Influenza News

• Don't Count Out Convalescent Plasma in COVID-19 Battle 'We created all this enthusiasm, and then these studies came out and they say this stuff didn't work in the first place,' said Dr Michael Busch. But that sentiment is by no means universal.
  Kaiser Health News, March 22, 2021
• Baby Born to Partially Vaccinated Mom Has COVID-19 Antibodies The mother, a healthcare worker in Florida, developed COVID-19 antibodies after she received the vaccine. Testing showed that the antibodies passed through the placenta to the baby.
  WebMD Health News, March 17, 2021
• Can Vaccination and Infection Rates Add Up to COVID Herd Immunity? "Presumed 'herd immunity' is 'the combined value of infections + vaccinations as % population > 60%,' " noted a tweet based on an analysis by a Wall Street research firm. Does this calculation hold up?
  Kaiser Health News, March 17, 2021
• Lab Leak: A Scientific Debate Mired in Politics — and Unresolved More than a year into the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, some scientists say the possibility of a lab leak never got a fair look.
  Undark, March 17, 2021
• 'I Don't Need the Vaccine': GOP Worries Threaten Virus Fight The campaign could falter if it becomes another litmus test in America's raging culture wars, just as mandates for mask-wearing were a point of polarization at the onset of the virus.
  Associated Press, March 16, 2021
• To Extract More Doses per Vial, Vaccinators Put Squeeze on FDA Although vaccine supply is ramping up, the supply gap puts pressure on vaccinating teams to extract every drop they can. Some are asking the FDA to waive guidance against extracting vaccine.
  Kaiser Health News, March 12, 2021
• Year of COVID: Everything We Thought We Knew Was Wrong A year ago, the World Health Organization declared that a new, fast-spreading coronavirus had caused a pandemic. Here's a look at how the US underestimated COVID, and what the missteps cost us.
  Medscape Medical News, March 11, 2021
• High Obesity Rates in Southern States Magnify COVID Threat A report released this month by the World Obesity Federation found that increased body weight is the second-greatest predictor of COVID-related hospitalization and death across the globe.
  Kaiser Health News, March 11, 2021
• Women Report Worse Side Effects After COVID Vaccines Side effects tend to differ for men and women across a broad variety of vaccines, often due to hormones, genes, and the vaccine doses.
  WebMD Health News, March 10, 2021
• Could Pollen Be Driving COVID-19 Infections? A recent study finds potential association between pollen levels and increases in SARS-CoV-2 infection, while other scientists have found the opposite.
  Medscape Medical News, March 09, 2021
• ACTRIMS 2021 Infections -- Especially Urinary and Kidney -- Are Higher in MS New research shows an infection rate in MS patients that more than quadrupled the rate in a control-group cohort.
  Medscape Medical News, March 09, 2021
• CROI 2021 Oral Antiviral Stops SARS-CoV-2 in its Tracks Could a Tamiflu-like oral pill to control SARS-CoV-2 stop COVID-19 before it gets severe?
  Medscape Medical News, March 08, 2021
• Abbott's Test to Distinguish Coronavirus and Flu Viruses Gets US Authorization Abbott Laboratories said on Friday that the US FDA granted emergency use authorization for its molecular test to detect and distinguish the coronavirus and two types of flu viruses in a single test.
  Reuters Health Information, March 05, 2021
• 'When Will It End?': How a Changing Virus Is Reshaping Scientists' Views on COVID-19 Chris Murray, a Univ of Washington disease expert whose projections on COVID-19 infections and deaths are closely followed worldwide, is changing his assumptions about the course of COVID.
  Reuters Health Information, March 03, 2021
• Why COVID-19 May Be More Deadly Than Flu, Other Coronaviruses Investigators identify why hyperactivation of the immune system can wreak more damage than influenza and other coronaviruses in some people with SARS-CoV-2.
  Medscape Medical News, March 04, 2021
• No Flu Season Will Affect Next Year's Vaccine Prep Low influenza case numbers are 'strikingly different' this year and will change the trajectory of next year's flu season and vaccine planning.
  Medscape Medical News, March 03, 2021
• Risk of Human Spread of H5N8 Bird Flu Deemed Low: WHO The risk of human-to-human spread of the H5N8 strain of bird flu appears low after it was identified for the first time worldwide in farm workers in Russia, the World Health Organization said.
  Reuters Health Information, February 26, 2021
• Timing, Ethics Factor Into COVID Vaccine Trial With Minors As manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines consider when and how to enroll minors into clinical trials, several factors such as timing and ethics should be considered, according to pediatricians.
  Reuters Health Information, February 26, 2021
• AstraZeneca, Sputnik Vaccines Face Hurdles With Annual COVID Shots Vaccines from AstraZeneca, Gamaleya Institute and J&J fight the coronavirus with another virus, leaving scientists concerned the shots may lose potency if annual inoculations become necessary.
  Reuters Health Information, February 26, 2021
• Weary of COVID Variants, EU Leaders Push to Step Up Vaccination German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the European Union must prepare to vaccinate for new COVID variants over the coming years after EU leaders discussed ways of salvaging tourism.
  Reuters Health Information, February 25, 2021