? I heard cases were falling?
A: It’s a mixed bag—cases *have* fallen from their peak but have now plateaued at a high level. TL;DR: 
Cases remain stuck at a high level in the UK, despite high vaccination rates (higher than the US). This speaks to the transmissibility of Delta and means things could get worse in the US. Read more…
Q: What does this mean for future SARS-CoV-2 variants? A: After infection, the virus makes lots of copies of itself in the body which can lead to random changes (like typos) in the virus’ genetic code (mutations). While most mutations give no advantage to the virus, with enough chances for mutations, sometimes the virus hits Read more…
A: No. Vaccines REDUCE opportunities for viral replication needed for variants to emerge. TL;DR: The virus has more opportunity to replicate in unvaccinated populations, creating a FAR bigger risk for the development of SARS-CoV-2 mutations. Even so, the good news is that the emergence of variants that fully evade vaccine induced immunity is considered Read more…
A: Probably not. And when you count the reduction in getting infected in the first place, vaccinated people are much less likely to transmit the virus. 
TL;DR: Vaccinated people likely *can* transmit the virus, but this risk is NOT the same as the unvaccinated. Among growing concerns about Delta, recent news that vaccinated people Read more…
We are getting TONS of questions about weighing the risks of Delta and kids. We’ll continue to address specific topics, but wanted to share this thoughtful article on the topic that heavily features our own Nerdy Girl Dr. Lindsey Leininger. As she wisely states, “There are no easy answers, only tough trade-offs in so many Read more…
A: KEEP CALM AND VAX ON. Just when we thought our summer might be more relaxing than last year, SARS-CoV-2 is humbling us again. But despite the emotionally amped up headlines (which are, after all, designed to make you click), we’re here to reassure you that in countries with access to vaccinations, the trajectory is Read more…
A: Delta variant, waning immunity, imperfect measurement, or something else? There are a number of reasons why COVID-19 vaccine efficacy may differ across studies. These new reports are measuring the effectiveness of the vaccines in real world settings instead of in a clinical trial. Isolating individual variables in a real-world setting can be difficult. Instead, Read more…
A: Reply hazy, try again. 
While some scientists are sharing their own personal decision to boost their J&J vaccine with an mRNA second dose, the US vaccine regulators have not endorsed this strategy. This can put clinicians and pharmacists in a tough spot if a patient requests it. Meanwhile, many countries including Canada and Read more…
A: In the words of virologist Dr. Angela Rasmussen, “people infected with Delta are shedding a s**t-ton more virus than with earlier variants.” A newly released study has provided some clues to Delta’s transmissibility tricks by testing viral loads in quarantined close contacts of confirmed cases. Contacts were tested daily by PCR, and the course Read more…
POSTCARDS FROM ENGLAND : Euro Cup heartbreak, big crowds, and Delta still rising. The lads still did everyone proud, but the boisterous Euro Cup crowds may not have been the best news for COVID-19 cases over the past several weeks. Cases continue to rise in the UK, thanks to the more transmissible Delta variant Read more…
Update on the Delta variant in the UK, and what we can do about it. Read the full post here.
Cases continue to rise here in the UK, despite very high vaccination levels. The Delta variant now comprises over 90% of infections in the UK and is estimated to be 40-50% more transmissible than the previously dominant Alpha variant. The steep rise in cases despite high vaccination levels is a cautionary tale to the US Read more…
A: Luckily, no. Virus mutations still don’t defy the laws of physics. But we need to be more vigilant about existing precautions, including getting BOTH doses of your vaccination. TL;DR: The new variants are transmitted the same way as all the other variants of SARS-CoV-2, so you can reduce risk by using your #SMARTS: ↔️ Read more…
A: Cases are rising quickly, possibly due to the variant formerly known as B.1617.2 The Delta variant MAY be more transmissible and cause more severe infection, but the jury is still out. 
The steep rise in cases in the U.K. in December and January was fueled by what was then known as the Read more…
Let’s face it: B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 don’t easily roll off the tongue. While naming variants after the place they were first identified is common in virology, during the pandemic there has been concern about stigmatizing particular countries when using these names in public discussions. The WHO has adopted a new Greek alphabet naming system to Read more…
