Prognosis: Misconception

The U.S. is struggling to monitor Covid-19 variants, a key part of watching for the emergence of dangerous mutations that might spread quickly, evade vaccines or kill more infected people. The country ranks 32nd in the world for the number of tests it’s done to detect mutations per 1,000 Covid cases. Kristen V. Brown reports that other countries, like the U.K., have established robust, nationwide surveillance programs to identify new Covid genomes and track the spread of existing ones.

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President Joe Biden has vowed to reopen most U.S. schools in his first 100 days. But that could ignite clashes among teachers, their unions and parents over how to do that safely. Petitions and potential teacher strikes loom, even while parents watch children struggle online. Nic Querolo reports that the issue has been one of the toughest pandemic challenges for local policymakers.

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Vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and others will have the power to one day end the pandemic, or at least tame it—but only after 70 percent or more of the world’s population gets inoculated against Covid-19. So far, the rollout has been anything but smooth. Big drugstores say they’re ready to come to the rescue. Robert Langreth and Angelica Lavito describe the potentially massive vaccine infrastructure that the neighborhood pharmacy could provide.

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In a race to catch up with emerging coronavirus variants, wealthy countries are already benefiting from potent vaccines. While the U.S., Britain and European Union have given citizens about 24 million doses so far -- more than half of the shots administered globally -- vast numbers of countries have yet to begin their campaigns. James Paton reports that these disparities pose a threat to both have and have-not states.

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Everyone is fighting the same coronavirus, but nearly a year into the pandemic, quality of life and control of the pathogen’s spread look vastly different across the world. Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking scores the largest 53 economies on their success at containing the virus with the least amount of social and economic disruption. Rachel Chang discusses the data and the analysis that went into determining the best places for weathering the pandemic.

This episode was originally released on November 27, 2020.

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An accelerating rush to give coronavirus vaccines to Americans has caused confusion over who can get a shot when. And the difficulty getting shots -- or even information about the vaccine -- is complicating the push toward widespread immunity. Michelle Fay Cortez reports on what’s gone wrong with the vaccine rollout so far, and whether the upcoming Biden administration’s plans will improve it.

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Most states have prioritized health-care workers in their vaccination programs. But across the country, vaccine providers are finding that some of those workers don’t want the shot. Nurses and firefighters are among those questioning its safety after approval in record time. Elise Young reports that reluctance to get the shot that could end the pandemic goes well beyond anti-vax activists who spout unproven theories on social media.

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As vaccinations roll out across the country, a few people have incurred serious allergic reactions. Though the rate is very low, it is still higher than that for the seasonal flu vaccine. Despite that, the CDC is sticking with its recommendation that most people should still get the shots. Emma Court explains why.

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The United Kingdom’s national health system is in danger of breaking under the weight of its raging Coronavirus outbreak, and the next few weeks will be its biggest challenge yet. The death toll is the highest in Europe and daily infections are at a record. Medical staff say they may be forced to turn people away from hospitals if the latest lockdown fails to stop the spread quickly enough. James Paton reports from London on the fast-spreading new virus strain and the next crucial weeks for the country’s health system.

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As states struggle to piece together vaccine strategies without a coordinated national plan, some have resorted to web-based technology for logistical support. The result: they’re lining up appointments using software that’s better suited for arranging volleyball meetups than a historic public health campaign. 

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