News about PaperPanda, Open Access, and Research
Four months after hospitals collapsed in Cuba due to skyrocketing covid-19 case numbers, the country has rolled out its own vaccines and cases are down to 5 for every 100,000 people Health 23 December 2021 By Luke Taylor Abdala is one of Cuba’s covid-19 vaccines YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty Images Four months after Cuba reported … Read more
The new Omicron variant of the pandemic coronavirus has provided an avalanche of mutations, many never seen before, for scientists to ponder. And as with earlier variants, Omicron researchers are focused on numerous changes to the spike protein, which studs the surface of SARS-CoV-2 and allows it to latch on to and invade human cells. … Read more
Editor’s Note (12/21/21): This article is being showcased in a special collection about equity in health care that was made possible by the support of Takeda. The article was published independently and without sponsorship. The past few days have been awash with news of the emergence of the latest concerning variant of the virus behind … Read more
By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu and Layal Liverpool Oxford Street, London, UK, on 21 December, 2021 TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images Latest coronavirus news as of 12pm on 23 December Omicron’s high transmissibility means it’s still a severe threat despite its … Read more
When news of the novel coronavirus’s Omicron variant first broke over the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., the sense of dread and fatigue was palpable. Just when the COVID pandemic’s outlook had started to improve, we were faced with a new arrival that was clearly more transmissible than previous variants—and likely able to significantly evade … Read more
Two studies from Britain published Wednesday showed COVID infections with Omicron are less likely to result in hospitalization compared to the Delta variant, the latest research confirming a trend first identified in South Africa. The preliminary studies – one paper from Scotland and the other from England – were cautiously welcomed by experts, who nonetheless … Read more
US vaccine maker Moderna expressed confidence Monday that its booster shot was effective against the Omicron variant, after the announcement of laboratory results it described as “reassuring”. “We’ll be able to rely on this vaccine to address the near term surge of Omicron cases,” Stephen Hoge, president of Moderna, said on a conference call. … Read more
The new SARS-CoV-2 variant exploding around the planet is forcing humanity to adapt at a breakneck speed. This week, countries across Northern Europe imposed stringent new measures to try to bring down soaring case numbers. On Saturday, The Netherlands issued a near-complete lockdown of public life and allowed residents to receive no more than two … Read more
By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu and Layal Liverpool A Swiss soldier closes the curtain of a booth prior to the administration of a Moderna covid-19 booster jab in Switzerland. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images Latest coronavirus news as of 1pm on … Read more
It has been less than four weeks since the announcement that a mutation-laden coronavirus variant had been discovered in southern Africa. Since then, dozens of countries around the world have reported Omicron cases—including a worrying number of infections in people who have either been vaccinated or experienced previous SARS-CoV-2 infections. But as political leaders and public-health officials try to … Read more