Author: Claudinne Miller
Just how germy are airplanes?
Washington Post On a flight from Cancún to Orlando, I didn’t notice any bodily fluids caked on the seat or coursing down the aisle, a relief after several recent incidents involving excretions. But gross organisms are not always visible. Most likely, I was sitting in a pool of germs. With a quick swab test, I confirmed this […]
Oct 4, 2023
What Is the Order of COVID Symptoms This Fall?
Very Well Health COVID-19 infections are expected to rise again now that fall is here and winter won’t be far behind. New variants like Eris (EG.5) and Omicron BA.2.86 are making the rounds, and many people are wondering if they’ll cause worse illness or different symptoms, and which symptoms they might experience first. Experts say that COVID symptoms have pretty much […]
Oct 4, 2023
mRNA COVID vaccines saved lives and won a Nobel — what’s next for the technology?
Nature In just three short years, mRNA vaccines have saved millions of lives, achieved household recognition and, as of this week, become the subject of a Nobel Prize. Yet the field shows no signs of slowing down. In the wake of the technology’s dramatic success in generating quick-turnaround COVID-19 vaccines, investors have poured billions of dollars […]
Oct 4, 2023
CDC is no longer distributing Covid-19 vaccination cards, once a staple of the pandemic
CNN Do you know where your Covid-19 vaccine card is? If not, you may want to track it down, because getting a new one could be tricky. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is no longer distributing the white cards that were given out with Covid-19 vaccines earlier in the pandemic, according to […]
Oct 4, 2023
Infant immune systems found to have unique and effective responses to SARS-CoV-2
Medical Express Research led by the University of Tübingen, Germany, along with partners at Stanford University, Emory University and the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, U.S., has looked into infant immune responses following SARS-CoV-2 infections during the initial months of life. In a paper titled, “Multi-omics analysis of mucosal and systemic immunity to SARS-CoV-2 after birth,” published […]
Oct 4, 2023
MRNA Could Reinvent Vaccines. The Flu Is Next.
Bloomberg Pharma companies that were Covid heroes see mRNA flu shots as a solution for falling sales. Brent Teichman was establishing himself as a promising young chef in Louisville, Kentucky, when he called his parents — a doctor and nurse — to tell them he was struggling to fight off a virus. They instructed him […]
Oct 4, 2023
Humans Can No Longer Ignore the Threat of Fungi
The Atlantic Back at the turn of the 21st century, valley fever was an obscure fungal disease in the United States, with fewer than 3,000 reported cases a year, mostly in California and Arizona. Two decades later, cases of valley fever have exploded, increasing roughly sevenfold by 2019. And valley fever isn’t alone. Fungal diseases […]
Oct 4, 2023
Immune and hormonal features of Long COVID
NIH Some people may experience chronic symptoms for months or years after an acute viral infection. Long COVID, a syndrome that develops in some people after an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, is a prominent recent example. More than 200 Long COVID symptoms have been documented. Typical ones include extreme fatigue, cognitive impairment, post-exertional malaise, and respiratory problems. […]
Oct 4, 2023
How is leprosy spreading domestically in the US? Some experts point to armadillos.
USA Today There’s a medical mystery brewing in Florida and an unsuspecting, mild-mannered mammal may be at the center of it. Some experts say the nine-banded armadillo may be behind a rise in domestically transmitted cases of leprosy. Another group quick to defend the armored creature says there’s little data to support armadillos – which […]
Oct 3, 2023
Why you should wait a few days before taking an at-home COVID test if you’re sick
ABC News The best time to take an at-home COVID-19 test may be on the fourth day of having symptoms, according to a study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Researchers looked at nearly 350 people and found that viral load peaked a few days after symptoms started. “Viral load just refers to the amount of virus […]
Oct 3, 2023
