The coronavirus crisis is unique. Addressing it will require new ideas, new perspectives, and new voices. That’s our mission at Freethink.
In our daily “Coronavirus News Roundup,” we’re highlighting the most important stories from the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19. Stories that inform, challenge, and inspire.
Here are our must reads for today, March 25, 2020.
1. Blood Banks to Test COVID-19 Herd Immunity in Netherlands: Report
Researchers in the Netherlands are using a new blood test to screen the population for the coronavirus, according to the NL Times. Their goal is to see how close the nation is to herd immunity — a situation in which enough people will be immune to the coronavirus that it runs out of people to infect.
2. In the Race to Develop a Coronavirus Treatment, Regeneron Thinks It Has the Inside Track
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is one of dozens of companies racing to develop an effective coronavirus treatment. This STAT article highlights why the biotech company’s researchers are hopeful their manufactured antibodies approach will prove a winner.
3. Italy Hopes It Has Turned a Corner After Death Toll Slows
At least 6,800 people have died from the coronavirus in Italy, more than twice as many as succumbed to it in China. After several harrowing weeks, the nation has now reported declining death counts two days in a row — leading officials to tell The Times they’re hopeful the worst is over.
4. People Are Now Stocking Little Free Libraries With Toilet Paper and Food for Neighbors in Need
Panic buying in response to the coronavirus outbreak has left some people without toilet paper and food. To address this issue, good samaritans across the U.S. have begun stocking their local Little Free Library book exchanges with the much-needed supplies, according to CNN.
5. New App Uses Location Data to Track the Coronavirus
Researchers from MIT and Harvard have built an app that alerts users if they’ve crossed paths with someone diagnosed with the coronavirus. It’s not the first app of its kind, but as this Freethink article explains, it could be the best at balancing user privacy and health officials’ need for data.
