All Writings

Sleep Promotes Brain Health. Now We Know Why

This article is part of an ongoing series on aging and longevity. Here, we take a peek at how sleep impacts brain health and helps minimize cognitive decline. Other articles have touched on cell senescence, bone and muscle maintenance, heart health, DNA damage, and a number of other topics.  We all ... read full

You May Think You Know Your Small Intestine

This story is part of a series exploring human anatomy and physiology complexities. Each story in this collection showcases discoveries reshaping our understanding of the body’s inner workings, potentially changing the way we teach and learn about it in the future. This new series of articles on human anatomy is a ... read full

Breathe Easier: How Science is Uncovering the Mysteries of Allergies

Picture yourself stepping outside on a peaceful spring morning but suddenly experiencing a barrage of sneezes and itchy eyes; the air is saturated with minuscule particles of pollen, each seeming to launch a full-scale attack on your immune system. Every breath feels like an invasion, triggering a barrage of allergic ... read full

The Power Of Precision Medicine: Hydrogel-Based Therapy For Retinitis Pigmentosa

  This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Confronting the Silent Threat of Eye Cancer

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

How Do We Remember? Association Is The Key

This article was originally published on Forbes on 3/6/24. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in neuroscience. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore normal function to tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured ... read full

You Are What You Eat? How Diet Boosts Brain Health

This article on dietary restriction is part of a longer series covering all things aging and longevity. Other articles in the series have touched on cell senescence, bone and muscle maintenance, heart health, DNA damage, and a number of other topics.  “You are what you eat”, so the saying goes. But ... read full

What is Growing in My Eye?

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Light And Sound May Help Treat Alzheimer's Disease, Here's How

This article is part of a small series on 40-hertz brain stimulation for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The first in the series can be read , and the second, . It is also part of a larger, ongoing series on aging and longevity.   Alzheimer’s disease and ... read full

Regaining Speech: Implementing Neuroprosthetic Solutions

This article was originally published on Forbes on 3/4/24. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in neuroprosthetic technology. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore normal function to tissues and organs damaged by disease, ... read full

Gene Therapy for a Neurological Disease: Rett Syndrome

Gene therapy may offer hope for people with a rare childhood disease called Rett syndrome.  Around one in 10,000 girls are born each year with Rett syndrome, a rare genetic condition that impacts brain development. People with Rett syndrome grow without issue for a time before severe problems with speech, ... read full

See Clearly At Any Age With Spiral Contacts

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.  In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Molecular “Super Glue”? How Our Body Repairs Broken DNA

We don’t exactly know why we age; we know what aging looks like —the “symptoms”, so to speak— but the root causes remain foggy. One leading hypothesis is that the changes associated with old age, both external and internal, are a result of accumulating DNA damage. As this damage ... read full

What is that New Machine Your Eye Doctor is Using and Why: Electroretinography

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Hands-On Solutions: Applying Prosthetic Sensory Technology In Rehabilitation

University of Houston / Robotic hand reaching for a glass of water. This article was originally published on Forbes on 2/23/24. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in prosthetic sensory feedback. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of ... read full

Novel Treatment For Damaged Corneas: Cell Therapy

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.  In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Fight Against Aging And Disease With Targeted Spectroscopy In The Eye

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Direct Administration of CRISPR-Cas9: Tools for Cell and Gene Therapy

Newly published research offers a novel technique to address a classic problem. Several of the latest cell-based gene and cancer therapies suffer similar drawbacks. The first is that cell manipulation occurs outside the body, a lengthy process that requires extracting, purifying, and altering cells in a specialized lab before reintroducing the ... read full

Why Do We Age? DNA Damage A Likely Cause

This story is one of many exploring recent advances in the science of longevity and aging. The following few articles in the series, including this one, will focus on the relationship between genetics and longevity; Which genes are involved in aging and longevity? How are they involved? What are the ... read full

Understanding the Ocular Impact of Steven-Johnson Syndrome

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Post-Stroke Recovery: Can Stimulation Of The Vagus Nerve Help?

This article was originally published on Forbes on 2/16/2024. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in vagus nerve stimulation. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore normal function to tissues and organs damaged by ... read full

New Hope For Aggressive Ovarian Cancer

The most common form of ovarian cancer is also the most aggressive. These fast-growing cancer cells initially respond well to standard care—surgery, chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies and drug inhibitors—but around 70% of patients experience relapse within three years of treatment. A new study turns to mRNA injections as ... read full

Artificial Intelligence to Manage the AMD Burden

By 2040, 288 million people worldwide are projected to have age-related macular degeneration (AMD).1 The increasing number of AMD cases calls for more frequent eye examinations. As a result, ophthalmologists will need more time to analyze patient data due to the heavier workload. However, there is promise in using artificial ... read full

Steps You Can Take To Protect Your Premature Infant's Vision

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

What Is Your Risk For Parkinson’s Disease? Your Genes Hold A Clue

This story is one of many exploring recent advances in the science of longevity and aging. The following few articles in the series, including this one, will focus on the relationship between genetics and longevity; Which genes are involved in aging and longevity? How are they involved? What are the ... read full

Conquer Morning Sickness: How a New Discovery Can Help You Manage Pregnancy-Related Nausea and Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is a common occurrence, affecting approximately 70% of women. However, for some, this condition can be severe and life-threatening, leading to hyperemesis gravidarum, which is a type of hyperactive vomiting, a diagnosis given when symptoms are severe enough to limit daily activity, cause ... read full

How CRISPR Can Help Cure Herpetic Stromal Keratitis

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Say Goodbye To Traditional Transplants: The Superiority Of DALK In Treating Keratoconus

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

A Deeper Look At The Cornea And Corneal Transplants

  This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Sniffing Female Tears Reduces Male Aggression

KEY POINTS Tears emit a social chemical signal that is picked up by the olfactory system and lowers aggression in males. Chemical signals in tears strengthen the connection between the aggression and olfactory parts of the brain. This study suggests that tears are a chemical means of protecting against aggression ... read full

Restoring Sight with Science: The Promising Future of Corneal Infection Treatment

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Visual Plasticity: How Our Eyes Adapt And Change To New Stimuli

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Discover The Connection Between Migraines And Your Eyes: New Study Reveals Link And Potential Biomarkers

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Fight Your Blood Cancer: Early CAR NK Therapy Clinical Results

Natural killer cells targeting tumor cells without deliberate immunization or activation.

GETTY A robust, ready-made and cell-based cancer therapy inches closer to reality in light of recent progress. Researchers at the MD Anderson Cancer Center released results from their Phase I/II clinical trial on CAR ... read full

How To Protect Your Aging Eyes

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Fuzzy, Cute, and ... Viral? Bats A Likely Source Of Future Pandemics

One of the many lessons from our —ongoing— battle with Covid-19 is that viral transfer from wild animals to humans, known as zoonosis, is a very real threat. And this isn’t the first time it’s happened: SARS-CoV-1, AIDS, and Ebola can all be put into the same category. Indeed, roughly ... read full

Battery-Free Implants: Powering Bioelectronics By Ultrasound

This article was originally published on Forbes on 1/23/24. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in bioelectronic devices. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore normal function to tissues and organs damaged by disease, ... read full

A Promising New Approach For Glaucoma

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Can CAR T Therapy Be Delivered By Direct Injection?

CAR T therapy, a powerful cancer treatment hindered by high manufacturing costs, may find accessibility using direct viral injections.

GETTY What if CAR T cells, revolutionary cancer fighters normally manufactured in the lab, could be created inside the patient? This quest to simplify CAR T therapy has brought two biotech ... read full

Study Identifies Genes Involved In Healthy Aging

This story is one of many exploring recent advances in the science of longevity and aging. The following few articles in the series, including this one, will focus on the relationship between genetics and longevity; Which genes are involved in aging and longevity? How are they involved? What are the ... read full

Combating Alzheimer’s With Focused Ultrasound Drug Delivery

This article was originally published on Forbes on 1/19/24. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in Alzheimer’s therapy. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore normal function to tissues and organs damaged by disease, ... read full

Safeguarding the Senses: The Importance of Early Treatment for Pediatric Cataracts

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Progress in Treating High Cholesterol: Clinical Trial Interim Results

High cholesterol can cause plaque buildup in the arteries. Over time, this can lead to heart attack. One clinical trial aims to lower LDL cholesterol for a lifetime with a single infusion of gene-editing RNA.

GETTY A new, CRISPR-powered gene therapy seeks to rewrite ... read full

Advances In Managing Paralytic Strabismus: A Look Toward The Future

  This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Beyond Patching: Exploring Diverse Treatment Options For Amblyopia

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Cre-LoxP: Issues Modulating Genes in the Immune System

Cre-loxP, a powerful tool for preclinical cancer research, possesses intrinsic pitfalls that can alter result accuracy, according to an editorial paper in Oncoscience.

GETTY Cancer and other diseases could be treated by turning certain genes on and off in the immune system. The method used to activate and inactivate these ... read full

Using Responsive Deep Brain Stimulation for OCD

This article was originally published on Forbes on 1/12/24. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in brain stimulation therapies. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore normal function to tissues and organs damaged by ... read full

The Growing Global Epidemic of Childhood Myopia: Is Atropine the Answer?

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

The Interconnected Body: How the Eyes Reveal Signs of Cardiovascular Disease

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Genetic Lottery? Some Versions Of FOXO3 Help Extend Lifespan

This story is one of many exploring recent advances in the science of longevity and aging. The following few articles in the series, including this one, will focus on the relationship between genetics and longevity: Which genes are involved in aging and longevity? How are they involved? What are the ... read full

Illuminating the Options for Treating Night Blindness

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Muscle Memory: Peeling Back the Layers of EMG Sensors in Prosthetics

This article was originally published on Forbes on 1/5/2024. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in brain-machine interfaces. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been ... read full

New Hope for Patients with Ocular Toxoplasmosis: Advances in Alternative Therapies

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Beyond Traditional Treatments: Laser Therapies for Diabetic Macular Edema

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

A New Class Of Suppressive T Cells Promotes Self Recognition and Prevents Autoimmunity, Plus a Warning

Regulatory T cells protect the body from misdirected or overly excited immune responses. A new study highlights previously unknown characteristics of these cells that could guide the development of Treg-based immunotherapies.

GETTY This story on regulatory T cell function and its therapeutic potential falls within a greater series on regenerative ... read full

Fight Against Macular Edema: The Power of Antibodies Unleashed

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Resolvins: Firefighters In The Battle Against Chronic Inflammation

This story is one of many exploring recent advances in the science of longevity and aging. Topics include musculoskeletal health, cognitive health, genetic predisposition to disease, inflammation, and many others.    Inflammation is a complex, multi-step process. Like an elaborate domino setup, several different molecules need to act together to stimulate and ... read full

Next-Gen Brain Implants: Overcoming Challenges For A Seamless Connection

This article was originally published on Forbes on 12/29/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in brain-machine interfaces. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been ... read full

Tackling Thyroid Eye Disease with Teprotumumab

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

A Clearer Future for Eye Floaters

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

“Know Thyself”: How Genetic Testing Can Help Extend Your Lifespan

  This story is one of many exploring recent advances in the science of longevity and aging. Whereas prior articles in this series have focused on musculoskeletal aging, this article marks a shift toward the topic of genetics. Which genes are involved in aging and longevity? How are they involved? What ... read full

Understanding Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

CAR T Therapy May Cause Rare Cancer & How CRISPR Could Be The Solution

Digital illustration of genetic engineering.

GETTY Could CAR T Therapy, an innovative treatment for certain blood cancers, cause lymphoma? Reports from clinical trials and data released after product approval suggest that the treatment could trigger the development of cancerous T cells in rare cases. Although the therapy’s benefits continue to ... read full

Seeing the Unseen: Unraveling the Mysteries of Color Perception

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Walking The Path To Recovery: The Future Of Parkinson's Care

This article was originally published on Forbes on 12/22/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in brain-machine interfaces. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been ... read full

MicroMachines: Advances In Biorobotic Regenerative Medicine

This article was originally published on Forbes on 12/22/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in robotics. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged ... read full

Electrifying Results: Restoring Partial Color Vision in Retinitis Pigmentosa Patients with Retinal Implants

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

A Colorful Cure: How Gene Therapy Is Treating Blue Cone Monochromacy

  This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Relief for Lower Back Pain May Be On the Way for Millions

This article is part of a broad series on recent advances in the science and medicine of longevity and aging. The series covers a range of topics, including musculoskeletal health. Expect more articles on bone and muscle regeneration to follow.   New findings by scientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine ... read full

How To Maintain Muscle Mass And Strength As You Age

This article is part of a broad series on recent advances in the science and medicine of longevity and aging. The series covers a range of topics, including musculoskeletal health. Expect more articles on bone and muscle regeneration to follow.   There are a number of everyday activities that are easy to ... read full

Aging Of The Spinal Cord Linked To Enzyme, Study Reveals

This article is part of a broad series on recent advances in the science and medicine of longevity and aging. The series covers a range of topics, including musculoskeletal health. Expect more articles on bone and muscle regeneration to follow.   Our spinal cord is a highway of information; it is what allows ... read full

Enzyme Linked To Loss Of Muscle Mass In Older Adults, Study Finds

This article is part of a broad series on recent advances in the science and medicine of longevity and aging. The series covers a range of topics, including musculoskeletal health. Expect more articles on bone and muscle regeneration to follow.   Muscle is what keeps us moving. It is integral to athletic performance, ... read full

Can We Turn Old Bones Young Again? Research Suggests Yes

This article is part of a broad series on recent advances in the science and medicine of longevity and aging. The series covers a range of topics, including musculoskeletal health. Expect more articles on bone and muscle regeneration to follow.   Our weight rests on our bones; they provide structure to everything else. ... read full

Discovery Of New Cells May Help Reverse Osteoarthritis

  This article is part of a broad series on recent advances in the science and medicine of longevity and aging. The series covers a range of topics, including musculoskeletal health. Expect more articles on bone and muscle regeneration to follow.   Osteoarthritis has long been considered a “wear-and-tear” disease — with repeated ... read full

Inflammation In The Brain Linked To Aging And Cognitive Decline

This article is part of a series on recent advances in the science and medicine of longevity.    Aging is generally considered inevitable. Eternal life, albeit highly sought after, is ultimately deemed a pipe dream. But as science and medicine continue their dogged onward march, aging is starting to look less set ... read full

Mitochondrial DNA And Aging: What’s The Connection?

Cells, like us humans, grow old with time. As they do, they begin to secrete inflammatory molecules. A little inflammation is important for wound healing and for fighting infections, but it needs to be “turned off” again afterward, otherwise it begins to damage the very thing it was trying to ... read full

Old Cells Gone Bad: Fighting Senescent Cells With CAR-T Technology

Just as we age, so do our cells. These old cells, known as “senescent cells”, can begin to pile up over time, releasing all kinds of inflammatory proteins into our body. Low-level inflammation of this type has been associated with a number of age-related diseases: cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, stroke, ... read full

Bone To Pick: MicroRNA Contributes To Bone And Muscle Loss With Age

Odds are you’ve never heard of microRNAs. Even if you have, you might not care much. New research, published in , might convince you otherwise: microRNA-141-3p increases with age, and alongside it a number of issues, including weakened bones, chronic inflammation, and shrinking muscle mass. The findings suggest that blocking ... read full

Forever Young? The Naked Mole Rat Teaches Scientists About Longevity

Can the humble naked mole rat help us extend our life span? Researchers at the University of Rochester think so. Their latest findings, published in the journal , provide convincing proof of principle: transferring a gene from naked mole rats into ordinary mice helps extend their lives by almost five ... read full

A Golden Opportunity: Using Gold Contacts to Correct Color Blindness

  This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

Printing A Rainbow: The Technological Advances In Correcting Color Vision

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues and organs damaged by disease, injured by ... read full

The View From Within: An Interior View Of Physiological Function

This article was originally published on Forbes on 12/15/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in regenerative devices and technologies. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that ... read full

Medical Text Written By Artificial Intelligence Outperforms Doctors

This article was originally published on Forbes on 12/15/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in artificial intelligence. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been ... read full

Seeing The World Through Color-Blind Eyes

    This article was published on Forbes on 12/8/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision. This marks the first story in a small series on color blindness and ... read full

Viral Awakening: The Hidden Threat of Human Herpes 6 (HHV-6) in CAR T Therapy

Before any treatment, each clinician and patient must determine whether the anticipated benefits outweigh the potential toll caused on the body. Study results published in Nature suggest that latent virus reactivation may be a valid point to consider for CAR T and other immunotherapies.

GETTY All medicine—from Tylenol to the ... read full

The Healing Power of Hydrogels for Uveitis

  This article was published on Forbes on 12/4/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore tissues ... read full

Wearable Ultrasounds: A Sonic Leap In Regenerative Medicine

This article was originally published on Forbes on 12/7/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in wearable devices. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been ... read full

Is A Retinal Picture Worth a Thousand Diagnoses?

This article was published on Forbes on 12/2/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to ... read full

Photodynamic Therapy Offers Non-Invasive Solution for Bullous Retinal Detachment

Realistic human eye hologram, cross sectional cut, isolate side view on black background. Healthcare concept, vision, catheract, ostegmatism, laser eye surgery. 3D illustration, 3D render.

This article was published on Forbes on 11/28/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is ... read full

Allergy Relief in Sight: Immunotherapy for Allergic Conjunctivitis

Woman with inflamed eye suffering from conjunctivitis, closeup

This article was published on Forbes on 11/28/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative ... read full

Seeing through the Symptoms: The Power of Eye Drops in Conjunctivitis Treatment

This article was published on Forbes on 11/26/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.   In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to ... read full

A Viral Cure for Pink Eye? Bacteriophages Show Promise as a Therapeutic Option

This article was published on Forbes on 11/24/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to ... read full

Advancing Pain Management: Exploring The Frontiers Of Electroanalgesia

This article was originally published on Forbes on 12/1/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in electrotherapy. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged ... read full

Seeking a Solution: Probiotic-Guided CAR T Cells for Solid Tumors

3D concept of probiotic cells in intestines.

GETTY Beyond yogurt ads and health supplements, probiotics could revitalize cell-based cancer immunotherapies such as CAR T therapy. Surprisingly, a paper published in Science demonstrates show how these live microorganisms can guide supercharged T cells into the ... read full

NOX4 Inhibition: A Promising New Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy

This article was published on Forbes on 11/22/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision. This piece also marks part three in a small series on diabetic retinopathy.   In ... read full

The Role of AI in Improving Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programs

Image of human eye in process of scanning. Mixed media

This article was published on Forbes on 11/20/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision. This piece ... read full

UK Approves Groundbreaking CRISPR-based Gene Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia

 

SEM of a sickle cell red blood cell

GETTY This week marks an incredible win for modern medicine. The first CRISPR-based gene therapy has just been approved for clinical use in the United Kingdom. Casegvy (Exa-cel), developed by Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics, relies on ... read full

Exploring Emotion Recognition With Brain-Machine Interfaces

This article was originally published on Psychology Today on 11/22/23. One of the great mysteries of mankind is the perception of emotion. We understand the parts of the brain where emotions come from and the chemical reactions that produce them, but feelings remain a subjective experience, differing from person to person. ... read full

The Healing Code: Deciphering Vagus Nerve's Impact on Pediatric Gut Health

This article was originally published on Forbes on 11/17/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in vagus nerve stimulation. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have ... read full

Opening the Floodgates: The Role of SRC-3 in Regulatory T Cell Suppression

Opening the floodgates of the immune system could help the body fight cancer. As described in a previous installment, researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine successfully eliminated breast and prostate tumors in mice by altering the expression of a specific protein in their regulatory T cells. Peering deeper, this ... read full

Reclaim Your Sight: How Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery and Microshunts are Changing the Game

Rear view of male surgeon wearing surgical mask in operation theater at hospital

This article was published on Forbes on 11/9/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring ... read full

How Regulatory T Cells Can Reduce Solid Tumors in Mice

This is the first installment in a group of stories on regulatory T cell function and its potential to treat cancer. This work falls within a greater series on regenerative medicine.  In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that ... read full

The Eyes Have It: Gene Therapy Offers Hope for Glaucoma Treatment

 

Senior woman in glasses rubs her eyes, suffering from tired eyes, ocular diseases concept

This article was published on Forbes on 11/3/2023.   This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in ... read full

Specialized Approaches For Strabismus Treatment

This article was published on Forbes on 10/30/2023.   This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to ... read full

ChatGPT And Depression: Exploring AI's Role In Mental Health Care

This story was originally published on Forbes on 11/3/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in artificial intelligence technologies. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have ... read full

Opening Our Eyes To Stem Cells For Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy

Eye, a man with a close-up. Black background.

This article was published on Forbes on 10/26/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative ... read full

The Rise Of Self-Eye Exams: Can They Replace Visiting An Eye Care Provider?

This article was published on Forbes on 10/23/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to ... read full

The Sound Of Progress: Reconstruction Of Music Using Brain-Machine Technology

This article was originally published on Forbes on 10/27/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in brain-machine interfaces. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been ... read full

JN.1: The Odd Man Out Among Omicron Sublineages

This article was originally published on Forbes on 10/26/23. A new Covid-19 variant demonstrates the rapid adaptability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This latest emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant, JN.1, was identified in Luxembourg on August 25, 2023, followed by England, Iceland, France, and the United States. In the GISAID SARS-CoV-2 database, there are ... read full

Bionic Breakthrough: The Future of Bioelectronic Prosthetics

SWNS This article was originally published on Forbes on 10/25/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in brain-machine interfaces. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been ... read full

Disparities in Cataract Care are a Sorry Sight

This article was published on Forbes on 10/16/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision. It also marks part four of a four-part series on cataracts.   In 1999, I ... read full

Aravind: An Answer to India’s Cataract Problem 

    This article was published on Forbes on 10/13/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision. It also marks part three of a four-part series on cataracts.   In 1999, I ... read full

The Chatbot Revolution: Transforming Healthcare With AI Language Models

This story was originally published on Forbes on 10/18/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in artificial intelligence technologies. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have ... read full

Bridging Gaps for Affordable Cell and Gene Therapies: Overcoming Financial and Systematic Obstacles

  This story is reprinted with the kind permission of Inside Precision Medicine. Regenerative medicine has emerged as a promising treatment option for chronic medical conditions. Specifically, cell and gene therapies, innovative forms of regenerative medicine, have shown great potential in personalizing and targeting disease treatment. These cutting-edge therapies leverage a patient’s ... read full

Shedding New Light on Cataract Care

This article was published on Forbes on 10/5/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision. It also marks part two of a four-part series on cataracts.   In 1999, I ... read full

Under Pressure: Advances in Haptic Textiles for Sensory Feedback

Rice University This story was originally published on Forbes on 10/10/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in the use of haptic textiles for sensory feedback. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal ... read full

What Causes Our Skin To Age? Inflammation A Likely Suspect

When we are young, a cut or scrape heals within a matter of days — the skin is thick and regenerates easily. But as we age, our skin loses elasticity and becomes thinner, weakening its regenerative capacity. Now, researchers at the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology have uncovered what ... read full

The Needle’s Edge: Autonomous Robotic Surgery and its Implications for Medicine

This article was originally published on Forbes on 10/6/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in the use of artificial intelligence in medical robotics. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function ... read full

How To Mend A Broken Heart: Scientists Chip In

Research by scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham may herald a breakthrough in the treatment and management of heart attacks and other similar damage. Published in Circulation, the work by Jianyi “Jay” Zhang and his colleagues reveals that certain genes may extend our heart’s ... read full

Understanding A Global Vision Crisis: Cataracts

 

Consultation with an ophthalmologist. Medical equipment. Coreometry

This article was published on Forbes on 9/29/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision. It also marks part one ... read full

The Synergy of Artificial Intelligence and Robots in Medical Practice

Originally published on Forbes on 9/29/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in the use of artificial intelligence in medical robotics. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs ... read full

How Exercise Helps Fight Alzheimer’s Disease

A silent pandemic is underway. In 2016, , cuts through some of the fog, providing novel avenues for treatment. Working out of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Eunhee Kim and colleagues describe how a protein called irisin breaks down amyloid beta in the brain, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.   What ... read full

Through a New Lens: The Promise of Virtual Reality for Enhancing Vision Therapy

This article was published on Forbes on 9/26/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to ... read full

Electrical Signals Of The Brain To Control Movement

HANOVER, GERMANY: A mannequin is fitted with a prototype of a “mental typewriter”, which is an EEG (Electro Encephalogramme Measurement) Cap that processes electric impulses from the brain into commands for a computer at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Architecture and Software Technology stand during the 2006 CeBIT ... read full

A Pomegranate A Day Keeps The Doctor Away? Researchers Rejuvenate Aging Immune Systems

Our immune system weakens as we age, leaving us more vulnerable to infections, diseases, and tumors. New research has uncovered a key molecule that seems capable of curbing, and even reversing, this age-related decline in immune function. Published in Nature Aging, the findings provide yet another piece ... read full

Unknown Player, Untapped Potential? Using Gamma-Delta T Cells For CAR T Therapy

Originally published on Forbes Sep 18, 2023. 

A lesser-known population of T cells has the potential to improve several limitations of conventional CAR T therapy.

GETTY In the ever-evolving world of cell therapy, researchers often turn to T cells—a type of white blood cell—to transform the way we treat cancer. This ... read full

Current Costs and Technology Limit Brain-Machine Interfaces

Originally published on Forbes on 9/22/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in brain-machine interfaces. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged by disease, ... read full

NeuraViPeR: A Ray of Hope for the Visually Impaired

This article was published on Forbes on 9/14/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in brain-machine interfaces. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged ... read full

A Different Kind of Cancer Killer: Improving CAR NK Cell Therapy

Originally published on Forbes on September 7, 2023. 

Unlike cytotoxic T cells, natural killer (NK) cells attack cancerous cells without deliberate activation. This may give natural killer cells an advantage when paired with chimeric antigen receptor therapy.

GETTY Recent cancer advance CAR T therapy relies on the killing power of cytotoxic ... read full

Rejuvenating Old Brains: Platelet Factor 4 (PF4)

What do blood transfusions, exercise, and a longevity hormone have in common? All three help improve cognitive health and, to varying extents, rejuvenate the brain. The issue? Nobody could pinpoint the exact molecule responsible for the improvements. Now, three teams of researchers —two teams based at the University of California ... read full

Building The Brain-Machine Connection: Deciphering Thoughts For Action

This article was published on Forbes on 9/8/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in brain-computer interfaces. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged ... read full

Can We Turn Back The Clock? Parabiosis Research Suggests Yes

What if you could turn back the clock on biological age? What if, instead of growing older by the day, you grew younger by the day? New research by scientists at Harvard Medical School suggests this may be less science fiction than it seems. Published in read full

A Sight to Behold: Correcting Vision with Glasses, Contacts, and LASIK

Originally published on Forbes on 8/29/2023 This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function ... read full

How mRNA Could Safely Replace Blood Stem Cell Transplantation

Originally published on Forbes on August 23, 2023. 

This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged ... read full

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells For Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Originally published on Forbes on 8/22/2023   This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function ... read full

Wastewater Analysis Update On BA.2.86 In The United States: It’s Here, Be Careful

Fisherman with rod, spinning reel on the river bank. Sunrise. Fishing for pike, perch, carp. Fog against the backdrop of lake. background Misty morning. wild nature. The concept of a rural getaway. – GETTY

This article was originally published on Forbes on 8/25/23. In a previous , I described the ... read full

Covid-19: The Shapeshifting Protean Virus

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/397434 Originally published on Forbes on 8/24/2023. SARS-CoV-2 is a protean virus. It seems designed to reinfect a previously infected host, changing its outer coat as well as some of its properties. The virus is also adapting to a number of new environments, including human and other animals. As a result, we ... read full

How mRNA Could Cure Sickle Cell Gene Mutations

Originally published on Forbes on August 18, 2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged by disease, injured by trauma, or ... read full

Breakthrough in Gene Therapy: Epidermolysis Bullosa

Originally published on Forbes on 8/17/2023   This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye.   In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have ... read full

How mRNA Could Reinvent Blood Stem Cell Transplant Preparations

Originally published on Forbes on August 15, 2023. 

Lipid nanoparticle mRNA vaccine. A type of vaccine used against Covid-19 and influenza. 3D illustration showing cross-section of the lipid nanoparticle carrying mRNA of the virus entering a human cell

GETTY This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. ... read full

Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help Treat Eye Diseases?

Originally published on Forbes on 8/14/2023   Omega-3 fatty acids have been touted as essential nutrients for overall health, but it is important to look critically at the potential benefits of omega-3s for eye health. While studies show that consuming omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce the risk of developing macular degeneration ... read full

Eyeing A Cure: Stem Cell Treatments For Macular Degeneration

Originally published on Forbes on 8/11/2023   This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye, and it marks the first of a three-part series on dry age-related macular degeneration.   In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as ... read full

Translating Thoughts Into Words: Advances In Brain-Machine Communication

This article was originally published on Forbes on 8/16/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in brain-computer interfaces. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been ... read full

A Closer Look At Protein-Based Therapies For Dry Macular Degeneration

Originally published on Forbes on 8/4/2023 This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye, and it marks the second of a three-part series on dry age-related macular degeneration. Future pieces in the series include ... read full

In-Ear Bioelectronic May Replace Leading Brain-Computer Implants

This article was originally published on Forbes on 8/9/23. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses advances in brain-computer interfaces. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been ... read full

Gene Therapy Solutions For Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Originally published on Forbes on 8/1/2023 This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye, and it marks the third of a three-part series on dry age-related macular degeneration. Other pieces in the series include ... read full

Stem Cell Therapies For Retinal Disorders Are A Sight For Sore Eyes

Originally published on Forbes on 7/29/2023   This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.  In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function ... read full

Innovations in Skeletal Regeneration: Bridging the Gap in Bone Health

This article was published on Forbes on 8/5/2023. This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece discusses the regeneration of the skeletal system. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have ... read full

In the Blink of an Eye: Lifitegrast for Dry Eyes

Originally published on Forbes on 7/20/2023  

Close-up of beautiful little girl brown eye. Macro photograph.

    Burning, itching, watering eyes. Few things are a bigger nuisance than irritated eyes, so it’s no surprise there are so many options for dry eye relief. While various treatment options are available for dry eyes, ... read full

Treating Troubling Tumors: CAR T Therapy for Aggressive Childhood T Cell Leukemia

Originally published on Forbes on July 18, 2023. 

New research suggests that CAR T therapy, an effective treatment for certain relapsed B cell cancers, could potentially treat children with aggressive T cell leukemia.

GETTY In recent years, CAR T therapy has become an established treatment for patients suffering from blood cancers ... read full

Seeing The Future: Artificial Intelligence For Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Originally published on Forbes on 7/17/2023     This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision. More specifically, this piece continues our discussion of age-related macular degeneration.   In 1999, I defined regenerative ... read full

Feast Your Eyes On DARPins For Vision Loss

Originally published on Forbes on 7/14/2023     This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.    In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function ... read full

Kidney Function Successfully Modeled In Cell Culture

Originally published on Forbes on July 19, 2023. 

3D illustration of human kidneys with cross-section GETTY

Scientists have made a remarkable breakthrough in kidney research. In a paper published in the journal Biology Communications, a team of researchers at Kyoto University led by Ramin Sadeghian present an innovative ... read full

A Drop of Hope for Dry Eyes

Originally published on Forbes on 7/11/2023     Dry eye disease is a condition that afflicts millions of people worldwide, causing constant discomfort and affecting their quality of life. One of the key culprits behind this condition is meibomian gland dysfunction, which hinders eye lubrication and moisture by preventing the normal secretion of ... read full

CAR T Cells Derived From Stem Cells Open Door To Universal Donor Cell Lines

Originally published on Forbes on July 10th, 2023. 

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), a continuing muse in cell therapy research, could potentially be used to improve flaws associated with conventional CAR T therapy.

GETTY What if an effective cancer treatment became cheaper and easier to produce? One builds on this vision ... read full

Perception is in the Eye of the Beholder

Originally published on Psychology Today on 7/6/2023     How optical illusions work has been long-debated among scientists and philosophers who wonder whether these illusions stem from neural processing in the eye or involve higher-level cognitive processes such as context and prior knowledge.    New research has found that many visual illusions are caused ... read full

Nasal Covid Vaccines: The Latest Tool To Fend Off Covid-19

Originally published on Forbes on 7/12/2023. A new nasally administered Covid-19 vaccine shows greater promise in protecting patients from both Omicron infection and disease progression than traditional vaccines used throughout the pandemic. A defining feature of the Covid pandemic is the ongoing mutation of the virus to avoid our medical interventions. ... read full

Early Success: mRNA & CAR T Therapy To Treat Rare Autoimmune Disease Myasthenia Gravis

Originally published on Forbes on July 7th, 2023. 

