Discovery of Virus Variant in Colorado and California Alarms Scientists – New York Times
A more contagious version of the coronavirus may alter the course of the pandemic in the United States, researchers said.
25 Days that Changed the World: How COVID-19 Slipped China’s Grasp – New York Times
Beijing acted against the coronavirus with stunning force, as its official narratives recount. But not before a political logjam had allowed a local outbreak to kindle a global pandemic.
Worried about new coronavirus variant? Listen to Dr. Anthony Fauci explain – Sacramento Bee
A variant strain of the coronavirus thought to have originated in the United Kingdom has been confirmed in Southern California, Governor Gavin Newsom said during a conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci. A first case was identified in Colorado.
Vaccine Headlines
Maintaining Safety with SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines – NEJM
Minor local side effects such as pain, redness, and swelling have been observed more frequently with the vaccines than with placebo. Systemic symptoms such as fever, fatigue, headache, and muscle and joint pain have also been somewhat more common with the vaccines than with placebo, and most have occurred during the first 24 to 48 hours after vaccination.
How the Novavax Vaccine Works – New York Times
The Maryland-based company Novavax has developed a protein-based coronavirus vaccine called NVX-CoV2373. The vaccine produced strikingly high levels of antibodies in early clinical trials. In September, the vaccine entered a Phase 3 clinical trial in the United Kingdom, and another one in the United States at the end of December. Those trials will show whether the vaccine is safe and effective.
How the Sinopharm Vaccine Works – New York Times
In early 2020, the Beijing Institute of Biological Products created an inactivated coronavirus vaccine called BBIBP-CorV. It was later put into clinical trials by the state-owned Chinese company Sinopharm. On Dec. 30, Sinopharm announced that the vaccine had an efficacy of 79.34 percent. The vaccine is now in use in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Sinopharm has also applied to the Chinese government for approval.
How The U.S. Could Ramp Up Vaccination Against The Coronavirus – NPR
NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly talks with Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, about how he thinks the federal government can ramp up COVID-19 vaccination.
Clinical Considerations
The sudden collapse of Florida basketball player Keyontae Johnson this month deepened Adama Washington’s belief of what spared her daughter from the same fate — if not death.
He Was Hospitalized for Covid-19. Then Hospitalized Again. And Again. – New York Times
Significant numbers of coronavirus patients experience long-term symptoms that send them back to the hospital, taxing an already overburdened health system.
Official Reporting for December 31, 2020
World Health Organization
Weekly Epi Update December 29, 2020
Confirmed Cases: 80 773 033
Deaths: 1 783 619
ECDC
Confirmed Cases: 80 316 555
Deaths: 1 770 695
Johns Hopkins
Confirmed Cases: 82,655,924
Deaths: 1,789,905
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Total cases: 19,432,125 (+199,282 New Cases)
Total deaths: 337,419 (+3,390 New Deaths)
Surveillance Headlines
UNITED STATES
California: California Identifies A Case Of Coronavirus Variant First Seen In U.K. – NPR
Colorado: Might Have Identified 2nd Case Of Highly Infectious Coronavirus Variant – NPR
CANADA
Canada to require negative COVID-19 test for people entering country – PBS Newshour
ASIA
Thailand reports 250 new coronavirus cases – Seattle Times
Science and Tech
None Today
Psychological and Sociological Impact
None Today
Published Research
Coronavirus Receptors as Immune Modulators – Journal of Immunology
Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories
COVID-19 Conspiracies and Beyond: How Physicians Can Deal With Patients’ Misinformation – JAMA
Early in 2020, communication science expert Brian Southwell, PhD, launched a training workshop at the Duke University School of Medicine to address a major clinical problem: What physicians should do when patients are misinformed about their health. It’s one of only a few such programs in the nation. This year, Southwell, a scholar with the medical school’s Social Science Research Institute, and his collaborator Jamie Wood, PhD, plan to make it available as a live virtual offering for clinician practices and health care systems.
Coping in 2020
How can I wrap up this category, the final entry for “Coping in 2020?” I think I found the perfect thing… The social media platform TikTok is a vast wonderland of short video clips where you can waste hours of time, and learn nothing. It’s been a delightful distraction for me this year, and I want to share a video clip that started a movement. The video that started trending “play the way you feel” was created by Nathan Apodaca, or as he’s known on TikTok, 420doggface208, help us chill out for a bit. Apodaca filmed himself leisurely skateboarding down a highway while sipping Ocean Spray cran-raspberry juice straight from the bottle and lip-syncing to Fleetwood Mac’s classic 1977 song “Dreams.” Apodaca’s Tik Tok video is here
Mick Fleetwood’s response is here
Jimmy Fallon’s response is here
Lindsey Buckingham’s response is here
Health care worker’s response is here
Russian Ice Hockey Player’s response is here
US Army Response is here (Look for the good boy at the 43 second mark)
You get the idea. If you want to find more, search for the tag cranberrydreams on TikTok and you can forget about the pandemic for a few minutes, or hours. If you have the song Dreams stuck in your head like I do, watch the Fleetwood Mac official video here. Enjoy, and Happy New Year!