Escaped mink could spread the coronavirus to wild animals
More than 100 SARS-CoV-2 infected mink may have escaped from Danish fur farms, raising the risk that these escapees could spread the novel coronavirus to wild animals, creating a new reservoir for the virus, The Guardian reported. “Every year, a few thousand mink escape,” and this year, an estimated 5% of these escaped animals may […]
Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine is highly effective, final analysis shows
Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine is 94.1% effective in preventing COVID-19 and 100% effective in preventing severe illness, according to final results announced by the company on Monday (Nov. 30). Moderna is also planning to file for an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday. The final analysis was based on […]
Here are the most promising coronavirus vaccine candidates out there
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Nov. 25. Using materials from weakened cold viruses to snippets of genetic code, scientists around the world are creating dozens of unique vaccine candidates to fight the novel coronavirus — and they’re doing it at unprecedented speeds. It’s not known exactly when the virus hopped from animals to […]
Coronavirus lockdowns don’t need to be all or nothing
We were warned this might happen. While millions stayed home last spring, looking to summer for respite from the virus, experts worried that an even larger fall surge was around the corner. We’ve rounded that corner. As cases and hospitalizations reach record levels across Europe and the United States, leaders are being forced to make […]
Moderna coronavirus vaccine is 94.5% effective, early results suggest
Moderna’s experimental coronavirus vaccine is 94.5% effective in protecting against infection with the coronavirus, according to early data released by the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company Monday (Nov. 16). This comes a week after Pfizer’s announcement that its vaccine is more than 90% effective, Live Science previously reported.Though the clinical trials from both companies are still in […]
Mysterious ‘gene within a gene’ found in the coronavirus
Researchers have uncovered a mysterious gene in the genetic code of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 – a segment virtually hidden from view in the virus’s genome, and largely overlooked until now. The newly identified gene – called ORF3d – is an example of what’s called an overlapping gene: a kind of ‘gene within a gene’ that’s effectively concealed in […]
Coronavirus vaccine could be ready for all Americans by April, Fauci says
A coronavirus vaccine could be available to the general U.S. population by April 2021, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN Tuesday (Nov. 10). This comes on the the heels of Pfizer’s announcement that its experimental coronavirus vaccine, developed with German drug company BioNTech, may be […]
What will it take to gain control of the coronavirus pandemic?
November is beginning to feel a lot like last March. In Europe, where the coronavirus was largely under control for much of the summer and fall, cases are skyrocketing nearly everywhere. Twenty countries, including the United Kingdom and France, have shuttered restaurants, introduced curfews or generally urged people to stay at home, though most schools […]
US tops 10 million coronavirus cases
The United States reached an astonishing milestone today (Nov. 9): 10 million total coronavirus cases have been diagnosed since the start of the pandemic, with case counts accelerating dramatically in recent weeks. The country’s total now stands at just over 10 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. It took just 10 days for the country […]
Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is more than 90% effective, early data suggests
Early data suggests that Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is more than 90% effective in preventing an infection with the virus that causes COVID-19, the company announced on Monday (Nov. 9). The vaccine, developed by Pfizer and German drug company BioNTech, is currently being tested in a large phase 3 clinical trial — the last and most […]
