The Road goes ever on and on ... Day 491 (991)

Paxlovid is a product of Pfizer. The Moderna analog is Molnupiravir. At the time these were put forward for emergency use authorization, some experts expressed concern that Molnupiravia was highly mutagenic. I wanted to make sure that I was reading things correctly, so I looked up "mutagenic" on dictionary.com. "Capable of inducing mutation or increasing its rate." Experts were concerned about Molnupitavir's effects if given to pregnant women; would it contribute to mutations in the fetus? Now experts are pointing to a new variant with more mutations in two months--72--than its lineage had caused in three years. Might that large increase be due to Molnupiravir? Some experts are calling on the FDA to repeal the Emergency Use Authorization until such questions have been answered.

Possibly in an attempt to quell protests and possibly (probably?) in an attempt to sustain zero-COVID, China is setting vaccination goals. Vaccinations have never been mandatory in China, even among the elderly or the immunocompromised. The targets set under the new plan are for 90 percent of people over the age of 80 to have gotten at least one dose of vaccine by January and for 95 percent of people between the ages of 60 and 79 to have had at least two doses. The vaccines will likely be those made in China which are not as effective for as long as the mRNA ones offered here.

Finally, Pantone has named its Color of 2023. And the winner is 

not the red I see here, but something called Viva Magenta. It is described as "powerful and fearless, it is a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes optimism and joy. Powerful and empowering, it is an animated red  that encourages experimentation and self-expression without restraint; an electrifying, boundaryless shade ... audacious, witty and inclusive of all." All that said, it still looks like red to me.