Category: Epidemics

Taylor Swift Named Her New Song ‘Patient Zero.’ Where Does the Term Originate?

The New York Times – Music:
“Patient zero” has long been associated with virus outbreaks and fictional health investigations. It was coined in the 1980s, by accident.
Trump Officials May Undo Nursing Home Mandates for Reporting Covid

The New York Times – Business:
The agency led by Dr. Mehmet Oz is proposing an end to weekly tracking of respiratory infections at the facilities where thousands of elderly residents died in the pandemic.
Is A.I. Raising the Chances of Biological Warfare?

The New York Times – Business:
Current chatbots aren’t likely to help lone actors invent a deadly pathogen, experts say. But newer models, trained in biology, may need stronger safeguards.
The Next Terrorist Attack Is Predictable

The New York Times – On the Runway:
A.I.-driven cyber and biological attacks threaten not just American lives, but also the American government.
Promise of Victory Over H.I.V. Fades as U.S. Withdraws Support

A new drug that gives almost complete protection against the virus was to be administered across Africa this year. Now, much of the funding for that effort is gone.
Regulators Approve Lenacapavir for H.I.V. Prevention

The drug could change the course of the AIDS epidemic. But the Trump administration has gutted the programs that might have paid for it in low-income countries.
U.S. Cancels Contract With Moderna to Develop Bird Flu Vaccine

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly questioned the safety of mRNA technology, which is used in the company’s shot.
U.S. Cancels Contract With Moderna to Develop Bird Flu Vaccine

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly questioned the safety of mRNA technology, which is used in the company’s shot.
Bill Gates Explains His Plans to Close the Gates Foundation in 2045

In a wide-ranging interview, he explains his decision — amid the Trump administration’s assault on foreign aid — to accelerate the end of his giving.
Leaving the W.H.O. Could Hurt Americans on a Range of Health Matters

President Trump’s decision to pull out of the international health agency could deprive the United States of crucial scientific data and lessen the country’s influence in setting a global health agenda.
California Declares an Emergency Over Bird Flu

Officials have discovered the virus in 645 herds of dairy cattle, more than in any other state so far.
Gilead Agrees to Allow Generic Version of Groundbreaking H.I.V. Shot in Poor Countries

Many middle-income countries are left out of the deal, widening a gulf in access to critical medicines.