Drooping eyelids, referred to as ptosis, are a common symptom of myasthenia gravis. The disease can weaken muscles around the eye, as well as muscles involved with walking, breathing, and more.

GETTY Medical innovation Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR T) therapy has ... read full

New Treatment Gives Hope to Chronic Hepatitis D Patients

This story was originally published on Forbes on July 6, 2023.

This story is part of a larger series on viroids and virusoids, small infectious RNAs. It is also the seventh installment in a series on hepatitis D virus, a virusoid-like pathogen that causes serious human disease. You ... read full

Enhanced MHC-I Suppression In Omicron Variants: A Key Factor In Sustained Infection

Originally published on Forbes on 7/10/2023. Recent analyses show that Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 more strongly suppress major histocompatibility complex class I expression than previous versions of the virus. Throughout the pandemic, the latest versions of SARS-CoV-2 adapted well to our immune systems to avoid clearance. Once the virus enters the cell, ... read full

A Clear Vision: Anti-VEGF Treatment for Neovascular “Wet” Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Originally published on Forbes on 7/5/2023     This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.  In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function ... read full

New Organ Models Open Up Avenues Of Research For Lung Disease

Originally published in Forbes on July 05, 2023.   Lung diseases like emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are a leading cause of death worldwide. With the advent of COVID-19, these diseases have only become more prevalent. Despite the severity of lung diseases, there are few available treatments that can alleviate ... read full

Viroids and Virusoids: Hiding In Plain Sight

Originally published in Forbes on June 29, 2023. This story is part of a larger series on viroids and virusoids, small infectious RNAs. You may read the others on  or. Viroids and virusoids are a special kind of pathogen: small, circular strands of RNA that can infect hosts and cause disease. Think ... read full

The Future Of Cancer Treatment? Treating Multiple Myeloma With MRNA-CAR T Technology

Originally published on Forbes on June 27th, 2023.  At the frontier of cancer treatment development, there is hope for two modern technologies to combine and achieve unprecedented results: messenger RNA and Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy. Biopharm company Cartesian Therapeutics is determined to use this unique platform to benefit patients ... read full

The Future of Fabric: Programmable Weaving Unleashes Smart Fabric Potential

This article was originally published on Forbes on 7/3/2023. The following is part of a series on brain-machine integration and biomechanical solutions to restore function to tissues damaged by disease, trauma, or time. This and the piece focus on wearable sensors and their immediate and future applications. A new textile electronic ... read full

Eyes On The Prize: The Latest Developments in Retinal Gene Therapies

Originally published on Forbes on 6/26/2023     This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.  In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function ... read full

Enhancing Knee Health: The Power Of Wearable Sensor Technology

Originally published on Forbes on 6/28/2023. The following is part of a series on brain-machine integration and biomechanical solutions to restore function to tissues damaged by disease, trauma, or time. This and the subsequent piece focus on wearable sensors and their immediate and future applications. Advances in wearable sensor technology may improve ... read full

Hepatitis D Virus-Like Agents Are Ubiquitous Throughout The Animal Kingdom

This article was originally published on Forbes on June 22, 2023.

This story is part of a larger series on viroids and virusoids, small infectious RNAs. It is also the eighth installment in a series on hepatitis D virus, a virusoid-like pathogen that causes serious human disease. You may ... read full

Eye-Catching Innovations: Gene Therapies For Retinal Disorders

Originally published on Forbes on 6/22/2023     This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.  In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function ... read full

Cancer Treatment CAR T Therapy Prolongs Survival Over Standard Care

Originally published on Forbes on June 20th, 2023. 

CAR T product Yescarta prolongs survival longer than standard care for patients with early relapsed or refractory large diffuse B cell lymphoma, according to new study results. This is an encouraging sign that CAR T therapy may continue to jump to ... read full

Safeguarding Athletes' Futures: Using MRI To Unveil The Hidden Impact Of Head Trauma

Originally published on Forbes on 6/23/2023. The following is part of a series on brain-machine integration and biomechanical solutions to restore function to tissues damaged by disease, trauma, or time. Advances in MRI microstructure biomarker identification may help stop long-term brain injury in athletes before it’s too late. Every year in the ... read full

Exploring The Potential Of Microrobots For Targeted Drug Delivery

Originally published on Forbes on 6/21/2023. The following is part of a series on brain-machine integration and biomechanical solutions to restore function to tissues damaged by disease, trauma, or time. Enhanced microrobots in our bloodstream may be the next step forward for therapeutic delivery technology. When a patient is administered a drug ... read full

Might Hepatitis D Virus Cause More Diseases Than Initially Thought?

Originally published on Forbes on June 16, 2023. This story is part of a larger series on viroids and virusoids, small infectious RNAs. It is also the seventh installment in a series on hepatitis D virus, a virusoid-like pathogen that causes serious human disease. You may read the others on  or Virusoids ... read full

Molecular Acrobatics: A Look At Hepatitis D Virus Replication

Originally published on Forbes on 6/12/2023

This story is part of a larger series on viroids and virusoids, small infectious RNAs. It is also the sixth installment in a series on hepatitis D virus, a virusoid-like pathogen that causes serious human disease. You may read the others on read full

To Kill And Kill Again: How Cytotoxic T Cells Attack Target After Target

Originally published on Forbes on June 15, 2023.

Killer T cells (blue) attack cancer cells (yellow). Recent research reveals key insights into how a killer T cell quickly releases one target cell and moves onto another target.

GETTY Cytotoxic T cells, also known as the “killer” T cells, provide the foundation ... read full

The Road to CRISPR Vision

Originally published on Forbes on 6/14/2023   This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function ... read full

No Pain, FAAH-OUT

Originally published on Forbes on June 19, 2023 Researchers from the University College London have brought us one step closer to understanding how we feel pain. Their study, published in Brain, describes a rare genetic mutation found in a patient who can feel no physical ... read full

Breaking The Sound Barrier: The FDA's Approval of Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

Originally published on Forbes on 6/16/2023. The following is part of a series on brain-machine integration and biomechanical solutions to restore function to tissues damaged by disease, trauma, or time. The Food and Drug Administration’s recent approval of over-the-counter hearing aids will improve health outcomes for the hearing impaired. Over 25 million ... read full

How Hepatitis D Virus Hijacks Host Replication Machinery

Originally published on Forbes on June 9, 2023.  This story is part of a larger series on viroids and virusoids, small infectious RNAs. It is also the fifth installment in a series on hepatitis D virus, a virusoid-like pathogen that causes serious human disease. You may read the others on ... read full

What Are Our Eyes Telling Us?

Originally published on Forbes on 6/9/2023 This story is part of a series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. This piece starts a series dedicated to the eye and improvements in restoring vision.  In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and ... read full

Beyond Paralysis: Advances In Brain-Spine Interfaces For Post-Injury Movement Restoration

Originally published on Forbes on 6/12/2023

Gert-Jan (left) and a scientist walk with his “digital bridge.”

CHUV / GILLES WEBER   The following is part of a series on brain-machine integration and biomechanical solutions to restore function to tissues damaged by disease, trauma, or time. The latest advances in brain-spine interface technology may ... read full

An Automated Solution: Simplifying Diabetes Control With The iLet Bionic Pancreas

The following is the third part of a series on brain-machine integration and biomechanical solutions to restore function to tissues damaged by disease, trauma, or time. The FDA recently granted clearance to a new insulin pump delivery system, marking a major step forward for those ... read full

At Last, People Can Believe Your Pain

When visiting the doctor, one of the first questions patients are asked about their pain is, “How badly does it hurt on a scale from 0-10?”. While these pain ratings are a common method to help physicians diagnose chronic pain syndromes, they actually represent a significant barrier that doctors face ... read full

Too Hot To Handle: Restoring Thermal Sensation To Upper-Limb Amputees

The following is the first part of a series on brain-machine integration and biomechanical solutions to restore function to tissues damaged by disease, trauma, or time. Recent advances in prosthetic design for upper-limb amputees may restore thermal sensation in the near future. Over 180,000 people undergo limb amputation in the United ... read full

Adapted SynNotch, A New Generation Of Flexible And Controllable CAR T Therapies (Part 3)

This is the final installment in our series on alternate CAR T therapies. describes a version of CAR T which uses a universal adaptor. introduces SNAPtag, an alternative CAR T therapy. Visit the website for more on CAR T therapies.  In a previous installment, we described an alternative ... read full

Restoring The Sense Of Touch: Advances In Artificial Skin Technology

The following is the first part of a series on brain-machine integration and biomechanical solutions to restore function to tissues damaged by disease, trauma, or time. Researchers have developed haptic technology over the past several years to recreate touch sensation by applying forces to a user. Haptics have been implemented in ... read full

Does The Hepatitis D Genome Encode Proteins From Both The “Plus” And “Minus” Strands?

This story is part of a larger series on viroids and virusoids, small infectious RNAs. It is also the fourth installment in a series on hepatitis D virus, a virusoid-like pathogen that causes serious human disease. You may read the others on or. Here, we take a look at ... read full

SynNotch, A New Generation Of Flexible And Controllable CAR T Therapies (Part 2)

Perhaps complex at first glance, in reality synNotch receptors function simply and possess unseen therapeutic potential.

WIKIHOW, RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE   Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR T) therapy is a cell-based treatment that has garnered success in treating blood cancers like large B cell lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma. However, ... read full

A New Generation Of Flexible And Controllable CAR T Therapies

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR T) therapy is one of the exciting new modalities of cancer treatment. The therapy modifies a patient’s own immune cells to treat specific tumors. This is traditionally accomplished by bioengineering hybrid receptors and attaching them onto a set of killer T cells taken from ... read full

How One Man's Rare Alzheimer’s Mutation Delayed The Onset Of Disease

Neurologists have discovered a genetic mutation that may protect the brain from dementia. Francisco Lopera, a researcher at the University of Antioquia in Colombia, has spent almost forty years studying a family of individuals with a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease that causes them to develop symptoms of dementia in ... read full

Cold-Causing Coronaviruses Can Kill

As we enter our fourth year of living with Covid-19, our fervent hope is that Covid-19 may become like many other cold-causing coronaviruses. While this would be a far better outcome than years past, it is by no means the end of our troubles with this virus. Cold-causing coronaviruses return ... read full

The Many Functions Of The Hepatitis D Antigen Proteins

This story is part of a larger series on viroids and virusoids, small infectious RNAs. It is also the third installment in a series on hepatitis D virus, a virusoid-like pathogen that causes serious human disease. You may read the others on or. Here, we take a look at ... read full

A New Hope For Osteoarthritis Treatment And Prevention (Part 2)

In this second installment of our stories on osteoarthritis, we discuss a new approach for treatment and cure. Both stories are part of our series on regenerative medicine. We define regenerative medicine as any medical modality which restores normal function—whether damaged by disease, injured by trauma, disadvantaged by birth or ... read full

RNA Gymnastics: How Does Hepatitis Delta Virus Replicate?

This story is part of our series on viroids and virusoids, small infectious RNAs. The story is also the second installment in a series on hepatitis D virus, a virusoid-like pathogen that causes serious human disease. You may read the others on Forbes orread full

A New Understanding of Osteoarthritis: Synovial Inflammation Inhibits Cartilage Repair (Part 1)

This is the first of two stories describing recent progress in understanding the cause and potential treatment for osteoarthritis. In part two, we will discuss how this discovery may yield clinical benefits. This story is part of an extensive series on regenerative medicine. We define regenerative medicine as any medical ... read full

CAR T Therapy Dramatically Reduces Risk Of Relapse For Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells. Carvykti, a CAR T therapy by Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech, targets an antigen called BCMA found on the plasma cell surface and yields promising clinical results. 

LEGEND BIOTECH, JANSSEN BIOTECH, INC. 2023   More ... read full

The Mighty Virusoid: Hepatitis D

This is the first part of a series on hepatitis D virus, a virusoid-like pathogen that causes serious human disease. What follows is a description of the epidemiology and of the disease itself. Upcoming articles will delve into molecular biology, replication, and other issues. 

History

In 1977, a gastroenterologist ... read full

NANOG (Part 2): A Small Protein That Promotes Muscle Growth And Strength

This story on NANOG is part of an extended series on Regenerative Medicine. For other stories on this topic see  and search for Regenerative Medicine. My definition of Regenerative Medicine is any medical modality that returns us to normal health when we are damaged by disease, injured by trauma, disadvantaged by ... read full

Resurrection Of Covid Antibody Therapy: IgG3 Fc Fusion To The Rescue

Recent studies indicate the previously unknown protective value of non-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Throughout the pandemic, the search for monoclonal antibody treatments centered around neutralizing capacity. How well can an antibody neutralize the latest variants? As new variants arose, previously neutralizing antibodies lost their potency. In a previous read full

Are We Leaving Useful Antibodies Behind? The Value Of Non-Neutralizing Protective Monoclonal Antibodies

While common sense may suggest that antibodies that do not neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus are of little value, recent studies show they can still confer protection against infection. Monoclonal antibodies have been a very effective method for preventing and treating Covid-19. Unfortunately, the current generation of virus variants has mutated ... read full

What Will It Take to Prevent Future Pandemics?

Beyond COVID-19, there are innumerable other animal-borne viruses that could become new human viruses capable of causing global devastation. But not nearly enough is being done to identify the riskiest. FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT – Although COVID-19 restrictions are rapidly fading around the world, we are still reeling from the impact of ... read full

Contrary To Conventional Wisdom, Some Virusoids Do Produce Proteins

It’s axiomatic in reviews of virusoids that they are small circular RNAs that do not encode any proteins. Studies with the virusoid known as small circular satellite of rice yellow mottle virus (scRYMV) challenge this notion: not only does the virusoid produce proteins from its positive (+) strand RNA, it ... read full

Novel Broadly Neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibodies That Bind Across The Subunits Of The Spike Protein

A new antibody pair neutralizes all current variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2. There is an effective need for monoclonal antibody treatments for those suffering from moderate to severe Covid-19. While a number of treatments have been developed throughout the pandemic, the virus is continuously mutating, rendering many of these treatments ... read full

A Cure For Hepatitis C: Diagnosis And Direct-Acting Antiviral Drugs

This is the fifth installment in my series on progress toward the elimination of Hepatitis C infection and disease. Read more about Hepatitis C in  ,, and .

HEPATITIS C, CAUSED BY THE HEPATITIS C VIRUS, IS A DEADLY DISEASE THAT CAN BE CURED.

ACCESS INTERNATIONAL In previous articles of this series, ... read full

FDA Authorizes New Antibody Treatment For Severe Covid-19

A new antibody drug by pharmaceutical company inflaRx received FDA emergency use authorization to treat critically ill Covid-19 patients. One of the greatest hurdles for monoclonal antibody development during the Covid-19 pandemic is the ongoing mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Most antibodies introduced throughout ... read full

NANOG (Part 1): Its Role In Aging And Cancer

This is the first article in a series on the NANOG protein. Please see my companion series on klotho, another protein that may be involved in aging. You can read more about klotho in parts and of my series. In Celtic mythology, Tír na nÓg is an island paradise ... read full

Direct Acting Antiviral Drugs For The Treatment Of Hepatitis C

This is fourth installment in my series on progress toward the elimination of Hepatitis C infection and disease. Read more about Hepatitis C in , and part three.

Figure 1. The direct-acting antiviral targets in the hepatitis C virus replication cycle. NS3/4A protease inhibitors target ... read full

Virusoids: Viruses’ Very Own Parasites

This article is part of a series on subviral agents. The first three installments —which can be read here, here, and here, respectively— discussed viroids, the smallest known pathogens. Now, we turn to virusoids, which straddle the ... read full

Promising Monoclonal Antibodies For The Treatment Of Yellow Fever Virus

Yellow Fever virus is among the most dangerous pathogens circulating today. As many as half of hospitalized patients succumb to disease complications. The disease typically impacts tropical climates, such as central Africa and South America, where mosquitos are heavily present. However, the Yellow Fever virus has historically been a serious problem ... read full

Anti-ACE2 Monoclonal Antibodies To Prevent And Treat COVID-19

Early in the pandemic, monoclonal antibodies proved to be one of the most effective ways to prevent and treat Covid-related disease. Neutralizing antibodies are directed toward specific structures on the spike protein, specifically to the receptor binding domain. Unfortunately, the virus mutates under selective pressure over time, altering the structure of ... read full

Opening The Door To The Use Of Antibodies To Protect Plants From Pathogens

New technologies are currently being explored to protect our agriculturally important plants from invading pathogens. The advent of mass monoculture, that is to say, enormous numbers of plants with a similar genetic background, has provided an almost perfect environment for a wide variety of invading organisms, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, ... read full

Cell Therapy Prevents Risk of Heart Attack or Stroke: Study

Image of a person suffering from a cardiac illness.

GETTY All organs in the body rely on the blood and oxygen circulated by the heart. If the muscles of the heart weaken or stiffen too much, the heart—although still beating—can no longer pump enough to sustain other organs. This progressive ... read full

Altered CAR T Therapy Shrinks Ovarian Tumors In Mice

Serous carcinoma is the most common type of ovarian cancer, accounting for approximately 75% of epithelial ovarian cancers.

GETTY Cancer treatments are rapidly evolving with the advent of cell therapy. Within the last five years alone, CAR T therapy has become widely recognized for its ability to harness the immune ... read full

Progress Toward Effective Monoclonal Antibodies Treatments Against Covid-19 And Other Coronavirus Diseases

The greatest difficulty for vaccine and drug design three years into the Covid-19 pandemic is the proliferation of viral variants. Most antibodies target the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain, but this region is highly variable, leading to variants of concern such as Beta, Delta, and now Omicron. A potential solution to this problem ... read full

New T Cell Antibody Treatment Improves Outcomes For Moderate Covid Patients

The need for effective Covid-19 drugs is ever-expanding. Hundreds of millions, if not billions, have been infected by SARS-CoV-2 throughout the pandemic. Even today, thousands continue to be infected in what many claim to be a post-pandemic world. Antiviral drugs can prevent infection in those recently exposed to the virus ... read full

No Proteins, No Problem: Viroids Cause Disease By Silencing RNA

This article is part of a series on viroids. The first, , gave an overview of what viroids are and how they replicate. described the plant host range of viroids and their economic impact. Viroids are small, circular slivers of ribonucleic acid (RNA) that do not encode any proteins. Despite ... read full

Hepatitis C, The Disease, Epidemiology, Treatment, Eradication Part 3: United States Epidemiology

CONTINENTAL US MAP OF ESTIMATED NUMBER OF HEPATITIS C CASES FROM 2013-2016

HEPVU.ORG Hepatitis C is the leading blood borne infection, and the number one cause of liver disease in the United States. The Center for Disease Control estimates that 2.7 million people in the US are currently living with ... read full

Reimagining Alzheimer’s (Part 8): APOE4 Removal Reduces Symptoms Of Alzheimer’s Disease

This article is the eighth installment in my series on Alzheimer’s disease. Read more about Alzheimer’s disease in , , ,  , , and  of the series. If you are a person who has inherited the APOE4 gene, new research in mice suggests that knocking out the APOE4 gene dramatically reduces the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. The E4 ... read full

Prophylactic Antibodies Alter Vaccine Responses To Covid-19

We are now in the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is likely that Covid and the virus that causes it will be with us for many years. Most of us already have a complex history with Covid-19, including infection by the virus and exposure to a mix of ... read full

Viroids, A Farmer's Nightmare

This is the second article in a series on viroids. The first, , gave an overview of what viroids are and how they replicate.  Whether you’re a carnivore, omnivore, or a vegetarian, either you or what you eat depends on crops somewhere along the way. Food systems form the backbone of ... read full

Hepatitis C, The Disease, Epidemiology, Treatment, Eradication Part 2: Global Epidemiology

The World Health Organization currently estimates the global burden of Hepatitis C to be between 130 and 170 million people. Ideally, this figure, as well as stratifications by location, age, and gender, would be more precisely determined based on data from community-based studies. In most countries, however, the utilization of ... read full

Hope For Universal, Ready-Made CAR T Therapy For Multiple Myeloma

Micrograph of myeloma tumor from bone marrow biopsy

GETTY A hallmark characteristic of CAR T therapy is that it is individually crafted. Each patient receives a unique cancer-fighting infusion made from their own immune cells. The crucial process of genetically modifying the cells, however, is lengthy and costly. read full

Klotho: Hope For Increased Longevity And Reduced Neurodegenerative Disease (Part 2)

In the of this two-part series, I provided a brief overview of klotho and its biological function in the body. Here, I describe a recent study on the role of klotho in neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers have recently discovered a new protective quality of klotho protein in the brain. Klotho is ... read full

What are Viroids? Understanding the World’s Smallest Pathogen

Viruses, bacteria, and fungi; most people will have heard of these three major types of disease-causing microbes. Some will also have heard about protozoa, which are larger and more complex than the aforementioned three. The particularly studious may even know of prions, which are “infectious”, mis-folded proteins that cause neurodegenerative ... read full

Klotho: Hope For Increased Longevity And Reduced Neurodegenerative Disease (Part 1)

Renewed interest in a protein called klotho is pervading the scientific world. Klotho is a known anti-inflammatory protein that also contains anti-aging properties. In this two-part series, we will explore what klotho is, how it might impact inflammatory brain diseases, and how it ultimately prevents aging. The History of Klotho The Klotho ... read full

CAR T Cell-Like Therapy To Treat T Cell Leukemia (T-ALL)

Image of red blood cells and abnormal white blood cells in an acute lymphocytic leukemia cell blood smear, analyzed by microscope at 1000x magnification.

GETTY As part of our series in cellular therapy, we previously described how investigates a promising new approach inspired by CAR T therapy on mouse ... read full

Hepatitis C, The Disease, Epidemiology, Treatment, Eradication Part 1: The Disease

Diagram of the structure of the hepatitis C virus particle

BLAUSEN MEDICAL Hepatitis C is the leading cause of chronic liver disease and liver cancer in the world and affects an estimated 51 million people globally. Though the viral infection is easily diagnosable and treatable, a cure for hepatitis C ... read full

Will Nasal Vaccines Lift Us Out of the Pandemic?

There has been a great deal of buzz around nasal vaccines over the past two years. The idea is simple enough: stop infection at the source. Since SARS-CoV-2 enters through the nasal passages and lungs, bolstering our immune system in those areas may help keep the virus out, preventing infection ... read full

Can Intermittent Fasting Help You Live Longer?

New research suggests that one of the most effective weight loss strategies may be to not change what you eat, but rather, when. Time restricted eating, a form of intermittent fasting, gives you less opportunity to eat throughout the day. During periods of prolonged fasting, calories from the previous meal ... read full

Lab-Grown Red Blood Cells May Soon Be Available For Safe Transfusions

Efforts to develop lab-grown blood cells for blood transfusions may soon materialize. Since 2021, the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom has been working on RESTORE— a project dedicated to growing red blood cells from stem cells. The RESTORE project aims to ... read full

Inherited Differences In Antibody Genes May Explain Variable Responses To Covid-19 Infection

Three years into the Covid-19 pandemic, it is clear that some of us produce stronger immune reactions to infection than others. Some may only experience mild flu-like symptoms, while others could be hospitalized or worse. Recent research suggests there is more to humans’ variable ability to control infection than pure ... read full

Taking A Closer Look At Molnupiravir. Is Continued Use Justified?

This article is part of a larger series on the risks of molnupiravir. For a summary of the risks at the level of the individual, , and for an overview of the risks on a societal level, Mutations to the SARS-CoV-2 genome, especially in the spike protein, help the virus ... read full

Robotics Offer New Hope For Recovery From Traumatic Spinal Injuries

Researchers at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Russia have devised a robotic limb that may help patients recover normal leg movement after suffering from spinal injuries or stroke. The robotic limb uses a brain-machine interface and electrical stimulation of the spine ... read full

Artificial Intelligence Opens The Door To More Effective Antibodies - Potential Applications For Covid-19

One of the major time hindrances to the development of monoclonal antibodies is one of the first steps: identification. Advances in artificial intelligence antibody modeling may pave the way to reduce time spent during the identification process. Rather than sorting through millions of B-cell receptor sequences manually or with the ... read full

A New Hope For Glioblastoma Treatment

Reminiscent of a Trojan horse, researchers optimize on a cancer cell’s ability to attract and find other cancer cells to infiltrate glioblastoma brain tumors.

GETTY Glioblastoma is one of the most deadly and recalcitrant cancers to impact the brain. The cancer forms masses of tumors on the surface of the ... read full

Will Receptor Decoys Both Prevent And Treat SARS-CoV-2 Infection?

A new ACE2 decoy mechanism efficiently neutralizes a variety of Covid-19 variants, including Omicron strains. With the continuous evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus over the last three years, the pathogen has become more efficient at infecting our cells and evading our immune defenses. One crucial aspect of this efficiency is ... read full

Engineering Cells For Medical Use: Learning The Language Cells Use To Communicate With One Another

Stomach gland cells

MPI FOR INFECTION BIOLOGY Cells are the building blocks of life. The way cells recognize other cells and external signals can lead to various biological fates, including cell growth, death and mobility. Researchers seek to understand cell-cell communication, reverse engineer it, and ultimately sculpt cell interactions which ... read full

New Approaches To Macular Degeneration: Test Tube Retinas

Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness and affects over 196 million people worldwide. Despite its prevalence, very little is known about the causes or mechanisms of this disease. Now, researchers have engineered a new model of the retina that may help ... read full

Progress In Tissue Engineering: Controlling Cell-Cell Signaling

Cellular adhesion remains a fundamental component to cell-cell communication

GETTY Cells are the fundamental unit of life. The average human body contains around 30 trillion cells with varying functions and potentials. Communication between cells is central to the body’s ability to form tissues and organs, and to coordinate critical functions ... read full

The Whole World In Your Hand: Major Advances In Haptic Technology

Recent advances in scientific research may allow robotic prosthetics and virtual reality simulations to be even more effective than before. Researchers in Hong Kong have developed a new, glove-like technology that not only allows users to experience sensations in their hands when interacting with virtual objects but customizes the intensity ... read full

Bivalent Antibodies For Covid-19: Two Hands Are Better Than One

The current generation of monoclonal antibodies is ineffective against the predominant variants of SARS-CoV-2 in circulation. Recent studies by Callaway et al. open the possibility that a new type of monoclonal antibody may regain some of the lost activity. These are bivalent antibodies that recognize two sites on the virus ... read full

Emergence Of IgG4 In Long Term Vaccines: Winning Or Losing The Race?

Entering the fourth year of Covid-19, vaccination has become the frontline of protective measures to control the disease, as global nations have all but given up on mass mitigation strategies such as masks and regular testing. The initial vaccines released in 2021, both adenovirus and mRNA versions, displayed a remarkable efficacy ... read full

Viral Sleight of Hand: SARS-CoV-2 Mimics Host Protein, Regulates Gene Expression

This article is an extension of our series on immune suppression by SARS-CoV-2. The series has since been published as a book, Natural Immunity and Covid-19: What it is and How it Can Save Your Life. It is also available to ... read full

You Can Now Control A Wheelchairs With Your Brain Waves Alone

Scientists at the University of Padova in Italy have proven that by using a completely non-invasive brain-machine interface technology, those who are fully paralyzed can drive a wheelchair simply by using their minds and a cap that decodes their brain waves. Brain-machine interface technology uses electrodes to measure the electrical activity ... read full

How Recently Approved Tocilizumab Treats Covid-19

The treatment of severe Covid-19 has proven difficult over the past three years, illustrated most clearly by the lack of approved drugs to treat the disease. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration has just its third fully approved treatment, joining Baricitinib and Remdesivir. Baricitinib is approved for the treatment of ... read full

CAR T Therapy, A Promising New Therapy For Multiple Sclerosis?

Here we describe the use of CAR T therapy to treat multiple sclerosis in mice. Previous installments discuss the and its applications for,,, and the, as well as and on combination

Conceptual image of a multiple sclerosis neuron.

GETTY A study of mice by the researchers ... read full

New Insights Into The Postfusion Structure Of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein

Covid begins when the SARS-CoV-2 virus first encounters cells in the upper airway that express a suitable attachment site, the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE 2).  Blocking binding and entry short circuits infection before it begins. That is why vaccines can be so effective in protecting us from disease. However, ... read full

CAR T Therapy to Treat and Cure Rheumatoid Arthritis

Here we describe the use of CAR T therapy to treat mice with experimental rheumatoid arthritis. Previous installments discuss the and its applications for,, and the, as well as the and on combination

Digital xrays of both hands showing severe rheumatoid arthritis affecting both wrists ... read full

New Monoclonal Antibody Fully Approved For The Treatment Of Covid-19

The Food and Drug Administration has approved an early gift for those suffering from Covid-19 this holiday season. Tocilizumab, branded Actemra by pharmaceutical company Genentech, is a monoclonal antibody now approved for treating Covid-19 in hospitalized adult patients in moderate to severe conditions. All treatments to this point of the ... read full

Reimagining Alzheimer’s (Part 7): Cholesterol Abnormalities May Contribute To Alzheimer’s Disease

This article is the seventh installment in my series on Alzheimer’s disease. Read more about Alzheimer’s disease in , , ,  , , and  of the series. An Introduction to APOE4 A recent study published in Nature provides new insights into genetic predispositions to Alzheimer’s disease. The E4 variant of ... read full

Extended Antigen Availability Improves Vaccine Protection

The mRNA vaccines we are currently using are not sufficient to stop the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Although they have been critical in the fight against SARS-CoV-2, they suffer from a glaring limitation: poor longevity. Wait long enough between booster shots, and you’re back to square one — once again susceptible ... read full

The Fat Truth: You Feel It In Your Gut

With thanksgiving in the rear-view window, the last thing most of us want to do is think about food, not to mention what those calories did to our waistlines. From deep-fried turkey to loaded mashed potatoes to freshly baked apple pie, there is no doubt that fat had a starring ... read full

Teaming Up Two Biotech Winners to Fight Cancer: CRISPR and CAR T

Here we describe early clinical trial results on combination CRISPR and CAR T therapy, a sequel to an earlier, . Other alternative CAR T designs include mRNA vectors to create temporary CAR T cells and the use of antibody switches ... read full

Why The Covid Vaccines Work And How To Make Them Better

It’s no wonder that by now, people are looking both to understand how the Covid vaccines work and to determine how best to improve them. Current mRNA vaccines are excellent at raising high neutralizing-antibody titers against the strain to which they were designed, namely the early Wuhan strain. However, antibody ... read full

Symptomatic Covid-19 Infection Is Associated With An Increased Risk Of Overactive Bladder Symptoms

A new study finds that symptomatic Covid-19 infection is associated with the risk of developing or exacerbating overactive bladder symptoms. As an overlooked area of study, only a handful of investigations have focused on the impact of Covid-19 infection on the urinary system. Previous studies have ... read full

Reimagining Alzheimer’s (Part 6): The Many Effects Of The APOE4 Variant

This article is the sixth installment in my series on Alzheimer’s disease. Read more about Alzheimer’s disease in , , ,  , and of the series. A recent paper published in the journal Nature has revealed a new mechanism by which the genetic risk factor, APOE4, may contribute to ... read full

The N Protein, A New Target For Anti-Covid Drugs

A cross-institutional effort between researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Duke University has yielded exciting progress in the search for new therapeutics against Covid-19. Where much of our current anti-SARS-CoV-2 arsenal is built around the virus’ spike (S) protein, many other proteins contribute to the ... read full

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Monoclonal Antibodies: A Work In Progress

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever is among the deadliest diseases in the world; a tick-born disease touting a mortality rate of up to 40%. First discovered almost eight decades ago, there is no effective treatment at present. Here we describe a work in progress of attempts to develop monoclonal antibodies to prevent ... read full

Covid-19 and Children: What We Know

Less is known about the impact of Covid-19 infection among children compared to adults. Why do children experience milder symptoms on average compared to adults? Do children experience Long Covid, and what makes them different? What is MIS-C and what is its prevalence? A recent read full

CRISPR Technology To Simplify And Enhance CAR T Cancer Treatment

Here we describe the integration of CRISPR gene-editing technology to improve CAR T therapy design. Other alternative CAR T designs include  and the . Previous installments discuss the and its applications for,, and

CRISPR technology has advanced the field of genetic engineering, and could soon profoundly impact the world of CAR T therapy.

