A coronavirus-focused linkfest is a weekly feature here at Abnormal Returns. Please stay safe, get a booster shotat a vaccination site near you. You can read last week’s edition here.
Quote of the Day
"Tempting though it is, we must beware the framing of endemicity as game over."
(Anjana Ahuja)
Vaccines
- Shifting the Covid vaccine targets will require a global approach. (statnews.com)
- A lot of vaccine side effects are due to the nocebo effect. (newatlas.com)
- A successful, universal Covid vaccine would be a huge accomplishment. (vox.com)
- Why coming up with an effective vaccine schedule for young children has proven challenging. (theatlantic.com)
- Why current boosters are not a sustainable strategy against variants. (npr.org)
Respiratory disease
- Public health should focus on all respiratory diseases in addition to Covid-19. (statnews.com)
- Covid and flu are going to be entangled for a long time. (vox.com)
- Fingers crossed: we may a booster that covers Covid, flu and other respiratory viruses by 2023. (newscientist.com)
Data
- Omicron is already in retreat in the U.S. (nytimes.com)
- The Omicron pick up in death rates is real and notable. (econbrowser.com)
- Booster shots have been highly effective at keeping people out of the hospital compared to the unvaccinated. (arstechnica.com)
- How Covid-19 has boosted deaths among working age Americans. (bloomberg.com)
- Howard Markel, "We now know that social distancing, no matter how boring, tedious, or difficult, works to help prevent the spread of this illness and ultimately end the pandemic. This statement is based on the billions of data points collected during the past two years." (wired.com)
- A study showing a link between Covid-19 and diabetes is severely flawed. (emilyoster.substack.com)
Care
- Staffing is a huge issue for hospitals. (statnews.com)
- CVS ($CVS) and Walgreen's ($WBA) are having a hard time keeping staffed. (wsj.com)
- Why so many women physicians are quitting or cutting back. (hbr.org)
- Hospitals have an obligation to treat patients even if they made poor choices. (theatlantic.com)
Testing
- Rapid coronavirus tests likely missed some Omicron cases. (washingtonpost.com)
- The Biden administration is on the hook for distributing these at-home tests. (statnews.com)
- The Covid pandemic shows the need to have domestic capacity for all manner of supplies. (statnews.com)
- How wastewater testing works. (nymag.com)
- Order your free Covid tests here. (special.usps.com)
Children
- On the rise of admissions to the hospital for children. (wsj.com)
- Some schools are not enforcing the rules, like masking, they have in place. (theatlantic.com)
Immunity
- Vaccinations and prior infections are building a wall against future variants. (statnews.com)
- Why exposure doesn't necessarily translate into immunity. (theatlantic.com)
Public health
- Why Omicron caught us flat-footed. (vox.com)
- The CDC and FDA have failed in working together. (nytimes.com)
- Omicron was a 'near miss' which is why governments shouldn't let their guard down. (timharford.com)
- Sewage data would be much more useful if it was done nationwide. (nytimes.com)
- Genetic counselors could help the CDC communicate about uncertainty. (statnews.com)
Research
- People who vape show more Covid symptoms. (sciencedaily.com)
- We really don't know if Omicron can cause long Covid. (nytimes.com)
- Why big data wasn't a big player in the pandemic. (statnews.com)
Antivirals
- Good luck getting a Paxlovid prescription filled these days. (nytimes.com)
- Hospitals should have access to Paxlovid so they can send many patients home. (statnews.com)
- Remdesivir can now be administered on an oupatient basis. (washingtonpost.com)
Masks
- How N95 masks work. (washingtonpost.com)
- The CDC now acknowledges people should wear the best mask, N95, mask possible. (reason.com)
Global
- A sign that Japan is moving on the endemic stage of Covid-19. (fortune.com)
- Five steps to vaccinate the world including funding last-mile efforts. (npr.org)
Endemic
- Omicron is the end-game for the pandemic. (unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com)
- Don't confused endemical with no or low cost. (wsj.com)
- Universities are beginning to recognize Covid as endemic through their policies. (nytimes.com)
Podcast
- Derek Thompson talks Omicron data with John Burn-Murdoch. (podcasts.apple.com)
- Ezra Klein talks with Zeynep Tufekci about how the pandemic has exposed all manner of issues in American life. (nytimes.com)
- Andy Slavitt talks antivirals with Dr. David Kessler, Chief Science Officer of the White House COVID-19 Response Team. (podcasts.apple.com)
