The country’s first coronavirus vaccinations are now being distributed. The FDA granted the Pfizer vaccine emergency authorization for use, and it’s expected that soon, possibly by this week, it will do the same for the Moderna vaccine. In trials, the Pfizer vaccine was 95% effective in preventing COVID-19, and the Moderna vaccine stands at 94%, […]
Identifying a gene that could explain disparity in COVID-19 effects
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope, has identified a specific genetic target that could help explain the tremendous variation in how sick those infected with COVID-19 become. The study results, recently published in the journal mSphere, describe a molecule made from DNA—miR1307—as a potential dimmer switch that may influence […]
Risk for COVID-19 Infection Increased With Common Cancers
TUESDAY, Dec. 15, 2020 — Patients with 13 common cancer types have a significantly increased risk for COVID-19 infection and significantly worse outcomes, according to a study published online Dec. 10 in JAMA Oncology. QuanQiu Wang, from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and colleagues conducted a retrospective case-control analysis of patient electronic health records […]
Here’s Why You Need Both COVID-19 Vaccine Doses
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, BNT162b2, is finally here. Just three days after the FDA granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), U.S. health care professionals began receiving their first shots. (Those in long-term care facilities are expected to start receiving theirs next week.) The key thing to note: This vaccine has two shots. To be fully effective—we’re taking […]
Hospitals scramble to prioritize which workers are first for COVID-19 shots
If there’s such a thing as a date with destiny, it’s marked on Dr. Taison Bell’s calendar. At noon Tuesday, Bell, a critical care physician, is scheduled to be one of the first health care workers at the University of Virginia Health System to roll up his sleeve for a shot to ward off the […]
COVID-19 preprint data rapidly influenced critical care practice
In a new research letter published online in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers examine whether preprint data on the use of the corticosteroid dexamethasone influenced clinical practice in treating COVID-19 critical care patients throughout Australia. Preprints are scientific papers that are posted online rapidly, before peer review. […]
Canada administers first doses of COVID-19 vaccine
Canada administered its first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, becoming one of the first countries to do so in the effort to beat back the pandemic. Five front-line workers in Ontario were among the first Canadians to receive the vaccine at one of Toronto’s hospitals. Anita Quidangen, a personal support worker who worked […]
FDA Review Finds Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Effective After First Dose
TUESDAY, Dec. 8, 2020 — New data released Tuesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee suggest that Pfizer’s two-dose COVID-19 vaccine works well protecting recipients against COVID-19. The committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday to consider the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use authorization, CNBC reported. […]
COVID-19 in Victorian schools and childcare mainly driven by community transmission
COVID-19 cases in schools, early childhood education centers and childcare are mainly driven by community transmission. Off-site learning should therefore be a last resort, a new Australian report has found. The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) prepared the COVID-19 in Victorian Schools Report at the request of the Victorian State Government. The report recommends schools […]
Building resiliency in children as the COVID-19 pandemic continues through the holidays
Seasons of change can be difficult to navigate emotionally, not only for adults, but also for children. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly impacted children’s mental health, and as families start planning for the holidays that may look very different this year, it’s important to build resilience in kids to prepare them for what’s ahead […]