Amazon launched a wrist wearable and health tracker called Halo. The device can track sleep, body temperature, physical activity and voice patterns, and gives users the option to link health data to their electronic medical records. (STAT)
The U.S. government purchased 150 million Abbott COVID-19 tests. The government will pay about $750 million for the tests. The tests can deliver results in 15 minutes and will sell for $5. (Reuters)
Large, late-stage COVID-19 trials lag on diversity so far. Trials for Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccine are halfway enrolled, but only about one-fifth of participants are Black or Hispanic. (The Washington Post)
Researchers continue to develop new COVID-19 vaccines that may be more effective than the first wave. These vaccines will arrive later, but may produce better immune responses or be cheaper to produce than the vaccines currently racing to hit the market. (The New York Times)
Refrigeration requirements may hamper distribution of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Moderna’s shot needs to be stored at negative 4 degrees Fahrenheit and Pfizer and BioNTech’s candidates need to be stored at negative 94 degrees Fahrenheit. (MarketWatch)
