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March 31, 2021
CNN: Covid-19 was third leading cause of death last year, CDC confirms in early data
March 30, 2021
CNN: Coronavirus likely spread to people from an animal — but needs more study, new WHO report says
- “As far as WHO is concerned, all hypotheses remain on the table.” – WHO Director-General
March 25, 2021
nature: What scientists do and don’t know about the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID vaccine
- An expert committee of the European Medicines Agency “said on 18 March that the vaccine was safe and was not associated with a higher risk of blood-clotting generally, but it couldn’t rule out a link with two very rare and serious clotting conditions, one of which affects blood vessels that drain the brain. It suggested that these potential risks be stated on the product’s packaging”.
March 24, 2021
NatGeo: Here’s the latest on COVID-19 vaccines
March 23, 2021
STAT: What we knew and don’t know about long Covid
- “About 1 in 10 people who had Covid but were never admitted to a hospital report they experience bewildering brain fog, shortness of breath, muscle weakness, or crushing fatigue in the months after the first signs of their initial illness. Some see no end in sight; others seem to recover.”
- Two theories for the cause:
- The virus or part of it might be hiding in the body.
- The immune system suffered some damage.
March 26, 2021
STAT: What to make of the AstraZeneca vaccine data — and the surrounding controversy
March 25, 2021
nature: Latest results put Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID vaccine back on track
nature: What it will take to vaccinate the world against COVID-19
March 22, 2021
VCU: Johnson & Johnson vaccine: How is it different? (Updated on May 3, 2021)
PT: CanSino’s Covid-19 vaccine receives approval in Hungary for emergency use
March 19, 2021
nature: Rare COVID reactions might hold key to variant-proof vaccines
- Some people develop defenses that protect against several SARS-CoV-2 variants. Understanding why could help in the development of better vaccines.
March 18, 2021
nature: Five reasons why COVID herd immunity is probably impossible
- “It’s unclear whether variants prevent transmission”
- “Vaccine roll-out is uneven”
- “New variants change the herd-immunity equation”
- “Immunity might not last forever”
- “Vaccines might change human behaviour”
nature: Has COVID peaked? Maybe, but it’s too soon to be sure
March 17, 2021
Science: Many people who die of COVID-19 have the virus in their hearts
March 16, 2021
Science: How do you treat coronavirus? Here are physicians’ best strategies
SciAm: COVID Antibody Treatments Show Promise for Preventing Severe Disease
March 15, 2021
PJ: Everything you need to know about the COVID-19 therapy trials
BBC: How do we know Covid vaccines are safe?
BBC: Covid-19: Netherlands suspend use of AstraZeneca vaccine
STAT: The curious case of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine
March 14, 2021
Visual Capitalist: Visualizing the History of Pandemics
Reuters: Major European nations suspend use of AstraZeneca vaccine
March 12, 2021
nature: COVID antibody treatments show promise for preventing severe disease
SciAm: CDC’s ‘Huge Mistake’: Did Misguided Mask Advice Drive Up COVID Death Toll for Health Workers?
March 11, 2021
Science: Researchers race to develop antiviral weapons to fight the pandemic coronavirus
Visual Capitalist: The COVID-19 Pandemic – One Year In
Visual Capitalist: Explained: The 3 Major COVID-19 Variants
SciAm: How the U.S. Pandemic Response Went Wrong—and What Went Right—during a Year of COVID
BBC: Covid-19: Brazil surge reaches new level as daily deaths pass 2,000
March 10, 2021
SciAm: What the CDC Guidelines for Vaccinated People Mean
PopSci: A comprehensive guide to coronavirus symptoms
BBC: Covid blood protein offers clues for treatments
- Cytokine GM-CSF “was found to be nearly 10 times higher in patients who went on to die from the virus”.
DW: German coronavirus vaccine inventor being investigated
BBC: Covid: Brazil experts issue warning as hospitals ‘close to collapse’
- Two cities have exceeded ICU capacity.
March 9, 2021
Harvard: Symptoms, spread and other essential information about coronavirus and COVID-19
nature: Pregnancy and COVID: what the data say
- “Pregnant women fare worse than others, although the risks to the fetus are slight.”
Science: Countries now scrambling for COVID-19 vaccines may soon have surpluses to donate
DW: COVID-19 Special: Has Sweden’s strategy succeeded?
ARTICLE MOVED OR REMOVED
- “Scientists caution that the Swedish model would not work everywhere.”
