Tuesday, May 25, 2021
This week will be the last 4-day week of my email on coronavirus readings. I will be moving to weekly summaries next week.
These daily (and then 4-day per week) emails started with the goal of being a bit of light in dark times. And, while the pandemic is not over, the intensity of fear, uncertainty, and doubt has subsided - enough so that I don't think you need to hear from me so often. Moreover, the volume of novel information is decreasing. In other words, we have more known knowns. While the need to filter information through a critical lens will never go away, the sustained and intense opportunity to focus that lens on a single topic that entwined politics, science, data, and social policy was genuinely unique. And I hope, once we collectively decide the pandemic is over, none of us get that sustained opportunity again.
-------
CDC National Hospitalization trend data
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#hospitalizations
Global-View:
https://www.ft.com/content/a2901ce8-5eb7-4633-b89c-cbdf5b386938
Nationally:
https://ig.ft.com/coronavirus-chart/?areas=usa&areas=gbr&areasRegional=usny&areasRegional=usca&areasRegional=usfl&areasRegional=ustx&areasRegional=usco&cumulative=0&logScale=0&perMillion=1&values=casesf
The U.S. Regionally - N.Y. Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html
Vaccine Tracker
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-trends
-----
As of yesterday, the U.S. has administered about 287 million vaccine doses, with about 50% of the population receiving at least one dose.
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations
China has delivered 500 million doses.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3134656/coronavirus-china-passes-500-million-doses-rush-meet-target-40
Here is a fascinating article highlighted by Eric Topol - some antibodies produced in response to COVID bind to parts of the coronavirus and ENHANCE the virus's ability to infect human cells. Fortunately, these antibodies are not very common (compared to antibodies generated to other proteins on the viral coat that hinder the virus). " [Interestingly], the antibodies against this infectivity-enhancing site were detected at high levels in severe patients. Moreover, we identified antibodies against the infectivity-enhancing site in uninfected donors, albeit at a lower frequency." You can ponder the evolutionary pressures created by this phenomenon. Amazing.
https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(21)00662-0
An unsatisfying Twitter thread on this article:
https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1396932793330855937
The COVID-sniffing dogs are getting closer to operationalization and scale! "[Trained dogs] were able to distinguish between SARS-CoV-2 odor samples from [1097 infected individuals and 2031 uninfected individuals], with sensitivity from 98% (95% CI 95-100) to 100% and specificity from 99% (95% CI 97-100) to 100%. Six dogs were able to distinguish between samples with sensitivity ranging from 82% (95% CI 76-87) to 94% (95% CI 89-98) and specificity ranging from 76% (95% CI 70-82) to 92% (95% CI 88-96). " The real question is, will we ever have unicorn dogs that can sniff out drugs, bombs, COVID, and people smuggling endangered wildlife (Or will we one day all need to walk past a line of specialist dogs when deplaning)‽
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/study-shows-dogs-can-detect-covid-positive-arrivals/ar-AAKiYeM
and (with a link to the pre-print journal article)
https://www.cnet.com/news/dogs-can-sniff-out-90-of-covid-19-cases-even-if-theyre-asymptomatic/?utm_source=reddit.com
United Airlines is entering the vaccination behavior shaping/incentivization game.
https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/555042-united-airlines-offering-free-travel-for-a-year-to-promote-vaccinations
There are some concerning data about the immune response to B.1.617.2. Complete protection (transmission, infection, illness, hospitalization, and death) seems to require two doses of Pfizer or AZ vaccines. On the one hand, this is good - vaccine escape is limited. On the other hand, it demonstrates how variants could restart the pandemic and the urgent need to vaccinate the world's population with two doses as fast as possible.
https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1396015144233222144
Infographic of the day: Mountains!
Alan's Factory Outlet (America's #1 Seller of Custom Carports and Metal Garages) has quite the data visualization department‽ (Seriously - it is odd, and I have noted this before.) I offer "The Meanings of the Names of the 10 Highest Mountains on Every Continent" infographic. There is a lot of data packed into one page. And, Matt Brill, this infographic sees your 14ers and raises by 6,000-15,000 feet, on average.
https://alansfactoryoutlet.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/meaning-names-highest-mountains-every-continent-5.png
----Bonus Round: Crying Babies, eh?
I think I am late to the game on this one, but I was amused and intrigued by two articles I found on the tonal differences in babies' cries based on the native language of the parents.
2009: Babies May Pick Up Language Cues In Womb
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120131516
and
2019/2020: Babies Cry in Different Languages
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/parenting/baby/wermke-prespeech-development-wurzburg.html
These are excellent examples of how ongoing research evolves our understanding of a topic. And it is a fascinating set of observations.
