ICYMI

First results show that Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine is more than 90 percent effective.

Perspective: “Scientists are hoping for a coronavirus vaccine that is at least 75% effective, while White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci has said one that is 50% or 60% effective would be acceptable.”

Caveat: This is just the first set of results from the study.

Details: The vaccine takes 28 days to become effective and requires two doses.

And there’s the question of how people can prove they’ve been vaccinated.

Other Covid notes

President-elect Joe Biden announced his 13-member coronavirus task force will be different — “composed largely of doctors and public health experts.”

The U.S. has had five days in a row with more than 100,000 new cases each.

The House of Representatives will begin regular testing of its 435 members* (courtesy of the U.S. Air Force) — up to 2,000 tests per week.

Aspirin? As a Covid-19 treatment? Yep, it’s being investigated because of patients’ risk of blood clots.

* Actually 438, if you count the three non-voters from D.C.

Captain Obvious is working overtime

“Smoking bans don’t work when not enforced, study finds”

CDC: Working from home reduces your risk of catching Covid-19

When contraception costs less, fewer kids are born

FDA advisory panel says no to Alzheimer’s drug

Despite what seemed to be positive reviews from reviewers, an FDA advisory panel has given the thumbs-down to aducanumab, Biogen’s potential Alzheimer’s drug.

“There are literally a dozen different red threads that suggest concerns about the consistency of evidence,” said one [panel] member […] He said he could not understand “how the F.D.A. could conclude that there is substantial evidence of effectiveness.”

Growing a flu vaccine

Two big trials phase-3 are underway for a potential flu vaccine grown in tobacco plants, rather than in eggs. The benefits could be huge, as plants are quicker to grow and wouldn’t present some of the complications seen in egg-made vaccines.

The researchers concluded, based on data collected during 2017-2018, that their plant-derived vaccine provided a “broadly similar” level of protection as commercial vaccines used in that particularly long flu season, which is a fair result.

Hypertension is getting more hyper

Got pregnant patients? You probably know that high blood pressure isn’t unusual during pregnancy, but this might be a surprise: High blood pressure complications nearly doubled since 2007 — and it’s especially a problem in rural areas.

“We were surprised to see the dramatic increase in the percentage over the last 10 years of women entering pregnancy with hypertension. It was also shocking to see women as young as 15 to 24 years old with high blood pressure.”

A fun read that really isn’t that fun at all

Earlier this year, a scientist submitted to the American Journal of Biomedical Science & Research a paper that claimed “eating a bat-like Pokémon sparked the spread of COVID-19.”

Four days after submission, editor Catherine Nichols was “cheerful to inform” me via email that it had “received positive review comments” and was accepted for publication.

Read all about “predatory journals” and the spread of misinformation.

The next crisis

“Avocado hand,” and the “gruesome rise” thereof.