The Daily 'Rona: Recent Episodes
Frank Musella
As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept across America, the Land of Liberty has become the Land of Confusion. While some sources of information can be complex and contradictory, others are misleading or outright dangerous. The whole situation is enough to make anyone throw their hands up in despair.
Enter Frank Musella and Brian Foster-Pegg, two MBA candidates at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. Armed with dry humor and way too much free time, Frank and BFP are here to help you cut the COVID confusion and pop the partisan bubbles. Each episode will shine a light on a single COVID-related topic, and conclude with recommendations of fun activities to get through the pandemic. In five minutes or less per day, we hope to give you and your loved ones the information you need to stay safe and stay sane.
Frank and BFP discuss the news of President Trump's battle with COVID-19, and take a closer look at its potential impacts on the coming election.
Sources and further reading:
Derek Lowe on Trump's treatments: https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2020/10/05/the-presidents-coronavirus-treatment
Dexamethasone side effects: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/dexamethasone-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20075207
FiveThirtyEight podcast on Trump's treatments: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-president-took-a-rare-combination-of-covid-19-drugs-will-it-help/
Frank and BFP discuss four of the leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates, including ones made by Oxford, CanSino, Moderna, and Pfizer.
Recommendation - Wall St. Journal student subscription: https://store.wsj.com/shop/us/us/wsjstudentbts21/
Sources and Further Reading:
New York Times Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html
Wall St. Journal on the four frontrunners: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-vaccine-front-runners-impress-investors-but-concerns-exist-11596533401
Bloomberg on Oxford/AstraZeneca's ChAdOx1: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-07-15/oxford-s-covid-19-vaccine-is-the-coronavirus-front-runner
ChAdOx1 Phase 1/2 results: https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2931604-4
ChAdOx1 monkey testing: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.13.093195v1.full.pdf
CanSino's Phase 2 results: https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2931605-6
Wall St. Journal on mRNA vaccines: https://www.wsj.com/articles/modernas-coronavirus-vaccine-begins-final-stage-testing-11595854440
Derek Lowe on Moderna's vaccine: https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2020/07/15/modernas-phase-i-data
Moderna Phase 1 results: https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa2022483?articleTools=true
Pfizer/BioNTech Phase 1/2 results: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.17.20140533v1
Wall St. Journal on vaccine pricing: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-vaccine-makers-signal-prices-11596648639
Frank and BFP are back on the air to discuss vaccine testing, Operation Warp Speed, and tell you when you can expect to receive a Coronavirus vaccine.
Sources and Further Reading:
Volunteer for COVID-19 vaccine testing: https://www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org/what-to-expect-volunteer/
FDA Approval Process: https://www.fda.gov/patients/drug-development-process/step-3-clinical-research
Operation Warp Speed fact sheet: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/08/07/fact-sheet-explaining-operation-warp-speed.html
Wall St. Journal on Russia's vaccine (paywall): https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-registers-worlds-first-covid-19-vaccine-11597141899
Frank interviews Yung In Chae, a writer based in Seoul, South Korea, on why South Korea's response to COVID-19 has been so effective.
Further reading: Yung In featured in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/whats-south-koreas-secret/611215/
Eidolon: https://eidolon.pub/
Goddess Power on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1646112938
Frank interviews Anshel Sag, a tech industry analyst who was hospitalized in March 2020 with COVID-19, about his 'Rona experiences.
Recommendations: Anshel's initial report on COVID-19 for Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/moorinsights/2020/04/07/how-technology-kept-me-sane-during-my-fight-with-covid-19/#284dad314366
Anshel on how the Oculus Quest helped him recover from COVID-19: https://www.forbes.com/sites/moorinsights/2020/06/26/how-the-oculus-quest-supernatural-vr-and-apple-watch-helped-me-recover-from-covid-19/
Anshel's podcast - The G2 on 5G: https://rss.com/podcasts/g2on5g/
Frank and BFP explore the scientific method and explain how scientists discover new drugs to treat ailments like COVID-19.
Recommendations: Plague Inc. Evolved: https://store.steampowered.com/app/246620/Plague_Inc_Evolved/
Pandemic 2: https://www.addictinggames.com/strategy/pandemic-2
Sources and further reading:
Scientific Method on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method
Primer on drug discovery: https://www.yourgenome.org/facts/how-are-drugs-designed-and-developed
Bayer on high throughput screening: https://pharma.bayer.com/high-throughput-screening
ACE2 receptor and angiotensin 2 explained: https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-ace2-receptor-how-is-it-connected-to-coronavirus-and-why-might-it-be-key-to-treating-covid-19-the-experts-explain-136928
ChemRxiv preprint on repurposing therapeutics for COVID-19: https://chemrxiv.org/articles/Repurposing_Therapeutics_for_the_Wuhan_Coronavirus_nCov-2019_Supercomputer-Based_Docking_to_the_Viral_S_Protein_and_Human_ACE2_Interface/11871402/4
In this episode, Frank and BFP discuss how contact tracing and smartphone apps have become some of the key tools used to fight COVID-19.
