Month: April 2021

It seems like each day there’s more bad news about coronavirus variants. There are headlines claiming the variants are becoming deadlier, and stories warning that some variants could escape the vaccines, imprisoning us in a never-ending pandemic. With every step forward — like how millions of Americans are being vaccinated daily — it feels as though the variants send us two steps back. A growing number of infectious disease experts are now saying the variant narrative has spiraled out of control. Yes, there are several variants circulating, and it’s true that some appear to be more transmissible. Yes, we need to continue wearing masks and protecting ourselves and others until we get closer to herd immunity. But there’s no definite evidence that any of the variants are more virulent, and t...

Potential COVID-19 antiviral drug proving effective in hamster study, according to NIH An experimental drug to treat COVID-19, which can be taken orally, is now being tested in humans after showing early promise and effectiveness in hamsters. A potential COVID-19 antiviral drug is showing early promise and effectiveness in hamsters, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health. Results revealed that the experimental antiviral drug MK-4482 "significantly decreased levels of virus and disease damage in the lungs of hamsters treated for SARS-CoV-2 infection," according to a statement. The experimental drug, delivered only orally, is now being tested in human clinical trials. Remdesivir, a different antiviral drug already approved by the U.S. Food and...

Allergy season is back with a vengeance.  It's a feeling that some people know too well: stuffy nose, itchy eyes and a headache. But for those who say their allergies feel worse this year, there may be a reason why.  Micaela Petrucci, 25, of Canton, said her allergies are a real annoyance this year.  "I was just outside to try to read, and I had to come in because I had to blow my nose 3 times," she said.  Petrucci said her eyes are so heavy and itchy, it makes her job more difficult, which entails long hours of staring at computer screens.  However, Petrucci isn't alone in terms of allergy symptoms hitting hard this year.  Dr. Kathleen Dass, an allergist, immunologist and medical director with the Michigan Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Center in Oak Park, said it's been one of the...

The Georgia Aquarium announced on Sunday that its Asian small-clawed otters tested positive for COVID-19. While it was unclear how many of the animals had tested positive, officials said in a news release that the otters are already showing signs of improvement and are expected to make "a full recovery." "Our Asian small-clawed otters are under very close monitoring by veterinarians and animal care team members," Dr. Tonya Clauss, vice president of animal and environmental health at Georgia Aquarium, said in a news release. "They have displayed only mild symptoms and we expect them all to make a full recovery. We are providing supportive care as needed so they can eat, rest and recover." The otters are expected to make a full recovery. (iStock) The animals were moved o...

British scientists on Monday launched a trial which will deliberately expose participants who have already had COVID-19 to the coronavirus again to examine immune responses and see if people get reinfected. In February, Britain became the first country in the world to give the go-ahead for so-called "challenge trials" in humans, in which volunteers are deliberately exposed to COVID-19 to advance research into the disease caused by the coronavirus. read more The study launched on Monday differs from the one announced in February as it seeks to reinfect people who have previously had COVID-19 in an effort to deepen understanding about immunity, rather than infecting people for the first time. "The information from this work will allow us to design better vaccines and treatments, and also ...

Boxes of some of the first 500,000 of the 2-million AstraZeneca coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine doses that Canada has secured through a deal with the Serum Institute of India in partnership with Verity Pharma at a facility in Milton, Ontario, Canada March 3, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio The Canadian province of Ontario will begin offering AstraZeneca’s (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday to people turning 40 or older this year, according to a government source. The change will broaden access to vaccines as a third wave of infections threatens to overwhelm hospitals in Canada's most-populous province, and should make it easier to use doses that in some cases have been accumulating at pharmacies. The change will be announced on Monday and go into effect across the province on Tuesday...

Los Angeles County public health officials on Sunday reported 466 new coronavirus cases and three related deaths but noted that the lower number of cases and deaths could reflect weekend reporting delays. On Saturday, officials announced that the daily test positivity rate of less than 1% was the lowest since the pandemic began more than a year ago. The daily positivity rate is defined as the percentage of all coronavirus tests reported that are positive, according to the county Department of Public Health. Not all people who have the virus get the test. While officials are encouraged by the steady decline in daily cases and transmission of the virus, as well as increased vaccinations, they caution residents to be vigilant against new variants of the virus by adhering to safety protocols ...