Clean hands and sharp minds, team
Adam
This week will be the last 4-day week of my email on coronavirus readings. I will be moving to weekly summaries next week.
These daily (and then 4-day per week) emails started with the goal of being a bit of light in dark times. And, while the pandemic is not over, the intensity of fear, uncertainty, and doubt has subsided - enough so that I don't think you need to hear from me so often. Moreover, the volume of novel information is decreasing. In other words, we have more known knowns. While the need to filter information through a critical lens will never go away, the sustained and intense opportunity to focus that lens on a single topic that entwined politics, science, data, and social policy was genuinely unique. And I hope, once we collectively decide the pandemic is over, none of us get that sustained opportunity again.
-------
CDC National Hospitalization trend data
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#hospitalizations
Global-View:
https://www.ft.com/content/a2901ce8-5eb7-4633-b89c-cbdf5b386938
Nationally:
https://ig.ft.com/coronavirus-chart/?areas=usa&areas=gbr&areasRegional=usny&areasRegional=usca&areasRegional=usfl&areasRegional=ustx&areasRegional=usco&cumulative=0&logScale=0&perMillion=1&values=casesf
The U.S. Regionally - N.Y. Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html
Vaccine Tracker
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-trends
-----
As of yesterday, the U.S. has administered about 287 million vaccine doses, with about 50% of the population receiving at least one dose.
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations
China has delivered 500 million doses.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3134656/coronavirus-china-passes-500-million-doses-rush-meet-target-40
Here is a fascinating article highlighted by Eric Topol - some antibodies produced in response to COVID bind to parts of the coronavirus and ENHANCE the virus's ability to infect human cells. Fortunately, these antibodies are not very common (compared to antibodies generated to other proteins on the viral coat that hinder the virus). " [Interestingly], the antibodies against this infectivity-enhancing site were detected at high levels in severe patients. Moreover, we identified antibodies against the infectivity-enhancing site in uninfected donors, albeit at a lower frequency." You can ponder the evolutionary pressures created by this phenomenon. Amazing.
https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(21)00662-0
An unsatisfying Twitter thread on this article:
https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1396932793330855937
The COVID-sniffing dogs are getting closer to operationalization and scale! "[Trained dogs] were able to distinguish between SARS-CoV-2 odor samples from [1097 infected individuals and 2031 uninfected individuals], with sensitivity from 98% (95% CI 95-100) to 100% and specificity from 99% (95% CI 97-100) to 100%. Six dogs were able to distinguish between samples with sensitivity ranging from 82% (95% CI 76-87) to 94% (95% CI 89-98) and specificity ranging from 76% (95% CI 70-82) to 92% (95% CI 88-96). " The real question is, will we ever have unicorn dogs that can sniff out drugs, bombs, COVID, and people smuggling endangered wildlife (Or will we one day all need to walk past a line of specialist dogs when deplaning)‽
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/study-shows-dogs-can-detect-covid-positive-arrivals/ar-AAKiYeM
and (with a link to the pre-print journal article)
https://www.cnet.com/news/dogs-can-sniff-out-90-of-covid-19-cases-even-if-theyre-asymptomatic/?utm_source=reddit.com
United Airlines is entering the vaccination behavior shaping/incentivization game.
https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/555042-united-airlines-offering-free-travel-for-a-year-to-promote-vaccinations
There are some concerning data about the immune response to B.1.617.2. Complete protection (transmission, infection, illness, hospitalization, and death) seems to require two doses of Pfizer or AZ vaccines. On the one hand, this is good - vaccine escape is limited. On the other hand, it demonstrates how variants could restart the pandemic and the urgent need to vaccinate the world's population with two doses as fast as possible.
https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1396015144233222144
Infographic of the day: Mountains!
Alan's Factory Outlet (America's #1 Seller of Custom Carports and Metal Garages) has quite the data visualization department‽ (Seriously - it is odd, and I have noted this before.) I offer "The Meanings of the Names of the 10 Highest Mountains on Every Continent" infographic. There is a lot of data packed into one page. And, Matt Brill, this infographic sees your 14ers and raises by 6,000-15,000 feet, on average.
https://alansfactoryoutlet.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/meaning-names-highest-mountains-every-continent-5.png
----Bonus Round: Crying Babies, eh?
I think I am late to the game on this one, but I was amused and intrigued by two articles I found on the tonal differences in babies' cries based on the native language of the parents.
2009: Babies May Pick Up Language Cues In Womb
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120131516
and
2019/2020: Babies Cry in Different Languages
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/parenting/baby/wermke-prespeech-development-wurzburg.html
These are excellent examples of how ongoing research evolves our understanding of a topic. And it is a fascinating set of observations.
Clean hands and sharp minds, team
Adam
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