March 8, 2021
DW: COVID: Germany rolls back some lockdown restrictions
SBM: Antivaxxers misrepresent a study to falsely claim that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer
BBC: Covishield and Covaxin: What we knew about India’s Covid-19 vaccines
March 7, 2021
CBS: Finding a possible early treatment for COVID-19 in a 40-year-old antidepressant
(60 Minutes video)
March 6, 2021
c&en: Without these lipid shells, there would be no mRNA vaccines for COVID-19
March 5, 2021
nature: Multitude of coronavirus variants found in the US — but the threat is unclear
STAT: FDA authorizes new test, built with machine learning, to detect past Covid-19 infections
STAT: ‘This isn’t done’: Experts warn that no matter what our Covid end goal is, we have a ways to go
FDA: Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19
MOVED OR REMOVED FROM www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19
March 4, 2021
Harvard: Origins of Disease
- “To understand the mechanisms of infection, neither the human host nor the pathogen can be studied in isolation—a disease is invariably a function of the interplay between the two.”
- “In SARS-CoV-2, the body appears to deploy different immune mechanisms that limit viral replication and infection in the upper airways versus the lungs.”
- It is still unknown if SARS-CoV-2 is “a mere amplifier of preexisting heart problems, direct cause of cardiac muscle demise or an indirect driver of myocardial injury.”
Modern Healthcare: Coronavirus deranges the immune system in complex and deadly ways
STAT: The short-term, middle-term, and long-term future of the coronavirus
NPR: Got Questions About Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 Vaccine? We Have Answers
nature: US health agency will invest $1 billion to investigate ‘long COVID’
March 3, 2021
Science: International megatrial of coronavirus treatments is at a standstill
March 2, 2021
nature: The search for animals harbouring coronavirus — and why it matters
Science: Critics slam letter in prestigious journal that downplayed COVID-19 risks to Swedish schoolchildren
PopSci: COVID-19 cases aren’t dropping anymore
Updated on September 8, 2021
March 1, 2021
BBC: Covid vaccines cut risk of serious illness by 80% in over-80s
SciAm: To Beat COVID, We May Need a Good Shot in the Nose
PBS: How does the Johnson & Johnson vaccine compare to other coronavirus vaccines?
PopSci: Does it matter which COVID-19 vaccine you get?
Updated on September 7, 2021
SciAm: 7 Ways to Reduce Reluctance to Take COVID Vaccines
Visual Capitalist: COVID-19 Vaccine Doses: Who’s Got At Least One?
February 28, 2021
BBC: Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine: FDA approves single-shot jab
STAT: The coronavirus ‘infodemic’ is real. We rated the websites responsible for it
February 27, 2021
STAT: FDA authorizes Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine
February 26, 2021
nature: Can COVID spread from frozen wildlife? Scientists probe pandemic origins
nature: Where did COVID come from? Five mysteries that remain
NatGeo: The U.S. may soon have a third vaccine. Here’s how it works.
Al Jazeera: Canada approves AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 shot in boost to campaign
Februarly 25, 2021
STAT: CDC estimated a one-year decline in life expectancy in 2020. Not so — try five days
February 24, 2021
PopSci: How Northern California’s COVID-19 variant stacks up against the rest
Updated on February 22, 2022
NPR: CDC Launches Web Tool To Help Americans Find COVID-19 Vaccines
February 23, 2021
SciAm: COVID Variants May Arise in People with Compromised Immune Systems
Science: Critics slam letter in prestigious journal that downplayed COVID-19 risks to Swedish schoolchildren
February 22, 2021
STAT: The pandemic slingshot: propelling from national crisis to a resilient health care system
PopSci: Why COVID cases are falling around the world
Al Jazeera: Israel’s coronavirus vaccines wielding political power
February 21, 2021
Al Jazeera: What are the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines?
February 19, 2021
SciAm: How Will the Coronavirus Evolve?
SciAm: Experts Answer the Biggest COVID Vaccine Questions
nature: Can COVID vaccines stop transmission? Scientists race to find answers
ACEP: How the COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Work, and Some Current Concerns
PopSci: Storing the Pfizer vaccine could get a lot simpler in coming weeks
February 18, 2021
SciAm: Booster Shots Against Scary COVID Virus Variants Are In the Works
STAT: U.S. life expectancy fell by a year in the first half of 2020, CDC report finds
Science: Vaccine-wary France turns to citizens’ panel to boost trust in COVID-19 shots
WSJ: We’ll Have Herd Immunity by April
- A valid optimistic expert opinion on how the pandemic situation is quickly improving.
