The Needle and The Haystack

“There are scientifically proven ways to fight this virus, and we’ve failed at every one. Our testing is too slow. We have no clear leadership. Millions of people can’t afford to stay home, and now we’re throwing fits about social distancing or wearing masks. It’s like the United States is down to one solution that might save us from ourselves, one final bailout — the vaccine. Where’s the vaccine? When can we get it? That’s what the entire country is waiting on, so it feels strange that I didn’t have to wait.” From WaPo’s Eli Saslow, Ian Haydon on the trial and error of being injected with a covid-19 vaccine. “I have a great-grandfather who died of the Spanish flu in 1918, when he was only 23 years old. I put my trust in scientists to come up with solutions. I believe in experiments. I had a biology teacher tell me once that if you know the results before you start, you’re not doing real science. I made my peace with the unknown. I signed all the forms.”

+ “The government has placed a significant bet on Novavax, a company based in Maryland that has never brought a product to market.” NYT: U.S. Will Pay $1.6 Billion to Novavax for Coronavirus Vaccine. (This is one of many efforts to accelerate the process.)

+ Horseshoe-crab blood is a surprisingly essential ingredient for testing new drugs. (The world is so upside down that it’s now considered a positive to say, “I have crabs.”)