Author: Shannon Becker
Why the Now-Dominant BQ COVID Strains Are Cause for Concern
(MedPageToday) The latest circulating COVID-19 variants have shown greater immune escape, which will likely lead to increasing cases over the coming months, experts said. New Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 together now make up more than half of all COVID cases in the U.S. (30.9% and 31.9%, respectively), according to the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker, representing […]
Dec 6, 2022
Where is everyone getting those AI avatars?
Have you seen the new avatars on social media recently? They are idealized versions of our friends and family, and a pretty cool way to express your inner superhero. The pic above is an AI generated version of my friend Julie, who does not really have red hair, except for that time she had a […]
Dec 6, 2022
CDC Sounds the Alarm on Rising Flu Hospitalizations
(MedPageToday)Influenza hospitalizations this early in the season are higher than they have been in a decade, according to the CDC, with 14 pediatric deaths reported so far. “Since October 1, there have already been at least 8.7 million illnesses, 78,000 hospitalizations, and 4,500 deaths from flu,” said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, on a […]
Dec 6, 2022
Scientists Eye Monoclonal Antibodies for Malaria as Drug Resistance Looms
(Bloomberg) Most people are by now familiar with the monoclonal antibody drugs used to prevent and treat severe Covid-19 infections. But antibody drugs have a variety of other uses in medicine from cancer treatment to preventing viral illnesses like RSV. They have even shown promise in slowing disease progression from Alzheimer’s.
Dec 6, 2022
Covid Rebound with Pfizer’s Paxlovid Less Than Expected
(Bloomberg) On the (Paxlovid) rebound, Pfizer Inc.’s antiviral medication caused recurrences or prolonged infections more often in real life than in clinical studies. (A rebound of coronavirus occurred in 2.3% of patients on Paxlovid versus 1.7% receiving placebo in a late-stage trial, Pfizer scientists said in September.)
Dec 6, 2022
The SMS Text message is turning 30
(BBC) The text message is celebrating its 30th birthday – the first was sent to a mobile phone by a Vodafone engineer in Berkshire in the UK on 3 December 1992. It was sent in order to test out the tech, and read “Merry Christmas”. Neil Papworth sent it to one of the firm’s bosses, […]
Dec 6, 2022
Models predict massive wave of disease and death if China lifts ‘zero COVID’ policy
(Science) Surprised and stung by protests against draconian “zero-COVID” policies, Chinese authorities are gingerly moving to ease the burden of lockdowns, quarantines, and constant testing. But 3 years into the pandemic, China shows no sign of planning a major course change. Mathematical models suggest why: The country is still ill-prepared for living with SARS-CoV-2. Easing […]
Dec 6, 2022
US flu activity soars; hospital cases nearly double
(CIDRAP) The early brisk flu season in the United States intensified last week, with hospitalizations almost doubling and most states in the red and purple high or very high zones, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest update. The United States and many countries in Europe are grappling with rising flu […]
Dec 5, 2022
Drop in COVID alertness could create deadly new variant, WHO says
(Reuters) Lapses in strategies to tackle COVID-19 this year continue to create the perfect conditions for a deadly new variant to emerge, as parts of China witness a rise in infections, the head of the World Health Organization said on Friday. The comments by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mark a change in tone just […]
Dec 5, 2022
Pfizer and BioNTech Submit Application to U.S. FDA for Emergency Use Authorization of Omicron BA.4/BA.5-Adapted Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccine in Children Under 5 Years
(Pfizer) Pfizer and BioNTech today announced that the companies have submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization (EUA) of their Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent COVID-19 vaccine as the third 3-µg dose in the three-dose primary series for children 6 months through 4 years of age. With the high […]
Dec 5, 2022