A coronavirus-focused linkfest is a weekly feature here at Abnormal Returns. Please stay safe, get a booster and at a vaccination site near you. You can read last week’s edition here.
Quote of the Day
"In the end, despite the messy messaging, I think it’s not that complicated. You should get a booster if you want to lower your risk of getting a breakthrough COVID infection in the next few months."
(Emily Oster)
Omicron
- Omicron is now well-established in the United States. (statnews.com)
- The risk of reinfection from the omicron seems to be higher than previous variants. (bloomberg.com)
- Five indicators to watch on Omicron including cases in S. Africa. (vox.com)
- How to interpret incoming Omicron data. (statnews.com)
- Moderna's ($MRNA) CEO is worried Omicron will be a challenge for existing vaccines. (ft.com)
- Vaccine makers are rushing to make Omicron-specific vaccines. (newatlas.com)
- Four big open questions about Omicron. (vox.com)
Viral mutation
- How did the Omicron variant get so many variations? (scientificamerican.com)
- Omicron seems to share some genetic material with the the virus that causes the common cold. (washingtonpost.com)
- Some researchers believe Omicron could have evolved in an animal host. (statnews.com)
Vaccines
- Walgreens ($WBA) and CVS ($CVS) are struggling to keep up with Covid vaccine demand. (wsj.com)
- Pfizer's ($PFE) success has given it huge power, maybe too much. (ft.com)
- The J&J ($JNJ) vaccine may have an advantage in durability. (theatlantic.com)
- It could be the case that a longer interval between the first and second shots would be better. (wsj.com)
- Mixing-and-matching vaccine doses is fine. (nytimes.com)
Children
- Many southern states are lagging in child vaccinations. (washingtonpost.com)
- For children the risk from Covid complications is higher than that of myocarditis. (scientificamerican.com)
Boosters
- The CDC recommended that everyone 18 and older get a booster shot after completing a first course of Covid-19 vaccination. (wsj.com)
- A third dose greatly reduces risk vs. a two-dose regime. (newatlas.com)
- Omicron has turned booster skeptics around. (nytimes.com)
- Omicron likely won't wreck your booster. (theatlantic.com)
- What's holding back booster roll outs at nursing homes? (nytimes.com)
- Third doses trump masks. (marginalrevolution.com)
Antibody treatments
- Regeneron ($REGN) Regen-Cov treatment is likely less effective against the Omicron variant. (biopharmadive.com)
- GlaxoSmithKline ($GSK) believes its antibody therapy is effective against Omicron. (biopharmadive.com)
Antivirals
- Why the two new antiviral treatments are a bigger deal than made out to be. (theatlantic.com)
- For antivirals to be effective, we are going to have to test a lot more. (nytimes.com)
- Virtual care companies are hoping to help those infected get antiviral treatments. (statnews.com)
- If HIV is the model, the development of antivirals will continue for awhile. (npr.org)
- How antivirals work to thwart Covid. (scientificamerican.com)
Genomic sequencing
- Up until the last week U.S. labs were exclusively seeing Delta. (nytimes.com)
- Omicron shows the U.S. isn't doing enough genomic sequencing. (statnews.com)
- Access to genomic sequencing is uneven across the globe. (ft.com)
Transmission
- The highest vaccinated U.S. counties show the lowest rates of death from Covid. (washingtonpost.com)
- Schools have seen lower transmission of other parts of society. (theatlantic.com)
- A New York City anime convention has the hallmarks of a superspreader event. (bloomberg.com)
Research
- Why will never eradicate the SARS-CoV2 virus. (quantamagazine.org)
- Having severe Covid doubles the risk of dying over the next year. (businessinsider.com)
Countries
- Germany is introducing new restrictions on the unvaccinated. (variety.com)
- China is sticking with its 'zero Covid' strategy especially in light of Omicron. (washingtonpost.com)
- Why Peru has the world's highest Covid death rate. (npr.org)
- Spain has had a successful vaccination campaign. It will be interesting to see how it plays out vs. Omicron. (nytimes.com)
- Anti-vaxxers are now targeting Australian politicians. (washingtonpost.com)
Podcasts
- Andy Slavitt talks Omicron with epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina. (podcasts.apple.com)
- Derek Thompson talks Omicron with Dr. Peter Hotez. (theringer.com)
Politics
- Some states are now effectively paying people not to get vaccinated. (washingtonpost.com)
- The state of Missouri found mask mandates worked but did not release the findings. (missouriindependent.com)
- Donald Trump tested positive for Covid-19 prior to a number of events including a debate with Joe Biden. (newyorker.com)
Earlier on Abnormal Returns
- Coronavirus links: viral evolution. (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)