GETTY Researchers find ... read full

Hope For A New Treatment On The Horizon For Zika Virus

Researchers from Duke University, UC Berkeley, Purdue University, and elsewhere have made what will likely be a significant breakthrough in drug development to treat Zika Virus infections. They discovered an unusual monoclonal antibody, not of the common immunoglobulin G family, but rather immunoglobulin M. This antibody is extraordinarily potent in ... read full

Researchers Control Cancer Treatment With New Innovation: CAR T Switch(blade)

Here we describe a recent research advancement that fine-tunes CAR T therapy. Previous installments discuss the and its applications for , , and the People with treatment-resistant blood cancers turn to CAR T therapy, a recent medical innovation, for long-sought respite but can suffer potentially fatal side effects. ... read full

The Best Reason To Keep Up To Date With Boosters: Covid-19 Protection From Infection, Hospitalization And Death All Wane Over Time

A report by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) makes clear that vaccines can only protect us if we let them: just as protection from infection wanes over time, so too does protection against serious disease and hospitalization. The message is clear, if we want ... read full

CAR T-mRNA Therapy For Cardiac Fibrosis: A New Way Forward

This story in the CAR T series delves into recent adaptations to treat the heart. Earlier installments cover the , as well as its applications for , and .

In vivo generation of transient FAPCAR T cells improves cardiac function after injury.

RURIK ET AL. CAR T therapy, a “living ... read full

New Monoclonal Antibody For Treatment Of Malaria

Monoclonal antibodies are among our greatest assets in treating and preventing virus-induced disease. While the spotlight has focused squarely on Covid-19 monoclonal antibodies throughout the pandemic, antibody candidates for other severe pathogens have also made strides forward. Here we describe a new antibody candidate that neutralizes a parasitic foe that ... read full

Reimagining Alzheimer’s (Part 5): Setback For Potential Alzheimer’s Treatment

This article is the fifth installment in my series on Alzheimer’s disease. Read more about Alzheimer’s disease in , , , and of the series. In the last installment of my series on Alzheimer’s disease, I discussed a new experimental treatment for Alzheimer’s called lecanemab. This September, clinical ... read full

"Naked" Self-Amplifying RNA Vaccine Shows Promise As A Booster, Inducing Strong Cytotoxic T-Cell Responses

This is the second of two articles on a temperature-sensitive self-replicating RNA vaccine; click here for part one. They form part of a broader series on next-generation mRNA vaccines. The first three installments can be read herehere, and read full

CAR T Therapy: From Cancer To Autoimmune Disease, The Lupus Example

CAR T achieves remission for five patients with severe forms of lupus

STEVE GSCHMEISSNER This is the fourth installment in a series on the advances CAR T, a remarkable immunotherapy treatment dubbed a “living drug.” Here we draw attention to promising findings for CAR T lupus treatment. The as ... read full

Study Finds That Regular Physical Activity Enhances Vaccine Effectiveness Against Covid-19

A recent case-controlled study in South Africa finds that regular physical activity enhances vaccine effectiveness against Covid-19. While the positive impact of regular physical activity against severe Covid-19 outcomes is well understood, the association between regular physical activity and vaccine effectiveness is underexplored. The study predominantly ... read full

Salt, Fat And Sugar: How Americans Became Addicted To Eating

“Why can’t I stop myself from overeating?” This is a question that for many cannot be answered simply by a lack of motivation, or genetics. It is the feeling of wanting to eat that last bite of dessert, even though you know that you were full halfway through dinner. Logically, ... read full

How Strength Training Can Help Post-Covid Recovery

Covid-19 infection affects each person differently, and the recovery journey is no different. Although you may want to hit the ground running following infection, it is important to listen and adapt to your body’s needs. Consult with your primary care physician about what steps are appropriate or may enhance your ... read full

Introducing A “Naked” Self-Amplifying RNA Vaccine Candidate

The following two articles on a controllable self-replicating RNA vaccine form part of a broader series on next-generation mRNA vaccines. The first three installments can be read here, here, and here, respectively.

A second generation of Covid-19 ... read full

As Protection From Current Covid-19 Monoclonal Antibody Treatments Fades, The Discovery Of A New Class Of Antibodies Brings Hope

The latest Omicron subvariants are evolving to become more immune evasive, rendering monoclonal antibody treatments such as Evusheld and the forthcoming bebtelovimab ineffective against new strains. With surges predicted in the winter and few mitigation measures left in ... read full

CAR T Therapy For Drug Resistant Multiple Myeloma

This is the third installment in a series on the advances CAR T, a remarkable immunotherapy treatment dubbed a “living drug.” The in the series lays the foundation for understanding how CAR T works, while the outlines its uses for B cell cancers. This third installment highlights recent ... read full

Reimagining Alzheimer’s (Part 4): Cautious Optimism For A New Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment

This article is the fourth installment in my series on Alzheimer’s disease. Read more about Alzheimer’s disease in , , and of the series. The pharmaceutical and biotech companies, Eisai and Biogen recently revealed promising clinical trial results for a drug that could potentially treat Alzheimer’s disease. In their clinical study, ... read full

Broadly Neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies From Immunized Macaque Monkeys

Monoclonal antibodies have been effective in treating in both preventing and treating SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, just as SARS-CoV-2 evolves to evade immune responses by vaccines and natural infection, so too do variants arise that evade neutralization by specific monoclonal antibodies, hence the search for antibodies that broadly neutralize regardless of ... read full

How Enhanced Ventilation And Air Filtration Can Fight Covid-19

At a time when Covid fatigue levels are high, improving ventilation is a highly effective, non-invasive strategy to stop the transmission of Covid-19. A body of scientific literature reveals that particles of SARS-CoV-2 can remain in the air for hours at a time. In a 2021 literature review, researchers summarize ... read full

The Remarkable Research Of CAR T Therapy [Part II]: B Cell Cancers

This is a series on the advances in CAR T, a remarkable immunotherapy treatment dubbed a “living drug.” lays the foundation for understanding how CAR T works. This second piece delves into the use of CAR T to treat B cell cancers. 

When treatments such as chemotherapy falter, ... read full

Self-Amplifying mRNA Vaccine Receives EUA Nod From Indian Regulators

This is the third article in a series on next-generation mRNA vaccines. The first two installments can be read here and here, respectively. Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology has been central to the global response to Covid-19, enabling rapid manufacture of effective vaccines. But the virus continues ... read full

Reimagining Alzheimer’s (Part 3): The APOE Story In Alzheimer’s And Other Diseases

This article is the third installment in my series on Alzheimer’s disease. Read more about Alzheimer’s disease in and of the series.

Alzheimer’s is a serious disease that affects nearly 6 million people in the United States. Interestingly, some people have a much higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s than others, ... read full

Children Experiencing Respiratory Trouble Post-Covid-19 Improve With The Use Of An Inhaler And Exercise Regimen

While children infected with Covid-19 generally report milder symptoms compared to adults, a subset goes on to experience persistent symptoms after infection. The most common of these symptoms is pediatric dyspnea, otherwise known as shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. However, there is limited research describing post-covid pediatric dyspnea, and ... read full

Progress In The Search To Reverse Age-Related Vision Loss

Thanks to new techniques in regenerative medicine we are now closer to a future where your own cells can be used to restore the sense of vision. A recent paper from Ripolles-Garcia et al. at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Sciences describes a ... read full

Supercharging mRNA Vaccines With Self-Amplifying RNA Technology

This article is part 2 of a series on next-generation mRNA vaccines. The first installment can be read . The unprecedented speed with which we developed vaccines to help us control and curb the Covid-19 pandemic is in large part thanks to years of research on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. As ... read full

From Lymphoma To Lupus And Beyond: The Remarkable Research Of CAR T Therapy

This is a series on the advances in CAR T, a remarkable immunotherapy treatment dubbed a “living drug.” This first installment will lay the foundation for understanding how CAR T works. Future installments will focus on CAR T applications and recent innovations which further the field. 

Malignant cell destroyed ... read full

Two Are Better Than One: Expanding Our Covid-19 Vaccine Antigens

New research published in Science Translational Medicine suggests an mRNA vaccine that targets both the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S) as well as the nucleocapsid protein (N) may offer stronger and broader protection than current, spike-only vaccines. This research opens the possibility that one vaccine may protect against current and ... read full

Broadly Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies For Covid-19 Treatment, Prevention, And Vaccine Design

Recent progress on monoclonal antibodies raises the possibility that the means to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 infections may soon be at hand. The hope arises from discoveries of antibodies that have the potential to neutralize all known SARS-CoV-2 variants and other related coronaviruses, including SARS-1 and MERS. A strategy for ... read full

Reimagining Alzheimer’s (Part 2): Breaking The Barrier

In the first installment of this series about Alzheimer’s disease, we discussed a general overview of Alzheimer’s along with its most well-known biological indicators. Here, we take a deeper dive into the disease by focusing on a recent paper that explores ... read full

Is A Universal Influenza Vaccine —One Shot For All Strains— On The Horizon?

  This is the second of two articles on universal flu vaccines, both of which are part of a larger series on influenza vaccines and influenza treatments. Previous articles can be read here: ,. For many years there has been an obvious need for an influenza vaccine that neutralizes not just one strain, ... read full

Covid Virus Accelerates With Each New Variant

Far from subsiding, SARS-CoV-2 is rapidly mutating worldwide, in multiple directions, with the commonality that each new variant is more fit and spreads through a previously infected and vaccinated population more rapidly. Since late 2021, the Omicron variant has dominated SARS-CoV-2 infections, fueling the massive wave of cases in January and ... read full

Getting a Grip on Influenza: The Pursuit of a Universal Vaccine (Part 5)

This is a short series focusing on the challenges of developing effective influenza vaccines. In the first part of this series, I gave a brief overview of the history and nature of influenza viruses, including why they represent a tricky target ... read full

SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Suppresses Innate Immunity By Cleaving Proteins Required For Interferon Induction And Inflammation

Many viruses rely on proteases to process polypeptides into smaller proteins required for replication and virus production. SARS-CoV-2 is no exception. It contains two proteases in the long open reading frame of ORF1A1B that encode for 15 proteins which need proteolytic processing. Main protease, or Mpro, is the cysteine protease ... read full

Waiting In The Wings: A Potential New Variant Of SARS-CoV-2

Just as a chameleon changes its color to avoid predators, SARS-CoV-2 continues mutating to enhance its infectivity and immune evasion. As President Biden declares the pandemic over, the virus continues to evolve and infect steadily. 2022 is the year of the Omicron family of variants, and another version has emerged, ... read full

Reimagining Alzheimer’s (Part 1)

Alzheimer’s disease affects over 5 million individuals in the United States and has proven to be an enigma in the scientific world. Historically, scientists have believed that Alzheimer’s disease was solely caused by two dysfunctional proteins in the brain called ß-amyloid and tau. Now, recent discoveries have thrown into question ... read full

Will The BA.4.6 Variant Drive The Next Wave Of The Covid-19 Pandemic?

Here, we draw attention to a variant, BA.4.6, which is the latest variant spreading in the United States. We note in this summary that BA.4.6 contains five amino acid changes distinct from the currently dominant BA.5 variant and seventeen nucleotide changes, which all may act to improve viral fitness and ... read full

Molecular Jujitsu: SARS-CoV-2 Co-Opts Host Defense

Host defenses and the viruses countermeasures are critical to understanding infectious disease. To survive a host must be able to ward off the pathogen. In turn the pathogen must be able to counter the host defenses. In the midst of the Covid pandemic, we are living with the consequences of ... read full

Progress In The Search For Broadly Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies VII

This is part of a continuing series describing antiviral antibodies to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 infections. In this series, we will discuss the fundamental nature of virus evolution, how SARS-CoV-2 has mutated to evade neutralizing antibodies, and our latest attempts to fight against these mutations with more recent and improved ... read full

Five Days Is Too Short! Study Says To End Covid-19 Isolation Based On Rapid Tests Results Instead

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 24: A hotel guest looks out of their room window as they continue their isolation period at the Novotel hotel on February 24, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images) GETTY IMAGES The party on Friday was a blast except for one thing: you think ... read full

Getting a Grip on Influenza: The Pursuit of a Universal Vaccine (Part 3)

This is a short series about a recent breakthrough on the road to developing a much sought-after broadly neutralizing vaccine against all influenza A viruses. If successful, it may act as a precursor to a truly universal flu vaccine, one that protects against all types, subtypes, and lineages of the ... read full

Covid-19 Infection Increases Risk And Excess Burden Of Cardiovascular Disease

With new research on Long Covid emerging every day, it is becoming increasingly clear that Covid-19 infection impacts our health beyond the acute stage of the illness. A study demonstrates that infection with Covid-19 impacts the risk of cardiovascular events up to 12 months post-infection, regardless of age, race, sex, ... read full

Hopeful New Entry In The Race For A Universal Covid Vaccine

A recent paper published by a team of scientists in Sweden boasts the ambitious title: “A universal SARS-CoV DNA vaccine inducing highly cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies and T cells”. This claim of a universal SARS-CoV vaccine would be good news if the paper measured up to its title. The study ... read full

Progress In The Search For Broadly Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies VI

This is part of a continuing series describing antiviral antibodies to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 infections. In this series, we will discuss the fundamental nature of virus evolution, how SARS-CoV-2 has mutated to evade neutralizing antibodies, and our latest attempts to fight against these mutations with more recent and improved ... read full

T Cells Play An Important Role In Immunity, But Without B Cells Cannot Provide Protection From Covid-19

Just as robust stone walls and expansive moat waters protect a castle and its inhabitants from foreign intruders, the body’s adaptive immunity mounts two defensive arms against pathogens: B cells and T cells. Both arms concert efforts to clear viral infections. Would the body be able to hold off invaders ... read full

Increased Disease Potential Of Covid Variant BA.5 Currently Circulating In The United States

The following is a continuation of a discussion on variant pathogenicity begun in . Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, many iterations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have dominated over others. The B.1 variant of 2020 was overtaken by the Alpha variant in early 2021. Alpha was overcome by Delta later that Summer. Next, ... read full

Solving The Question Of Covid Variant Increased Fitness Is Like Deciphering A Rubik’s Cube

A hallmark of the Covid-19 pandemic is the successive waves of infection with one variant after another. Each variant appears more fit than its predecessor in terms of its ability to infect and spread in a population.

FIGURE 1: Successive waves of SARS-CoV-2 variants in the Covid-19 pandemic.

COVARIANTS.ORG…Insert Text ... read full

Getting a Grip on Influenza: The Pursuit of a Universal Vaccine (Part 2)

This is a short series about a recent breakthrough on the road to developing a much sought-after broadly neutralizing vaccine against all influenza A viruses. If successful, it ... read full

Will Covid-19 Vaccines Continue To Protect Us From Hospitalization And Death??

Vaccines are integral to our control of Covid-19—if not for preventing infection, at least for  preventing severe illness and death. But what if vaccine-induced immunity lost its efficacy against new variants on all accounts? Along with earlier work published by MIT, a recent study from Cardiff ... read full

How To Mend A Broken Heart

This story on artificial hearts is part of an extended series on Regenerative Medicine. For other stories on this topic see williamhaseltine.com and search for Regenerative Medicine. My definition of Regenerative Medicine is any medical modality that returns us to normal health when we are damaged by disease, injured ... read full

Getting a Grip on Influenza: The Pursuit of a Universal Vaccine (Part 1)

This is a short series about a recent success on the road to developing a much sought-after broadly neutralizing vaccine against all influenza A viruses. If successful, it may act as a precursor to a truly universal flu vaccine, one that protects against all types and subtypes of the virus. ... read full

Loss Of Smell Linked To Long Term Covid Cognitive Impairment

COVID-19 Damage in Olfactory System, SARS-CoV-2 infection in olfactory bulb cells

 GETTY Very little is known about the long term effects of Covid-19, especially in relation to the brain. Who gets what symptoms may feel like a mystery. And with the current seven day average of new cases hovering around ... read full

Advanced Technology (CRISPR) Shows That Mucus Is Your Body’s First Line Of Defense Against Viruses

This story on CRISPR is part of an extended series on Regenerative Medicine. For other stories on this topic see  and search for Regenerative Medicine. My definition of Regenerative Medicine is any medical modality that returns us to normal health when we are damaged by disease, injured by trauma, disadvantaged by birth, or ... read full

Even Mild Covid-19 May Cause Lasting Brain Fog (Part 3)

This is the fourth article in a series focusing on cognitive dysfunction and inflammation. The first part can be read , the second can be read , and the third, . For additional writings on inflammation and Covid-19, please see my website:  In previous installments of this series, we looked at new read full

Covid-19, Gender And Immune Response: What’s The Relationship? (Part Two)

This is the second installment in a two part series which analyzes biological sex differences in immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection. focuses primarily on Covid-19 related viral entry, innate and adaptive immune responses to Covid-19 and their correlation to epidemiological evidence. This article will highlight the role of sex ... read full

Even Mild Covid-19 May Cause Lasting Brain Fog (Part 1)

This is part two of a series focusing on cognitive dysfunction and inflammation. The first article can be read . For additional writings on inflammation and Covid-19, please see my website:  Although inflammation is a common feature of many infections, viral and otherwise, SARS-CoV-2 elicits a particularly intense inflammatory response. Exactly why ... read full

Covid-19, Gender And Immune Response: What’s The Relationship?

This is the first installment in a two part series which analyzes biological sex differences in immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection. This article focuses primarily on Covid-19 related viral entry as well as innate and adaptive immune responses Covid-19 and their correlation to epidemiological evidence. Part two will highlight the ... read full

Progress In The Search For Broadly Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies V

This is part of a continuing series describing antiviral antibodies to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 infections. In this series, we will discuss the fundamental nature of virus evolution, how SARS-CoV-2 has mutated to evade neutralizing antibodies, and our latest attempts to fight against these mutations with more recent and improved ... read full

A Cooling, Implantable Device For Pain Relief

This story on pain relief is part of an extended series on Regenerative Medicine. For other stories on this topic see  and search for Regenerative Medicine. My definition of Regenerative Medicine is any medical modality that returns us to normal health when we are damaged by disease, injured by trauma, disadvantaged by birth, ... read full

Progress In The Search For Broadly Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies IV

This is part of a continuing series describing antiviral antibodies to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 infections. In this series, we will discuss the fundamental nature of virus evolution, how SARS-CoV-2 has mutated to evade neutralizing antibodies, and our latest attempts to fight against these mutations with more recent and improved ... read full

New-Wave Materials Help Create Mini Functional Kidneys

This story on kidney organoids is part of an extended series on Regenerative Medicine. For other stories on this topic see  and search for Regenerative Medicine. My definition of Regenerative Medicine is any medical modality that returns us to normal health when we are damaged by disease, injured by trauma, disadvantaged by birth, ... read full

Progress In The Search For Broadly Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies III

This is part of a continuing series describing antiviral antibodies to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 infections. In this series, we will discuss the fundamental nature of virus evolution, how SARS-CoV-2 has mutated to evade neutralizing antibodies, and our latest attempts to fight against these mutations with more recent and improved ... read full

Mild Covid Inflicts Paradoxical Brain Damage: Detected By Imaging But Not By Neuropsychological Assessment

Brain fog—or difficulty thinking or concentrating—plagues many who recover from Covid-19. Along with fatigue, lightheadedness when standing, and trouble sleeping, Covid-caused neurological symptoms may linger for weeks to months at a time. These ailments can develop even after asymptomatic and mild cases of Covid-19, raising the suspicion that even moderate ... read full

Can Inflammation Lead To Cognitive Issues? Past Research Says 'Yes', With Implications For Covid-19

One of the most worrying consequences of Covid-19 is persistent cognitive impairment, including “brain fog”, difficulty concentrating, and poor short-term memory. These symptoms can be debilitating, often interfering with everyday tasks and forcing individuals to take extended periods of time off work. Understanding this damage, both in the short and ... read full

Are Chronic Infections Responsible For SARS-CoV-2 Variants?

This article is part of an ongoing series investigating the link between chronic infections and the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.  In the spring of 2022, a group of researchers at the Yale School of Public Health happened upon a mystery: their genomic surveillance dataset was picking up a SARS-CoV-2 lineage, ... read full

Should You Get Vaccinated For Covid-19? Yes. Will It Protect You From Long Covid? Probably Not.

Lenox Hill Hospital Chair of Emergency Medicine Yves Duroseau receives the COVID-19 vaccine from Doctor Michelle Chester at Long Island Jewish Medical Center on December 14, 2020 (Photo by Scott Heins/Getty Images) GETTY IMAGES The United States is amidst a new Covid-19 wave. BA.2.12.1, the previous variant of concern, has been outcompeted ... read full

Long Covid And Its Unequal Burden

All countries have health disparities, or unfair and avoidable differences in health status between groups. As defined by WHO, these differences come “from the social conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age,” factors which extend beyond an individual’s control. The ... read full

Robotic Arms Allow Partially Paralyzed Man To Feed Himself

This story on neuro-prosthetics is part of an extended series on Regenerative Medicine. For other stories on this topic see  and search for Regenerative Medicine. My definition of Regenerative Medicine is any medical modality that returns us to normal health when we are damaged by disease, injured by trauma, disadvantaged by birth, or ... read full

Pasteur Institute Scientists Discover SARS-CoV-2 Broadly-Neutralizing Antibody

This is part of a continuing series describing antiviral antibodies to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 infections. In this series, we will discuss the fundamental nature of virus evolution, how SARS-CoV-2 has mutated to evade neutralizing antibodies, and our latest attempts to fight against these mutations with more recent and improved ... read full

BA.2.75: A Dark Horse In The Covid Pandemic

Far from concluding, the Covid pandemic seems to be picking up speed with new variants. The BA.5 variant is spreading rapidly in Europe and North America, potentially infecting as many or more people as the original Omicron virus from which it is derived. A second variant, BA.2.75, has been detected ... read full

Research On Flies Provides Hope For Brain Repair

This story on neuro-regeneration is part of an extended series on Regenerative Medicine. For other stories on this topic see williamhaseltine.com and search for Regenerative Medicine. My definition of Regenerative Medicine is any medical modality that returns us to normal health when we are damaged by disease, injured by trauma, ... read full

The Many Faces Of Omicron

This is part of a continuing series describing antiviral antibodies to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 infections. In this series, we will discuss the fundamental nature of virus evolution, how SARS-CoV-2 has mutated to evade neutralizing antibodies, and our latest attempts to fight against these mutations with more recent and improved ... read full

Key Player In Acute And Chronic Disease: The Inflammasome

Inflammation plays a critical role in both acute and long term SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as many of the most serious chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis. inflammation is closely associated with many of the illnesses associated with aging. New methods to control inflammation are essential ... read full

How Common Is Long Covid? More Common Than You’d Think

This summer appears more relaxed and free than ever. All US mask mandates have lifted, restaurants and businesses have opened their doors, and flights have removed requirements for Covid testing. But behind the veil of normalcy is Long Covid, a post Covid condition with varying long-term symptoms. Using new data ... read full

Origin Of Virus Variation: Real Time Evolution Of SARS-CoV-2 In An Immunocompromised Patient

Evolution optimizes all creatures, from viruses to elephants, to their environment. Where do new variants come from, especially Omicron which is so different from previous variants? There may be a clue in a long study of an immunocompromised patient. Most cases of Covid-19 last roughly two weeks from infection to symptoms ... read full

There May Be A New Polio Epidemic On Its Way- If So, What We Can Do: Part III

This is Part III in a series on the enteroviruses that appear to cause a polio-like neurological disease, Acute Flaccid Myelitis. Hopefully we can use what we have learned from both the success and challenges of poliovirus vaccines to mount a formidable defense against emerging enteroviruses such as those causing ... read full

Covid-19 During Pregnancy: Increased Risk Of Preterm Delivery And Infant Neurodevelopmental Issues

Doctor examine pregnant belly for baby and mother healthcare check up.

GETTY   During pregnancy, a mother’s body suppresses parts of the immune system to help tolerate the growing fetus. This means pregnant women are at an especially high risk of contracting disease, including Covid-19. The risk they face is two-fold: ... read full

Biggest Risk Factor for Severe Covid-19 Other than Age? Autoantibodies

The vast majority of people suffer only moderate to mild symptoms during SARS-CoV-2 infection — sore throat, fever, fatigue, and so on. But a portion of those infected go on to develop severe disease. This includes hyperinflammation, immune dysregulation, and serious organ damage. Such cases often require hospitalization and even ... read full

SARS-CoV-2 Spike: A Potential Biomarker For Long Covid

Oil painting of a lighthouse leading boats through a storm.

GETTY Ten to thirty percent of COVID-19 survivors face Long Covid, another battle after initial recovery. PASC, (post-acute sequelae of COVID-19) or PCC (Post-Covid Conditions) encompasses a wide range of symptoms which appear after the acute phase of COVID-19. read full

Carbon Dioxide Levels May Predict Covid Risk In Your Immediate Surroundings

As mask usage decreases in the United States and worldwide, the risk of aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 increases inversely. A maskless gym, grocery store, or gas station is much more dangerous than those settings in a masked context. We ought to be acutely aware of the levels of risk maskless ... read full

Study Uncovers A New Way To Think About Alzheimer’s Disease

Cells throughout the body naturally accumulate DNA mutations as we age. With Alzheimer’s disease, mutations occur in brain cells at a much faster rate than normal. Thanks to a recent study from researchers at Brigham Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital we may be ... read full

There May Be A New Polio Epidemic On Its Way- If So, What We Can Do: Part II

This is Part II in a series on the enteroviruses that appear to cause a polio-like neurological disease, Acute Flaccid Myelitis. The US still has no vaccine against the primary causative agent while China has three, with more in Asia on the way. As case reports rise, Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) ... read full

The Future Of Aviation In A Covid And Post-Covid World

As the Omicron subvariants continue to spread, world governments and airlines are advancing towards a post-Covid aviation industry. Despite continued infections and concerns about Long Covid health implications, Covid restrictions for flights are all but over. The Covid-19 pandemic nearly destroyed the entire aviation industry. Likely, Covid is not the ... read full

What We Can Learn From Other Poxviruses About Monkeypox

We must prepare for the possibility that a zoonotic poxvirus could become a highly infectious human pathogen. Our already-fragile health systems cannot afford to be caught in another global pandemic that we are not prepared for. GETTY IMAGES Since the eradication of smallpox in 1980, there have been growing concerns that ... read full

Flying Under The Radar: How SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a Contributes To Immune Evasion And Inflammation

This article is an extension of our series on. The series has since been published as a book, Here, we discuss new data regarding the ORF7a viral protein. Click for . The success of SARS-CoV-2 as a virus hinges in large part on its ability to suppress and evade our immune system. Usually, ... read full

Attack and Counterattack: How SARS-CoV-2 Blocks Our Natural Immune Defenses

This article is an extension of our series on. The series has since been published as a book, . Here, we discuss new data regarding the ORF7a viral protein. During the initial stages of cellular infection, SARS-CoV-2 releases a number of accessory proteins to help suppress and evade our immune system. ORF7a ... read full

Don’t You Wish You Didn’t Need To Breathe Someone Else’s Exhaled Air While Flying?

The Covid era restrictions on passenger aircraft, including mask mandates and negative tests, are officially ended. From now on, any American traveling domestically or returning to the United States from a foreign nation does not have to wear a mask, does not have to provide a negative Covid test, and ... read full

Is It Safe To Fly? The National Academy Of Sciences, Engineering, And Medicine Weighs In

For many years, many of us have flown for business, pleasure, or to see relatives and friends. For the past two and half years, Covid-19 introduced a significant risk to travel. Many wonder how to mitigate this risk. This is the first in a series discussing the airline industry in ... read full

There May Be A New Polio Epidemic On Its Way- If So, What We Can Do

This is Part I in a series on the enteroviruses that appear to cause a polio-like neurological disease, Acute Flaccid Myelitis. Reports of this life-threatening condition have increased within the US and elsewhere, and viruses from the same family as the poliovirus are implicated. Most people have either lived through or ... read full

Unraveling Hope For Prion Disease And Other Progressive Neurodegenerative Diseases

Prion diseases are rare but deadly neurodegenerative brain diseases that result from misfolding protein. Impacting both animals and humans, such rapidly progressive diseases result in abnormal physical and impaired mental functioning within months of diagnosis until death. Examples include mad cow disease, scrapie, Kuru, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Figure 1: ... read full

Rabbitpox: the Story of a Specialized Killer

With poxviruses now back on the radar, we must consider the outstanding threat of possible human pathogens in much greater detail. It is critically important to understand not only how poxviruses jump from one species to another but also how they evolve across generations. As we reported in part one ... read full

Tick-Borne Disease Part II: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

This story is Part II of a series on tick-borne disease. Here we discuss the severity and spread of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, the only hemorrhagic fever transmitted by ticks. At present there is a serious outbreak in Iraq of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, a rare but deadly tick-borne disease. This is not ... read full

The Vaccinia Virus That Hopped From Rabbits to Hares

Poxviruses are back, and it is no surprise. When the World Health Organization announced the eradication of smallpox over forty years ago, they also halted vaccinations against this lethal infectious disease. Consequently, much of the world population now has no protection against smallpox or the wide array of other poxviruses, ... read full

Predisposition of serious disease is different for old and young adults

It is well documented that comorbidities predispose adults to serious disease. A question that arises is whether the risk factors are the same for young adults as they are for older adults. Molani et al. investigate this and find that risk factors for serious SARS-CoV-2-related disease differ between these two ... read full

The Growing Threat Of Tick-Borne Disease Part I: Powassan Virus

This story is Part I of a series on tick-borne disease. Here we provide background information on the current state of tick-borne illness in the United States and then focus on the swiftly growing threat of Powassan virus. This spring, when everything is in full bloom and you’re looking forward to ... read full

FDA Turns Down Fluvoxamine Emergency Use Authorization Request

The Food and Drug Administration denied an emergency use authorization for fluvoxamine as a SARS-CoV-2 antiviral. Fluvoxamine was proposed as a possible antiviral in 2021 due to its mechanisms of action for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder. These same mechanisms were suspected to inhibit SARS-CoV-2, leading ... read full

Targets for Infection: How SARS-CoV-2 Damages the Kidneys

Kidney complications are some of the most common and severe symptoms associated with Covid-19. Estimates show that 30% of people hospitalized for severe infection and 50% of those that are later admitted to intensive care units experience some injury to the kidneys. Even previously healthy people with mild infections can ... read full

Scientists Discover Genetic Cause of Lupus, Findings May Help Research on Long Covid.

  Molecular structure of toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) FROM: “STRUCTURE BASED MODELING OF SMALL MOLECULES BINDING TO THE TLR7 BY ATOMISTIC LEVEL SIMULATIONS” GENTILE ET AL. 2015 Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), more commonly known as simply lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disease that provokes symptoms from skin rashes and fevers all the way ... read full

New Research Provides Hope In The Search For A Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine- Part III

This story is Part III of a series on respiratory syncytial virus vaccines. Here we discuss the complex strategy of vaccine development and the RSV vaccine candidates currently primed to make history.

  Respiratory syncytial virus is one of the leading causes of death for infants globally, and a safe vaccine has ... read full

A Dynamic Duo: How ACE-2 And CD147 Mediate Covid-19 Infection In The Kidneys

As one of the major targets of Covid-19, infection in the kidneys can led to significant complications associated with kidney disease, as well as kidney failure. Kidney damage can occur even in those that experience mild infection. The first installment of this two-part series identified a ... read full

Omicron Transmission And Immune Evasion Explained By The Omicron Spike’s Unique Structure

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron family of variants differs from the original isolates as well as other variants. Omicron viruses contain a minimum of 30 mutations in the Spike protein and another 23 elsewhere in the genome. Figure 1 illustrates how significantly mutated one of the currently circulating Omicron strains, BA.2.12.1, compares ... read full

Study Shows Unvaccinated People Are At Increased Risk Of Infecting The Vaccinated

A new modeling study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal demonstrates that unvaccinated people threaten the safety of the vaccinated even when SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rates are high. Researchers used a simple compartmental model of respiratory viral disease to explore the effect of mixing between unvaccinated ... read full

Far-Ultraviolet Light Is Another Way To Keep Our Public Spaces Safe

For some time now, it’s been established that the primary route of SARS-CoV-2 transmission is airborne. Research suggests that contagious particles are released into the air and linger for several minutes to hours. Inhaling these particles is what leads to infection. People have experimented with ways to sterilize the air ... read full

New Research Provides Hope in the Search for a Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine- Part II

This story is Part II of a series on respiratory syncytial virus vaccines. Here we describe the groundbreaking research that is both answering questions about the past vaccine failure and mapping a path towards the production of successful vaccines. Respiratory syncytial virus is one of the leading causes of death for ... read full

Structural Analysis Of The Omicron Spike Unveils Houdini-Like Immune Escape

Omicron is the ultimate escape variant. Not only does it escape from natural and vaccine-acquired immunity, but it also escapes most, but not all neutralization from monoclonal antibodies. A recent paper by not only describes a new broadly neutralizing antibody but also provides a deep understanding of the structural ... read full

Asthma Medication Points The Way To Drugs To Prevent And Treat Covid-19: Nsp1, A Novel Target

Targeting Nsp1 with montelukast blocks a critical early step in SARS-CoV-2 replication.

