Author: Claudinne Miller
UNMC Never Again Summit Series
(UNMC) Please join us for our second chapter of the Global Center for Health Security’s Never Again Summit series as we host guest speaker Dr. Jeremy Farrar. Event Details The Global Center for Health Security is honored to host guest speaker Dr. Jeremy Farrar for a discussion about global health, pandemics, and health security. An […]
Jan 10, 2023
Omicron COVID booster cuts hospitalization in over 65s, Israeli study finds
(Reuters) The Omicron-adapted COVID-19 vaccine booster developed by Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) sharply reduced hospitalizations among older patients, Israeli researchers said on Monday, in some of the first evidence of the jab’s real-world effectiveness.
Jan 9, 2023
FDA releases important information about risk of COVID-19 due to certain variants not neutralized by Evusheld
(FDA) FDA is closely monitoring the emergence of the XBB.1.5 subvariant, a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant that is currently estimated to account for 28% of circulating variants in the U.S. Because of its similarity to variants that are not neutralized by Evusheld (e.g., XBB), FDA does not anticipate that Evusheld will neutralize XBB.1.5. This means that Evusheld may […]
Jan 9, 2023
Dr. David Nabarro Knighted by HM The King for Outstanding Contributions to Global Health
(gov.UK) Distinguished international public servant Dr David Nabarro who receives a Knighthood for his outstanding contribution to global health, most recently as the WHO [World Health Organization] Special Envoy for COVID-19 Prevention and Response.
Jan 9, 2023
People who haven’t had COVID will likely catch XBB.1.5 – and many will get reinfected, experts say
(USA Today) Variant XBB.1.5 is very contagious, meaning everyone is at risk even if you’ve already been infected. As the U.S. enters year 3 of the pandemic, here’s an update on the state of COVID. The newest COVID-19 variant is so contagious that even people who’ve avoided it so far are getting infected and the roughly 80% of […]
Jan 9, 2023
The vaccine disinformation playbook
(NYT) The vaccine disinformation playbook includes the use of fake experts, logical fallacies, impossible expectations, cherry-picked data and conspiracy theories. Other logical fallacies include non sequiturs, posing the question while assuming the answer and failing to consider alternative hypotheses.
Jan 9, 2023
Pandemic response gets a permanent new home at the White House
(STAT News) The era of the rotating cast of public health czars at the White House may finally be over. Presidents for decades have brought fresh faces to the White House to coordinate federal responses to threats such as Covid-19, mpox, Ebola, AIDS, and the bird flu. Now, Congress aims to give pandemic response a permanent home […]
Jan 3, 2023
As Covid-19 Continues to Spread, So Does Misinformation About It
(NYT) Doctors are exasperated by the persistence of false and misleading claims about the virus. As Covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths rise in parts of the country, myths and misleading narratives continue to evolve and spread, exasperating overburdened doctors and evading content moderators. What began in 2020 as rumors that cast doubt on the existence or seriousness […]
Jan 3, 2023
Cold exposure impairs extracellular vesicle swarm–mediated nasal antiviral immunity
(Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) The human upper respiratory tract is the first site of contact for inhaled respiratory viruses and elaborates an array of innate immune responses. Seasonal variation in respiratory viral infections and the importance of ambient temperature in modulating immune responses to infections have been well recognized; however, the underlying biological […]
Jan 3, 2023
Why Do You Get Sick in the Winter? Blame Your Nose
(Wired) A new study shows that as temperatures drop, nasal cells release fewer of the tiny protectors that bind and neutralize invading germs. Inside the sticky confines of the human nose, a gluey layer of mucus surrounds small hairs and cells. While this ooze may appear gross, it is teeming with important components of the […]
Jan 3, 2023