There’s been an incredible amount of “ink” spilled about the virus, and I don’t pretend to have read most of it – or even much of it – but I have read some articles I think are worth sharing. I’ll likely update this post as I find more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
[Update: 22-Aug<\/strong> – The list has been inverted, so the newest additions are now “up here.”]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [Update: 30-Dec<\/strong> – I had largely stopped seeking out COVID-related press, and found less of note in what I did read. I was content to let this list fade away, until a friend sent me the article that became today’s update.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 24-May] The 60-Year-Old Scientific Screwup That Helped Covid Kill<\/a> [added, 11-May] A Misleading C.D.C. Number<\/a> [David Leonhardt, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 8-May] Why Did It Take So Long to Accept the Facts About Covid?<\/a> [Zeynep Tufekci, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 7-May] Estimation of total mortality due to COVID-19<\/a> [ihme.org]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 4-May] Millions Are Saying No to the Vaccines. What Are They Thinking?<\/a> Feelings about the vaccine are intertwined with feelings about the pandemic.<\/em> [Derek Thompson, atlantic.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 6-Apr] Are We Much Too Timid in the Way We Fight Covid-19?<\/a> The debate among doctors, epidemiologists and economists is still going strong.<\/em> [Ezra Klein, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 27-Mar] Unlocking the Covid Code<\/a> [Jon Gertner, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 9-Jan-2021] The Lab-Leak Hypothesis<\/a> For decades, scientists have been hot-wiring viruses in hopes of preventing a pandemic, not causing one. But what if \u2026?<\/em> [Nicholson Baker, nymag.com] <\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 30-Dec] Reverse Engineering the source code of the BioNTech\/Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine<\/a> [Bert Hubert, berthub.eu, h\/t Mario] <\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 5-Oct] Largest COVID-19 contact tracing study to date finds children key to spread, evidence of superspreaders<\/a> A study of more than a half-million people in India who were exposed to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 suggests that the virus\u2019 continued spread is driven by only a small percentage of those who become infected.<\/em> [Morgan Kelly, princeton.edu]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 1-Oct] This Overlooked Variable Is the Key to the Pandemic<\/a> It\u2019s not R.<\/em> [Zeynep Tufekci, theatlantic.com, h\/t Christopher]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 25-Sep] A survival guide for the Covid age<\/a> [Tim Harford, timharford.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 16-Sep] Trump Health Official Apologizes for Facebook Outburst <\/a>Michael R. Caputo, the head of communications at the Department of Health and Human Services, apologized to the health secretary and his staff and is considering a medical leave.<\/em> [Sharon LaFraniere, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 15-Sep] Trump Health Aide Pushes Bizarre Conspiracies and Warns of Armed Revolt<\/a> Michael R. Caputo told a Facebook audience without evidence that left-wing hit squads were being trained for insurrection and accused C.D.C. scientists of \u201csedition.\u201d<\/em> [Sharon LaFraniere, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 13-Sep] The Sturgis Biker Rally Did Not Cause 266,796 Cases of COVID-19<\/a> [Jennifer Dowd, slate.com, h\/t Christopher]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 10-Sep] How the Coronavirus Attacks the Brain<\/a> It\u2019s not just the lungs \u2014 the pathogen may enter brain cells, causing symptoms like delirium and confusion, scientists reported.<\/em> [Apoorva Mandavilli, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 7-Sep] Trump\u2019s Vaccine Can\u2019t Be Trusted<\/a> If a vaccine comes out before the election, there are very good reasons not to take it.<\/em> [Laurie Garrett, foreignpolicy.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 5-Sep] Coronavirus: Tests ‘could be picking up dead virus’<\/a> The main test used to diagnose coronavirus is so sensitive it could be picking up fragments of dead virus from old infections, scientists say.<\/em> [Rachel Schraer, bbc.co.uk]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 4-Sep] Coronavirus Vaccine Roundup, Early September<\/a> [Derek Lowe, blogs.sciencemag.org]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 2-Sep] Is a Bradykinin Storm Brewing in COVID-19?<\/a> Excess of the inflammatory molecule bradykinin may explain the fluid build-up in the lungs of patients with coronavirus infections. Clinical trials of inhibitors are putting this hypothesis to the test.<\/em> [Alakananda Dasgupta, the-scientist.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 1-Sep] How the Pandemic Defeated America<\/a> A virus has brought the world\u2019s most powerful country to its knees.<\/em> [Ed Yong, theatlantic.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 1-Sep] We Need to Talk About Ventilation<\/a> How is it that six months into a respiratory pandemic, we are still doing so little to mitigate airborne transmission?