Coronavirus News Explained

  Increased Racial Disparities in Excess Death During the Pandemic     While racial disparities have always been an issue in the United States, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has greatly amplified these disparities. During the beginning of the pandemic, studies found that although African Americans make up less than 20% of the population, they had the second highest rate of hospitalization (33%) in the US. (See Who's at Risk ) Similar trends were also found for Hispanic communities. However, more data has been released now that a year and a half of the pandemic has gone by, and researchers have re-examined the effects of COVID-19 on racial disparities. A study published on October 5, 2021 in the Annals of Internal Medicine  focuses on deaths both indirectly and directly caused by COVID-19 between racial/ethnic groups. Study Introduction     Data of both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 deaths during March to December 2020 were collected by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control an

New COVID-19 Treatment Could Reduce Hospitalization and Death      As of October 2021, more than 700,000 people have died from COVID-19 infection. Although vaccination provides great protection from COVID-19 infection, there is still the possibility of breakthrough infections. During the pandemic, there has been much discussion over treatment options for individuals who are infected with the coronavirus. Already, treatment options such as convalescent plasma have been developed. However, all authorized treatments in the US are given through an IV or injection. A pill taken from home would not only allow more people to be treated quickly but also ease pressure on hospitals. On October 1, 2021, the pharmaceutical company Merck announced that their experimental pill for COVID-19 infection reduced hospitalization and death by the coronavirus by one half. About the Study    Molnupiravir, or the oral antiviral medicine developed by Merck, is a drug developed to specifically eliminate infect