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On the first day of fall, STAT published its best guesses of 30 moments to come in the pandemic that could mark a change in its course or serve as a time to reflect on how Covid-19 had reshaped our lives. In reality, some of the turning points have turned out better than they could have. (Joseph, 1/4)

Our global coronavirus nightmare is entering its second year, and we're hanging on the best we can. Our lives have been turned upside down, the economy is sputtering and more than 1.8 million people have died -- 350,000 of them in the US, more than any other country in the world. (Karimi, 1/4)

With progress in efforts for Covid-19 vaccines and predictions for when the population will receive them, there seems to be a light at the end of the long, harrowing pandemic tunnel. As the physical risks are better managed with vaccines, however, what will likely still remain is the indelible impact of the pandemic weighing on the collective psyche. (Rogers, 1/4)

KHN: Heading Off The Next Pandemic

As the covid-19 pandemic heads for a showdown with vaccines it’s expected to lose, many experts in the field of emerging infectious diseases are already focused on preventing the next one. They fear another virus will leap from wildlife into humans, one that is far more lethal but spreads as easily as SARS-CoV-2, the strain of coronavirus that causes covid-19. A virus like that could change the trajectory of life on the planet, experts say. (Robbins, 1/4)

One major lesson learned from the coronavirus pandemic is that prioritizing health is as important as ever. To kick off 2021, "Good Morning America" asked five influencer doctors for their tips on how to take charge of our health in the new year. (Kindelan, 1/4)

Among the many looming threats hospitals will face in 2021 is the rise of so-called payviders—insurers that have bought or partnered with medical groups and other providers.“ The line between providers and payers is getting blurrier and blurrier over the course of time with major payers taking significant positions in the provider space,” said David Morlock, a managing director in Cain Brothers’ Health Systems M&A group. Such deals exploded in 2020, a trend that will likely continue this year. That doesn’t bode well for hospitals, as these deals usually entail managing patients’ cost using global budgets. That means keeping them out of the most expensive settings—namely, anything involving a hospital. (Bannow, 1/2)

Hello, Biotech 2021. In the interest of humility, we’ll note that last year’s preview story made no mention at all of the coronavirus. Sadly, we paid no mind to our colleague Helen Branswell’s prescient tweet. All of which is to say there’s no way to be certain what the coming year will bring. But here are some trends and burning questions for biotech that are on our radar screen for 2021. (Feuerstein and Garde, 1/4)