By Chris Kay A “Surreal” Comeback Measles has made an unwelcome global resurgence from Ohio to Indonesia with cases rising around the world, and the worst of it is happening across India. Health workers in the country that’s home to 1.4 billion...
There’s No Covid `Smoking Gun’
Why we must move past the pandemic origins debate By Riley Griffin Hi, it’s Riley in Washington. A report from Senate Republicans that alleges a lab leak likely caused Covid has complicated an already fraught debate. Will we ever find conclusive evidence of the...
Viruses behaving badly
By Jason Gale This post from Bloomberg's biosecurity reporter puts Covid in the context of the global polycrisis. Michael Lerner There was severe liver inflammation in kids in April, monkeypox in May, polio in July, and “tomato flu” in August. Each appears...
Q&A Why Do Vaccines Wear Off So Quickly
By Kristen V Brown Why do vaccines wear off so quickly? In this week's edition of the Covid Q&A, we look at the waning effectiveness of vaccines. In hopes of making this very confusing time just a little less so, each week Bloomberg...
Spreading Christmas Cheer—and Covid?
By Thomas Mulier A Christmas Covid story A Christmas party in Norway provides a cautionary tale about the spread of omicron and the risks of infection faced by twice-vaccinated people. Of 111 attendees who participated in a survey, about 80 came down with Covid...
Kentucky hospitals are over the brink
By Drew ArmstrongThe Covid-19 patient in the Kentucky hospital’s intensive-care unit bed had a high-flow oxygen mask on. He was gasping, despite barely moving, and his mouth made small, rapid bites at nothing, trying to get more air. It looked like he was suffocating,...
Who’s open and who isn’t
We’ve been tracking public health rules and Covid-19 border restrictions since early August. And as of our latest update, the world is the most open it’s been.Bloomberg grades cities as “more open,” “moderately open” and “less open” based on local public health...
Heart Damage Racks Covid Survivors a Year After Infection, study shows
By Jason Gale Heart damage from Covid-19 extends well beyond the disease’s initial stages, according to a study that found even people who were never sick enough to need hospitalization are in danger of developing heart failure and deadly blood clots a year later....
Here’s What the Next Six Months of the Pandemic Will Bring
The race between vaccinations and new variant strains won’t end until Covid-19 has touched almost everyone. By Michelle Fay Cortez originally published in Bloomberg News on September 12, 2021 For anyone hoping to see light at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel over...
Doctors Who Want Out
Anger and hopelessnessBurnout anecdotes abound: The pandemic is pushing doctors beyond endurance, to the point they want to leave the profession.They’re only anecdotes at this point. There’s no definitive data yet as to the pandemic’s overarching effects on...
Will Vaccines Be Updated for Delta?
By Kristen V Brown Will the vaccines be updated for delta? In this week's edition of the Covid Q&A, we look at the question of whether vaccines will be reformulated to protect against the delta variant. In hopes of making this very confusing time just a little...
Delta’s Spread Hits Asia
By Malcolm Scott Delta Damage The delta variant is challenging the part of the world that’s been most successful in blunting the economic impact of Covid-19. Just 12 months ago, the Asia-Pacific region’s rapid containment of Covid-19 made them the envy of the world as...
Vaccine Recipients Look for an MRNA Boost
By Riley Griffin Some people who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are worried that their shot won’t hold up in the face on new coronavirus variants. To put themselves at ease, they are going out and getting added doses of messenger RNA vaccines—even though...
A Wuhan Scientist Speaks Out
June 30, 2021 ~ Bloomberg News ~ By Michelle Fay Cortez A Wuhan Scientist Speaks Out One of the enduring questions around the coronavirus pandemic is what triggered it, an issue now mired in geopolitical intrigue and scientific speculation. Finding an answer is...
Thailand’s Travel Experiment
June 19, 2021 ~ Bloomberg News ~ By Randy Thanthong-Knight Thailand’s Travel Experiment Vacations to tropical islands in Southeast Asia like Bali and Langkawi became a distant memory during the pandemic. And with a resurgence in Covid-19 in much of the region this...