Coronavirus Reading List
We know that many of you are looking for reliable, evidence-based information on the novel coronavirus pandemic. Team Moulton is here to help!
Below, you can find a curated set of links to better understand COVID-19. Our team continues to monitor the latest information about the pandemic. We use news articles like these to keep Congressman Moulton informed.
Check back for a regularly updated list of what we're reading:
The Harvard Business Review shares helpful tips for talking to employees about mental health as the pandemic takes a toll on all of us.
Understanding the Virus
The New Yorker dives into the latest research showing how the virus turns our immune system against our bodies.
Our understanding of COVID-19 has continued to evolve from our early assumptions about the airborne disease, including the emerging evidence that the virus attacks the circulatory system.
Work on the Front Line
The prestigious public health journal, JAMA, has new research into Home Care workers, an extremely vulnerable group of essential workers heavily relied upon in our healthcare system.
The work of contact tracers remains critical to identifying and halting clusters of new infections, but 41% of Americans are not very likely to talk to public health officials about the coronavirus according to a new study covered by Vox.
Analyzing the Data
NPR marks the latest grim milestone of the pandemic: 100,000 new cases a day.
The president’s hospitalization for COVID-19 has drawn considerable attention to the drugs used in his treatment. An opinion published in STAT News urges caution in off-label prescription of dexamethasone to allow for a balanced evaluation of the drug’s efficacy.
Public Health Strategies
Vox has four charts that demonstrate just how valuable mask mandates are as a public health tool to reign in this very contagious virus.
New England Journal of Medicine Editor-in-Chief Eric Rubin chats with colleagues about how the U.S. response to COVID-19 is progressing.
Months after cruise ships carrying early infections struggled to find open ports, new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlines the steps for cruise ships to set sail once again.
Vaccine Updates
A vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is grabbing headlines after reaching 90% efficacy in preliminary results part-way through the latest safety trial.
As phase 3 vaccine trials gather vital data on the effectiveness and safety of the remedies, STAT News publishes the case for greater transparency of the vaccine trials to restore public trust.
STAT News looks to the vaccine safety monitoring programs of the H1N1 outbreak for lessons we should learn to ensure public trust in rolling out a coronavirus vaccine.
NPR’s Goats and Soda series evaluates the global inequalities to come as limited supplies of early coronavirus vaccines are allocated to wealthy countries like ours.
The New England Journal of Medicine spotlights vaccine liability protection policies, which are a major factor in the complex calculus of our global vaccine race.
Vox delves into the emerging evidence of long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms in some, including one Beverly woman who has been battling the disease since mid-March.
Public Health Strategies
The Harvard Business Review publishes the argument that essential workers need better masks while vaccine development marches on.
Sun Sun Lim and Roland Bouffanais write in Scientific American that we need to develop data-driven alternatives to blank lockdowns for the sake of sustainability.
Nature evaluates the flawed logic of debunked ‘herd immunity’ strategies, in which rampant virus transmission is a counter-intuitive goal.
An early print of new research in Nature examines the dynamics of pool testing strategies at scale to identify and isolate coronavirus clusters.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance continues to evolve with the latest scientific findings, most recently updating the definition of ‘close contact’ to an infected person to 15 minutes in a single day rather than 15 minutes in a row.
Misinformation
An advisor on President Trump’s coronavirus task force is pushing baseless criticism of masks on social media. The New York Times chronicles Dr. Scott Atlas’ flirtation with misinformation and the significance of his anti-mask tweet.
Scientific American has a timely series on the range of misinformation bombarding Americans during the pandemic.
The costs of misinformation are laid bare in a Nature article on the widespread use of an unproven drug in Latin America that has hindered researchers’ ability to evaluate the drug’s efficacy.
STAT News and Scientific American take aim at a recent conspiracy that questions the more than 220,000 Americans who have lost their lives to the virus.
Vaccine Development
Nature’s second editorial Vaccine progress report brings together the latest science on COVID-19 vaccines and treatments in the works.
Camila Strassle et. al write in The New England Journal of Medicine about the ethical considerations of vaccine trials among incarcerated people, who are at risk of severe outbreaks.
In Nature, the genuine uncertainties involved in vaccine development are evaluated by a leading figure in international influenza research, Kanta Subbarao, Ph.D.
