Updates
New Report Says Covid-19 Pandemic Has Caused Historic Setbacks In Global Health-STAT
A new report paints a bleak picture of the far-ranging impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, with a major backsliding in the percentage of children around the world getting essential vaccinations, food insecurity on the rise, and a sharp increase in the number of people living in extreme poverty. STAT, … Continue Reading
September 14, 2020
Eli Lilly’s Drug Cuts COVID-19 Recovery Time In Remdesivir-Combo Study-Reuters
Eli Lilly and Co said on Monday its rheumatoid arthritis drug shortened the time to recovery in hospitalized COVID-19 patients when used along with Gilead Sciences Inc's remdesivir. The drug baricitinib, branded as Olumiant, cut the median recovery time by about a day when added to remdesivir, compared to patients treated with the antiviral alone, Lilly said. Reuters, … Continue Reading
September 14, 2020
Corruption Allegations Rock Philippine Health Insurance Corporation Amid COVID-19-Devex
The Philippines, hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, is also in the middle of an alleged corruption scandal. The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation - PhilHealth - which has been helping finance COVID-19 testing and treatment in the country, has been rocked with allegations of fund mismanagement and overpricing. Devex, … Continue Reading
September 14, 2020
Early Research From 23andMe Strengthens Link Between Blood Types And Covid-19-STAT
Aforthcoming study from genetic testing giant 23andMe shows that a person's genetic code could be connected to how likely they are to catch Covid-19 - and how severely they could experience the disease if they catch it. It's an important confirmation of earlier work on the subject. People whose blood group is O seemed to test positive for Covid-19 less often than expected when compared to people with any other blood group, according to 23andMe's data. STAT, … Continue Reading
September 14, 2020
Flu Vs. Covid: Ways To Identify Symptoms And Differences-The Wall Street Journal
As the autumn flu season approaches while the Covid-19 pandemic continues, cold-weather sniffles are likely to provoke even more anxiety than usual. Some symptoms of flu-as well as colds and other autumn ailments-are similar to Covid's, making it harder to know what's wrong. Fever, dry cough, fatigue and body aches are common with both the flu and Covid. The Wall Street Journal, … Continue Reading
September 14, 2020
At Least 25 Indian Lawmakers Test Positive For Coronavirus As Parliament Reopens-NPR
India's parliament reopened Monday for the first time in nearly six months, but at least 25 lawmakers were barred from entering the chamber after testing positive for the coronavirus. NPR, … Continue Reading
September 11, 2020
Seeking The Causes Of Post-Covid Symptoms, Researchers Dust Off Data On College Students With Mononucleosis-STAT
From 2014 to 2018, DePaul University psychologist Leonard Jason and colleagues collected personal information and blood samples from more than 4,500 healthy college students. They followed the group as some students contracted mononucleosis and a small proportion of those subsequently developed chronic fatigue syndrome. As Jason and his team were analyzing data earlier this year - seeking patterns that might explain why some students remained healthy and others got sick and stayed sick - … Continue Reading
September 11, 2020
Hangover From Alcohol Boom Could Last Long After Pandemic Ends-NPR
When the coronavirus swept the country, a lot of things government did in response were controversial. Politicians fought over mask wearing rules and quarantine restrictions. But one policy, making sure Americans have ready access to alcohol, was truly bipartisan. It's been an economic lifeline for many businesses, but healthcare experts caution there could be serious consequences for millions of Americans that linger long after COVID-19 has passed. NPR, … Continue Reading
September 11, 2020
Schools That Are Mostly Black, Latino Favor Starting Online-The Associated Press
Districts where the vast majority of students are white are more than three times as likely as school districts that enroll mostly students of color to be open for some in-person learning, according to an analysis conducted by The Associated Press and Chalkbeat. The Associated Press, … Continue Reading
September 11, 2020
Still Wanted: A Treatment For The Coronavirus-Politico
In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, there was hope that existing drugs may help cure people infected with the new virus. But six months and a few false starts later, those hopes have been dashed. There have been just a handful of medicines approved or recommended since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic in March, mostly to treat hospitalized people with severe Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Politico, … Continue Reading
