Karen Andersen: The Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine

<p>Our guest this week is Karen Andersen, a healthcare strategist on Morningstar's equity research team. She has written a number of influential commentaries and analyses on the healthcare sector, with a focus on the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Her most recent work has focused on the outlook for the COVID-19 pandemic, treatments for the disease, and the race for a vaccine. Before joining Morningstar in 2005, Andersen earned her bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Rice University and received her Master of Business Administration from Rice's Jones Graduate School of Business. She is a CFA charterholder.</p></p><p><p><strong>Background</strong><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.morningstar.com/authors/643/karen-andersen" target="_blank">Karen Andersen's healthcare commentaries and analyses</a></p></p><p><p><strong>Virus Containment and Diagnostics</strong><br /></p><p>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/coronavirus-maps.html" target="_blank">COVID World Map: Tracking the Global Outbreak</a>," <em>The New York Times</em>, Sept. 15, 2020. </p></p><p><p>"<a href="https://www.morningstar.com/articles/984323/relaxing-the-lockdown-move-slowly-stay-nimble">Relaxing the Lockdown: Move Slowly, Stay Nimble</a>," by Karen Andersen, Morningstar.com, May 12, 2020.</p></p><p><p>“<a href="https://www.morningstar.com/articles/1000385/slow-burn-likely-until-coronavirus-vaccines-are-widely-available">Slow Burn Likely Until Coronavirus Vaccines Are Widely Available</a>," by Karen Andersen, Morningstar.com, Sept. 1, 2020.</p></p><p><p>"<a href="https://time.com/5869130/covid-19-test-delays/" target="_blank">Patients Are Waiting Weeks for COVID-19 Test Results. Here's Why That's a Huge Problem</a>," by Jamie Ducharme, <em>Time</em>, July 22, 2020. </p></p><p><p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contact%20tracing" target="_blank">Contact tracing definition</a> </p></p><p><p>"<a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/treatments-for-covid-19" target="_blank">T