Join science writer Carl Zimmer and health correspondent Abby Goodnough as they delve into the troubling emergence of a highly transmissible coronavirus variant from the UK. They discuss the latest updates on vaccine efficacy, particularly regarding Pfizer's effectiveness against mutations. The duo also examines the sluggish vaccine rollout in the U.S., highlighting challenges like staffing shortages and varying state responses, while shedding light on the urgent need for swift vaccination to combat the pandemic's evolving landscape.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Aggressive Virus Control Measures
Provide high-quality masks to every American and mandate their usage outdoors.
Implement widespread, accessible testing, even at-home daily tests, to control the virus aggressively.
insights INSIGHT
Impact of Increased Transmission
The new variant isn't more lethal, but increased transmission leads to more hospitalizations and deaths.
The variant has overwhelmed UK hospitals; similar results may happen in the US.
insights INSIGHT
US Testing Deficiencies
US testing for the variant is insufficient, limiting our understanding of its true spread.
The US lacks the organization and national leadership for proper genetic surveillance.
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As 2020 drew to a close, a concerning development in the pandemic came out of Britain — a new variant of the coronavirus had been discovered that is significantly more transmissible. It has since been discovered in a number of countries, including the United States.
The emergence of the new variant has added a new level of urgency to the rollout of vaccines in the U.S., a process that has been slow so far.
Today, an exploration of two key issues in the fight against the pandemic.
Guests: Carl Zimmer, a science writer and author of the “Matter” column for The New York Times; Abby Goodnough, a national health care correspondent for The Times.
For an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. You can read the latest edition here.
Background reading:
The new variant of the coronavirus, discovered in December, appears to be more contagious than, and genetically distinct from, more established variants. Here is what we know about it.
The first case of the variant in the U.S. was found in Colorado in December. Pfizer has said that its vaccine works against the key mutation.
The distribution of the vaccine in the U.S. is taking longer than expected — holiday staffing and saving doses for nursing homes are contributing to delays.
The Daily 