The new SARS-CoV-2 variant’s increased transmissibility is believed to come from a change in the spike protein, visible here in yellow under an electron microscope.
National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases
The new variant has been estimated to be 50% more transmissible. It's already been detected in at least 10 US states.
By mid-January, only about a quarter of the COVID-19 vaccines distributed for U.S. nursing homes through the federal program had reached people’s arms.
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With vaccine shortages looming, experts are debating whether it is important to receive two doses or whether it's better to give one dose to more people and give a second when the supply is better.
So far, the only COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use need to be kept frozen. But there are many places in the world that can't support a cold supply chain.
Open to eat indoors – but will you?
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With vaccines forthcoming for most Americans, many groups, including expectant mothers, are wondering if the vaccine is safe for them and their babies. A physician-scientist explains.
Say hello to Spike.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
It's the part of coronavirus that helps the virus get into your cells – and also the target of the leading vaccines.
The French government will not accept any passengers arriving from the U.K. amid fears over the new mutant coronavirus strain.
Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty Images
A new strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 appears to be spreading fast in the UK. This probably isn't a big problem, but the data isn't in yet.
The coronavirus vaccine was developed faster than any vaccine in history. It took just 332 days from the first sequencing of the virus genome to the first vaccines given to the public.
The number one scientific breakthrough for 2020: multiple vaccines to prevent COVID-19.
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The development of multiple vaccines against the virus that causes COVID-19 has been hailed as the breakthrough of 2020. But there were many more supporting discoveries that made this possible.
There have been a few accounts of patients who have tested positive, then negative, then positive again for COVID-19.
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So, if you have ever tested positive, there is a chance you could contract the virus again. And you could infect other people. You should still take the necessary precautions.
A new review from the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences says managing the pandemic into 2021 will mean persisting with the measures that have made Australia's response successful so far.
Desi Kotis, University of California, San Francisco
Health systems around the US are on the cusp of receiving COVID-19 vaccines. At the end of this months-long effort are the nitty-gritty details of how health care providers are giving people the vaccine.
Suddenly unable to smell your morning coffee? You likely have COVID-19.
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COVID-19 patients often lose their sense of smell and taste. This is rare for a viral infection. At-home smell tests could be used as a screening tool and help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
A little bit of post-injection soreness is completely normal.
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The side effects of new SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are a result of immune system activation. While uncomfortable, they are both normal and expected. They are a sign that the vaccine is working.
Rapid tests for COVID-19 are easy to administer and give fast results.
AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File
In September, production of rapid tests really ramped up in the US. But due to low accuracy and massive numbers needed, these tests alone are unlikely to have much of an effect on the pandemic.
Professor and Director of Quantitative Biosciences Institute & Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and President-Elect of the International Society for Antiviral Research, University of Maryland, Baltimore County