Apr 12, 2020
Are silent COVID-19 infections vastly more numerous than we thought? Bearded irises from my garden Today is Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020. Easter is a day of hope, so I am going to talk about a hopeful possibility. It’s only a possibility, not a fully fact-based...
Apr 10, 2020
Coronavirus testing 3: The rapid test ID NOW device, courtesy of Abbott press release Rapid, point-of-care coronavirus test using isothermal amplification In this final post on coronavirus testing, I’m going to geek out on the new coronavirus rapid test. This will be...
Apr 8, 2020
Coronavirus testing 2: Antibody tests for immunity Antibody structure. Source: Wikimedia Commons Coronavirus tests part 2: Serologic tests for antibodies As we grapple with the challenge of ending quarantines and resuming group interactions, a powerful tool will be...
Apr 6, 2020
Coronavirus testing: how it works, and its limitations Source: Wikimedia Commons Coronavirus tests (part 1): Detecting viral RNA Coronavirus testing has been top of the news for weeks. As more and faster “coronavirus tests” roll out across America, another type of...
Apr 2, 2020
There won’t be a cure: Why are viral infections so hard to treat? Why are viral infections so hard to treat? In today’s post I’d like to explain some of the basic biology of viruses. This will help you understand a future post about how this pandemic will end....
