Some cancers are preventable with a vaccine – a virologist explains
Ronald C. Desrosiers, University of Miami One-fifth. Nearly 20% of cancers worldwide are caused by a virus. These viruses don’t cause cancer until long after they initially infect a person. Rather, the viruses teach the cells they take over how to escape the natural biological process of cell death. This strategy sets these altered cells […]
States Were Sharing Covid Test Kits. Then Omicron Hit.
Katheryn Houghton In a few short months, states have gone from donating surplus rapid covid-19 tests to states with shortages to hoarding them as demand driven by the spike in cases strains supplies. Last January, North Dakota had amassed 2.7 million Abbott Laboratories BinaxNOW rapid covid tests from the federal government — roughly 3½ tests […]
What is the best mask for COVID-19? A mechanical engineer explains the science after 2 years of testing masks in his lab
Christian L’Orange, Colorado State University The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its guidelines about masks and respirators a number of times over the past two years and gave its most recent update on Jan. 14, 2022. The update states that cloth face coverings offer the least protection from the coronavirus compared with […]
CDC Tells Pharmacies to Give 4th Covid Shots to Immunocompromised Patients
Liz Szabo, Kaiser Health News January 26, 2022 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reached out to pharmacists Wednesday to reinforce the message that people with moderate to severe immune suppression are eligible for fourth covid shots. The conference call came a day after KHN reported that immunocompromised people were being turned away by […]
Social connectedness, sleep, and physical activity associated with better mental health among youth during the COVID-19 pandemic
Monday, January 24, 2022 Longitudinal survey data of more than 3,000 adolescents ages 11-14 recorded before and during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 found that supportive relationships with family and friends and healthy behaviors, like engaging in physical activity and better sleep, appeared to shield against the harmful effects of the […]
Alpha then delta and now omicron – 6 questions answered as COVID-19 cases once again surge across the globe
Sara Sawyer, University of Colorado Boulder; Arturo Barbachano-Guerrero, University of Colorado Boulder, and Cody Warren, University of Colorado Boulder Editor’s note: The omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has fueled a rapid surge in cases globally. We asked a team of virologists and immunologists from the University of Colorado Boulder to weigh […]
5 Things You Should Know About ‘Free’ At-Home Covid Tests
Damon Darlin January 19, 2022 Americans keep hearing that it is important to test frequently for covid-19 at home. But just try to find an “at-home” rapid covid test in a store and at a price that makes frequent tests affordable. Testing, as well as mask-wearing, is an important measure if the country ever hopes […]
Does the COVID-19 vaccine cause positive viral test results?
None of the authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines can cause you to test positive on viral tests, which are used to see if you have a current infection. If your body develops an immune response to vaccination, which is the goal, you may test positive on some antibody tests. Antibody tests indicate you had a previous infection and that you […]
Myocarditis: COVID-19 is a much bigger risk to the heart than vaccination
The heart has played a central role in COVID-19 since the beginning. Cardiovascular conditions are among the highest risk factors for hospitalization. A significant number of patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infections have signs of heart damage, and many recover from infection with lasting cardiovascular injury. It’s not surprising that debates over COVID-19 vaccines frequently centre […]
Here’s where (and how) you are most likely to catch COVID – new study
Trish Greenhalgh, University of Oxford; Jose-Luis Jimenez, University of Colorado Boulder; Shelly Miller, University of Colorado Boulder, and Zhe Peng, University of Colorado Boulder Two years into the pandemic, most of us are fed up. COVID case rates are higher than they’ve ever been and hospitalisation rates are once again rising rapidly in many countries. […]