February 17, 2021
SciAm: COVID Vaccines Are Safe and Effective—What the Research Says
Science: To aid vaccine research, U.K. approves deliberate infections of volunteers with coronavirus
Science: Unprotected African health workers die as rich countries buy up COVID-19 vaccines
February 16, 2021
nature: The coronavirus is here to stay — here’s what that means
Science: How soon will COVID-19 vaccines return life to normal?
nature: COVID vaccines and safety: what the research says
Reuters: Moderna says U.S. supply of its vaccine doses have lagged recently
Al Jazeera: Experts puzzled by dramatic fall in coronavirus cases in India
February 15, 2021
CNN: CNN Exclusive: WHO Wuhan mission finds possible signs of wider original outbreak in 2019
Al Jazeera: The ‘superspreaders’ behind COVID-19 conspiracy theories
Al Jazeera: Mexico begins vaccinating elderly against COVID-19
February 12, 2021
nature: How ‘killer’ T cells could boost COVID immunity in face of new variants
Science: Should you mix and match COVID-19 vaccines? Scientists are seeking answers
February 11, 2021
SciAm: A Visual Guide to the New Coronavirus Variants
Science: World’s largest COVID-19 drug trial identifies second compound that cuts risk of death
SciAm: Why It’s So Hard to Make Antiviral Drugs for COVID and Other Diseases
SciAm: Why COVID Vaccines Are Taking So Long to Reach You
PopSci: Why you shouldn’t ever wear your mask around your neck
DW: Coronavirus: Face mask, face shield, FFP2, N95, KN95 — what’s the difference?
- Parts of Germany have stricter requirements on the kinds of masks that should be worn by the public.
February 10, 2021
nature: Trust in COVID vaccines is growing
SciAm: Is It Safe to Delay a Second COVID Vaccine Dose?
STAT: Do the math: Vaccines alone won’t get us out of this pandemic
PopSci: Can you get COVID-19 again? We answered some common coronavirus questions.
MOVED OR REMOVED
Al Jazeera: COVID maths: All the virus in the world would fit in a coke can
February 9, 2021
SciAm: Safely Reopening Requires Testing, Tracing and Isolation, Not Just Vaccines
BBC: Covid: WHO says ‘extremely unlikely’ virus leaked from lab in China
- “China is a very big place and South East Asia is a very big place. The supply chains to the Huanan seafood market were extensive, they were coming in from other countries, they were coming in from various parts of China, so to really trace that back it’s going to take some work.” – WHO team member
Fortune: It’s not just Johnson & Johnson: China has a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine that’s 65% effective
Al Jazeera: ‘Happy to be with you’: Europe’s oldest person survives COVID
February 8, 2021
SciAm: Why the U.S. Is Underestimating COVID Reinfection
nature: Variant-proof vaccines — invest now for the next pandemic
Harvard Health Blog: COVID-19 vaccines: Safety, side effects – and coincidence
PopSci: Why South Africa stopped using the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
MOVED OR REMOVED
February 6, 2021
NPR: Is It Ever OK To Jump Ahead In The Vaccine Line?
February 5, 2021
nature: What’s the risk of dying from a fast-spreading COVID-19 variant?
SciAm: The Pandemic Has Caused a Steep Decline in Living Standards
BBC: Is the Covid vaccine safe?
DW: Fact check: No links found between vaccination and deaths
- Updated on February 11, 2021
February 4, 2021
SciAm: Pregnant during Pandemic: The Bump That No One Saw
February 3, 2021
Science: Danish scientists see tough times ahead as they watch more contagious COVID-19 virus surge
Science: ‘A question of choices.’ Pfizer vaccine leader on confronting new coronavirus variants
Al Jazeera: More than half of New Delhi may have had coronavirus: Study
February 2, 2021
nature: Coronavirus is in the air — there’s too much focus on surfaces
STAT: Comparing the Covid-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson
Al Jazeera: Poland decides against giving elderly AstraZeneca vaccine
Al Jazeera: Mapping coronavirus anti-lockdown protests around the world
February 1, 2021
CSM: Confused by pandemic data? Here’s some help reading it.
January 31, 2021
STAT: A viral mystery: Can one infection prevent another?
