| Biden's Covid-19 plan will define his presidency, UK hospitals are using blockchain in vaccine storage, and reopening schools has become a high-stakes experiment. Here's what you should know: Headlines Biden's Covid plan will define his presidency Dealing with Covid-19 is an all-encompassing task, and Biden's handling of the pandemic will define his time in office. The new president has said he will mandate mask-wearing wherever federal policy allows. He also aims to give 100 million vaccines in his first 100 days, expanding who's allowed to get vaccinated and mobilizing FEMA to build mass vaccination centers. Essentially, his administration will do what public health experts have been asking since last winter. UK hospitals use blockchain technology to monitor vaccine storage Two UK hospitals are using blockchain technology to monitor the temperature of refrigerators that are storing vaccines. Developed by UK firm Everyware and US organization Hedera Hashgraph, the technology keeps a digital record of the shots and, in theory, helps hospitals pick up on possible storage issues before administering them. This information is transmitted to Everyware's cloud platform, encrypted, and then passed to Hedera's blockchain network, where it can be verified against public data. Reopening schools during Covid-19 is the high-stakes experiment no one wanted When schools closed last spring and reopened in the fall, principals bore the brunt of figuring out how to protect students and staff. At one high-poverty elementary school in Florida, children who attended in-person did much better than those who didn't, and there wasn't a single known transmission on the premises. But that doesn't mean the measures that worked there will work everywhere else. Because there has been no national coordination or data compilation when it comes to school reopenings, there's still a lot we don't know about schools and Covid-19. Daily Distraction It's cold and we're still quarantining, which means there's no better time to pick up a book. Here are our favorite upcoming releases. Something to Read Plastic surgeon the Real Dr. 6ix has made a name for himself by showcasing his work on social media. But this has plunged him into ethically murky waters, forcing his patients to ask: When your doctor is an influencer, who owns your story? Sanity Check This pandemic continues to take a toll on everyone's mental health. We have a few suggestions for how to cope. One Question Could a lab leak have caused Covid-19? There are currently two major efforts underway to investigate the origins of this pandemic: one set up by the World Health Organization, and the other by The Lancet, a leading medical journal. These will take months or even years to complete and may never offer a decisive answer to the question of where Covid-19 came from. Several weeks ago, a long essay in New York Magazine suggested that the cause could have been a lab accident. While the piece has since been denounced, even its most ardent critics agree that we can't rule out the possibility that a lab leak was to blame. Here's the catch: Many of the people who are most qualified to answer this question are the same ones who could be blamed if the virus were ever traced back to a lab. What does this tell us? Investigations into the pandemic's origins need clear procedures to manage conflicts of interest. Covid-19 Care Package 📦 The Covid-19 virus can linger on objects for as little as a few hours or as long as a couple of days, depending on the surface. Here's a look at the research. 😷 If you're planning to go out in public anytime soon, you're going to need a mask. Here are the best ones you can buy, or how to make one at home. 🧼 It's not just your hands that need washing—your gadgets, clothes, and home need it too. Here's how to properly disinfect your stuff. 💻 Whether or not you're a work-from-home pro, here's how to stay productive without losing your mind. 😔 It's hard not to be anxious about a global pandemic, but here's how you can protect yourself and your family without spiraling and how to not hate the loved ones you're quarantined with. ✂️ It may still be a while before you can see your hairstylist, so here's how to cut your hair at home, plus other ways to keep yourself lookin' fresh. 🦠Read all of our coronavirus coverage here. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment