Opinion
We’ve learned that some expensive mitigation measures, such as deep cleaning, are a waste of money, and could be scrapped, but funding for studying Covid should increase — not just for prevention measures and vaccines, but for research into the long-term consequences of infection.Some pe...
We are now in Covid limbo. Cases are down and still falling, yet scientists aren’t willing to declare the pandemic over — or, conversely, to predict when the next wave might come. But perhaps it’s a good thing that public health officials are displaying a little less confidence. Re...
Post-infection immunity might be a strange topic for political strife, but it touches on COVID-19 vaccine mandates and whether those who’ve had the virus should be exempt. And so when publications such as The Hill run headlines such as "CDC Finally Recognizing Natural Immunity — Leg...
The omicron variant spreads so rapidly that sometimes it feels as if resistance is futile. It’s disheartening to hear of omicron infecting people who are up-to-date on their shots and wear an N95 mask every time they leave home. Even some well-known public-health experts are getting infected. ...
January 2022 is one of the worst possible times to get Covid-19. That’s not only because hospitals are dangerously full, but because after nearly two years of gradually learning more about SARS-CoV-2, the omicron variant has thrust scientists and doctors back into a state of ignorance and gues...
Scientists who’ve been reluctant to talk up any new Covid-19 treatment are suddenly using the expression “game changer” to describe the Pfizer antiviral pill Paxlovid. But the changed game will include rationing.It’s no coincidence that it works the same way as the drugs that...
Forget the debate over how scared we should be of omicron. What matters is putting our energy into solutions that work — taking action that matters on a personal level and demanding effective actions from world leaders.Scientists are already scrambling to learn how well our existing vaccines w...
Public health officials are beginning to wonder whether the definition of “fully vaccinated” should be revised to include booster shots — to push people to have the fullest protection against Covid-19. But even if getting a booster is a good choice for most people, making them mand...
There’s a lot to be learned about the omicron coronavirus variant, but scientists already know enough to prescribe a rational response to the threat. As the world waits for data, there’s plenty of useful knowledge that comes from evolutionary biology.Revamping vaccine formulas and updati...
People who don’t want to get vaccinated will grasp at any new piece of information to justify their reluctance — the latest being some pretty good data suggesting that the natural immunity left after recovering from COVID-19 is stronger over the long run than immunity generated by the Pf...
Considering how bad stress is supposed to be for our bodies, it’s still a confusing concept. Is it worse for our health to have too much work or too little? To have too much responsibility or to be bored? The Covid-19 pandemic triggered lots of stress — even in people who never got the v...
It’s been about a year since the early coronavirus alarms were raised, and despite a decline in infections, new fears are rising up. New Covid-19 variants are making pessimists worry that an even bigger next wave may be coming.It’s true that the virus is mutating in ways more profound th...
Figuring out how to combine science with fairness in Covid-19 vaccine distribution is a tricky puzzle. Science can help predict how to distribute limited doses to minimize overall deaths, but that means acting fast, which might compromise fairness. That’s how we end up with outrage when hospit...
A vaccine created by Pfizer and partner BioNTech won the race to prove efficacy in a large trial. But is it the best vaccine of the dozens being tested? If it isn’t, will any slower but better vaccines have a chance?A press release this week claims the vaccine is 90% effective at preventing sy...
Who should be at the front of the line if an effective COVID-19 vaccine emerges from testing? The answer depends on what we learn from the kind of field trials Russia is skipping.Some vaccines might not be that good at preventing infection, but would prevent severe cases. Those should be given to th...
It is hard to imagine more depressing news than some recent studies showing that antibodies to covid-19 fade within a few weeks — a blow to any hopes for a vaccine, or for any chance of getting out of the pandemic without years of hardship.Don’t let it raise your blood pressure. Pendulum...
Recent leaps in science should mean we can navigate the coronavirus pandemic more freely and safely than last spring, when so little was known about how the virus spreads. Knowledge should give us all power. But that’s not happening in the United States, in part because the way scientific know...
The technology already exists to detect most new cases of the novel coronavirus. And it’s not even that expensive. Scientists have developed a number of fast, easy test kits that could flag infections in homes, offices or medical centers.Others have devised wearable devices that can monitor th...
The hydroxychloroquine saga shouldn’t erode public trust in science — though it should serve as a reminder not to take any individual scientist or study too seriously. Science in the long haul is self-correcting, which is why we have laser surgery and space stations and telescopes that s...
The way the COVID-19 crisis ends is with vaccines — not a vaccine. More than one horse can win this race. Some of us might end up getting a shot of a more traditional vaccine, which uses parts of an inactivated virus to stimulate immunity. Others might get vaccines based on emerging technologi...
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