January 29, 2021
Brown University: The COVID Pod with Dr. Ashish Jha: Vaccinating the Nation, Two Doses at a Time
Science: How do the leading COVID-19 vaccines work? Science explains
STAT: J&J one-dose Covid vaccine is 66% effective, a weapon but not a knockout punch
nature: Novavax offers first evidence that COVID vaccines protect people against variants
SciAm: The Most Worrying Mutations in Five Emerging Coronavirus Variants
nature: How to redesign COVID vaccines so they protect against variants
January 28, 2021
STAT: Novavax says its Covid-19 vaccine is 90% effective, but far less so against one variant
PopSci: There’s a new COVID-19 vaccine in the running—but variants could pose a problem
January 27, 2021
SciAm: COVID-Overwhelmed Hospitals Strain Staff and Hope to Avoid Rationing Care
STAT: Those Covid-19 variants? ‘Don’t worry yet,’ vaccine expert says
January 26, 2021
STAT: Covid tests are complicated. A guide to understanding types and trade-offs (VIDEO)
Science: Monoclonal antibodies protect against COVID-19 in a second study
January 25, 2021
STAT: In a major setback, Merck to stop developing its two Covid-19 vaccines and focus on therapies
STAT: Moderna’s vaccine is less potent against one coronavirus variant but still protective, company says
January 22, 2021
nature: Are COVID vaccination programmes working? Scientists seek first clues
STAT: CDC reports rare allergic reactions to Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine
January 21, 2021
nature: Fast-spreading COVID variant can elude immune responses
SciAm: COVID Can Cause Forgetfulness, Psychosis, Mania or a Stutter
STAT: Antibody-assisted vaccination will speed the path to protection
STAT: Eli Lilly says its monoclonal antibody prevented Covid-19 infections in clinical trial
January 20, 2021
DW: Researchers succeed in taking first 3D photo of coronavirus
SciAm: The Second-Generation COVID Vaccines Are Coming
SciAm: Black Americans Are Getting COVID Vaccines at Lower Rates Than White Americans
CSM: For the French, distrust of vaccines predates COVID-19
January 19, 2021
nature: Rogue antibodies could be driving severe COVID-19
- “In contrast to cytokine storms, which tend to cause systemic, short-duration problems, autoantibodies are thought to result in targeted, longer-term damage.”
STAT: What we now know — and don’t know — about the coronavirus variants
- In this study, some benefits have been found for treating Covid-19 (“marked reduction of self-reported anosmia/hyposmia, a reduction of cough and a tendency to lower viral loads and lower IgG titers“) which would warrant further testing in larger clinical trials.
SciAm: Another Way to Protect against COVID beyond Masking and Social Distancing
- “Boosting indoor humidity in winter can hinder transmission of the virus”
January 18, 2021
SciAm: Vaccines Need Not Completely Stop COVID Transmission to Curb the Pandemic
January 15, 2021
nature: Alarming COVID variants show vital role of genomic surveillance
nature: COVID research updates: Two anti-inflammatory drugs prevent COVID deaths
- Tocilizumab and sarilumab have been tested at Imperial College London.
Science: New coronavirus variants could cause more reinfections, require updated vaccines
- “Scientists worry mutations found in Brazil and South Africa could help SARS-CoV-2 evade human antibodies”
Science: Many scientists citing two scandalous COVID-19 papers ignore their retractions
January 14, 2021
nature: COVID’s toll on smell and taste: what scientists do and don’t know
STAT: How — and why — coronaviruses mutate (VIDEO)
BBC: Past Covid-19 infection may provide ‘months of immunity’
PopSci: What COVID-19 will look like once the pandemic ends
January 13, 2021
Science: After aborted attempt, sensitive WHO mission to study pandemic origins is on its way to China
Science: Saliva could hold clues to how sick you will get from COVID-19
Doctor Mike: The Truth About COVID-19 Vaccines ft. Dr. Seema Yasmin
January 12, 2021
The Guardian: This is what an ‘overwhelmed NHS’ looks like. We must not look away
Science: Captive gorillas test positive for coronavirus
January 11, 2021
NPR: 2 Gorillas In California Contract The Coronavirus
January 8, 2021
STAT: Most patients hospitalized for Covid-19 still have symptoms six months later, China study finds
January 7, 2021
nature: Could new COVID variants undermine vaccines? Labs scramble to find out
Reuters: Factbox – When and which COVID-19 vaccines are likely to be available in Asia
SciAm: The Best Evidence for How to Overcome COVID Vaccine Fears
January 6, 2021
STAT: 5 scenarios for containing the Covid-19 pandemic and returning to a ‘new normal’
Science: Debates intensify over dosing plans for authorized COVID-19 vaccines
SciAm: A Virologist Helps Keep Uruguay Safe from COVID with a Homegrown Test
January 5, 2021
STAT: Decades of basic research paved the way for today’s ‘warp speed’ Covid-19 vaccines
Science: Scientists criticize ‘rushed’ approval of Indian COVID-19 vaccine without efficacy data
SciAm: New COVID Vaccines Need Absurd Amounts of Material and Labor
Science: Viral mutations may cause another ‘very, very bad’ COVID-19 wave, scientists warn
January 4, 2021
BBC: South Africa coronavirus variant: What is the risk?
- “While changes in the new UK variant are unlikely to harm the effectiveness of current vaccines, there is a chance those in the South African variant may do so to some extent, say scientists.”
January 1, 2021
SciAm: The Immune Havoc of COVID-19
Algemeiner: Israel Stuns Observers With Lightning-Fast COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
Continue with the timeline for December 2020.
Other timelines
devex: COVID-19 — a timeline of the coronavirus outbreak
CNN: Defining moments of a global pandemic
Pharmaceutical Technology: Coronavirus: A timeline of how the deadly COVID-19 outbreak is evolving
nature: Coronavirus research updates
©2020, 2021 Dr. Michael Herrera