PLEASE NOTE: The Omicron variant story is playing out at warp speed. Things written earlier in the week could already be out-of-date. Just keep that in mind while going through this week’s reads.
A coronavirus-focused linkfest is a weekly feature here at Abnormal Returns. Please stay safe, get a booster at a vaccination site near you. You can read last week’s edition here.
Quote of the Day
"In the middle of a pandemic, the FDA kept doing business the way it always has, and that “out of stock online” message you get when you try to buy a Binax test is the result."
(James Surowiecki)
Chart of the Day
The vaccinated-unvaccinated divide in New York City. (via @MarkLevineNYC)
Vaccines
- More studies showing the Moderna ($MRNA) vaccine generated more antibodies. (bnnbloomberg.ca)
- Some good news for the effectiveness of the J&J ($JNJ) vaccine against Omicron hospitalizations. (npr.org)
- The battle is on: who can claim to have invented important elements of the Covid-19 vaccines? (wsj.com)
- Israel is rolling out fourth shots for the immunocompromised. (newatlas.com)
- The best time for pregnant women to get vaccinated is now. (sciencedaily.com)
- Fully vaxxed is boosted. (wsj.com)
Omicron
- We are in the midst of crunch time for Omicron now and for the next couple months. (thezvi.wordpress.com)
- Things that Omicron is teaching us including 'The hypothesis that we’re not immunological blank slates is holding up.' (statnews.com)
- New York City is seeing the brunt of the Omicron wave. (washingtonpost.com)
- South Africa seems to be past the Omicron peak. (washingtonpost.com)
- The Omicron variant seems to do less damage to the lungs than prior variants. (nytimes.com)
Masking
- Cloth masks are at this point just 'fashion accessories.' (bloomberg.com)
- Lessons learned from testing over 100 different masks. (theguardian.com)
Research
- The novel coronavirus can spread throughout the body. (bloomberg.com)
- The Delta variant likely emerged in India where virus sequencing is scant. (bloomberg.com)
- A heparin nasal spray is being tested to see if it prevents infection. (newatlas.com)
Antivirals
- Paxlovid will be in short supply initially. Who should get it? (bloomberg.com)
- What patients need to know about the potential side effects of antivirals. (wsj.com)
Testing
- It's hard not to blame the FDA for the continued lack of at-home Covid tests. (wsj.com)
- How Detect wants to bring molecular testing into the home. (washingtonpost.com)
Polarization
- Another look at differential Covid death rates based on ideology. (ritholtz.com)
- The unvaccinated are markedly less willing to take the new Pfizer ($PFE) pill. (statnews.com)
Public health
- The CDC has cut the isolation time for those who test positive for the virus but who are asymptomatic. (washingtonpost.com)
- Covid risks are high - all across the nation. (npr.org)
- The CDC is warning, even the vaccinated, against taking a cruise. (washingtonpost.com)
- Five states are making it easier for those refusing vaccine mandates to receive unemployment. (washingtonpost.com)
Global
- Russia's Covid performance is accelerating its demographic decline. (bloomberg.com)
- Latin America is immunizing its population at an impressive rate. (wsj.com)
- South Africa is eliminating quarantines and contact tracing. (nytimes.com)
- Australia is coming to terms with Omicron's infectiousness. (wsj.com)
