Month: January 2021

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How many variants of the coronavirus are there? There are many circulating around the world, but health experts are primarily concerned with the emergence of three. As a virus infects people, it can mutate as it makes copies of itself. Some mutations can be harmful to a virus, causing it to die out. Others can offer an advantage and help it spread. “Not every mutation is created equal,” said Dr. Mary Petrone, who studies infectious diseases at Yale University. “The virus is going to get lucky now and again.” Monitoring variants is important because of the possibility that they could make vaccines and treatments less effective, or change the way they infect people. A mutation early in the pandemic fueled the spread of the virus around the world, but there had been no notable changes si...

BEING SCHEDULED, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT’S CHANGING. ARBOR SPRINGS AND WEST DES MOINES MUST ONE OF THE FIRST FACILITIES IN IOWA TO START VACCINATIONS. >> WE HAD A COUPLE OF STAFF MEMBERS THAT WERE UNSURE. KAYLA: AND THEY WEREN’T ALONE. GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SAYS THE LONGTERM CARE VACCINATION PROGRAM SHOWED AN AROUND 50% AVERAGE OF STAFF CHOOSING TO BE VACCINATED DURING THE FIRST STAGE. BUT NOW. >> THEY ARE SEEING ABOUT A 30% INCREASE IN STAFF CHOOSING TO BE VACCINATED DURING THE SECOND PHASE. KAYLA: THE IOWA HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION ATTRIBUTES MUCH OF THAT INCREASE TO ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE VACCINE LEARNED IN THE WEEKS BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND DOSE. >> I THINK IT’S CERTAINLY UNDERSTANDABLE THAT SOME OF THE FOLKS ARE SITTING ON THE SIDELINES JUST TAKING IT I...

After a second dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, a swarm of antibodies attacks the virus. Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library via Getty ImagesWith the U.S. facing vaccination delays because of worker shortages and distribution problems, federal health officials now say it’s OK to push back the second dose of the two-part vaccine by as much as six weeks. As an infectious disease doctor, I’ve been fielding a lot of questions from my patients as well as my friends and family about whether the COVID-19 vaccine will still work if people are late receiving their second dose. Why you need two doses 3-4 weeks apart Two doses, separated by three to four weeks, is the tried-and-true approach to generate an effective immune response through vaccination, not just for COVID but for hepatitis A and B...