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COVID-19

A booster shot is administered in Stony Brook, New York in November. Such a shot can help spur a person’s immune system to ramp up defenses against Covid-19.

Six Questions About Waning Immunity to Covid-19 Answered

Experts weigh in on when a reduced immune response occurs and how boosters can help restore defenses

To reduce the risk of contracting and spreading Omicron, experts offer the same proven advice as they do against all Covid-19 variants: social distancing, masking, and getting vaccinated and boosted.

What Experts Do and Don’t Know About the Omicron Covid-19 Variant

Scientists have dubbed Omicron a “variant of concern,” but warn against panic

The coronavirus is suspected to attack specific cells in the nose that help olfactory nerves, which sense smell, operate. 

Up to 1.6 Million People in the U.S. Have Long-Term Smell Loss Due to Covid-19

After six months of smell loss, the chance of recovery drops to less than 20 percent, and around 5 percent of all cases will result in permanent loss

Experts aren’t recommending one jab over the other, instead advising individuals to make the decision be made based on personal factors.

CDC Panel and FDA Authorize Covid-19 Boosters for All Adults

Americans 18 and older will be eligible for a booster shot of their choice, pending approval from CDC Director Rochelle Walensky

If regulators approve the request, roughly 181 million fully vaccinated Americans will be able to get an additional jab.

Pfizer Asks FDA to Expand Booster Eligibility to All Adults

Experts are optimistic the request will be granted before the winter holiday season

Though experts emphasize that vaccines are the primary defense against Covid-19, antiviral medicines could be another tool that doctors can use reduce the severity of infections, especially for high-risk Americans.

Pfizer Says Covid-19 Pill Cuts Hospitalization and Death Risk by Nearly 90 Percent

Though vaccines are still the best line of defense against the virus, the antiviral drug could help high-risk Americans once symptoms appear

Results from clinical trials show Pfizer’s vaccine was around 91 percent effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 infections in kids ages 5 to 11.

CDC Recommends Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccine for Children Ages 5 to 11

About 28 million kids are immediately eligible for the safe and effective lower-dose vaccine

The recent decision expands vaccine eligibility to roughly 28 million American children.

FDA Authorizes Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccine for Kids 5 to 11

The lower-dose vaccine could be administered as soon as this Wednesday, pending CDC approval

The CDC added mental health disorders to the list of primarily physical conditions that increase the risk of Covid-19 hospitalization or death. 

The Future of Mental Health

The CDC Adds Mental Health Conditions to High-Risk Covid-19 List

The addition of mood disorders expands the list of Americans eligible for booster shots by millions

The skin patch vaccine is administered by a pocket-sized device with 5,000 needle-like projections.

Covid-19

Could Skin Patches Be the Future of Covid Vaccines?

The device might survive longer storage times and pose a better option for people afraid of needles

Those currently eligible for a booster shot include older and high-risk recipients of the Pfizer and Moderna jabs, and those who received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Mixing and Matching Covid-19 Vaccines Could Impact Immunity

Because public health officials aren’t recommending one booster shot over another, individuals are left to make a choice based on personal factors

The Food and Drug Administration And Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are likely to authorize the vaccine for young kids within the next few days.

FDA Panel Recommends Pfizer Vaccine for Children 5 to 11

The lower-dose vaccine was deemed safe and highly effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 infections in young children

Kids given two low-dose versions of the Moderna vaccine a month apart showed antibody levels 1.5 times higher than those seen in young adults. 

Moderna Says Covid-19 Vaccine Is Safe and Effective for Kids 6 to 11

The trial of nearly 5,000 children showed a strong immune response from two low-dose shots

Other actions that curbed the spread of the virus include vaccine education programs, vaccination events, lockdowns, curfew times, and rigorous sanitary measures.

Puerto Rico Has the Highest Covid-19 Vaccination Rate Among the United States and Its Territories

Mass vaccination events and compliance with restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus helped control community transmission rates

Since the country’s first booster shot was approved last month, some 11.6 million individuals have received the additional jab.

FDA Backs Moderna and J&J Boosters, Plus Mix-and-Match Strategy

Experts say fully vaccinated Americans are still well protected, but boosters could provide added immunity for millions

Survivors received “fever passes” that certified their immunity, allowing them increased freedom of movement at a time when a substantial portion of the population was being held under strict quarantine.

Covid-19

In 19th-Century Gibraltar, Survivors of a Deadly Virus Used ‘Fever Passes’ to Prove Their Immunity

Should historic health officials’ response to yellow fever outbreaks on the Iberian Peninsula serve as a model for modern pandemic management strategies?

The city’s Health Department informally acknowledged that racism was a public health crisis following the police murder of George Floyd in 2020.

Racism Is Declared a Public Health Crisis in New York City

The new resolution outlines steps toward a ‘racially just recovery’ from the Covid-19 pandemic for all New Yorkers

The panel recommended authorizing the booster for Americans 18 years or older at least two months after their first dose.

FDA Panel Unanimously Recommends Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Booster Shots

The committee said some J&J recipients might have a stronger immune response by opting to get a Moderna or Pfizer booster instead

The antiviral drug molnupiravir is in Phase 3 trials.

Seven Important Questions About Covid Antivirals Answered

New medicines may stop the virus from replicating so your immune system can fight a few viral soldiers instead of an army

The new antiviral pill could help unburden hospitals in states with low vaccination rates.

Merck Asks FDA to Authorize Promising Covid-19 Pill

If approved, the antiviral drug could be a game-changer in the fight against the virus

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