infectious diseases

Study finds Pfizer’s antiviral has little to no benefit for young adults, and WHO says BA.5 omicron subvariant accounted for 74% of cases in past week

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Pfizer’s COVID antiviral, Paxlovid, appears to have little to no benefit for young adults, although it still reduces the risk of hospitalization or death in older adults, according to a new Israeli study. Data from the study of 109,000 patients could renew questions about the US government’s use of Paxlovid, which has become the gold … Read more

‘Parvovirus Disease’ in Michigan Dogs Investigated, Dozens of Deaths Reported

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CNN — Canine parvovirus has been identified as the disease that has killed dozens of dogs over the past month in the northern and central parts of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, state officials said Wednesday. It has killed more than 20 dogs in Otsego County alone, usually within days of showing symptoms of vomiting, bloody diarrhea, … Read more

Why Some Vaccinated People Can Still Spread Polio

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CNN — So far, there has only been one recent case of polio in the United States, which paralyzed a young adult in Rockland County, New York. One case – and evidence in sewage of further spread – may not seem significant, and Americans are highly vaccinated against polio, which means most people are protected … Read more

Pfizer and BioNTech say data shows COVID vaccine is more than 70% effective in young children, with cases rising in just 7 states

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Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech on Tuesday offered updated COVID vaccine data supporting efficacy in children 6 months to 4 years old. Businesses EFP, -1.97% BTX, +0.03% said updated analysis of 34 cases occurring at least seven days after a three-dose regimen showed a vaccine efficacy of 73.2% in children in this age group. … Read more

Zoom struggles to convince consumers to pay, and stock slips

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Zoom Video Communications Inc. is struggling to convince people to pay for its video conferencing service in the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to a reduced forecast and falling stock price on Monday. Zoom ZM, -2.07% executives slashed their full-year earnings and revenue forecast Monday afternoon, and Zoom chief financial officer Kelly Steckelberg … Read more

Overlapping emergencies are straining the country’s public health workforce and threatening critical vaccination campaigns

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CNN — This fall, the health of the nation will largely depend on vaccines. Health officials are banking on vaccinations to contain monkeypox and poliomyelitis before they become permanent threats in the United States. They rely on updated boosters to restore waning immunity to Covid-19. With the flu expected to return to the United States … Read more

Polio and monkeypox demonstrate ‘increased focus’ on viruses

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Over two years of COVID-19, and people think differently about viruses. This month, the United States declared monkeypox a public health emergency, and people at high risk of contracting the virus – especially men who have sex with men – are lining the streets town to get vaccinated. An epidemic of avian influenza which raises … Read more

Biden Officials Accelerate Monkeypox Vaccine Effort with 1.8 Million More Doses and Other Milestones

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CNN — Top Biden administration officials on Thursday announced new measures to accelerate the U.S. response to the spread of monkey pox among high demand for vaccines and treatments. This includes increasing supply with an additional 1.8 million doses of the Jynneos Monkeypox Vaccine, accelerating the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ vaccine distribution … Read more

COVID may impair brain function, large study finds – POLITICO

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Patients recovering from coronavirus infection suffer from increased rates of neurological and psychological problems, according to a large observational study published Thursday. Oxford University researchers combed through more than a million patient records and found that two years after infection, patients who had recovered from COVID-19 were at risk higher levels of psychosis, dementia and … Read more

South Korea offers North ‘bold’ economic benefits for denuclearization

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SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday offered “bold” economic aid to North Korea if it scraps its nuclear weapons program while avoiding harsh criticism from the North days after threatening of “deadly” retaliation against the COVID-19 epidemic he blames the South. In a speech celebrating the end of Japanese … Read more