Author: GHealth News

As India battles a deadly second wave, the UK is seeing COVID-19 cases rise despite vaccinations. Germany is also wary about another wave spurred by the delta variant.  What exactly is the delta variant? The earliest documented COVID-19 case caused by the delta variant (B.1.617.2) was first found in the Indian state of Maharashtra back in October 2020, and has since then spread widely throughout India and across the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) labelled it a "variant of concern" (VOC) on May 11. So far, the WHO has identified four VOC: alpha (B.1.1.7), beta (B.1.351), gamma (P.1) and delta. The delta variant has multiple mutations. Scientists don't know the exact function of these mutations at this point in time but they are asso...

The United States is devoting $3.2 billion to speed development of antiviral pills to treat COVID-19 and other dangerous viruses that could turn into pandemics. The new program will invest in “accelerating things that are already in progress” for COVID-19 but also would work to come up with treatments for other viruses, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert. He announced the investment at a White House briefing. “There are few treatments that exist for many of the viruses that have pandemic potential,” he said, including Ebola, dengue, West Nile and Middle East respiratory syndrome. But he added, “vaccines clearly remain the centerpiece of our arsenal. The U.S. has approved one antiviral drug, remdesivir, specifically for COVID-19, and allowed emerg...

The internet seems to know exactly which vaccines are the best - and the worst. But you can't compare vaccines that easily. And doing so might even be harmful in a pandemic. We tend to look at efficacy rates. Because they measure how likely you are to get COVID-19 after you’ve been vaccinated. The problem is that these numbers were not created equal. Instead they are determined by when and where the efficacy trials took place and who was included. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRKZh_RXJC0 Source: DW

Many people who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 will probably make antibodies against the virus for most of their lives. So suggest researchers who have identified long-lived antibody-producing cells in the bone marrow of people who have recovered from COVID-19. The study provides evidence that immunity triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection will be extraordinarily long-lasting. Adding to the good news, “the implications are that vaccines will have the same durable effect”, says Menno van Zelm, an immunologist at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Antibodies — proteins that can recognize and help to inactivate viral particles — are a key immune defence. After a new infection, short-lived cells called plasmablasts are an early source of antibodies. But these cells recede soon...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is looking into reports that a very small number of teenagers and young adults vaccinated against the coronavirus may have experienced heart problems, according to the agency’s vaccine safety group. The group’s statement was sparse in details, saying only that there were “relatively few” cases and that they may be entirely unrelated to vaccination. The condition, called myocarditis, is an inflammation of the heart muscle, and can occur following certain infections. The C.D.C.’s review of the reports is in the early stages, and the agency has yet to determine whether there is any evidence that the vaccines caused the heart condition. The agency has posted guidance on its website urging doctors and clinicians to be alert to unusual he...

GHealth News - WHO listed the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, giving the green light for this vaccine to be rolled out globally. The Sinopharm vaccine is produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG).  “The addition of this vaccine has the potential to rapidly accelerate COVID-19 vaccine access for countries seeking to protect health workers and populations at risk,” said Dr Mariângela Simão, WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Health Products. “We urge the manufacturer to participate in the COVAX Facility and contribute to the goal of more equitable vaccine distribution.” WHO’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is a prerequisite for COVAX Facility vaccine supply. It also allows countries to expedite...

By Laurie McGinley and Lenny Bernstein The announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday that people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus no longer need to wear masks in most places was hailed as the path to liberation for many who have endured through the strictures of the pandemic. But the new recommendations also raised an array of questions and complications for businesses, consumers and parents — and the answers might not be clear for some time. Does the new CDC recommendation mean that if I am vaccinated I no longer have to wear a mask anywhere? No. The CDC wants vaccinated people to wear masks in health-care settings and on planes, buses, trains and other public transportation. Also, everyone will have to abide b...