Author's posts
Federal Mask Mandates: A Step In The Right Direction
The federal mask mandate to help contain Covid-19 is a definite step in the right direction, but one that comes far too late for far too many.
Persistently Infected Covid-19 Patients: A Potential Source For New Variants
Taking a look at the viral mutations that arise in infected, immunosuppressed patients can provide us a valuable window into what the future may hold.
Covid-19 Could End Up Like The Flu—Or Worse
Studies show that influenza and SARS-CoV-2 evolve in similar ways. The question is how similar—and whether that means Covid-19 will be as tough to eliminate as the flu, which continues to kill tens of thousands each year.
Concerns Grow Over The Newly Discovered Southern California Covid-19 Variant
Increased rates of infection and deaths in Manaus, Brazil, despite prior infections affecting 76% of the population, serves as a warning that a new variant may reinfect a population infected with an earlier strain. A similar situation may be occurring …
Travel Bans Won’t Stop The Spread Of New Variants — Travel Restrictions Might
The Biden administration’s move to ban non-US travelers from South Africa from traveling to the US and extending the ban on travelers from Brazil and parts of Europe is an attempt to limit the spread of new, fast-moving Covid variants. But these effort…
Will Population (Herd) Immunity To Covid-19 Be Permanent Or Seasonal?
Now that mass vaccinations underway, population immunity, also known as herd immunity, has re-entered the realm of possibility cast in a much different light. But if we have it, how long will it last?
Novavax And Johnson & Johnson’s Vaccines Are Less Effective Against The UK And South African Variants
Novavax and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) have released preliminary efficacy data from their large scale phase 3 trials. Their efficacy estimates present critical insights for the potential immune-resistance of these variants.
Eli Lilly’s Latest Combination Antibody Therapy Yields Strong Effectiveness Against Covid-19
Eli Lilly is one of the pharmaceutical companies taking on the task of developing these therapies, and a new antibody therapy trial released last week proved one combination therapy to be quite effective at reducing viral load in Covid-19 patients.
SARS-CoV-2 Immunity: A Moving Target
There is mounting evidence that they may be resistant to neutralization by antibodies directed against earlier stains.
Israeli Study Shows A Majority Of Those Vaccinated Can Be Infected By SARS-CoV-2
Last week, Israel released preliminary data on the effects of vaccination for infection and transmissibility. Early indications suggest that after vaccination, as many as 70% of people can still be infected.
