Coronavirus Science for Lay Readers

The BCG Vaccine and COVID-19

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This is a short overview about the BCG vaccine and its possible ability to protect from coronavirus infection. It includes a fascinating graph that compares the COVID-19 rates in different countries around the world with different rates of BCG vaccination showing a possible trend in which populations with higher rates of BCG vaccination have had … Read more

Daley, et al., “Beware of studies claiming covid-19 death rates are smaller than expected,” Washington Post, April 28, 2020.

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A must-read. Here is a group of medical scientists explaining in lay person’s language why the tried-and-true methods established to determine “death rates” (more accurately case fatality rates) are necessary before making policy decisions based on reports based on faulty methods. The upshot: in this case, politicians will be well served using the best scientific … Read more

Will antibody tests for the coronavirus really change everything?

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This article in the news section of Nature Research discusses current advances in antibody testing for COVID-19 and the limitations that come with it. While many politicians and others eager to open businesses back up and end social distancing are claiming that we are close to having antibody testing which will be able to determine … Read more

Scientists Identify 69 Drugs to Test Against Coronavirus (New York Times) and Source Paper

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This is an article from the New York Times that shares the results of a study done at UCSF to find possible cellular targets for COVID-19 as well as drugs that are already approved on in clinical trials that could help. Carl Zimmer does a good job of accurately presenting the work from the paper … Read more

Is the coronavirus airborne? Experts can’t agree

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Recently, I have been hearing people discussing whether or not the covid-19 virus is “airborne”. Of course we know at this point that the virus can easily be spread through respiratory droplets released by coughs and sneezes, but questions are arising about possible transmission through simply breathing or talking, i.e. the virus being airborne (by … Read more

Images of COVID-19 Infecting a Healthy Cell

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Researchers at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil are studying the replication of the virus and while using a transmission electron microscope, were able to image the exact moment when the virus infects and invades a healthy cells. The link below leads to an article with three of the images captured during this discovery. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/moment-coronavirus-infects-healthy-cell-captured-pictures/