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☆ Fact Check-Flu vaccine study unrelated to Group A Strep doesn't show increase of illness
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is the name for bacteria that can cause infections like strep throat, scarlet fever and impetigo. However, the 2014 study examined different bacteria and found that while their numbers increased following the nasal flu vaccine, that did not lead to increased bacterial disease. A recent UK study has also found that while infections of influenza itself be linked to increased cases of Group A Strep, the nasal vaccine is associated with a reduction in bacterial infections. But it did not investigate group A strep bacteria; rather, the study investigated Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus, which Mina said in an email, are “very different” pathogens to group A strep. A 2014 study does not show the nasal spray flu vaccine causes Group A Strep.

The only HIV vaccine in a late-stage trial has failed, researchers announced Wednesday, dealing a significant blow to the effort to control the global HIV epidemic and adding to a decadeslong roster of failed attempts. “I don’t think that people should give up on the field of the HIV vaccine,” Fauci said. Fauci said that a critical limitation of the Mosaico vaccine was that it elicited what are known as non-neutralizing — as opposed to neutralizing — antibodies against HIV. As with the Thai trial, the hope is to channel research findings into future HIV vaccine development. To prove a vaccine works, researchers must recruit participants who remain at substantial risk of HIV over time.

More than 40 million egg-laying hens have been culled in the U.S. alone, causing the price of eggs nationwide to skyrocket, Lorenzoni said. Months earlier, the “bird flu” outbreak drove the cost of turkey meat to record highs. Poultry can become infected through direct exposure to wild birds but more likely from fecal matter that contaminates the ground around farms or yards. Many migrating birds are not sickened by bird flu, which means it’s not well understood just how widespread it is in the wild, Lorenzoni added. The sun can, for instance, naturally disinfect surfaces while gloomier days help viral particles survive on surfaces contaminated by infected bird poop, Lorenzoni said.

☆ Climate leaders say 3 conversations need to happen at the World Economic Forum this week to lock in a sustainable future
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Freya Graham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The climate crisis is set to dominate the agenda at this year's World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. Climate experts say they'll be looking out for 3 conversations, including how to pay for the climate crisis. More climate finance dealsSome solutions to the climate crisis already exist, according to Sweta Chakraborty, behavioral scientist and CEO of climate solutions organization We Don't Have Time. A sovereign debt conversion deal enables governments to convert a portion of this debt into sustainability financing. "Developing countries want to join the fight against the climate crisis and need financial support to be successful," she said.

☆ David Kessler, top health official for Covid vaccines, to leave Biden administration
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

David Kessler, a key official in the Biden administration's Covid vaccine and treatment efforts, is stepping down from his role as chief science officer, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday. Since January 2021, Kessler has played a leading role in the development and roll out Covid vaccines. Kessler, 71, is the latest Covid response official to step down at President Joe Biden's two-year mark in office. The Biden administration and health officials have had to combat misinformation and conspiracy theories about Covid vaccines during their rollout. The latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 78.8% of U.S. adults have completed their primary series of Covid vaccines.

Childhood vaccinations across the U.S fallen for a second year in a row, leaving hundreds of thousands of kids vulnerable to otherwise preventable illnesses. But fears stoked by vaccine misinformation have also been a growing problem, O'Leary said. "We're still trying to understand the extent to which misinformation around Covid vaccines has spread to misinformation about other childhood vaccines," he said. In a December interview, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC's director, told NBC News that vaccine misinformation is one of the biggest threats to public health. About a third of kids ages 5 through 11 have had two doses of a Covid vaccine.

☆ U.S. childhood vaccinations dip again in 2021-'22 school year -study
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Overall, those receiving state-required vaccinations declined to about 93% last year, down from 94% in the previous school year and 95% in the 2019-2020 school year, according to the CDC report. All U.S. states require the vaccine against measles and rubella and all but Iowa require a shots against mumps. All states also require the combined diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis shot and the vaccine against poliovirus, while 49 states require inoculations against varicella, or chickenpox. Exemptions for vaccinations, which may be granted by states in cases where parents request them for their children remained low at 2.6%. O'Leary said the data points to U.S. needs for a focus on addressing access and poverty in order to increase vaccination rates.

A key adviser to the Food and Drug Administration's vaccine panel is questioning whether more Covid booster shots are necessary for healthy, younger people. The FDA later backed the vaccine panel, authorizing a new formulation of the booster shots. “The people who are talking about why young people need it are missing the point,” he said, referring to the booster. Levy, the director of the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, continues to encourage Covid boosters for everyone who is eligible. Relatively few people in the U.S. have had updated boosters.

