This article was published on December 22, 2020

Adios pandemic pals


Adios pandemic pals

Coronavirus in Context is a weekly newsletter where we bring you facts that matter about the COVID-19 pandemic and the technology trying to stop its spread. This is our final issue.

Hola pandemic pals,

The time has come for us to say goodbye. The curtain’s falling and the crowds are dispersing. But the fight isn’t over.

COVID-19 is just getting started. The pandemic is NOT “winding down,” “ending,” or “almost over.” Things are absolutely, definitely, NOT going “back to normal.”

The US will soon face its toughest challenge as a nation. Experts predict the winter will bring a surge in cases and, with them, deaths. Even with the miracle vaccines, the prognosis is dark for 2021. Most of us won’t get the vaccine next year and those that do can still spread the virus.

But it is time for us to move on. All of us.

We need to figure out what our new normal is. We need to feed our families, pay our bills, and learn to celebrate our lives in this dangerous paradigm without risking the lives of others.

We need to learn to care about our neighbors. And if our governments and churches won’t lead us to this truth, we have to find it on our own.

This is the final edition of the Coronavirus in Context newsletter. I want to thank each and every reader, guest writer, and editor who participated: this was your newsletter and I couldn’t be more proud of what we accomplished together.

By the numbers

Totals as of 12/15
Source: Worldometers
  • USA: Cases: 18,494,339 Deaths: 327,172
  • India: Cases: 10,097,540 Deaths: 146,438
  • Brazil: Cases:7,284,166 Deaths: 181,978

Tweet of the week

What to read

Vaccines arrive and a new strain of COVID-19 emerges, but the time has come to say goodbye…
? There’s a new COVID-19 strain. Here’s what you need to know. (Financial Times)
? Here’s a breakdown of when you can get the vaccine (CNN)
? This epidemiologist says we shouldn’t be scared of the new COVID-19 strains. (The Conversation)
? The vaccine is good, but if you get it you’ll still need to wear a mask to protect others. (The New York Times)

¯_(ツ)_/¯

In this little section, we usually discuss the tech that’s getting us through the pandemic.

But for our final edition, I’d like to take a moment to invite you to join us in 2021 for the launch of our new AI newsletter.

Aside from just being a big old science nerd, I’m also the editor of TNW’s artificial intelligence section “Neural.”

Each week I’ll break down the most interesting, impactful, and exciting stories in the world of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and quantum computing.

My focus, as always, is on the human-centric aspects of AI. So you can expect big-picture stories that discuss both the near-term and far-future impacts of today’s biggest breakthroughs.

I can’t way to see you there in 2021!

Well, bye

The pandemic isn’t over and we’re all in this together.

The good news is that doing your part is easy peasy lemon squeezy:

1. Wear a mask.
2. Stay 2-3 meters away from others in public spaces.
3. Support government officials who take the pandemic seriously. 

Adios,
Tristan

Get the TNW newsletter

Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.

Also tagged with


Published
Back to top