Dr. Strangelove

• Philip Oltermann, WHO opens pandemic intelligence hub to look out for future crises, The Guardian, September 1, 2021

A World Health Organization “pandemic intelligence hub” launched by the UN agency’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and Germany’s Angela Merkel in Berlin on Wednesday will try to help governments identify future pandemics at an earlier stage and improve monitoring of new variant strains of COVID-19. [Read more].

Muumuu

• Ian Sample, WHO monitoring new coronavirus variant named Mu, The Guardian, September 1, 2021

The Mu variant, also known as B.1.621, was added to the WHO’s watchlist on 30 August after it was detected in 39 countries and found to possess a cluster of mutations that may make it less susceptible to the immune protection many have acquired. [Read more].

Via Panisperna boys

• Julia Kollewe, As Delta spreads, Pfizer and Moderna get set for a booster shot to profits, The Guardian, August 1, 2021

Cartoon by Dane Niels Bo Bojesen — © Librexpression Centre–Giuseppe Di Vagno Foundation.

Yes, Edna, whilst the Titanic was sinking, only very few rich people succeeded at getting a seat on the lifeboats, but nonetheless the orchestra kept playing and their music gave Jack the inspiration and courage to be “He who saves a life saves the world entire”

• Swee Kheng Khor, Three Vaccine Assumptions for 2021, Project Syndicate, February 23, 2021

As COVID-19 vaccination programs scale up globally, they must be able to withstand reality. Policymakers need to incorporate three realistic assumptions into their immunization plans: delays are inevitable, inequality will increase, and vaccine procurement could be a proxy for geopolitics. [Read more].