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PRIVACY NOTICE Last updated October 08, 2020 Thank you for choosing to be part of our community at Dear Pandemic (“Company“, “we“, “us“, “our“). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy notice, or our practices with regards to your Read more…
A: Any multi-layered cloth mask (at least 2 layers is recommended and 3 is even better) made of a tightly woven fabric is a good option. If you do use a two-layer mask with a built-in pocket for a filter as a third layer, here are some things to keep in mind. The type of Read more…
A: Yes! To help, we have two excellent posts written by our colleague, Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE). Post 1: PCR vs. Rapid antigen test: PCR (rapid or not) outperforms the antigen test. Still, there is promise in the new tests being developed and YLE goes through the numbers here. Post 2: The CDC’s new testing Read more…
A. In earlier posts, we discussed a testing strategy called group testing. The primary benefit of group testing is that it requires fewer testing resources (currently, the US is conducting upwards of 600,000 tests per day, often with lags in results, delaying timely responses to a positive test). An alternative group testing approach involves analyzing Read more…
A: Thank you for this GREAT question from an awesome 6-year old follower. A vaccine takes a dead or very weak virus and introduces it to the body to trick your immune system into building an immune response that protects you. Viruses have antigens that work sort of like a name tag. When your body Read more…
We want to visit with a few friends that are outside our bubble and are trying to #StaySMART by socializing outdoors in our yard, while social distancing and wearing masks…but what if someone needs to use my bathroom, is it okay to let them? A: Yes, you can let someone from outside your household use Read more…
A: While we can’t predict the future… it would take a scientific miracle for everything to be hunky-dory by Thanksgiving here in the States & make “Thanksgiving as usual” a reality. You might as well plan on a pandemic Thanksgiving now–because it will take some planning to safely get together with members of your family Read more…
Friendly Pop Quiz! Which of these two statements sounds more impressive? (1) “Terrific Treatment reduced COVID mortality risk 50%!” (2) “Terrific Treatment reduced COVID mortality risk from 2 per 100 to 1 per 100!” The first of these two equivalent statements is, of course, the “right” answer. Which is why we scientists – in the Read more…
A: You sure can! In the United States, the COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN) Volunteer Screening Registry is open and accepting volunteers for Phase 3 clinical trials (link below). You’ll answer about 25 questions (it took this Nerdy Girl fewer than 10 minutes to complete the screening survey) and then your information will be available to Read more…
A: Not very. In the words of immunologist Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, “This is no cause for alarm – this is a textbook example of how immunity should work.” What do we know? In a press release yesterday, researchers described the first confirmed case of re-infection in a 33-year old Hong Kong man returning from Spain. Read more…
A: We recommend checking this awesome data exploration tool from Harvard University’s Global Health Institute. We’ve talked a lot here at Dear Pandemic about how important community spread of COVID is, and how it’s necessary for anything like safe reopening in any setting–from first grades to zoos. The map at the top of the Path Read more…
Time for a little Sunday support with nerdy guest expert Dr. Caroline Connolly…. A: Yes! Here are three simple strategies that we can offer from positive psychology. Positive psychology can help us amplify the positive. It can help us build upon the best in ourselves, and from our lives. We can do this by engaging Read more…
A: In short, yes. At this point, it’s all community transmission—except in rare cases when contact tracers can pinpoint one specific point of exposure and identify the exact chain of transmission from person-to-person. Community transmission is a technical epidemiology term that means new cases can’t be linked back to a particular point of origin through Read more…
A: Possibly. There is no specific evidence for COVID-19 yet, but use of a neti pot *may* provide a benefit with limited risks. But don’t use it as a replacement for any other preventive measures. Neti pots are a type of “nasal irrigation” that are used to help clear sinuses and treat symptoms of allergies, Read more…
A: Probably not. If you like neck gaiters, breathe easy 🙂. Fabric (tighter weave) and fit are the more important variables, and wearing a face covering is almost certainly better than nothing at all. Double-up the layering to be safe. “Gaiter-gate” as it’s been lovingly dubbed, emerged last week from coverage of a small study Read more…
Travel and Leisure magazine to the rescue — w/a great set of tips from infectious disease experts! TL;DR: (1) Pay close attention to regional transmission rates (2) Do your research on the hotel’s safety protocols (3) Avoid shared facilities and high-touch surfaces For ALL the scoop on hotel and and AirBnB stays, we also recommend Read more…
Andrew Joseph, Helen Branswell, and Elizabeth Conney of StatNews have pulled together a tour-de-force synthesis of what science does – and does not – yet know about SARS-CoV-2 and its companion disease, COVID-19. A truly terrific read Some highlights: SPACE AND PLACE MATTER. A LOT. Transmission risk is greatly elevated in crowded indoor spaces with Read more…
A: It’s called SalivaDirect, and it was developed by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health with funding from the NBA. And it’s good news! On Saturday, the FDA granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the new test, which has some distinct advantages over the more common PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests currently Read more…
A: We are likely UNDER counting official deaths due to COVID-19. How do we know? While we are not necessarily good at attributing deaths accurately to specific causes, developed countries are good at counting ALL deaths. While some deaths attributed to COVID-19 would have occurred during this period anyway, we can calculate “EXCESS MORTALITY” – Read more…
