The Scan

The Financial Times reports the US bolstering its ability to track SARS-CoV-2 alterations.

President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Eric Lander to serve as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Associated Press says.

The New York Times reports that researchers are studying identical twins who had COVID-19 to understand the influence of genetics on disease severity.

Reuters reports that Germany is seeking to sequence 5 percent of patient samples that test positive for SARS-CoV-2.

23andMe and Medscape say primary care physicians are increasingly more comfortable with discussing direct-to-consumer genetic testing results.

Johnson & Johnson reports interim results from a Phase 1/2 study of its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in the New England Journal of Medicine, according to Bloomberg.

Investigators from the World Health Organization have arrived in China to look into the origins of SARS-CoV-2, NPR reports.

Additional, more contagious variants of SARS-CoV-2 are likely to crop up, the Financial Times says.

Western lowland gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, according to NBC7 San Diego.

The Guardian reports Public Health England is increasing its surveillance of a SARS-CoV-2 strain identified in South Africa.

The Washington Post reports there is no evidence that the rise in COVID-19 cases in the US is due to a particular strain, but notes scientists' ability to detect variants is limited. 

BBC News says the UK is rolling out rapid COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic people despite concerns over its accuracy.