Viewpoints: Lessons On Slowing Down Transmissions, Dangers Of Evolving Variants

Stat: New Coronavirus Variants Call For More Surveillance, Control 
The Covid-19 virus is evolving rapidly. That should come as no surprise: RNA-based viruses generate mutations constantly as a result of their error-prone replication. Wherever there are more infections, there are more opportunities for the virus to mutate. For a virus new to a species, as this coronavirus is to humans, some mutations are likely to make it more transmissible. (Ferguson, Hauck and Donnelly, 1/28)

The Washington Post: America Could Be Passing Our Darkest Hour. But Calamity Could Lie Ahead If We Don’t Act.
There is finally a glimmer of hope in the war against the coronavirus. Daily new infections have declined by more than 30 percent in the past two weeks, with 45 states reporting sustained decreases. Hospitalizations are trending down. Though January has been the deadliest month thus far, some models project that the worst may soon be behind us, with warmer months on the way and vaccinations picking up speed. This is the best-case scenario. But a much more ominous scenario looms, too. That scenario is what happens if the emerging covid-19 variants gain traction in the United States. (Leana S. Wen, 1/27)

The Washington Post: The Covid-19 Danger Does Not Lie In The Classroom, But In The Community
When it comes to schools and the pandemic, those scary first days in 2020 were filled with unknowns. Even at the start of the school year last autumn, there was great uncertainty about whether to open classrooms in person. But now, three scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called attention to a basic principle that should help parents, teachers, school staff and students decide about the future: The problem does not lie primarily in the classroom, but in the community. That may sound mundane, but it is not. The scientists strongly suggest that, with proper mitigation, including masks, improved ventilation, good hygiene and distancing, in-person classrooms have not been transmission belts for the coronavirus. (1/28)

New England Journal of Medicine: A Covid-19 Conversation With Anthony Fauci
The continuing spread of SARS-CoV-2 remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. What physicians need to know about transmission, diagnosis, and treatment of Covid-19 is the subject of ongoing updates from infectious disease experts at the Journal. In this audio interview conducted on January 27, 2021, the editors are joined by Dr. Anthony Fauci, U.S. Chief Medical Advisor, to discuss Covid-19 testing, therapeutics, and vaccines. (Eric J. Rubin, Lindsey R. Baden, Anthony S. Fauci, and Stephen Morrissey, 1/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Europe’s Self-Defeating Vaccine Fight
As the European Union fumbles its vaccine rollout, officials in Brussels are looking for villains. They think they’ve found one in vaccine-maker AstraZeneca. Rather than letting countries negotiate their own vaccine contracts, the European Commission handled procurement for the entire bloc in the name of solidarity. Brussels botched the process, and now the union’s members are lagging together. (1/28)

The Hill: Restoring America's Health Is Bigger Than COVID 
The state of American health was precarious before COVID-19 — with high rates of chronic conditions, heart disease, obesity and behavioral health issues — and is at risk of deteriorating further. (Richard Migliori, 1/28)

Stat: Decentralized Clinical Trials Need Collaboration To Achieve Wider Use
Despite groundbreaking advances in basic and clinical science and technology, clinical trial methods have not kept up with the pace of change and are no longer fit for purpose — not for patients or for the life science industry. The reasons for this include regulatory uncertainty, economic factors, and cultural obstacles, not the least of which is an adherence to conservatism in a highly regulated industry. (Amir Kalili and Craig Lipset, 1/29)