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Nsikan Akpan, PhD Profile picture
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29 Jan, 5 tweets, 3 min read
A short reader on what the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine findings tell us about the variants.

Spoiler: We need to roll out as much of authorized vaccines as possible, as fast as we can.
The basic takeaway via @nataliexdean
If you want to dive deep, peep this thread from @kakape
...and listen to the Novavax vaccine presentation he mentioned. ir.novavax.com/events/event-d…
Or read this summary from @katie_thomas, @carlzimmer, and @sharonlny.

The most dazzling detail, imho, involves Johnson & Johnson's vaccine candidate: nytimes.com/2021/01/28/hea…

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Nsikan Akpan, PhD Profile picture
29 Jan
Saying the quiet part out loud:

While the J&J and Novavax vaccine trials show solid protection against the original strain, both struggled to contain the SA variant, suggesting the clock is ticking on their usefulness.

✍️: Me via @WNYC / @Gothamist
gothamist.com/news/johnson-j…
Early estimates suggested COVID vaccines need to be about 75% effective against infection to establish herd immunity, but Dr. Fauci recently said the mark could be closer to 90%.

If these two vaxs block viral spread at a similar rate as disease, then they may be too weak.
We've posed these questions to @JNJNews and @Novavax and are awaiting their responses.
Read 5 tweets
Nsikan Akpan, PhD Profile picture
9 Jan
Wednesday’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol demonstrates the consequences of letting misinformation and conspiracy theories go unchecked... Image
Despite this tragedy, the conspiracists behind @NYMag’s cover story on SARS-CoV-2’s origins kept pushing and propping up their misinformation all week—even while the nation was reeling on Wednesday. ImageImageImage
That’s because conspiracy theorists are relentless, but also because science media needs more accountability.

So, let’s dive deeper into why: Image
Read 43 tweets
Nsikan Akpan, PhD Profile picture
4 Jan
Hey, that's me!

I've been hired by New York Public Radio (@WNYC/@Gothamist) to edit/run its Health & Science desk.

I'm excited to join @audreyhasnews, @jenchung, and all my new colleagues on their mission to revolutionize local news and cover the Empire State.
For those unacquainted with my backstory, I spent more than a decade in NYS/NYC for undergrad and graduate school.

So, it pained me last year to watch from afar as COVID-19 ripped through New York... Image
...I feel honored for the opportunity to cover the region as it moves forward into 2021 and beyond.

Moreover, the tri-state area is ground zero for some of the best research in the country. I'm excited to uncover those science stories and share 'em with everyone.
Read 6 tweets
Nsikan Akpan, PhD Profile picture
4 Jan
.@nymag and @nicholsonbaker8: This article is filled with wild speculation about SARS-CoV-2's origins and signifies a lack of understanding around basic genetics and viral evolution. nymag.com/intelligencer/…
The story cherry-picks from research and statements prior to 2020 to make the same misconceived arguments about SARS-CoV-2 bioengineering that have been debunked repeatedly for nearly a year. nymag.com/intelligencer/…
Ex. The story pulls this quote from Feb 2020, saying a coronavirus is “unlikely to have four amino acids added all at once"

Just last month, we learned of two variants w/ 17 and 10 similar changes arising naturally in the UK and South Africa, respectively nymag.com/intelligencer/…
Read 39 tweets
Nsikan Akpan, PhD Profile picture
30 Dec 20
The UK authorized the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine. Monumental!

But the BIGGER news centers upon the UK's changes to vaccine schedules. They will now allow people to delay their 2nd doses for up to 12 weeks.

Here's why that might be a gamble...
gov.uk/government/new…
1. UK's announcement came with some new data about the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, which are summarized in this regulatory document:
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/upl…

Chief among them is that a single-dose showed 73% efficacy against COVID-19 after nearly a month...
...hence why the Joint Committee on Vaccination and
Immunisation says "the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine may be given between 4 to 12 weeks following the first dose."

That's fine and dandy. The weird part centers around the UK's decision with the Pfizer vaccine...
Read 8 tweets
Nsikan Akpan, PhD Profile picture
29 Dec 20
To my fellow journalists: If we can walk and chew gum, then we can write headlines without creating false dichotomies.

Even if touching a contaminated surface is a *less frequent* route of coronavirus spread, it *IS STILL* a route of coronavirus spread.
I fault the last 20+ years of intense political partisanship. It has bred a habit of boiling down everything into this versus that.

A citizen is either a liberal or a conservative. An attacker is either a lone wolf or a terrorist. Apple or PC. Team Jacob or Team Edward.
Science, especially health, operates with few true dichotomies. Coronavirus risk is relative, and good hygiene has been a pillar of public health since the bubonic plague.
Read 4 tweets

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