<\/em> [Zeynep Tufekci, theatlantic.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 26-Aug] Some people can get the pandemic virus twice, a study suggests.<\/a> That is no reason to panic<\/em> [Kai Kupferschmidt, sciencemag.org]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 22-Aug] The race to collect the pandemic\u2019s history\u2014as it unfolds<\/a> [added, 22-Aug] Untested COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, begins 40,000-person trial next week<\/a> Russia skipped trials to grant approval and claim breakthrough.<\/em> [Beth Mole, arstechnica.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 16-Aug] The new two-hour, supply chain robust saliva test<\/a> [Tyler Cowen, marginalrevolution.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 14-Aug] Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic \u2014 United States, June 24\u201330, 2020<\/a> [Mark \u00c9. Czeisler, et al. cdc.gov] tldr<\/a>*; “The percentage of respondents who reported having seriously considered suicide in the 30 days before completing the survey (10.7%) was significantly higher among respondents aged 18\u201324 years (25.5%), minority racial\/ethnic groups (Hispanic respondents [18.6%], non-Hispanic black [black] respondents [15.1%]), self-reported unpaid caregivers for adults\u00a7 (30.7%), and essential workers\u00b6 (21.7%).”<\/em> (*tldr; too long, didn’t read)<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 14-Aug] As Britain Climbs Out of an Economic Pit, Tough Questions Loom<\/a> The government\u2019s aid programs are winding down, and officials are so far resisting pressure to extend them. But what if the virus resurges?<\/em> [Mark Landler, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 13-Aug] These are the top coronavirus vaccines to watch<\/a> We are tracking 200 experimental vaccines..<\/em>.[washingtonpost.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 12-Aug] Life here in Britain is largely returning to normal, highlighting Trump\u2019s failures in America<\/a> [Brian Klaas, washingtonpost.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 8-Aug] Bill Gates on Covid-19<\/a> Gates on vaccines, Trump, and why social media is \u201ca poisoned chalice.\u201d<\/em> [Steven Levy, wired.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 3-Aug] Scared That Covid-19 Immunity Won\u2019t Last? Don\u2019t Be<\/a> Dropping antibody counts aren\u2019t a sign that our immune system is failing against the coronavirus, nor an omen that we can\u2019t develop a viable vaccine<\/em> [Akiko Iwasaki, Ruslan Medzhitov, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 3-Aug] \u2018A huge experiment\u2019<\/a>: How the world made so much progress on a Covid-19 vaccine so fast<\/em> [Andrew Joseph, statnews.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 1-Aug] We Thought It Was Just a Respiratory Virus<\/a> We were wrong.<\/em> [Ariel Bleicher, Katherine Conrad, ucsf.edu]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 26-Jul] Boris Johnson changes tone over handling of pandemic<\/a> [added, 26-Jul] How the U.S. Compares With the World\u2019s Worst Coronavirus Hot Spots<\/a> [Lauren Leatherby, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 18-Jul] Your Mask Cuts Own Risk by 65 Percent<\/a> [Rick Kushman, ucdavis.edu]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 18-Jul] How Dixie cups became the breakout startup of the 1918 pandemic<\/a> Dixie cups were like the Zoom of the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918, which helped the product become a household name.<\/em> [Kevin Leland, fastcompany.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 8-Jul] How speedy lockdowns save lives<\/a> Early stay-at-home orders contained covid-19 the best<\/em> [economist.com] (see also: Lockdowns flatten the \u201ceconomic curve,\u201d too<\/a> Cities that locked down faster in 1918 bounced back better.<\/em> [Cathleen O’Grady, arstechnica.com])<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 8-Jul] Steven Pinker on the Tribal Roots of Defying Social Distancing<\/a> [Robert Bazell, nautil.us]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 7-Jul] Women\u2019s Roller Derby Has a Plan for Covid, and It Kicks Ass<\/a> [added, 7-Jul] Do Americans Understand How Badly They\u2019re Doing?<\/a> In France, where I live, the virus is under control. I can hardly believe the news coming out of the United States.<\/em> [Thomas Williams, theatlantic.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 28-Jun] How the Virus Won<\/a> Invisible outbreaks sprang up everywhere. The United States ignored the warning signs.<\/em> [Derek Watkins, et al., nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 28-Jun] Behind The Curve<\/a> How the World Missed COVID-19’s Silent Spread<\/em> [Matt Apuzzo, et al., nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 25-Jun] The cost of keeping schools closed will be dreadful<\/a> Reversing lockdown is perilous, but we cannot sacrifice our children\u2019s education indefinitely<\/em> [Tim Harford, ft.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 23-Jun] Lessons on Coronavirus Testing From the Adult Film Industry<\/a> An industry that survived one health crisis could be a model for others looking to build confidence, experts say.