Public Health

Governor Gavin Newsom lifted California’s stay-at-home order last week on Friday which included lifting the ban on outdoor dining. The order was enacted at the beginning of December and was followed by a drop in the Covid-19 transmission rate. Officials estimate that it kept as many as 25,000…

COVID-19 has shown the world that there is no clear barrier between viruses affecting animals and people. Mink have been reported to get infected with SARS-CoV-2 and die in large numbers in at least a half-dozen countries around the world. They are often found in crowded, caged conditions on farms,…

The National Institutes of Health has awarded UC San Diego $1.3 million to develop a tool for monitoring COVID-19 exposure. According to UC San Diego nano engineers, the lightweight test strip will contain a sensor for detecting virus molecules that appear in a person’s breath or saliva. The sensor…

COVID-19 does not mutate as readily as other viruses that cause flu, hepatitis, or AIDS, but its stability has been severely overestimated. Recent studies suggest that there are a few people who have recovered from COVID-19 but happened to get re-infected with the mutant strains. Both vaccines…

According to Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, there has been an increasing number of COVID-19 positive patients who complain of tongue discoloration as well as a range of mouth ulcers. Approximately 35% of COVID-19 patients experience non-traditional…

More research shows that wearing two face masks increases filtration efficiency of the masks. This is not necessary for everyone but can be useful to increase the efficiency of thinner face masks such as cloth or homemade masks. While the best face masks are N95s, layering two less effective face…

The deaths in the United States from Covid-19 caused the overall life expectancy to drop by 1.13 years. The life expectancy is now 77.48 years which is the lowest it’s been since 2003. It is also the largest single-year reduction in the past 40 years. This decline is more severe for racial and…

British researchers from a biotechnology company, Synairgen, have completed a Phase 2 trial with interferon beta-1a that is typically used to decrease inflammation and reduce multiple sclerosis. The drug was administered to 48 patients using a nebulizer and after 2 weeks, patients who had received…

Monoclonal antibodies are lab-made drugs that are meant to mimic natural antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. It is considered a recommended treatment for those who are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, including those over the age of 65. According to Dr. William Fales, medical director f the Michigan…

As Moderna is set to deliver at least 600 million doses of vaccine in 2021, there are looming questions over how long will vaccine immunity last. Unfortunately, clinical trials are not effective in predicting the precise longevity of the immunity. However, according to Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel,…

The L.A. County Housing for Health program, which helps provide housing for medically vulnerable homeless individuals to control COVID-19 throughout the shelter system, has been overwhelmed in the December case surge. Infections of homeless people have doubled in the week following Thanksgiving and…

Extensive political polarization has gotten health officials struggling to invoke trust among people as the United States prepares for the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine. It has been estimated that 60 to 70 percent of the US population will need to get vaccinated to substantially decrease…

As the world holds its breath and waits for the start of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution, there is a looming question about the apparent exclusion of pregnant women in vaccine trials. Pregnant women have been found to be at an increased risk of contracting severe forms of COVID-19. According…

Despite improvement over the recent years, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur every year in the United States. Medical uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic contributes to the surge of wrong prescriptions and treatments, amplifying the threat of antibiotic resistance.…