Tanzanian Government Skeptical About Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines
On Feb 2, 2021, Tanzania’s health minister, Dorothy Gwajima, announced that her country has no plans in place to recommend widespread use of COVID-19 vaccines in the African country.1 The announcement came a few days after Tanzania’s President John Magufuli expressed concern about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines developed and manufactured in Western […]
Anal Swabs Used to Test for SARS-CoV-2 Virus in China
Health authorities in China have begun using anal swabs to test patients for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that can cause COVID-19.1 While COVID-19 outbreaks continue to increase in China as the Lunar New Year approaches, more than a million residents in Beijing have been administered anal swabs to test for the virus. Although anal swabs have […]
Minority Populations Targeted for Early COVID-19 Vaccination
Story Highlights Minority populations including Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in the U.S., with evidence indicating they have a higher risk of being infected and/or are at an increased risk of serious disease and death from the infection. Many agencies, public figures and states are advocating that such at-risk […]
32 Nursing Home Residents Die in COVID-19 Outbreak During Mass Vaccination Drive
Thirty-two residents have died in The Commons on St. Anthony, a nursing home in Auburn, Cayuga county, New York during a COVID-19 outbreak that started at the end of December 2020. On Jan. 5, 2021, there were 130 residents, who tested positive for COVID-19 and, as of Jan. 11, there were 104 active coronavirus cases […]
South African Variant of SARS-CoV-2 Virus May Evade Vaccines
Story Highlights A highly transmissible new strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been identified in South Africa and has now spread to at least eight other countries including the U.K., Switzerland, Finland, Japan, Australia, Zambia, France and South Korea. The mutations of the new strain represent significant changes to key structures involved […]
Biologists Report Chemical Compounds in Some Foods May Affect Replication of Coronavirus
Story Highlights Plant biologists at North Carolina State University have found that chemical compounds in some foods may affect the ability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to bind to and replicate in human cells. Using both computer simulations and in vitro laboratory testing, the researchers were able to demonstrate that muscadine grape cultivars, green tea, cacao […]