Tag Archives: coronavirus

disease, drugs, Health, medications, Pharmaceuticals, Public health

Did you know China’s zero covid wavers as infections spread and complaints about lockdowns surge?

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China’s greatest coronavirus epidemic in two years has spread to practically every corner of the nation, straining medical resources, closing companies, and industrial plants, and raising doubts about the government’s steadfast adherence to its zero COVID policy.

On Wednesday, health officials recorded 3,054 domestic coronavirus cases, a decrease from the previous day, when officials reported the country’s highest daily toll since 2020 of 5,154 local infections—still tiny numbers compared to most other big nations, but huge jumps for China.

On Tuesday, there were new coronavirus cases in at least 28 of the country’s 31 provinces and regions. The majority of the cases were caused by the BA.2 variant of the omicron coronavirus.

China is especially susceptible to the rapidly expanding omicron form.

According to a National Health Commission briefing on Tuesday, more than 50 million Chinese citizens over the age of 60 have not been completely immunized. If the epidemic is not contained, China risks becoming like Hong Kong, where more than 4,500 people died as a result of not being adequately vaccinated.

One user tweeted on the microblog Weibo on Monday that their family was detained on a highway for 14 hours attempting to reach the eastern Chinese town of Wuxi due to the abrupt new lockdown measures.

Despite signals of dissent, China has vowed to stick to its zero COVID policy.

Reference

China’s zero covid wavers as infections spread and complaints over lockdowns surge. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/16/china-coronavirus-zero-covid-outbreak/?fbclid=IwAR1W-fAMbWARxZCoXUkm9mJ8z0wh0FiJlsISSyWN0OmZFKMr4I5eF8Fn6uI

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CDC Reveals New Data On COVID Vaccine Stopping Delta Variant

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The COVID-19 vaccine can still protect you against the delta variant, although the level of protection is smaller than the coronavirus’s original mutation.

Does the vaccine stop the delta variant? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new study that found vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 infection dropped from 91% to 66% when the delta variant became the majority of virus cases.

“While we did see a reduction in the protection of the COVID-19 vaccine against the delta variant, it’s still a two-thirds reduction of risk,” the study’s lead author, Ashley Fowlkes, an epidemiologist for CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response, told CNN. The study suggests that there are minor infections among fully vaccinated people, primarily due to the delta variant, which has shown to be highly transmissible.

That said, COVID-19 vaccines remain majorly effective at stopping severe COVID-19 illness from all known variants, according to CNN. More data on the delta variant and COVID-19 vaccines The new CDC study comes as new data from Israel suggests the vaccine’s protection against the delta variant will lessen with time.

Officials in Israel said the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines might not be effective at stopping the delta variant.

Though the vaccines can stop the delta variant, they’re less effective against delta than previous mutations.

Israel – one of the highest vaccinated places in the world with 78% of those 12 years old and up fully vaccinated with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine – has been suffering from one of the world’s highest infection rates recently due to the delta variant, according to Science Magazine. Please make sure you have accurate information and consult your doctor.

Reference
The CDC reveals how well the COVID-19 vaccine protects you from the delta variant, https://www.deseret.com/coronavirus/2021/8/25/22641187/cdc-delta-variant-covid-vaccine-latest-numbers-two-thirds.

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The effectiveness of vaccinations against new variants

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The effectiveness of vaccinations against new variants would also dictate when, where, and how often additional shots are needed. According to Pfizer’s latest trial, the two-dose vaccine appears extremely successful for at least six months, and potentially longer. Additionally, six months after receiving the second requisite injection, those that received Moderna’s vaccine retained significant amounts of virus-fighting antibodies. Although the new COVID-19 vaccines are expected to last at least a year, they are unlikely to have lifetime immunity, like measles vaccinations do, according to Dr. Kathleen Neuzil, a vaccine specialist at the University of Maryland. Present vaccinations are targeted against a specific spike protein found in coronaviruses, according to Mehul Suthar of the Emory Vaccine Center. If the virus evolves sufficiently over time, vaccinations may need to be modified to maintain efficacy.The vaccinations tend to be protective against the prominent strains that have arisen, albeit somewhat less so against the one initially discovered in South Africa.

Reference

How long does protection from COVID-19 vaccines last?,https://www.woodtv.com/covid-19-vaccine/how-long-does-protection-from-covid-19-vaccines-last/

disease, drugs, Health, medications

Health experts say that at least 70 percent of the country needs to be vaccinated

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Health experts say that at least 70 percent of the country needs to be vaccinated to ensure herd immunity and completely eradicate the epidemic that killed more than 300,000 Americans. National polls show a growing number of Americans are willing to get a coronavirus vaccine, but some populations, especially Black and Latinos, are reticent. Federal officials are releasing a 95 percent effective vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, and on Friday the Food and Drug Administration cleared a second vaccine from Moderna that was almost equally effective in preventing COVID-19 cases. Some people have quoted what the Trump administration calls politicizing a vaccine, despite officials’ denial that policy plays a role in rapid development.

