Just last week, Pfizer and BioNTech revealed that their experimental Covid-19 vaccine, called BNT162b2, was at least 90 percent effective in an early analysis. On Wednesday, the pharmaceutical and biotech companies reported that their vaccine was even more effective after it cleared more clinical trial benchmarks for safety and efficacy. And on Friday, they said … Continue reading "Pfizer and BioNTech have applied for emergency approval for their Covid-19 vaccine"

More than 100 disasters — many of which were climate- and weather-related — have affected more than 50 million people around the world since March, when the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. And though the money needed to protect against these disasters in the countries at risk exists, it’s not getting … Continue reading "Natural disasters are increasing. The world’s poorest are left to fend for themselves."

When the Covid-19 pandemic forced much of the US to lock down in the spring of 2020, officials and experts worried the necessary social distancing measures would make another public health crisis — the opioid epidemic — worse. Addiction treatment is traditionally done in person, and restrictions on gatherings and closed businesses would make it … Continue reading "“The stakes are life and death”: Addiction treatment’s Covid-19 challenge"

With two Covid-19 vaccine candidates expected to be approved for the US market in the coming weeks, a group of experts met Tuesday to advise on which Americans should be immunized first. In a 13-1 vote, they put health care personnel and staff and residents of long-term care facilities at the front of the line. … Continue reading "Who will get the Covid-19 vaccine first? A CDC advisory panel just weighed in."

Joe Biden will become the US president during an extraordinary moment in history, one that could very well prove to be the calm before the storm, a brief prelude to dissolution and illiberalism. Trump’s bid to become a full-on authoritarian failed, but Democrats could easily lose the House in a 2022 backlash. Biden could face … Continue reading "Joe Biden should do everything at once"

THE GPA HAVE released a detailed statement this evening as the dispute with the GAA over player expenses continues. Written by Wexford hurler and GPA National Executive Committee Co-Chair Matthew O’Hanlon, the GPA chief insists it is false to suggest that the group would be happy to allow over training continue. The statement also questions … Continue reading "GPA chief insists ‘false’ to suggest they ‘would be happy to allow over training’"

The United Kingdom on Wednesday granted temporary authorization for emergency use of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech to adults age 16 and older, with the first 800,000 doses of the two-dose vaccine slated to be offered in the country next week. This makes the UK the first country to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech … Continue reading "The UK is the first country to grant emergency approval to Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine"

As if the Covid-19 pandemic wasn’t bad enough, America is also seeing a surge in homicides this year. A new report, by the Council on Criminal Justice, found homicides have increased sharply this year across 21 US cities with relevant data: “Homicide rates increased by 42% during the summer and 34% in the fall over … Continue reading "The rise in murders in the US, explained"

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested on Wednesday that some people who have been exposed to Covid-19 can quarantine for less than two weeks. The agency said a 14-day quarantine, in which people stay home and avoid interacting with others, is still the safest option if they come into close contact — within … Continue reading "Why the CDC changed its Covid-19 quarantine guidelines"

DeepMind, an AI research lab that was bought by Google and is now an independent part of Google’s parent company Alphabet, announced a major breakthrough this week that one evolutionary biologist called “a game changer.” “This will change medicine,” the biologist, Andrei Lupas, told Nature. “It will change research. It will change bioengineering. It will … Continue reading "AI has cracked a problem that stumped biologists for 50 years. It’s a huge deal."