September 11, 2020
Millions Of COVID-19 Cases Went Undetected In India, Research Paper Estimates-Reuters
Millions of coronavirus cases may have gone undetected in India earlier this year, a research paper estimates, saying that for every confirmed case in May, there were 82 to 130 infections that were not recorded. Reuters, … Continue Reading
September 10, 2020
The Underdog Coronavirus Vaccines That The World Will Need If Front Runners Stumble-Nature
As leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies speed their COVID-19 vaccines through clinical trials and eye up fast-track regulatory authorization, dozens of underdog vaccines have stalled, or are advancing along a slower, more conventional path. Scientists acknowledge that it would be a waste of resources to take every candidate to clinical trials. But they argue that it's essential to have a diverse selection of COVID-19 vaccines in development. Nature, … Continue Reading
September 10, 2020
The Lessons We’ve Learned From The Covid-19 Response, According To Anthony Fauci-STAT
Six months since Covid-19 was declared a pandemic, the world has learned difficult lessons on how to respond - and not respond - to such a crisis. Anthony Fauci, who has spent nearly 40 years at the helm of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is particularly well-suited to weigh in on what we've learned so far. In a Harvard Medical School Grand Rounds session on Thursday, Fauci shared his takeaways on how Covid-19 has been handled and what this crisis can tell us about … Continue Reading
September 10, 2020
Senate GOP COVID Relief Bill Fails, Prospects Of Bipartisan Deal Before Election Dim-NPR
Senate Republicans rallied around a $300 billion coronavirus aid package, but it fell short of the necessary 60-vote majority to advance it, effectively killing the measure. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was the lone Republican joining Senate Democrats to oppose it - Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., missed the vote. NPR, … Continue Reading
September 10, 2020
Return Of Football Renews Fears Over More Virus Spread-The Associated Press
The kickoff of the NFL season Thursday with 17,000 fans in the stadium illustrates on a global stage the nation's determination to resume its most popular sport in the middle of a pandemic that has already killed nearly 200,000 Americans. The topic has led to passionate debates at the state and local level, including whether to allow high school seasons to proceed and how many fans to allow in professional and college stadiums. The Associated Press, … Continue Reading
September 10, 2020
AstraZeneca Vaccine Trial Pause A ‘Wake-Up Call’, Says WHO-Reuters
AstraZeneca's pause of an experimental vaccine for the coronavirus after the illness of a participant is a "wake-up call" but should not discourage researchers, the World Health Organization's (WHO) chief scientist said on Thursday. Reuters, … Continue Reading
September 09, 2020
U.S. COVID-19 Deaths Near 190,000; Iowa And South Dakota Emerge As New Hotspots-Reuters
Coronavirus deaths in the United States were approaching 190,000 on Wednesday along with a spike in new cases in the U.S. Midwest with states like Iowa and South Dakota emerging as the new hotspots in the past few weeks. Reuters, … Continue Reading
September 09, 2020
U.S. Needs 193 Million Covid-19 Tests Per Month To Reopen Schools And Keep Up With Pandemic, New Report Says-STAT
The U.S. may need up to 193 million coronavirus tests each month in order to safely reopen schools and fortify nursing homes, according to a new report published Wednesday. Current testing capacity in the U.S. is about 21 million tests per month, according to the Covid Tracking Project. STAT, … Continue Reading
September 09, 2020
Promoting The COVID-19 Needs Of Small Island States An ‘Uphill Battle’-Devex
In the face of COVID-19, there are concerns that island voices are not being heard, representatives believe. They are facing an "uphill battle," Lois Young, permanent representative of Belize to the U.N and chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, told Devex at the Virtual Island Summit, a second annual online event enabling these diverse communities to discuss environmental, social, economic and health needs and programs. Devex, … Continue Reading
September 09, 2020
As Indonesia Cases Soar, Medical Workers Bear The Burden-The Associated Press
While Indonesia has recorded more deaths from the coronavirus than any other Southeast Asian country, it also has seen by far the most fatalities among medical workers in the region, leading to concerns about the long-term impact on the nation's fragile healthcare system. The Associated Press, … Continue Reading