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The vaccination process approaches a new phase, Biden plans his response to the pandemic and the winter wave arrives. Here’s what you need to know:
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Securities
Pfizer may have a vaccine soon, but challenges lie ahead
Pfizer and BioNTech issued a press release this week announcing that its Covid-19 vaccine is over 90% effective for participants who were definitely Covid-free before the trial began and then developed symptomatic cases. So far, there have been no serious security issues. The first of its kind, this vaccine is made up of mRNA that helps the body make proteins that train the immune system to recognize SARS-CoV-2. Pfizer will likely have the safety data needed to seek FDA approval by the end of the month. If enlightened, it will be the first mRNA vaccine authorized for use in humans. Moderna, which also makes an mRNA vaccine, is also expected to release early data in the coming days.
Although an approved vaccine is exciting, the distribution of Pfizer vaccine comes with its share of logistical challenges. It requires two doses and must be stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit or -70 degrees Fahrenheit to be effective, which will make distribution across the United States – not to mention the world – difficult and complicated. Then there is the difficult question of who should get it first. Either way, inoculating the entire world will require more than Pfizer’s vaccine alone.
Biden plans coronavirus response as new outbreak hits Trump administration
Earlier this week, Joe Biden announced the members of his coronavirus task force. The 13-member team of doctors and health experts will help the president-elect develop a pandemic plan and work with governors to develop consistent messages at the state and federal levels. Separately, he’s also forming a special transition team to coordinate the White House Biden’s coronavirus response with other federal agencies. Yesterday, Biden also joined Democratic lawmakers in demanding a new stimulus package before the end of 2020.
Meanwhile, another coronavirus outbreak has hit the White House, likely after a crowded party on election night. Mark Meadows, the president’s chief of staff, and campaign adviser Corey Lewandowski are among those who have tested positive. More than 130 Secret Service agents who protect the President and the White House have recently been ordered to isolate or quarantine as well.
As people migrate indoors, cases rise in record numbers
As winter approaches, the pandemic continues to accelerate at an alarming rate: It has been just over a week since cases in the United States first surpassed 100,000 cases, and yesterday it there were over 160,000. In response, the governors of Ohio and Utah instituted mask warrants, and those of Illinois, Maryland and Washington raised the possibility of reinstating more lockdowns. strict. And just weeks away from the holidays, experts point out that there is no way to travel and reunite with family without any risk.
Part of the problem is that people are more likely to congregate indoors when the weather cools and daylight decreases. New research has found that crowded indoor sites may have accounted for eight in 10 new cases in the first months of the pandemic. How can we make our interior spaces safer? Since viruses have an easier time spreading in dry air, researchers are studying whether humidifiers could help keep Covid-19 at bay indoors. Questions about air quality and airflow could create the opportunity to transform the way we ventilate buildings for the better.
Daily distraction
What will the future of work look like? No one really knows. But in a new series, WIRED asked six sci-fi writers to sketch their best guesses.
Something to read
In April, the writer Patrice Peck started Coronavirus News for Blacks, a newsletter highlighting the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on the black community. In the months that followed, she built a new community and gained new insight into the work of her ancestors.
Sanitary verification
Shopping for someone who’s afraid of spending the winter locked up at home? Here are some freebies that will help them get out.
A question
What does “pronounce” and does it help patients with Covid-19?
Proning, an emergency medical procedure, involves turning people over on their stomachs. This allows gravity to move fluid away from the back of the body and make more room for oxygen in the lungs. It’s also safer for healthcare workers who are trying to avoid getting sick. It hasn’t received a lot of research or attention, in part because it’s so simple that it almost seems inappropriate to call it a “medical procedure.” But it has become much more prevalent since the spring, and some experts say that may be part of the reason why we are seeing fewer deaths even as cases rise.
More WIRED on Covid-19
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