Unfortunately I now feel the need to do a weekly linkfest solely dedicated to the coronavirus pandemic. You can read last week’s edition here. Please be careful and stay safe.
Quote of the Day
"But a great deal of evidence suggests that the death rates actually are much lower than back in April. In a few months, they will be lower still. Social distancing and masks don’t just delay Covid-19 deaths; they also buy enough time to prevent them."
(Scott Sumner)
Chart of the Day
Covid-19 hospitalizations hit a new high in the US this week.
Masks
- 3M ($MMM), among others, is boosting N95 mask production in the US. (wsj.com)
- What an affordable, reusable N95 mask for personal use would look like. (cnbc.com)
- If less virus means less sickness, then masks are vital to stopping the pandemic. (wsj.com)
- The aerosol vs. droplet debate doesn't affect much what you should do in the real world. (slate.com)
- For people with hearing loss, masks are a disaster. (wsj.com)
Antibodies
- Why you should take any single study about Covid-19 immunity with a big grain of salt. (theatlantic.com)
- What we know about our immune system's reaction to the coronavirus, so far. (vox.com)
- We're still learning a lot about how we develop antibodies to the novel coronavirus. (bloomberg.com)
- The most effective vaccines will also prime our T-cells for action. (ft.com)
- If neutralizing antibodies fade quickly over time then vaccine efforts are likely to not succeed. (sfchronicle.com)
Vaccines
- China is confident that one of its vaccine candidates will be ready to go by year-end. (wsj.com)
- What happens if/when a Covid-19 vaccine is approved and available? (theatlantic.com)
- Many Americans are going to have to be convinced to take a coronavirus vaccine. (nytimes.com)
- There are nearly 200 Covid-19 vaccines in development: an interactive tracker. (covid-19vaccinetracker.org)
- What happens if Covid-19 vaccine trials fail? (fastcompany.com)
Risks
- Why assessing the risk of various pandemic activities is so challenging. (fivethirtyeight.com)
- Whether dining inside or outside, diners should consider the risk they pose to restaurant staff. (eater.com)
- We now know why the coronavirus may transmit so easily in the environment of a meatpacking plant. (bloomberg.com)
- How to make indoor air safer. (fivethirtyeight.com)
Statistics
- The coronavirus data coming out of US states is, at best, incomplete. (washingtonpost.com)
- Official health data always gets revised over time. (sl-advisors.com)
- Some tips on how to better understand the Covid-19 statistics that get discussed. (propublica.org)
- A review of all the research on Covid-19 fatality rates. (wsj.com)
Global
- The Gulf States are betting on widespread testing to get the pandemic under control. (wsj.com)
- How Munich turned its coronavirus outbreak into a scientific study. (newyorker.com)
- By this measure, the UK has excelled during the pandemic. (msn.com)
Spread
- What does it mean that the average age of someone getting coronavirus is dropping? (vox.com)
- Better understanding super-spreader events would help us get the pandemic under control. (washingtonpost.com)
- Why it's likely the coronavirus was circulating in New York City earlier than previously thought. (finance.yahoo.com)
Testing
- US testing capacity has been overwhelmed making delayed tests moot. (bloomberg.com)
- The Fall is going to see an even bigger testing crunch. (ft.com)
- Access to Covid-19 testing varies widely by geography. (fivethirtyeight.com)
- Pooled testing won't work if the virus is endemic. (politico.com)
- Why cheap and fast testing trumps sensitivity. (marginalrevolution.com)
- Five myths about coronavirus testing. (fastcompany.com)
Treatment
- Diabetes, obesity and respiratory disease are all factors in Covid-19 fatalities. (wsj.com)
- Inhaled interferon beta seems to reduce the worst symptoms of Covid-19. (bloomberg.com)
- 'Hospital-at-home' programs make a lot of sense in pandemic. (nytimes.com)
- How chronic fatigue system could help inform how to deal with longer term Covid-19 effects. (statnews.com)
Schools
- Why most schools won't open this Fall. (washingtonpost.com)
- This fall will tell us a lot about how well kids spread the coronavirus. (npr.org)
- How to best use school buildings in pandemic. (nytimes.com)
Behavior
- The pandemic demonstrates that "People are more susceptible to biases if they fit their own political narrative." (scientificamerican.com)
- Why we should pay people to download contact tracing apps. (slate.com)
- Anchoring bias and why we are not going back to normal any time soon. (scientificamerican.com)
Earlier on Abnormal Returns
- Coronavirus links: walking weapons. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Acceptable risks in a world full of uncertainty. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Having no plan is just as bad as not following the plan you have. (abnormalreturns.com)
