Lifehacker: “…Experts agree the government is highly unlikely to mandate civilians get a COVID vaccination. So how do we get enough people to take it to functionally end the pandemic? A least 70 percent of the population will likely need get the vaccine before we reach herd immunity, the point at which person-to-person spread becomes… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Medicine
Estimates of the Initial Priority Population for COVID-19 Vaccination by State
KFF: “On December 1, 2020, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC), issued an initial recommendation, adopted by the CDC director, that health care personnel and residents of long-term care facilities should be the first to be offered a COVID-19 vaccine once it is authorized or… Continue Reading
The “two dose” problem for Covid-19 vaccines, briefly explained
Vox – The Covid-19 vaccine requires two doses. Studies show as many as 50 percent of people could miss the second one. “When we talk about the Covid-19 vaccines, we aren’t necessarily talking about people getting one shot, then being done and good to go. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines — which are the… Continue Reading
Infected after 5 minutes from 20 feet away: South Korea study shows coronavirus’ spread indoors
LA Times [paywall / Free via Yahoo News]: ” Dr. Lee Ju-hyung has largely avoided restaurants in recent months, but on the few occasions he’s dined out, he’s developed a strange, if sensible, habit: whipping out a small anemometer to check the airflow. It’s a precaution he has been taking since a June experiment in… Continue Reading
Here’s Why Vaccinated People Still Need to Wear a Mask
The New York Times – “The new Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna seem to be remarkably good at preventing serious illness. But it’s unclear how well they will curb the spread of the coronavirus. That’s because the Pfizer and Moderna trials tracked only how many vaccinated people became sick with Covid-19. That leaves open… Continue Reading
FDA Briefing Document Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Meeting – December 10, 2020 – FDA Briefing Document Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine: “On November 20, 2020, Pfizer and BioNTech (the Sponsor) submitted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) request to FDA for an investigational COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2) intended to prevent COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2… Continue Reading
Find Your Place in the Vaccine Line
The New York Times – “A vaccine may be around the corner, but how long will it be until you get the shot? Health officials are considering vaccine timelines that give some Americans priority over others. If you’re a healthy American, you may wait many months for your turn. To put this in perspective, we… Continue Reading
MIT machine learning models find gaps in coverage by Moderna, Pfizer, other Warp Speed COVID-19 vaccines
ZDNet – “Vaccines to block COVID-19 that are in development by Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and others, and that are currently in Phase III clinical trials, may not do as well covering people of Black or Asian genetic ancestry as they do for white people, a study released Wednesday by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology indicated.… Continue Reading
Legal Issues in COVID-19 Vaccine Development and Deployment
CRS report via LC – Legal Issues in COVID-19 Vaccine Development and Deployment, Updated November 25, 2020 – “Private companies, universities, and governmental entities are working to develop a vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Vaccines are biological products regulated under the Public Health Service Act and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C… Continue Reading
At every turn the distortion of data has been central to the U.S. government’s disastrous response to the coronavirus
Highline – HuffPo – “This is an accounting of the damage…The administration has failed on so many different fronts in its handling of the coronavirus, creating the overall impression of sheer mayhem. But there is a common thread that runs through these government malfunctions. Precise, transparent data is crucial in the fight against a pandemic—yet… Continue Reading
Federal system for tracking hospital beds and COVID-19 patients provides questionable data
Science Magazine: “Across the United States, COVID-19 wards like this one at University of Wisconsin Health in Madison are filling up fast, but federal data on their patient numbers and available beds are suspect, which could hinder getting personal protective equipment, other supplies, or medicines to where they are needed most…HHS Protect’s problems are a national issue,… Continue Reading
These are the charities where your money will do the most good
Vox: “Giving to charity is great, not just for the recipients but for the givers, too. But it can be intimidating to know how to pick the best charity, especially when there are thousands of worthy causes to choose from, and especially when the world’s in the midst of a massive pandemic and economic calamity… Continue Reading
