Author: Claudinne Miller
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
Comparative effectiveness of third doses of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines in US veterans
(Nature) Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 has been effective in reducing the burden of severe disease and death from COVID-19. Third doses of mRNA-based vaccines have provided a way to address waning immunity and broaden protection against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. However, their comparative effectiveness for a range of COVID-19 outcomes across diverse populations is unknown. We emulated […]
Jan 3, 2023
China is flying blind as pandemic rages
(Science) Most scientists believe China’s decision to end its zero-COVID policy was long overdue. But now they have a new worry: that the country is collecting and sharing far too little data about the rough transition to a new coexistence with the virus. China abruptly dropped virtually all controls a month ago, after protests, a […]
Jan 3, 2023
Data-driven identification of post-acute SARS-CoV-2 infection subphenotypes
(Nature) The post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) refers to a broad spectrum of symptoms and signs that are persistent, exacerbated or newly incident in the period after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Most studies have examined these conditions individually without providing evidence on co-occurring conditions. In this study, we leveraged the electronic health record data of […]
Jan 3, 2023
Study identifies four major subtypes of long COVID
(Cornell) The post-COVID syndrome known as long COVID has four major subtypes defined by different clusters of symptoms, according to a study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. The study, published Dec. 1 in Nature Medicine, was the largest of its kind to examine long COVID. The researchers, who represent clinicians and informaticists, used a machine-learning […]
Jan 3, 2023