Unanswered questions

Can you spread it?

Here’s a headline that says it all: “Can Vaccinated People Spread the Virus? We Don’t Know, Scientists Say.” Which is why you still need to wear a mask — it’s not about you, it’s about the unvaccinated people around you.

What’s with the AZ flip-flop?

It’s unsafe, it’s safe, it’s unsafe, it’s safer than Covid. What to make of the endless flip-flop of the AstraZeneca vaccine? The latest: More blood clots. Still not a lot, but …

Next round’s on you

How’s business? Apparently, being able to give Covid vaccinations has been good for you.

Shots bring people into pharmacies, where they have to hang out during the 15-minute observation period — creating a big opportunity for sales.

Which best describes your reaction to this story? [Sorry, the survey was only available in the emailed version]

• I rolled my eyes and/or snorted in derision.
• I smiled and nodded.
• I had no reaction, but I like taking polls.

Zika vaccine?

What, did you forget about Zika? It’s still out there, waiting, possibly to return in season 3. But a pair of pathobiologists at the University of Connecticut (Go Huskies!) think they’ve got a vaccine.

[They] found that mice who received just a single dose of the vaccine mounted a strong immune response and were completely protected from Zika virus infection. They did not find any evidence of Zika virus in the blood of challenged mice who were exposed to the virus after vaccination.

Bonus: The platform they created to make this vaccine might be used to create vaccines for other flaviviruses, including dengue, yellow fever, and West Nile.

Big problem

Obesity costs Americans — well, American insurance companies (including Medicare and -caid) $170 billion a year … at least, according to a new Harvard study. Or, put another way, obesity puts $170 billion in the pockets of healthcare providers who have to treat conditions like diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and sleep apnea.

Make of that what you will.

The Long Read (or Listen): Behind the Scenes edition

“Inside The CDC’s Battle To Defeat The Virus”

The CDC’s sweeping Covid-19 response has involved teams deployed to trace outbreaks in vulnerable communities, consultations with hospitals and schools to mitigate transmission, embeds and trainings with state and local health departments, coordinating vaccine distribution, and major efforts to wrangle data from disparate sources to paint a clear picture of the pandemic’s trajectory.