[ad_1]
This week, COVID-19 headlines were torn between cautious optimism and abject despair.
On the bright side, Monday morning brought us a shred of hope: claims from Pfizer and BioNTech that their vaccine candidate was very effective. Its tests so far showed it to be around 90 percent effective, although that number could change over time. And before the bubbly comes out, there are still plenty of caveats in the news.
Among the most disappointing aspects: the full data has yet to be published, and this happened in a clinical trial in which conditions were more controlled than in the real world. It must be given in two doses, weeks apart, and is more brittle than frost on a sunny morning; It must be stored at temperatures of -75 degrees Celsius (-103 degrees Fahrenheit), creating a logistical nightmare for ailing facilities. equipped to store something so frigid.
Put all those aside, and the news of the vaccine will continue to be a spark of joy in a dark age. By next week, the companies say they should have enough data to start building their case for FDA emergency clearance. It’s a pretty exciting mile marker to look forward to, even if there’s still a long way to go before we get to a shot.
Meanwhile, the bad news was piling up. Here in the US, cases reached record levels, averaging 134,078 cases per day during the past week, according to The New York Times. The increase in cases is overwhelming emergency rooms and ICUs across the country. Deaths are on the rise. Again. States are ordering lockdowns. Again.
Health workers, already exhausted, fear what comes next. “The wave hasn’t even crashed on us yet,” said Eli Perencevich, an infectious disease physician at the University of Iowa. The atlantic Ed Yong. “It keeps going up and up, and we all run in fear. The health care system in Iowa is going to collapse, there’s no question. “
Skyrocketing cases and collapsing healthcare systems mean the United States has a lot of work to do to get through the next stage of this pandemic. It’s no longer just about flattening the curve. We have a cliff to conquer.
We also know that the work will be worth it if we can save lives. How The edge Nicole Wetsman wrote this week: “The light is still months away, but it is there. We just have to make sure that as many people as possible can access it. “
This is what we were seeing this week.
Investigation
A new type of test can better discern immunity to coronavirus
Antibodies are not the only type of immune cell in the body. T cells can also fight viruses. A company has created a blood test to detect these cells, which would be exciting. Warning: the test data has not been reviewed by other researchers.
(Apoorva Mandivalli / NYT)
New science suggests how to shorten quarantine
A preliminary study found that conducting two COVID tests could allow people to stick to an eight-day quarantine instead of a 14-day quarantine. It’s an intriguing idea, but for it to really work, testing should be widely available. Another caveat here: This study has not been reviewed by other researchers.
(Roxanne Khamsi /Elementary)
We help a New York sewer plant monitor feces for coronavirus
This is fun. We sent a video team to a sewage plant to get a closer look at how sewage facilities are helping communities track the spread of the coronavirus.
(Nicole Wetsman /The Verge)
Development
Pfizer ad shows promise of gene-based vaccines
This week’s vaccine results were a huge boost for mRNA-based vaccines in general. If this is successful, we could see more like this in the future.
(Nicole Wetsman /The edge)
Pfizer’s ultra-cold vaccine, a ‘very complex’ distribution plan and a exploding head emoji
CNN has a really interesting look at some of the plans going on at the state level to handle a potential vaccine that needs to be kept much colder than freezing.
(Elizabeth Cohen, John Bonifield and Sierra Jenkins /CNN)
‘We are falling behind’: Rural hospitals cannot afford ultra-cold freezers to store leading Covid-19 vaccine
The CDC doesn’t recommend that hospitals stock up on ultra-cold freezers, but some wealthy hospitals are doing it anyway. Rural hospitals with fewer resources would like to do the same, but cannot afford equipment, even when supplies are reduced.
(Olivia Goldhill /STAT)
Russia’s Claim of Successful COVID-19 Vaccine Fails ‘Smell Test’, Critics Say
After Pfizer and BioNTech made their announcement, Russia also announced that it had results on its ‘Sputnik V’ vaccine. Experts are skeptical of both the timing and the fact that the results only looked at 20 COVID-19 cases, compared to 94 from Pfizer and BioNTech.
(Jon Cohen /Sciences)
Pfizer says that placebo patients will eventually receive their Covid-19 vaccine. The question of when is complicated
During clinical trials, some people receive the treatment being tested and others receive a placebo. The question now is what happens to people who received a placebo once a vaccine is licensed and when they can get a vaccine that works.
(Matthew Herper /STAT)
Perspectives
“They don’t want to be watched, cared for or told what to do, and I can understand that, but I would like to believe that we are still capable of making a community sacrifice. Stay at home. Be reasonable. Wear a mask. “
—Tom Dean, a doctor from South Dakota on the dire situation at his home. As Eli Saslow was told, The Washington Post
“The death of my grandfather, six months after the pandemic, is more than a tragedy. Its destiny is as political as it is biological. And I’m furious. “
-Since COVID took my grandfather. But it wasn’t what killed him by Sarah Jones on The cut
More than numbers
For the more than 53,492,701 people worldwide who have tested positive, may your road to recovery be smooth.
To the families and friends of the 1,304,864 people who have died around the world, 244,364 of those living in the U.S., their loved ones have not been forgotten.
Stay safe, everyone.
