Category: PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION

Pfizer’s Paxlovid COVID Pill Showed No Measurable Benefit in Adults 40 to 65: Study

A new study has found that Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral antiviral pill Paxlovid appears to provide little or no benefit for younger adults. Researchers in the Israel-based study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, examined over 109,000 patients between Jan. 9 and March 31 of this year. During the study period, the omicron variant…


Chinese TCM doctor: Taking More Omega-3 Helps Combat Long-COVID

With the COVID-19 pandemic having been ongoing for over two years, the increasing number of patients with long COVID has caused widespread concern. Over 500 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with COVID-19 so far, and the number of patients who develop long-term symptoms is increasing. Long COVID or post-COVID conditions (PCC) refer to the…


Medical Discovery: Plasma Myl9 Correlates to the Severity of COVID-19

Chiba University in Japan recently announced the results of a new study that found that the severity of COVID-19 is highly correlated with the concentration of myosin light chain 9 (Myl9) protein in the blood. The findings could help hospitals determine which patient groups should be prioritized for admission and discharge, and thereby reduce the…


LA Public Health Department Faces Backlash After Offering COVID-19 Test to Animals, Including Seals

The Los Angeles Public Health Department is facing growing criticism over its decision to offer free COVID-19 testing for animals, despite there being no positive cases reported among animals in the area. LA Public Health announced the initiative on Aug. 20 and said it has received funding from the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and the Centers…


White House COVID Czar Admits 6-foot Social Distancing Rule ‘Not the Right Way’

White House COVID-19 czar Ashish Jha on Tuesday admitted that the six-foot social distancing rule that was implemented in early 2020 isn’t actually effective. Over the past several years, “a lot of time” was spent “talking about six feet of distance, 15 minutes of being together. We realize that’s actually not the right way to…


Pathogenic Bacteria and Fungi Found on Masks: Study

Several pathogenic microbes were identified and quantified on masks worn during the pandemic, according to a Japanese study that was published in Scientific Reports. The study is one of the first to address the probable hygiene issues caused by bacterial and fungal growth on masks worn daily in the community. “Since masks can be a…


Scientists Question Pfizer’s Paxlovid Data as Biden Tests Positive for COVID-19 Again

President Joe Biden posted a video after he tested positive for COVID-19 again saying that he’s “feeling fine,” as scientists speculate that rebound cases tied to the use of the antiviral drug Paxlovid are more common than initially suspected. “Hey, folks, Joe Biden here. Tested positive this morning. Going to be working from home for…


Vaccinated and Boosted People Have Less Protection Against BA.5 Than BA.2 Variant: Study

People who have received a COVID-19 vaccine and a booster shot were more likely to end up in a hospital when infected with BA.5 than BA.2, according to a new study. Researchers in Portugal found that BA.5 cases among the group had 3.4 times higher odds of hospitalization when compared to BA.2 cases. Both BA.2…


Hong Kong University Develops Algorithm to Predict a COVID Vaccine’s Effectiveness Before Delivery

The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s (CUHK) Faculty of Medicine has developed the world’s first algorithm to rapidly evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines used to combat SARS-CoV-2 variants. According to the article published in the journal of Nature Medicine, the algorithm delivers a 95 percent rate of accuracy when predicting a vaccine’s efficacy and can…


Smoking Linked to ‘Severe’ COVID-19 Complications: Study

Individuals who reported smoking or vaping tobacco prior to COVID-19 hospitalization had a far likely higher chance of suffering severe complications as compared with nonsmokers, a recent study has found. Researchers, who published their peer-reviewed findings in PLOS One, said they examined data on adults aged 18 and older who were hospitalized with COVID-19 in 107…