Coronavirus Tidbits #143 6/6/21

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Announcements:

First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I’m getting.

Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don’t be shy about that.

My latest posts:

Dengue Vaccine: Takeda Reports Promising Results. My latest for Medscape

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/952476

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There is a fascinating and tragic mystery unfolding in India:

What Is Behind The Deadly Rise In Mucormycosis Infections In India?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2021/06/03/murder-mystery-what-is-behind-the-deadly-rise-in-mucormycosis-infections-in-india/?sh=5b51a115f13c

News 

Prior COVID-19 infection reduces infection risk for up to 10 months

The risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is substantially reduced for up to 10 months following a first infection, according to new findings from the Vivaldi study led by UCL researchers.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-06-prior-covid-infection-months.html?

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Cool story:

Diagnostics:

Not Covid, but fascinating article:

Drugs and Vaccines:

What Drives COVID Vaccine Hesitancy Among Moms?

— Social pressures, misinformation are at play

https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19vaccine/92880?

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School scholarships, custom hunting rifles and shotguns, and over $2 million in cash are being used to entice vaccine holdouts in West Virginia. (NPR)

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Even fully vaccinated, people with organ transplants aren’t fully protected until more Americans get their shots

Almost half of people living with an organ transplant produce zero antibodies after two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine

https://www.statnews.com/2021/06/01/covid-vaccines-poorly-protective-people-living-with-organ-transplants/?

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Heart reaction probed as possible rare Covid-19 vaccine link in teens

An article on seven U.S. teen boys in several states is among the latest reports of heart inflammation discovered after Covid-19 vaccination.

CDC announced that it is investigating cases of myocarditis and pericarditis after injection with mRNA vaccines, but emphasized it still recommends vaccination for all people 12 and older.

https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=26d496ccd6&e=f4c6ea30a0 Also, so far, we’ve seen low response also in hemodialysis patients, myeloma, CLL, and those on methotrexate. I’m sure there will be more. ~  ~~

Good news: Mild COVID-19 induces lasting antibody protection

Months after recovering from mild cases of COVID-19, people still have immune cells in their body pumping out antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Such cells could persist for a lifetime, churning out antibodies all the while.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-05-good-news-mild-covid-antibody.html?

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Lessons from the last pandemic point the way toward universal flu vaccines

A new study from the University of Chicago and Scripps Research Institute shows that during the last great pandemic—2009’s H1N1 influenza pandemic—people developed strong, effective immune responses to stable, conserved parts of the virus. This suggests a strategy for developing universal flu vaccines that are designed to generate those same responses, instead of targeting parts of the virus that tend to evolve rapidly and require a new vaccine every year.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-06-lessons-pandemic-universal-flu-vaccines.html?

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Devices:

Epidemiology/Infection control:

COVID Long Haulers Illuminate Overlooked Medical Condition While “textbook cases” of POTS present as heart palpitations and lightheadedness, symptoms can include brain fog, tiredness, exercise intolerance, chronic nausea, constipation, sleep disturbance, or metabolic dysfunction. While anyone can develop the condition, women ages 15 to 50 are disproportionately affected. POTS is infamously difficult to diagnose, with the average diagnostic delay at more than 5 years. https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/92861? ~ ~ ~

Why Contact Tracing Couldn’t Keep Up With The U.S. COVID Outbreak

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/06/03/1002878557/why-contact-tracing-couldnt-keep-up-with-the-u-s-covid-outbreak ~ ~ ~ Following detection of a new coronavirus variant, Vietnam banned all nonessential activities in Ho Chi Minh City, and plans to test all 9 million residents. (Washington Post) ~ ~ ~

Tips, general reading for public:

StayAtHome

Wash your hands.

Rinse and repeat.

Politics:

Texas Hospital Lifts Mask Mandate

According to county data, only 26% of eligible residents in Ector County, where Odessa is located, are fully vaccinated, and about 31% received at least 1 dose.

Also, CDC guidelines for healthcare settings recommend that all healthcare personnel and patients continue to wear masks, regardless of their vaccination status.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/92890? ~ ~ ~ In the U.K., all people employed by the public healthcare system may be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine. (AP) Here, hospital workers are suing to stop mandatory vaccinations.

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~ ~ ~ Watch this speech and then read the following article. So impressed by Paxton Smith!

Feel good du jour:

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https://twitter.com/aniket_anikett/status/1399327636799688704?s=20

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Comic relief:

Thread from Shabba:

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Perspective/Poem

The ‘Lab Leak’ Debate Matters — But Not for the Reasons You Think

— Open discussion in science is a necessity

https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/vinay-prasad/92868?

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Bits of beauty:

 

Coral fungus – Ramaria formosa
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