Lots of interesting stuff about the coronavirus thing. For example I might get $600 I don't need and that's a good thing.

Important developments in the pandemic.

By Avi Selk with Paulina Firozi  Email The Post's coronavirus coverage linked in this newsletter is free to access from this email.    The latest The Trump administration is negotiating with Pfizer to secure more vaccines by spring, federal health officials said, after last week's news that additional doses wouldn't be on the way until June or July. This move comes after Pfizer's report that other nations have rushed to buy its 2021 second quarter supply after the federal government turned down its opportunity to double its purchase of 100 million doses. (You can track vaccine distribution by state on this updating page.) Now that the coronavirus has set up residence inside millions of bodies around the world, it's doing what viruses always do: mutating. That's normally not cause for special concern, but the British health secretary caused alarm when he announced that a particularly worrisome mutation could be behind a surge of infections in southeast England. There's no sign that the mutation has made the virus any deadlier, but it might have made it more transmissible, and any significant changes to its genetic makeup could threaten the efficacy of vaccines. A nearly instant at-home coronavirus test was authorized for sale by the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday. It costs about $30 a pop, does not require you to mail your nose gunk to a laboratory, and will be available over the counter at drugstores for use on anyone older than 2.  But for at least the near term, Americans might have trouble getting hold of one. The chief executive of Ellume, the Australian company that makes the test, said only 100,000 of them will be distributed at first. The company plans to ramp up production to about 1 million tests by mid-2021. Our Health desk nevertheless reports that U.S. testing capacity is expected to increase rapidly over the next two to three months, as many other technologies and products come online. Widespread signs of economic deterioration have prompted Democrats and Republicans in Congress to push for a second economic stimulus despite their disagreements. Party leaders said Wednesday that they are nearing a deal on a $900 billion package that would include aid for small businesses, the unemployed, schools, vaccine distribution and a one-time check of up to $700 for millions of lower-income Americans. Nearly 8 million Americans have become poor in the past five months, propelling the poverty rate into double digits and contributing to the biggest one-year jump since the government began tracking the rate 60 years ago, according to data released Wednesday by researchers at two universities.  On the other end of the wealth spectrum, rich corporations are having a pretty decent year. Our Business desk reported that 45 of the 50 most valuable publicly traded companies turned a profit between April and September, but also collectively cut more than 100,000 workers. “These are times when the strong can get stronger,” Nike chief John Donahoe told analysts in September. Other important news A health-care worker in Alaska was in stable condition at a hospital after suffering a serious allergic reaction to the new coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo abruptly canceled his final major holiday party of the year Wednesday after being exposed to someone with the coronavirus and going into quarantine. Hardly anyone showed up to Pompeo's indoor party Tuesday. A Santa Claus and a Mrs. Claus in Ludowici, Ga., have tested positive for coronavirus, meaning about 50 children could have been exposed to infection at a Christmas parade last week. The mayor of Dodge City, Kan., announced her resignation Tuesday after getting death threats over the city's mask mandate.   Guide to the pandemic Track deaths and confirmed cases in the U.S. and across the world.  Post reporters are publishing live dispatches nearly 24 hours a day. FAQ: Answering your vaccine questions. Submit a question and we may answer it in a future story or newsletter. How to help during the pandemic, as the holidays approach.   Your questions, answered “I'm in a ‘cookie baking’ group on Facebook and there is a lot of discussion about whether it is safe to bake cookies to send/give to friends and family this holiday season. Is there a risk of spreading the virus through gifts of baked goods? Is there any way to mitigate that risk? Or are baked goods gifts another thing we should forgo until this is over?” — Patricia in Pennsylvania You may be considering baking cookies for friends and neighbors as the holidays approach, or maybe you want to drop off a fresh-baked loaf for someone who needs a touch of home cooking right now. Or a cake for someone’s birthday. Or because it’s Blursday and why not?  The first thing to know: There is currently no evidence that people can get covid-19 by eating or handling food, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While it is possible for people to get covid-19 by touching a surface that is contaminated with the virus, like a food package, the CDC says this is not the main way the virus spreads.  Still, it’s important to take precautions where you can.  The New York Times’s Margaux Laskey writes that the biggest risk for spreading coronavirus comes with the in-person delivery of the food. The CDC says the virus spreads mainly through respiratory droplets, such as when an infected person sneezes, coughs, talks or breathes.  “When delivering food, wear a mask, and place the food in a neutral location, six feet or more away, then let your friend or loved one pick it up,” Laskey writes.  She quoted Elizabeth A. Bihn, a professor at the Department of Food Science at Cornell University, who suggests several steps for opening and handling a food package if you’re concerned about the delivery. The steps include opening the container in a designated spot, transferring the food to your own plate or container, then throwing away or washing the original container as well as the surface on which you placed it. Then, as always, wash your hands.  When you’re preparing your baked good or food item, it’s also important to follow regular steps to prevent any food borne illness. This goes even when there isn't a pandemic on. The Partnership for Food Safety Education recommends adhering to the “Core Four Practices” — clean, separate, cook and chill — when preparing food.  The Post’s Ann Maloney has some tips for turning a holiday cookie swap into a virtual experience, shipping them to friends by a certain date and then gathering over Zoom or FaceTime to enjoy them together.    Today’s top reads Find more stories, analysis and op-eds about the outbreak on our coronavirus page, including: Amid Australian lobster glut, supermarkets impose purchase limits Steak dinner lands Japan’s prime minister in hot water for flouting virus rules In Biden’s Delaware hometown, economic pain enters new phase as pandemic rages on   A top scientist questioned virus lockdowns on Fox News. The backlash was fierce. By Peter Jamison ●  Read more »   Why might women be less eager to get the coronavirus vaccine? An investigation. Perspective ●  By Monica Hesse ●  Read more »   This interactive tool tracks covid-19 travel restrictions by country By Shannon McMahon ●  Read more »   A performer was put out of work by shutdown. He responded by going on Zoom and reading people’s minds. By Steven Zeitchik ●  Read more »   No, you still shouldn’t travel if you had covid-19 By Natalie B. Compton ●  Read more »