PLUS: The Covid-19 headlines you need to know, a distraction, and something to read.
By Eve Sneider | 10.06.22 |
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Programming Note: Like the coronavirus itself, The Coronavirus Update is evolving. Soon we'll be pivoting this newsletter to encompass more topics within WIRED's science coverage. We'll still bring you the latest Covid and health news, along with stories about space, climate, robotics, and more. If you want to stay on the list and see what we have in store, you don't need to do anything. If our new format isn't right for you, you can always unsubscribe at any time. |
| Lawmakers urge the US to support global vaccine access, Hong Kong attempts to boost tourism, and Cape Town researchers reverse-engineer Moderna's shot. But first, here's this week's big story: | |
Omicron continues to change and evolve in new directions As of last week, the Omicron subvariant BA.4.6 is responsible for nearly 13 percent of new cases in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The new Omicron-specific boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna should be effective against this strain of the disease, but so far less than 4 percent of Americans ages 12 and older who are eligible to get the shots have received them. In general, the US is in a Covid lull right now, but rising cases in parts of Europe and the imminent arrival of winter suggest that this could change. Experts have pointed out that new sub-lineages of Omicron are proliferating in many directions, similar to how the flu evolves over the years, which marks a shift from how the virus evolved from one strain to the next—Alpha, Delta, Omicron—in earlier phases of the pandemic. World Health Organization (WHO) officials have said that scientists are monitoring more than 300 strains of Omicron right now. These mutations are unlikely to taper any time soon. | |
Headlines A group of US lawmakers penned a letter to President Biden this week urging the White House to prioritize helping lower-income countries procure more vaccines and treatments. (Marketwatch) In a bid to boost its hard-hit tourism industry, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has said that it will offer free inbound and outbound flights next year. (BBC) A Cape Town pharmaceutical company has successfully replicated small batches of Moderna's vaccine as part of a WHO-backed plan to boost worldwide vaccine access. (The Guardian) The UK opened an investigation to look at the country's response to the pandemic. It promises to expose any culpable conduct. (Reuters) Around 200,000 attendees are expected at New York Comic Con, which kicks off today. Masks will be required indoors at the massive gathering, but proof of vaccination will not. (CNBC) | |
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| Americans' newsfeeds are littered with bad information. Political operative turned publisher Tara McGowan believes she has a solution: using Facebook advertising and a string of small, local, left-leaning news outlets to inject good information into people's newsfeeds. | |
| It may be getting colder out, but that's no reason to burrow indoors. Here are our favorite deals on outdoor gear for having fun outside. | |
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