In hearing from a well-placed UK physician colleague, what’s happening there is becoming a little more clear. A 🧵 1. Key point: Hospitalization data in the UK include ER visits WITHOUT admission. At present, there are major issues with accessing GP care there leading to increased ER visits for various medical reasons. This makes hospitalization rates appear higher.

With all the reports of people turning down Moderna for their 2nd shot, looks like it's time for a 🧵comparing the two mRNA vaccines: Moderna & Pfizer. Here's the composition of the two vaccines. Worth noting that they use the identical mRNA template for the spike protein with a modification of the uracil nucleoside residues that have been shown to increase the level of neutralizing antibodies elicited.

Lots of people are singing the Delta Blues these days. Let's discuss what we know about B.1.617.2 (Delta variant). Here's a 🧵 Here's a May summary of what we know courtesy of UK PH. Good certainty that it's more transmissible than original #SARSCoV2, and likely more than Alpha variant (B.1.1.7). However, uncertain about virulence (nastiness). Vaccine escape is conditional on one vs. two shots.