CREDIT: MOHAMMAD AFSAR

To survive and replicate inside our cells, a virus has to be able to adapt them to its own advantage. This means altering the cells’ metabolism, physiology, and gene ... read full

35B5: A Potent, Broadly-Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody Effective Against All Known Variants

Monoclonal antibodies have proven to be a potent tool in our ability to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 infections. The current epidemic is driven in part by naturally occurring variants that elude vaccine-induced and monoclonal antibodies. The search is on broadly neutralizing antibodies. Here we describe one such antibody recently reported ... read full

SARS-CoV-2 Infection Causes Cell Fusion In The Lungs, Triggering Inflammation

This is part of a series of stories on inflammation triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Other articles in the series include: lectins, Covid-19 and brain injury, long Covid, STING, monocytes, and ORF8. When it ... read full

The Role Of N Protein Mutant Variants As Determinants Of SARS-CoV-2 Replication And Pathogenesis

An often overlooked aspect of SARS-CoV-2 variation is the potential impact single mutations can have on characteristics like transmission and virulence. One variant may contain a single change over another enabling it to be far more dangerous to the global population. Among the first major mutations that have manifested widely ... read full

STING-Mediated Innate Immunity: How One Discovery Unlocked New Possibilities

This is part of a series on Covid-19 and inflammation related to severe disease and Long Covid. When an individual is first exposed to Covid-19, STING (stimulator of interferon genes) proteins play an important role in generating a rapid innate immune response. Studies increasingly show that these proteins may be useful ... read full

SARS-CoV-2 Mimics Inflammatory Proteins In Our Body

This is part of a series of stories on inflammation triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Other articles in the series include , and . They may also be found on my website, . One of the paradoxes of SARS-CoV-2 is that while it represses interferons in the innate immune system, it ignores and may even ... read full

Survival Of The Fittest: The Rise Of BA.2.12.1

Contrary to the popular belief that Covid infections are receding universally, recent reports show that several countries are in the midst of accelerating Covid rates. This draws cause for concern with the Summer fast approaching. Recall that Summer 2021 was dominated by Delta variant infections. This Summer may be in ... read full

STING: It Takes Two To Tango

This is part of a series on Covid-19 and inflammation related to severe disease and Long Covid.  Although innate immunity is the body’s first defense against an infection, SARS-CoV-2 cleverly avoids activating much of the innate immune system when it first infects the body. How effectively the body re-engages these mechanisms ... read full

SARS-CoV-2 Infection Of Monocytes Triggers Inflammation

This is part of a series of stories on inflammation triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Other articles in the series include: lectins, Covid-19 and brain injury, and long Covid. They may also be found on my website, www.williamhaseltine.com/. Inflammation is a key feature ... read full

Moral Injury Is Similar in Healthcare Workers and Veterans

A new study demonstrates that potential moral injury is similarly high among Covid-19 healthcare workers and combat veterans who served post-9/11. Moral injury is defined as the strong cognitive and emotional response that can occur following events ... read full

New Members Of The Omicron Family Of Viruses: BA.2.12.1, BA.4, And BA.5

Emerging variants as genomic prevalence in South Africa over time.

DR. TULIO DE OLIVEIRA

SARS-CoV-2 variants continue to be a topic of great concern. As weeks go by, it is evident that the Omicron family of viruses continue to grow in complexity. Figures one and two show the ... read full

Six Ways Fluvoxamine May Act To Prevent Severe Covid-19

A recent meta-analysis of a small number of fluvoxamine efficacy trials enrolling just over 2,000 patients found that fluvoxamine reduces the chances of severe hospitalization by up to 95%. If this efficacy is maintained in larger studies, fluvoxamine could be an important component of the ... read full

SARS-CoV-2 Actively Infects And Kills Lymphoid Cells

Cell lysis. Destruction of a cell.

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO Much of the public discussion surrounding SARS-CoV-2 infection has focused on the interactions between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and cellular ACE2 receptors. Now, researchers at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found that this may only be part of ... read full

New Analysis Shows Fluvoxamine Has The Potential To Reduce Covid-19 Hospitalizations By More Than 90%

In-pharmacy minute clinic with CVS Pharmacy

CVS HEALTH The United States has launched a new and innovative program called Test And Treat. This program intends to solve one of the most immediate problems with Covid-19 cases: the prevention of symptomatic progression by taking drugs in a timely manner. Antiviral drugs ... read full

New Research Provides Hope In The Search For A Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine- Part I

The Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus and the Need for a Vaccine This story is Part I of a series on respiratory syncytial virus vaccines. Here we describe the disease itself, and in the next section we will describe the steps forward towards producing the first safe and effective vaccines.

read full

Two Emerging Viral Adversaries—Nipah And Hendra Virus—May Soon Meet Their Match

Two emerging viral adversariesNipah and Hendra Virusmay soon meet their match. Our recent experience with Covid-19 has taught us to be aware of new and emerging viruses that have pandemic potential. Amongst these viruses are we draw attention to two members of the zoonotic henipavirus genus: Nipah virus and Hendra ... read full

In the Eye of the Storm: How Covid-19 Impacts the Eye

A growing body of evidence suggests that Covid-19 infection can also impact the eye.

GETTY While Covid-19 is commonly associated with infection of the lungs, heart and other vital organs, a growing body of evidence suggests that infection can also impact the eye. Approximately 1 in 10 people exposed to ... read full

S100s: A Blunderbuss Approach To SARS-CoV-2 Defense

THE ANCIENT MARINER One of the primary anomalies of SARS-CoV-2 infection lies in our ... read full

Head in the Clouds: Living with Covid-19

Cognitive impairments are consistently reported as one of the most persistent and some of the more impairing symptoms of Long Covid. 

GETTY This story is part of a larger mosaic of stories on the neurological consequences of Covid-19 and Post-Acute Sequelae of Covid-19 (PASC), also known as Long Covid. Read ... read full

Innate Lymphoid Cells And Covid-19 Severity: Chicken Or The Egg?

Which Came First?

GETTY This is part of a series of stories on the protective role of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in the gut and other tissues, focusing on SARS-CoV-2 infection. Read part one, part two, part three, read full

Two More Members Of The Omicron Family To Keep An Eye On

Colorful detail of quilt sewn from diamond pieces has view like three-dimensional

GETTY As countries worldwide relax Covid restrictions to pre-pandemic levels, the Omicron family of variants continues to prove that now is not the time to take off your mask and go to a crowded event. New variants of ... read full

Quantitative Markers for Covid-19 Brain Injury

Inflammatory biomarkers provide an objective measure for damage occurring in the brain.

GETTY This story is part of a larger mosaic of stories on the neurological consequences of Covid-19 and Post-Acute Sequelae of Covid-19 (PASC), also known as Long Covid. Read part one, two, three and read full

Coronaviruses Can Recombine With Cellular And Heterologous Virus Genes To Create Unexpected Variants

EGYPT – CIRCA 2003: Three statues of the goddess Sekhmet in guise of a lion, from Thebes. Egyptian Civilisation, New Kingdom, Dynasty XVIII. Paris, Musée Du Louvre (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images) DE AGOSTINI VIA GETTY IMAGES

Recent concerns that recombinants may arise amongst SARS-CoV-2 viruses are now a reality. Recombinants ... read full

Hide And Seek: How Group 3 Innate Lymphoid Cells Help Cloak ACE2 Receptors From SARS-CoV-2

Portrait of a woman looking through window blinds.

GETTY This is part of a series of stories on the protective role of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in the gut and other tissues, focusing on SARS-CoV-2 infection. Read part one, part two, read full

Group 3 Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILC3s) And Trained Immunity: Faster And Stronger.

This is part of a series of stories on innate immune protection in the gut, focusing on SARS-CoV-2 infection. Read part one, part two, and part three. The past few decades have yielded a wealth of new research on innate lymphoid cells ... read full

New And Effective Monoclonal Antibody Treatment For Ebola On The Horizon

Ebola warning sign

CNA Scientists at the Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Discovery in La Jolla, Califonia have developed a remarkable pair of monoclonal antibodies that may be the long-sought answer for effective treatments of multiple ebolavirus strains. Ebola poses a threat to human health not only in ... read full

Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILCs): Guardians Against Infection

Night scene Thai Giant guardian at front entrance of the “Ordination Hall” at Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratworamahawihan ( Temple of Dawn ) is a Buddhist temple (wat) in Bangkok capital city, Thailand.

GETTY This is part of a series of stories on innate immune protection in the gut, focusing on ... read full

Imaging the Brain: What Brain Scans Reveal About the Consequences of Covid-19

Brain imaging tools are useful for identifying correlations between symptoms and brain activity.

GETTY This story is part of a larger mosaic of stories on the neurological consequences of Covid-19 and  Post-Acute Sequelae of Covid-19 (PASC), also known as Long Covid. Read part , , and of this series.  Approximately ... read full

A Primary Defense Against SARS-CoV-2: Defensins

Figure 1: The amphipathic nature of defensins

GETTY IMAGES This article is an extension of a previous series which is now available as an anthology in the book, . Here, we introduce part 1 of a small series about defensins—small molecules which help protect us against infectious disease. One of the most ... read full

How Your Gut Protects You from Myriads Of Microbes.

The Andromeda Galaxy

GETTY This is part of a series of stories on innate immune protection in the gut, focusing on SARS-CoV-2 infection. Part one can be read here. The Milky Way Galaxy, the one we have the pleasure of calling home, contains somewhere between read full

Innate And Adaptive Immunity In The Human Intestine

Illustration of female small intestine anatomy

GETTY For the most part, discussions surrounding Covid-19 have focused on its impact on the respiratory system, with special emphasis placed on the lungs. This is understandable considering the primary symptoms of infection are respiratory. Now that we’re more than two years into the ... read full

Antibodies Team Up Against Omicron

Omicron was an unpleasant surprise in many respects. First, the sheer number of mutations in the Spike and throughout the genome yield other significant effects, such as resistance to many vaccines and modified cellular entry. Second, Omicron is now known to be not one, but a family of variants—BA.1, BA.2, ... read full

En Garde For SARS-CoV-2 Chimeras (Recombinants)

Legend: Ancient Greek representation of the Chimera: a recombinant animal.

SCIENCEABC.COM Variants are driving the Covid-19 pandemic. New variants, mutated to improve transmissibility, immune evasion, and pathogenicity, have emerged to fuel wave after wave of new infections. These new strains, to date, have almost exclusively mutated via point mutations, small ... read full

A Case Of Shrunken Brains: How Covid-19 May Damage Brain Cells

This story is part of a larger mosaic of stories on Post-Acute Sequelae of Covid-19 (PASC), also known as Long Covid. Read part  and of this series.

Comparing brain volume before and after individuals were exposed to SARS-CoV-2, this study documents significant cortical gray matter loss, equivalent to nearly 10 years ... read full

An Omicron-Omicron Recombinant—BA.4

Successive waves of Covid-19 have been driven by new variants. In Summer 2020, the B.1 variant swept the globe, receding in the Fall. The Winter of 2020 brought about the Alpha variant, which too fell to the wayside. Then the Delta variant fueled another wave, first in India and then ... read full

An Ancient Form Of Immunity Protects Many Against Covid-19 Today

Figure 1: Mannose-binding lectin (blue strands) can bind to sites on the SARS-Cov-2 spike protein on the cell membrane.

STRAVALACI ET AL., NATURE IMMUNOLOGY (2022), DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1038/S41590-021-01114-W One of the most striking features of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is that across all variants, most people who are infected have few if ... read full

Covid-19: Long Term Brain Injury

This story is part of a larger mosaic of stories on Post-Acute Sequelae of Covid-19 (PASC), also known as Long Covid. Read part one of this series on loss of smell after Covid-19.

New studies report that as many as one quarter of all those infected with ... read full

Stripping Covid's Camouflage

Moth in Camouflage.

JOHN MACGREGOR, GETTY IMAGES

Moth in camouflage.

JOHN MACGREGOR, GETTY IMAGES Infection requires that SARS-CoV-2 slip into a cell, unnoticed by multiple alarms, and camouflage itself to resemble cellular genes and hijack the cell’s machinery. To this end, the virus is read full

Covid-19 Damage To The Male Reproductive Tract

GETTY

Two pre-prints, one from Canada the other from Hong Kong and China, provide convincing evidence that SARS-Cov-2 infects and damages male reproductive organs in monkeys and hamsters. The ... read full

Antibody-Activated Endothelial Cells Increase the Risk of Blood Clots with Covid-19

Covid-19-induced blood clots may be triggered partly by “rouge” autoantibodies.

GETTY The activity of antiphospholipid antibodies may help explain hypercoagulation associated with late stages of Covid-19 and long-term post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), also known as long-haul Covid-19. A recent study found that ... read full

Covid Ping-Pong: Human To Deer, Deer To Human

Deer looking through sliding glass door

LIGHTINGHOMES.NET An ongoing question regarding the SARS-CoV-2 virus is the extent of variation. The Omicron family of viruses are among the most mutated natural variants observed thus far, displaying over fifty amino acid changes throughout the genome. While some may hope that this approaches ... read full

SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Regulates Virus and Cell Genes

Radiograph of inflamed lungs.

GETTY Covid-19 patients have reported a vast array of symptoms, including issues related to the heart, kidneys, liver, brain, and a number of other areas. Neurological problems following SARS-CoV-2 infection, ranging from the inability to concentrate to overwhelming fatigue, have been especially concerning. Exactly how this ... read full

Whence And Whither Covid-19: The Many Faces Of Omicron

Emergence of Omicron sublineages. Blue is BA.1. Pink is BA.2. Green is BA.2 + H78Y.

DR. ERIC DING What, without asking, hither hurried whence? And, without asking, whither hurried hence! Another and another Cup to drown The Memory of this Impertinence! Omar Khayyam / English version by Edward FitzGerald We are all wondering what comes next ... read full

Pericyte Damage: Surprising Cause of Covid-Related Myocarditis

This is part of a series on bystander SARS-CoV-2 induced damage to organs, tissues and cells. 

A recent study reveals that SARS-CoV-2 may damage blood vessels without infecting cells directly.

GETTY Summary A recent study reveals the details of how SARS-CoV-2 affects pericytes, a cell type critical for the maintenance and repair ... read full

Protection In The Present From The Deep Past

NASA depiction of primordial earth (right) compared to our modern day planet (left).

FLICKR & PIXABAY By now, we know that our bodies have many ways to defend themselves from infecting microbes. This includes the innate immune system— the body’s first response to organisms it has never seen before, and ... read full

Do Not Underestimate The Consequences Of SARS-CoV-2 Escape: The Omicron Example

From the outset of the Covid pandemic, the extent to which the virus SARS-CoV-2 might vary was seriously underestimated. We all recall when leading national and international healthcare authorities assured us that because the virus had a “proofreading” activity, it was unlikely that the fundamental characteristics of the virus would ... read full

Losing the Sense of Smell: How Covid-19 Infection Induces Long-Lasting Symptoms

This is part of a series on bystander SARS-CoV-2 induced damage to organs, tissues and cells. 

An illustration of the olfactory bulb and epithelium. Top right: A pericyte (light orange) wraps around a blood vessel (red). Bottom right: Olfactory sensory neurons (light red, orange) surrounded by sustentacular cells (tan) ... read full

Covid Infection During Pregnancy: What Are The Risks?

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the risk of viral infection is a cause for both the mother and child.

GETTY Update: New research from the and other affiliated institutions indicates that pregnant and postpartum women infected with Covid-19 have a significantly higher risk of serious pregnancy complications including hydertensive disorders, postpartum ... read full

Quantum Leap In Newborn Whole Genome Sequencing

Mini nanopore genome sequencing device.

OXFORD NANOPORE TECHNOLOGIES When a critically ill 3-month-old infant entered a Stanford hospital with unexplained seizures, physicians were mystified by the young patient’s illness. The infant displayed many signs of epilepsy, but brain scans found no abnormalities to indicate what could be causing the infant’s ... read full

Good News: Full Vaccination Protects Against Omicron Hospitalization And Death

This is the fourth in a series on the Omicron variants.

The current wave of Omicron-based Covid-19 infections has highlighted both the strengths and weaknesses of our current Covid-control strategy, which relies primarily on vaccines. The Omicron virus seems to infect most of those vaccinated once or twice, almost as if ... read full

The Omicron Surprise

This is the third in a series on the Omicron variants. The rise of Omicron has come as a surprise. Many were hoping Delta would be the last in a chain of variants of increasing transmission and virulence. Not one but two new forms of Omicron, BA.1 and BA.2, have put ... read full

'Decoy' Protein Offers New Treatment Approach For Covid-19.

Duck decoy in water.

GETTY The rise of immune-evasive variants like omicron, and breakthrough infections along with it, has foregrounded the need for antiviral therapies. Particularly antiviral therapies that can stand up to multiple different variants without succumbing to resistance. Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have just taken a ... read full

A Novel Strategy To Prevent Covid-19 Infection: Early Studies

Healthcare worker administers a live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) nasal spray to a female patient.

CDC A new approach to Covid-19 vaccinations may slow the spread of infection. We all know by now that current vaccines are not effective in preventing infection against Omicron. Although these vaccines may protect people ... read full

Do Cannabinoids Offer A Treatment For Covid-19? Maybe.

Hemp Plant

PIXABAY New studies show that a familiar medication may help to slow the spread of Covid-19 and its variants. Cannabinoids are a chemical found in hemp that can affect the entire body including the central nervous system and the immune system. While most people may recognize cannabinoids for ... read full

Understanding Omicron: A Structure-Function Tour De Force

This is the second in a series on the Omicron variants. Scientific progress in understanding Omicron has been remarkably swift since its discovery in late November of last year. The newest paper from the University of Washington by is a tour de force in helping us understand the properties of ... read full

Birth Of The Omicron Family: BA.1, BA.2, BA.3. Each As Different As Alpha Is From Delta.

This is the first in a series on the Omicron variant, specifically discussing its derivative lineages: BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3. We have previously speculated on the potential origin of Omicron in an earlier .

Time course for the evolution of significant SARS-CoV-2 variants, note the considerable divergence of the ... read full

The Danger Of Covid-19 Monotherapy: Drug Resistance

This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (round gold objects) emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. SARS-CoV-2, also known as 2019-nCoV, is the virus that causes COVID-19. The virus shown was isolated from a patient

BSIP/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES The current protocol for Omicron ... read full

Major Protease Of SARS-CoV-2 Acts To Suppress Innate Immunity

This is part nineteen of a series, “How SARS-CoV-2 Delays, Evades, and Suppresses the Immune System.”

In October 2020, researchers discovered that the SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural protein 5 (NSP5), like many other of its viral proteins, suppresses innate immunity. This has key implications for Covid-19 drug development that have yet to be ... read full

Novel Antiviral Approach To Covid-19 Treatment

Model of the three RBD-targeting DARPin molecules of ensovibep bound to the RBD regions of the Spike protein.

FROM: “ENSOVIBEP, A NOVEL TRISPECIFIC DARPIN CANDIDATE THAT PROTECTS AGAINST SARS-COV-2 VARIANTS” SYLVIA ROTHENBERGER ET AL. 2021. As we move into the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic, things continue to look ... read full

Inhaled Remdesivir for Home Use for Covid Treatment

Self treatment of the respiratory tract using inhalation nebulizer.

GETTY For a patient at high risk of severe Covid-19 related complications, newly released data shows that inhaled remdesivir offers the promise of an effective treatment for home use. Remdesivir is currently the only FDA-approved treatment of Covid-19. Recent data shows that if ... read full

New Data Suggests That 50% Of Omicron Infections In Healthy Young Men Remain Transmissible After Five Days

CIRCA 1987: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls goes for the slam dunk during a circa 1987 NBA basketball game. Jordan played for the Bulss from 1984-93 and 1995 – 98. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

GETTY IMAGES New data is now available regarding the transmission of the ... read full

Endemic Disease Does Not Necessarily Mean Mild Disease

The Oakland Municipal Auditorium is being used as a temporary hospital with volunteer nurses from the American Red Cross tending the sick there during the influenza pandemic of 1918, Oakland, California, 1918. (Photo by Underwood Archives/Getty

GETTY IMAGES Many are hoping that the Omicron variant signals a transition into the ... read full

We Can’t Stop Reporting Covid Cases

Understanding infection rates in our communities is critical knowledge that keeps us safe by allowing us to modify our behavior based on risk.

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO With record-breaking Covid case counts sweeping the country once more, many experts have called for a shift from reporting cases to simply recording hospitalizations and ... read full

Time to Expand Vaccination to Infants and Toddlers and Boosters for Children

The current surge in COVID-19 infections is hospitalizing children and adolescents at unprecedented rates.

GETTY The current surge in COVID-19 infections is hospitalizing children and adolescents at unprecedented rates. In the early stages of the pandemic, parents were assured that children primarily experience mild flu-like symptoms. Innate immune protection against ... read full

Omicron: Less Virulent But Still Dangerous

Hamster with mask

GETTY IMAGES The rapid rise of Omicron variant infections around the world has led the virological community to take a closer look at the extremely infectious strain. Early data clearly indicates that Omicron is far more transmissible than strains that came before. One read full

The Challenges of Treating COVID-19: Lessons from Gilead’s Remdesivir

Remdesivir, brand name Veklury, gained significant coverage in the early months of the pandemic as the first and only FDA approved antiviral treatment for COVID-19

GETTY As COVID-19 infections continue to peak, researchers around the world are working at unprecedented speeds to manufacture disease prevention and treatment options to combat ... read full

New Potential Covid Virus Variants Of Concern

Regional Map of France

GEOCURRENTS.INFO The past year of the Covid-19 pandemic has been driven by variants, now designated as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and now Omicron. It is natural to wonder what will be next. Scientists and epidemiologists around the world are alert to the possibility that yet another ... read full

New Insights Into Lung Damage And Repair Relevant To Covid-19

Comparison of KRT14 and KRT5 expression (markers for lung damage) in normal lung, IPF lung and hAEC2-derived organoids at day 14.

FROM: “HUMAN ALVEOLAR TYPE 2 EPITHELIUM TRANSDIFFERENTIATES INTO METAPLASTIC KRT5+ BASAL CELLS” KATHIRIYA ET AL. 2021 Lungs that have sustained severe damage from diseases such as Covid-19 or Idiopathic ... read full

Synthetic Gene Circuit To Hone CAR T Therapy

Airplane cockpit control panel

GETTY Here we describe a new way to control CAR T therapy through synthetic gene circuits. For more on controlling CAR T therapy, read our article on the . Previous installments also discuss the and its applications for,,, and the, as well as on ... read full

Difficulties Of Single Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Of SARS-CoV-2: The Sotrovimab Experience In Australia

Spike protein with sotrovimab monoclonal antibody in purple.

CORTI ET AL. The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has spread around the globe at unprecedented speed. Neither prior infection nor multiple vaccinations impede transmission. One hope was that early treatment with monoclonal antibodies for those most susceptible to serious disease would reduce hospitalization ... read full

3D Printed Skin? Potential New Treatment For Chronic Wounds

This story is part 11 of an occasional series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged by disease, injured by trauma, or worn by time. I include ... read full

Omicron Evades Most But Fortunately Not All Monoclonal Antibodies

This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 -also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19-isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. (Photo by: IMAGE POINT FR)

UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has rapidly ... read full

Pfizer’s New Antiviral Drug Could Transform The Pandemic, But Challenges Still Lie Ahead

A researcher works with the COVID-19 antiviral pill, Paxlovid, at a laboratory in Freiburg, Germany, on Nov. 16.

GETTY IMAGES The approval of Pfizer’s Paxlovid antiviral pill for Covid by the FDA is a transformative development at this critical stage of the pandemic. Paxlovid has been authorized for use in ... read full

Another Variant Emerges From An Immunocompromised Patient

As the pandemic continues, new waves of infections are driven by emerging viral variants with a menagerie of genomic mutations. The exact origins of new mutations are unknown, but one theory is the cultivation of mutations in immunosuppressed Covid-19 patients. In some instances of Covid infection, lingering symptoms may last ... read full

Clusterin: Hints Of New Hope For Aging And Alzheimer’s

This story is part 9 of an occasional series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged by disease, injured by trauma, or worn by time. I include ... read full

How Omicron Evades Natural Immunity, Vaccination, And Monoclonal Antibody Treatments

This is the third in our series on the Omicron variant. Find parts and here.   In a few short weeks, the COVID-19 virus variant Omicron has spread around the world. The incidence of new infections is rising rapidly, even in well-vaccinated populations and those previously infected by earlier variants ... read full

Preliminary Study Shows Promise For Long-Term Treatment Of Diabetes

This story is part 8 of an occasional series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged by disease, injured by trauma, or worn by time. I include ... read full

Understanding Omicron: Changes In The Spike Protein And Beyond And What They Portend

This is the first of a two-part series. Here we describe the mutations in the Omicron Spike protein. In part two, we will describe mutations in other parts of the genome.

Abstract Technology Binary Code Dark Red Background. Cyber Attack, Ransomware, Malware, Scareware Concept

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO A new variant, Omicron, very ... read full

Thinning Hair? Blame The Pandemic Or Your Wandering Stem Cells

This story is part 7 of an occasional series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged by disease, injured by trauma, or worn by time. I include ... read full

Frequent Rapid Testing Is The Key To Controlling Covid-19 Transmission In Universities And In Our Communities

A new study shows that with high vaccination rates and twice weekly rapid testing, colleges can stay open and keep transmission levels low. (Photo by JHU Sheridan Libraries/Gado/Getty Images).

GETTY IMAGES The advent of the Omicron variant and the rise in cases across the US is a grim reminder that ... read full

A New Monoclonal Antibody That Has The Potential To Neutralize All Viral Variants

Cryo-electron microscopy of neutralizing and non-neutralizing Abs in complex with SARS-CoV-2 Spike ectodomain structures of SARS-CoV-2 S protein in complex with DH1047

DAPENG ET AL. Monoclonal antibodies offer what is now a proven way to prevent and treat Covid-19 infections. Until recently, antibodies were administered by intravenous (IV) injection, which ... read full

Hong Kong Demonstrates Effective Use Of Covid Public Health Mitigation

An aerial photo of Hong Kong’s skyline taken on December 19, 2018.

DALE DE LA REY/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES It is clear from surging cases in Europe and in the US that we cannot make the mistake of relying on vaccines alone for population protection. We need to fight Covid ... read full

Stem Cell-Derived Neurons Mimic Alzheimer’s Pathogenesis

This story is part 6 of an occasional series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged by disease, injured by trauma, or worn by time. I include ... read full

Intramuscular Injection Of Monoclonal Antibodies Simplifies Covid Treatment

TOPSHOT – Nurse Practitioner Terri Welch administers a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to a patient at the Haxby and Wigginton Group Medical Practice in Haxby, northern England on December 22, 2020. – Europe is expected to start a

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Until effective and accessible SARS-CoV-2 antivirals ... read full

Detailed Description Of A Highly Potent SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody: Bamlanivimab

Antibodies attacking a virus

BBC Monoclonal antibodies have been shown to be effective in both the prevention and early treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections. One of the antibodies currently approved for clinical use by emergency use authorization is a combination antibody treatment of bamlanivimab and etesevimab. A recent read full

Epidemiology Answers Key Questions About Delta Variant Transmissibility And Lethality

Series: Travel the world and visit major cities. Blue thumbtack (push pin) that is stuck in a map, which marks the city of Guangzhou, China. The map is toned in pastel colors. Concept: Planning travel destinations or journey planning. Close-up view.

GETTY

Understanding the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection is ... read full

Unregulated Stem Cell Clinics Endanger Patients And Limit Research

A growing issue across the nation for patients and research is the existence of unapproved stem cell clinics.

MAX PIXEL In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration brought to the public’s attention a growing issue across the nation— experimental stem cell clinics. These for-profit clinics offer stem cell therapies with ... read full

Spike And Nucleocapsid Protein Mutations In Tanzanian And Ugandan Strains Of SARS-CoV-2 Demand Attention

Tanzania and Uganda in East Africa

GTREVIEW.COM Virus variation is a major driver of current infections. All SARS-CoV-2 variants sweeping almost all areas of the world today, including variants of concern Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta, originally derived from the Triad variant (D614G). This variant was the first major variant ... read full

A Single Point Mutation In The Nucleocapsid Protein Increases Covid Virus Infectivity By More Than 100 Times

Increased plaque forming capability of N protein mutant viruses carrying either S202R or R203M mutations

SYED ET AL. A recent paper by Syed et al. demonstrates that mutations in the Nucleocapsid (N) protein, one of the four structural proteins in SARS-CoV-2 in addition to ... read full

Brain Implants With The Potential To Restore Vision To The Blind

This story is part 5 of an occasional series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged by disease, injured by trauma, or worn by time. I include ... read full

UK Approval Of Molnupiravir May Create New And More Dangerous Covid-19 Variants

Medicine pills are seen with Merck logo displayed on a screen in the background in this illustration photo taken in Poland on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES

As of this morning, British drug regulators have approved the Covid-19 antiviral drug molnupiravir ... read full

A Big Step Forward In Solving The Organ Shortage

This story is part 4 of an occasional series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged by disease, injured by trauma, or worn by time. I include a full spectrum of chemical, gene, and protein-based medicines, ... read full

The Urgent Need For Increased Surveillance Of Variants That Arise From Chronic Covid

This is the fourth in a series examining the past, present, and future of the pandemic and viral variants.

Disease Emerging from the Body

ROMAN MOSAIC In our discussion of SARS-CoV-2 mutant strains, it is important to reflect on how viral variation occurs to inform our surveillance of variant emergence. Where ... read full

A Thoughtful Way To End The Covid-19 Pandemic (Part 16)

The Thinker is a bronze and marble sculpture by Auguste Rodin held in the Musee Rodin in Paris. It depicts a man in sober meditation battling with a powerful internal struggle, and is often used to represent philosophy. (Photo by Brooks Kraft)

CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES There are many lessons ... read full

The Next Big One: Drug-Resistant Airborne Tuberculosis

The next big pandemic might well be drug-resistant tuberculosis.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been much discussion of what will be the next big pandemic and how do we prepare for it. New research has found that tuberculosis bacteria can ... read full

Hope For Those Aching Joints

This story is part 3 of an occasional series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged by disease, injured by trauma, or worn by time. I include ... read full

The Role Of Nucleases In Innate Immune Escape (Part 15)

This is the fifteenth article in a series called “How SARS-CoV-2 Delays, Evades, and Suppresses the Immune System.” Read parts,,,,,,,,,,,, , and .

The Tailor by Giovanni Battista Moroni, c. 1570. Here the tailor cuts the cloth. Endo- and exonucleases coded by SARS-CoV-2 cleave RNA to facilitate viral replication. 

WIKIPEDIA

In ... read full

The Growing Threat Of The Delta Pluses At Home And Abroad

This is the third in a series examining the past, present, and future of the pandemic and viral variants.

Massive dark storm clouds dump rain over the wide plains and dirt tracks of the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.

GETTY Each successive variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to date was ... read full

Lateral Flow Tests Detect Most People At Risk Of Transmitting Covid-19

A Covid-19 lateral flow test showing a negative result.

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO Routine testing to identify those infected followed by efficient contact tracing, and supported isolation is still the most effective public health measure we have to control Covid-19. Yet the US has never embraced testing as the powerful public health tool ... read full

Covid-19 Variation: What Comes Next? The Amazonas Experience

This is the second in a series examining the past, present, and future of the pandemic and viral variants.

Quilt; ‘Log Cabin’ by American artist Rachel M Henderson, 1880s. Gift of Mrs. R. Norris Shreve. (Photo by Indianapolis Museum of Art/Getty Images)

GETTY IMAGES Each successive iteration of SARS-CoV-2 variant to ... read full

Study Finds Children To Be Vectors Of Covid-19 And Emerging Variants

Infants, Children and Adolescents are equally capable of carrying high levels of live, replicating SARS-CoV-2 in their respiratory secretions.

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES A new study by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, MIT, and Harvard Medical School has found that infants, children, and adolescents are equally ... read full

Is This Petri Dish Looking At Me?

This story is part of an occasional series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged by disease, injured by trauma, or worn by time. I include a ... read full

Covid-19 Variation: Past, Present, And Future

This is the first in a three-part series examining the past, present, and future of the pandemic and viral variants.

Proteus

GREEK ART For the last year and a half, we’ve been consumed by successive waves of Covid-19 both in the United States and around the world. We have witnessed the ... read full

Children Are Losing Parents And Caregivers To Covid At An Alarming Rate

From April 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, over 140,000 children in the US experienced the death of a parent or grandparent caregiver.

