Month: January 2021

A coronavirus variant identified in South Africa may not be as vulnerable to COVID-19 vaccines as other strains, some scientists say. Studies are now underway to find out if that's actually the case. If the variant, known as 501.V2, is resistant to available vaccines, the shots could be tweaked to boost their effectiveness — adjustments tht would take about six weeks to make, vaccine developers told Reuters. These developers included BioNTech CEO Dr. Uğur Şahin and John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford, who are currently running experiments with both 501.V2 and the new coronavirus variant identified in the U.K., named B.1.1.7. These experiments are so-called neutralizing assays — experiments in which they incubate the viruses with antibodies and human ...

The Wisconsin hospital employee accused of tampering with hundreds of COVID-19 vaccine doses told investigators that he believed the vaccine could harm people and change their DNA, according to a probable cause statement obtained by CBS affiliate WDJT-TV. Experts have said there is no evidence that the vaccine can change DNA.  The employee, identified in the statement as pharmacist Steven Brandenburg, is accused of intentionally removing 57 vials of the Moderna vaccine from a pharmacy refrigerator at the Aurora Medical Center and leaving them out overnight. The company said it fired the employee after he admitted to intentionally removing the vials. He was arrested last week by Grafton police.  The probable cause statement, written by a Grafton police detective, alleges Brandenburg...

Boston researchers are studying another potential weapon in the coronavirus fight. Brigham and Women's Hospital will look at whether vitamin D can lessen the severity of COVID-19 symptoms. Researchers are also studying whether vitamin D supplements reduce the chance of becoming infected if you have been exposed to someone in your household who tested positive for COVID-19.Vitamin D is already known as an immune system booster. The study will focus on patients age 30 or older who have been recently diagnosed with the virus within the previous five days.Participants will be asked to take the vitamin D or placebo study capsules every day for 28 days, provide at-home blood samples by fingerprick and complete questionnaires.Studies have suggested that vitamin D may reduce the risk of res...

DREXEL HILL, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Plans are being made to get residents in Delaware and Montgomery counties protected against COVID-19. Large vaccination sites will help administer the doses to as many people as possible. But many residents say they still have plenty of questions about the rollout. We met a group outside the Wawa in Upper Darby who said they were looking for more information. "It's kind of very vague as far as how many are available and when exactly it's going to be more widespread," said Patrice Dorfman of Drexel Hill.Rich Gallagher of Drexel Hill said, "They have to explain more to us more of what this is and what it's going to do." SEE ALSO: What officials are saying about COVID-19 vaccination progress in Pa. Dr. Monica Taylor, vice chair of Delaware County Council...

It’s still possible to test positive for the coronavirus even after getting vaccinated, experts said. Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines require two doses per patient to be fully effective. The first Pfizer-BioNTech dose is more than 50% effective in preventing COVID-19, and the second dose increases that protection to about 95%. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it can take weeks for a person’s body to build up immunity after getting vaccinated. “That means it’s possible a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and get sick,” the agency said. “This is because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection.” Nicole Iovine, an infectious disease expert and hospital chief epidemiologist at Un...

Even though it may only have been weeks since a new strain of the novel coronavirus was discovered in the U.K., it's clear that it's quickly spreading well beyond British borders, with cases reported in more than 30 countries, including at least three states in the U.S. But as scientists strive to learn everything they can about the variant and what effects it could have on the pandemic, it's becoming clear who's most at risk. Aaccording to a new study out of Imperial College London, it appears that young people are more likely to catch the new COVID strain, particularly those under the age of 20. Read on to see what else scientists uncovered, and for more on where the virus is spreading, check out This Is How Bad the COVID Outbreak Is in Your State. The new research, which has not yet be...