The spread of false information and conspiracy theories accelerated during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Inadvertently inaccurate, and some deliberately misleading, ideas were widely shared on social media channels on topics ranging from the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to the safety of vaccines. Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, set out to understand why COVID-19 misinformation thrived and […]
Gilead Sciences, Inc. announced that the FDA approved a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for the use of Veklury (remdesivir) with no dose adjustments to treat COVID-19 in people with mild, moderate and severe hepatic impairment. This approval further supports the safety profile of Veklury as the first and only approved antiviral COVID-19 treatment that can be used across all […]
A new study of some 3.6 million surgeries from National Health Service (NHS) databases in England suggests that, in most cases, it will be safe to carry out planned surgery from 2 weeks after a positive COVID test, as long as the patient has recovered – compared to current guidance that recommends delaying surgery for 7 weeks. The study is […]
A Kaiser Permanente study confirms the benefit of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, also known as Paxlovid, as an early-stage treatment to prevent hospitalization for people with mild to moderate COVID-19, regardless of prior immunity or age. The study was published March 15, 2023, in Lancet ID. “Among Kaiser Permanente members in Southern California who tested positive for coronavirus infection, receiving Paxlovid within 5 […]
Two doses of mRNA covid-19 vaccine during pregnancy show significant efficacy against delta and omicron infection in infants under six-months old. They also reduce hospital admission for covid-19 among the same subjects. The findings appeared on Feb. 8, 2023 in the BMJ Today. “In this study, we show that maternal covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy might have dual benefits by also […]
Treatment with dupilumab appears to improve survival rates for patients with moderate to severe COVID-19. Researchers reported these findings on August 16, 2022 in Open Forum of Infectious Diseases. “Our clinical trial suggests that treatment with the anti-allergy medicine dupilumab may decrease deaths due to COVID-19. UVA [University of Virginia] is the first to test this novel and promising approach […]
Promotional campaigns designed to increase vaccine uptake are often ineffective, according to a new study in eight European countries. Some initiatives which highlight the benefits of immunisation may even be counterproductive, say scientists. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich worked with colleagues at the University of Trento and the London School of Economics and Political Science to test the […]
A new protein-based antiviral nasal spray developed by researchers at Northwestern University, University of Washington and Washington University at St. Louis is being advanced toward Phase I human clinical trials to treat COVID-19. Designed computationally and refined in the laboratory, the new protein therapies thwarted infection by interfering with the virus’ ability to enter cells. The top protein neutralized the […]
While smoking rates have declined dramatically in the United States, there are still 35 million smokers. There are few data about whether, and if so, how current cigarette smoking habits among those trying to quit are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., Dr.PH., senior author, first Sir Richard Doll Professor of Medicine and senior academic adviser to […]
Researchers are rolling out a data set that provides detailed information on COVID-19 vaccine shipments and wastage across the United States, with the goal of spurring new data analysis to improve vaccination efforts in the future. The work stems from a collaboration between researchers at North Carolina State University and BuzzFeed News. “The development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines has […]
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