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO A new modeling study published in Pediatrics by a CDC-led team has revealed that one U.S. child loses a ... read full

CDC Report Finds Summer Camps With Strong Covid Protocols Kept Infections To A Minimum

A new CDC report demonstrates how using multiple Covid-19 prevention strategies at nine US overnight summer camps was highly effective in preventing transmission of Covid-19.

GETTY IMAGES A new CDC report demonstrates how using multiple Covid-19 prevention strategies at nine US overnight ... read full

Origin: Very Close Relatives Of SARS-CoV-2 Identified In Laotian Bats

This horde of bats could contain possible carriers of the rabies virus, 1972. Most of the recent human rabies cases in the United States have been caused by rabies virus that was transmitted through a bat vector. However, it is rare for humans to contract rabies from infected ... read full

A Neanderthal Gene That Protects Us From Covid-19 (Part 14)

This is the fourteenth article in a series called “How SARS-CoV-2 Delays, Evades, and Suppresses the Immune System.” Read parts,,,,,,,,and .

OAS1 as St. Michael, slaying the dragon SARS-CoV-2 via multiple points of attack. “Archangel Michael Slaying the Dragon” Master of Saint Verdiana (Italian, active ca. 1380-ca. 1420)

THE WALTERS ART ... read full

How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System (Part 13)

This is the thirteenth article in a series called “How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System,” which will explore an under-appreciated but highly significant aspect of SARS-CoV-2 replication. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to delay, evade, and suppress the immune system has myriad implications for drugs, vaccines, and other aspects ... read full

Is An Artificial Pancreas On The Way?

This story is part 1 of an occasional series on the current progression in Regenerative Medicine. In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as the collection of interventions that restore to normal function tissues and organs that have been damaged by disease, injured by trauma, or worn by time. I include ... read full

A Snapshot Of SARS-CoV-2 Evolution: Observed Increase Of Infectivity In The Covid-19 Virus

A sports car today is far more advanced than those from the 20th century. A recent scientific report underscores how rapidly SARS-CoV-2 adapts to selective pressure. The experiments examine how rapidly the virus can adapt to life in a Petri dish. The results are startling, explaining in part the emergence of ... read full

R.1: Another In The Growing List Of SARS-CoV-2 Variants

Welcome to Kentucky road sign at the state border

GETTY Update: This article was edited to mention that R.1 is no longer spreading significantly in the United States. This version highlights the R.1 variant’s capability to initiate breakthrough infection in fully-vaccinated elderly populations. A variant detected in a Kentucky nursing home ... read full

A Second East African Variant: A.23.1

White rhinos running

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE

A new and unusual variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been found in Africa. First detected in Uganda as early as October 2020, the A.23.1 variant is now found in at least 26 other countries. A.23.1, at present, accounts for under 2,000 sequences of the 3.5 million ... read full

There Is A Giant Hole In Our Covid Control Strategy

With cases continuing to surge across the US, it is clear that we need a different approach. In the US, we never really effectively implemented an entire arm of Covid control basics, namely identification of the virus through border control, testing, wastewater surveillance, and genomic surveillance and then isolation of ... read full

Animal Reservoirs Of Covid-19 May Trigger New Rounds Of Human Disease

Cocker spaniel relaxing with a cat, Canis familiaris, indoors. (Photo by: Auscape/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES New variants of SARS-CoV-2 are lurking below the streets of New York City. A recent paper by Smyth et al. extracted SARS-CoV-2 ... read full

How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System (Part 12)

This is the twelfth article in a series called “How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System,” which will explore an underappreciated but highly significant aspect of SARS-CoV-2 replication. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to delay, evade, and suppress the immune system has myriad implications for drugs, vaccines, and other aspects ... read full

How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System (Part 11)

This is the eleventh article in a series called “How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System,” which will explore an underappreciated but highly significant aspect of SARS-CoV-2 replication. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to delay, evade, and suppress the immune system has myriad implications for drugs, vaccines, and other aspects ... read full

How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System (Part 10)

This is the tenth article in a series called “How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System,” which will explore an underappreciated but highly significant aspect of SARS-CoV-2 replication. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to delay, evade, and suppress the immune system has myriad implications for drugs, vaccines, and other aspects ... read full

Is This The Next Variant Of Concern— C.1.2?

Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) in the snow in early spring emerging from den among rocks in woodland, Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany. (Photo by: Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES A new and unusual variant of SARS-CoV-2  has appeared and is on ... read full

How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System (Part 9)

This is the ninth article in a 15-part series called “Relevance of Immune Suppression by SARS-CoV-2 to Understanding and Controlling the Covid-19 Pandemic,” which will explore an underappreciated but highly significant aspect of SARS-CoV-2 replication. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to delay, evade, and suppress the immune system has myriad implications ... read full

The Mystery Of The False Start At The 5’ End Of SARS-CoV-2

This is the second in a series describing the role of the beginning and ends of the SARS-CoV-2 genome in the virus life cycle. I summarize what we know and point out what we need to know about these ends in order to develop new antiviral drugs. Read more from ... read full

How The Pandemic Is Fueling Eating Disorders In Young People

Over the course of the pandemic, the National Eating Disorder Association helpline has reported a huge 40% increase in call volume.

GETTY IMAGES “I just needed more control” Anne, a college student from Massachusetts, took a deep breath as she recounted her experiences with disordered eating during the pandemic. Anne ... read full

Decoding The Gordian Knots At The Ends Of The SARS-CoV-2 Genome

This is the first in a series describing the role of the beginning and end of the SARS-CoV-2 genome in the virus life cycle. I summarize what we know and point out what we need to know about these ends in order to develop new antiviral drugs.

Alexander the ... read full

Depression And Anxiety Double In Youth Compared To Pre-Pandemic

Depression and anxiety symptoms have doubled in children and adolescents globally

GETTY IMAGES At the beginning of the pandemic, the CDC advised that children and adolescents were considered the read full

How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System (Part 7)

This is the seventh article in a 15-part series called “Relevance of Immune Suppression by SARS-CoV-2 to Understanding and Controlling the Covid-19 Pandemic,” which will explore an underappreciated but highly significant aspect of SARS-CoV-2 replication. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to delay, evade, and suppress the immune system has myriad implications ... read full

Babies And Toddlers Are Highly Contagious For Covid-19

Infants and toddlers (0-3 years) are less likely to bring SARS-CoV-2 into the home but are more likely to transmit SARS-CoV-2 compared with older children.

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO A new study by Public Health Ontario, published in JAMA Pediatrics finds that infants and toddlers (0-3 years) ... read full

How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System (Part 6)

This is the sixth article in a 15-part series called “Relevance of Immune Suppression by SARS-CoV-2 to Understanding and Controlling the Covid-19 Pandemic,” which will explore an underappreciated but highly significant aspect of SARS-CoV-2 replication. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to delay, evade, and suppress the immune system has myriad implications ... read full

Children Born During Pandemic Show Lower Cognitive Scores

Children born during pandemic show lower cognitive scores

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO A new preprint study presents the alarming finding that children born during the pandemic in the US show reduced verbal, motor, and overall cognitive performance compared to children born pre-pandemic. In the decade preceding the pandemic, the mean IQ score ... read full

Nanomaterial Shows Promise For Bone Regeneration

MIDDLE EAST – DECEMBER 18: This skull, excavated from Jericho in Palestine, shows four trepanned holes. Trepanning was the ancient practice of cutting holes in the skull, probably with the intention of releasing evil spirits or demons from the mind,

SSPL VIA GETTY IMAGES The restoration of skeletal function remains ... read full

How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System (Part 5)

This is the fifth article in a 15-part series called “Relevance of Immune Suppression by SARS-CoV-2 to Understanding and Controlling the Covid-19 Pandemic,” which will explore an underappreciated but highly significant aspect of SARS-CoV-2 replication. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to delay, evade, and suppress the immune system has myriad implications ... read full

Covid-19, No End In Sight

Man looks out at vast mountain range through binoculars

GETTY IMAGES/EYEEM Everyone is desperate to understand how the pandemic ends, what will be the silver bullet that saves us all. The answer is not that simple nor is it a comfortable easily digestible narrative. Everyone has a different definition of ... read full

How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System (Part 4)

This is the fourth article in a 15-part series called “Relevance of Immune Suppression by SARS-CoV-2 to Understanding and Controlling the Covid-19 Pandemic,” which will explore an underappreciated but highly significant aspect of SARS-CoV-2 replication. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to delay, evade, and suppress the immune system has myriad implications ... read full

Study Shows Covid-19 Can Be Detected In A Single Asymptomatic Person Through Wastewater Surveillance

new study from UC San Diego demonstrates that wastewater surveillance can detect Covid-19 in a single infected, asymptomatic person living or working in a multi-unit dwelling such as a university campus building. Wastewater surveillance can detect a case up to 3 ... read full

How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System (Part 3)

This is the third article in a 15-part series called “Relevance of Immune Suppression by SARS-CoV-2 to Understanding and Controlling the Covid-19 Pandemic,” which will explore an underappreciated but highly significant aspect of SARS-CoV-2 replication. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to delay, evade, and suppress the immune system has myriad implications ... read full

How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System (Part Two)

This is the second article in a 15-part series called “Relevance of Immune Suppression by SARS-CoV-2 to Understanding and Controlling the Covid-19 Pandemic,” which will explore an underappreciated but highly significant aspect of SARS-CoV-2 replication. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to delay, evade, and suppress the immune system has myriad implications ... read full

How SARS-CoV-2 Evades And Suppresses The Immune System (Part One)

This is the first article in a 15-part series called “Relevance of Immune Suppression by SARS-CoV-2 to Understanding and Controlling the Covid-19 Pandemic,” which will explore an under-appreciated but highly significant aspect of SARS-CoV-2 replication. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to delay, evade, and suppress the immune system has myriad implications ... read full

Busting 12 Covid-19 Myths That Could Kill

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – FEBRUARY 19: Clinical support technician Douglas Condie extracts viruses from swab samples so that the genetic structure of a virus can be analysed and identified in the coronavirus testing laboratory at Glasgow Royal Infirmary,

GETTY IMAGES

We have underestimated the force that is SARS-CoV-2 and its impact ... read full

A New Covid Variant On The Loose: B.1.621

Belgian street

EXPATICA A group of seven residents in a Belgian nursing home died after infection with a new variant, all of whom were fully vaccinated according to virologists on the scene. Though the vaccine used in these residents was not made public, ... read full

Israel’s Recent Surge Confirms We Need A Multimodal Strategy To Fight Covid-19

Daily Covid-19 cases in Israel

JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY With a surge of Covid-19 infections at the highest levels since February, Israel is now contemplating further lockdowns and the possibility of extending booster vaccine shots to those over 50 years old. This comes after administering booster shots to about 2,000 immunocompromised ... read full

The Delta Variant: A Guide To Evaluating Personal Risk

Pedestrians, some wearing face coverings due to Covid-19, walk past shops on Oxford Street in central London on June 7, 2021. – The Delta variant of the coronavirus, first discovered in India, is estimated to be 40 percent more transmissible than the

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

As the Delta variant ... read full

How Peer Counseling Can Address Barriers to Student Mental Health

Depressed young student with face mask sitting and studying on floor back at college or university, coronavirus concept.

GETTY When Dr. Sarah Lipson, a Boston University Professor and Associate Director of the Healthy Minds Network, worked in higher education as residential life staff, she soon found that mental health problems ... read full

We Must Support The Children Orphaned By Covid-19

A young child grieves the loss of a parent.

GETTY IMAGES Much of the focus of Covid-19 has been on the astronomical death toll and case numbers, yet this fixation neglects to consider the impact on those left behind by loved ones. A recent study in read full

It Is Time To Pay Close Attention To The Lambda Variant Now Devastating South America

Rise of Lambda variant in Peru

NEWS.MEDICAL.NET It is time to pay more attention to the Lambda variant of SARS-CoV-2. As the Delta variant ravages communities in Asia, Europe, and the United States, another variant of interest, Lambda, is spreading rapidly throughout South America. The Lambda variant, or C.37, was first ... read full

Healing Ruptured Eardrums With A New 3-D Printed Graft

BOSTON – APRIL 15: Two explosions went off near the finish line of the 117th Boston Marathon on

With over 200,000 cases a year, ruptured eardrums due to traumatic injury and patients with chronic ear infections are a common illness among many. Following the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, ... read full

A Warning About the Future of Covid-19 from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies of the United Kingdom

Coronavirus

REUTERS We have watched SARS-CoV-2 develop for 18 months and have some idea of its trajectory. The Delta variant is the prime example of strains succeeding each other, becoming progressively worse in waves of infection. According to a recent report from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) ... read full

A New Study Documents Efficient COVID-19 Transmission From Infected Children And Adolescents To Household Contacts

Multi Generation Family Enjoying Meal Around Table At Home

GETTY A hotly debated question is how efficient is the transmission of COVID-19 from children and adolescents to household contacts. This question has immediate resonance as we anticipate reopening schools for children of all ages, especially those twelve and under who ... read full

Ventilated Classrooms Are Critical To Protecting Our Children From Covid Infection

A students adjusts her facemask at St. Joseph Catholic School in La Puente, California on November 16, 2020 (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES The death of hundreds of children from Covid-19 in Indonesia in ... read full

What We Need To Know About The Future Of Variants

NEW YORK CITY – JULY 27: A person wears a mask while walking in Grand Central Terminal on July 27, 2021 in New York City. Due to the rapidly spreading Delta variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that fully

GETTY IMAGES For the past year, ... read full

New Hope On The Horizon For Many Women With Breast Cancer

Diverse group of women are in a huddle before participating in a cancer awareness 5K race.

GETTY

There is new hope on the horizon for many women with breast cancer. New drugs have been discovered that could treat 10 to 20 percent of women with breast cancer, especially those who ... read full

A Situation Update On Covid-19 Variants And Vaccines

Orange, CA – July 21: Jamie McDonough, RN, left, and Nurses Assistant Vanessa Gutierrez, check on a COVID-19 patient in the COVID ICU at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, CA on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. COVID-19 cases have risen in recent weeks due, in

MEDIANEWS GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES The ... read full

The Talking Man: New Advances In Regenerative Medicine

UCSF neurosurgeon Dr. Eddie Chang, is seen reflected in the monitor of a neurophysiology rig which is used to record brain activity, at the Center for Neural Engineering and Prostheses at UCSF on Friday, December 16, 2011 in San Francisco, Calif.

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE VIA GETTY IMAGES A California native ... read full

Overwhelmed U.S. Hospital Systems: A Look Into The Future

WUHAN, CHINA – FEBRUARY 03: Workers build hospital on February 3, 2020 in Wuhan, China. After only 10 days of construction, Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital was officially completed and delivered, and on February 3, patients with newly diagnosed

ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGES A new read full

Humanizing Healthcare: A Model For Consumer-Based Care

Two staff members wheel Amwell telemedicine carts into the entrance of the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Benioff Children’s Hospital in Mission Bay, San Francisco, California during an outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, March 16,

GADO VIA GETTY IMAGES Picture a healthcare system where the human approach takes precedence. ... read full

Potential New Biomarker To Guide Treatment For Severe Covid-19

HOUSTON, TX – JULY 2: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) A member of the medical staff treats a patient in the COVID-19 intensive care unit at the United Memorial Medical Center on July 2, 2020 in Houston, Texas. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have spiked

GETTY IMAGES A new wave of Covid-19 ... read full

New Studies Highlight Promising Candidates For Second-Generation Covid-19 Vaccines

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – DECEMBER 08: Grace Thomson receives the coronavirus vaccine from Paula McMahon at the Louisa Jordan Hospital as the roll out begins on December 8, 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland. A batch of 65,000 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine

GETTY IMAGES

The first generation of Covid-19 vaccines has ... read full

Λ!!: A New Threat On The Rise In South America

Health workers walk by the Camana River to inoculate elderly citizens with doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19, in Arequipa, southern Peru, on July 2, 2021. (Photo by Diego Ramos / AFP) (Photo by DIEGO RAMOS/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Once again, Covid-19 is on the ... read full

An Argument For Covid-19 Booster Shots To Protect The Vulnerable

Grandfather and granddaughter watching television together

GETTY

On Monday, amid reports that the highly infectious Delta variant is causing surges in new Covid-19 infections in states with low vaccination rates and countries with vaccine shortages, Pfizer announced plans to seek emergency authorization as ... read full

The Delta Dilemma: Loosening Covid-19 Controls At A Time Of Increased Danger

Covid-19 cases in the United Kingdom.

JHU CSSE COVID-19 DATA At a time when the United States and many other countries are beginning to lift restrictions, a new, more dangerous variant of SARS-CoV-2 has appeared that has prompted serious rethinking around what containment strategies should look like moving forward. The ... read full

The Dawn Of A New Era Of Regenerative Medicine: Tissue Engineering Comes Of Age

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 15: 3D printed organ scaffolds by Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine is displayed as part of the ‘AI: More than Human’ exhibition at the Barbican Curve Gallery on May 15, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Tristan

GETTY IMAGES FOR BARBICAN CENTRE The field of ... read full

Infection Through “Fleeting Contact” With The Delta Variant Leads To Lockdowns Across Australia

Australia struggles to keep new cases of the Delta variant under control. Sydney and Darwin have both entered lockdown due an outbreak of the Delta variant. Melbourne has come out of lockdown and Queensland and Western Australia have just recorded

ACCESS HEALTH INTERNATIONAL While many are celebrating declining cases rates ... read full

How COVID-19 Changes Our Understanding of Mental Health

In the early months of 2020, city after city, country after country, began to lock down; businesses were closed, schools shut down, and public events canceled. As each of us began an undefined quarantine, all of us were asked to drastically change our lives, often isolating us from critical support ... read full

We Need to Prioritize Mental Health for Healthcare Workers

KEY POINTS Between 35 and 54 percent of nurses and doctors were already experiencing burnout before the pandemic. During the pandemic, healthcare workers had to work with a lack of protective equipment and faced many instances of moral injury on the job. Roughly 3 in 10 healthcare workers have weighed ... read full

Will COVID-19 Improve Long Term Care?

BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 2: A resident in a wheelchair at an assisted living facility in Boston, MA on September 02, 2020. In the Commonwealth’s senior care sites, the coronavirus took a particularly insidious hold in the spring and early summer, and

BOSTON GLOBE VIA GETTY IMAGES While much of ... read full

Hepatitis-C Drugs And A Remdesivir Metabolite As New Anti-Covid-19 Drugs: The Viral Protein NSP3 Emerges As A New Target.

The GS-441524 Remdesivir metabolite alongside ADP-ribose; HCV drug BOC binding to the NSP5 protease binding pocket.

NI ET AL. // BAFNA ET AL. In the search for new ways to use small molecule drugs to prevent and treat Covid-19 infections, a surprising synergy has emerged. Two drugs—Remdesivir metabolite GS-441524 and ... read full

Pediatric Mental Health Is In Crisis

A syndemic refers to multiple interrelated epidemics happening at the same time. Covid-19 has unleashed and amplified a number of simultaneous personal, social, medical, political, and economic crises. This article is part three of a series of articles exploring the impact of the Covid-19 syndemic, read part , part  and part ... read full

Don’t Let Children Be The Casualties Of Covid-19 Complacency

There is an immediate need to prioritize the vaccination of children and remain vigilant about public health measures.

GETTY Collecting comprehensive data on how children are affected by Covid-19 has been neglected in favor of competing priorities during the pandemic. Yet as overall cases currently decline in the U.S., an ... read full

Can We End the Pandemic?

The emergence of dangerous new coronavirus variants is threatening the progress that we have made with the help of COVID-19 vaccines. It is now clear that our pharmaceutical research efforts and public-health interventions will need to be redoubled – and without any sunset clauses.

At the start of the year, there ... read full

New Drug May Bypass SARS-CoV-2 Blockade Of Innate Immune Response

This is the crystal structure of human STING, bond with a synthetic a drug currently in clinical trials for cancer. The same drug stops SARS-Cov-2 from infecting and killing susceptible animals, and I believe has a very good chance to become new.

ADURO BIOTECH/CHRISTIAN LEE/GENOMICS INSTITUTE OF THE NOVARTIS ... read full

United Kingdom Data Show Population Based Rapid Antigen Tests Are A Potent Covid Control Tool

Negative NHS Test and Trace COVID-19 Lateral Flow Tests used for routine home testing when someone is showing no signs of COVID-19. These tests have all been used and show the person who has taken them has tested negative for COVID-19 on the 13th of

IN PICTURES VIA GETTY ... read full

How COVID Changed Science

What is unprecedented is not just the speed and focus with which the community responded to the pandemic but also the singular willingness of scientists all over the world to share new ideas and data immediately and transparently

Credit:  Rarely in recent memory has the world faced such an immediate and ... read full

Singapore’s Outbreak Highlights A Challenging Road Ahead For Covid-19 Containment

Merlion Statue in front of Banking District in Singapore

ULLSTEIN BILD VIA GETTY IMAGES Singapore has largely been spared from astronomical Covid-19 case counts and lengthy lockdowns due to an early response and an elaborate surveillance system. Before the virus even had a name in late January 2020, Singapore had ... read full

The Premonition By Michael Lewis Highlights A Longstanding Need For Structural Reform Of The US Public Health Service

U.S. Public Health Service crest

U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE In the face of horrific death tolls and unspeakable trauma, there has been a continued refrain of “never again” through the pandemic. We want the small comfort of knowing that the deaths have not been entirely in vain. Yet history demonstrates ... read full

Discovery Of A Novel Monoclonal Antibody That Neutralizes A Broad Range Of Coronaviruses

B6 binding to the MERS-CoV-2 spike

SAUER ET AL The Covid-19 pandemic is no isolated incident. Coronaviruses have been coming after us for years. In the past 60 years, there have been as many as five seasonal cold-causing coronaviruses. In the past 20 years, we have dealt with three lethal ... read full

A Third SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Interest (Potentially Concern) Emerges From Sub-Saharan Africa

Travel cases and distribution of B.1.620 infections across Africa and Europe

DUDAS ET AL It seems that not a week goes by without the report of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant of interest and possibly, a variant of concern. A variant of interest is the discovery of a cluster of new ... read full

A New Twist To Antibody Cocktails To Prevent And Treat Covid-19

Monoclonal antibodies have proved effective in the prevention and treatment of Covid-19. Their effectiveness depends on the recognition of specific structures on the surface of the viral spike protein. Over the past six months, we have learned that many of these shape-specific determinants change in ways that abrogate the effectiveness ... read full

mRNA Vaccine Booster Shots Likely Required Within Six Months To Protect Against Covid-19 Variants

The majority of new infections in the US, Europe, and most other countries are now driven by variants. Until recently, the B.1.1.7 variant was the most dominant strain in the UK and throughout Europe and is prevalent in the United States as well. In South Africa the dominant strain is ... read full

A Newly Discovered Antibody Neutralizes Many Variants By Locking The Receptor-Binding Domain In A Closed Position

As SARS-CoV-2 variants grow in type and frequency, Covid-19 researchers are on the hunt for parts of the virus that remain consistent across variants in order to create Covid-19 treatments that work for multiple strains of the virus. This is the fourth in a series discussing these potential Achilles’ heels ... read full

Protecting Indigenous Populations From Covid-19: The Australian Example

Covid-19 is likely to become endemic, yet through both public health measures and medical solutions we can control the virus. This is the second in a series of articles exploring examples of successful Covid-19 Control. Read here.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – JULY 30: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indigenous Australians ... read full

New Antiviral Drug Cocktail Could Help India Control Brutal Covid-19 Surge

A family is seen waiting outside a COVID-19 hospital in Kolkata , India , on 5 May 2021 . (Photo by Debarchan Chatterjee/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES

As a brutal second wave of Covid-19 infections rages on in India, more and more states are reporting critical shortages ... read full

A New Approach To Treat And Prevent Covid-19

As SARS-CoV-2 variants grow in type and frequency, Covid-19 researchers are on the hunt for parts of the virus that remain consistent across variants in order to create Covid-19 treatments that work for multiple strains of the virus. This is the third in a series discussing these potential Achilles’ heels ... read full

The Logic And Practice Of Strict Border Control In Covid-Free Countries

Covid-19 is likely to become endemic, yet through both public health measures and medical solutions we can control the virus. This is the first in a series of articles exploring examples of successful Covid-19 Control.

A medic collects a swab sample from a traveller at a rapid COVID-19 testing ... read full

Understanding The Neurological And Psychological Effects Of Covid-19

Woman with headache holding her head

GETTY

More than a year into the Covid-19 pandemic, the subject of “long Covid,” the symptoms of the disease that go on for weeks or months, is gaining in prominence and importance. Of particular interest are the neurological and psychological complications that can linger ... read full

An Antibody Cocktail To Lay Low A Mighty Foe

Monoclonal antibodies have proved effective in the prevention and treatment of Covid-19. Their effectiveness depends on the recognition of specific structures on the surface of the viral spike protein. Over the past six months, we have learned that many of these shape-specific determinants change in ways that abrogate the effectiveness ... read full

The Common Good of Gun Control and Covid Control

After more than a year of unspeakable tragedy, we continue to be traumatized by new reports of shootings and gun violence. As we grieve those lost in recent shootings, thousands more around the country will be receiving the heart-wrenching news that a loved one has passed away from Covid-19. Each ... read full

New Antibody Therapy And Prophylactic Shows Promise In Defending Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants Of Concern

As SARS-CoV-2 variants grow in type and frequency, Covid-19 researchers are on the hunt for parts of the virus that remain consistent across variants in order to create Covid-19 treatments that work for multiple strains of the virus. This is the first in a series discussing these potential Achilles’ heels ... read full

Written From The Frontlines Of The Pandemic, Rachel Clarke’s Memoir ‘Breathtaking’ Is A Must Read

Breathtaking: Inside the NHS in a Time of Pandemic

by Rachel Clarke

ISBN-13: 978-1408713785

Little, Brown and Company

Senior woman having a test for covid-19 in her home

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Weeks before the first wave of Covid-19 overwhelmed Britain last spring, palliative care doctor Rachel Clarke came down with symptoms that, any other year, would ... read full

How Covid-19 Impacts The Digestive System

Woman suffering from abdominal pain. (Photo by: BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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In late January 2020—when Covid-19, then known as 2019-nCoV, had yet to penetrate most national borders—a research paper was published in The Lancet medical journal detailing the symptoms of a cohort ... read full

The Recent Rise of Indian Covid-19 Cases Display The Dangers Of SARS-CoV-2 Variants

Indian men resting on their petty cabs

PROFIMEDIA In mere weeks, the second wave of Covid-19 to hit India has gone from bad to worse. At the beginning of March, seven-day averages in India were around 15,000 cases per day. By late April, the rate reached almost 300,000. Today, infection ... read full

New Tanzanian Variant Detected In Angola From An Entirely New Branch Of SARS-CoV-2

Giraffe in front of Kilimanjaro

WWW.IEXPLORE.COM The versatility of SARS-CoV-2 to evolve new variants that increase transmissibility, virulence, and immune evasion is a new troubling feature of the Covid-19 pandemic. The recent discovery of a novel variant emerging from Tanzania adds a new chapter to this disturbing story. Up ... read full

Young People Hit Hardest By Loneliness And Depression During Covid-19

A syndemic refers to multiple interrelated epidemics happening at the same time. Covid-19 has unleashed and amplified a number of simultaneous personal, social, medical, political, and economic crises. This article is part three of a series of articles exploring the impact of the Covid-19 syndemic, read part and part ... read full

Covid-19 Increases Stress And Traumatic Stress Disorders Including Drug Abuse And Fatal Overdoses

A syndemic refers to multiple interrelated epidemics happening at the same time. Covid-19 has unleashed and amplified a number of simultaneous personal, social, medical, political, and economic crises. This article is part two of a series of articles exploring the impact of the Covid-19 syndemic. Read part one

Cases of ... read full

A Dangerous New Covid-19 Variant Detected In Oregon

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RACIAL EQUITY TOOLS

The SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 virus, first detected in the UK in late October 2020, has become the dominant strain in the UK, throughout most of Europe and India, and is now the most frequent virus isolated in the United States. The B.1.1.7 variant is ... read full

An Indian SARS-CoV-2 Variant Lands In California. More Danger Ahead?

Gateway to Mumbai

A.SAVIN, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Yet another variant of SARS-CoV-2 has arrived on our shores from afar. A recent survey of the viral sequences infecting Californians turned up six independent isolates of a variant that is now circulating widely in India. Over ... read full

HBO Doc ‘The Last Cruise’ Gives Insight Into Nightmarish Covid-19 Outbreak

The Diamond Princess cruise ship is seen at a pier in the port of Yokohama on March 25, 2020. – Last month, the cruise ship Diamond Princess was quarantined off the coast of Japan and more than 700 people of the 3,700 passengers and crew on board

AFP VIA ... read full

Despite Progress, Protecting The Population Against Covid-19 Variants Remains Complex

Shielding ourselves against further mutations of SARS-CoV-2 will be challenging.

GETTY More positive news comes from Pfizer and BioNTech this week as the latest results from their clinical trial data suggest that their vaccine protects against the more contagious B.1.351 variant initially detected in South Africa. The vaccine showed 100 ... read full

Pfizer’s Successful Covid-19 Vaccine Trial in Adolescents Brings New Hope For Population Immunity And Safe School Re-Openings

Female doctor giving vaccine to a toddler

GETTY Positive news comes from Pfizer this week as they announced the Phase 3 study of their Covid-19 vaccine prevented symptomatic disease and was well-tolerated by adolescents ages 12 to 15. The BNT162b2 vaccine demonstrated 100% efficacy and robust antibody responses. Trials have ... read full

Why Was CDC Director Rochelle Walensky Fighting Back Tears?

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky

ERIN CLARK-POOL/GETTY IMAGES All public health officials agree, the United States is at a critical stage if we want to control the pandemic. All of them express deep fears that ignoring the Covid-19 pandemic at this stage is foolhardy. Especially dispensing with masks, social distancing, ... read full

New Belgian Variant Illustrates The Versatility Of SARS-CoV-2 In Escaping Immune Suppression

A single yellow tulip in a field of red

WANDERLUSTINGK.COM There is now a new mutant to add to the global SARS-CoV-2 variant collection, this one in Belgium. This new Belgian variant (B.1.214), first detected in January by researchers at the read full

Persistence Of Covid-19 Antibodies Varies Widely From Person To Person

YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA – FEBRUARY 8, 2021 : A man conducting the process of taking a plasma convalescent to help the healing process and strengthen the antibody of Covid-19 patients in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on February 8, 2021.- PHOTOGRAPH BY Bima

BARCROFT MEDIA VIA GETTY IMAGES One of the greatest unsolved mysteries ... read full

Moderna And Pfizer Vaccines Prevent Infection As Well As Disease: Key Questions Remain

SAN ANTONIO, TX – MARCH 29: A nurse fills up a syringe with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site at a senior center on March 29, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. Texas has opened up all vaccination eligibility to all adults starting today.

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Ever since the ... read full

Covid-19 Has Exacerbated Child Poverty, Forcing A Long Overdue Policy Focus

CLERMONT, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES – 2020/11/21: A child and her mother wait in their car at a food distribution site at Lake-Sumter State College sponsored by the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and local churches.

SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES Before Covid-19, the poverty rate in America had ... read full

Spring Break Could Trigger A National Surge In Cases Fueled By Variants

MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA – MARCH 21: People gather while exiting the area as an 8pm curfew goes into effect on March 21, 2021 in Miami Beach, Florida. College students have arrived in the South Florida area for the annual spring break ritual, prompting

GETTY IMAGES Spring break is upon us ... read full

What Can We Learn From Australia’s Covid-19 Response?

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Melburnians adjust to normal life post COVID-19 lockdown. People enjoy outdoor dining along the Yarra River on November 19, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia.

GETTY IMAGES Australia’s Covid-19 response has been the envy of many countries with Dr. Fauci recently praising the country for being a world leader ... read full

From Cats And Dogs To Minks And Mice, Covid-19 Variants Are Infecting The Ecosystem

A photo of the author’s dog, Sky.

AUTHOR To witness a dog come down with Covid-19 is a curious thing. Though mine have been spared, I have a friend whose two dogs got sick in addition to the rest of their family. In videos my friend sent me, I could ... read full

New Study Predicts Immune Protection May Vary For Different Covid-19 Vaccines

TURIN, ITALY – MARCH 24: An Italian military nurse prepares the vaccine COVID 19 by AstraZeneca at the Covid-19 vaccine hub of Esercito Italiano at Juventus Allianz Stadium on March 24, 2021 in Turin, Italy. The test swab area at the drive in

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After more than a year ... read full

Preventing Fecal-Oral And Fecal-Aerosol Transmission Of Covid-19

This is the first in a series of articles on the neglected pathologies and transmission routes of Covid-19.

