On ‘herd immunity,’ vaccines, and pandemic whiplash

In mid-March, as the British government dragged its feet on implementing strict coronavirus lockdown measures that it would soon impose anyway, Patrick Vallance, the country’s chief scientific adviser, gave a series of interviews and discussed a concept with which many people were not then familiar: “herd immunity,” or the threshold at which enough members of a given population are immune to an infectious disease that the disease’s spread is controlled. Vallance—and, later, other officials—seemed to suggest that the government’s goal was to allow the virus to circulate while shielding only the most vulnerable against it. As The Atlantic’s Ed Yong put it at the time, the message appeared to be: “Keep calm and carry on… and get COVID-19.” That notion met with a swift, fierce backlash, including among sections of the press—it was inhumane, critics charged, as well as being scientifically illiterate. Vallance and his colleagues quickly backtracked, insisting that letting the virus spread in the name of herd immunity wasn’t their plan, but merely a scientific concept; Matt Hancock, Britain’s health minister, insisted as much in an (initially paywalled) article for a right-wing newspaper. More charitable observers criticized the episode as merely a messaging disaster. (As one expert told Yong, “It’s been a case of how not to communicate during an outbreak.”) Others claimed that herd immunity actually was, at one point, Britain’s plan: In late March, the Sunday Times reported... Continue reading at 'Columbia Journalism Review'

[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-10-21 12:30:20 UTC ]
News tagged with: #al jazeera #dangerously close #anthology

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Yiyun Li on Starting a Virtual Book Club During the Pandemic

When I first meet a writer on the page, I pose a simple question: What don’t you ask permission for? In Yiyun Li’s case, the answer is her freedom. Individualism might seem inevitable for a woman who was born in China and whose early work responds to authoritarianism, but—reading Li—one senses... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2021-09-15 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Clubbing During A Pandemic: The Online/Offline Experience

A reader and book club host weighs in on the pros and cons of in-person vs virtual book club meetups in the time of COVID-19. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-09-15 10:34:00 UTC ]
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​SLA data demonstrates a mixed approach to school libraries through the pandemic

The School Library Association says many of its members were furloughed and some have been made redundant but librarians have been more essential than ever Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-03 09:36:20 UTC ]
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Children's Institute 9: Indie Bookselling in a Post-Pandemic World

Booksellers focused on the nuts-and-bolts of indie bookselling in a post-pandemic world, with Wednesday roundtables on gift bundles and boxes and hosting virtual events especially well attended by Ci9 booksellers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-09-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Essex indie bookshop doubles in size after 'thriving' in pandemic

An Essex-based indie bookshop is doubling in size after "thriving" during the pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-25 20:03:30 UTC ]
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Beijing International Book Fair: Pandemic Postponement

As the Chinese health authorities sort through recent outbreaks of the COVID-19 delta variant, Beijing's book fair is on hold. The post Beijing International Book Fair: Pandemic Postponement appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-08-25 12:36:37 UTC ]
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New Scottish library strategy aims to put them at heart of pandemic recovery

A new public library strategy for Scotland has been published, developed with the help of countries all over the world, including Denmark, Australia and the US, and seeking to make libraries key to helping people and their communities recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-24 05:25:24 UTC ]
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Pandemic Missed Connections: August 19, 2021

In this fifth and final installment of our series, we asked editors to tell us about a book of theirs, published during the pandemic, that they wish had gotten more love. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-08-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Doire Press lands two titles inspired by Covid-19 pandemic

Irish publisher Doire Press will publish two October titles inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic, with commissioning editor John Walsh acquiring world English language rights directly from authors Madeleine D’Arcy and William Wall. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-17 23:27:41 UTC ]
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‘No one even notices a banner ad anymore’: Marketers see post-pandemic value in out-of-home advertising

As digital media becomes saturated with too many players and ad spend diversification remains top of mind, marketers look to out-of-home as an alternative. The post ‘No one even notices a banner ad anymore’: Marketers see post-pandemic value in out-of-home advertising appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2021-08-12 04:01:00 UTC ]
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Pandemic Missed Connections: August 12, 2021

In this fourth installment of our series, we asked editors to tell us about a book of theirs, published during the pandemic, that they wish had gotten more love. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-08-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Why barbershops are at the forefront of the effort to vaccinate Black Americans

From COVID-19 vaccines to mental health, officials see barbers as playing an important role in advancing public health. In a barbershop in North St. Louis County, owner Randy Barnes listens as one of his barbers tells him that COVID-19 vaccines cause women to become infertile. That barber had... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2021-08-11 07:00:54 UTC ]
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Physical books are alive with memories. Has the pandemic pushed them into the ether for good?

Zoom book clubs and e-books are no match for physical books and the experience of sharing them with friends in person. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-08-10 15:56:12 UTC ]
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How L.A.'s most innovative pop-up bookstore (barely) survived the pandemic

Before Covid, A Good Used Book was a pop-up bookshop thriving across L.A. It's back to physical business this month — at the end of a long, hard road. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-08-05 13:00:28 UTC ]
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Pandemic Missed Connections

In our ongoing series, we asked editors to tell us about a book of theirs, published during the pandemic, that they wish had gotten more love. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-08-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Pandemic Missed Connections: August 5, 2021

In this third installment of our series, we asked editors to tell us about a book of theirs, published during the pandemic, that they wish had gotten more love. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-08-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Novelry reveals expansion plans after 'massive growth' in pandemic

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[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-04 17:20:52 UTC ]
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Getting the ‘vaccine mandates’ story right

On Tuesday, Fred Ryan, the publisher of the Washington Post, laid down the law: staffers will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by mid-September, when the paper plans to reopen its offices. If employees don’t comply, they risk losing their jobs. Contractors and guests will also have... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review

[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2021-07-30 12:29:24 UTC ]
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Pandemic Missed Connections: July 29, 2021

In this second installment of our new series, we asked editors to tell us about a book of theirs, published during the pandemic, that they wish had gotten more love. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-07-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Print Manufacturers in Hong Kong and China Face Pandemic Chaos Head-On

Pragmatic optimism, continuous business process re-engineering, and a steadfast innovative spirit are steering Hong Kong and China print players through chaotic pandemic-induced challenges Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-07-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
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