| Pfizer's mRNA vaccine could break scientific ground, CDC releases new mask guidelines, and an interactive map illustrates the risk of holiday gatherings. Here's what you should know: Headlines Pfizer's coronavirus shot will be the first 'genetic' vaccine approved for humans if it is green-lit by the FDA On Monday morning, Pfizer announced that its Covid-19 vaccine is more than 90 percent effective. More time and data are needed for FDA approval, but if the vaccine is distributed, it will be the first of its kind: Rather than injecting people with a small quantity of the pathogen so they can build up immunity, it teaches cells to build benign proteins that train the immune system to respond to SARS-CoV-2. This is a huge scientific development if it works. But we will likely still need many non-mRNA vaccines to ensure that everyone around the world gets inoculated. CDC releases new guidance explaining that masks protect all parties involved Yesterday the CDC updated its mask guidance, saying that wearing one protects both you and the people around you. Masks block particles you exhale from spreading to others and help filter the air you're breathing in, the new guidelines explain. It also says that wearing masks can be an economic boon, citing an analysis that found that increasing universal mask wearing by 15 percent could prevent national losses of up to $1 trillion. Interactive Covid-19 risk map shows there's virtually no safe way to gather for the holidays A color-coded interactive map from the Georgia Institute of Technology helps users assess Covid-19 risk level based on location and the size of the crowd. It's a striking visual representation of something public health experts have been saying for a while: There is no perfectly safe way to gather for the holidays, especially as cases rise nationwide. And new research corroborates the map's implications, finding that a small number of locations—indoor places where people gather for a long time, as they would on the holidays—are often responsible for a disproportionate number of Covid-19 cases. Daily Distraction What do you do with a spent rocket? One space logistics company has an idea: Turn them into brand new space stations. Something to Read Once, hydroxychloroquine was a little-known drug used to treat autoimmune disorders. It was viable, safe, available, and inexpensive. Then, speculation that it could treat Covid-19 landed it in the spotlight—and led to a cascade of misinformation, and ample lessons to learn from before the next medical disaster hits. Sanity Check PC gaming doesn't require a sophisticated, high-tech setup. To get started, all you need is a super-long HDMI cable and a comfy couch. One Question Who should get a coronavirus vaccine first? It's likely that health care workers will be the first to get a vaccine when it's available, and they probably should. Physicists who work on network theory, though, have another way of thinking about vaccine distribution. To reduce the spread quickly, you need to find the social butterflies, the people at the center of networks. If you asked everyone to name a single acquaintance, it's likely you'll reach the superspreaders in a community quickly. And if you vaccinate them first, that could halt the spread of coronavirus in record time. Covid-19 Care Package ❓ From social distancing to viral spread to staying sane, here's everything we know and advise about the coronavirus. 📦 The Covid-19 virus can linger on objects for as little as a few hours or as long as a couple of days, depending on the surface. Here's an updated look at the research. 😷 If you're planning to go out in public anytime soon, you're going to need a mask. Here are the best ones you can buy, or how to make one at home. 🧼 It's not just your hands that need washing—your gadgets, clothes, and home need it too. Here's how to properly disinfect your stuff. 💻 Some of you are work-from-home pros, but if you're new to it, here's how to stay productive without losing your mind. 😔 It's hard not to be anxious about a global pandemic, but here's how you can protect yourself and your family without spiraling and how to not hate the loved ones you're quarantined with. ✂️ It may still be a while before you can see your hairstylist, so here's how to cut your hair at home, plus other ways to keep yourself lookin' fresh. 🦠 Read all of our coronavirus coverage here. | 
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