With the US experiencing a relatively large summer wave of Covid-19, the Food and Drug Administration is considering signing off on this year's strain-matched Covid-19 vaccines as soon as this week, according to a report by CNN that cited unnamed officials familiar with the matter. Last year, the FDA gave …
Read More »The Highly Infectious FLiRT Variants Behind the Summer Covid Wave
This story originally appeared on WIRED Japan and has been translated from Japanese. The northern hemisphere is entering yet another Covid wave—while much of the world acts as if the pandemic were over, cases are surging again. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recorded an uptick …
Read More »A National Security Insider Does the Math on the Dangers of AI
Jason Matheny is a delight to speak with, provided you’re up for a lengthy conversation about potential technological and biomedical catastrophe. Now CEO and president of Rand Corporation, Matheny has built a career out of thinking about such gloomy scenarios. An economist by training with a focus on public health, …
Read More »Unruly Gut Fungi Can Make Your Covid Worse
Fungi are an indispensable part of your microbiome, keeping the body’s host of microorganisms healthy as part of a system of checks and balances. But when you’re hit by an infection, fungi can be thrown out of equilibrium with other organisms inside you, leading to a more severe infection and …
Read More »A 62-Year-Old German Man Got 217 Covid Shots—and Was Totally Fine
A 62-year-old man in Germany decided to get 217 Covid-19 vaccinations over the course of 29 months —for “private reasons.” But, somewhat surprisingly, he doesn't seem to have suffered any ill effects from the excessive immunization, according to a newly published case study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The case …
Read More »Covid Boosters Can’t Outpace New Mutations. Here’s Why They Still Work
Updated vaccines against Covid-19 are coming, just as hospitalizations and deaths due to the virus are steadily ticking up again. Today, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized new mRNA booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer, and a panel of outside experts that advises the Centers for Disease Control and …
Read More »Yes, There’s a New Covid Variant. No, You Shouldn’t Panic
It’s scariant season—again. A new offshoot of Omicron, BA.2.86—nicknamed Pirola—has popped up in Israel, the US, South Africa, and the UK after it was first recorded in Denmark in late July. Pirola initially set off alarm bells because it was spotted in four countries at the same time—and because, having …
Read More »How to Order Your Free At-Home Covid-19 Tests
Starting in late September, a set of four free Covid-19 test kits can once again be ordered online from the US government with just a few clicks and mailed directly to your home. The kits can be sent to every household in the US—even US territories and military addresses. Because …
Read More »13 Good N95, KF94, and KN95 Face Masks to Buy Right Now
The Biden administration officially ended the national and public health emergency for Covid-19 in May of 2023, and mask mandates have been dropped in every state throughout the country. But with the virus still mutating (the current strain being SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant JN.1) and cases ongoing, it's still acceptable to …
Read More »7 Rapid At-Home Covid-19 Tests—and Where to Find Them
The pandemic isn’t over. Although it's no longer considered a national and public health emergency, we're currently seeing a surge in cases and the spread of two new variants—EG.5 (Eris) and BA.2.86 (“Pirola”). Regardless of how small your social circle is, it's still possible to contract and spread Covid 19. …
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