So What's the Deal With These New Covid Variants?

This article first appeared in our super dope WTF IS HAPPENING IN NYC newsletter that simplifies the news for New Yorkers. We cover the Coronavirus, local news, and all things New York City in one quick 5-minute email. Sign up here!

NEWS VARIANCE IN COVID-VARIANTS

As of last night, more than2.5 million New Yorkers have received a first vaccine dose—about 12.8 percent of the state’s population and 7% of New Yorkers are fully vaccinated.

With numbers going steadily down, and the weather starting to warm up, it feels like hope is on the horizon! While we’re excited, best believe we’ll still be double masking, social distancing, and microwaving our takeout.

BUT HOLY SH, WHAT ABOUT THESE NEW COVID VARIANTS?!!!!**

First off, daddy, chill.

The New York Timesreported on a new variant this week – B.1.256 that was unleashing a deadly grasp amongst New York City. The article alludes to new variants making up 25% of cases and cites two studies byCaltechand Columbia.

But…there was a very noticeable line that stood out in the article:

“Neither study has been vetted by peer review nor published in a scientific journal. But the consistent results suggest that the variant’s spread is real, experts said.” – NYT

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BRUH…WHAT?

How is one of the leading journalism sites sourcing an unproven, unvetted survey as a source? It’s the equivalent of your mom sharing those Facebook or WeChat articles about how aiming a hot blow dryer at your mouth will kill the CoronaVirus. Kind of. Ha.

The study is a preprint – which reports new medical research that hasn’t been approved or peer reviewed by the Scientific community or the health department yet. The scientific community has called it “pandemic porn” and fear-mongering.

“Why are academic groups forwarding “preprints” that are not posted directly to the media without the biomedical community having a chance to review? Isn’t a preprint enough? is this a new pre-pre-print trend? Concerning”

— Dr Eric Topol (renowned doctor and scientist)

The media as a whole has a responsibility to provide YOU with the most trusted resources – not force you to doom scroll for clicks. On average, we research over 30 different sources for each newsletter, so we’ll always do our best to double and triple check for ya. We try to be discerning about the news, not everything is real or fake, we just triple check as best we can.