine, it likely won’t be long before the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clears it for emergency use. Within 24 hours of their decision, millions of …
How Will A Covid-19 Vaccine Impact Travel?
In the past decade, the world has seen a steady rise in travel and tourism that undoubtedly influenced the trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic. People flew in and out of China six times as much on a daily basis in 2018 than …
These Forms Of Covid-19 Transmission May Be Rare, But Can’t Be Ignored
Last month, China was struck with its worst outbreak of Covid-19 in months—183 infections across Xinjiang, a city in the western province of Kashgar. While the majority of cases traced back to a garment factory, we now know the true source: contaminated …
Why Most Countries Won’t Benefit From Moderna And Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccines
That the Moderna and Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines demonstrated efficacy in more than 90 percent of phase 3 trial participants is cause for celebration. Developed at breakneck speed with heretofore unrealized mRNA technology, they have without a doubt made history, especially now that …
One Man, One Plane, Seven Infections And Counting: A Cautionary Tale For All Those Planning Air Travel
In September, a man boarded a flight from Dubai to New Zealand. Not 48 hours before he had tested negative for Covid-19. Days after disembarking, while quarantining in compliance with national containment policy, he and six other passengers of the 86 on …
Don’t Assume A 14-Day Quarantine Is Enough To Prevent Covid-19 Spread
One of the general assumptions we’ve formed about Covid-19 is that when someone is infected, they’re no longer contagious after two weeks—hence the recommended 14-day quarantine. But this isn’t necessarily the case. Following the first appearance of symptoms, the vast majority of …
China Aims To Eliminate Covid-19 With New Testing Policy
On November 6, China debuted a new travel testing policy. Before, incoming airline passengers had to submit results for a conventional PCR test that proved the absence of Covid-19 and, upon landing, head to a predetermined location for a mandatory 14-day quarantine. …
Are Frozen Foods A Risk For Covid-19 Infection? Possibly.
In the early days of the pandemic, when much about how SARS-CoV-2 was spread was still very much unknown, consumers were warned to disinfect groceries before putting food onto their shelves or into their refrigerators. But over time, as the respiratory nature …