Updated: April 3, 2020
There has been a tremendous amount of content shared about COVID-19. This is a double-edged sword. Not all information, discussion and editorial is grounded in reality.
Here is my “best of” list — an attempt to highlight the best content I’ve come across.
I am open to retractions and/or additions to the list. Contact me — hsu.chiehwei@gmail.com
Disclaimer
I am not a medical professional. I cannot vouch for the complete accuracy of the information contained in my recommendations. Apply knowledge at your own peril, and please draw your own conclusions.
What makes this list?
If it is on my list, then it meets one or more of the following criteria:
- A friend whom I consider intelligent* recommended it to me.
- A friend whom I consider intelligent* created it.
- It makes a reasonable and logical argument.**
- It comes from a publication that I read regularly (i.e. before the coronavirus hit) and trust.
[*] Intelligence is in the eye of the beholder. An alternate way to articulate this is: I consider an intelligent person to be someone who thinks critically, is willing to consider multiple points of view, and doesn’t hold onto easy or simple narratives at all times.
[**] Also subjective. This is based on my own personal interpretation of how the argument is laid out, and how much it adheres to Occam’s Razor and Hanlon’s Razor.
Happy to have offline discussions about either [*] or [**].
The list
Statistics
Tips
Don’t Panic: The comprehensive Ars Technica guide to the coronavirus [Ars Technica]
How to Clean and Disinfect Yourself, Your Home, and Your Stuff [Wired]
Food Safety and Coronavirus: A Comprehensive Guide [Serious Eats]
Nature and origins of COVID-19
Videos
The Coronavirus Explained & What You Should Do [Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell]
How wildlife trade is linked to coronavirus [Vox]
Articles
Everything You Need to Know About Coronavirus Testing [Wired]
Why the Coronavirus Has Been So Successful [The Atlantic]
Podcasts
Balaji Srinivasan: Exploring COVID-19 [The Knowledge Project]
This Week in Virology series [This Week in Virology]
Fresh Air interview with Ed Yong [NPR]
Opinion
Articles
China Bought the West Time. The West Squandered It. [NY Times]
Coronavirus Is China’s Chance to Weaken the Liberal Order [Bloomberg]
Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How. [Politico]
Here’s why the US is behind in coronavirus testing [CNN]
How the Coronavirus Became an American Catastrophe [The Atlantic]
The NBA had no choice. Neither do the rest of us. Shut everything down [The Athletic]
Podcasts
The Side Effects of Social Distancing [Freakonomics Radio]
James Hsu 
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