Immunology

ACE2: New Chewing Gum Reduces Coronavirus Viral Load In Saliva

A recent study finds that chewing gum laced with a plant-grown protein named ACE2 serves as a “trap” for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, reducing viral load in saliva and potentially tamping down transmission. Vaccinations for COVID-19 have begun to stamp out the p ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 10 2021 - 1:39pm

Flu Pandemics Will Still Happen, And Annual Vaccines Build Stronger Immunity In Kids

This is the third coronavirus pandemic of this century, after SARS and MERS, and due to that many forget that influenza is a chronic killer, 40-60,000 deaths in America alone each year. To mitigate those effects, there is a seasonal flu vaccine. Each year ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 4 2022 - 10:45am

New HIV Variant Breaks Out In The Netherlands

The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and new mutations in viral genetic sequences have made "variant" part of the cultural lexicon, because they can have significant impacts on the virus’s transmissibility and the damage it causes.  Researchers have l ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 4 2022 - 11:00am

COVID-19 Vaccines May Be Worse At Stopping New Variants, But They’re Still Lowering The Risk

The rise of the omicron variant has caused havoc around the world, just as the emergence of the delta and alpha variants did before. A pattern has emerged, with the world scrambling to respond to a new form of the coronavirus every six or so months. How c ...

Article - The Conversation - Feb 8 2022 - 10:08am

If You Are Vaccinated And Catch COVID-19, What Are Your Chances Of Dying?

Thankfully, most people who get COVID–19 don’t become seriously ill – especially those who are vaccinated. But a small fraction do get hospitalized, and a smaller fraction do die. If you are vaccinated and catch the coronavirus, what are your chances of g ...

Article - The Conversation - Mar 1 2022 - 5:32am

Janssen Vs Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccines: A Clear Winner In Reduced Hospitalizations

COVID-19 vaccines have shown to be effective at preventing vaccines but the big win for public health is reduced effects if you get it anyway. If you don't have co-morbidities your relative risk is very low but if you do have them, every precaution is ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Mar 7 2022 - 12:02pm

COVID-19 May Be Bad But If You Get That And Flu, It's Really Bad

Prior to the latest coronavirus pandemic, many were indifferent about getting the flu vaccine. They shouldn't be. Co-infections are not common but a new study finds that adults in hospital who have COVID-19 and the flu at the same time are at much gre ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 27 2022 - 6:03pm

Monkeypox: Most Infected Won't Need Them But We Already Have Vaccines And Drugs For It

Medicines are not normally needed to treat monkeypox. The illness is usually mild and most people infected will recover within a few weeks without needing treatment. But there are vaccines that can be used to control monkeypox outbreaks, which some countr ...

Article - The Conversation - May 27 2022 - 2:53pm

COVID Variants And Transmission- 'Reff' May Be More Important Than R0

During the pandemic we have all become familiar with a lot of epidemiological concepts. One that was introduced to us early in 2020 is the “basic reproductive number”, or R0. This tells us about the intrinsic contagiousness of a virus, or its inherent cap ...

Article - The Conversation - Jul 27 2022 - 8:09am

How Mitochondrial Dysfunction Leads To Premature Aging And Disease

Mitochondria provide the lion’s share of energy that cells need to function normally, so genetic defects in mitochondria can cause severe diseases that can be devastating if not caught and treated early. Mitochondria remain important throughout our lives. ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 22 2022 - 2:46pm