• As Omicron mutates wildly the virus shows first signs of convergent evolution

    Researchers tracking emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants have started noticing something strange. No one new variant has looks like taking over but instead a variety of different subvariants seem to be accumulating the same mutations. As many people around the world return to normality, deeming the pandemic over, these new evolutionary signals suggest we may be done with thinking about COVID but SARS-CoV-2 is most certainly not done with us …

    Read more… New Atlas, October 2022

  • How a Silicon Valley dad designed the next generation of face mask

    For the last few years Kevin Ngo has spent his nights and weekends developing a new kind of reusable face mask. After calling in favors from friends all over Silicon Valley, the resulting Flo Mask is a radical take on face masks – light, comfortable, and as protective as any disposable mask around.

    Read more… New Atlas, July 2022

  • The mRNA revolution: How COVID-19 hit fast-forward on an experimental technology

    Over the past few months several hundred million people around the world have safely received a wildly effective COVID-19 vaccine based on mRNA technology that was still relatively experimental just one year ago. But what exactly is an mRNA vaccine, where did the technology come from, and what other diseases could it be useful for?

    Read more… New Atlas, April 2021

  • COVID-19 lockdowns: When will isolation end, and what happens next?

    With billions of people currently confined to their homes, many are asking how long will this lockdown last, and what happens when we re-emerge? New models are suggesting this wave of social distancing is just the first phase of a long war that may last until 2022.

    Read more… New Atlas, March 2020

  • The COVID-19 vaccine: How do we immunize 7 billion people?

    The point where a vaccine is determined to be successful enough to deploy in a general population is not the end of the process. No, it's just the beginning, especially in the face of a global pandemic presenting the potential need to immunize the entire world’s population. What happens when a team of researchers somewhere in the world hold up a vaccine and say, “We’ve got one that works, let’s go!” How long will it take to vaccinate 7 billion people?

    Read more… New Atlas, April 2020

  • Scientists present case for airborne spread of COVID-19

    A new commentary published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, and co-signed by 239 scientists from around the world, is calling for international health authorities to recognize COVID-19 can be spread by airborne transmission. Based on growing cluster case study data, the scientists call for greater mitigation measures to control indoor airborne spread of the virus.

    Read more… New Atlas, July 2020