These groups have been reinforced by the coronavirus epidemic, which both eroded trust in traditional institutions and left millions of people with few options for social interaction beyond the internet. Paul Barrett, deputy director of the Stern Center for Business and Human Rights at New York University, told The Hill that the biggest source of coronavirus vaccine disinformation is “the transformation of long-standing anti-vaccine activists. “There is a considerable foundation that existed before anyone heard of COVID-19,” he explained. The same mistrust in institutions that have revived anti-vaccination communities has also led thousands to conspiracy theories.

QAnon, whose followers believe President Trump is trying to expose a dark elite group running child sex trafficking gangs in the media and government, has had a clear benefit of shifting towards this conspiratorial notion. The growth of QAnon may make it difficult to achieve herd immunity as its supporters increase the lies about COVID-19 vaccines, as it is applied with a microchip to control and monitor citizens or Bill Gates is responsible for the coronavirus. “These conspiracy theories are wrong, but I am very concerned that they could enter the mainstream. And if we have people who will not be vaccinated, this makes it much more difficult for us to achieve herd immunity through vaccination and therefore end the epidemic, ”said Leana Wen.

A recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey revealed that 42 percent of Republicans would likely not be or definitely would not be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Vice President Pence and his wife Karen were vaccinated live on television Friday in an attempt to bridge the partisan gap. “Today there are millions of Americans whose most trusted envoy is President Trump. And that’s why it’s really important for President Trump to speak to correct misinformation, ”Wen said.

Trump has repeatedly raised doubts about the seriousness of the epidemic and mocked his use of masks to limit its spread. According to a report from Cornell University, 38 percent of all articles published in January that contained misinformation about the coronavirus outbreak, lawmakers in Congress supporting Trump also said things that could deter vaccine use. Ken Buck said in a Fox Business interview Friday morning that he would not receive the vaccine because he was “more concerned with the illness about the side effects of the vaccine”.

His office later announced that Buck believes people at risk should “get the vaccine immediately”. Right-wing media has also been the driving force of coronavirus misinformation. Beyond restricting current coronavirus misinformation, Barrett said platforms should work to increase information about vaccines from trusted sources. Still, healthcare professionals said tech companies can only go so far.

Reference

Health officials, social media scramble to fight vaccine misinformation. https://thehill.com/policy/technology/530943-health-officials-social-media-scramble-to-fight-vaccine-misinformation

disease, drugs, Health, medications

The latest Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna

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The latest Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna tend to be exceptionally effective at avoiding severe illness. Scientists are worried that if vaccinated people are silent spreaders of the virus, they could keep it circulating in their populations, putting unvaccinated people in danger. In certain respiratory infections, like the current coronavirus, the nose is the primary access stage. Vaccines are inserted directly into the tissues to activate the immune system to generate antibodies. This seems to be ample security to discourage the individual from being vaccinated from being sick.


Next-generation coronavirus vaccines can trigger immunity in the nose and the rest of the respiratory tract. Mucosal vaccinations are safer than intramuscular procedures to keep respiratory viruses from arising. The lungs are far more open than the nose or mouth to circulating antibodies. Vaccine studies did not produce results about how many patients became afflicted with the infection but showed no effects. The amount of the virus that you replicate in the nose can be decreased if one gets sick, says the immunologist. An informed guide to the global epidemic can be found at com/Heroes.


Coronavirus vaccinations demonstrate robust safety from being ill. Life can return to normal only when civilization as a whole has an inadequate defense against coronavirus. For the time being, even vaccinated citizens would continue to use masks to prevent indoor crowds. The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines are given as an injection through the arm, as most traditional vaccines. The injection will not be any different from that one had previously, and there are no significant side effects. Moderna and Pfizer vaccines utilize a genetic molecule to activate the immune response. The enzyme, known as mRNA, is ultimately killed by the body. The mRNA is wrapped in an oily bubble that can fuse into a cell, enabling the molecule to slide in. The cell uses mRNA to produce coronavirus proteins that may activate the immune system. The mRNA will only survive for at most a few days until it is lost.

