A coronavirus-focused linkfest is still a weekly feature here at Abnormal Returns. Please stay safe and find a vaccination site near you. You can read last week’s edition here.
Quote of the Day
"Many experts suspect that we might be in for a flu season worse than the previous one, in part because the previous one was so mild."
(Katherine J. Wu)
Boosters
- The full FDA has approved a Pfizer ($PFE)-BioNTech ($BTNX) booster for those over 65 and at high risk of Covid. (cnbc.com)
- The final CDC decision on boosters will likely include high risk workers. (npr.org)
- The messaging around boosters has been 'chaotic.' (statnews.com)
- The definition of fully vaccinated is now going to change. (theatlantic.com)
- A second J&J ($JNJ) dose further increases protection. (statnews.com)
Vaccines
- Pfizer ($PFE)-BioNTech ($BTNX) has filed for an EUA for children 5-11 years old. (statnews.com)
- Why the Moderna ($MRNA) vaccine is coming out on top. (nytimes.com)
- Allergic reactions to mRNA vaccinations have been minimal. (sciencedaily.com)
- A new vaccine is being tested to cover multiple Covid strains in one shot. (businessinsider.com)
Vaccinations
- We are all likely to get Covid at some point. What matters is if you are vaccinated. (theatlantic.com)
- Why outreach is needed to reach the remaining unvaccinated population. (washingtonpost.com)
- Vaccinated individuals with Covid do not spread the virus as the same as the unvaccinated. (theatlantic.com)
- Why pregnant women should get vaccinated. (washingtonpost.com)
- The immunocompromised are still struggling in the new world. (wsj.com)
Children
- Just because a vaccine is approved for children doesn't mean parents will get them vaccinated. (theatlantic.com)
- How doctors can speak with parents reluctant to vaccinate their children. (washingtonpost.com)
- More testing would allow schools to make better decisions around mitigation. (statnews.com)
- Schools in a number of states are using weekly testing to stay open. (npr.org)
Global
- Global vaccinations are ramping up. (marginalrevolution.com)
- The U.S. is donating another 500 million doses of the Pfizer ($PFE) vaccine overseas. (ft.com)
- Australia has been unique its willingness to impose Covid restrictions on its populace. (nytimes.com)
- Combating future pandemics will require more global cooperation. (axios.com)
States
- Why so many Republican governors are coming out against mandates. (washingtonpost.com)
- West Virginia got off to good start with vaccinations but now lags and Delta cases have surged. (wsj.com)
Policy
- Why the U.S. is normalizing its travel restrictions. (theatlantic.com)
- Post-election the Trump administration largely ignored the accelerating pandemic. (washingtonpost.com)
- How intelligence agencies can help identify the next pandemic. (wsj.com)
Testing
- Why rapid Covid tests are more expensive in the U.S. than elsewhere. (wsj.com)
- CDC made a big error not pushing Covid testing out wide. (reason.com)
- When you should do an at-home Covid test. (wsj.com)
Influenza
- We should isolate when we have influenza as well. (newscientist.com)
- What to expect from Covid as the weather cools and people stay inside more. (statnews.com)
- Other non-Covid viruses are making a comeback. (bbc.com)
Antibody treatments
- Eli Lilly ($LLY) is trying to catch up to Regneron ($REGN) in the antibody space. (ibj.com)
- A study shows Remdesivir is effective in keeping high risk Covid patients out of the hospital. (bloomberg.com)
Treatment
- Covid is delaying care across the country. (nytimes.com)
- How vaccine mandates could exacerbate the nursing shortage. (npr.org)
- The story of a Montana hospital that has run out of beds. (khn.org)
- The cost of Covid care is no longer being waived by insurers. (washingtonpost.com)
Data
- Covid-19 is set to become the most deadly outbreak in recent American history, poised to surpass the estimated U.S. fatalities from the 1918 influenza pandemic. (cnbc.com)
- The Delta wave is hitting age groups in the U.S. differently, i.e. more middle-aged cases. (bloomberg.com)
- We're still learning about what drives Covid surges. (vox.com)
- Weird stuff happens at scale in a pandemic. (theatlantic.com)
Podcasts
- Marc Andreessen, Vineeta Agarwala and Vijay Pande talk with Dr. Scott Gottlieb -- author of the upcoming new book, "Uncontrolled Spread: Why COVID-19 Crushed Us, and How We Can Defeat the Next Pandemic." (a16z.simplecast.com)
- Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks with former F.D.A. Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb. (omny.fm)
- Dr. Bapu Jena talks with former FDA director Scott Gottlieb. (freakonomics.com)
Earlier on Abnormal Returns
- Coronavirus links: sick societies. (abnormalreturns.com)
- There's only one way through the pandemic tunnel. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Why we are eventually going to need digital health passes, i.e. vaccine passports. (abnormalreturns.com)
- The 'Swiss cheese model' and the importance of avoiding single points of failure in pandemic and life. (abnormalreturns.com)
- On the challenge of holding two competing thoughts on the pandemic in your head a the same time. (abnormalreturns.com)
Mixed media
- Steven Taylor, an Australian psychologist published what would turn out to be a remarkably prophetic book "The Psychology of Pandemics" in 2019. (theguardian.com)
- How ivermectin came to be a 'miracle cure' for the anti-vax crowd. (npr.org)
- Nobody is going to ring a bell when the pandemic is over. (vox.com)
