Featured Headlines

Holidays in a Pandemic? Here’s What Happened in 1918 – NYT

The festive season fell between two deadly waves of the deadly influenza outbreak. Families still gathered, often with empty chairs at the table.

Kids catch and spread coronavirus half as much as adults, Iceland study confirms – National Geographic

IN THE MIDST of the worst surge of COVID-19 cases in the United States, many state and local officials are again wrestling with the hot-button issue of whether to shut schools down. Now, emerging research confirms that schools aren’t the primary drivers of outbreaks, but cases will seep in and contribute to the disease’s spread whenever a country loses control of containing the pandemic. [Related Study in Science]

The Virologist Who Created A ‘Swiss Cheese’ Metaphor To Explain The Pandemic Has A Message For Educators – Forbes

If a photo can say a thousand words, an infographic on the coronavirus pandemic speaks volumes. The “Swiss cheese model” of pandemic defense is so easy to grasp, thousands of people are sharing it on social media. After reading about the useful metaphor in The New York Times, I contacted its creator, Australian virologist Ian Mackay. We talked about why he created it, how to interpret it, and what lessons we can learn from the visualization.

Study models airflow inside a car to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission – Medical News Today

Researchers have modeled how opening different windows affects airflow inside a car, which may help reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission between people traveling together. [Related paper in Science]

Evaluation of Cloth Masks and Modified Procedure Masks as Personal Protective Equipment for the Public During the COVID-19 Pandemic – JAMA

In this comparative study of face covering FFEs, we observed that consumer-grade masks and improvised face coverings varied widely, ranging from 26.5% to 79.0% FFE. Modifications intended to enhance the fit of medical procedure masks improved FFE measurements from 38.5% (unmodified mask) to as much as 80.2%.

One Man’s Rolodex Helps Operation Warp Speed Live Up to Its Name – Bloomberg

A deep contact list, mutual trust and an urgent need smoothed the way for a pharmaceutical giant and a small biotech lab to join forces to hatch a new drug

Vaccine Headlines

F.D.A. Advisory Panel Gives Green Light to Pfizer Vaccine – NYT
The blessing of these experts means that the agency will likely OK the vaccine’s use, paving the way for health care workers to begin getting shots next week.

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination — An Ounce (Actually, Much Less) of Prevention – NEJM

The Covid-19 epidemic continues to rage, especially in countries that have been unable or unwilling to institute strong public health measures. A return to normality has increasingly come to rely on the success of vaccines to prevent disease and, we hope, limit further spread of infection.

First adolescents receive COVID-19 vaccine in Moderna study – WCVB

The first adolescent participants have received a COVID-19 vaccine in Moderna’s Phase 2/3 study, the company announced Thursday. The study, which includes adolescents ages 12 to less than 18, is being conducted in collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine – NEJM

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the resulting coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) have afflicted tens of millions of people in a worldwide pandemic. Safe and effective vaccines are needed urgently.

Sinovac: What do we know about China’s Covid-19 vaccine? – BBC

Shipments of Beijing-based biopharmaceutical company Sinovac’s Covid-19 vaccine CoronaVac have arrived in Indonesia in preparation for a mass vaccination campaign, with another 1.8m doses due to arrive by January.

Clinical Considerations

Things I find on Twitter…