Month: April 2021

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Most children who developed the rare but serious multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) that occurs weeks following a coronavirus infection had no or only mild symptoms of COVID-19 when they were initially infected, according to a new study that’s said to be the largest analysis of such cases in children in the U.S.  The study, which was led by researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics on Tuesday, looked at nearly 1,800 cases of MIS-C reported to the CDC between March 2020 and mid-January of this year. The study included children up to age 20, though most were younger than 15.  MIS-C is a condition that often causes different parts of the body to become inflamed, including the heart, lungs,...

Colorado health officials this week announced the state has identified its first cases of a worrisome coronavirus variant first identified in Brazil late last year.  The variant, which is scientifically referred to as P.1., was identified in two Boulder Counter residents, according to a news release from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), which noted that the Centers for Diease Control and Prevention (CDC) first notified state health officials of the P.1. cases.  "Prior travel history for both individuals is unknown at this time," officials said, adding they now "investigating possible exposures and performing contact tracing to determine if the variant virus has spread to others." "Boulder County Public Health is working closely with CDPHE to provide lo...

Nearly a third of adults in the U.S. have gotten at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine so far, but researchers warn that vaccine refusal may keep the country from reaching herd immunity. John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Nearly a third of adults in the U.S. have gotten at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine so far, but researchers warn that vaccine re...

Israel may soon lift the requirement to wear masks outdoors, as the number of active local coronavirus cases has dropped to below 4,900. On Tuesday, Channel 12 reported that the Health Ministry had already approved the move – as long as the trend remains positive – and the regulation will change starting from April 18. The authorities have reportedly decided to wait until after Independence Day, which falls on April 15, to reduce the chance for increased outbreaks due to holiday celebrations.   Public Health Services head Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis acknowledged that ministry officials were discussing the move. “Public health interventions always require finding a balance between effectiveness and public safety,” Dr. Eyal Leshem, the director of the Center for Travel M...

One of the owners of the Los Angeles Lakers is developing an oral coronavirus vaccine that would ease the process of giving shots by ditching the injections.  Lakers co-owner and drug inventor Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong and his team of researchers are testing whether oral pills could work in conjunction with - or even better than - vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration, reported CBS Los Angeles. All three vaccines authorized for emergency use in the U.S. - from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson - work by creating antibodies that neutralize the spike protein that the coronavirus uses to enter and infect human cells. But the team's new vaccine targets the globe-shaped center of the virus, which does not often mutate.  In addition, the team says that the vaccine ...