Pandemic

Infectious ‘Kraken’ variant in Waterloo Region, with 14 positive tests for COVID-19

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Infectious ‘Kraken’ variant in Waterloo Region, with 14 positive tests for COVID-19 | TheRecord.com “,”heading”:””,”fullWindow”:false,”fullBleed”:false,”showFullBleedOnMobile”:false,”headColor”:””,”type”:”html5mobile”,”textColor”:””,” mobileImageUrl”:””,”bgColor”:””,”imageUrl”:””,”registeredOnly”:false,”linkUrl”:””,”aodaTitle”:”Hospitalizations stay high”,”internalScroll”:false,” displayStyle”:”small-up”},{“type”:”ad”,”heading”:”ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW”,”name”:”ArticleSecondBigBox”,”display”:”medium-down”,”pos” :”2″,”interstitial”:true,”sizes”:[[300,250]]},{“text”:””COVID-19 is still with us,” said Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the regional medical officer of health. She warns that new variants such as XBB.1.5 will continue to emerge and people should expect to see more … Read more

COVID-19 is a significant cause of death in children and young people in the US

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COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death for more than 940,000 people in the US, including over 1,300 deaths among children and young people aged 0–19 years. Until now, it had been unclear how the burden of deaths from COVID-19 compared with other leading causes of deaths in this age group. A new study led … Read more

The COVID pandemic caused cardiovascular deaths to rise sharply

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A recent report by the American Heart Association published in the journal Circulation reported the updated statistics on the major circulatory and cardiovascular diseases, and their outcomes for 2023, with additional insights into the trends in heart disease during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2023 Update: A Report From the … Read more

Children’s tonsils are major sites of prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection

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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, causes respiratory infection in people of all ages. Compared to adults, children are less frequently and severely affected by SARS-CoV-2. Although the exact reason for this is unclear, reduced expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor … Read more

Pregnancy has no effect on long-term immune response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination

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The emergence and rapid outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) resulted in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists have worked rapidly to develop numerous vaccines, several of which received emergency use authorization from global regulatory bodies, such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). … Read more

Vaccine misinformation spawns ‘pure blood’ movement

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LOS ANGELES, Jan 28 — Vaccine skeptics blocking transfusions for life-saving surgeries, Facebook groups inciting violence against doctors and a global search for unvaccinated donors — Covid-19 misinformation has bred a so-called “pure blood” movement. The movement spins anti-vaccine narratives focused on unfounded claims that receiving blood from people inoculated against the coronavirus “contaminates” the … Read more

Risks for SARS-CoV-2 Transmission to Healthcare Workers

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We assessed the risk for different exposures to SARS-CoV-2 during a COVID-19 outbreak among healthcare workers on a hospital ward in late 2020. We found working with isolated COVID-19 patients did not increase the risk of COVID-19 among workers , but working shifts with presymptomatic healthcare coworkers did. One study found SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence to be … Read more

Trust in genetics increased significantly during the pandemic

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A survey of over 2,000 British adults finds that trust in genetics is high and went up significantly during the pandemic. It also finds that there is a hunger for more coverage of genetics. The pandemic has gone hand-in-hand with a much-increased public profile of science − genetics in particular. Be it the prominence of … Read more

Updated bivalent mRNA booster protects against circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants

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In a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers discuss the efficacy of the bivalent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine against symptomatic infection with several SARS-CoV-2 variants that are currently circulating throughout the US Studies: Early Estimates of Bivalent mRNA Booster Dose Vaccine … Read more

Research sheds light on opportunities and constraints in self-directed care during the pandemic

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As the US population ages, the number of people receiving long-term services and supports in their own home has grown, including the use of self-directed care. Self-directed care enables long-term care recipients to hire and manage their own workers, rather than using a home care agency. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the strain on this industry. … Read more