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several blue office chairs sit empty in a carpeted room, with a paper sign saying "Vaccination centre welcome" pasted on the white wall above.
Is a Winter COVID-19 Case Surge Coming?
Low booster rates and immune-evading SARS-CoV-2 variants could spell bad news, experts say. 
Is a Winter COVID-19 Case Surge Coming?
Is a Winter COVID-19 Case Surge Coming?

Low booster rates and immune-evading SARS-CoV-2 variants could spell bad news, experts say. 

Low booster rates and immune-evading SARS-CoV-2 variants could spell bad news, experts say. 

virus variant

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The Scientist Speaks - To Conserve and Protect: The Quest for Universal Vaccines
Niki Spahich, PhD | May 24, 2022 | 1 min read
Patrick Wilson discusses the challenges in designing universal vaccines and his work developing one for influenza.
Woman in face shield and blue gown taking cotton swab of patient's mouth while patient sits inside of car
What You Should Know About New Omicron Subvariants
Natalia Mesa, PhD | May 17, 2022 | 6 min read
The presence and spread of new, more-infectious and immune-evading variants show that the coronavirus is not done mutating.
Illustration of a targeted virus over a world map
The Hunt for a Pandemic’s Origins
Martha Nelson | Jan 4, 2022 | 10+ min read
Dozens of researchers, including myself, worked for years to uncover that swine flu had leapt to humans from a pig in Mexico in 2009. We learned a lot about influenza evolution, pig farming, and outbreak risk along the way.
Illustration of a world map showing a truck going from the US to Mexico, a plane going from Europe to Mexico, and a pig surrounded by various viruses in Mexico
Infographic: How H1N1 Came to Spark a Pandemic in 2009
Martha Nelson | Jan 4, 2022 | 2 min read
The pathogen known as swine flu evolved in pigs in Mexico following imports of the livestock from the US and Europe.
An illustration with a world map, pigs, and viruses
Timeline: Investigating the Origins of the 2009 Pandemic
Martha Nelson | Jan 4, 2022 | 3 min read
Seven years of surveillance and research revealed the complex history of the H1N1 virus that leapt from pigs to humans and sparked the global swine flu outbreak.
images related to COVID-19 pandemic, including sign reading "please keep your distance," illustration of the virus, various pills, vaccine syringes
What We Learned About COVID-19 in 2021
Shawna Williams | Dec 16, 2021 | 3 min read
As Omicron induces a sense of deja vu at the close of the year, we look back at a few key ways in which our understanding has moved forward.
Illustration of various colored viruses
Omicron Appears to Evade Vaccines Better Than Other Variants
Jef Akst | Dec 14, 2021 | 3 min read
Preliminary studies suggest that existing vaccines falter in preventing symptomatic infections caused by the new coronavirus variant, but protection against severe disease is still high.
Artist’s renderings of SARS-CoV-2 float in front of a map showing the origins of various variants of the virus.
Omicron Is WHO’s Fifth Variant of Concern, Experts Urge Patience
Dan Robitzski | Nov 30, 2021 | 4 min read
Preliminary data suggest that the newly dubbed Omicron variant may be more infectious than previous versions of the virus, but it will take time to obtain the reliable data needed to answer pressing questions about its biology.
tube of blood labeled positive for COVID-19 Mu variant
What We Know About Mu, the WHO’s Latest Variant of Interest
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Sep 7, 2021 | 2 min read
The SARS-CoV-2 variant was first detected in January, but its rising prevalence and potential resistance to vaccines has garnered it special attention from the World Health Organization.
Image of an abstract Earth view from space with fiber optic cables rising from major cities.
Delta Blues
Bob Grant | Sep 1, 2021 | 3 min read
Humanity was hoping to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic this year. But viruses have plenty of tools at their disposal, and we should plan for a long-term future in which SARS-CoV-2 is a persistent threat.
three children outside with winter gear wearing surgical masks
The Pandemic Crushed the Flu—What Happens When It Returns?
Diana Kwon | Jul 7, 2021 | 8 min read
Cases of influenza and other respiratory viruses sank dramatically during the pandemic, with potential implications for both people and pathogens.  
Black and white world map, with lines connecting red areas that indicate COVID-19 hotspots, along with overlaid drawings of SARS-CoV-2.
WHO Updates the Nomenclature of SARS-CoV-2 Variants
Lisa Winter | Jun 1, 2021 | 2 min read
Rather than being described by the location of where they emerged or an alphanumeric code, variants will be given a Greek letter.
Woman holding a CDC COVID-19 vaccination card with both hands.
COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Appear Effective Against Multiple Variants
Lisa Winter | May 6, 2021 | 2 min read
Data from three studies indicate that fully vaccinated patients are able to stave off severe disease from the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1 variants.
coronavirus particles in a variety of colors with a world map in background
What Scientists Know About the B.1.617 Coronavirus Variant
Shawna Williams | May 3, 2021 | 2 min read
While some experts speculate the variant could be partially responsible for India’s current surge in SARS-CoV-2 infections, information about the effects of its mutations is only beginning to emerge.
Q&A: Data Gaps Hinder Monitoring of SARS-COV-2 Variants
Jef Akst | Mar 24, 2021 | 6 min read
Martha Nelson of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases talks about the need to balance data sharing and patient privacy concerns when tracking the spread of variants.
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, pandemic, research, reverse genetics, toolkit, antibodies, RNA
Q&A: A Molecular Toolkit to Build SARS-CoV-2 Research Capacity
Asher Jones | Mar 3, 2021 | 6 min read
Sam Wilson discusses a user-friendly set of resources that he and his collaborators developed to aid labs pivoting to study COVID-19.
Variant Found in Brazil Could Evade Immunity from Past Infection
Lisa Winter | Mar 2, 2021 | 2 min read
The P.1 variant, which has also been detected in five US states, could be responsible for cases of reinfection, according to a preprint.
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