How do pandemics end? History suggests diseases fade but are almost never truly gone

Instead of looking forward, we should be consulting the past.

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When will the pandemic end? All these months in, with over 37 million COVID-19 cases and more than 1 million deaths globally, you may be wondering, with increasing exasperation, how long this will continue.

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Plant-grown vaccines: the next step in medicine?

Medicago is growing a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate in a relative of the tobacco plant right now.

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  • Canadian biotech company Medicago is growing a vaccine candidate in Nicotiana benthamiana.
  • An Australian relative to tobacco, plant-based vaccines could be cheaper and more reliable than current methods.
  • Medicago just completed phase 3 clinical trials of an influenza vaccine, which could be a game-changer for vaccine production.
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Millennials reconsidering finances and future under COVID-19

A new survey found that 27 percent of millennials are saving more money due to the pandemic, but most can't stay within their budgets.

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  • Millennials have been labeled the "unluckiest generation in U.S. history" after the one-two financial punch of the Great Recession and the pandemic shutdowns.
  • A recent survey found that about a third of millennials felt financially unprepared for the pandemic and have begun saving.
  • To achieve financial freedom, millennials will need to take control of their finances and reinterpret their relationship with the economy.
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    What does kindness look like? It wears a mask.

    Northwell Health CEO Michael Dowling has an important favor to ask of the American people.

    Sponsored by Northwell Health
    • Michael Dowling is president and CEO of Northwell Health, the largest health care system in New York state. In this PSA, speaking as someone whose company has seen more COVID-19 patients than any other in the country, Dowling implores Americans to wear masks—not only for their own health, but for the health of those around them.
    • The CDC reports that there have been close to 7.9 million cases of coronavirus reported in the United States since January. Around 216,000 people have died from the virus so far with hundreds more added to the tally every day. Several labs around the world are working on solutions, but there is currently no vaccine for COVID-19.
    • The most basic thing that everyone can do to help slow the spread is to practice social distancing, wash your hands, and to wear a mask. The CDC recommends that everyone ages two and up wear a mask that is two or more layers of material and that covers the nose, mouth, and chin. Gaiters and face shields have been shown to be less effective at blocking droplets. Homemade face coverings are acceptable, but wearers should make sure they are constructed out of the proper materials and that they are washed between uses. Wearing a mask is the most important thing you can do to save lives in your community.
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    One important benefit of quarantine: reduced noise

    Noise pollution is terrible for our health, yet we don't discuss it often enough.

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    Surprising Science
    • Excess noise leads to elevated fatigue, stress, blood pressure elevation, and negative attitudes.
    • Increased levels of noise have been shown to negatively impact our ability to learn.
    • A new study shows that noise levels have dropped significantly during quarantine.
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    How cybercrime has evolved since the pandemic hit

    Opportunistic agility is running rampant among hackers and scammers.

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    Technology & Innovation
    • McAfee's user base has been seeing an average of 375 new threats per minute during the pandemic.
    • Once everyone got situated in their home offices and their company's security teams started taking the appropriate measures, how did the attackers adjust?
    • Ransomware on cloud servers, hijack attempts on IoT gadgets and business email compromise (BEC) attacks increased in volume as well as sophistication over the course of Q3 2020.
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