HONG KONG, CHINA – JANUARY 20: Workers check the sewage system where COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the Jordan district on January 19, 2021 in Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong ... read full

A New Variant In The Philippines

A nurse prepares to administer the Sinovac COVID19 vaccine during a ceremonial vaccination program held inside a sports stadium in Marikina City, east of Manila, Philippines on 02 March 2021. According to the city health office, only 250 healthcare

NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES Covid-19 has reached extraordinarily high levels in ... read full

COVID-19 Survivors at Risk of Depression and Other Disorders

One study revealed that 52 percent of people who recovered from COVID-19 met the criteria for major depressive disorder. Another study showed that twice as many COVID-19 patients received a psychiatric diagnosis after recovery compared to those ... read full

Novavax Covid-19 Vaccine Performs Well In Clinical Trials, But Variants Remain A Threat

SPAIN – 2021/03/02: In this photo illustration a hand holding a medical syringe in front of the Novavax logo. (Photo Illustration by Thiago Prudêncio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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More than 330 million vaccinations have been administered in the fight against Covid-19, and a new ... read full

Molnupiravir: A New Hope For Prevention And Treatment Of Covid-19 And Other Dangerous Viruses

DANVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES – 2021/03/04: A signage seen outside Merck Cherokee Plant in Riverside, Pennsylvania as United States President, Joe Biden announced a partnership between Merck and Johnson & Johnson to produce more of the J&J

SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES A new Covid-19 therapy has completed its phase ... read full

The Covid Pandemic Is Not Over: The Past May Be Prologue

Public health officials have told us that we are in a race between Covid-19 vaccines and the virus. But in order for us to win, we need a much longer track. With a slight decline in new infections—likely the result of a combination of the vaccine rollout and seasonal population ... read full

Clearer Covid-19 guidelines cause less stress for us all

For almost a year, many of us have watched in anger and frustration as we see others flout public health guidelines. A crisis that could have built social solidarity has pushed us further apart. In a year that has brought countless sources of read full

New Study Using Live Virus Explores Whether Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Protects Against Variants

SCHWAZ, AUSTRIA – MARCH 11: A nurse fills syringes with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine during a mass vaccination drive at SZentrum on March 11, 2021 in Schwaz, Austria. Over the next five days authorities will offer the vaccine to all eligible adults in

GETTY IMAGES When new variants of SARS-CoV-2, the ... read full

Covid-19 Reinfections Are Real And Serious—All The More Reason To Be Vaccinated

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 6, 2021 — An elderly man receives a shot of COVID-19 vaccine in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, March 6, 2021. Brazil has registered 1,555 new deaths from COVID-19, bringing the nationwide death toll to 264,325, the Ministry of Health

XINHUA NEWS AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES Emerging news from ... read full

The Science-Business Partnership

There is a stark contrast between the scientific and business worlds. In business, there is no real degree-granting barrier. That does not mean that they are not as smart as you. Often because there is no certificate needed they are more experienced, creative, and in fact smarter, especially at what ... read full

The Covid Syndemic: The Mental Health Crisis Of Mental Health Workers

A syndemic refers to multiple interrelated epidemics happening at the same time. Covid-19 has unleashed and amplified a number of simultaneous personal, social, medical, political, and economic crises. This is the first in a series of articles exploring the impact of the Covid-19 syndemic.

Psychiatrist sees patient via telemedicine

GETTY ... read full

T-Cell Responses Hold Up Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants, Study Finds

Temperature checks are given to people arriving for no-cost Covid-19 antibody testing organized by the GuardHeart Foundation and the City of Pico Rivera on February 17, 2021 in Pico Rivera, California. – The Covid-19 SARS-CoV-2 serology antibody

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES There is remarkable news regarding the immune response to ... read full

Lessons From The Past And Present For Controlling Covid-19: Polio

This article is the first in an ongoing series about what we can learn from successful efforts to vaccinate against other diseases and apply to interventions against Covid-19.

A health worker administers Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) to a child during a polio vaccination campaign at a school in Lahore on March 2, ... read full

Variants: Forewarned Is Forearmed— For Those Who Listen

BEIJING, CHINA – MARCH 03: Students line up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at Tsinghua University on March 3, 2021 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Hou Yu/China News Service via Getty Images)

CHINA NEWS SERVICE VIA GETTY IMAGES We now know the adaptive power of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Newly described Covid-19 ... read full

The Science Guild

Turn back the wheels of time to the medieval age when knights, kings, and guilds roamed the lands. Through all the endless faults of that societal architecture, the guild system is one I view in high esteem. In essence, the elder craftspeople take it upon themselves to train the ... read full

How COVID-19 could make us healthier

Getty Images COVID-19 has exposed countless weaknesses and inequities in our health care systems, with long-term effects that will be felt for generations to come. Yet it has also given us an important opportunity to improve where we have failed. Public health is now deeply embedded in our consciousness as a ... read full

Italian Scientists Create Live SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Escape Variant

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

Schools Must Reconsider Accelerating Plans To Reopen In Light Of Dangerous New Covid-19 Variants

West Lawn, PA – October 22: Students in Robin Timpson’s honors chemistry class where the desks in the classroom are doubled to provide extra spacing. At Wilson High School in West Lawn, PA Thursday afternoon October 22, 2020 where the school has been

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Nearly a ... read full

Covid-19 Cases Are Rising Again Globally

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

Should Anticoagulants Be Used Early Or Late In Patients Hospitalized With Covid-19: Two Conflicting Answers

PARIS, FRANCE – FEBRUARY 08: A patient receives treatment inside coronavirus (Covid-19) emergency service at the Saint Cloud Hospital Center Des Quatre Villes (CH4V) as the pandemic continue to spread in 2021, in Paris, France, on February 08, 2021.

ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGES Doctors treating patients with a new ... read full

New York Finds Its Own Covid Variants. The News Is Not Good.

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

Identification Of A Novel Covid-19 Variant Cluster Isolated From Covid-19 Ill Infants In US Capital

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

If I Had Covid-19, Should I Still Get Vaccinated? Absolutely

Doctor Marie Msika Razon prepares doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine before vaccinating patients aged over 50 and suffering from a comorbidity, at her medical office in Paris, on February 25, 2021. – Private practitioners in France started

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The number of people who have received at ... read full

New Nigerian Variant Continues The Trend Of Dangerous Strains Threatening Covid-19 Progress

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

Pfizer/BioNtech And Moderna MRNA Covid-19 Vaccines Closely Mimic The Immune Response Of Natural SARS-CoV-2 Infections

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 22: Anya Harris prepares a Moderna coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine at Red Hook Neighborhood Senior Center in the Red Hood neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough on February 22, 2021 in New York City. Deaths from coronavirus

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As more and more variants of SARS-CoV-2 ... read full

The Spread Of New Variants Calls For Extending Quarantine Guidelines

With variants spreading rapidly across the globe, we are entering a new stage of the pandemic and should proceed with caution to save lives. The U.K. B.1.1.7 and South African B.1.351 variants have demonstrated increased transmissibility and shown evidence ... read full

New SARS-CoV-2 Variant Discovered In Japan Nearly Identical To Dangerous Brazilian Variant

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

The Chance To Change The World

Science had been the domain of aristocrats and their progeny (cases in point: Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton) since the dawn of the Age of Reason. To study science for most of humanity’s intellectual existence, you were likely wealthy and likely male. For too long, science was dominated by the rich ... read full

Covid Control American Style

The United States is spiraling. Seven-day averages for positive Covid-19 cases have pushed beyond 150,000 per day, having risen sharply after the Thanksgiving holiday and expected to rise again after end of year celebrations. While many wait on distribution of a vaccine, thousands are dying each day — unnecessary ... read full

Variants Could Cause A Rapid Rise In Covid-19 Cases In The U.S. Unless We Implement These Public Health Measures

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

What Are The 677 Mutations? New Covid-19 Variants Found In The US

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

NBA Study Reveals The UK Variant May Last Longer In Human Hosts

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

How One Covid-19 Patient’s Infection Foreshadowed The Rise Of New Variants

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

Rapid Spread Of Variants Across Europe Is A Dire Warning For The U.S.

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

This Region Of The Covid-19 Virus Is One We Can’t Ignore

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

Persistently Infected Covid-19 Patients: A Potential Source For New Variants

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

Science Catalyzes Social Responsibility

My work in HIV/AIDS was a confluence of many interests and pursuits. There was a great demand for scientists willing to undertake research in the field. There were a great number of people growing sick and dying at the hands of this disease, and someone had to step in to ... read full

Concerns Grow Over The Newly Discovered Southern California Covid-19 Variant

VALENCIA, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: Volunteers help guide motorists at a mass drive-through COVID-19 vaccination site at a Six Flags Magic Mountain parking lot on February 2, 2020 in Valencia, California. The site in one of five major coronavirus

GETTY IMAGES The rate at which new variants have appeared over ... read full

Travel Bans Won’t Stop The Spread Of New Variants — Travel Restrictions Might

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 25: People walk in an empty international terminal at John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) on January 25, 2021 in New York City. In an effort to further control Covid-19 transmission, President Joe Biden plans to sign

GETTY IMAGES A lot has been made of ... read full

Will Population (Herd) Immunity To Covid-19 Be Permanent Or Seasonal?

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 31: People gather to celebrate Halloween in Times Square on October 31, 2020 in New York City. Many Halloween events have been canceled or adjusted with additional safety measures due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19)

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In just three weeks, the number of ... read full

Scientists Are More So Artists Than Technicians

Visualize a scientist. What comes to mind? In popular media, scientists are often portrayed as anti-social, nerdy loners who spend all their time in the lab. This couldn’t be further from the case. While there may be some who fall into the stereotype, in my experience, scientists are some of ... read full

Novavax And Johnson & Johnson’s Vaccines Are Less Effective Against The UK And South African Variants

WADEBRIDGE, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 01: Syringes of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccination ready to be administered on February 1, 2021 in the vaccination centre at the Royal Cornwall Showground Wadebridge, England. In total 50 large scale

GETTY IMAGES After an estimated 98 million doses of ... read full

Eli Lilly’s Latest Combination Antibody Therapy Yields Strong Effectiveness Against Covid-19

NOVOSIBIRSK, RUSSIA – JANUARY 21, 2021: A patient undergors an acupuncture procedure at the Yeltsovka military health center. Kirill Kukhmar/TASS (Photo by Kirill Kukhmar\TASS via Getty Images)

KIRILL KUKHMAR/TASS

While Covid-19 infection rates have taken a downturn in recent days, hospitalizations and deaths are still at all-time highs. The need ... read full

SARS-CoV-2 Immunity: A Moving Target

TAIYUAN, CHINA – JANUARY 27: Workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) spray disinfectant at Taiyuan South Railway Station one day before the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush on January 27, 2021 in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province of China.

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The ability of newly discovered variants to ... read full

Israeli Study Shows A Majority Of Those Vaccinated Can Be Infected By SARS-CoV-2

KATHMANDU, 3, NEPAL – 2021/01/27: A health worker holds up a syringe with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid19 (coronavirus) at the Armed Police Force Hospital. Nepal government is launching the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccination campaign SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES

As vaccine distribution is picking up with nearly 70 million ... read full

Autoantibodies May Be The Driver Behind Severe Covid-19 Reactions

Medical workers care and comfort a patient who is suffering from the Covid-19 virus at the UMASS Memorial DCU Center Field Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts on January 13, 2021. – The field hospital currently has fifty non critical patients

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES While vaccine distribution and President Biden’s inauguration ... read full

Science As A Career Path

Science is more than an avenue to pursue your interests, inclinations, and ideas. Science is a stable and ever-present career path for those seeking fulfillment in their work. The opportunities that science opens as a career are almost endless. Take a moment to look around the room you are in. ... read full

A Tale Of Two Viruses

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

A Great Moment For Science

For the first time in history, a scientist now sits on the Cabinet of the United States. The move by the Biden administration to elevate the US Office of Science and Technology Policy to a Cabinet-level agency and to welcome its head of office, the Presidential Science Advisor, to the ... read full

This Devastating Covid-19 Outbreak In Brazil Is A Warning To The Rest Of The World

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

For Insight On New Covid-19 Variants, Look To Natural History Of Coronaviruses

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

Why Patterns In Covid-19 Variation Might Resemble Seasonal Flu

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

Biden’s Covid-19 Plan Is A Welcome Relief — But It Needs To Go Further

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 20: U.S. President Joe Biden prepares to sign a series of executive orders at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office just hours after his inauguration on January 20, 2021 in Washington, DC.

GETTY IMAGES With great relief, we welcome President Biden’s inauguration and his administration’s ... read full

Billions In Low-Income Nations Will Not Receive Their Vaccine Anytime Soon

A health worker prepares to administer the Sinovac vaccine against the Covid-19 coronavirus at Zainoel Abidin Hospital in Banda Aceh on January 21, 2021. (Photo by CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN / AFP) (Photo by CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN/AFP via Getty Images)

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The urgency to develop and approve Covid-19 vaccines translated ... read full

Self-recognition Is The Greatest Admiration

There are two types of recognition when it comes to achievement. The first is recognition from others. You accomplish something great and are rewarded for it with praise, commendations, awards, promotions, and so on. Those that seek recognition from others are not inherently vain, nor are they wrong for wanting ... read full

The US must develop a national vaccine registry

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Vaccine distribution in the United States to this point has been inefficient and ineffective. The incoming Biden administration offers hope that efforts can be turned around, but the concrete strategies to accomplish the turn-around are yet to be detailed. To simplify vaccine data systems, I propose a national vaccine registry ... read full

Can SARS-CoV-2 Become Even More Troublesome Than The UK And South African Variants?

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

Researchers Identify New Covid-19 Variant In Ohio

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

New Covid-19 Variants Reshape Our Understanding Of Reinfection

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

When Society Returns To Normal Post-Pandemic, Common Viruses Will Return In Droves

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 01: A person stands by a sign advertising flu shots at CVS as the city continues the re-opening efforts following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on December 01, 2020 in New York City. The pandemic

GETTY IMAGES Social distancing, wearing masks, ... read full

Why America Should Look To China To Contain Covid-19

People wearing face masks walk on Jianghan street in Wuhan on January 10, 2021, the eve of the first anniversary of China confirming its first death from the Covid-19 coronavirus. (Photo by NICOLAS ASFOURI / AFP) (Photo by NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP via

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Since the earliest days of ... read full

How New Covid-19 Variants Might Impact Vaccines

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

How The Vaccine Rollout Went Wrong And What To Do Next

Newark, DE January 11, 2021: President- Elect Joe Biden receives the second dose Covid-19 vaccination shot at the ChristianaCare Hospital in Newark, DE on January 11, 2021. (Photo by Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES It’s been nearly a month since the Food ... read full

Are We Creating Immune Resistant Variants Of SARS-CoV-2?

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

Give Your Goals Everything You Have

There are many things you cannot control, e.g. your upbringing, your environment, your parental income. Though the things you can control, you must control with great intensity. Work as hard as you can. You have the power to decide when you are done for the day, when a seemingly unsuccessful ... read full

Who Are The Vaccinated That Still Become Infected?

PUNE, INDIA – JANUARY 8: Healthe workers during dry run of Covid-19 vaccination at Yerawada, on January 8, 2021 in Pune, India. (Photo by Pratham Gokhale/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

HINDUSTAN TIMES VIA GETTY IMAGES Vaccine development was one of the few shining lights during a dark past ten months. ... read full

How To Decipher The New Pfizer Study On Vaccines And Variants

HYDE, ENGLAND – JANUARY 08: A staff member disposes a used syringe that contained the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine at a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination centre at Hyde Leisure Centre on January 08, 2021 in Hyde, England. The coronavirus

GETTY IMAGES One of the biggest and most pressing questions to arise about ... read full

Why The U.S. Needs To Step Up Covid-19 Genome Sequencing

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – JAN. 5: UCSF-Abbott Viral Diagnostics and Discovery Center lab director Dr. Charles Chiu demonstrates how to use the Illumina NextSeq550 sequencer used to read sequences of the COVID-19 virus in his lab in San Francisco, Calif.

HEARST NEWSPAPERS VIA GETTY IMAGES The United Kingdom and South ... read full

How The Covid-19 Virus Changes

Random variation is an essential component of all living things. It drives diversity, and it is why there are so many different species. Viruses are no exception. Most viruses are experts at changing genomes to adapt to their environment. We now have evidence that the virus that causes Covid, SARS-CoV-2, ... read full

The Risks Of Delaying Or Diluting Covid-19 Vaccines

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 2021/01/04: People queue at NHS Covid-19 vaccination centre in London as cases of the virus continue to soar. (Photo by Thomas Krych/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES With a limited supply of Covid-19 vaccines, the question on many minds is whether to ... read full

New Covid-19 Variants In One Country Pose A Threat To All Countries

A Coronavirus Tier 4 Stay Home poster near King’s Cross railway station in London, U.K., on Monday, Dec. 21, 2020.

JASON ALDEN/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES New variants of SARS-CoV-2 are an unexpected spanner in the works as countries around the world establish their vaccine distribution regimes. These new variants, which ... read full

Vaccines Need To Be Cheap And Accessible Worldwide

TOPSHOT – One of the first South African Oxford vaccine trialists looks on as a medical worker injects him with the clinical trial for a potential vaccine against the COVID-19 coronavirus at the Baragwanath hospital in Soweto, South Africa, on June

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Vaccine development typically takes years ... read full

Self-understanding Can Yield A Great Global Impact

Any one person can change the world. It’s happened before. An individual or small group of individuals makes a discovery, invents something, or forms an idea that may affect countless lives: Newton, Curie, Einstein—all thinkers whose intellectual ventures impacted the lives of all that followed. If you are determined, one person ... read full

How The US Military Is Handling Covid-19 And What We Can Learn From Their Experience

KUNSAN, SOUTH KOREA – DECEMBER 29: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) In this handout image provided by United States Forces Korea, U.S. Air Force Sgt. Andrew Kehl receives a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Kunsan Air Base on December 29, 2020 in Kunsan,

UNITED STATES FORCES KOREA VIA GETTY ... read full

It’s Time To Recalibrate: New Covid-19 Strains Will Only Make The Pandemic Worse

AURORA, CO – DECEMBER 16: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center internal medicine resident Luc Overholt sits in a waiting area before receiving a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the hospital on December 16,

GETTY IMAGES The new variant of SARS-CoV-2 emerging in the United ... read full

Science is a Key to Understanding Human Need

Scientific study not only provides an empirical understanding of the world around us. Science is also a key to understand humanity— our needs and how to fulfill those needs. I have always been directed in science by human need.  What good is knowledge if not to use it to better ... read full

There Will Be No Quick COVID Fix

Rather than waiting and hoping that scientists will deliver a fully effective vaccine or breakthrough treatment for COVID-19, the hardest-hit countries need to be fostering better leadership, governance, and social solidarity. Technology alone will not save us from the virus; we must save ourselves.

COVID-19 stormed across the planet in ... read full

Here's what's worrying about the coronavirus variant

The UK government has sounded the alarm about a variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes Covid-19 — which appears to spread more easily than previous versions. While much is still unknown, what we do know about this new variant tells us important things about the virus: ... read full

Covid-19: "Most countries needed a vaccine that could have been produced, stored and administered simply and at low cost"

William Haseltine is president of ACCESS Health International. An infectious disease expert, Haseltine was formerly a Harvard Medical School professor and founder of the university’s cancer and HIV/AIDS research departments. His autobiography, My Lifelong Fight Against Disease, was published in October.

That the Moderna and Pfizer ... read full

The Moderna Vaccine’s Antibodies May Not Last As Long As We Hoped

YORK, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 22: Nikki Brown, a Primary Care Practitioner prepares a Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine as Covid-19 vaccinations take place at Haxby and Wiggington Surgery on December 22, 2020 in York, England. The Haxby Group primary care

GETTY IMAGES With the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines finally underway across ... read full

When Implementing Or Easing Restrictions For Covid-19, Transparency Is Paramount

Four days before Christmas, retailers like Debenhams remain closed after the government’s last-minute u-turn on the easing of Coronavirus pandemic rules. London and the South-East has been put under a Tier 4 restriction, forcing the closure of non-essential shops and small businesses, on 21st December 2020, in London, ... read full

Urban Flight Due To Covid-19 Is Temporary, Not Permanent

Empty Streets of New York

AP PHOTO/JOHN MINCHILLO As Covid-19 ravages the United States, it seems some may have had enough of densely populated cities, electing to move to the open-space haven of suburbia. Covid-19 is forcing people to question whether they want to live near millions of others. Reports ... read full

The Mouse That Roared: What The US Can Learn From Andorra About Covid-19 Testing

Croix-Rouge personnel operate a novel coronavirus Covid-19 test in a vehicle on a parking lot in Pas-de-la-Case, Andorra, on November 17, 2020. – Andorra is holding its breath, its economic model is based on foreign clients, under lockdowns so far:

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES One country is setting the global ... read full

Covid-19 Home Tests Should Be Much Cheaper

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 11: Laura Robles, 14, left, takes a self-administered oral swab COVID-19 test at Union Station site on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020 in Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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Great news: the US Food ... read full

Why Covid-19 Is Overwhelming California

SAN JOSE. CA – DEC. 8: Nurse Nestor Cardenas walks down the hall as he treats COVID-19 patients at Regional Medical Center of San Jose, an acute-care hospital, on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020 in San Jose, California. Following Thanksgiving there has been an

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At this ... read full

Covid-19 Is Preventing Sustainable Investment In Developing Nations

An engineer stands beside a fence protecting a solar panel installed in the Takpapieni village in Oti province, northern Togo, on February 14, 2020. – The Togolese government, in collaboration between the state owned Togo Electric Energy Company

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Covid-19 has occupied most of our attention in ... read full

The Knowledge Puzzle

Using knowledge is like building a puzzle. We spend years gathering bits of knowledge and experience at universities under esteemed professors or labs under respected scientists. These bits of knowledge are the puzzle pieces. An individual puzzle piece is a part of a larger picture, as a bit of knowledge ... read full

Viruses Not Only Kill People. They Kill Economies.

According to Dr. William A. Haseltine, viruses are intelligent machines trying to crack our biological code, our social code and our geopolitical code.viruses-not-only-kill-people-they-kill-economies/ William A. Haseltine has devoted his whole life to the fight against viruses. Researcher, professor, entrepreneur, businessman, philanthropist, Chair and President of ACCESS Health International, and a ... read full

Science, Policymaking And The Pandemic. Q&A With William Haseltine

Below is an interview between Matthew Bishop and William A. Haseltine on the Driving Change podcast. Listen to the episode here on the Driving Change website: https://drivingchange.org/science-policymaking-and-the-pandemic-qa-with-bill-haseltine/ William Haseltine (WH): During this pandemic we’ve seen a disrespect for science and, at the same time, a deep hunger for science and for rationally based ... read full

The Trouble With Herd Immunity And Covid-19 Vaccines

CARDIFF, WALES – DECEMBER 08: A woman is given a Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at Cardiff and Vale Therapy Centre on December 8, 2020 in Cardiff, Wales. Wales joined the other UK nations in rolling out the covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday, a rare

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Now that an independent advisory panel ... read full

Even With A Vaccine, We Still Need Rapid Tests To End Covid-19

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 08: A medical worker performs a rapid COVID-19 test at the COVID-19 Rapid Test Center on the Upper West Side as the city continues the re-opening efforts following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus

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Yesterday, an independent FDA advisory panel ... read full

COVID-19: An Investment in Our Economy

Policymakers and leaders must recognize that an investment in the health of our people is an investment in our economy The COVID-19 pandemic has already killed 1.5 million and sickened more than 68 million others — so it’s hard to fathom that its final death toll and health consequences will far exceed these ... read full

How Will A Covid-19 Vaccine Impact Travel?

Chinese engineers arrive using protective biohazard suits to prevent the spread of novel Coronavirus on an expedited flight to El Dorado international airport to start the planning of Bogota’s metro train system on August 3 2020 in Bogota, Colombia.

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In the past decade, the world has ... read full

Cancer Rates Are On The Rise In Adolescents And Young Adults New Study Shows

Patients/models give an emotional salute at the end of the second annual Capwalk Boston fashion show hosted by The Verma Foundation at the City Winery in Boston, Massachusetts on September 9, 2019. – All the models in the show are currently in treatment for cancer, undergoing chemotherapy or ... read full

Everyone Deserves Access to High-Quality, Affordable Healthcare

When I was in my early 20s, I dedicated myself to gaining knowledge from the best minds in science and applying it. I vigorously studied molecular biology and virology to understand major plights like cancer and HIV/AIDS. I worked to understand the human genome to enable the discovery of new ... read full

New Study Shows Deep Impact Of Climate Change On Human Health

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – SEPTEMBER 9: People jog along Embarcadero as smoky skies from the northern California wildfires casts a reddish color during the morning in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. (Photo by Ray Chavez/MediaNews)

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Our visual narratives of climate change have, ... read full

UK Vaccine Approval Sets Worrying Precedent For World Leaders

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – DECEMBER 2: Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a news conference on the ongoing situation with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at Downing Street on December 2, 2020 in London, England. The UK Government

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When the British government authorized Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for ... read full

Modified CDC Guidelines Grant Covid-19 Patients Discretion To Leave Quarantine Early

Man stays at home in quarantine looking out window

TOMOHIRO OHSUMI / GETTY IMAGES In recent days, the CDC modified its quarantine guidelines such that infected individuals do not necessarily need to follow them. They still officially recommend fourteen days for Covid-19 isolation ... read full

These Forms Of Covid-19 Transmission May Be Rare, But Can’t Be Ignored

SHANGHAI, CHINA – AUGUST 18: Medical workers wearing protective suits collect samples from imported frozen beef for COVID-19 tests at a food factory on August 18, 2020 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Yin Liqin/China News Service via Getty Images)

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Last month, China was struck ... read full

Americans Need to Establish What Went Wrong

Getty / The Atlantic

The coronavirus pandemic is a far greater economic and societal threat than anything the United States has faced in recent memory. The 9/11 attacks took nearly 3,000 lives. COVID-19 has taken a quarter million. The nation’s responses to these two threats—one a palpable and immediate terrorist attack; the ... read full

Why Most Countries Won't Benefit From Moderna And Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccines

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – NOVEMBER 23 : An illustration picture shows vials with Covid-19 Vaccine stickers attached and medical syringe with the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and BioNTech German biotechnology company logos are seen in this creative photo. Pharmaceutical company Pfizer and BioNTech announced positive early results on its ... read full

Define Yourself By Your Purpose

We should define ourselves by our purpose in life, not by our institutions or academic achievements.  In today’s age, many seem to define themselves with their resume in mind. “I went to this prestigious University” or “I earned a degree from a school with x% acceptance rate.” While academic achievement ... read full

Congress and the states must fix Trump's COVID-19 mistakes

iStock We face a crossroads today, with the pandemic growing significantly worse but hope for an end to the suffering – through a vaccine or the forceful action of a new president –higher than ever. But the reality is that the President-elect Biden will be able to do little until early ... read full

Put An End To Publication By Proclamation For Covid Vaccines

In this photo illustration a doctor holds a bottle labelled as the Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine in Guwahati, India on 28 November 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Zydus Biotech Park today to review coronavirus vaccine development work at facilities. (Photo illustration by David Talukdar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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The Biden Team Must Prioritize Cheap Rapid Test Production And Distribution

LISBON, PORTUGAL – OCTOBER 16: Abbott Panbio test sticks show “positive” and “negative” results at the drive-thru area in the new Portuguese Red Cross COVID-19 Testing Post in Lar Militar during the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic on October 16, 2020

CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES All of us hope that a Covid-19 ... read full

The Mental Health Toll Of Covid-19

In September, the American businessman Ted Leonsis tweeted  about an “underreported pandemic: mental health”. His comment about friends he’d lost to suicide sparked a public discussion  on the impact of the pandemic on our mental wellbeing and raised awareness of an issue many kept hidden in the ... read full

One Man, One Plane, Seven Infections And Counting: A Cautionary Tale For All Those Planning Air Travel

DENVER, CO – NOVEMBER 20 : Travelers are waiting their flight at Concourse B of Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado on Friday. November 20, 2020.(Photo by Hyoung Chang/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

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In September, a man boarded a flight from Dubai to ... read full

Don’t Assume A 14-Day Quarantine Is Enough To Prevent Covid-19 Spread

GUANGZHOU, CHINA – OCTOBER 08: Passengers wait for their trains at Guangzhou South Railway Station on the last day of 8-day National Day holiday on October 8, 2020 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province of China. (Photo by Zhong Liting/Southern Metropolis

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One of the general assumptions we’ve formed ... read full

How Is Covid-19 Impacting The Preparedness Of The US Military?

The outbreak of Covid-19 on the aircraft carrier the USS Theodore Roosevelt and the isolation of members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in October highlight an often-overlooked consequence of this pandemic. Despite these clear indications that members of the armed forces are susceptible to Covid-19, there is a troubling ... read full

Covid-19 Reinfection Is Possible And Should Inform Pandemic Priorities Moving Forward

MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 20: A nurse vaccinates an elderly person for flu on November 20, 2020 in Milan, Italy. A civil protection tent in front of the Milan Cathedral in Piazza Reale has been made available to vaccinate elderly people over 65.

GETTY IMAGES A year after discovering ... read full

To Guarantee Safety Of Covid-19 Vaccines, Prioritize Long-Term Studies

A medical syringe and vials in front of the COVID-19 word are seen in this creative photo taken on 18 November 2020. The U.S. biotechnology company Moderna announced its experimental Covid-19 vaccine with 94.5% effectiveness, as the media reported on

NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES In the past few weeks, Covid-19 ... read full

We Finally Have Rapid At-Home Covid-19 Tests. What Happens Now?

TOLEDO, OHIO, UNITED STATES – 2020/11/14: NHA COVID-19 testing sign seen in front of the Greater Grace Christian Church on Monroe St. Neighbourhood Health Association (NHA) partners with Greater Grace Christian Church (GGCC) in the Auburn-Delaware neighbourhood of Toledo, Ohio, to give residents of the area access to ... read full

China Aims To Eliminate Covid-19 With New Testing Policy

Travelers wear face masks amid concerns of the COVID-19 coronavirus as they arrive from a flight at Beijing Daxing Airport on the eve of a five-day national holiday on April 30, 2020. (Photo by GREG BAKER / AFP) (Photo by GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty

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Do Not Ignore Covid-19 Safety This Thanksgiving

TORONTO, ON – Charities in Toronto are making special arrangements, including setting up takeouy style service in perparation for Thanksgiving in Toronto. October 8, 2020 (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

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After months of isolation and quarantine, many hoped that Covid-19 would be under control ... read full

The Infection Of Hundreds Of Thousands Of Healthcare Workers Worldwide Poses A Threat To National Health Systems

A study recently published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases from thirty-seven countries found that nearly 300,000 healthcare workers had been infected with Covid-19. In addition to the high number of infections, over 2,500 healthcare workers died from ... read full

A Note Of Caution On Moderna’s Promising Covid-19 Vaccine News

This illustration picture taken in a studio in Paris on November 16, 2020, shows a syringe and a vial with the logo of US biotech firm Moderna. – Moderna on November 16, 2020 announced its experimental vaccine against Covid-19 was almost 95 percent effective, marking a second major breakthrough in ... read full

Build a plan for Covid-19 home testing on reason, not speculation or politics

ADOBE John Maynard Keynes once famously observed that there’s nothing as disastrous as a rational investment policy in an irrational world. But when it comes to public health, rational policies make sense even in an irrational or chaotic time like the midst of a severe pandemic. When the government ignores rational health ... read full

“Covid-19 has laid bare the inequities in our health system. What are we going to do about it?”

