Category: Articles
The New York Times, December 27, 2021
Edward O. Wilson, a biologist and author who conducted pioneering work on biodiversity, insects and human nature — and won two Pulitzer Prizes along the way — died on Sunday in Burlington, Mass. He was 92.
His death was announced on Monday by the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation.
Continue reading “E.O. Wilson, a Pioneer of Evolutionary Biology, Dies at 92”
The New York Times, December 23, 2021 (with Rebecca Robbins)
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursdayauthorized a second antiviral pill for Covid but said it should not be a preferred treatment.
The F.D.A. cleared the pill, developed by Merck and known as molnupiravir, for adults who are vulnerable to becoming severely ill from Covid and for whom alternative Covid treatment options authorized by the F.D.A. are “not accessible or clinically appropriate.”
The F.D.A.’s decision reflects concerns that Merck’s pill is only modestly effective while also carrying the possible risk of causing reproductive harm. But in the coming weeks, it is expected to be more available in the United States than other treatment options.
Continue reading “Merck’s Covid pill is cleared for high-risk adults.”
The New York Times, December 22, 2021 (with Emily Anthes)
Three separate teams of scientists on two continents have found that Omicron infections more often result in mild illness than earlier variants of the coronavirus, offering hope that the current surge may not be quite as catastrophic as feared despite skyrocketing caseloads.
The researchers examined Omicron’s course through populations in South Africa, Scotland and England. The results in each setting, while still preliminary, all suggested that the variant was less likely to send people in hospitals.
Continue reading “Omicron Infections Seem to Be Milder, Three Research Teams Report”
The New York Times, December 22, 2021 (with Rebecca Robbins)
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized the first pill for Covid-19, offering a highly effective defense against severe illness that will arrive as the country endures another major surge of the pandemic.
The drug, developed by Pfizer and known as Paxlovid, is authorized for Covid patients age 12 and over who are vulnerable to becoming severely ill because they are older or have medical conditions such as obesity or diabetes. Tens of millions of Americans — including both vaccinated and unvaccinated people — will be eligible if they get infected with the virus. The treatment could be available within a few days.
Continue reading “F.D.A. Clears Pfizer’s Covid Pill for High-Risk Patients 12 and Older”
The New York Times, December 21, 2021 (with Christina Jewett and Rebecca Robbins)
Hospitals, drug companies and Biden administration officials are racing to address one of the Omicron variant’s biggest threats: Two of the three monoclonal antibody treatments that doctors have depended on to keep Covid-19 patients from becoming seriously ill do not appear to thwart the latest version of the coronavirus.
The one such treatment that is still likely to work against Omicron is now so scarce that many doctors and hospitals have already run through their supplies.
Continue reading “Hospitals Scramble as Antibody Treatments Fail Against Omicron”