Immunity to covid-19 might disappear in months

If the coronavirus is really airborne, we might be fighting it the wrong way  

Sponsored by Dell Technologies The Download Your daily dose of what’s up in emerging technology 07.13.20 Good morning! Today: immunity to covid-19 might be fleeting, and if coronavirus is really airborne, this is how we should fight it. Get your friends to sign up here to get The Download every day. Immunity to covid-19 could disappear in months, a new study suggests   The lowdown: Immunity to covid-19 may be short-lived, according to a new longitudinal study of people who have caught the disease and recovered. The study: Researchers at King’s College London repeatedly tested 96 patients and healthcare workers who had had covid-19 for antibodies between March and June. The researchers found that levels of virus-fighting antibodies peaked about three weeks after symptoms started, then rapidly fell away. Although 60% of participants produced a “potent” antibody response while they had covid-19, only 17% had the same level of potency at the end of the three-month testing period. Antibody levels were higher and longer-lasting in people who had had more severe cases of covid-19. For some milder cases, it was impossible to detect any antibodies at all at the end of the three months. The research is published in a pre-print paper in medRxiv, which means the findings have yet to be subject to peer review. What it means: The study raises the prospect that, like other coronaviruses, covid-19 could reinfect people repeatedly. If that’s the case, “herd immunity” may never arrive, either through a one-shot vaccine or through community spread of the virus, as any protective antibodies would wane with time. Read the full story. If the coronavirus is really airborne, we might be fighting it the wrong way  The background: Last week airborne transmission became a big deal in the public discussion about covid-19. Over 200 scientists from around the world cosigned a letter to the World Health Organization urging it to take seriously the growing evidence that the coronavirus can be transmitted through the air. WHO stopped short of redefining it as airborne but did acknowledge that more research is “urgently needed.” What does “airborne” really mean? It’s basically an issue of size. Typically it means SARS-CoV-2 can spread via inhalation over long distances, perhaps even through different rooms, of small particles known as aerosols. If it is airborne, it’s far from the only disease. Measles and tuberculosis can last in the air for hours, for example. Several big studies point to airborne transmission of the virus as a major route for the spread of covid-19. The implications: This suggests our current tactics won’t be enough. Strict mask mandates will become far more important, while sanitizing surfaces and hand-washing will become less so. Indoor spaces like bars, restaurants, offices, and churches, where you have lots of people coming and going, look even more dangerous. And ventilation would have to be a higher priority. Read the full story.  —Neel V. Patel We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction in these weird times. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.)   + Transport yourself to the courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston with this guided meditation.   + This solution to the “how to work outdoors while still being able to see your laptop screen” problem is potentially life-changing.    + A reader sent in these photos of her and her cat in matching coats and it is FABULOUS.   + Wild bison are coming back to the UK for the first time in 6,000 years.   + Beautiful drone photographs from Vermont.   + These are all cakes. Sponsor Message The possibilities of now Meat substitutes, digital recreation, automated rehabilitation are a few of the ways technology is changing how humans eat, play, and convalesce. Follow the hunt for a new, possibly better source of protein. Learn more here at the Content Hub by Dell Technologies. The top ten must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Florida has smashed the single-day record for new coronavirus cases It reported 15,229 confirmed cases yesterday, a new record for any state. (Axios)   + President Trump wore a face mask in public for the first time on Saturday. (AP)   + Bill Gates says we cannot rely on the market to combat covid-19. (Reuters)   + The US has a difficult summer ahead. (Axios) 2 Covid-19 symptoms often persist for months A small study in Italy found 90% of participants still had at least one symptom long after the virus had gone. (Ars Technica)   + Why are people staying ill for so long? (BBC) 3 A new way to train AI systems could keep them safer from hackers It could make “adversarial attacks” harder. (TR) 4 Why we can’t stop spreading misinformation It perfectly hijacks our brains and our biases. (OneZero)   + This is how easy it is for a fringe conspiracy theory to enter the mainstream of online news. (The Next Web) 5 Plasma shots could tide us over until a covid-19 vaccine So why aren’t pharma companies and the feds pushing the idea more? (LA Times)   + The race to find a covid-19 drug in the blood of survivors. (TR) 6 Facebook is reportedly considering banning political ads I’d recommend believing this when it actually happens. (Bloomberg $)   + Want to just remove them from your own feed in the meantime? Here’s how. (The Next Web)   + Why you shouldn’t pin too much hope on Facebook changing. (The Guardian) 7 The pandemic is a nightmare for nightclubs 🕺 It’s hard to think of a better venue to guarantee the spread of coronavirus. (Wired UK) 8 Amazon banned, then unbanned, TikTok from its employees’ phones This is clear as mud. (Recode)   + Apparently Wells Fargo HAS implemented this policy, though. (The Information) 9 This is what good Zoom etiquette looks like 💻 I have broken at least half of these rules, but… don’t be like me. (WSJ $) 10 How to plan a space mission Start with a LOT of crazy ideas, and then carefully whittle them down to the workable ones. (New Yorker $) Not an expert? Not a problem. Our team is full of those. Subscribe to MIT Technology Review today for an insightful look into technology for the future without getting bogged down by the jargon. Quote of the Day “Losing it would be like losing a little bit of me.” —Ashleigh Hunniford, 17, who has more than 400,000 followers on TikTok, tells the New York Times how she’d feel if the app was banned in the US. Top image credit: Unsplash Please send wild bison to hi@technologyreview.com. Follow me on Twitter at @charlottejee. Thanks for reading! —Charlotte Was this newsletter forwarded to you, and you'd like to see more? Sign up for free Leading with Innovation. Join us online, October 19-22. *View this in a browser You received this newsletter because you subscribed with your email address. *Edit email preferences   |   *Unsubscribe from all emails Follow us: MIT Technology Review One Main Street Cambridge, MA 02142

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