TWiV 951: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin
In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses Influenza incidence and vaccine effectiveness during the southern hemisphere influenza season in Chile, Nirsevimab for prevention of RSV infection in healthy late-preterm and term infants, severe Monkeypox in hospitalized patients, reinfections with different SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants, impact of community masking on COVID-19 in Bangladesh, unadjuvanted intranasal spike vaccine elicits protective … TWiV 951: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Read More » (Source: virology blog)
Source: virology blog - November 5, 2022 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology antiviral coronavirus COVID-19 delta inflammation influenza Long Covid marburg virus monkeypox monoclonal antibody Omicron pandemic poliovirus SARS-CoV-2 vaccine vaccine booster variant of concern Source Type: blogs

Micelle Technology Detects Airborne SARS-CoV-2
At the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, researchers have developed micelle technology that can detect minute amounts of SARS-CoV-2 in the air. This new capability could provide invaluable monitoring systems to detect viral contamination in healthcare facilities and beyond. Micelles are somewhat similar to liposomes in that they are both like tiny lipid bubbles. In this instance, the researchers incorporated molecularly imprinted polymer molecules into the wall of the micelles. These molecularly imprinted molecules can bind to the viral spike protein. On viral binding, the polymer molecules cause the micelle to burst,...
Source: Medgadget - November 3, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Public Health covid COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 Source Type: blogs

Furry Soft Robot Helps Patients During Unpleasant Medical Procedures
A team of researchers at the University of Tsukuba in Japan has developed a fluffy soft robot that patients can interact with to reduce their stress and fear when undergoing painful or uncomfortable medical procedures. For some patients, particularly children, a fear of needles or uncomfortable and painful procedures can make such experiences especially challenging, and may mean that they attempt to avoid treatment altogether. Finding ways to calm and reassure such patients is important in reducing their distress and enabling them to undergo necessary treatment. The robot has inflatable actuators that can interact with and...
Source: Medgadget - November 1, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: etc. Medicine Pediatrics UNIV_TSUKUBA_EN Source Type: blogs

TWiV 949: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin
In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses progress toward poliomyelitis eradication in Pakistan, polio by the numbers , influenza and COVID-19 vaccination coverage among health care personnel, phase 1/2a safety and immunogenicity of an adenovirus 26 vector RSV vaccine encoding prefusion F in adults 18–50 years and RSV seropositive children 12–24 months, receipt of first and second doses of JYNNEOS vaccine for prevention of Monkeypox, distinguishing SARS-CoV-2 persistence and reinfection, Novavax NVX-COV2373 triggers potent neutralization of Omicron sub-lineages, association between regular physical activity a...
Source: virology blog - October 29, 2022 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology antiviral coronavirus COVID-19 delta inflammation influenza Long Covid marburg virus monkeypox monoclonal antibody Omicron pandemic poliovirus SARS-CoV-2 vaccine vaccine booster variant of concern Source Type: blogs

Understand risk better by using "micromort" unit
A micromort (from micro- and mortality) is a unit of risk defined as a one-in-a-million chance of death.Micromorts can be used to measure the riskiness of various day-to-day activities.Activities that increase the death risk by roughly one micromort, and their associated cause of death:Traveling 250 miles by car (collision) Travelling 1,000 miles (1,600 km) by jet (collision) Travelling 6,000 miles (9,656 km) by train (collision) Increase in death risk for other activities on a per event basis:Giving birth (vaginal) – 120 micromortsGiving birth (caesarean) – 170 micromortsAstraZeneca vaccination against COVID-19 ...
Source: Clinical Cases and Images - Blog - October 27, 2022 Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: blogs

Pfizer ’s Biotech Strategy: When a “Market Force” Partners with a “Market Mover”
by JESSICA DAMASSA, WTF HEALTH The synergistic relationship between biotech’s and biopharma’s can dramatically change the way new drugs and vaccines are bought to market – helping advance innovation on BOTH sides in a very mutually beneficial way. I’ve got an inside look at how Pfizer is working with emerging biotech start-ups, thanks to this in-depth chat with Pfizer’s Senior Vice President of Business Innovation, Kathy Fernando. Kathy is not only responsible for developing relationships with biotech’s on behalf of Pfizer, BUT during the pandemic she led Pfizer’s mRNA scientific strategy, ...
Source: The Health Care Blog - October 27, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: matthew holt Tags: Pharmaceuticals biopharma Innovation Jessica DaMassa Pfizer Source Type: blogs