Reference
Here’s Why Vaccinated People Still Need to Wear a Mask. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/health/covid-vaccine-mask.html

disease, Health

4,000 active cases among inmates and 1,430 more among workers in California

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More than 4,000 active cases among inmates and 1,430 more among workers in California. These are the highest numbers reported since the beginning of the pandemic. California’s cumulative number of prisoner illnesses is now more than 22,300, including 90 deaths. Hospitalizations are also at record high levels, with more than 9,900 patients throughout the state. Increasing figures are coming as local and state governments are also seeking to monitor the spread across California communities. The state governor declared a stringent regional home stay order for ICU patients this week. The state governor declared a stringent regional home stay order for ICU patients this week.
Reference
Covid-19 is raging through overcrowded California prisons. https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-12-05-20-intl/index.html

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The CDC has updated its guidelines on the spread of COVID-19

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The CDC has updated its guidelines on the spread of COVID-19. The CDC describes near contact as being within six feet of the person infected for 15 minutes or more during a 24-hour span. It is difficult to identify the current guidelines on which the health departments depend to perform touch tracing. The signs of the infection vary from minor symptoms to extreme illness, according to the CDC. It is not clear if the public has undergone proper instruction on proper selection and use of respiratory PPE, such as N95, for close interaction with an infectious person wearing a respiratory mask. Symptoms of the disease include: fever, chills, shortness of breath, trouble breathing, sore throat, and muscle aches, the CDC says. The disease can last 2-14 days after exposure to the virus and can be serious or moderate in some cases, it says. It is not clear if an affected person has signs for more than two days after being exposed to coronavirus, the Agency states.

Reference

CDC revises “close contact” definition. https://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=23565&z=58

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Public health authorities and drug manufacturers need to be open regarding the side effects of coronavirus vaccine

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Public health authorities and drug manufacturers need to be open regarding the side effects of coronavirus vaccines, doctors say. Doctors met with CDC advisers as states plan to administer doses as early as next month. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines need two doses at different intervals. Participants in the trials registered high fever, body aches, extreme headaches, day-long fatigue after the shots. “We need to make patients aware that this will not be a walk in the park,” says Dr. Sandra Fryhofer. Nurse practitioners recommend that drug manufacturers should use terms such as “response” instead of “adverse reaction” to explain side effects. “If this proves to work, people are going to toughen up,” says the nurse practitioner.

“These are immune responses,” says Stinchfield, a former member of the committee who voted. “If you feel something after vaccination, expect to feel that” Pfizer and its partner BioNTech applied for an emergency license for their coronavirus vac.

Reference

Doctors say CDC should warn people the side effects from Covid vaccine shots won’t be ‘a walk in the park’. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/23/covid-vaccine-cdc-should-warn-people-the-side-effects-from-shots-wont-be-walk-in-the-park-.html

disease, drugs, Health, medications, Pharmaceuticals

Both the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine were developed with new technology

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Both the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine were developed with new technology that uses messenger RNA. Neither Pfizer nor Moderna has reported any serious safety issues in their trials so far. An independent group of advisers will review vaccine data to the FDA and the CDC. The FDA will decide whether to grant authorization for emergency use; then, the CDC will decide who gets the vaccine. The advisory committees do not have the authority to make decisions, but they follow other groups’ recommendations, Salmon says. The decision does not end at the time of recommendation, Lee says. “We are always in creating new data as it emerges, so it can ch so that,” she says. Back To the pageYou came from: The page you were from. The CDC will craft guidance for the CDC about prioritizing, who receives the vaccine. First, Salmon said.


The public will view trial data and observe discussions as the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee conducts its review in early December. “It will include public deliberation, and that is a good thing,” Salmon said. Salmon added that this type of transparency would be a crucial way to bolster public trust and combat misinformation. This is particularly important because the pandemic has become heavily politicized.


Reference
Will the Covid vaccine be safe? What the scientists want to see.https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/will-covid-vaccine-be-safe-what-scientists-want-see-n1248466
What is mRNA? How Pfizer and Moderna tapped new tech to …. https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/what-mrna-how-pfizer-moderna-tapped-new-tech-make-coronavirus-n1248054
What Is Homework’s Purpose in a Pandemic?. http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-update/oct20/vol62/num10/What-Is-Homework’s-Purpose-in-a-Pandemic%C2%A2.aspx

Behavioral Science, disease, Health

Masks in public places

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Coronavirus Covid-19 increased by 467 percent in Kansas counties, requiring masks in public places. The number of cases fell within six weeks of the mandate, according to the CDC. The study looked at the disparities between the Kansas counties in the summer. Some counties that did not need masks had less strict instructions, according to the report. The CDC reports that the rate of Covids-19 cases has primarily been reversed after the mandate has been enforced.

Reference
CDC says mask mandates can slow Covid-19 spread. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-says-mask-mandates-can-slow-covid-19-spread-n1248417?cid=eml_nbn_20201120