Coronavirus variants called 'escape mutants' threaten our progress in the pandemic

<bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>Hello all,</p><p>My name is Allison DeAngelis, a senior healthcare reporter covering biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and welcome to Insider Healthcare. Today in healthcare news:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-variants-called-escape-mutants-could-throw-us-back-into-lockdown-2021-5">Coronavirus variants called "escape mutants" threaten the progress we've made</a>;&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sanders-drug-companies-should-relinquish-ip-rights-to-covid-19-vaccines-2021-5">Sen. Bernie Sanders continues to call for drug companies to relinquish their rights to Covid products</a>;</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alife-health-raises-95-million-seed-round-innovate-ivf-treatments-2021-4">Alife Health wants to stop the huge bills that come with infertility treatments</a>.</li></ul><p>If you're new to this newsletter, <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/insider-healthcare">sign up here.</a> Comments, tips, fun facts' Email me atadeangelis@insider.com or tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/ADeAngelis_bio">@ADeAngelis_bio</a>. Now, let's dig into the latest in healthcare news...</p><hr><p>I don't know about you, but I'm itching to get out of my house. I'm tired of these walls (so much so that I'm considering repainting multiple roomssend your suggestions of a neutral paint color for an entryway/staircase). I find myself watching many travel YouTubers' videos from 2018 and 2019.</p><p>So, the idea that US travelers could be welcome abroad is really enticing. I'm not fully vaccinated yet, but I quickly clicked on my colleague Aria Bendix's piece detailing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-travel-us-to-europe-vaccine-2021-5">which countries are allowing US travelers and what kind of paperwork you'd need to have</a>.</p><p>Are you ready to travel outside of the US' Where would you go' Let me know.&nbsp;</p><hr><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-variants-called-escape-mutants-could-throw-us-back-into-lockdown-2021-5"><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/6090623ef22c6b00185db5db-2400/COVID-19 escape mutant strain evolution 4x3.png" border="0" alt="COVID 19 escape mutant strain evolution 4x3" data-mce-source="Samantha Lee/Insider" data-mce-caption="As COVID-19 continues to evolve into newer, &amp;quotfitter&amp;quot variants, it may outpace our ability to stop it with vaccines.">How coronavirus variants called 'escape mutants' threaten to undo all our progress</a></h3><ul><li>People are starting to feel hope that the pandemic has finally turned a corner.&nbsp;</li><li>But we're entering one of the most precarious moments in the pandemic as we race vaccines against variants.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-variants-called-escape-mutants-could-throw-us-back-into-lockdown-2021-5">The big question now is,&nbsp;have we seen the worst variations this virus has to offer'&nbsp;</a></li></ul><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-variants-called-escape-mutants-could-throw-us-back-into-lockdown-2021-5"><strong>Full story here &gt;&gt;</strong></a></p><hr><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sanders-drug-companies-should-relinquish-ip-rights-to-covid-19-vaccines-2021-5"><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/6090527834af8d001859aa0e-1445/Screen Shot 2021-05-02 at 10.51.44 AM.png" border="0" alt="Bernie Sanders" data-mce-source="Meet the Press/NBC" data-mce-caption="Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during an appearance on NBC News' &amp;quotMeet the Press.&amp;quot"></a></p><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sanders-drug-companies-should-relinquish-ip-rights-to-covid-19-vaccines-2021-5"><strong>Bernie Sanders says US drug companies should relinquish intellectual property rights to COVID-19 vaccines</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;</strong></h3><ul><li aria-level="1">Sen. Bernie Sanders repeated calls for pharmaceutical companies to relinquish intellectual property rights to COVID-19 vaccines.</li><li aria-level="1">If companies like Pfizer and Moderna relinquished IP rights, their vaccines could be produced globally.&nbsp;</li><li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alife-health-raises-95-million-seed-round-innovate-ivf-treatments-2021-4">But the companies have opposed these calls, claiming risks to vaccine safety.</a></li></ul><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sanders-drug-companies-should-relinquish-ip-rights-to-covid-19-vaccines-2021-5"><strong>Read more &gt;&gt;</strong></a></p><hr><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alife-health-raises-95-million-seed-round-innovate-ivf-treatments-2021-4"><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/609054eff22c6b00185db556-1334/Paxton.jpg" border="0" alt="Paxton Maeder-York" data-mce-source="Courtesy of Paxton Maeder-York" data-mce-caption="Paxton Maeder-York, founder of Alife Health"></a></p><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alife-health-raises-95-million-seed-round-innovate-ivf-treatments-2021-4">Women struggling to get pregnant face huge bills for infertility treatments. Alife Health is using AI to make IVF more affordable.</a></h3><ul><li aria-level="1">Fertility tech startup Alife Health just raised a $9.5 million seed round.&nbsp;</li><li aria-level="1">It uses artificial intelligence to make the IVF process more effective and affordable.&nbsp;</li><li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alife-health-raises-95-million-seed-round-innovate-ivf-treatments-2021-4">Founder Paxton Maeder-York hopes to help create personalized treatment plans for IVF patients.&nbsp;</a></li></ul><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alife-health-raises-95-million-seed-round-innovate-ivf-treatments-2021-4"><strong>Here's how they plan to do it &gt;&gt;</strong></a></p><hr><p><strong>More stories we're reading today:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vaccine-manufacturer-fled-india-covid-19-threats-2021-5">The leader of the world's biggest vaccine manufacturer said he fled India because of menacing threats</a> (Insider)</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/digital-vaccine-passports-not-safe-former-hacker-cybersecurity-2021-4">I'm a former hacker and I believe the current round of digital vaccine passports pose real security risks.</a> (Insider)</li><li><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/digital-health-startups-are-booming-their-customers-are-overwhelmed-11620039601'st=mvrkk6zgqspxxck&amp;reflink=article_copyURL_share">Digital health startups are booming. Their customers are overwhelmed.</a> (The Wall Street Journal)</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-invest-in-cannabis-video-panel-poseidon-merida-2021-5">Two veteran investors on how to bet on US marijuana legalization </a>(Insider)</li><li><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2021/05/03/six-patients-with-dementia-went-to-mexico-for-unproven-gene-therapy-biotech-ceo-claims/">Six patients with dementia went to Mexico for an unproved gene therapy, a biotech CEO claims</a> (STAT)</li></ul><hr><p>-Allison</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insiders-biggest-healthcare-stories-for-may-4-2021-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sneaky-ways-costco-buy-more-tricks-2018-5">Sneaky ways Costco gets you to buy more</a></p>
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