Richard Harris
Government health officials are recommending a “pause” in vaccinations with the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. We’re answering your questions as we learn more.
Infusing blood plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 into sick patients looks good on paper. But studies of the treatment haven’t found benefits.
Scientists say the pandemic will only end in the U.S. when we achieve what’s called herd immunity. Play with our simulations to see how immunity can stop an outbreak in its tracks.
First, can someone who has been vaccinated still spread the disease? Second, will the vaccine remain effective as the virus itself evolves? And third, how long will the vaccine’s protection last?
Experts will assess the benefits and risks of authorizing what could be the first COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in the U.S.
Biotech company Moderna has new data reinforcing that its COVID-19 inoculation is safe and effective. The company is submitting an application to the FDA Monday requesting emergency use authorization.
Scientists are now checking to see if purified blood serum from people who have recovered from COVID-19 might be more than a useful treatment. Perhaps it’s a way to prevent disease in someone else.
Instead of running a coronavirus test on every specimen, a lab can combines multiple samples. If the batch is negative, then everyone is in the clear. A positive leads to a second round of testing.
What types of testing are available for the coronavirus? And how accurate are they? Here’s a handy guide to the field.
The proportion of people who say they have a “great deal” of confidence in scientists to act in the public interest increased from 21% in 2016 to 35% in 2019, according to the Pew Research Center.
People who suffer from prolonged delirium in the hospital are likely to develop long-term mental problems like dementia. Doctors have come up with techniques they say can reduce delirium in the ICU.
Researchers looked at states with medical marijuana dispensaries and those that allow home cultivation. They found lower use of opioids, when compared with states where marijuana remains illegal.
A bedside computer loaded with software that tracks vital signs in the ICU can pick up early warning patterns, specialists say. But it takes a human care provider to sort the signal from the noise.
Industry says it costs about $2.7 billion to bring a cancer drug to market. But oncologists who ran the numbers put the average closer to $650 million. Drugs are priced way too high, the doctors say.
A federal task force says the risks of screening outweigh benefits. Many thyroid growths never develop into dangerous cancers, and overdiagnosis can lead people to have unnecessary surgery.
Most potential new drugs don’t work when tested in people. It’s a major disappointment and it drives up the cost of developing new drugs. One big reason is the use of animals in medical research.
Researchers have long known behavior, environment and genetics play a role in cancer. A study in Science finds luck is also a major factor. Nearly two-thirds of cancer mutations arise randomly.
Research hasn’t yet confirmed the early hints that a mix of IV vitamins and steroids might stop the fatal organ failure of sepsis. But an effective treatment for sepsis would be a really big deal.