Happy Wednesday.
Before we get into our story, take a moment to appreciate the healthcare workers and scientists on the front lines of fighting this virus. We stand with you.

This Week.

1. What You Need To Know. Facts, not bias.
2. Narratives from the Left & Right. No more channel flipping or Twitter overload.
3. What Does It All Mean? The context you need.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Katherine Chuang

After months of lockdowns, a summer of unrest, and an especially exhausting election, it’s understandable that some are burnt out by 2020 and COVID-19 news. Still, COVID itself is not taking a break; 76% of US counties have experienced a peak in new cases this fall (Axios). 

While some say the spike is due to a significant increase in daily testing, this cannot alone account for the total record spike in positive tests (Johns Hopkins).

Fear not: 2020 may not be a wash just yet. In the last week, drug companies Pfizer and Moderna have both announced vaccines that are testing at an effectiveness of 90% and 94.5%, respectively. Trump is pointing to the success of “Operation Warp Speed” as the reason for the vaccine announcements. It provided federal funding and lessened regulatory barriers for the development of a successful vaccine (HHS). Pfizer didn’t receive any federal funding for development, while Moderna accepted over $995 million from Operation Warp Speed. Both have supply agreements with the U.S. government worth upwards of $1.5 billion each. (Bloomberg) 

Here’s what you need to know

Facts

• Where We’re At. Since January, 11.1 million Americans have been infected, and 246,000 have died. In the last week, over 1 million new cases have been reported (CDC). Without a vaccine, the University of Washington estimates another 100,000 American deaths by Inauguration day (Jan. 20). (BBC)

• Testing. Pfizer tested their vaccine on 43,538 people in six countries, while Moderna’s trial included over 30,000 people. We still don’t know how long the vaccines will protect individuals from COVID until they need to be reimmunized. (CNET)

• How Will They Work? Both Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines rely on the same process.  Like most vaccines, they stimulate the creation of antibodies, which protect the body when exposed to the Coronavirus (Bloomberg). 

• Storage Concerns. Pfizer’s vaccine poses a more significant distribution challenge because it has to be kept ultra cold until a few days before use. Moderna’s vaccine is stable at refrigerated temperatures for up to 30 days, and doesn’t need the special storage facilities that Pfizer’s vaccine does. (Bloomberg)

NARRATIVES

Katherine Chuang

Here are the narratives from both sides, along with supporting headlines and article snippets. These are not necessarily factual, but instead illustrate the news coverage that solidifies each narrative. The bias ratings refer to news outlets as a whole, not a specific article. Read more about them at the end of this email.

If you're reading on mobile, the Left's narrative will appear above the Right's. Next week, we'll switch it up.

Sometimes, the news gets it right. Here are two instances of biased outlets that reported with civility by conceding a point to the other side's narrative.

BOTTOM LINE

What Does It All Mean?

The announcements by Pfizer and Moderna deserve to be celebrated. They’re a big step in the fight against the virus that’s turned everyone’s life upside down. However, like most things this year, not everybody is on the same page.

• If your news outlets lean left, you’re irritated that President Trump is positioning himself as the savior of a mess he created in the first place. COVID wasn’t a convenient political reality in March, but now that he’s found a solution, Trump is more than happy to acknowledge the virus. You’re excited that the Biden administration is just months away from righting the ship and bringing competency back to the White House.
  

• If your news outlets lean right, you’re skeptical of how the ground-breaking announcement conveniently landed right after the election concluded officially closed. You’re probably upset with how the Left is dismissing Trump’s historic progress with Operation Warp Speed. First the Left criticized his response to the pandemic, and then when a solution emerged, they’ve been all too excited to forget about his role in the program that made it possible.

Based on current projections, Pfizer estimates it will be able to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses globally in 2020, and up to 1.3 billion in 2021. Moderna plans to ship 20 million doses in 2020 and up to 1 billion in 2021 (Cnet). While this is encouraging news for the general public, high-priority groups such as healthcare workers and the elderly will be the first to receive a vaccine. If the authorization process goes smoothly for both vaccines, roughly 20 million people could be vaccinated against the coronavirus in December. Around 25 to 30 million people could be vaccinated each month afterward, according to Moncef Slaoui, co-lead of Operation Warp Speed (Business Insider). That being said, apprehension still surrounds the vaccines: a Tuesday poll found that 42% of Americans would not want to get a vaccine when it is released (Gallup). Trust for vaccines may change as more information and data become available. 

Meanwhile, Congress is struggling to pass a second relief package with limited partisan communication; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Leader Mitch McConnell haven’t spoken since the election (AP). The Democrat's see rising cases as an indication that the next stimulus package should be significant, and have put forth a $2.2 trillion plan. The Republican’s plan is more conservative (see what we did there), and would cost around $500 billion (Cnet).

Before a vaccine can provide relief, state governments are moving to reimplement widespread lockdowns and increased restrictions, circa March of this year. Still, the news of promising vaccines is a breath of fresh air. Regardless of who you think deserves the credit, this is great news in the midst of a decidedly rough year.

Now that you understand more about the vaccine, you're ready to take the next step.

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Until next Wednesday, that's all from us. Thank you!