Coronapod: solving the COVID vaccine manufacturing problem
Less than 1% of those in low income countries are fully vaccinated, and that number only rises to 10% in low-middle income countries. Meanwhile more than half of the population in wealthier countries have received a double dose with several now rolling out third dosess.In this episode of Coronapod we look at the role of pharmaceutical manufacturers. Drug companies are facing increased pressure to partner with manufacturing firms in the global south but most are reluctant to relinquish control. We ask what needs to change to help address the global disparity in vaccine access.News: The fight to manufacture CO...
Source: Nature Podcast - September 25, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Talk Evidence - real world vaccine data, GP records and CVD
In this month's Talk Evidence, Helen Macdonald and Joe Ross are back with a wry look at the world of Evidence Based Medicine.
They give us a round up of real world data emerging to address various uncertainties about vaccinations against covid
Helen has an update on NHS Digital’s project to extract GP coding for planning of healthcare and research, and talks to Natalie Banner from Understanding Patient Data, to find out what the public really cares about.
Finally, as routine care must go on a clinical review on cardiovascular disease in older adults introduces us to geroscience.
Reading list
Vaccines;
Effectiveness...
Source: The BMJ Podcast - September 3, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: BMJ Group Source Type: podcasts
Coronapod: How Delta is changing the game
Delta has quickly become the dominant COVID variant in many countries across the world, in this episode we ask why. Over the past few weeks, a slew of studies have started to shed more light on how the Delta variant differs from its cousins and even the mechanisms behind its rampant spread. We dig into studies on the epidemiology and molecular biology of Delta to ask some key questions surrounding its transmissibility, lethality and what all this might mean for vaccine roll outs.News: The mutation that helps Delta spread like wildfireNews: COVID vaccines protect against Delta, but their effectiveness wanes N...
Source: Nature Podcast - August 21, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Coronapod: COVID boosters amidst global vaccine inequity
Several wealthy nations have announced plans to give third vaccine doses in a bid to help increase the protection of their most vulnerable citizens - but the science is not clear on whether this strategy will be effective or indeed necessary. Meanwhile with limited vaccine supplies - billions around the world still have no access to vaccines at all. In this episode of Coronapod we discuss the science of boosters, the stark reality of vaccine disparity and what this means for the future of the pandemic.News: COVID boosters for wealthy nations spark outrageNews feature: COVID vaccine boosters: the most important qu...
Source: Nature Podcast - August 14, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Coronapod: Does England's COVID strategy risk breeding deadly variants?
The UK government has announced that virtually all COVID restrictions will be removed in England on Monday 18th July. This will do away with social distancing requirements, allow businesses to re-open to full capacity and remove legal mask mandates. This decision comes, however, amidst soaring infections rates in the country, driven by the delta variant.Now scientists are questioning the wisdom of this policy and asking whether the combination of high transmission and a partially vaccinated population could provide the perfect breeding ground for vaccine-resistant variants - a possibility which could have devastating globa...
Source: Nature Podcast - July 16, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Coronapod: Will COVID become a disease of the young?
For much of the pandemic, the greatest burden of disease has been felt by older generations. But now, for the first time, vaccine roll outs are starting to skew the average age of those infections towards the young. This has led many researchers to ask what this might mean for the future of the pandemic. In this episode of Coronapod we discuss what we know and what we don't know about this change in the demographic profile of COVID infections. We ask how this might impact global vaccination efforts, disease transmission and the health and wellbeing of young people.News: Will COVID become a disease of the young?News:&n...
Source: Nature Podcast - July 9, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Coronapod: the biomarker that could change COVID vaccines
Since the beginning oft he pandemic, researchers have searched for a biomarker which indicates immune protection from COVID-19 known as a correlate of protection. Now, the team developing the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have published the first results of their so-called 'breakthrough study' which indicated puts forwards thresholds of neutralising antibodies that they suggest correlate with protection. The hope is that, should these results be confirmed, such biomarkers could speed up the development of new vaccines, and provide better ways to monitor the efficacy of tweaked vaccine aimed at fighting variants.New...
Source: Nature Podcast - July 2, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Coronapod: should you have a COVID vaccine when breastfeeding?
Early vaccine trials did not include pregnant or breastfeeding people which left some people asking whether COVID vaccines are safe and effective for those who are breastfeeding. The latest data suggests that they are and in this episode of Coronapod we dig into the questions scientists have been asking. Could the vaccine make it into breastmilk? Can COVID antibodies be transferred to a breastfeeding child? And if so, how?News Feature: COVID vaccines and breastfeeding: what the data saySubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every...
