Curated COVID related articles for the week ending 9-18-2020

For the past several months, I've been preparing weekly emails for a Doctor I know who (especially at the beginning) has not had time to keep up with the news.

I thought this week I would share and see if anyone else finds it useful. Let me know what you think - should I share these every week?

Note this is NOT an attempt to do a recap of the week - it's a curated collection of articles I found interesting and useful. (Some of the links are behind paywalls.)

Some thoughts from researchers I trust: Pfizer plan has too many peaks at the data, they want to get to stop early (4 vs. 2 in Moderna and most research). These plans seem to indicate a verdict in December or maybe November, not October - contrary to what Trump AND PFIZER have said publicly. 

Moderna and Pfizer Reveal Secret Blueprints for Coronavirus Vaccine Trials

I genuinely don't understand why, in this day and age, companies think they can slip things through...  I guess enough people will buy the hype (note in addition to the small numbers in the study, the middle dose was "effective" while the higher dose was not, a result that is counterintuitive - it is possible, but need more convincing)

Analysts are quick to pan Eli Lilly's puzzling first cut of positive clinical data for its Covid-19 antibody

It will come as no surprise to see this headline:

Vaccine distribution isn't as easy as Trump wants people to think

Rule number 1 - you need data to address a problem. We don't have the data

Lack of Antigen Test Reporting Leaves Country' Blind to the Pandemic'

Winter is coming - and flu season. Chances are we will have problems (Slight chance that we won't, but that's based on activity in countries who have done a lot better job at controlling the virus to-date.)

Fears of a 'perfect storm' as flu season nears

Who would have thought Bill Gates would be a pivotal person to turn to during the crisis...

Bill Gates slams' shocking' U.S. response to Covid-19 pandemic