People 'shed' coronavirus early, but likely don't remain infectious after recovery

The Covid-19 situation remains in flux, but a group of German scientists think they've tracked down the window in which infected individuals are most likely to pass on the virus to others. Here's the latest: 

• The current situation: One possible explanation for why the novel coronavirus is spreading so quickly is that people who are infected emit high quantities of the virus early on in the infection, new research finds. And although this may mean that people are still going about their daily lives because they don't yet have symptoms, scientists also found that people are likely no longer contagious by the time the symptoms subside. 
• The near future: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and Mastercard are launching a $125 million initiative known as the Covid-19 Therapeutics Accelerator to spur the development of therapies against the new virus that could be available in the next year to 18 months. 
• The long term: Top CDC official Nancy Messonnier said that the outbreak in the U.S. could continue into 2021, although taking precautions such as avoiding crowds and washing hands could still reduce the severity of illness and prevent deaths.