Virus Briefing: The end of vaccines at “warp speed”

Plus scientists aren't sure that the updated boosters will prevent another wave.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 18, 2022 Here's your update on the coronavirus pandemic and other virus news. TOP NEWS Jack Guez/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The End of Vaccines at 'Warp Speed' Financial and bureaucratic barriers in the United States mean that the next generation of Covid vaccines may well be designed here, but used elsewhere. By Benjamin Mueller Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times NEWS ANALYSIS Will Covid Boosters Prevent Another Wave? Scientists Aren't So Sure. The shots may help vulnerable Americans dodge serious illness or death. But some experts believe boosters must be improved and are calling for a new strategy. By Apoorva Mandavilli Desiree Rios/The New York Times Covid Almost Broke This Hospital. It Also Might Be What Saves It. For decades, smaller "safety net" hospitals like Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, in Brooklyn, have been losing money and are under pressure to close. But the pandemic has shown just how needed they are. By Joseph Goldstein and Desiree Rios Kholood Eid for The New York Times Last Call for the Monkeypox Vaccine Van As the monkeypox emergency subsides, the city has stopped placing vaccine vans outside nightclubs and sex parties. Vaccinations will still be available at sexual health clinics. By Sharon Otterman Kholood Eid for The New York Times NEW YORK TODAY Why It Was Easier to Curb Monkeypox Than Covid The city has pulled back its monkeypox vaccination vans as the number of cases dropped sharply. By James Barron Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times Why Office Buildings Are Still in Trouble Hybrid work, layoffs and higher interest rates are leaving lots of office space vacant and hurting the commercial real estate business. By Peter Eavis, Julie Creswell and Joe Rennison IFC Films 'Bad Axe' Review: A Pandemic Family Portrait The filmmaker David Siev chronicles his family's struggle to keep their Michigan restaurant afloat through the pandemic in this hermetic documentary. By Natalia Winkelman Jordan Macy for The New York Times Covid Tents Have Expanded Their Repertoire Many testing tents and vans are now checking for the flu and R.S.V., too. By Alyson Krueger What else we're following Coronavirus As cases rise in China, the city of Guangzhou is setting up makeshift hospitals and quarantine sites with nearly 250,000 beds, Reuters reports. The subvariants BQ.1.1 and BQ.1 now make up about 44 percent of cases in the U.S., more than BA.5, according to C.D.C. data. Los Angeles health officials are strongly recommending that people return to masking indoors and on public transit as cases rise, CBS News reports. Scientific American looked at who is dying from the virus now, and why. NPR reports that long Covid clinics are struggling with how to help their patients. The BBC has an update on what we know about long Covid. R.S.V. The Children's Hospital Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics asked the Biden administration to declare an emergency in response to the R.S.V. surge, CNBC reports. Other viruses The dengue virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes and can be fatal, was found in Arizona, Gizmodo reports. Cases of antibiotic-resistant pathogens known as "superbugs" more than doubled in health care facilities in Europe during the pandemic, Reuters reports. A new tick-born disease is killing cows in the U.S., the MIT Technology Review reports. Email your thoughts to virusbriefing@nytimes.com. Did a friend forward you the briefing? Sign up here. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Virus Briefing from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018