Small Study Shows Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine Triggers Immune Response

reports according to a small study, a COVID-19 vaccine that is the joint work of Pfizer and BioNTech “triggered stronger immune responses in recipients than those seen in people recovering from a natural infection.” In response, “outside scientists praised the company for publishing the data on 45 patients and said the results support moving to a larger clinical trial.” Other companies working on COVID-19 vaccines have not published as complete data, though some are expected to. Inovio Pharmaceuticals “also announced positive results” but in that case as in others “the incomplete data have frustrated scientists trying to evaluate the different approaches.” According to the Pfizer results, “the majority of people given an intermediate dose of the vaccine developed fevers, chills and other low-grade symptoms that lasted a day.” The AP (7/1) reports, “The first of four experimental COVID-19 vaccines being tested by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech showed encouraging results in very early testing of 45 people.” Study participants “had immune responses in the range expected to be protective, when compared to some COVID-19 survivors.” The AP also reports that a “higher-dose shot caused more injection reactions without apparent added benefit.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/07/01/pfizer-reports-encouraging-early-covid-19-vaccine-data/

Coronavirus Cases Jumped By Almost 50% Last Month As States Began To Reopen

eports that coronavirus infections in the US “surged nearly 50 percent in June as states relaxed quarantine rules and tried to reopen their economies, data compiled Wednesday showed, and several states moved to reimpose restrictions on bars and recreation.” More than 800,000 new cases “were reported across the country last month, led by Florida, Arizona, Texas and California – bringing the nation’s officially reported total to just over 2.6 million, according to data compiled by The Washington Post.” States that “took an aggressive approach to reopening led the country in infection spikes – along with California, the nation’s most populous state, where leaders have been more cautious.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/coronavirus-cases-rose-by-nearly-50-percent-last-month-led-by-states-that-reopened-first/2020/07/01/3337f1ec-bb96-11ea-80b9-40ece9a701dc_story.html

FDA Says COVID-19 Vaccine Must Be At Least 50% Effective To Be Approved

reports the US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday said that to be approved a COVID-19 vaccine must “prevent disease, or decrease its severity, in at least 50 percent of the people who receive it.” Still, “many people believe a vaccine initially would be made available through a much lower standard for temporary approvals.” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn “said the FDA is committed to expedite a covid-19 vaccine, but ‘will not cut corners in our decision-making.’” Hahn also said that he is “optimistic” that another treatment for covid-19 will be approved by the fall. Politico (6/30, Owermohle) reports that while the FDA’s guidance requires “any vaccine candidate be at least 50 percent more effective than a placebo,” it “also left open the possibility it would issue an emergency use authorization for a vaccine.” The Wall Street Journal (6/30, Burton, Subscription Publication) reports that the FDA said it would not approve a vaccine based on it resulting in antibodies in a patient’s bloodstream. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/06/30/coronavirus-vaccine-approval-fda/

Scientists Just Starting To Understand Array Of Health Problems Caused By COVID-19, Experts Say

reported, “Scientists are only starting to grasp the vast array of health problems caused by the novel coronavirus, some of which may have lingering effects on patients and health systems for years to come, according to doctors and infectious disease experts.” In addition to “the respiratory issues that leave patients gasping for breath, the virus that causes COVID-19 attacks many organ systems, in some cases causing catastrophic damage.” Along with “respiratory distress, patients with COVID-19 can experience blood clotting disorders that can lead to strokes, and extreme inflammation that attacks multiple organ systems,” and “the virus can also cause neurological complications that range from headache, dizziness and loss of taste or smell to seizures and confusion.”

COVID-19 May Cause Platelets To Become “Hyperreactive,” Researchers Say

reported, “The COVID-19 coronavirus may cause cells which help blood to clot to become ‘hyperreactive,’ according to scientists who believe this may be why clotting is a problem for some patients.” Blood clotting complications “are common in COVID-19 patients and can cause organ failure and death, particular in those with underlying conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, according to the authors of the paper published in the journal Blood.” The scientists “found that the virus appears to influence how platelets are made by changing gene expression,” and “the germ also seems to affect how blood clots in COVID-19 patients, making platelets ‘hyperreactive’, or overly sensitive to stimuli, and more likely to cluster, stick together, and spread.” https://www.newsweek.com/coronavirus-may-cause-blood-clotting-cells-become-hyperreactive-1513720