Sources and further reading:
CDC on case interviews: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/keyinfo.html
Brookings Institute on app adoption: https://www.brookings.edu/techstream/contact-tracing-apps-face-serious-adoption-obstacles/
MIT Technology Review on app effectiveness below 60% adoption: https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/06/05/1002775/covid-apps-effective-at-less-than-60-percent-download/
New York Times on European contact tracing apps: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/16/world/europe/contact-tracing-apps-europe-coronavirus.html
Forbes on SONAR-X contact tracing app: https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonchandler/2020/05/26/new-ultrasonic-contact-tracing-app-promises-better-accuracy-than-bluetooth-alternatives/
States adopting the Apple/Google API: https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/05/covid-19-exposure-notification-api-states/
In this episode, Frank and BFP discuss Hydroxychloroquine, a controversial anti-malarial drug used to treat some COVID-19 patients. Does it work? Tune in to find out!
Recommendation: www.electoral-vote.com
Sources and further reading:
Initial HCQ study from Marsaille, France: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7102549/
WSJ on the retracted Lancet HCQ study (paywall): https://www.wsj.com/articles/authors-retract-study-that-found-risks-of-using-antimalaria-drug-against-covid-19-11591299329
NEJM trial of HCQ as post-exposure prophylaxis: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2016638
London RECOVERY trial suspends HCQ studies: https://www.recoverytrial.net/news/statement-from-the-chief-investigators-of-the-randomised-evaluation-of-covid-19-therapy-recovery-trial-on-hydroxychloroquine-5-june-2020-no-clinical-benefit-from-use-of-hydroxychloroquine-in-hospitalised-patients-with-covid-19
Wikipedia overview of HCQ timeline in COVID-19 pandemic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroxychloroquine#COVID-19
In this episode, Frank and BFP discuss how herd immunity applies to COVID-19, and why it won't save us any time soon.
Recommended playlist - Kawehi Quarantine Sessions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JnVDiDMZa8&list=PL8xUlUocKvHS8DXQQRFPMOZ08jtwFFvPm
Sources and further reading:
Wikipedia on herd immunity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_immunity
New York Times editorial - What the Proponents of 'Natural' Herd Immunity Don't Say: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-herd-immunity.html
Journal of Infectious Diseases on Measles in the US: https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/189/Supplement_1/S17/821924
In this episode, Frank and BFP discuss the SIR model, which scientists use to forecast the spread of viruses, and how it relates to COVID-19.
In this episode, Frank and BFP discuss the economic consequences of COVID-19, and the difference between a V-shaped and U-shaped recovery.
Recommended game - Dominion: https://dominion.games/
Sources and further reading:
Wall Street Journal on recovery types: https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-the-economic-recovery-will-be-more-of-a-swoosh-than-v-shaped-11589203608
J.P. Morgan on recovery: https://www.jpmorgan.com/global/research/2020-covid19-recession-recovery
Fortune on unemployment claims: https://fortune.com/2020/05/28/us-unemployment-rate-numbers-claims-this-week-total-job-losses-may-28-2020-benefits-claims-job-losses/
Barron's on unemployment and continuing claims: https://www.barrons.com/articles/jobless-claims-data-are-ugly-but-there-is-good-news-too-51590674397
In this episode, Frank and BFP drop some knowledge on the different types of masks, why you should wear one, and when it's necessary.
Recommended app: Pokerrrr 2 (Android) (iOS)
Sources and Further Reading:
The Atlantic – The Real Reason to Wear a Mask: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/dont-wear-mask-yourself/610336/
Literature review on the efficacy of face masks against COVID-19: https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202004.0203/v1
NIH study on cloth masks (with cool lasers): https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2007800
Journal of Risk Analysis study on masks: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/risa.13181
IJCEM – Every 10-fold increase in viral load results in 26% more patient deaths: http://www.ijcem.com/files/ijcem0101396.pdf
Vox – Why 15 US states suddenly made masks mandatory: https://www.vox.com/2020/5/29/21273625/coronavirus-masks-required-virginia-china-hong-kong
Science Magazine on droplet sizing and transmission dynamics: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/05/27/science.abc6197
The Lancet study on viral load in severe COVID-19 cases: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30232-2/fulltext
Air conditioning causing an outbreak in Guangzhou: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/7/20-0764_article
In this episode, Frank and BFP discuss the concepts of R0 and Rt, which determine how quickly COVID-19 spreads. Bad pirate jokes ensue.
Recommended video - Post Malone Nirvana Tribute Concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7eaGcIyhPU
Sources and further reading:
Real-time estimates of Rt: https://rt.live/
BBC explains R: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52473523
Wikipedia on R: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_reproduction_number
Early estimates of R0 and case fatality rate for COVID-19: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7121484/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7001239/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7094929/
In this episode, Frank and BFP discuss why COVID-19 is different from past diseases, and why the world didn't shut down for SARS, Swine Flu, and Ebola.
Recommended video - Coronaviscerated by Vermicide Violence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3NnLQv4CZk
Sources and further reading:
FiveThirtyEight on why other diseases didn't cause a shutdown: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-did-the-world-shut-down-for-covid-19-but-not-ebola-sars-or-swine-flu/
Nature Medicine on asymptomatic transmission: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0869-5
U of M Health on PMIS: https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/rounds/rare-covid-related-inflammatory-disease-affecting-children
The Risks - Know Them - Avoid Them: https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them
The Lancet - Estimate of Infection Fatality Rate: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30243-7/fulltext
Meet Frank Musella and Brian Foster-Pegg, a pair of UVA Darden MBA candidates here to help you navigate the confusion around COVID-19. In this introductory episode, Frank and BFP explain what the Daily 'Rona is and why you should listen.