Epidemics
Long Covid is affecting women more than men, national survey finds
A woman receives a dose of a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a sport stadium during the coronavirus disease pandemic, in Vina del Mar, Chile, April 22, 2021. Rodrigo Garrido | Reuters Long Covid is more common among women than men, according to federal data. More than 17% of women have had long […]
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Omicron subvariants resistant to key antibody treatments are increasing every week in the U.S.
Two omicron subvariants that are resistant to key antibody treatments are on the rise in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 now represent 27% of infections in the U.S., a significant jump from the week prior when they made up about 16% of […]
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FDA says two studies showing omicron boosters weren’t much better than old Covid shots were too small to come to any conclusions
The Food and Drug Administration said two studies this week showing that the new omicron boosters weren’t that much better than the old shots were too small to come to any real conclusions. Scientists at Columbia and Harvard, in two independent studies, found that the new boosters and the old shots basically performed the same […]
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New Covid boosters aren’t better than old shots at neutralizing omicron BA.5, early studies find
The new COVID-19 booster which includes protection for Omicron at AltaMed Health Services in South Gate on Thursday, October 6, 2022. Sarah Reingewirtz | MediaNews Group | Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images Two studies are raising doubts about whether the new omicron BA.5 booster really will offer better protection against Covid than the […]
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Omicron subvariants are resistant to key antibody treatments, putting people with weak immune systems at risk of Covid
Emerging omicron subvariants are resistant to key antibody treatments for HIV patients, kidney transplant recipients and other immunocompromised people, making them particularly vulnerable to Covid this winter, the White House warned this week. “With some of the new subvariants that are emerging, some of the main tools we’ve had to protect the immunocompromised like Evusheld […]
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People who caught mild Covid had increased risk of blood clots, British study finds
A patient receives a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test at Sparrow Laboratories Drive-Thru Services in Lansing, Michigan, December 27, 2021. Emily Elconin | Reuters People who caught mild cases of Covid-19 during the first year of the pandemic had a higher risk of developing blood clots than those who were not infected, according to a large […]
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Ivermectin — a drug once touted as a Covid treatment by conservatives — doesn’t improve recovery much, clinical trial finds
Ivermectin, a drug once touted by conservatives as a treatment for Covid, does not meaningfully improve the recovery time for people with mild to moderate Covid-19, according a large clinical trial published in a peer-reviewed journal. People who took ivermectin recovered from Covid in 12 days while people who didn’t take the drug recovered in […]
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CDC is discussing using oral polio vaccine for first time in 20 years to stop New York outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering using the oral polio vaccine for the first time in more than 20 years to stop an outbreak in the greater New York City metropolitan area that left an adult paralyzed over the summer. “We are in discussions with our New York State and New York […]
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Uninsured kids will still receive Covid vaccines for free after shots move to commercial market
A child is administered a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pediatric vaccine. Mayela Lopez | Reuters The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took a major step Wednesday toward ensuring that kids who are uninsured can receive Covid-19 vaccines for free after the federal government shifts its immunization program to the commercial market. […]
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FDA authorizes Novavax’s Covid shots as mix-and-match booster to Pfizer or Moderna
The Food and Drug Administration has authorized Novavax‘s Covid boosters for adults in the U.S., including for people who received Pfizer’s or Moderna’s shots as their primary series. The authorization of Novavax’s booster could significantly increase the role that its shot plays in U.S. vaccination efforts. Up until now, Novavax’s vaccine was only authorized as […]
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