The Dyslexic Brain Struggles in Processing Variation in Speech

A new study brings neural-level evidence that the continuous variation in natural speech makes the discrimination of phonemes challenging for adults suffering from developmental reading-deficit dyslexia. This may compromise the learning of native language phonemes already at an early age for infants at familial risk for dyslexia. Dyslexia is understood to stem from difficulties in phoneme processing. Natural speech has continuous acoustic variation, and the phonemes sound different depending on, for example, the word context or speaker identity. In order to effortlessly understand speech, the phonemes still have to be detected accurately. “In our study, dyslexic participants had difficulties, particularly when acoustic variation was added to the speech sound stream. In the absence of this variation, neural speech sound processing did not differ between dyslexic and typical readers. This seems to reflect a difficulty in categorising speech sounds in the native language phoneme classes,” Dr Paula Virtala from the University of Helsinki explains. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/the-dyslexic-brain-struggles-in-processing-variation-in-speech-336663?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=90288506&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_4JwWyIxrpMgL3NE3LxWMdNzEcKwCXeWVVPU-__NuUZnkiTrK6X0tzu6iT5egUtRVHBmwbD1cXhRVAAdNk7SjY-rrkbA&utm_content=90288506&utm_source=hs_email

Younger People Make Up Growing Percentage Of New Coronavirus Cases

reports that younger people “are making up a growing percentage of new coronavirus cases in cities and states where the virus is now surging, a trend that has alarmed public health officials and prompted renewed pleas for masks and social distancing.” The pattern “is drawing notice from mayors, governors and public health officials, and comes as a worrisome sign for cities and institutions as they look to the fall.” The rise in cases among younger people “could complicate the plans of leaders who are eager to open schools and universities, resume athletic events and return to normal life and a fully functioning economy.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/us/coronavirus-cases-young-people.html

Endocrine News Examines The Controversy Surrounding Blood Pressure Drugs During The Coronavirus Pandemic

reports earlier in the pandemic, there were concerns that blood pressure drugs, including ACE inhibitors and ARBs, might increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or worsen the severity of COVID-19, but “a group of professional associations and researchers moved quickly to counter this fear – and to recommend that” people with SARS-CoV-2 “continue taking renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockers in the absence of a clear reason to stop them.” Endocrine News outlines the history of the issue citing reports and studies that have debunked fears that people should stop taking the common drugs during the pandemic. Dr. Stephen C. Textor of the Mayo Clinic, who served on the committee that wrote the Endocrine Society’s statement on hypertension, said, “This has been an active debate and an example of how little bits and pieces of basic science can lead you down paths that can really get you twisted around.” https://endocrinenews.endocrine.org/expert-opinion-covid-19-ras-blockers/

New Coronavirus Cases In US Reach Highest Level Since April

reports the daily number of new cases in the US “is the highest it has been since the height of the pandemic two months ago, as several states around the country experience spikes in cases.” According to the data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, there were 34,700 new cases of coronavirus reported on Tuesday, which is the highest number so far except April 9 and April 24. https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/504253-us-coronavirus-cases-at-highest-level-since-april

Experts Identify Steps To Expand and Improve Antibody Tests in COVID-19 Response

More than 300 scientists and clinicians from the federal government, industry and academia published a report of their conclusions and recommendations on COVID-19 serology studies online in Immunity. The group gathered for an online workshop in May to discuss the role of serology testing in understanding and responding to the COVID-19 public health crisis and to explore strategies to address key scientific knowledge opportunities and gaps in the emerging field. Serology tests for COVID-19 are designed to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. While such tests do not diagnose active infection, they can indicate prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 that may have been missed because a person did not experience significant symptoms or access testing while infected. https://www.technologynetworks.com/diagnostics/news/experts-identify-steps-to-expand-and-improve-antibody-tests-in-covid-19-response-336538?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=90217250&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-93WWFNoaO0K_ObUB83SGHWt4WD_gUMtZrNUvg30Klh9VNd0E__n7TPPO2laIIEnmHnGVAA3ffDYMYyohs9DXEz8PYh-A&utm_content=90217250&utm_source=hs_email

Above Average Belly Fat In Older Women May Be Associated With A 39% Higher Risk Of Dementia Within 15 Years,

reports that research suggests “current belly size could be a key indicator in whether” older adults “develop dementia within the next decade or two,” with the risk “particularly high” for women. Researchers found that “for women in later adulthood, above average belly fat can lead to a 39% increased risk of dementia within 15 years compared with those who have a normal waist circumference.” The findings were published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/23/health/belly-fat-dementia-link-wellness/index.html

