February 22, 2022 Epidemiology Will the BA.2 Omicron variant extend the tail end of the latest wave or induce a new surge at the time public health measures are being lifted? Opinions are mixed for various reasons and based in part on population immunity from infection and vaccination.
February 14, 2022 Clinical Research FDA stops the review of the incomplete data (two-dose COVID vaccine for children 0-5 years-old) it asked from Pfizer. Why did you ask for it in the first place? Says now it will wait for the complete three-dose data set. What a surprise.????
February 10, 2022 Epidemiology Does a working paper from economics professor at Johns Hopkins University show lockdowns were ineffective against COVID-19? Explanation by epidemiologist Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz, @GidMK, reviews why it did not.
February 1, 2022 Health Headlines If the reported two-dose Pfizer pediatric COVID vaccine data to date for two to four-year-olds did not produce a strong enough immune response, do they have more data to support their application for FDA approval?
January 25, 2022 Allergy/Immunology The assumption that having had Omicron confers long-term immunity especially for the unvaccinated is not necessarily a slam-dunk. Infectious disease experts aren’t clear on the answer.
December 22, 2021 Health Policy How to lose the room; publish headlines informing the public that they cannot get a PCR test and then tell them not to rely on rapid antigen tests during the holidays. It is a tool to be used with masks, avoiding large crowds, and proper ventilation.
December 21, 2021 Allergy/Immunology Small study (52 people) indicates that breakthrough COVID infections, not including omicron, in the fully vaccinated results in high levels of neutralizing antibodies.
December 8, 2021 Clinical Research Initial Omicron data released. Small study from South Africa. Pfizer jumps in with theirs today. Many questions about clinical efficacy remain. Answers will come soon.
December 6, 2021 Food Science Despite evidence that sugar does not cause hyperactivity in children, it is a difficult myth to dispel for parents. However, sugar-added foods/drinks consumption remains problematic for children from a health perspective.
December 3, 2021 Epidemiology Science communication should be calm, measured, provide quality evidence for claims, and offer solutions. Hyperbole and fear-mongering statements like “Omicron will dominate and overwhelm the world in 3-6 months” are unhelpful and easily misinterpreted.