A new strain of the virus that causes Covid-19 appears to be spreading fast in the the UK. Why it matters that the coronavirus is changing, and what it means for vaccine effectiveness. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/new-strain-of-covid-19-explained…
Tag: infection
New UK Strain of Coronavirus More Infectious, Say Government Scientists
Reuters reports: A new strain of coronavirus identified in the United Kingdom is up to 70% more infectious but it is not thought to be more deadly and vaccines should still be effective, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and scientists said on Saturday…. “This is early data and it’s subject to review. But it’s the best that we have at the moment…
FDA Panel Endorses Moderna’s Coronavirus Vaccine
Vaccine advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration voted easily and quickly to recommend that the agency give emergency use authorization to Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine. CNN reports: The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted 20-0 with one abstention to recommend EUA for the Moderna vaccine, which is very similar in design, composition, safety and efficacy to Pfizer/BioNTech’s…
New Report: Havanna Syndrome Could Be Directed Microwave Energy
NBC News reports:
The mysterious neurological symptoms experienced by American diplomats in China and Cuba are consistent with the effects of directed microwave energy, according to a long-awaited report by the National Academies of Sciences that cites medical evidence to support the long-held conviction of American intelligence officials. The report, obtained Friday by NBC News, does not conclude that the directed energy…
America’s Top Court Strikes Down Covid-19 Restriction On Religious Groups
DevNull127 writes: Earlier this year the governor’s order had “restricted the size of religious gatherings in certain areas of New York where infection rates were climbing,” reports the New York Times. But Wednesday night (in a close 5 to 4 decision) America’s highest court ruled against the governor — and in favor of two religious organizations challenging him. “[T]hey tell us…
Masks are Effective, Despite One Flawed Study From Denmark
“I think the overwhelming body of evidence suggests that masks are effective,” the lead author of a study recently cited by America’s Center for Disease Control told the Washington Post. They were responding to another (very controversial) outlier study whose findings “conflict with those from a number of other studies,” according to the New York Times, citing numerous experts. “Critics were…
What are the odds of dying if you’re infected by the coronavirus?
During the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the infection fatality rate – how many infected people die – may have been 1 per cent for high-income countries with older populations Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2259246-what-are-the-odds-of-dying-if-youre-infected-by-the-coronavirus/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Immunity To the Coronavirus May Last Years, New Data Hint
How long might immunity to the coronavirus last? Years, maybe even decades, according to a new study — the most hopeful answer yet to a question that has shadowed plans for widespread vaccination. From a report: Eight months after infection, most people who have recovered still have enough immune cells to fend off the virus and prevent illness, the new data…
Shot To Prevent HIV Works Better Than Daily Pill in Women
A single shot given every two months has proved to be more effective than a daily pill at preventing H.I.V. in women, researchers reported on Monday, an advance that medical experts hailed as groundbreaking in the fight against the deadly virus that causes AIDS. From a report: The finding that the long-acting drug would prevent H.I.V. in six doses taken over…
Pfizer Stuns Experts With Early Data that Vaccine Is More Than 90% Effective
The drug maker Pfizer announced on Monday that an early analysis of its coronavirus vaccine trial suggested the vaccine was robustly effective in preventing Covid-19, a promising development as the world has waited anxiously for any positive news about a pandemic that has killed more than 1.2 million people. From a report: Pfizer, which developed the vaccine with the German drugmaker…