Dr. Anthony Fauci on Biden’s coronavirus response and vaccinations – CBS News
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, joined “CBS This Morning” to discuss President Biden’s plan to tackle the coronavirus in his first 100 days in office.
China tackles pandemic with mass construction once again – ABC News
China is building a coronavirus quarantine center with more than 4,000 rooms in a northern city at a speed that’s rarely seen in other countries
Mexican president contracts COVID-19 after worst week of pandemic – Reuters
Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Sunday he had tested positive for COVID-19 amid the country’s deadliest week yet in the coronavirus pandemic, which has pushed the health system of the Mexican capital to its limits.
SARS-CoV-2 Isn’t Going Away, Experts Predict – The Scientist
As politicians try to schedule an end to the pandemic, scientists say the virus will stick around as an endemic disease similar to the common cold.
COVID-19 and fever: How common is it? – Medical News Today
Fever is a common symptom of COVID-19. However, not everyone who develops COVID-19 will experience fever. Some other common symptoms include cough, fatigue, and loss of smell or taste.
In Zimbabwe, Coronavirus Sick Told to Buy Their Own Ventilators – Bloomberg
Zimbabwe shows what happens when the coronavirus collides with one of the world’s most run-down health systems. Nurses at a major public hospital in the capital are on strike after colleagues died because of a lack of personal protective equipment, medical facilities have run out of oxygen and undertakers can’t keep up.
Are two face masks better than one? Here’s what researchers say. – Advisory Board
Throughout the epidemic, researchers specializing in everything from epidemiology to physics have held firm on their support for masking, Wu writes. She cites multiple studies on the efficacy of masking amid the pandemic, including several observational studies indicating that “widespread mask-wearing can curb infections and deaths on an impressive scale,” another study that “found that known [novel coronavirus] cases waxed and waned in near-lockstep with mask-wearing rules,” and yet another that found “face masks were 79 percent effective at blocking transmission from infected people to their close contacts.” [Related Study JAMA]
Minnesota officials announced Monday they have identified a person infected with a highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus that has been spreading at alarming rates in recent weeks in Brazil.
Vaccine Headlines
Merck ends COVID vaccine program, cites inferior immune responses – Reuters
Drugmaker Merck & Co said on Monday it would stop development of its two COVID-19 vaccines and focus pandemic research on treatments, with initial data on an experimental oral antiviral expected by the end of March. [Another story from NPR here]
Moderna today announced results from in vitro neutralization studies of sera from individuals vaccinated with Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine showing activity against emerging strains of SARS-CoV-2.
Israel’s Covid-19 Vaccinations Hold Lessons for U.S. – Wall Street Journal
Israel says it is on track to vaccinate everyone over 16 by the end of March. To understand how the small country has vaccinated more of its population than any other so quickly, WSJ visited clinics that are giving shots to young and middle-aged citizens.
Fauci ‘Concerned’ About Delaying Second Covid Vaccine Dose – Bloomberg
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says he’s worried about delays to the second dose of Covid-19 vaccination. “I’d be concerned, because you don’t get full efficacy until you get that second dose,” he says on a virtual World Economic Forum panel moderated by Bloomberg’s editor in chief, John Micklethwait
AstraZeneca denies report vaccine less effective in elderly – Reuters
AstraZeneca denied on Monday its COVID-19 vaccine is not very effective for people over 65, after German media reports said officials fear the vaccine may not be approved in the European Union for use in the elderly.
Clinical Considerations
COVID’s Indirect Toll on the Heart – MedPageToday
COVID-19 has had an indirect toll on heart health around the world, as cardiovascular testing volumes plummeted and cardiovascular deaths rose in 2020, researchers found.
Intensity of Past Smoking Linked to COVID-19 Severity – MedPageToday
Cumulative exposure to cigarette smoke was associated with more severe outcomes among individuals testing positive for COVID-19, including higher risks of hospitalization and death, researchers found.
Official Reporting for January 26, 2021
World Health Organization
Weekly Epi Update January 19, 2020
Confirmed Cases: 98 794 942
Deaths: 2 124 193
ECDC
Confirmed Cases: 94 582 873 (has not been updated since Friday)
Deaths: 2 036 713
Johns Hopkins
Confirmed Cases: 99,655,985
Deaths: 2,138,251
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Total cases: 25,018,520 (+142,259 New Cases)
Total deaths: 417,936 (+1,926 New Deaths)
Science and Tech
Scientists unravel mystery of sex disparities in COVID-19 outcomes – Yale News
A little more than a year ago, as the first reports rolled in about the outbreak of a novel new coronavirus in China, it quickly became clear that older individuals and males were most at risk of lethal outcomes.
COVID-19: Science’s greatest test – Chemical Engineering News
A year of ingenuity, adaptation, perseverance, and incalculable loss put a spotlight on science and scientists. We examine what the process taught us and how it could affect science going forward
Psychological and Sociological Impact
Has the Pandemic Transformed the Office Forever? – The New Yorker
Companies are figuring out how to balance what appears to be a lasting shift toward remote work with the value of the physical workplace.
Published Research
None Today
Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories
China pushes conspiracy theories on COVID origin, vaccines – ABC News
China is trying to spread doubt about the effectiveness of Western vaccines and the origin of the coronavirus as a World Health Organization-selected team of scientists is in the city where the pandemic began
8 facts about the coronavirus to combat common misinformation – Washington Post
Living through a pandemic in the Internet age means misinformation can sometimes spread more rapidly than facts.
Coping in 2020 (and probably most of 2021)