Tongue Microbes Could Provide Window to Heart Health

Microorganisms on the tongue could help diagnose heart failure, according to research presented on HFA Discoveries, a scientific platform of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1 "The tongues of patients with chronic heart failure look totally different to those of healthy people," said study author Dr. Tianhui Yuan, No.1 Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. "Normal tongues are pale red with a pale white coating. Heart failure patients have a redder tongue with a yellow coating and the appearance changes as the disease becomes more advanced." "Our study found that the composition, quantity and dominant bacteria of the tongue coating differ between heart failure patients and healthy people," she said. https://www.technologynetworks.com/diagnostics/news/tongue-microbes-could-provide-window-to-heart-health-336468?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=90130436&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-941mdALs7IGBdYWy_ngbwx4nQ5i_C98jIEJ_EmkUnIRYlbA9cvVnhlDprci2oaWOHvLdK4xmq0F7Cyitclo-Jx6_6d6A&utm_content=90130436&utm_source=hs_email

Researchers Propose a Clinical Trial To Test MMR Vaccine for COVID-19

Administering the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine could serve as a preventive measure to dampen septic inflammation associated with COVID-19 infection, say a team of experts in this week’s mBio, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Long-time collaborators and spouses Dr. Paul Fidel, Jr., Department Chair, Oral and Craniofacial Biology, and Associate Dean for Research, Louisiana State University Health School of Dentistry and Dr. Mairi Noverr Professor of Microbiology & Immunology at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans co-authored the perspective article based on ideas stemming from research in their labs. Vaccination with MMR in immunocompetent individuals has no contraindications and may be especially effective for health care workers who can easily be exposed to COVID-19, say the researchers.https://www.technologynetworks.com/biopharma/news/researchers-propose-a-clinical-trial-to-test-mmr-vaccine-for-covid-19-336390?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=89967446&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_C8UMlCk6j6TeMseFppYPvww2XDf6C52_9ok2ytGS7NAs6AxMuzdVGU5Znm4X6RE6wuULke1QY2Yp-zxIuu5wLJarQUg&utm_content=89967446&utm_source=hs_email

CDC Says Fewer Americans Were Admitted To EDs For Heart Attacks, Strokes, Hyperglycemic Crisis 10 Weeks After The National Emergency Declaration Than 10 Weeks Before

reports researchers at the CDC found “fewer Americans were admitted to emergency departments with life-threatening conditions such as heart attacks during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic.” According to the CDC report, when comparing ED visits 10 weeks after the national emergency declaration to 10 weeks before, ED visits for heart attacks decreased 23 percent, ED visits for strokes decreased 20 percent, and ED visits for hyperglycemic crisis decreased 10 percent. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-emergency-dept/u-s-emergency-visits-due-to-heart-attacks-fell-during-early-days-of-covid-19-idUSKBN23T2QP

Overabundance of Opportunistic Pathogens Identified in Gut of Parkinson's Disease Patients

Parkinson’s disease is a common, progressive and debilitating neurodegenerative disease. It currently cannot be prevented or cured. In 2003, Heiko Braak proposed that non-inherited forms of PD are caused by a pathogen in the gut. He hypothesized that the pathogen could pass through the intestinal mucosal barrier and spread to the brain through the nervous system. Up to now, there has been no evidence of a specific pathogen that may trigger PD. https://www.technologynetworks.com/immunology/news/overabundance-of-opportunistic-pathogens-identified-in-gut-of-parkinsons-disease-patients-336332?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=89848778&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--C-08xxVuGNDHZSG4Ieh5V_dkGA17FHyv804o91ANKls2ucHfnNx8W3IIrrLv2zATqje2CsdCLHmSk-XJUMtOAW0i9zw&utm_content=89848778&utm_source=hs_email

