Featured Headlines

Immunity to the Coronavirus May Persist for Years, Scientists Find – NYT

Important immune cells survive in the bone marrow of people who were infected with the virus or were inoculated against it, new research suggests.

Japan Extends Emergency – Bloomberg

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga extended a state of emergency that includes Tokyo and other major cities, in a last-ditch effort to rein in Covid infections ahead of the capital hosting the Olympics in less than two months.

Australia’s Victoria state to enter COVID-19 lockdown after ‘highly-infectious’ outbreak – Reuters

Australia’s second most populous state of Victoria will enter a one-week COVID-19 lockdown forcing its near seven million residents to remain home except for essential business as authorities struggle to contain a highly-infectious outbreak.

Why the Wuhan lab-leak theory is being taken seriously – BBC

Nearly a year and a half since Covid-19 was detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the question of how the virus first emerged remains a mystery.
But in recent weeks the controversial claim that the pandemic might have leaked from a Chinese laboratory – once dismissed by many as a fringe conspiracy theory – has been gaining traction.

If the Lab-Leak Theory Is Right, What’s Next? – The Atlantic

We know enough to acknowledge that the scenario is possible, and we should therefore act as though it’s true. Last summer, michael imperiale, a University of Michigan virologist and 10-year member of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, published an essay on the need to “rethink” some basic research-safety practices in light of the coronavirus pandemic. But he and his co-author—another biosecurity-board veteran—did want to make one thing clear: There was no reason to believe that sloppy or malicious science had had anything to do with the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus; to suggest otherwise was “more akin to a conspiracy theory than to a scientifically credible hypothesis.”

Timeline: How the Wuhan lab-leak theory suddenly became credible – Washington Post

The source of the coronavirus that has left more than 3 million people dead around the world remains a mystery. But in recent months the idea that it emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) — once dismissed as a ridiculous conspiracy theory — has gained new credence.

With herd immunity elusive, vaccination best defense against COVID-19, Stanford epidemiologist says – Stanford University

Epidemiology expert Julie Parsonnet warns that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has probably made herd immunity unattainable, which makes vaccination all the more important for personal health.

Data on Pfizer’s COVID Vaccine in Teens Published – MedPageToday

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was safe and effective in adolescents, with non-inferior immunogenicity compared with a sample of younger adults, according to the first data on the vaccine in this population published in a peer-reviewed journal.

To Test Covid Protocols, Cruise Lines Turn to Volunteer Guinea Pigs – NYT

Hundreds of thousands of cruise lovers have signed up to take part in sailings designed to test new health and safety measures. Since March of last year, cruise ships carrying more than 250 people have been prohibited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from sailing in U.S. waters. To start again, they need to follow a complex process that, in some cases, involves simulated cruises designed to test Covid-19 protocols. Hundreds of thousands of frustrated and restless cruise fans have lined up to be guinea pigs.

Can people vaccinated against COVID-19 still spread the coronavirus? – PBS Newshour

When the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its guidelines about mask-wearing on May 13, 2021, plenty of Americans were left a little confused. Now anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing.

The unseen covid-19 risk for unvaccinated people – Washington Post

The country’s declining covid-19 case rates present an unrealistically optimistic perspective for half of the nation — the half that is still not vaccinated. As more people receive vaccines, covid-19 cases are occurring mostly in the increasingly narrow slice of the unprotected population. So The Washington Post adjusted its case, death and hospitalization rates to account for that — and found that in some places, the virus continues to rage among those who haven’t received a shot.