Author: Claudinne Miller
‘Worse than what we thought’: New data reveals deeper problems with the Bureau of Prisons’ Covid response
STAT The incarcerated people at Federal Medical Center Devens should have been some of the first to receive the Covid vaccines, back when they first came out in December 2020. At the time, the country was prioritizing high-risk people in high-risk settings, like older Americans in nursing homes. So Devens seemed a better candidate than […]
May 23, 2023
Physical Medicine Academy Issues Guidance on Long COVID Neurologic Symptoms
MedPageToday Clinicians need to evaluate new or worsening neurologic symptoms of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) and treat or refer them to specialists when appropriate, according to new guidance from the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AAPM&R). Neurologic symptoms related to PASC — commonly known as long COVID — include headache, weakness, […]
May 23, 2023
Covid update by Dr. Chang
Today’s biweekly update is presented by Arthur Chang, MD. Dr. Chang provides an update about the drastic decrease in MIS-C cases post-Omicron and the persistence of PASC (aka “Long Covid”) in children.
May 23, 2023
How attractive are you to mosquitoes?
Virginia Tech researchers conduct proof-of-concept study on mosquito scent preferences. Using scented soaps, Virginia Tech researchers found that the smell of certain body soaps could make humans more or less attractive to mosquitoes. People have been using products to alter their scent for generations. From soaps to perfumes, people gravitate to floral and fruity smells. […]
May 23, 2023
Brazil declares 180-day animal health emergency amid avian flu cases in wild birds
Reuters Brazil on Monday declared a state of animal health emergency for 180 days in response to the country’s first ever detection of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in wild birds, in a document signed by Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro. Infection by the H5N1 subtype of avian flu in wild birds does not trigger […]
May 23, 2023
An exercise trial for long covid is being criticized by some patients
Washington Post A proposed exercise trial for long covid is being criticized by some of the patients the government-funded researchers want to study. The trial is part of the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) initiative, funded by the government for $1.15 billion over four years. It aims to study long covid and help find treatments for […]
May 22, 2023
China’s New Covid Wave Set to See 65 Million Cases a Week
Bloomberg China is likely to see its Covid-19 wave peaking at about 65 million infections a week toward the end of June, according to a senior health adviser, while authorities rush to bolster their vaccine arsenal to target the latest omicron variants. XBB has been fueling a resurgence in cases across China since late April […]
May 22, 2023
Here’s what Pfizer and Moderna say is next for their Covid vaccines
NBC Three years and billions of Covid vaccinations into the pandemic, Pfizer and Moderna say their work is far from over. The two pharmaceutical companies, whose Covid vaccines have become household names, are ushering in a new era for their shots that will elevate the role they play in protecting public health, but also simplify what people need to do to coexist with the virus. […]
May 22, 2023
Maine Confirms Fatal Powassan Virus Case. What to Know About the Rare Disease
Time Maine resident has died from the Powassan virus, a rare tick-borne illness, Maine’s Centers for Disease Control confirmed on Wednesday. The individual, who was likely infected in the state, developed neurologic symptoms and died while in the hospital, according to Maine’s CDC. This is the state’s first case of Powassan virus this year. In 2022, […]
May 22, 2023
Cross-reactive EBNA1 immunity targets alpha-crystallin B and is associated with multiple sclerosis
Science Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, for which and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is a likely prerequisite. Due to the homology between Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) and alpha-crystallin B (CRYAB), we examined antibody reactivity to EBNA1 and CRYAB peptide libraries in 713 persons with MS (pwMS) and […]
May 22, 2023