Author: Claudinne Miller
Mystery Amid an Anthrax Outbreak in Africa
NYT Only a fraction of the presumed cases in five countries have led to positive tests for anthrax. Some scientists say other causes cannot yet be ruled out. Five African countries are battling outbreaks of anthrax, with nearly 1,200 people affected so far and 20 deaths, according to the World Health Organization. But the official […]
Dec 19, 2023
What to Know About the New Covid Variants
NYT HV.1 has overtaken EG.5 as the leading variant in the U.S. Scientists are also watching two other variants, BA.2.86 and JN.1. Two closely related variants, EG.5 and HV.1, currently comprise nearly half of the Covid-19 cases in the United States. EG.5 became the dominant variant nationwide in August. At that time, the World Health Organization classified […]
Dec 19, 2023
Prion Disease Rising in the U.S.
MedPage Today Incidence of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease increased, especially among women. The incidence of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a universally fatal prion disease that progresses rapidly, rose consistently from 2007 to 2020, a study of death certificates showed. CJD codes on death certificates totaled 5,882 during that period, with 51.2% of cases occurring among women, according to […]
Dec 12, 2023
The unsung geniuses who uncovered why we sleep and dream
Nature Just 100 years ago, we understood astoundingly little about sleep and dreaming. A tight-knit band of researchers changed things, against sometimes considerable odds. Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep Kenneth Miller Hachette (2023) Sleep and dreaming are human universals. Yet only in the past century has science begun to appreciate […]
Dec 12, 2023
Scientists Identify Interferon-gamma as Potential SARS-CoV-2 Antiviral
NIH Conditioning the lungs with interferon-gamma, a natural immune system protein (cytokine) best known for fighting bacterial infections, appears to be a strong antiviral for SARS-CoV-2, according to National Institutes of Health scientists and colleagues. Their new study, published in Nature Communications, shows in two different mouse models that when a bacterial infection triggers the release […]
Dec 12, 2023
A year after lifting COVID rules, China is turning quarantine centers into apartments
NPR Goats and Soda During the global coronavirus pandemic, China built dozens of makeshift hospitals and state quarantine centers, some out of steel container boxes. They became closely associated with the anxiety of mass testing and the fear of sudden lockdowns. Now, cities are turning the huge centers into affordable housing units for young workers in an […]
Dec 12, 2023
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Vaccine Development: A Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Approach
Virginia Tech Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late 2019 as a highly infectious virus that spread rapidly and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March of 2020.1 SARS-CoV-2 infection causes respiratory disease (Coronavirus Disease; COVID-19), and during the initial infection wave of the pandemic, disease severity […]
Dec 12, 2023
New blood testing method advances disease detection
Arizona State University Researchers at the Arizona State University Biodesign Institute have made an impressive leap in disease detection, with a novel screening method that can look at hundreds of disease markers and evaluate thousands of samples simultaneously, delivering most results in 24 hours. Unlike conventional blood tests, the new platform, called Multiplexed In-Solution Protein […]
Dec 12, 2023
Novavax’s Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Now Available as Only Option in Poland
Novaxx Novavax’s updated protein-based non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is now available for use in Poland for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals aged 12 and older. Doses have been distributed by the appropriate Polish authorities and made available for this season’s vaccination campaign. The Novavax vaccine is currently the only updated COVID-19 vaccine option available in […]
Dec 12, 2023
Some Reasons to Get Off the Fence About COVID Booster
Medscape Though many people remain on the fence about getting the latest COVID vaccine booster, new research suggests a strong argument for getting the shot this winter: It sharply reduces the risk for COVID. Researchers found that getting vaccinated led to a 69% reduction in long-COVID risk among adults who received three vaccines before being infected. […]
Dec 12, 2023