Covid-19, which disproportionately affects people of color, continues to shine a light on the deep inequities ingrained in our society. Non-whites are more likely to be infected with the virus and suffer from severe illness than their white counterparts, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ... read full

A Ray Of Hope For Treatment Of Covid-19

New reports on the effectiveness of two different monoclonal antibody therapies have given us a ray of hope that we can prevent Covid-19 from turning deadly. In these preliminary reports both antibody drugs seem to reduce hospitalization for patients if the drugs ... read full

This Nasal Spray Could Be The Breakthrough We Need To End Covid-19

PORTLAND, ME – MARCH 6: Sara Levesque, an event coordinator from the Animal Refuge League, holds a ferret named Slinky who came to University of New England’s Portland campus with other small furry creatures from the Animal Refuge League to help relieve the stress of midterm exams for students on ... read full

Long Lasting HIV Drugs Hold Lessons For Us All

The successful results from a clinical trial of a new, long-acting HIV prevention drug are not just a critical milestone for those working on HIV/AIDS, but also for researchers working on other deadly infectious diseases. The results prove that in the absence of a vaccine for a viral disease like ... read full

A Love of Science

When I wrote my autobiography, My Lifelong Fight Against Disease: From Polio and AIDS to COVID-19, I wrote it with both adults and young readers in mind. In fact, I’m already working on a shortened version of the book specifically for children age 10 to 15. Childhood and adolescence ... read full

Are Frozen Foods A Risk For Covid-19 Infection? Possibly.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – AUGUST 18: Medical workers wearing protective suits collect samples from imported frozen beef for COVID-19 tests at a food factory on August 18, 2020 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Yin Liqin/China News Service via Getty Images)

CHINA NEWS SERVICE VIA GETTY IMAGES In the early days of ... read full

One Tenth Of Americans Infected By Covid-19 Are Children

Shoemakersville, PA – August 27: Students go into Perry Elementary School on the first day of school. At Perry Elementary School in Shoemakersville, PA Thursday morning August 27, 2020 for the first day of in person school of the school year. The Hamburg School District, which Perry Elementary is part ... read full

Pregnant Women Are At Higher Risk For Severe Covid-19 And Death

Pregnant woman in hospital bed

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recent study, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), confirms that pregnant women are in fact at higher risk for severe Covid-19 and death compared to nonpregnant women in the same age range. Prior to this study, ... read full

A More Transparent And Trusted Covid Vaccine

I have long expressed concerns regarding the safety, efficacy, manufacturing quality, distribution, and administration of anti-Covid-19 vaccines. Many of these concerns have now been echoed by reporters at STAT, a publication that has become essential reading for all who follow diagnostic, vaccine, and drug ... read full

How Obesity Puts You At Risk For Covid-19

A medical personnel attends a Covid-19 patient at the reanimation section of the Robert Boulin hospital in Libourne, southwestern France, on November 6, 2020 some 45kms north of Bordeaux. (Photo by Philippe LOPEZ / AFP) (Photo by PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES A new study, released as a preprint ... read full

Banning Large Public Gatherings And Closing Schools Significantly Slows Down Covid-19, Study Finds

dpatop – 02 November 2020, Berlin: The sign “Closed” hangs on the door of a closed shop. A four-week partial lockdown has begun throughout Germany to slow down the spread of the corona virus. Photo: Kira Hofmann/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa (Photo by Kira Hofmann/picture alliance via Getty Images)

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Every Day, One Million Americans Likely Infected

While most Americans have their eyes focused squarely on the results of the Presidential election, there’s another number that we should be careful not to lose sight of: the skyrocketing number of new SARS-CoV-2 infections across the US. Over the past week, the country has seen record highs, with almost ... read full

What Are Autoantibodies? The Latest Risk Factor For Severe Covid-19

This the third and final article in a three-part series on fading immunity to Covid-19 and the flu—the science behind it, and the implications it has for vaccine development and the pandemic at large. Read the first two articles and .

LUGANSK, UKRAINE – OCTOBER 30, 2020: A ... read full

Kushner Comments Suggest Covid-19 Decisions Are Politically Motivated

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 04: Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner participates in a press briefing at the White House on September 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. The administration officials discussed a U.S. led agreement between Serbia and Kosovo that attempts to normalize economic relations between the ... read full

New York City Limits The Chances For In-Person Learning For Students

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 21: Students from PS 11 elementary school in Chelsea participate in outdoor learning on The High Line park on October 21, 2020 in New York City. The after school enrichment program will provide classes for four High Line partner schools this fall. ... read full

New Research On Flu Vaccines Sheds Light On Covid-19 Vaccines

This is the second article in a three-part series on fading immunity to Covid-19 and the flu—the science behind it, and the implications it has for vaccine development and the pandemic at large. Read the first part and the second part .

A nurse prepares to administer a ... read full

The FDA Will Not Inspect Vaccine Production Plants

ZOETERMEER, NETHERLANDS – OCTOBER 27: View of influenza vaccine syringes at a general practitioner’s office on October 27, 2020 in Zoetermeer, Netherlands. The demand for flu vaccines is so high there is currently a shortage. The Dutch government has therefore asked healthy people between the ages of 60 ... read full

New Study Offers More Evidence That Immunity To Covid-19 Fades Quickly

Professor Menna Clatworthy, Clinician Scientist, University of Cambridge works as part of the TACTIC-R trial,in the Blood Processing Lab in the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, in Cambridge, England on May 21,

POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES More evidence has emerged that immunity to Covid-19 is quick to ... read full

Eli Lilly Stops Antibody Trial In Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients

KIEV, UKRAINE – 2018/11/21: In this photo illustration, the Eli Lilly and Company, Pharmaceutical company logo seen displayed on a smartphone. (Photo Illustration by Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES How do we understand the decision of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to halt ... read full

Britain's Moral Bankruptcy Over COVID-19 Vaccines

Why a study set to deliberately infect people with coronavirus is unethical, unnecessary, and likely to be uninformative

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reflected in a woman’s eye as she watches his address to the nation following the outbreak of coronavirus in Manchester, England, on September 22, 2020. 

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The COVID ... read full

In Brazil, New Study Shows The Poor And Indigenous Suffer The Most From Covid-19

The largest population level study of the prevalence of antibodies against the virus that causes Covid-19 was recently completed in Brazil. Population based information on Covid-19 is crucial to understand the impact of the virus on various segments of the ... read full

Large Contact Tracing Study In India Shows People Of All Ages Can Be Infected With And Transmit COVID-19

The first ever large scale study using contact tracing data from two states in India provides critical new information about the virus that causes Covid-19 and how it spreads. Using data from over 85,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases and their 575,071 contacts, the study found that the ... read full

Despite Conflicting Evidence, FDA Approves Covid-19 Drug Remdesivir

One vial of the drug Remdesivir lies during a press conference about the start of a study with the Ebola drug Remdesivir in particularly severely ill patients at the University Hospital Eppendorf (UKE) in Hamburg, northern Germany on April 8, 2020,

POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES On Friday, the U.S. Food ... read full

Restructuring The Federal Response To A Pandemic

This is the third of a three-part series analyzing public health infrastructure in the United States. Part one can be found and part two can be found . This finale analyzes the laws underlying why public health was left to the states and how public health preparedness can be ... read full

Three Takeaways From Major FDA Advisory Meeting On Covid-19 Vaccines

ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA – OCTOBER 7, 2020: A medical worker holds a syringe with the Gam-COVID-Vak vaccine during vaccination of medical staff at Hospital No 68. Alexander Demianchuk/TASS (Photo by Alexander Demianchuk\TASS via Getty Images)

ALEXANDER DEMIANCHUK/TASS Yesterday a panel of outside experts — formally known as the Vaccines and ... read full

Vaccine Transporters Feel Unprepared For The Distributive Effort Ahead

Antonov AN-124 Unloading

GETTY IMAGES As pharmaceutical companies conduct phase 3 vaccine trials, air cargo transporters are cautious about the logistics involved in the mass distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine. A recent survey found that less than 30% of air cargo companies felt ... read full

More Troubling Events In The Rush To Find Covid-19 Vaccine

ANKARA, TURKEY – OCTOBER 13: Vice Rector of University of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Kemalettin Aydin (L) is being vaccinated as he is volunteer in trials of Covid-19 vaccine from China at Ankara City Hospital in Ankara, Turkey on October 13, 2020.

ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGES Johnson & Johnson, ... read full

Underfunding Public Health Harms Americans Beyond Covid-19

This is the second of a three-part series analyzing public health infrastructure in the United States. Part one can be found . This midsection analyzes how the public health system is incapable of keeping people healthy even outside the pandemic. 

DENVER, CO – MARCH 12: A healthcare worker from the ... read full

Eli Lilly Plant Set To Manufacture Covid-19 Therapy Cited For Breaching FDA Regulations

FILE PHOTO: Eli Lilly logo is shown on one of their offices in San Diego

REUTERS – MIKE BLAKE An Eli Lilly pharmaceutical plant set to manufacture a Covid-19 treatment has been cited by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for quality control issues, according to Reuters. Sources close to ... read full

Massive Covid-19 Drug Trial Underscores Importance Of Controlled Clinical Studies

A photo taken in the late hours of August 17, 2020 shows a sign of the World Health Organization (WHO) at their headquarters in Geneva amid the COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the novel coronavirus. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

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Compromised Type I Interferon Response Common Among Severe COVID-19 Patients

Why COVID-19 makes some people so much sicker than others is a puzzle we’re continuously trying to crack. Thanks to two studies recently published in Science magazine, we now know of one very specific predisposing factor: a compromised type I interferon response. This discovery has implications for how we diagnose and ... read full

Herd Immunity is a Double Tragedy in the Making

Yesterday we learned that two unnamed White House spokespeople confirmed that achieving “herd immunity” for Covid-19 is part of the President’s plan to control the pandemic. Achieving herd immunity means effectively letting the virus spread unchecked. The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called the approach “scientifically and ... read full

How US Public Health Failed You And Me

This is the first of a three part series analyzing public health infrastructure in the United States. This introduction analyzes the governing bodies of US public health and why they are not getting the job done.

WHITE OAK, MD – JULY 20: A sign for the Food And Drug ... read full

What The Pause In The Johnson & Johnson And Eli Lilly COVID Drug Trials May Mean

Johnson & Johnson suspends its vaccine trial. (Photo illustration by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES For some time now I have been raising concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of the Covid vaccine and drug trials. Rushing toward approval—while understandable—can be dangerous. And the recent pause ... read full

Federal Health Agencies Push Back Against Political Interference

WHITE OAK, MD – JULY 20: A sign for the Food And Drug Administration is seen outside of the headquarters on July 20, 2020 in White Oak, Maryland. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

GETTY IMAGES Less than a month before the election and one week into President Trump’s own disease ... read full

White House Continues To Choose Political Gain Over Public Health

Laymis Alvarez (R) takes blood samples from Heather Lieberman, 8, as she participates in a COVID-19 vaccination study at the Research Centers of America in Hollywood, Florida, on August 13, 2020. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES The White ... read full

Covid-19 Traumatic Stress Disorder

Many of us are familiar with the once uncommon term PTSDpost-traumatic stress disorder—a mental health condition that develops after a person has experienced a traumatic, life-threatening event. People mostly associate PTSD to military personnel, as read full

The Encounter Was Inevitable. Trump Meets The Coronavirus.

President Trump is the most recent in a long line of country leaders to fall victim to infection by SARS-Cov-2. The most notable include the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson who came with an angel’s breath of dying in an intensive care ward, Brazil’s President Jair Bolosonaro, Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko ... read full

The Difference Between Covid-19 And HIV/AIDS

This article was originally published on Forbes on October 5, 2020. 

People wearing face masks as a preventive measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus walk outside the Forbidden City (back) during the national day marking the 71st anniversary of the People’s Republic of China and the country’s national “Golden ... read full

All The President’s Medicine

The article originally appeared in Forbes on October 5, 2020. 

The President’s medical team

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES No one receives worse medicine, an old saying goes, than the poor and the powerful. The poor because they face so many barriers to medical care and supports, and the powerful ... read full

This Is Trump’s Last, Best Chance to Tell the Truth About the Virus

This article originally appeared in The Daily Beast on October 5, 2020. 

Kevin Dietsch/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty

After months of downplaying the danger of Covid-19, President Trump and the First Lady tested positive and on Friday night the president was taken to the Walter Reed Medical Center “for the ... read full

Herd Immunity Will Not Defeat COVID-19

Although White House officials deny that US President Donald Trump’s administration has adopted herd immunity as a strategy for combating COVID-19, Trump’s words and actions tell a different story. But with coronaviruses, such an approach is not and should never be an option. During a September 15 ABC News “town hall”-style ... read full

Eroding Faith in Public Health Leaders

This article originally appeared in the Council on Foreign Relations Think Global Health Blog on October 2, 2020.  U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams and National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins bump elbows after testifying before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing. REUTERS/Michael Reynolds I have spent my life ... read full

To Contain COVID-19, Combine Mass Testing With Social And Economic Assistance

NEW YORK, USA – MARCH 12: Members of the US National Guard is being deployed to sterilize public spaces and food delivery for households at the town of New Rochelle in New York, United States on March 12, 2020. The National Guard have arrived in New New Rochelle ... read full

Covid-19 Vaccine Protocols Reveal That Trials Are Designed To Succeed

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – SEPTEMBER 9, 2020: A gloved medical worker prepares to give a volunteer a trial vaccine against COVID-19 at Moscow’s N62 Outpatient Clinic in a post-registration phase of testing. Sergei Bobylev/TASS (Photo by Sergei Bobylev\TASS via Getty Images)

SERGEI BOBYLEV/TASS read full

What COVID-19 Reinfection Means For Vaccines

Credit: We now know repeat infections are possible; understanding them will shape the fight against the pandemic The question of whether we can be reinfected with COVID-19 has been resolved. In August, genome sequencing confirmed that a 33-year-old man in Hong Kong had indeed been infected by the same ... read full

Beware of covid-19 vaccine trials designed to succeed from the start

A subject receives a shot on March 16 in the first-stage safety study clinical trial of a potential covid-19 vaccine by Moderna at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. (Ted S. Warren/AP)

In response to widespread demand for more transparency, pharmaceutical companies read full

Herd immunity is a fantasy

Despite what science or the failed coronavirus strategy in Sweden tell us, people continue to entertain herd immunity as a possible strategy for ending the Covid-19 pandemic. During ABC’s town hall meeting with voters on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said the coronavirus would “go away,” even without a vaccine. ... read full

Lessons From AIDS For The COVID-19 Pandemic: We Can Learn From Parallels Between The Coronavirus And HIV Crises

We are engaged in another deadly episode in the historic battle of man versus microbe. These battles have shaped the course of human evolution and of history. We have seen the face of our adversary, in this case a tiny virus.” I spoke these words in testimony before a U.S. ... read full

Why We Can’t Rely On Natural Immunity To Protect Us From Covid-19

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 15: People wearing masks carry groceries while crossing the road as the city continues Phase 4 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on September 15, 2020 in New York City. The fourth phase allows outdoor arts and ... read full

Paused AstraZeneca Trials Emphasize Need For Vaccine Transparency

NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Astrazeneca, and all the other companies under Food and Drug Administration purview, are developing vaccines for Covid-19. In the midst of current trials across the globe, they paused operation when a participant in the United Kingdom developed symptoms of a spinal inflammatory disease. ... read full

The University Of Illinois’s Covid-19 Control Shows that Mass Testing is the Answer

Walk-up covid-19 testing at the University of Illinois.

UI PUBLIC AFFAIRS: FRED ZWICKY The University of Illinois implemented an aggressive testing campaign to reign in the spread of Covid-19. The operation involves testing the entire student body and faculty twice per week—around fifteen thousand tests each day. Students tested ... read full

A Defense of Self-Testing and Supported Self-Isolation

A photograph taken in London on August 19, 2020 shows the manual from a UK Government COVID-19 antigen home test kit. – The antigen test determines whether you are currently infected with the novel coronavirus. (Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP) (Photo by

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES In a recent read full

Advice from an expert: What parents need to know about Covid-19

Here is the link to the interview audio Whether you live in a “red zone” or a “green zone,” Covid-19 remains a very real threat across the U.S. Assessing what’s safe and what’s not for your family depends on a range of factors that are confusing and leave us asking ... read full

The Case For Safer Emergency Use Authorizations

Hydroxychloroquine sits on a shelf at Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, on May 20, 2020. – US President Donald Trump announced May 18 he has been taking hydroxychloroquine for almost two weeks as a preventative measure against COVID-19. (Photo by

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES In emergency situations such as ... read full

Why Suspension Of The AstraZeneca Vaccine Trial Matters

The clinical hold placed on the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine trial highlights serious issues with the rush to approve a new Covid vaccine, and the safety of vaccines already green lit for limited use in China and Russia. AstraZeneca’s vaccine, developed by a team at Oxford University, ... read full

Herd Immunity: A Reckless and Ineffective Strategy

A White House medical adviser is promoting a “herd immunity” strategy to battle Covid-19. This would involve allowing Sars-CoV-2 to infect a majority of the population under a “benign neglect” strategy as the government would do little to stop it. This strategy would build immunity to a point where the virus ... read full

How we can contain Covid-19 without a vaccine

While the world is waiting for a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine, there is a strategy that can potentially bring an end to the pandemic in the United States without the development of pharmaceutical drugs. The strategy, which is cost-effective and compatible with American values like personal freedom, ... read full

Containing Covid—American Style

In the span of last weekend alone, more than 80,000 new cases of Covid-19 were reported across the United States. Worse, the disease claims the lives of about 1,000 Americans daily. Meanwhile in China, the country where it all began, the number of cases from the past week didn’t even reach ... read full

New CDC Guidelines Decrease Testing For Those Who Need It Most

TAMPA, FL – AUGUST 31: Students at Hillsborough High School wait in line to have temperature checked before entering the building on August 31, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. The Hillsborough County Schools District gives their students the in-class earning option amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty ... read full

Deregulating Covid-19 Treatment Sets Dangerous Precedent for Vaccine Approval

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA – AUGUST 20: Health worker collected plasma from convalescent patients who have recovered from the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 in Bogota, Colombia on August 20, 2020. After completing the first phase of plasma treatment on selected convalescent patients of COVID-19, 80% of whom had favorable results, ... read full

Why Most Voters Oppose Schools Reopening

A school employee checks the temperature of a student as she returns to school on the first day of in-person classes in Orange County at Baldwin Park Elementary School on August 21, 2020 in Orlando, Florida, US. Face masks and temperature checks are required for all students as ... read full

The Moral Trauma of COVID-19: How the failures of our national leaders have torn the moral fabric of our lives

All of us, whether we have realized it by now or not, are being traumatized by the COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s begin with the darkening cloud apparent to many, the question I hear more than any other from my dismayed friends, “How can the richest, most technically advanced country in the ... read full

Back to School: A Tipping Point in US Politics

The debate over opening America’s schools may be the tipping point at which the unending politicization of the Covid-19 pandemic will finally end. Every night, at dinner tables around the country, parents are discussing the one topic that unifies our country—what is best for children. The answer will not be driven by ... read full

What Restarting Sports And Reopening Schools Have In Common

On Saturday, the Mid-American Conference became the first Football Bowl Subdivision to postpone its upcoming season. The announcement comes amidst the most recent debate about schools doing the exact opposite—reopening and requiring students and faculty to return to campus. While many conferences, such as the Mid-American Conference, Mountain West Conference, and ... read full

Cheap, Daily Home Tests Are The First Step To Containing The Pandemic

GETTY IMAGES We don’t need drugs or vaccines to stop the Covid-19 pandemic. We can use something that is already available and at our disposal: rapid point-of-care and home diagnostics combined with contact tracing and isolation of possible transmitters. Backed by the right technology and strategy, testing can be used to detect ... read full

Two-Step Testing Could Slow Covid-19 Transmission Dramatically

NEW DELHI, INDIA JULY 17: A health worker in PPE coveralls collects swab sample from a man for Covid-19 rapid antigen testing at a government dispensary, in Mehrauli, on July 17, 2020 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

HINDUSTAN TIMES VIA GETTY IMAGES In ... read full

Will Reopening Gyms Improve Our Well-Being or Put Us at Risk?

Is it better for our health to return to the gym or stay away? Since physical and mental health go hand-in-hand, taking care of both is of the utmost importance—especially during a global pandemic. For months, people have been deprived of a crucial outlet for relieving read full

‘Second Opinion,’ Episode 1: COVID-19’s resurgence

Second Opinion is a new discussion series presented by the Los Angeles Times that takes viewers to the forefront of medical research and conversations about health, science and technology. In the first episode, Los Angeles Times Executive Chairman Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a surgeon and scientist, is joined by renowned biologist and ... read full

The flu could send our health care system into overdrive this winter. This drug offers some hope.

study published in the July 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine found that the anti-influenza drug baloxavir marboxil significantly reduced transmission of influenza among people living in the same house.

The news comes just in time for the 2020-2021 flu season, which ... read full

New Evidence Suggests Young Children Spread Covid-19 More Efficiently Than Adults

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 31: A kid wears a face mask at a playground in Pier 25 as the city continues Phase 4 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on July 31, 2020 in New York City. The fourth phase allows ... read full

India Approves Antigen Test To Speed Detection And Management Of SARS-CoV-2 Infections

On July 23, India approved a rapid antigen test to detect SARS-CoV-2 infections. The product is called the Pathocatch COVID-19 Antigen Rapid testing kit, developed and manufactured in India by Mylab Discovery Solutions. The test will be used as ... read full

An Investigation Into The Basis For The Loss Of Smell As An Early Symptom Of Covid-19

The loss of the sense of smell and taste has proven to be the most reliable indicator of early infection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Between 25% and 50% of people report anosmia and ageusia as the very first symptom of Covid-19. read full

What If There’s No COVID Vaccine?

Although the multi-decade struggle against HIV/AIDS featured a great deal of tragedy and despair, the upshot is that medical science prevailed: what was once a death sentence is now a chronic condition. In thinking about worst-case scenarios for COVID-19, this recent experience offers both lessons and hope.

When it ... read full

The Complex Pathogenesis Of Covid-19

A health worker checks a patient at the COVID-19 area of the 32nd Zone General Hospital of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in Mexico City, on July 20, 2020, amid the new coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by PEDRO PARDO / AFP) (Photo by PEDRO

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Our understanding ... read full

Covid-19 Might Be Far More Widespread Than We Think. Here’s What We Can Do About It

MIAMI LAKES, FLORIDA – JULY 22: Dr. Jacqueline Delmont, Chief Medical Officer of SOMOS Community Care, prepares to take blood from Eddie Mena to test for COVID-19 antibodies in a medical tent at a testing site locate at the Miami Lakes Youth Center

GETTY IMAGES Ever since Covid-19 first began ... read full

A Key To Understanding The Race For A Covid-19 Vaccine

SOWETO, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 26: A volunteer receives an injection from a medical worker during the country’s first human clinical trial for a potential vaccine against COVID-19 at the Baragwanath Hospital on June 28, 2020 in Soweto, South Africa. It is reported that Africa’s first COVID-19 vaccine ... read full

Midsummer for the Season—But Not the Coronavirus

U.S. President Donald J. Trump swings a wooden baseball bat, celebrating a new jobs report, as he attends a “Spirit of America Showcase” event at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 2, 2020.REUTERS/Tom Brenne COVID-19 stormed through our cities and towns but stayed in some locales much longer than ... read full

What Does Disappearing Immunity To Covid-19 Mean For A Vaccine?

A nurse (R) draws blood from Professor Francois Venter (L) before receiving the experimental vaccine for COVID-19 coronavirus at the Respiratory & Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit (RMPRU) at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto on July 14, 2020. – Six senior clinicians in the Faculty of Health Sciences ... read full

We're wasting time talking about herd immunity

Debate over whether herd immunity will be our salvation to the escalating Covid crisis was recently fueled by two new reports.The first was the release of a new nationwide study from Spain, a former Covid hotspot, which suggested that too many lives ... read full

Is It Too Soon To Restart Sports?

After being stuck indoors for months due to Covid-19, many professional and amateur athletes are now returning to center field. But some are wondering if sports may be restarting too soon. The National Basketball Association just announced that 16 of its players have tested positive for Covid-19. To date, 40 Major ... read full

Even without a Covid-19 vaccine, there's reason for hope

A lot of hope has been placed on the possibility of a Covid-19 vaccine by the end of this year. However, overcoming the technical challenges of developing a vaccine — and the safety issues inherent in making one that works for the populations most at risk — is no easy feat. While ... read full

Lessons for COVID-19 from the Early Days of AIDS

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.Credit: Getty Images Thirty-six years ago, we were, like today, in the midst of a new and still somewhat mysterious global pandemic. In the U.S. alone, more than one million people were infected with HIV, and 12,000 had already died of AIDS. At the time, ... read full

We’re Making Exciting Progress In Developing Covid-19 Drugs

BRAZIL – 2020/06/24: Pharmaceutical pills displayed on a table with a COVID-19 inscription on the background. (Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES Drugs specifically designed to prevent and treat Covid-19 are urgently needed. The good news is they are on their way. The ... read full

The Other Shoe Drops: Gilead’s Outrageous Pricing Of Remdesivir

29 June 2020, Egypt, Giza: Employees of Egyptian pharmaceutical company Eva Pharma operate at the company’s factory, where the production of Remdesivir, a broad-spectrum antiviral medication approved as a specific treatment for COVID-19, has started

DPA/PICTURE ALLIANCE VIA GETTY IMAGES Gilead says it will charge governments $2,340 and private insurers ... read full

Women’s Health And The Ripple Effect Of The Covid-19 Pandemic

Covid-19 has upended every aspect of our lives, in ways both seen and unseen. Each day, we witness the damaging effects of the pandemic on our economies and healthcare systems, as businesses shut down and hospitals struggle to meet an overwhelming demand for intensive care services. But inside homes across ... read full

Covid-19 Ping-Pong: Animal To Human, Human To Animal, Animal To Human Transmission. How Great A Danger?

SARS-CoV-2 originally jumped from animals to humans. So too did the virus responsible for SARS and MERS. There is now abundant evidence that humans can transmit SARS-Cov-2 to domestic pets and other animals. The more people infected the greater the risk of creating a permanent animal reservoir of infection; one ... read full

Progress In Monoclonal Antibodies For The Treatment And Prevention-Of Covid-19

A team of scientists recently announced progress in the discovery of a pair of monoclonal antibodies that may be useful for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19. The work was described in the June 12th issue of Science Magazine. The scientists began the process by isolating live ... read full

A Tale Of Four Cities: Wuhan, Seattle, New York, Chicago

A new study from Northwestern University in Chicago, available as an unreviewed pre-print, identifies three distinct strains of SARS-CoV-2 currently circulating in Chicago. The three strains, called clades, can be distinguished from one another by the sequence of viral RNA. The variant the authors call ... read full

Protecting Pregnant Women From Covid-19

A pregnant resident speaks to the press at the Villa Azul shantytown after the provincial government detected at least 53 people infected with the new coronavirus and decided to isolate the entire neighborhood, in Quilmes, Buenos Aires province,

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Many months into the pandemic, we’re beginning to ... read full

The Risks of Rushing a COVID-19 Vaccine

Credit: Mladen Antonov Getty Images The excitement and enthusiasm for a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of 2020 is both palpable and understandable. We all hope for a rapid end to the pandemic and an effective vaccine would be a surefire solution. But there are risks that come with a fast-tracked vaccine ... read full

Why Wearing A Face Mask Is The Sanest Thing You Can Do

California Governor Gavin Newsom recently made wearing face masks mandatory. The new order comes after some rebellion against instructions to wear face coverings as Californians claim it is an infraction on their personal freedom. Newsom’s decision follows an all-time-high number of daily new cases in California.

New cases and deaths per ... read full

Successful Reopening: It's Not What You Think

With most countries still in lockdown, some have started to reopen, and the world is watching. What does it mean to have a successful reopening, and have we witnessed it? Looking at the resurgence of Covid cases in China and in New Zealand, some may find it hard to label ... read full

Immunity To Covid-19 Infection May Fade Quickly

A new study published in Nature Medicine indicates that immunity to infection by SARS-CoV-2 may fade quickly, at least in people with no or moderate symptoms. The duration of protection from reinfection is a subject of intense interest both for convalescents returning to ... read full

More Publication By Press Release, This Time From Sinovac On A Covid Vaccine

Spreading almost as fast as Covid-19 itself are “publications by press release”. The latest comes from Sinovac, the same company that previously withheld comment on animal studies of its candidate Covid vaccine until the supporting data was available for review. Not so this time, for what ... read full

Dexamethasone Reduces Mortality In Seriously Ill Covid-19 Patients—And So Do Other Treatments

CARDIFF, UNITED KINGDOM – JUNE 16: A close-up of a box of Dexamethasone tablets in a pharmacy on June 16, 2020 in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Results of a trial announced today have shown that Dexamethasone, a cheap and widely used steroid drug which is

GETTY IMAGES Each day doctors are ... read full

Are Children Less Easily Infected By SARS-CoV-2? Maybe Yes And Maybe No

recently published report in Nature Medicine by a group of British epidemiologists concludes that children are half as likely to be infected by SARS-CoV-2 as adults. The conclusion is based primarily on publicly available data from Wuhan and from five other countries including Canada, Italy, ... read full

Traveling By Air In The Time Of Covid

Doubtless, many of you miss air travel for families, business or pleasure. I certainly do. Yet in this time of Covid, short of a hospital or nursing home, an airplane is a most dangerous place. When you’re in an enclosed space, there is a formula for probability of infection which I developed ... read full

A New CDC Report Shows Covid Disproportionately Affects Those With Underlying Disease And Disadvantaged Minorities

Covid-19 discriminates against those who it sickens and kills. The disease discriminates both by ethnicity and by pre-existing disease. The two are likely to be synonymous given what we know about the social determinants of health. A newly released report by the CDC summarizes ... read full

A mutation shows why the coronavirus is such a formidable foe

All living organisms mutate and adapt to maximize survival in their ecologic niche. For months, scientists have been looking into whether the novel coronavirus — known as SARS-CoV-2 — is mutating and becoming more transmissible or more lethal. Recent evidence points to a preliminary answer to half the question: yes, ... read full

The Role Of Blood Type In Covid-19 Infection And Respiratory Failure

01 July 2019, Saxony, Dresden: Blood is stored in crates in the cold storage room of the DRK blood donation service North-East. Photo: Robert Michael/dpa-Zentralbild/ZB (Photo by Robert Michael/picture alliance via Getty Images)

PICTURE ALLIANCE VIA GETTY IMAGES Does having a certain blood type put you at higher risk of ... read full

Human COVID-19 Vaccine Trials Are Unnecessary, Uninformative, and Unethical

I was recently stunned to learn of the serious consideration being given to deliberately infecting human volunteers with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in order to assess the effectiveness of potential COVID-19 vaccines.

My first reaction was that the advocates of such “human challenge studies” had gone so mad with ... read full

A Warning From Sweden

People enjoy the sunny weather at an outdoor restaurant in Stockholm on May 30, 2020, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Henrik MONTGOMERY / TT News Agency / AFP) / Sweden OUT (Photo by HENRIK MONTGOMERY/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty

TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Sweden now has ... read full

Will Memorial Day 2020 be remembered as the holiday when COVID-19 got the upper hand?

While some beaches had restrictions in place on the holiday weekend, others across the nation did not. (Lauren J. Mapp / San Diego Union-Tribune) We may have the reason to remember Memorial Day 2020 as the holiday when COVID-19 exploded. Looking around the country over the weekend, there was little evidence that ... read full

Two Weeks And Ten Million Covid Tests In Wuhan

Over the last two weeks of May, all residents over the age of 5 in Wuhan, China were tested for the presence of active SARS-CoV-2 virus replication. The tests identified 300 people with active infection. None of those tested show any signs of infection. All family members and close contacts ... read full

Covid In Kids: A Reason To Be Wary Of Covid Vaccines

More than a dozen Covid vaccines are in development, with many of them already being tested in humans and many more to begin human trials soon. But what do we actually know about these potential vaccines and why might we be wary of them? ... read full

Covid-19 In Children: A Detailed Study Of 10 Italian Children

The current issue of the Lancet carries a study of 10 Italian children diagnosed with a Kawasaki-like syndrome, recently reclassified by the World Health Organization as Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome—Children (MIS-C). The study compares the Covid-19 related syndrome to that observed for 19 children with Kawasaki Syndrome ... read full

Confronting Barriers To Covid-19 Vaccine Acceptance

A researcher works in the laboratory of the Amsterdam UMC, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on May 28, 2020. – Griffioen’s team is developing a vaccine against the COVID-19 disease caused by the novel coronavirus. (Photo by Koen Van WEEL / ANP / AFP) /

ANP/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES One of ... read full

A Key Protein That Leads To Covid-19 Infection May Be Less Common In Children, Researchers Find

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – MAY 27: A child is seen as she enjoys at park in Esenyurt district after children under 14 years across Turkey allowed to leave their homes, remaining within walking distance and wearing masks within measures taken against coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in Istanbul, Turkey on May ... read full

The Way That Covid-19 Tricks The Immune System Could Result In More Severe Illness

Chief Scientific Officer Dr Jeff Drew, uses a microscope to look at cells containing the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in the Stabilitech laboratory in Burgess Hill south east England, on May 15, 2020 where scientists are trying to develop an oral vaccine for the COVID-19 illness. – The scientists ... read full

Remdesivir Revealed

FOSTER CITY, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 29: A sign is posted in front of the Gilead Sciences headquarters on April 29, 2020 in Foster City, California. Gilead Sciences announced preliminary results of a drug trial with that showed at least 50% of patients with coronavirus that treated with a ... read full

It’s Too Early For The US Government To Place Risky, Billion Dollar Bets On Covid Vaccines

This picture taken on May 23, 2020 shows a tray with doses of a COVID-19 novel coronavirus vaccine candidate ready for trial on monkeys at the National Primate Research Center of Thailand at Chulalongkorn University in Saraburi. – After conclusive results on mice, Thai scientists from the centre ... read full

What Happens If We Can’t Find A Coronavirus Vaccine That Works?