Latest on the Virus
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged research on the airborne spread of COVID-19 and reiterated the value of masks, hand washing, and cleaning.
The New York Times delves into early research into the lasting damage COVID-19 can cause in the body, including persistent “brain fog.”
An editorial in Nature urges researchers to listen to patients as we seek to understand the “long COVID” phenomenon.
The President’s Infection
President Trump is now counted as one of over 7.8 million Americans who have had COVID-19 in the United States. Peter Hotez writes in Scientific American that Trump’s illness reminds us that masks, contact tracing, and social distancing are badly needed.
STAT News explains why the testing-only strategy at the White House was bound to fail as a prevention measure.
The Atlantic’s Ed Yong examines the misleading notion that a patient’s strength can change the course of their infection. Instead, STAT News identifies the President’s privileged access to experimental treatment and world class care as determinants of his health.
COVID on Campus
NPR finds many colleges aren’t aggressively testing students to prevent outbreaks.
STAT News urges schools to learn from a 2016 mumps outbreak at area universities and the largely-successful public health measures that contained that virus.
Vaccines
One Boston-based recruiter for COVID-19 vaccine trials talks about the skepticism he has faced, including within his own family, in this STAT News feature.
Influenza vaccination this year is critical to preventing confusion between the two respiratory illnesses. You can find last year’s state-by-state flu vaccination rates online, courtesy of the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Mental Health
A few WIRED authors share their tips to avoiding burnout while they work from home.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. is rapidly heading towards 200,000 COVID-19 deaths, amid fears that the country is on the cusp of a new wave of infections.
Nature shares that COVID-19 vaccine access plans are taking shape, with advisory groups around the world prioritizing health care and frontline workers.
The Atlantic presents ways to prepare for and to survive the winter.
Show me the Science
Advances in ICU care are saving more patients with COVID-19, as reported by NPR.
WIRED writes that non-COVID-19 respiratory illnesses such as colds are on the upswing and could strain medical supplies around the world.
UNDARK makes sense of the existing science on breast milk and COVID-19.
NPR recounts the marked impact of COVID-19 on childhood vaccination rates.
COVID-19 and the Heart
The Atlantic writes on COVID-19’s impacts on the heart and how our understanding of the virus has changed since the onset of the pandemic earlier in the year.
WIRED advocates against exercising if you’ve just had COVID-19, given how the virus can adversely affect the heart.
Combating Misinformation
A group of Black physicians is creating an expert task force to independently vet regulatory decisions and government recommendations about COVID-19 drugs and vaccines, as reported by STAT News.
STAT News investigates how Pinterest overcame vaccine misinformation and how Facebook could potentially apply lessons learned.
National Geographic seeks to uncover why misinformation about COVID-19’s origins continues to go viral.
STAT News interviews health communications researcher and associate professor of history and public policy Heidi Tworek on what the U.S. and U.K. have done wrong and what other nations have done right with respect to communicating information about COVID-19 to the public.
Nature writes on COVID-19 long-haulers and the enduring effects of the virus.
Vaccine Update
The New England Journal of Medicine shares an audio interview on proposed guidelines for COVID-19 vaccine deployment.
STAT News assesses Operation Warp Speed, five months into the program’s mandate of accelerating the development, manufacturing, and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
The underdog COVID-19 vaccines that the world will rely upon if the frontrunners stumble are presented by Nature.
Show me the Science
STAT News reports that early data from a well-known genetic testing company show that there may be a link between blood type and COVID-19.
Science investigates why COVID-19 is more deadly in people with obesity, even if they are young.
WIRED asks how much crowds contribute to spreading COVID-19 and concludes that better data collection is needed.
The Atlantic writes that the U.S. is trapped in a pandemic spiral, making the same mistakes over and over again.
Dr. Anthony Fauci warns that Labor Day gatherings could lead to COVID-19 spikes, as reported by STAT News.
National Geographic presents how to safely visit the dentist during the COVID-19 pandemic.
WIRED explores why contact tracing apps have yet to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S.
Vaccine Update
Nature shares reactions to the news that a leading scientific COVID-19 vaccine trial has been put on hold due to safety concerns.
