A coronavirus pandemic linkfest is now a weekly feature here on Abnormal Returns. Please stay safe. You can read last week’s edition here.
Quote of the Day
“I don’t think there’s any question that America’s original sin was not having a broadly available test by the time COVID-19 was here...It’s atrocious, egregious, and grotesque. We’re still living with the fallout of not having enough tests. It’s the original sin that has become our daily tragedy.”
(Eric Topol)
Fourth wave
- Something to keep an eye on - some states are seeing an increase in hospitalizations. (theatlantic.com)
- Parts of France are going back on lockdown. (nytimes.com)
- Case counts are rising in many parts of Europe. (npr.org)
- What could go wrong between now and a full reopening. (vox.com)
Vaccines
- Why base rates are important when talking about vaccines. (unherd.com)
- Some people who are fully vaccinated will test positive for Covid. (theatlantic.com)
- You're not fully vaccinated on the day of your final dose. (theatlantic.com)
Vaccine hesitancy
- The Feds are planning a full-scale effort to convince as many people to get vaccinated as possible. (statnews.com)
- Many religious leaders are urging their congregations to get vaccinated. (nytimes.com)
- Who isn't getting vaccinated? (vox.com)
Vaccine distribution
- Vaccine efforts are showing up in a faster decline in case counts in older Americans. (ft.com)
- How Alaska came to be the first state to open up vaccinations for everyone 16 and up. (washingtonpost.com)
- Many ag-heavy states have been slow to make the vaccine available to migrant farm workers. (politico.com)
- How Covid vaccine distribution differs than other vaccines. (fivethirtyeight.com)
- Vaccine misinformation is concentrated in a handful of sources. (washingtonpost.com)
Children
- The CDC has updated its guidance for distancing in schools. (npr.org)
- The vaccine makers are now running trials for children and teens. (nytimes.com)
- Treat your children as you would your vaccinated parents. (theatlantic.com)
- The case for kids getting vaccinated at school. (slate.com)
- Herd immunity doesn't happen without children being vaccinated. (npr.org)
Europe
- After a pause in some countries, the EU is once again using the AstraZeneca ($AZN) vaccine. (wsj.com)
- The many ways in which the EU bungled the vaccine rollout. (marginalrevolution.com)
- Even the worst U.S. states are outperforming Europe when it comes to getting shots in arms. (bloomberg.com)
Global
- The U.S., Japan and Australia have just pledged more than $200 million to help Indian companies expand their capacities faster. (wsj.com)
- The results of an aggressive vaccination campaign in Israel are encouraging. (nature.com)
- It's hard to overestimate the global value of vaccine production. (marginalrevolution.com)
Research
- The B.1.1.7 variant is not only more transmissible than preexisting SARS-CoV-2 variants, but may also cause more severe illness. (nature.com)
- During the Covid pandemic virologists are able to track mutations in near real-time. (theatlantic.com)
- You can't explain the Covid pandemic without talking about superspreader events. (marginalrevolution.com)
Treatment
- The evidence for Covid antibody treatment is strong but uptake is limited. (scientificamerican.com)
- The use of disulfiriam seems to reduce the incidence of severe Covid. (medrxiv.org)
- Covid patients are increasingly refusing to go on a ventilator. (washingtonpost.com)
- Overcrowded hospital made for worse Covid care. (npr.org)
Testing
Long haulers
- Some Covid long haulers describe what they have gone through in the past year. (wsj.com)
- The cost of 'long Covid' are going to be with us for awhile. (nytimes.com)
Masks
Earlier on Abnormal Returns
- Coronavirus links: pandemics end in whimpers. (abnormalreturns.com)
- There's only one way through the pandemic tunnel. (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
- What lessons were learned from the Spanish flu and why many of them were ignored this time around. (nytimes.com)
- It wasn't just the U.S. that failed to stave off the worst of the pandemic, nearly every other Western nation failed as well. (nymag.com)
- What is the common thread among countries that were most challenged by Covid. (marginalrevolution.com)
- 17 lessons we need to take into the next pandemic including 'Stop the mixed messaging.' (nytimes.com)