☆ Bill Gates says he'll sell what he owns to fund his philanthropic foundation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bill Gates said Wednesday that he'll sell what he owns as money goes toward the foundation he runs with ex-wife Melinda French Gates. When asked if it was "contradictory" for him to be a humanitarian while owning so much farmland, Gates replied, "Everything I own will be sold." In his response, Gates was referring to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropic foundation he established in 2000 with his then-wife, Melinda French Gates. Gates created the Giving Pledge in 2010 alongside his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett, Gates' close friend and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. The pledge asks the world's richest people to commit to give away most of their wealth to charitable causes in their lifetimes or in their wills.

☆ Chinese hospital says half of its staff got Covid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Locals line up for medical treatment at the Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine on June 1, 2022. CFOTO | Future Publishing | Getty ImagesBEIJING — About half of the nearly 2,000 workers at the Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine got Covid-19 during the latest wave, director Liu Qingquan said Wednesday. Liu told reporters the workers all recovered by taking traditional Chinese medicine. China has encouraged the use of traditional Chinese medicine alongside Western treatment for Covid. Rather than pharmaceutical drugs, traditional Chinese medicine relies on herb-based remedies and natural methods to help the body heal itself.

☆ Mpox has faded in the U.S. Who deserves the credit?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Today, reports of new cases are down to a trickle in the U.S. Health officials are shutting down emergency mobilizations. “It’s really impressive how that peak has come down to very, very low levels.”So who deserves the credit? Mpox cases began emerging in Europe and the U.S. in May, mostly among men who have sex with men. In early August, U.S. health officials decided to stretch the limited supply by giving people just one-fifth the usual dose. “The monkeypox virus essentially loses steam after a couple of rounds in humans,” Morse said.

The holiday, known before the pandemic as the world's largest annual migration of people, comes amid an escalating diplomatic spat over COVID curbs that saw Beijing introduce transit curbs for South Korean and Japanese nationals on Wednesday. The virus is spreading unchecked in China after Beijing abruptly began dismantling its previously tight curbs in early December following historic protests. Among them, South Korea and Japan have also limited flights and require tests on arrival, with passengers showing up as positive being sent to quarantine. COUNTING DEATHSSome of the governments that announced curbs on travellers from China cited concerns over Beijing's data transparency. Annual spending by Chinese tourists abroad reached $250 billion before the pandemic, with South Korea and Japan among the top shopping destinations.

☆ How Long Do Flu Symptoms Last? What to Know
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Andrea Petersen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Many people are experiencing the particular misery of the flu for the first time in several years. After two years of milder flu seasons, here is a reminder of what the flu is—and what to do if you get it. This flu season hit earlier and harder than those of the past couple of years, doctors say. The reason is likely because of the cyclical nature of the flu and the lifting of Covid precautions such as working from home, wearing masks and having smaller social gatherings, says Robert Frenck , a pediatrician in the division of infectious diseases at Cincinnati Children’s hospital in Ohio.

☆ The Flu Can Last Longer Than You Think
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Andrea Petersen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Anthony Fauci says he has 'no idea' what Elon Musk's talking about after the Twitter chief threatened to release the 'Fauci Files'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Anthony Fauci said he has "no idea" what Elon Musk is talking about in regard to the "Fauci Files." Musk teased the release of the files following his previous criticism of the medical expert. Fauci told the CBS News podcast "The Takeout": "I have no idea what he's talking about. Meanwhile, journalists appointed by Musk have been discussing several controversies arising from what have been called the "Twitter Files." They include internal discussions regarding the decision to ban former President Trump from Twitter following the deadly Capitol riots on January 6, 2021.

☆ Fact Check-No reports of an Ebola virus outbreak at GW Hospital
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

There is no evidence of a patient testing positive for the Ebola virus at The George Washington (GW) University Hospital in Washington, D.C., health officials told Reuters. Users online are sharing a claim that the hospital is no longer accepting patients out of concern over a possible Ebola outbreak. Examples of users sharing images of a tweet that reads, “BREAKING NEWS: GW HOSPITAL isn’t accepting no patients due to a possible EBOLA OUTBREAK. Also Washington Hospital Center has no bed space with a line out the door” can be seen on Facebook (here) and (here). There has not been a reported case of a patient who tested positive for the Ebola virus at GW Hospital, health officials told Reuters.

☆ BioNTech says it will start cancer vaccine trials in the UK from September
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BioNTech is launching a large-scale trial of mRNA therapies to treat cancer and other diseases in the U.K.LONDON — The U.K. government on Friday announced a partnership with German firm BioNTech to test potential vaccines for cancer and other diseases, as campaigners warned any breakthrough must remain affordable and accessible. Cancer patients in England will get early access to trials involving personalized mRNA therapies, including cancer vaccines, which aim to spur the immune system to attack harmful cells. They will be administered to early and late-stage patients and target both active cancer cells and preventing their return. Peter Johnson, Britain's National Clinical Director for Cancer, said mRNA technology had the potential to transform approaches to a number of illnesses. The government confirmed to CNBC the announcement represented a private investment into the U.K., but would be supported by a new Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad funded by the NHS.

