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Depressed seroconversion in immunocompromised COVID-19 vaccine recipients

Researchers from the University of Singapore have reviewed the data in post-vaccinated immunocompromised patients to examine the effectiveness of these vaccines in these patients.

5 Oct 2021

How accurate is COVID-19 modeling?

Researchers from the Burnet Institute in Melbourne have been using this to investigate how accurate COVID-19 modelling has been.

5 Oct 2021

The pandemic forced my transgender wife to fight our insurer over hormones

For the past eight years, my wife, Ky Hamilton, has undergone gender-affirming hormone therapy. As a transgender woman, she injects Depo-Estradiol liquid estrogen into her thigh once a week.

5 Oct 2021

Solitary confinement condemns many prisoners to long-term health issues

Sometimes, Pamela Winn isn't sure how to connect with people, even those she loves, like her 9-month-old granddaughter. When the baby is in her arms, "I sit there quietly, and I don't know what to say. What to do," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "My socializing skills are just not there anymore."

5 Oct 2021

Humoral responses to SARS-CoV-2 are detectable through saliva, scientists find

Your saliva may be able to tell you if you’ve developed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies, suggests a new medRxiv* preprint study. In immunocompromised groups, salivary Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels were associated with IgG titers in blood serum 3 to 4 weeks after mRNA vaccination.

5 Oct 2021

Study suggests shingles vaccine reduces the risk for COVID-19

People who get the shingles vaccine may have a lower risk of being diagnosed and hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to a new medRxiv* preprint study. In about 150,000 people over the age of 50, vaccination for shingles was associated with a 32% reduced risk of severe COVID-19 infection.

5 Oct 2021

Study assesses Texas nurses' COVID-19 vaccination status, intention, and hesitancy

New research focused on Texas nurses has found predictors of a lack of intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19 includes previous COVID-19 infection, unfavorable vaccine attitudes, and concerns about vaccine safety.

5 Oct 2021

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines elicit higher levels of antibodies compared to natural infection

Researchers from the US recently characterized the scale and specificity of SARS-CoV-2 spike-reactive antibodies from 23 participants who received SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines and 10 acutely infected health care workers. They found that primary mRNA vaccination and infection elicited S1- and S2-reactive antibodies, while secondary mRNA vaccination elicited mostly S1 antibodies.

4 Oct 2021

Is gout a risk factor for COVID-19?

A team of international scientists has recently determined the association between gout and risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related death in a large cohort of patients. Their findings reveal that gout can significantly increase the risk of COVID-19 and related mortality, with women having a higher risk than men. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

4 Oct 2021

What makes SARS-CoV-2 variants more virulent?

Researchers in the Republic of Korea have conducted a study of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – that could help to inform further studies investigating the increased virulence of variants of concern and interest.

4 Oct 2021

Convalescent plasma is "futile" as COVID-19 treatment for critically ill patients, trial shows

In the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the medical community turned to a century-old treatment: Take blood from recovered patients and give it to the sick.

4 Oct 2021

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine proves effective against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants, including delta

Researchers in the United States have demonstrated the real-world effectiveness of Moderna’s mRNA-1273 vaccine at protecting against infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and preventing hospitalization due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

4 Oct 2021

Study looks at immunosuppressants and COVID vaccine efficacy

Researchers investigate the effects of five established immunosuppressant medications following COVID-19 vaccination.

4 Oct 2021

J&J vaccine prevents SARS-CoV-2-induced thrombosis and inflammation in hamsters

In a recent study, researchers performed bulk RNA-Seq transcriptomic profiling of lungs from vaccinated and unvaccinated hamsters with the Janssen vaccine.

4 Oct 2021

How durable is the immune response generated from the BNT162b2 vaccine?

In a recent study, researchers analyzed antibody responses to the homologous Wu strain and several other SARS-CoV-2 variants after BNT162b2 vaccination.

4 Oct 2021

mRNA vaccination induces strong humoral immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 in over 80's

A recent study assesses the serological and cellular responses to Pfizer’s BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in people aged 80-96 years.

4 Oct 2021

Housing environment influenced mental health during COVID-19 pandemic

The last year and a half have been a struggle for all of us, and that's putting it lightly. But in terms of mental health, apartment-dwelling Americans-;especially those living alone-;may have suffered more mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic than those living with their families in the suburbs, suggests new research from the University of Georgia.

4 Oct 2021