<\/em> [Michele Hollow, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 23-Jun] The Dudes Who Won\u2019t Wear Masks<\/a> Face coverings are a powerful tool, but health authorities can\u2019t simply ignore the reasons some people refuse to use them.<\/em> [Julia Marcus, theatlantic.com, h\/t Christopher]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 20-Jun] In countries keeping the coronavirus at bay, experts watch U.S. case numbers with alarm<\/a> [Rick Noack, wapost.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 14-Jun] Can a Vaccine for Covid-19 Be Developed in Record Time?<\/a> A discussion moderated by Siddhartha Mukherjee.<\/em> [nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 13-Jun] The Looming Bank Collapse<\/a> The U.S. financial system could be on the cusp of calamity. This time, we might not be able to save it.<\/em> [Frank Partnoy, theatlantic.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 13-Jun] Tim Harford: can the pandemic help us fix our technology problem?<\/a> The history of innovation has plenty of lessons on how to fight the corona crisis and transform our future<\/em> [Tim Harford, ft.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 7-Jun] How Germany got coronavirus right<\/a> From extensive testing to early track and trace, Germany is a model for tackling the disease<\/em> [Guy Chazan, ft.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 7-Jun] Democracies contain epidemics most effectively<\/a> People living under freely elected governments have been more responsive to lockdown measures<\/em> [economist.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 6-Jun] The C.D.C. Waited ‘It’s Entire Existence for This Moment.’ What Went Wrong?<\/a> The technology was old, the data poor, the bureaucracy slow, the guidance confusing the administration not in agreement. The coronavirus shook the world’s premier health agency, creating a loss of confidence and hampering the U.S. response to the crisis.<\/em> [Eric Lipton, et al., nytimes.com] <\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 30-May] Coronavirus May Be a Blood Vessel Disease, Which Explains Everything<\/a> Many of the infection\u2019s bizarre symptoms have one thing in common<\/em> [Dana Smith, medium.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 26-May] Virus Crisis Exposes Cascading Weaknesses in U.S. Disaster Response<\/a> [Christopher Flavelle, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 23-May] Yet another novel I will no longer write<\/a> [Charlie Stross, antipope.org]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added 23-May] Carnegie Mellon Researchers: Half of Twitter Accounts Discussing COVID-19 Are Disinformation Bots<\/a> [John Gruber, daringfireball.net]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 22-May] \u2018How Could the CDC Make That Mistake?\u2019<\/a> The government\u2019s disease-fighting agency is conflating viral and antibody tests, compromising a few crucial metrics that governors depend on to reopen their economies. Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, and other states are doing the same.<\/em> [Alexis Madrigal, Robinson Meyer, theatlantic.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 22-May] Pepys and the plague<\/a> Samuel Pepys, a young civil servant living in London, recorded his daily life for almost ten years in the 1660s.<\/em> [Surya Bowyer, wellcomecollection.org, h\/t Dawnise]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 21-May] What to Expect When a Coronavirus Vaccine Finally Arrives<\/a> Sobering lessons from the history of the polio vaccine.<\/em> [Elena Conis, Michael McCoyd, Jessie Moravek, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 21-May] Chronicle of a Pandemic Foretold<\/a> Learning From the COVID-19 Failure\u2014Before the Next Outbreak Arrives<\/em> [Michael Osterholm, Mark Olshaker, foreignaffairs.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 18-May] Roadmap to Pandemic Resilience<\/a> Massive Scale Testing, Tracing, and Supported Isolation (TTSI) as the Path to Pandemic Resilience for a Free Society<\/em> [Danielle Allen et al., ethics.harvard.edu, PDF]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 18-May] Pandemic Resilience: Getting It Done<\/a> A Supplement to the Roadmap to Pandemic Resilience<\/em> [Danielle Allen et al., ethics.harvard.edu, PDF]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 18-May] We could stop the pandemic by July 4 if the government took these steps<\/a> A $74 billion investment in testing, tracing and isolation could rescue the economy \u2014 quickly<\/em> [Alex Tabarrok, Puja Ahluwalia Ohlhaver, washingtonpost.com] <\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 16-May] Amid the Coronavirus Crisis, a Regimen for Re\u00ebntry<\/a> Health-care workers have been on the job throughout the pandemic. What can they teach us about the safest way to lift a lockdown?<\/em> [Atul Gawande, newyorker.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 16-May] Inside Trump\u2019s coronavirus meltdown<\/a> What went wrong in the president\u2019s first real crisis \u2014 and what does it mean for the US?<\/em> [Edward Luce, ft.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 11-May] The Risks – Know Them – Avoid Them<\/a> [Erin Bromage, erinbromage.