Source: Nature Podcast - June 25, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
CureVac disappoints in COVID vaccine trial
After a slew of wildly successful vaccine trials, this week marked a more underwhelming result. The third mRNA vaccine to complete phase three trials, developed by CureVac, is just 47% effective at staving off disease according to preliminary data. This is a stark contrast with previous mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer BioNtec which returned around twice that efficacy in their trials. In this episode of Coronapod, we ask why the CureVac vaccine has faltered, and what this might mean for the future of the pandemic and mRNA vaccine development.News: CureVac COVID vaccine let-down spotlights mRNA design challengesNe...
Source: Nature Podcast - June 18, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Coronavirus Second Wave - wrapping up the UK ’s response
Finally it seems that life might return to normal in the UK, as the vaccination efforts continue apace, and despite concern about increasingly spreading variants, our hospitals are not being overwhelmed.
Because of this, we are changing our approach to covering the pandemic - and taking this second wave podcast to pastures new, but before that, in this last episode we’re going to look backwards and forwards, at the UK’s response.
On the panel today are
Matt Morgan, consultant in critical care, Nisreen Alwan, associate professor in public health, Partha Kar, consultant in diabetes, and Helen Salisbury, GP.
www.bmj.c...
Source: The BMJ Podcast - May 28, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: BMJ Group Source Type: podcasts
Talk Evidence covid-19 update - Research on vaccine safety, treatment for dementia
In this week's Talk Evidence, Joe Ross, BMJ editor and professor at Yale again joins Helen Macdonald to talk about emerging evidence on Covid-19.
They also welcome to the podcast Juan Franco, family physician in Buenos Aires, and professor at the Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano, and new editor-in-chief of BMJ Evidence Based Medicine.
This week, the team bring you updates on;
Post-covid syndrome in individuals admitted to hospital with covid-19 - how are people with long covid faring.
Finally published research from Scandinavia on the risk of thrombotic events after administration of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vac...
Source: The BMJ Podcast - May 14, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: BMJ Group Source Type: podcasts
Coronapod: Waiving vaccine patents and coronavirus genome data disputes
In surprise news this week, the US government announced its support for waiving patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines, in an effort to boost supplies around the world.As fewer than 1% of people living in low-income countries have received COVID-19 vaccines, it is hoped that this move is a major step towards addressing this inequity by allowing manufacturers to legally produce generic versions of vaccines. We discuss the next steps that need to be taken to make this a reality, and why there is opposition to the plan.Also on the podcast, we look at another aspect of coronavirus inequity: the sharing of genomic data. Aroun...
Source: Nature Podcast - May 7, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Coronapod: Kids and COVID vaccines
As COVID-19 vaccine roll-outs continue, attentions are turning to one group: children. While research suggests that children rarely develop severe forms of COVID-19, scientists still believe they could play a key role in transmission and a plan needs to be in place for the longer term. But clinical trials in children are more complicated than those in adults as different ethical and practical concerns need to be taken into account.In this episode of Coronapod, we discuss the ongoing clinical trials to test vaccines in young children, and ask what scientists want to know about safety, and how effective these vaccines might ...
Source: Nature Podcast - April 23, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Coronapod: could COVID vaccines cause blood clots? Here's what the science says
Reports of rare and unusual blood clots have resulted in several vaccine roll outs being paused while scientists scramble to work out if the vaccines are responsible and if so how.The unusual combination of symptoms, including a low platelet count and clots focussed in the abdomen or brain, seems similar to a rare side effect from treatment with the drug blood thinning drug Heparin - however it is not clear how the vaccines could cause the syndrome.In this episode of Coronapod we discuss the latest theories and ask how scientists are trying to get to the bottom of this important question. Medical regulators maintain that t...
Source: Nature Podcast - April 16, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Coronavirus second wave - headaches abound
Recorded on Tuesday 13th of April, as the shops open in the UK, and England is heading to the beer gardens. The roll out of the vaccination programme has completed its first phase, and second doses have been given to the most vulnerable people - and now the under 50s are starting to get their first doses.
In this podcast, Duncan Jarvies, multimedia editor for The BMJ, talks to; Partha Kar, consultant in diabetes and endocrinology in Portsmouth, Matt Morgan, a consultant in a intensive care medicine in Cardiff, and Helen Salisbury, GP in Oxfordshire.
The genomicc trial Matt mentions is still recruiting - if you're interes...
Source: The BMJ Podcast - April 14, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: BMJ Group Source Type: podcasts
