It is easy to succumb to fear in the face of uncertainty and unpredictability. Yet, despite panic-inducing op-eds and a new study that estimates more than 9,000 Americans may already be infected, experts insist there is still room for a bit of optimism. In Italy, one of the primary hot spots of the pandemic, the number of recoveries continues to rise above its death toll. A new study shows that often-milder cases, while prolific, are about half as infectious as confirmed ones. And a team of researchers from McMaster University and the University of Toronto have isolated the agent within the novel coronavirus that will help the world develop better diagnostic tools and, eventually, a vaccine.
