A coronavirus pandemic linkfest is unfortunately now a weekly feature here on Abnormal Returns. You can read last week’s edition here. Please be careful, get a flu shot and please stay safe.
Quote of the Day
"It’s really important for people to keep in mind that while the vaccine is a great step and great progress toward a future in which we don’t have to worry about Covid-19, it’s really hundreds or thousands of little steps that are going to take a long time. Much of the next few months, for a lot of people, are going to look and feel very similar to the last few months."
(Samantha Penta)
Chart of the Day
December has already exceeded April for the number of coronavirus-linked deaths.
Moderna
- How Moderna's ($MRNA) vaccine works. (nytimes.com)
- Don't forget Moderna ($MRNA) is a company as well. (news.crunchbase.com)
- Jorge Conde and Hanne Winarsky talk with Moderna ($MRNA) CEO Stephanie Bancel. (a16z.com)
Vaccines
- In recognition of the monumental achievement that is two coronavirus vaccines. (whitecoatinvestor.com)
- Why Europe has been slower to move on vaccines. (marginalrevolution.com)
- Researchers think they have identified what is causing the (rare) allergic reactions. (wsj.com)
- Sometimes a graph is worth a thousand words. (xkcd.com)
- A side-by-side comparison of the Pfizer ($PFE) an Moderna ($MRNA) mRNA vaccines. (statnews.com)
Vaccine priorities
- Public health officials are recommending those who have already had Covid-19 wait to get vaccinated. (wsj.com)
- Reasons why companies SHOULDN'T require workers to get vaccinated. (ft.com)
- People with Down's syndrome or autism are at higher-risk of Covid-19. (wsj.com)
Vaccine access
- The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has voted to recommend those over 75 and essential frontline workers next get the vaccine. (statnews.com)
- The fight is on over who constitutes an essential worker. (washingtonpost.com)
- Of course the rich and powerful are going to try and jump the vaccine line. (washingtonpost.com)
- Why we need "trustworthy and reliable digital proof of vaccination." (axios.com)
- Pharmacies are scrambling to hire techs and pharmacists as vaccination efforts ramp up. (wsj.com)
- Federal aid to states to help facilitate vaccinations won't get there for awhile. (politico.com)
Variants
- Why the new coronavirus variant likely occurred in an single, immunocompromised individual. (sciencemag.org)
- The U.S. lags in terms of sequencing potential variants. (washingtonpost.com)
- If necessary, BioNTech ($BTNX) is confident they could pivot their vaccine to the new variant. (ft.com)
Test and trace
- The pandemic has outpaced our ability to test and trace. (npr.org)
- The CDC's new quarantine rules are, at best, confusing. (nytimes.com)
- Many schools are rethinking their coronavirus quarantine procedures. (wsj.com)
Spread
- More Americans flew in the days leading up to Christmas than any day prior to the onset of the pandemic. (axios.com)
- What researchers learned about Covid from the Biogen ($BIIB) superspreader event in February. (newyorker.com)
- Restaurant kitchens seem to be a vector for the spread of the coronavirus. (wsj.com)
- Why the issue of minks contracting coronavirus is no small thing. (theatlantic.com)
Treatment
- Why the uptake of antibody treatments has been so slow. (nytimes.com)
- A trial of high-dose blood thinners in Covid patients has been halted. (nytimes.com)
- Many U.S. hospitals are are out of available beds. (washingtonpost.com)
- Hospitals may be able to add an ICU bed, but they can't add trained personnel. (vox.com)
- U.S. hospitals are still facing PPE shortages. (nytimes.com)
States
- What's behind the California's surge in cases? (politico.com)
- Iowa's governor is loosening restrictions despite record case counts. (thedailybeast.com)
Earlier on Abnormal Returns
- Coronavirus links: learning from our mistakes. (abnormalreturns.com)
- The 'Swiss cheese model' and the importance of avoiding single points of failure in pandemic and life. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Get used to the term 'digital health passport' as the coronavirus vaccine rolls out nationwide. (abnormalreturns.com)
- On the challenge of holding two competing thoughts on the pandemic in your head a the same time. (abnormalreturns.com)
Mixed media
- The U.S. is on track to 3.2 million deaths in 2020 some 400,000 over last year. (apnews.com)
- Max Linsky talks all things pandemic with Ed Yong who has done a great work chronicling the pandemic at The Atlantic. (longform.org)
- It's impossible to measure how many lives were lost due to the lies told during the pandemic. (politifact.com)
- The first 'coronavirus babies,' those conceived and delivered in pandemic, have arrived. (washingtonpost.com)