NPR writes on the safety pledge signed by nine drugmakers with the goal of ensuring the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
The New England Journal of Medicine answers common questions about a potential COVID-19 vaccine.
STAT News details how a complex COVID-19 vaccine supply chain is beginning to take shape.
Show me the Science
Nature presents three questions that scientists are asking with respect to COVID-19 reinfection.
Financial Times investigates what bats can teach humans about developing immunity to COVID-19.
The New England Journal of Medicine shares an audio interview on understanding COVID-19 antibody testing and its implications.
Science investigates whether you can catch COVID-19 from your neighbor’s toilet.
Combating Misinformation
STAT News shares how a Baltimore pastor is addressing COVID-19 vaccine skepticism with science and scripture.
Doctors and nurses are uploading videos to TikTok to tackle common COVID-19 misperceptions, as reported by WIRED.
Scientific American debunks nine COVID-19 myths that just won’t go away.
A panel of experts from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has put forth detailed recommendations for the prioritization and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, as reported by STAT News.
The challenges presented by the collision of flu season and COVID-19 are reported by WIRED.
Show me the Science
STAT News presents four possible scenarios for how humans might engage with the virus that causes COVID-19 and develop immunity over time.
The Atlantic writes that herd immunity is not an effective strategy for eradicating COVID-19.
Scientists are reporting several cases of COVID-19 reinfection but are being cautious before drawing any conclusions, as reported by STAT News.
Scientific American uncovers how COVID-19 can adversely affect the heart, even in asymptomatic individuals.
Testing Update
The Wall Street Journal answers questions on COVID-19 testing cost, accuracy, and turnaround time.
Science shares that new saliva-based tests for COVID-19 are replacing the dreaded nasal swab.
“Instant coffee” COVID-19 tests could play a key role in nudging the U.S. back to normalcy before a vaccine is available, as reported by Scientific American.
Ventilation and Air Flow
NPR details steps that business owners and facility managers can take to ensure that ventilation systems in their buildings are not spreading COVID-19.
National Geographic investigates the cleanliness of air onboard airplanes.
National Geographic shares how hurricane preparations are adapting in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
UNDARK investigates how firefighting crews in the west are battling wildfires amid COVID-19.
Spotlight on Superspreading
The Boston Globe details how the Biogen Conference in Boston’s Marriott Long Wharf hotel in February may have led to over 20,000 cases of COVID-19 in the region.
NPR investigates why COVID-19 is so “superspready” and why superspreading events happen.
The New York Times writes about how German scientists put on a concert as an experiment to track the risks of COVID-19 infection posed by large, indoor events.
Show me the Science
Evidence lags with respect to the effectiveness of blood plasma as a treatment for COVID-19, as reported by Nature.
National Geographic similarly concludes that the science around blood plasma as a COVID-19 breakthrough has yet to be settled.
Nature explores the human immune response to COVID-19 and what this says about the prospects for an effective vaccine.
COVID-19’s Impact on the Human Body
Scientists have found the first solid evidence that people can be reinfected with the virus that causes COVID-19, as reported by Science.
UNDARK asks why some individuals are asymptomatic and weather COVID-19 infection unscathed.
The Atlantic explores how COVID-19 long-haulers, or patients with lingering medical issues stemming from the virus, are redefining how we understand the pandemic.
STAT News asks whether a COVID-19 vaccine will be safe for pregnant women and children and finds that the data are lacking.
Contact Tracing
The New England Journal of Medicine shares an audio interview on the use of contact tracing to impede the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.
NPR details how to distinguish between a legitimate COVID-19 contact tracing call and a scammer.
Mental Health
If you or a loved one needs support, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is here for you at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).
The Washington Post Magazine presents ten self-care ideas to help you get through fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Boston Globe interviews submariners, a NASA psychologist, and crews serving in the South Pole for advice on staying mentally tough this winter.
STAT News explores what we know and what we don’t know about COVID-19, seven months since the discovery of the virus.
The New England Journal of Medicine shares an audio interview on developing a robust public health response to COVID-19.
Science asks what COVID-19 means for four-legged companions, namely cats and dogs.
Show Me the Data
New research, some of which is still under peer-review, shows encouraging signs of strong, lasting immunity to COVID-19, as reported by