Newly Discovered Bat Viruses Give Hints to Covid’s Origins

Posted on October 14, 2021October 19, 2021 by Matt Kristoffersen

New York Times, October 14, 2021

In the summer of 2020, half a year into the coronavirus pandemic, scientists traveled into the forests of northern Laos to catch bats that might harbor close cousins of the pathogen.

In the dead of night, they used mist nets and canvas traps to snag the animals as they emerged from nearby caves, gathered samples of saliva, urine and feces, then released them back into the darkness.

The fecal samples turned out to contain coronaviruses, which the scientists studied in high security biosafety labs, known as BSL-3, using specialized protective gear and air filters.

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Data From Federal Scientists Raise Questions About J.&J. Booster Shots

Posted on October 13, 2021October 19, 2021 by Matt Kristoffersen

New York Times, October 13, 2021 (with Noah Weiland)

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People who received a Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine may be better off with a booster shot from Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech, according to preliminary data from a federal clinical trial published on Wednesday.

That finding, along with a mixed review by the Food and Drug Administration of the case made by Johnson & Johnson for an authorization of its booster, could lead to a heated debate about how and when to offer additional shots to the 15 million Americans who have received the single-dose vaccine.

The agency’s panel of vaccine advisers will meet Thursday and Friday to vote on whether to recommend that the agency allow Moderna and Johnson & Johnson to offer booster shots.

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People who received a J.&J. vaccine may be better off with a Moderna or Pfizer booster, a study finds.

Posted on October 13, 2021October 19, 2021 by Matt Kristoffersen

New York Times, October 13, 2021 (with Noah Weiland)

Link

Continue reading “People who received a J.&J. vaccine may be better off with a Moderna or Pfizer booster, a study finds.” →

CureVac has withdrawn its Covid vaccine application to European regulators.

Posted on October 12, 2021October 19, 2021 by Matt Kristoffersen

New York Times, October 12, 2021

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The German company CureVac announced on Tuesday that it was withdrawing its mRNA vaccine for Covid-19 from the approval process in Europe. The company pulled the plug after determining that it might take until June for regulators to make a ruling about the vaccine.

With other mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech already in wide distribution, the company decided it was time to give up on its initial efforts to address the Covid-19 emergency.

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First, Impressive Vaccines for Covid. Next Up: The Flu.

Posted on October 9, 2021October 19, 2021 by Matt Kristoffersen

New York Times, October 9, 2021

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As the world grapples with Covid-19, influenza isn’t getting much attention these days. But the flu’s global impact is staggering: three million to five million cases of severe illness every year, and up to 650,000 deaths. Every few decades, a new flu strain spills over from animals and leads to a pandemic.

The deadly toll of influenza is all the more striking when you consider that we have had vaccines to fight it for eight decades. But they remain mediocre. A flu shot is good for only one flu season, and its effectiveness typically reaches somewhere between 40 and 60 percent. In some years it’s as low as 10 percent.

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