As devastating as this COVID-19 pandemic has been, it’s truly inspiring to see the many innovative ways in which researchers worldwide have enlisted the help of everyday citizens to beat COVID-19, said Dr. Francis S. Collins, the 16th Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Excerpts from Dr. Collins’s weekly blog continue below.
‘An intriguing example is the COVID Symptom Study’s smartphone-based app, which already has been downloaded 2.6 million times, mainly in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Predicting ‘Long COVID Syndrome’ with a Smartphone App
HPV Vaccination After 26 Years of Age Found Less Cost-Effective
The journal PLOS published a cost-effectiveness analysis that evaluated extending human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations to ages 30, 35, 40, or 45.
This peer-reviewed study found HPV vaccination of women and men aged 30 to 45 years provides limited health benefits at the population level, at a substantial cost.
The HPV vaccine price was the primary cost.
SARS-CoV-2 Viral-Specific Antibody Response Profiles Vary With Age
Younger children exhibit higher median IgG levels, total antibody levels, surrogate neutralizing antibody activity
Infliximab May Impede Serologic Response to SARS-CoV-2
Concomitant immunomodulator use further blunted antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 among infliximab-treated IBD patients
Poor Sleep, Burnout Increase COVID-19 Risk in Health Care Workers
Longer sleep duration linked to reduced odds of COVID-19; sleep problems, burnout linked to increased odds
Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections Increased in 2020
More infections came as hospitals experienced high numbers of COVID-19 admissions
Willingness to Get COVID-19 Vaccine Up in Health Care Workers
Numbers of health care personnel intending to get and receiving vaccine increased as rollout unfolded
US Health Officials Raise Flags About AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Data
NIH monitoring board says the company may have relied on ‘outdated information’ that ‘may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data’
Fully Vaccinated People Can Visit Unvaccinated Family and Friends: CDC
Fully vaccinated means two weeks since receiving the second dose of a two-dose vaccine or the single-dose J&J vaccine
ACA’s Reach Surges With 200,000 New Signups, More States Involved
Response shows that people who lost insurance during COVID-19 pandemic are in desperate need of coverage, experts say