Only Half of Americans Polled Say They Would Get COVID-19 Vaccine

In a poll conducted for CNN during Oct. 1-4, 2020, the Pennsylvania-based market research firm SSRS found that 51 percent of the 1,205 Americans surveyed said they would try to get a COVID-19 vaccine if it were widely available at a low cost, 45 percent said they would not and four percent had no opinion. Sixty […]
Honeybee Venom Destroys Cancer Cells

Story Highlights Honeybee venom has been previously studied for its potential benefits in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism, pain relief, and cancerous tumors among other conditions, but the mechanism by which it works has not been clear. Australian scientists have published a paper with evidence for the ability of honeybee venom to rapidly and selectively […]
Polls Find Many Americans Do Not Want COVID-19 Vaccine as Soon as It’s Licensed

Story Highlights More adults in the U.S. are expressing doubts about the safety of a newly licensed COVID-19 vaccine that might become available this year. The number of poll respondents planning on getting a new coronavirus vaccine as soon as it is FDA approved has fallen from a reported high of 50 to 60 percent […]
The T-Cell Response to COVID-19 Infections and Immunity

Story Highlights Rapid decline of neutralizing antibodies following COVID-19 infection in some people have led to concerns that immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus Is temporary. However, several recent studies have shown a presence of virus-specific T-cells that remain, including among patients with mild or asymptomatic infections. Long-lasting immunity after recovery from COVID-19 infection may be […]
Public Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine Faces Many Hurdles

Story Highlights Even before a vaccine against COVID-19 has been introduced to the public in the U.S., expectations for it are low. Dr. Anthony Fauci warns that a COVID-19 vaccine is not expected to be either long-lasting or more than 50 to 60 percent effective. Citing experience with other vaccines, a COVID-19 vaccine is not […]
Hospital Staff Sensor ID Badges Track COVID-19

Story Highlights Sensor technology has been used by hospitals to monitor hand-washing behaviors and keep track of expensive equipment, but the coronavirus pandemic has opened up a new application for contact tracing of COVID-19 cases. Adding a sensor to staff ID badges, medical technology company SwipeSense enables hospitals to monitor employee movements, document interaction with […]
U.S. Southeast and Rural Areas Have More Severe COVID-19 Tied to Chronic Illness

Story Highlights Certain co-existing health problems like obesity and diabetes and lung, heart and kidney disease have been associated with increased risk for severe symptoms and death from COVID-19. A recent CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report reported that underlying conditions contributing to greater risk for severe COVID-19 disease are more prevalent in the southeast […]
Vitamin D Deficiency Studies and COVID-19

Story Highlights During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical scientists have been closely examining the effects of vitamin D deficiency. Meta-analyses of data from 45 studies have shown a significant correlation between vitamin D deficiency and more severe symptoms, complications and death from COVID-19. Although laboratory studies on the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 are […]
The Debate Over ADHD and Doctor Prescribed Video Games

Story Highlights There is a long-standing debate over the value versus dangers of electronic stimulation of the brain in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Now, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first prescription-based video game, or “game based digital therapeutic device” for use in children with primary attention or combination […]
Blood Type May Affect Vulnerability to COVID-19

Story Highlights An international group of geneticists has compared DNA of patients hospitalized for severe COVID-19 infection with that of healthy volunteers and found six gene clusters that may provide insight into the wide range of responses to the virus. Results showed that patients with Type A blood appeared to have a greater susceptibility for […]