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 10-May] Why we fail to prepare for disasters<\/a> [Tim Hartford, timhartford.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 8-May] The Real Reason to Wear a Mask<\/a> Much of the confusion around masks stems from the conflation of two very different uses.<\/em> [Zeynep Tufekci, Jeremy Howard, Trisha Greenhalgh, atlantic.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 8-May] There Is Still No Plan<\/a> [David Wallace-Wells, nymag.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 3-May] How the Virus Got Out<\/a> [Wu, Cai, Watkins and Glanz, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 3-May] Coronavirus: How infection rates are changing across Europe and what it means for ending lockdown<\/a> Transmission rates for COVID-19 are down across the continent, but could rise again if governments end restrictions too quickly.<\/em> [Carmen Aguilar-Garcia, Alice Udale-Smith, sky.com, h\/t Christopher]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 1-May] Stocks Are Recovering While the Economy Collapses<\/a>. That Makes More Sense Than You’d Think.<\/em> [Zachary Karabell, time.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 1-May] How Long Will a Vaccine Really Take?<\/a> Here\u2019s how we might achieve the impossible.<\/em> [Stuart Thompson, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 29-Apr] Bill Gates\u2019s vision for life beyond the coronavirus<\/a> Bill Gates saw the coronavirus coming. Here\u2019s his plan to beat it<\/em> [Ezra Klein, vox.com, h\/t Christopher]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 28-Apr] In Race for a Coronavirus Vaccine, an Oxford Group Leaps Ahead<\/a> As scientists at the Jenner Institute prepare for mass clinical trials, new tests show their vaccine to be effective in monkeys.<\/em> [David Kirkpatrick, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 23-Apr] Without More Tests, America Can\u2019t Reopen<\/a> And to make matters worse, we\u2019re testing the wrong people.<\/em> [Ezekiel Emanuel, Paul Romer, theatlantic.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 23-Apr] We Are Living in a Failed State<\/a> The coronavirus didn\u2019t break America. It revealed what was already broken.<\/em> [George Packer, theatlantic.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 22-Apr] Coronavirus Infections May Not Be Uncommon, Tests Suggest<\/a> Two preliminary efforts to survey citizens for antibodies to the virus have produced controversial results.<\/em> [Gina Kolata, nytimes.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 21-Apr] J.D. Scholten on Coronavirus in Iowa<\/a> [Maciej Ceg\u0142owski, idlewords.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 18-Apr] Influential Covid-19 model uses flawed methods and shouldn\u2019t guide U.S. policies, critics say<\/a> A widely followed model for projecting Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. is producing results that have been bouncing up and down like an unpredictable fever<\/em> [Sharon Begley, statnews.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 18-Apr] When Will the Riots Begin?<\/a> (do yourself a favor, don’t read the comments<\/em>) [Alex Tabarrok, marginalrevolution.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 18-Apr] The Price of the Coronavirus Pandemic<\/a> When COVID-19 recedes, it will leave behind a severe economic crisis. But, as always, some people will profit.<\/em> [Nick Paumgarten, newyorker.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 18-Apr] The World Knows an Apocalyptic Pandemic Is Coming<\/a> But nobody is interested in doing anything about it.<\/em> [Laurie Garrett, 20-Sept-2019<\/strong>, foreignpolicy.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 18-Apr] A New Statistic Reveals Why America\u2019s COVID-19 Numbers Are Flat<\/a> Few figures tell you anything useful about how the coronavirus has spread through the U.S. Here\u2019s one that does.<\/em> [Meyer & Madrigal, theatlantic.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 18-Apr] How Trump Is Fueling a Corona Disaster<\/a> Are we witnessing the implosion of a superpower?<\/em> (caveat emptor<\/a>) [DER SPIEGEL Staff, spiegel.de]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 14-Apr] Contact Tracing in the Real World<\/a> contact tracing in the real world is not quite as many of the academic and industry proposals assume<\/em> [Ross Anderson, lightbluetouchpaper.org]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 12-Apr] I\u2019ve read the plans to reopen the economy. They\u2019re scary.<\/a> There is no plan to return to normal.<\/em> [Ezra Klein, vox.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [added, 12-Apr] Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing<\/a>
….scientists brawled over how the virus spreads…At the heart of the fight was a teensy error with huge consequences<\/em> [Megan Molteni, wired.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From protest signs to Purell, archivists try to preserve 2020 artifacts before they’re lost.<\/em> [Eve Sneider, wired.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
[Laura Kuenssberg, bbc.co.uk]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While baseball, basketball, and other sports struggle to adapt, an international team of skater-experts has figured out a safer way to play.<\/em> [Christie Aschwanden, wired.com]<\/p>\n\n\n\n