Coronavirus News Explained

6-Month Effects of COVID-19                As of January 25, 2021, there are almost 100 million recorded cases of COVID-19 worldwide. Clearly, COVID-19 infection is a problem that many people have and will face. However, because the virus is relatively new with its first case reported on December 31, 2019, not much is known about the long term effects of COVID-19. Researchers know the symptoms of COVID-19 include coughing, fever, nausea, loss of taste, etc, but these symptoms tend to be transient and dissipate with recovery. Will COVID-19 still affect people after recovery? A study published in The Lancet   earlier this month details and records the 6-month effects of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. Even months after recovery, many patients still suffer from various symptoms including fatigue, insomnia and more. Some other symptoms not detailed in the study but reported in an article in The New York Times Magazine include memory loss and difficulty putting a cogent sentence togethe

 New vaccine candidate linked to long lasting antibody levels     COVID-19 vaccines have recently become the hot topic of many conversations. Two vaccines in particular, have been all over the media; one developed by the company  Moderna  and the other by  Pfizer . Both vaccines are mRNA based and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are the only vaccines "authorized and recommended to prevent COVID-19," (as of Jan. 15, 2021). However, many COVID-19 vaccine candidates are currently under development and undergoing clinical trials. One candidate in particular, although in its early stages of testing, displayed hopeful results; the vaccine was associated with long lasting antibody levels in all ages. Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, this candidate is not mRNA-based but rather an adenovirus-based vaccine. The results for the phase 1-2a trial of this vaccine were published in the New England Journal of Medicine on January 13, 2021. What is an Adeno

Early Plasma Treatment Reduces Severe COVID-19 in Older Adults     Multiple drugs and therapies have been developed since the outbreak of the coronavirus to help patients recover from COVID-19. Among these treatments include convalescent plasma , a liquid part of the blood that contains antibodies against the coronavirus, donated by people who have recovered from COVID-19. However, there have been mixed results regarding treatment with convalescent plasma. A group of scientists from the Fundación INFANT in Buenos Aires, Argentina speculated a reason for the mixed results is that the plasma should be administered earlier in the course of illness for higher efficacy. These researchers conducted a clinical trial to test the effects of plasma treatment given early in the COVID-19 disease course. Their study results, which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine  ( NEJM) on January 6, 2021, suggest that an early plasma treatment reduces severe COVID-19 symptoms in older patien

 About the UK originated virus strain: B117     The release of promising vaccines in December 2020 has provided hope to many people that things may begin returning to normal in 2021. However, news of B117, a new and fast spreading UK-originated mutant coronavirus strain, has flooded social media networks and caused growing concern about the virus and what this mutation means for the COVID-19 pandemic. How did this mutation occur? Will the vaccine still work on the new strain? Is the new strain more infectious? How worried should everyone be? With the B117 strain comes a series of questions and confusion over what information should be believed. This post uses research taken from scientific publications and research institutions to provide detailed information and answer common questions about the mutation. What is B117     The B117 strain is not the first mutation in the coronavirus and will not be the last. In fact, scientists have known and expected that the coronavirus, like all oth