Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine needs to be stored at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit. A Swedish company is working on a powdered vaccine that wouldn’t need refrigeration at all.
Publishers: Fast Company
A 5-cent sensor may detect COVID-19 in 10 minutes at home
It’s still a way off, but a feasible, fast, at-home SARS-CoV-2 test is on the horizon. This new device being developed by Caltech will be able to detect coronavirus in ten minutes by analyzing a drop of your blood.
Mask wearing made COVID death rates 100 times lower than projected
“We looked at the data from 198 countries around the world, and we looked at mortality from coronavirus,” says lead author Christopher Leffler, a physician and professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. “What we found is that the countries that introduced masks quickly—that is, before the outbreak had much of a chance to spread within their country—had a much lower mortality.”
COVID-19 misinformation and the election are colliding
Since the coronavirus outbreak, all three networks have worked to promote appropriate sources of health information and pull down content that could harm users. However, they have traditionally shied from removing false information that is politically charged. As health misinformation becomes increasingly politicized, they may be forced to take a stance.
Hims and Vault Health have COVID-19 tests you can take at home
Telemedicine company Hims says it will start selling saliva tests for SARS-CoV-2 that you can take at home from RUCDR Infinite Biologics, an organization within the Rutgers University Genomics Laboratory. Patients must be exhibiting symptoms to qualify for a test.
Can air-conditioning help spread coronavirus?
As the weather heats up and the country opens up, scientists are trying to figure out how much effect air-conditioned air will have in spreading—or curtailing—the virus. There are multiple factors to consider, such as how AC could enable the circulation of viral particles in the air and increase the speed and distance they travel.