Media Coverage

Chicago plays a key role in the nation’s supply chain, which is gearing up for the logistics challenge of a lifetime: mass distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine. Yet the complexity of the vaccine rollout and unique facilities requirements mean Chicago’s sprawling network of warehouses — which includes more than 11 million square feet of freezer and cooler space — may not play a major role. That’s because there’s a big difference between storing foods like hamburger patties, frozen peas and ice cream, and preserving a promising Pfizer vaccine that must stay below Arctic-winter temperatures.

If you believe the hype, a COVID-19 vaccine is just weeks away. Experts say widespread vaccination could help bring the deadly pandemic to its knees, so let's hope a safe, effective vaccine emerges from clinical trials. But don't count on getting your shots just yet.

The former Ebola czar who will be running President-elect Joe Biden’s White House has a knack for getting government agencies to cooperate while digging out from economic crises, colleagues said. Biden’s decision to tap Ron Klain, a Washington insider who led the nation’s Ebola response in 2014 and 2015, as his chief of staff will be critical as the administration likely will be responsible for rolling out a vaccine nationwide and could be dealing with more surges in Covid-19 cases.

National and state experts say it's very possible that Wisconsin will double its total number of COVID-19 deaths before the end of the year, based on predictive modeling. In a statewide address Tuesday night, Gov. Tony Evers cited an estimate from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington that Wisconsin could see 5,059 COVID-19 deaths by Jan. 1. As of Wednesday, the state had reported 2,457 deaths from COVID-19, an increase of 62 deaths from Tuesday.

With national COVID-19 case numbers at an all-time high, University administrators face a difficult task in bringing students to and from campus safely. At Yale, decisions relating to the coronavirus largely fall to University COVID-19 Coordinator Stephanie Spangler and University President Peter Salovey. To make decisions, Spangler consults the Public Health Committee, which is made up of Salovey’s Chief of Staff, the Director of Yale Health, multiple public health experts and the Deputy General Counsel.