☆ Colorado funeral home operators sentenced for selling body parts without permission
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Phil-Helsel-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Phil Helsel | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Two Colorado funeral home operators who sold body parts or bodies in a scheme a prosecutor called “horrific” were sentenced to prison Tuesday, officials said. They operated Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose, a city of around 20,000 in western Colorado, and stole and sold body parts or bodies from 2010 to 2018, prosecutors said. The bodies or body parts of hundreds of people were stolen, the U.S. attorney’s office said. Prosecutors said that in addition to stealing bodies and body parts, they sold remains of those who had infectious diseases but falsely certified them as disease-free. When entire bodies were sold, cremated remains were returned to families that weren’t those of their loved ones.

☆ Biotech investor Brad Loncar shares 10 predictions for 2023, including a hot new cancer target, Nobel Prize winners, and a biotech founder running for president
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Loncar shared his 2023 forecast, including new drugs, Nobel Prize winners, and more globalization. Brad Loncar isn't expecting a miraculous rebound for the biotech industry in 2023. In an interview with Insider, Loncar shared 10 predictions for biotech in 2023, ranging from Nobel Prize winners and presidential runs to hot cancer targets and bankruptcy worries. 2022 was a rough year for the biotech industry, which once again underperformed the stock market. The industry runs to the next super-hot cancer target: Claudin 18.2In cancer research, drug companies are always on the hunt for the next promising target.

☆ Elon Musk teases release of the 'Fauci Files,' following his previous scathing criticism of the medical expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk said the next Twitter Files release would include information about Anthony Fauci. Musk targeted the doctor and scientist in December by tweeting: "My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci." Musk targeted Fauci in early December when he tweeted: "My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci." Meanwhile, journalists appointed by Musk have been discussing several controversies arising from what are known as the Twitter Files. But the Twitter CEO and some freelance journalists are annoyed that the Twitter Files haven't received more support from the press.

Rapid tests have always been second to polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, assays when it comes to accuracy. Home-test kits have expiration datesAt-home COVID-19 test kits are one of the more convenient inventions to come out of the pandemic. Over-the-counter test kits typically have a sticker on the box indicating an expiration date and manufacturing date. One study found that false positives showed up when unexpected substances were directly applied to test kits. That is if you use the rapid test correctly and wait at least three-to-five days since a COVID-19 exposure to swab yourself.

Covid hospitalizations are rising in the United States, even as hospitalizations for respiratory syncytial virus and the flu continue to fall. For the week ending Dec. 24, around 18,800 people were hospitalized with flu, down from around 20,700 hospitalizations the week prior. RSV hospitalization rates have fallen significantly since their peak in mid-November of 5.1 hospitalizations per 100,000 people. The seven-day average of daily Covid hospitalizations reached 42,140 on Friday, an increase of 4.2% from two weeks ago, according to an NBC News tally. The CDC recommends up-to-date Covid vaccines for everyone ages 6 months and older, as well as annual flu shots.

☆ UK and France say no plans to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals as EU plans response
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Carlos Barria | ReutersLONDON — The U.K. and France said Thursday morning they currently had no plans to reintroduce mandatory Covid-19 tests or additional requirements for travelers arriving into the country. It comes as several nations announced new measures in response to China's relaxation of Covid restrictions amid a suspected surge of infections but reduced domestic testing. On one Dec. 26 flight from China into Milan's Malpensa Airport, 52% of passengers tested positive for Covid, la Repubblica reported. But Italy's National Institute of Infectious Diseases reportedly called for an increase in testing for those arriving from China. The U.S. said from Jan. 5. all arrivals from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau must supply a negative Covid test taken within two days of departure.

☆ I made 6 figures as a pharmacist and still struggled to pay for childcare and my student loans. Here's what it was like, and why I left.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Pollyanna Brown | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Luckily, I got into the one pharmacy school I applied to in the area and got my PharmD — a doctorate of pharmacy. I used student loans to pay for pharmacy school, and because my school was private, I had to take out as much loans as a dentist or a physician, but my pharmacist salary was only a fraction of what they make. Pharmacists can take many clinical roles in a hospitalThere are infectious-disease pharmacists, cardiology pharmacists, transplant pharmacists, and critical-care pharmacists. As a clinical pharmacist, I'd do rounds with the physicians in the morning, weighing in on the drug regimens the patients were on. Hospital pharmacists usually need to work every other weekend.

The country spent big on quarantine and testing facilities over the past three years rather than bolstering hospitals and clinics and training medical staff, these people said. "There is no transition time for the medical system to prepare for this," said Zuofeng Zhang, professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles. The failure to boost vaccination rates among the vulnerable could imperil China's health system, more than a dozen experts said. The death of a 23-year-old medical student in Chengdu on Dec. 14 fueled public ire at the strain on China's health system. Chen Jiming, a researcher at China's Foshan University, said there was every chance that China's medical system could cope now that the country has ended quarantine for asymptomatic and mild cases.

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