Your weekly roundup of STAT's First Opinion

Expert opinion and perspective, curated by Patrick Skerrett ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

A sampling of this week's First Opinion essays: Clever coronaviruses and the future of Covid-19. Why this pandemic is not a marathon. "I trust my drug dealer more than I trust this vaccine." And many more. You can read them all here. Have an idea for First Opinion? Please send it to first.opinion@statnews.com. Coronaviruses are 'clever': Evolutionary scenarios for the future of SARS-CoV-2 By Donald S. Burke NIAID SARS-CoV-2 could become endemic. The known playbook of coronaviruses shows that its evolution could also send it in other directions. Read More Immunocompromised people need greater access to monoclonal antibodies By Luciana Borio and John P. Moore Ted S. Warren/AP The estimated 7 million Americans who are immunocompromised are especially vulnerable to Covid-19. Monoclonal antibodies may help them. Read More Covid-19 is not a marathon By Michael J. Joyner LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images As a 2:25 marathoner with a keen interest in the limits of human performance, I can say that Covid is not a marathon for health care workers. Read More 'I trust my drug dealer more than I trust this vaccine' By Nicholaus Christian Wilfredo Lee/AP A patient's drug dealer listens to her and treats her with respect. The health care system needs to do that for people who use drugs. Read More Pharma in 2022: Building trust and extending collaboration By Ramona Sequeira Frank Augstein/AP Listening more closely, working more collaboratively, and setting clear priorities are keys for continued success in the pharma industry. Read More To make public health officials more accountable, they should be elected, not appointed By Jay Varma Adobe Electing public health officials would make them accountable to the population they serve and independent of interference from other elected officials. Read More Controlled studies ease worries of widespread long Covid in kids By Shelli Farhadian and Shira Doron John Moore/Getty Images Early on, the potential for long Covid in kids loomed large. But the science on long Covid in kids tells a different story. Read More Nonprofit hospitals' community benefits should square with their tax exemptions. They often don't By Ge Bai and David A. Hyman David Goldman/AP To earn tax exemptions, community benefits provided by nonprofit hospitals should exceed those of for-profit hospitals. They often don't. Read More Three urgent priorities for the National Security Council to strengthen global health security and biodefense By Arush Lal Rebecca Conway/Getty Images The National Security Council's new senior director for global health security and biodefense can redefine how the U.S. addresses pandemics. Read More Welcome back to the FDA, Robert Califf. Let's get to work on your big idea By Elizabeth Baker and Eryn Slankster-Schmierer Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP An idea from Califf's earlier tenure he should pursue now: make data submitted to the FDA as part of drug development be publicly available. Read More Creating a digital Hippocratic oath for the 21st century By Ries Robinson and Aneesh Chopra Bebeto Matthews/AP The Hippocratic Oath hasn't been updated since 1964. We need a Digital Hippocratic Oath that covers modern health technology. Read More Creating a promising pathway for faster access to new drugs — and a Califf confirmation By Peter J. Pitts Eugene Hoshiko/AP The proposed Promising Pathways Act would require the FDA to create a priority program to provisionally approve new drugs. Read More Sunday, February 20, 2022       1 Exchange Pl, Suite 201, Boston, MA 02109 ©2022, All Rights Reserved. I no longer wish to receive STAT emails Update Email Preferences | Contact Us | View In Browser