American Red Cross Will Test All Blood Donations for COVID-19 Antibodies

The American Red Cross has begun testing all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies. During these uncertain times, the Red Cross hopes that testing for COVID-19 antibodies will provide its valued donors insight into whether they may have been exposed to this coronavirus. The antibody test is authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and may indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to the coronavirus, regardless of whether an individual developed symptoms. For the next few months, Red Cross blood, platelet and plasma donations will be tested using samples obtained at the time of donation and sent to a testing laboratory, where the samples will also undergo routine screening and infectious disease testing. A positive antibody test result does not confirm infection or immunity. “As a humanitarian organization and member of the broader health community, the Red Cross has adapted our services to help meet the needs of this extraordinary time,” said Chris Hrouda, president of Red Cross Biomedical Services. “We recognize that individuals and public health https://www.technologynetworks.com/diagnostics/news/american-red-cross-will-test-all-blood-donations-for-covid-19-antibodies-336173?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=89693272&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9YKytTbten0jApY3th8_BUQqsMghM-TZUC6tckLgr1dVgVsCTnk5PzYnOLrGIcHM2U7TmZ65VlsFZh6xCwoeHOHABkSg&utm_content=89693272&utm_source=hs_email

Parts Of US See Record Increase In COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations

reports, “New coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in record numbers swept through more U.S. states, including Florida and Texas, as most push ahead with reopening.” For instance, “Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma and South Carolina all had record numbers of new cases in the past three days, according to a Reuters tally.” The AP (6/12, Weber, Demillo) reported “states are weighing the health risks from the virus against the economic damage from the stay-at-home orders that have thrown millions out of work over the past three months,” and several “governors are coming down on the side of jobs.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa/record-spikes-in-new-coronavirus-cases-hospitalizations-sweep-parts-of-u-s-idUSKBN23L0JB

How Lockdown Has Affected Our Sleep

A survey conducted at the University of Basel and the Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel has investigated how sleep has changed during the COVID-19 lockdown. The 435 individuals surveyed – most of whom were women – reported sleeping longer while sleep quality deteriorated. The results of the study were published in the scientific journal Current Biology. Research assumes that many sleep disorders are caused by our modern lifestyle, which is characterized by pressure to constantly perform and be active. Rhythms of work and leisure activities thus set a cycle that is often at a mismatch with the body’s internal biological clock. If the differences in sleep timing and duration between work days and days off become too large, this can lead to “social jetlag”. With this in mind, restrictions that involve working from home could offer some benefits: flexible working hours, no commuting and potentially more time to sleep. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/how-lockdown-has-affected-our-sleep-336091?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=89530580&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--Awaj99LHlmKcxzMmnsnCIXKb4fwQNqI5NDcrfXx1lSn5SX9G-zUE1veZwcCjTw1r9OLsANFb_WPtTWiNPpzZiZQlUGQ&utm_content=89530580&utm_source=hs_email

Number Of Coronavirus Cases In US Tops 2 Million As States Forge Ahead With Reopening

reports the figure was reached “as states forge ahead with reopening their economies and demonstrators gather en masse to protest police brutality and racial inequality.” It took nearly three months for the US “to officially hit 1 million confirmed cases on April 28, but just six weeks to double it.” This “2 million mark comes weeks after President Donald Trump urged governors to ease monthslong restrictions that led to furloughs, layoffs and shuttered businesses, and the White House’s coronavirus task force had begun fading from public view.” USA Today (6/11, Bacon) reports, “The Johns Hopkins virus dashboard counted more than 27,000 new cases Wednesday, a day that saw almost 1,000 U.S. deaths.” Over “113,000 Americans have died since the virus emerged here a few months ago.” https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/11/us-coronavirus-cases-surpass-2m-312718

Regular Dose of Aspirin To Reduce Risk of Inherited Bowel Cancer

A regular dose of aspirin to reduce the risk of inherited bowel cancer lasts at least 10 years after stopping treatment, research has revealed. The international trial - known as CAPP2 – involved patients with Lynch syndrome from around the world and revealed that two aspirins a day, for an average of two and a half years, reduced the rate of bowel cancer by half. The study, led by experts at the Universities of Newcastle and Leeds, published in The Lancet today, is a planned double-blind 10 year follow–up, supplemented in more than half of recruits with comprehensive national cancer registry data for up to 20 years. Supports national guidance The findings of the study further strengthens the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommendation on taking daily aspirin for those at high risk and supports wider use of aspirin to prevent cancer. https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/regular-dose-of-aspirin-to-reduce-risk-of-inherited-bowel-cancer-336022?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=89412893&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_zKODGi_A20vu_jiD3nIeikKhCzGUxcr7yPLSSmdWkjCDYILtg3TZudJ65nBr_j-FxkNa-sLtAX1OEg3ldFQwgnKtG4w&utm_content=89412893&utm_source=hs_email