Does Surviving The Plague Mean You Will Eventually Contract An Autoimmune Disease?
BY MIKE MAGEE This Fall, I am teaching a 4-week course on “How Epidemics Have Shaped Our World” at the President’s College at the University of Hartford. It is, of course a timely topic, but also personally unnerving as we complete a third year under the shadow of Covid-19. Where does one begin on a topic such as this? Yale historian, Frank M. Snowden, in his book “Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present”, made his intentions obvious. He would begin with the plaque. Why? His answer, “The word ‘plague’ will always be synonymous with ‘terror’”, and especially references: ...
Source: The Health Care Blog - October 26, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Ryan Bose-Roy Tags: Health Policy Public Health Autoimmune. Disease Mike Magee Plague Source Type: blogs

mRNA Therapy Prevents COVID Virus Entering Cells
Scientists at Oregon State University have developed a new treatment for COVID-19. The technology is based on mRNA, which has also been put to good use in COVID-19 vaccines. However, in this instance, the delivered mRNA encodes for human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2), which is the binding site for SARS-CoV-2 on airway cells. The lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated mRNA therapeutic is delivered to cells in the body, and then the cells begin to produce and release a free-floating form of hACE2 that acts as a decoy to soak up viral particles. Once the viral particles are bound to the decoys, they are no longer avail...
Source: Medgadget - October 25, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Genetics Medicine Public Health covid COVID-19 OregonState SARS-CoV-2 Source Type: blogs

TWiV 948: Breathless with David Quammen
David Quammen returns to TWiV to discuss how he wrote his new book 'Breathless', a story about the science and the scientists behind the race to understand the pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. (Source: virology blog)
Source: virology blog - October 23, 2022 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology Breathless coronavirus COVID-19 david quammen genome sequence pandemic SARS-CoV-2 vaccine viral viruses Source Type: blogs

Dr Margaret Vaux Has Exposed A Problem With Health Department / Medicare Technology!
Last Monday the ABC and The Nine News Outlets made a big splash with the following headlines:‘Medicare is haemorrhaging’: The rorts and waste costing taxpayers billions of dollars a yearByAdele Ferguson and Chris GillettOctober 17, 2022 — 5.00amBillions of dollars are being rorted from Medicare each year by medical practitioners making mistakes or charging for services that aren ’t necessary or didn’t even happen – including billing dead people and falsifying patient records to boost profits.The revelations come as GPs lobby the federal Labor government to boost Medicare funding and increase rebates, claiming t...
Source: Australian Health Information Technology - October 23, 2022 Category: Information Technology Authors: Dr David G More MB PhD Source Type: blogs

TWiV 947: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin
In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses the prediction of upcoming global infection burden of influenza seasons after relaxation of public health and social measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, severe COVID-19 outcomes after full vaccination of primary schedule and initial boosters, and how successful immunomodulators for treatment of COVID-19 have opened the pathway for comparative trials. (Source: virology blog)
Source: virology blog - October 22, 2022 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology antiviral coronavirus COVID-19 delta inflammation influenza Long Covid marburg virus monkeypox monoclonal antibody Omicron pandemic poliovirus SARS-CoV-2 vaccine vaccine booster variant of concern Source Type: blogs

The Macro View – Health, Economics, and Politics and the Big Picture. What I Am Watching Here And Abroad.
October 20, 2022 Edition-----In the US we have just had the usual mass-shootings last week! Hard to know why the population put up with it. On a larger scale the war is seemingly just getting worse and more lethal. While there is assassination there must be hope!In the UK all eyes are on just when the Truss implosion will actually happen.In OZ the biggest news has been the really Biblical floods in SE Australia, The Budget is also getting close!-----Major Issues.-----https://www.afr.com/policy/tax-and-super/average-tax-rate-to-hit-record-high-this-decade-with-or-without-stage-three-cuts-20221008-p5bo78Average tax rate to h...
Source: Australian Health Information Technology - October 20, 2022 Category: Information Technology Authors: Dr David G More MB PhD Source Type: blogs