+ how the US Postal Service serves small businesses US Edition - Today's top story: Approval of a coronavirus vaccine would be just the beginning â huge production challenges could cause long delays [View in browser](
US Edition | 25 August 2020
[The Conversation](
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
People are understandably looking forward to the day when a coronavirus vaccine is proven safe and effective. But the approval of a vaccine doesnât make us immune to SARS-CoV-2. For the U.S., an estimated 230 million doses need to be produced in a factory or lab. For the world, that number is 5.2 billion.
According to Bruce Y. Lee, a professor of Health Policy and Management who has worked in and studied the vaccine industry for decades, making this many doses [is not going to be easy](. He explains the many challenges to ramping up production in the U.S. and globally, not the least of which is the staggering scale and complexity of this endeavor â never before has humanity attempted to make so much of something so precisely and so quickly.
Also today:
- [How wildfires create their own weather systems](
- [What does the case of reinfected COVID-19 patient mean?](
- [Biloxi's story of rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina](
Daniel Merino
Junior Editor: Science, Health, Environment
Billions of people are going to need a coronavirus vaccine and that demand is going to be hard to meet. Francesco Carta fotografo/Moment via Getty Images
[Approval of a coronavirus vaccine would be just the beginning â huge production challenges could cause long delays](
Bruce Y. Lee, City University of New York
Once a coronavirus vaccine is approved, billions of doses need to be manufactured. Current vaccine production is nowhere near ready, for a variety of reasons, but planning now could help.
Science + Technology
-
[A man was reinfected with coronavirus after recovery â what does this mean for immunity?](
Megan Culler Freeman, University of Pittsburgh
Reports describe a Hong Kong man who was reinfected with the coronavirus after returning from Europe. Does that mean he wasn't immune after the first infection?
Health + Medicine
-
[Video: Current rates of vaccine hesitancy in the US could mean a long road to normalcy](
Matt Motta, Oklahoma State University
Current rates of vaccine hesitancy could jeopardize efforts to achieve herd immunity in the US, says Matt Motta, a political scientist who studies vaccine uptake and effective health communication.
-
[School nurses should be leading the COVID-19 response, but many schools donât have one](
Meg Sorg, Purdue University
School nurses were already overwhelmed, with hundreds of students and staff in their charge. Now, COVID-19 screenings and testing have become their priority.
-
[Reopening elementary schools carries less COVID-19 risk than high schools â but that doesnât guarantee safety](
Jennifer Head, University of California, Berkeley; Justin Remais, University of California, Berkeley
New research points to why reopening elementary schools is the safest bet and what else needs to happen for schools to have the best chance of staying open.
-
[While the US is reeling from COVID-19, the Trump administration is trying to take away health care](
Paul Shafer, Boston University; Nicole Huberfeld, Boston University
In the middle of the pandemic, the Trump administration is pursuing policy and a court ruling that would take away health care from millions. Two scholars explain the details.
Economy + Business
-
[Voters arenât the only ones who dread slow mail â struggling small businesses are also at risk from Postal Service delays](
Ednilson Bernardes, West Virginia University
The Postal Service plays a critical role in the supply chains of small businesses and in keeping rural America connected. There's no reason it can't continue to do so despite its financial woes.
-
[Constant dieters might be choosing the wrong way to lose weight](
Peggy Liu, University of Pittsburgh; Kelly L. Haws, Vanderbilt University
New research shows so-called 'restrained eaters' prefer larger portions of lighter foods.
Environment + Energy
-
[Western wildfires are spinning off tornadoes â hereâs how fires create their own freakish weather](
Charles Jones, University of California, Santa Barbara; Leila Carvalho, University of California, Santa Barbara
Persistent heat waves and dry lightning are part of the problem. For firefighters, the erratic behavior gets dangerous quickly.
-
[Biloxiâs 15-year recovery from Hurricane Katrina offers lessons for other coastal cities](
Jennifer Trivedi, University of Delaware
After the news media move on from a major disaster site, rebuilding continues for years.
From our international editions
-
[India is key for global access to a COVID-19 vaccine â hereâs why](
Rory Horner, University of Manchester
India could help overcome 'vaccine nationalism' because it is the major supplier of medicines to the global south.
-
[What archaeology tells us about the music and sounds made by Africaâs ancestors](
Joshua Kumbani, University of the Witwatersrand
There is not much information on artefacts used by Stone Age humans to make sound and music â but the first comprehensive survey is a good start.
-
[Heroes, or just doing our job? The impact of COVID-19 on registered nurses in a border city](
Jody Ralph, University of Windsor; Dana Ménard, University of Windsor; Kendall Soucie, University of Windsor; Laurie A. Freeman, University of Windsor
Nurses on both sides of the border report that they aren't getting the support they need to feel safe on the job and maintain their own health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Youâre receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](.
Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](.
89 South Street - Suite 202
Boston, MA 02111