An employee works at the Stabilitech laboratory in Burgess Hill south east England, on May 15, 2020 where scientists are trying to develop an oral vaccine for the COVID-19 illness. – The scientists at Stabilitech are one of the teams attempting to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. Ingested ... read full

Early Study Of Covid-19 Vaccine Developed In China Sees Mixed Results

CanSino Biologic, a company based in Tianjin, China working with a clinical team in Wuhan, report the results of a phase 1 safety trial of an adenovirus vector based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate. The virus vector expressed the entire spike protein, the S gene. Three groups of ... read full

Moderna’s claim of favorable results in its vaccine trial is an example of ‘publication by press release’

The biotechnology company Moderna is based in Cambridge, Mass. (Bill Sikes/AP) Faith in medicine and science is based on trust. But today, in the rush to share scientific progress in combating covid-19, that trust is being undermined. Private companies, governments and research institutes are holding news conferences to report potential breakthroughs that ... read full

MIS-C: A New Name For Covid Kawasaki/Toxic Shock In Young People

There is a new name for a recently recognized set of Covid-19 related symptoms in children and adolescents. The World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have assigned the name Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children or MIS-C to this disease. The name attempts to encompass the many facets of the disease ... read full

Did The Oxford Covid Vaccine Work In Monkeys? Not Really

The day after data appeared from the vaccine maker Sinovac showed complete protection of rhesus monkeys by their vaccine candidate (whole inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus particles), scientists from the Jenner Institute in Oxford issued a press release announcing that their vaccine (an adenovirus vector based vaccine that ... read full

What AIDS Taught Us About Fighting Pandemics

Thirty-five years ago, in the midst of the new and still somewhat unknown AIDS epidemic, I warned in testimony to the US Congress that we were facing another deadly episode in the long battle between humankind and microbes. If asked to testify again I would say the same thing today. Just ... read full

COVID-19 Among Children

Recent reports that SARS-CoV-2 can cause serious life-threatening disease in young people is not good news. A few cases of a Kawasaki-like vascular inflammation in kids age 2-15 were previously noted. As more cases have been identified, more than 100 in New York State alone, this aspect of the disease is coming into focus.

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Progress And Possibilities For Treating COVID-19

Steady progress is being made in the treatment of patients hospitalized for COVID-19. The advances come together with the understanding that the disease is far more complex than a simple pneumonia. The most recent progress comes from a May 6th report in the examining medical records of 2773 COVID-19 patients in five New York ... read full

One Step Closer To Understanding The Origin Of SARS-CoV-2

Whence SARS-CoV-2, the cause of so much human suffering in the US and around the world? The very first sequence of the virus genome told us much of the story. The virus resembled that which caused the original SARS epidemic (now called SARS-CoV-1) in 2002-2003. Both were members of the same family, beta-coronaviruses. ... read full

Rapid, Accessible, Affordable, Ubiquitous Tests For SARS-CoV-2 Are On The Way

We need rapid, accessible, affordable and ubiquitous tests to detect those who are actively infected and can infect others. The good news is that they are coming soon. SARS-CoV-2 genome tests The first type of test to detect active infection measures the presence of the virus genome. These tests measure the presence ... read full

Why Weren’t We Ready For The Coronavirus?

The latest issue of the New Yorker asks the question that many of us have asked ourselves: Why weren’t we ready for the coronavirus? My reaction when I read the article was that those of us who have warned for years of coming respiratory pandemics were finally no ... read full

Which COVID-19 Antivirals Actually Work?

In emergency rooms around the world, doctors and nurses are writing the playbook for treatment of COVID-19. With so much about the virus, the disease, and effect of various treatments still evolving, doctors are improvising on the spot trying to figure out the approach that will give their patients the ... read full

Why Haven’t We Seen The Data On Remdesivir?

Enthusiasm for remdesivir as the new standard of care for COVID-19 has only grown since the release of preliminary results from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) trial. But something is deeply wrong with the way the preliminary results were rolled ... read full

Hong Kong Doctors See Progress In Treatment Of COVID-19

A group of Hong Kong Physicians report in Lancet that a cocktail of drugs approved for the treatment of other viral diseases significantly improved the clinical and laboratory outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The symptoms of patients treated with the full four drug cocktail resolved more ... read full

Putting COVID-19 Behind Us: A Research Agenda To Prepare For The Next Pandemic

Though many today are too young to remember, this is not the first time our nation has faced down a lethal pandemic. Indeed, this is the third time in my life the world has been overwhelmed by contagions that reshaped societies. The first, polio, read full

Blood Clotting And COVID-19: How Serious Is It?

With each passing day we learn more about SARS-CoV-2 and what it does to our cells and our bodies. It seems, according at least to anecdotal reports, that infection with SARS-CoV-2 can induce serious blood clots in COVID-19 patients, as well as those who are otherwise asymptomatic. Abnormal clotting has ... read full

A Walk With Death

On Saturday I walked with death. The morning dawned bright, clear, a hint of summer warmth in the air. Magnolias and cherry blossoms were flying like fragrant snow, the wisteria and lilac blooming, adding subtle shades of lavender to tender new green of life reborn. We had been eager to enjoy ... read full

Responsible Reopening: A Lesson From NYU Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA – MAY 02: People gather along the waterfront of the Bund during International Workers’ Day holiday on May 02, 2020 in Shanghai, China. Health authorities of China said the country has passed the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic on March 12. As of today, the Coronavirus ... read full

Can America Handle a Second Wave?

Like surfers looking out for the next big breaker before the first one has passed, epidemiologists and public-health officials in the United States are bracing themselves for a fresh surge of COVID-19 infections later this year. The fear is that this second wave will coincide with the peak of the ... read full

COVID Immunity: How Protected Are You?

NEW JERSEY, USA – MAY 03: New Jersey residents enjoy a sunny day at Branch Brook Park in Newark, United States on May 03, 2020, after the all state parks were reopened for the first time since April 7th. (Photo by Islam Dogru/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

ANADOLU AGENCY ... read full

Remdesivir: A Non-Antiviral Antiviral Drug?

There is an interesting line in the Chinese study on remdesivir that has gone almost entirely overlooked, one that introduces an interesting, and potentially serious, conundrum. The authors of the study wrote that “Remdesivir did not result in significant reductions in SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads or detectability in upper respiratory tract ... read full

An urgent need to reopen medical care for all

iStock Each day a new story of crowded hospital corridors and exhausted healthcare workers appears in our newspapers. But another story, equally tragic, is unfolding in the privacy of our homes. Countless Americans with chronic conditions and other serious illnesses languish in isolation without access to care. While hospitals have of ... read full

Urging Caution on Remdesivir

There is palpable excitement today among many regarding the potential of remdesivir to help patients with severe Covid-19 recover. Many are saying there is clear cut evidence that it works, based on a news release issued yesterday by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Yet, an equally important study about ... read full

Reducing The Risk Of In Flight COVID-19 Transmission

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – APRIL 29: A female AirAsia flight attendant wears a face mask as she waits for a buggy ride to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) Terminal building on April 29, 2020 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. AirAsia are resuming its scheduled domestic flights today, ... read full

A Letter To Congress: Four Principles For A Safe Economic Reopening

BROOKHAVEN, GA – APRIL 27: Ron Flexon sits at the counter for dine-in service while other seats are marked off for social distancing protocol at the Waffle House on April 27, 2020 in Brookhaven, Georgia. Gov. Brian Kemp has allowed some non-essential businesses to start re-opening in Georgia ... read full

A Vaccine Candidate Protects Non-Human Primates From SARS-CoV-2 Infection

A pre-print in BioRxiv from a Beijing based biotechnology company company, Sinovac, describes protection of macaque monkeys from infection by SARS-CoV-2 by a vaccine candidate. The candidate is a “killed virus” vaccine prepared by inactivating live virus with beta-Propriolactone, a standard procedure used in inactivate other viruses for use as ... read full

Glimmers of Hope on Covid-19

The scope of the Covid-19 epidemic in parts of the United States is becoming more and more clear. Studies have shown roughly 15% of pregnant women admitted to New York City hospitals tested positive for infection. When you account for missed tests and assuming that sample group is ... read full

Reopening America will require this key thing that's been ignored

Returning to work and school after the coronavirus is urgent and necessary. Virtually all public health officials agree on the three capabilities necessary to reopen society:

1. Availability of tests to identify those actively infected and capable of infecting others. 2. Exhaustive contract tracing to identify those exposed and potentially infected.  3. Self-isolation of those ... read full

How Business Leaders Can Respond Covid-19

Many management books talk about the importance of building trust with customers in order to succeed, but in the age of Covid, trust takes on new meaning.  When businesses reopen, the behavior of customers will be critical to containing new outbreaks. Customers who keep a respectable distance, take care not to ... read full

Monoclonal Antibodies Could Help Fight Against Coronavirus

A group of Chinese scientists report the isolation of two human monoclonal antibodies with the potential to treat and to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections, the causative agent of COVID-19. The work is described in a manuscript made available by  The two monoclonal antibodies block binding of the virus to the receptor preventing entry. Such ... read full

This Is How You Can Return To Work Safely

An employee, wearing a protective face shield, consults a customer at the IKEA home furnishings store Koeln-Godorf on April 22, 2020 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

GETTY IMAGES Public health experts agree on the need for widespread testing to be in place before businesses can reopen and ... read full

In Some Hospitals, Surviving COVID Is Almost Twice As Likely

Medical workers wearing protective gear and mask tend to a patient at the Intensive Care Unit of the Tor Vergata Covid-4 hospital on April 21, 2020 in Rome, during the country’s lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus. (Photo by ... read full

How Many Tests Do We Really Need?

Kayla Ferrari, a Physician Assistant with AltaMed Health Services prepares to test a drive-through patient for COVID-19 at their Bristol Street clinic in Santa Ana on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

MEDIANEWS GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES We are all eager to ... read full

What Did We Know And When Did We Know It? Disease Surveillance: Past, Present And Future

Chander Mohan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East), during a interview inside the Integrated Command and Control Centre which is a designated war room for Covid-19 surveillance, at GMDA Office, Sector 44, on April 10, 2020 in Gurugram, India. (Photo by Yogendra Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

HINDUSTAN TIMES VIA ... read full

Why COVID? Nature’s Code Cracking Machine Intelligence

This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 -also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19-isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. (Photo by: IMAGE POINT FR – LPN/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY ... read full

A New Normal For Hospital Care

NEW YORK, NY April 08: Medical workers putting on PPEs at the beginning of their shift at the emergency field hospital run by Samaritan’s Purse and Mount Sinai Health System in Central Park on April 08, 2020 in New York, United States. (Photo by Misha Friedman/Getty Images)

GETTY IMAGES Most ... read full

Test, Trace, and Quarantine to Combat Covid-19

Our Covid-19 response is, unfortunately, off to the worst start in the world. We were unprepared. Testing per capita here lags behind all other developed nations. Even as our testing capacity comes up to speed, it’s important to remember that testing alone is not enough. The key to stopping the ... read full

SARS-CoV-2 -- The Big One

A friend asked me two weeks ago whether or not this pandemic was “the big one”. At the time, I wasn’t sure. Today I can say with certainty, yes. This is big one in terms of lives affected and lost, and economies destroyed. But it is a big one not as ... read full

Urging Caution on Covid-19 Treatments

My appearance earlier this week on Fox News, decrying the promotion of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19 was controversial, but I stand by what I said: Studies to date suggest that its benefit for Covid-19 patients will be mild at best—because the drug can ... read full

Taking the Threat of COVID-19 Seriously

In case you are interested, I am scheduled to appear on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News at 8:00pm EST. I welcome your thoughts if you happen to be watching the show. Tucker has taken the threat of coronavirus seriously since the early days, which is important. We all ... read full

New Study Finds 15% Of Pregnant Women At Two New York Hospitals Tested Positive For COVID-19

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 19: People walk through Times Square as New York continues to shelter-in-place during the coronavirus pandemic on April 19, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)

GETTY IMAGES At long last, we have a relatively unbiased random sample of the true infection ... read full

What did we know? When did we know it? And what are we doing about it now? — Reflections on Covid

One topic left mainly unaddressed in our discussions around Covid-19 is data. What data did we have before this outbreak? What data are we collecting today? And how are we ... read full

19% Of People Infected With COVID In The US Are Healthcare Professionals. Almost Three Quarters Of Them Are Women

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 14: Medical workers are seen outside NYU Langone Health hospital as people applaud to show their gratitude to medical staff and essential workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic on April 14, 2020 in New York City.

GETTY IMAGES A report from the ... read full

How Coronavirus Hits the Poorest Among Us — Reflections on Covid from the Philippines

We Need To Crush The Curve Now—Or COVID-19 Will Come Back To Haunt Us

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND – APRIL 3: A woman is seen empty Lambton Quay, main shopping precinct, during the lockdown due to coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Wellington, New Zealand on April 3, 2020. (Photo by Mike Clare/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGES In a bid to slow ... read full

How Do We Reduce Our In Hospital Death Rates?

Never has it been more critical for Americans to understand the importance of in hospital death rates and survival rates associated with hospital stays. Hospitals and emergency rooms today are increasingly overcrowded with those who are critically ill, either from COVID-19 or from other acute illnesses that require immediate medical ... read full

The Challenges Of Testing For COVID-19

Bern twp., PA – March 27: Certified Registered Nurses Kimberly Scheider, left, and Debbie Jessell, right, walk up to a patient’s car and open the back with testing materials at Penn State Health St. Joseph where they are conducting drive through coronavirus / COVID-19 testing and have taken ... read full

Our Emerging Understanding of the Outbreak — Reflections on Covid

A few days ago, I was in touch with a friend who sits on the board of a European family business. His story reflects the evolution that many of us ... read full

Can We Really Develop a Safe, Effective Coronavirus Vaccine?

Credit: 

In the event of any infectious disease outbreak, our minds turn to vaccines—and they do so for good reason. They’re safe, relatively expensive and have worked well for diseases including smallpox, polio, yellow fever, and, most recently, Ebola.

Will a vaccine come as easily for the novel ... read full

The Economic Impact of the Outbreak — Reflections on Covid

The economic impact of Covid-19 is impossible to determine today, with so much still unknown about how long the outbreak will last and how many will suffer along the way. ... read full

A Troubling Tale of Two Children in the Time of COVID-19

This week, I heard a disconcerting story from a friend of a friend in Boston who was diagnosed with Covid-19. She is just a teenager, but one who has suffered since early childhood from chronic asthma. Just ... read full

Beyond flattening the curve, here's how to end the pandemic

As America enters what President Trump warns will be its “toughest week,” many are hoping that lockdown measures introduced in cities and communities across the country will lessen the devastation we face. The strict social distancing guidelines are an attempt to flatten the curve, an approach that has been described as ... read full

Tests For COVID-19 Are Expensive, But They Don’t Have To Be

An employee of clinical diagnostics and food & feed analysis R-Biopharm works on an analysis of a Covid-19 test in Pfungstadt, southwestern Germany, on March 31, 2020. (Photo by Thomas Lohnes / AFP) (Photo by THOMAS LOHNES/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES There is a huge demand around ... read full

Geriatricians may be few in number, but play outsized roles against Covid-19 — Reflections on Covid

In country after country, the evidence on the effects of Covid-19 has been clear — the disease disproportionately affects those who are older and who have underlying health conditions. As ... read full

Opportunity Lost: Avoiding Further Missteps With COVID-19 And Future Biothreats

A person is seen relaxing at Battery Park with the statue of Liberty in the backdrop in New York City amid Coronavirus pandemic on April 5, 2020. (Photo by John Nacion/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES “This is a tragedy that did not have to happen” was Governor ... read full

Calm In the Face of Potential SARS-CoV-2 Infection — Reflections on Covid

A few days ago, I posted an interview with a friend who was moved to controlled quarantine in China. Today, I wanted to ... read full

How Antibody Tests Can Be Used To Fight COVID-19

SHANGHAI, CHINA – MATCH 01: A researcher tests an antibody at Dowell Clinical Laboratory on March 1, 2020 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Tang Yanjun/China News Service via Getty Images)

VISUAL CHINA GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES There is a new antibody test that will change the landscape of Covid-19 testing ... read full

Why Researchers Are Exploring Antibodies From Recovered Patients For Possible Treatment And Prevention Of COVID-19

Scientists are at work in the VirPath university laboratory, classified as “P3” level of safety, on February 5, 2020 as they try to find an effective treatment against the new SARS-like coronavirus, which has already caused more than 560 deaths.

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Is there a Covid-19 treatment that ... read full

Why America Is Losing to COVID-19

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul’s behavior over the past two weeks is exactly what’s wrong with America’s response to COVID-19. Paul has a compromised lung, so he decided that he should be tested for the disease out of an abundance of caution. From the time of his test until he ... read full

Bracing Ourselves for an Explosion of Cases in India — Reflections on Covid

India and its 1.3 billion residents are on a three week lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19. The move was in response to troubling new predictions that suggested that ... read full

What A Coronavirus Quarantine Is Really Like — Reflections on Covid

As countries across the globe grapple with growing coronavirus outbreaks, more and more people are searching for true information amid the confusion. Over the course of the next few ... read full

Why Don’t We Have A Coronavirus Drug Yet—And How We Can Develop One As Soon As Possible

Nurses work in protective clothing in a hospital room in the intensive care unit of Essen University Hospital, where a corona patient from France is being treated. Photo: Marcel Kusch/dpa (Photo by Marcel Kusch/picture alliance via Getty Images)

DPA/PICTURE ALLIANCE VIA GETTY IMAGES How will the new coronavirus pandemic end? It ... read full

Is This Coronavirus Epidemic The Big One?

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 29: Staff and volunteers with Project C.U.R.E hold a drive outside the United Center to collect donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from the community which will be used to supply hospitals and clinics that are experiencing shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic on ... read full

Partners In Health Rwanda: Lessons In Eliminating Barriers To Care

The new 150 bed Butaro Hospital built by Partners In Health for the Rwandan Ministry of Health in the Burera District in northern Rwanda near the Uganda border. The modern hospital incorporates unique medical designs and was built using local labor and materials. | Location: Butaro, Burera, Rwanda. ... read full

Hydroxychloroquine Is Ineffective In Treatment Of Patients Hospitalized With Covid-19, According To Small Controlled Trial From Shanghai

Results from a controlled clinical trial from China on the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19 have shown no significant differences in health outcomes between the control group and patients who received the experimental drug. As Tara Haelle skillfully read full

Study Shows Hydroxy Chloroquine Is Ineffective Against Covid-19 — So What Now?

Results from a controlled clinical trial from China on the use of hydroxy chloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19 have shown no significant differences in health outcomes between the control group and patients who received the experimental drug. Thirty patients hospitalized for Covid-19 participated in the ... read full

Making Global Health Equity The Basis Of Health Education

A nutrition clinic for mothers at the Partners In Health supported Rwinkwavu Hospital in south-eastern Rwanda. (Photo by William Campbell/Corbis via Getty Images)

CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES In a world where the dream of global health equity is made real, every single person—no matter who they are or where they ... read full

Coronavirus pandemic could end in these ways – Maybe sooner than we expect

The way public life has changed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic may feel new and frightening to many. But the older among us have lived through similar times and similar fears. There is one thing we know that may bring solace: there will be an end to this pandemic ... read full

Social workers have a key role to play in the war against coronavirus

As the number of Americans critically ill from coronavirus mounts, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: it’s the oldest among us who are most vulnerable. Among the most recent deaths reported in the United States were a 69-year-old man, a man and a woman, each in their 70s, and another woman ... read full

Terrified of Quarantine? Here's What It Actually Looks Like (Part 2 of 2)

There have been many unfortunate moments in America’s quarantine history, from the forced confinement of Typhoid Mary to the barbed wire strung around parts of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the midst of an outbreak of bubonic plague. But quarantine in the time of read full

Wondering What A Coronavirus Quarantine Is Really Like? (Part 1 of 2)

Quarantine is an often disquieting term. From the mid 1300s to today, the word has evoked images of the sick and defenseless being dragged from their homes and locked away with dozens if not hundreds of potentially infectious strangers. The reality in the age of coronavirus though is far different. I ... read full

Coronavirus Mismanagement Is Risking American Lives

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 09: A worker disinfects the front doors of the School Without Walls High School, which was closed today after a member of the school’s staff reported close contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

GETTY IMAGES It is now clear ... read full

Integrating social care and elder care has many benefits

The social needs of older adults are multifaceted, diverse and, more often than not, unmet. This is especially true for older adults living with disabilities, low incomes or multiple chronic conditions. For many, day-to-day mobility is restricted to the community or the home, limiting their access to elder care services ... read full

Four coronavirus prevention steps we can all take

With the first coronavirus fatality recorded here in the United States, there is a heightened alarm around what may lie ahead for all of us. In truth, there is no telling what damage this force of nature may leave in its wake. But that is not to say ... read full

Mapping A Better Life For Older Adults Of New York

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 02: Prom queen Rae Cosenza, 77, and Paul Spadafina embrace after being announced queen and king at the “Senior Citizens Senior Prom” on April 2, 2015 in the Staten Island borough of New York City. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

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Two ... read full

U.S. hospitals are unprepared for the spread of coronavirus. Here’s what they should do

When the new coronavirus COVID-19 first broke out, China’s healthcare system was unprepared. Hospital waiting rooms were so packed with prospective patients that hundreds more had no choice but to line up outside. Many waited several hours, only to be turned away and urged to self-quarantine. ... read full

Scientists warned about coronavirus for years but got nowhere. Here’s how to fix that.

This article originally appeared in the Washington Post This undated electron microscope image made available by the National Institutes of Health this month shows the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. (NIAID-RML via AP) (AP) Nature is teaching us a heavy lesson with this latest coronavirus outbreak. It warned us first with SARS ... read full

Why Are We So Fearful of the New Coronavirus?

In the thick of a disease outbreak, the line between panic and preparedness can feel perilously thin. For individuals living with comorbidities like chronic lung and immunodeficiency diseases, the new coronavirus is deadly. To protect them, certain precautions are, indeed, necessary, including the lockdowns enforced by the Chinese government and the ... read full

Solving The Coronavirus Identity Crisis: A Strategy For Prevention

NATUNA, INDONESIA – FEBRUARY 6: Indonesian medical team provide education, socialization, examination and the give free masks to residents in Penagi, Natuna Regency, Riau Islands, Indonesia, on 6 February 2020. (Photo by Muhammad Fahmi Dolli/Anadolu

ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGES The new coronavirus, like its predecessors, is a beast to ... read full

Escalate Federal Action Against The Coronavirus Before It’s Too Late

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 28: Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaks during a press conference on the coordinated public health response to the 2019 coronavirus (2019-nCoV) on January 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images).

GETTY IMAGES The 2019 coronavirus, otherwise known as 2019-nCoV, is ... read full

What Governments Must Do To Deliver An Anti Coronavirus Drug Within Months

BANGKOK, THAILAND – 2020/01/30: Chinese girl wearing a protective face mask stands near the Erawan shrine in Bangkok. (Photo by Patipat Janthong/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES

The world needs an anti coronavirus drug as soon as possible—and there is something the United States government ... read full

The United States isn’t defenseless against the coronavirus, but it is unprepared

There are things we can do to keep people healthy in face of the 2019 coronavirus.

“We have it totally under control.”

“It’s going to be just fine.”

Those were the words of US president Donald Trump when he recently weighed in on news of the potential spread of the new ... read full

Want to Prevent Another Coronavirus Epidemic?

Health workers in Vietnam talk with people who have tested positive for coronavirus. Credit: Getty Images Once again we stand unprepared as the third epidemic of a new and deadly coronavirus races around the world. This need not have been the case. We should have learned from the SARS epidemic of ... read full

What Makes This Coronavirus Different—And What We Can Do About It

An Asian tourist wearing protective face masks takes photographs of the sunset at Galleface green, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 28 January 2020. (Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES To date, more than 4,500 people have contracted 2019-nCoV, the new coronavirus ... read full

Can Home Care Workers Help Older Adults Escape Late Life Depression And Anxiety?

MIAMI – JANUARY 06: United HomeCare Services home health aide Wendy Cerrato hugs Olga Socarras as she helps her during a visit on January 6, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

GETTY IMAGES Conversations about the mental health of older adults frequently revolve around two things: Alzheimer’s ... read full

Top 10 Tips For Caring For Older Adults

TAMBOV REGION, RUSSIA – JUNE 17, 2019: A nurse and an elderly woman view a photo album at a nursing home for the elderly and the disabled in the village of Sosnovka. Alexander Ryumin/TASS (Photo by Alexander Ryumin\TASS via Getty Images)

ALEXANDER RYUMIN/TASS

The creeping prevalence of aging societies ... read full

Good News For The New Year: We’re Making Progress In Global Health

Nicholas Kristof recently  to deliver some good news: for “humanity overall,” 2019 was the “best year ever.” Kristof’s assessment, while correct, is no reason for fireworks and fanfare. Many people suffered in 2019. So much was lost. To deny the prevalence of such adversity is to look back on human progress with ... read full

Long Term Care: Navigating The Decade Ahead

We’re days away from entering what the World Health Organization proclaimed to be “the Decade of Healthy Ageing.” Health systems around the world, however, are woefully underequipped to provide the care that healthy aging requires. From 2020 to 2030, the pressure will be on for national governments, policymakers, and healthcare providers ... read full

Living Longer Is Not Enough: The Case For Aging Well

One of the greatest achievements to come of modern medicine is that humans are living longer than ever. Life expectancy is reaching new heights and showing no sign of dropping. More years to live, naturally, means more years spent in old age. It means ... read full

As Healthcare Goes Digital, Social Care Lags Behind

Since 2009, federal legislation has awarded billions of dollars to physicians and hospitals that make health information technology part of their practice. While many highlighted the downsides of digitization, the providers who unlock its full potential know very well that it benefits clinical care immensely. Most social care ... read full

Using HIV Self Tests To Reach Vulnerable Populations

new study has found that strategically distributed HIV self tests have the potential to not just boost HIV screening rates, but encourage users to seek out treatment and recommend the method to peers also at risk.

Rewind to the mid 1980s, when HIV infections in the ... read full

What Fintech Can Do For Healthcare

In most countries, the process of paying for health coverage is not just costly, but complicated, stressful, and time consuming. It also prohibits people from accessing care.

If exorbitant prescription drug prices and out of pocket expenses were not already enough, healthcare consumers must also navigate payment systems known for ... read full

Why We Should Talk More About Social Care

Although the term “social care” is common in high income countries like Sweden and the U.K., until recently it had little to no currency in U.S. public health discourse. Looking to turn the tide is a new report compiled by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and ... read full

Dr. Haseltine Gives Presentation At 9th U.S.-China Health Summit

The annual U.S.-China Health Summit is dedicated to the advancement of global health by promoting the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and experiences of healthcare leaders from the United States, China, and other countries through high level strategic dialogues, leadership development programs, and applied research. For the 9th U.S.-China Health Summit that ... read full

Dr. Haseltine Delivers Keynote Address At 2019 Royal Australasian College Of Medical Administrators Conference

In October 2019, William A. Haseltine presented a workshop on medical management and leadership at the annual Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators Conference in Adelaide, Australia. He also delivered a keynote speech. Haseltine’s interest in improving human health has taken him from the halls of Harvard Medical School and Harvard School ... read full

Ten Steps To Make Healthcare Available To Everyone

Last month, world leaders gathered at the United Nations and approved a new declaration on universal health coverage, committing themselves to achieving universal access to care by 2030 and reaffirming the right to health for everyone, without distinction.

While many countries have made the important step of including the right to ... read full

A Health Information System That Puts People First

Healthcare providers that prioritize cost control over innovative care do their patients—and the people that work for them—a serious disservice. Investing in technology that augments patient centered solutions not only turns a profit, but more importantly gives struggling health systems the data, tools, and collective understanding needed to improve ... read full

How Do You Transform A Healthcare Organization? With Vision

Transforming any organization requires a vision and a road map. The vision is an inspirational view of the future and lets everyone know what they’re working towards. The road map is what they can do to get there and to transition from a bleak present to a bright future. The NYU ... read full

Avoiding The Long-Term-Care Catastrophe

Bruce Chernoff was right when he told the Washington Post that the long-term-care crisis in the United States will be catastrophic. Our aging population and changing demographics mean that we are becoming a nation with substantially more older people in need of care and substantially fewer ... read full

Reflections on Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead

General Jim Mattis, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, has just published his memoir, Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead, written with Bing West. This is one of the best books on leadership I have read.  I have spent a good deal of time studying the qualities and characteristics of effective organizational ... read full

Changing The Culture Of An Organization: The NYU Langone Health Case Study

Earlier this year I was in an Uber headed from Manhattan to Bushwick, Brooklyn. The driver heard me talking about my latest book, World Class: A Story of Adversity, Transformation, and Success at NYU Langone Health. When he heard me mention NYU Langone he jumped in and said, “I need that ... read full

Delivering Patient-Centered Care Through New Technology

Babylon’s GP at Hand is a health app launched in England almost two years ago with the mission “to put an accessible and affordable health service in the hands of every person on Earth.” GP at Hand is open to anyone who lives or works within 40 min of its ... read full

A Road Map For Transformation: The NYU Langone Story

A year ago, NYU Langone Health captured the attention of the world with the surprise announcement that all their medical school students would receive full tuition scholarships. That announcement was only the latest in a series of stunning moves by the New York medical center that has transformed from ... read full

Building an Integrated Health System

I will be speaking about building an integrated health system at the  2019 Annual U.S.-China Health Summit on September 26-27 at the Harvard Medical School along with Barry Bloom, Donald Berwick, Erdan Huang, and Yuanli Liu in a session entitled Building a Sustainable & Integrated Health Care System. Growing evidence ... read full

Delivering High Quality Care At A Price Everyone Can Afford: A Case Study

Our country spends more on healthcare than any other developed nation, yet we receive far less compared to others for what we pay. Today, the United States ranks thirty fifth in health outcomes among the 195 nations of the world. When measuring things like infant mortality, maternal mortality, and death ... read full

Inclusive Innovation as a Strategy Towards Affordable Healthcare

Scientific and technological innovation is essential in our efforts to achieve access to affordable healthcare for all. The concept of inclusive innovation, proposed by Dr. R. A. Mashelkar in his article Saving Humanity: More From Less for More People, offers the potential for ‘access equality despite income inequality’ by creating ... read full

Unlocking Solutions to America’s Healthcare Crisis

Health is a human right, enshrined in the Alma Alta declaration by the nations of the world. After satisfying the need for food, after satisfying the need for shelter, the next thing that every human wants to satisfy is the need for health: their own health, the health of ... read full

How Technology Can Transform Patient Care

This year, I was invited to speak at the Aspen Ideas Health Festival about the importance of patient centered care and rebuilding the patient experience. I wrote the article below for the Aspen Ideas Festival blog.  The health care system in the United States is inefficient. Our country spends more on ... read full

Why Our World Is Aging

The world population is aging more quickly than ever before. With this change in demographics come challenges to healthcare systems that governments had never previously envisioned. Greatest among them is how governments can absorb the increasing demands of an aging population on their healthcare systems at the same time ... read full

What's Next In Caring For Older People: The Age-Friendly Health System Movement

Our healthcare system needs to rethink how we care for older adults. Older adults have more complex needs than other populations, but they struggle to meet those needs within and across all care settings — from home to clinics to hospitals and long-term care facilities and back home again. Part ... read full

William A. Haseltine, PhD Joins Grace Therapeutics' Board of Directors

Pioneering Scientist and Former CEO of Human Genome Sciences Brings Key Expertise to Grace’s Board EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J., June 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Grace Therapeutics, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on rare and orphan diseases, announced today that William Haseltine has been appointed to the company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Haseltine is currently Chairman and President of ... read full

Sweden's Mobile Healthcare Units Bring Elder Care into the Home

This is the second article in a series exploring how nations are beginning to manage demographic change. In the first article, we talked about the increasing burden that elder care places on healthcare systems worldwide. In this article, we focus on Sweden. Swedes have for many decades enjoyed ... read full
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