Description

This episode of 16 Minutes on the news from a16z is all about the recent coronavirus outbreak -- or rather, a new type of coronavirus called 2019-nCoV for 2019 novel coronavirus. Since it's an ongoing and fast-developing news cycle, we take a quick snapshot for where we are, what we know, and what we don't know, and discuss the vantage point of where tech comes in. Topics covered include:

• definition of a virus, categories of coronaviruses
• origins and spread
• how this stacks up so far against SARS and MERS
• speed of sequencing, implications of genomic info
• speed of information sharing
• R0 ("r-naught"/"nought") and what it measures
• different ways to think about how bad a given epidemic is
• current moves and treatments

Our a16z guest is Judy Savitskaya on the bio team, in conversation with Sonal Chokshi.

Link sources or background readings for this episode:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) + types
• World Health Organization (in the United Nations) -- situation report #6, January 26

Other background readings / pieces mentioned in this episode: 

• "Scientists are moving at record speed to create new coronavirus vaccines--but they may come too late", Jon Cohen, Science (AAAS), January 27
• "Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China", The Lancet, January 24
• "Discovery of a novel coronavirus associated with the recent pneumonia outbreak in humans and its potential bat origin", bioRxiv, January 2 *note - preprint, NOT peer reviewed*
• "The deceptively simple number sparking coronavirus fears", Ed Yong, The Atlantic, January 28 *this appeared AFTER this episode was recorded, so sharing here as additional reading only*

image: CDC

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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