Mayo Clinic Q and A: COVID-19 vaccine myths – Part I
December 20, 2020
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: There has been a lot of news coverage about the COVID-19 vaccines recently developed and now being administered across the U.S. But with so much information out there, I'm confused about whether these vaccines will be safe. Could you address some of my concerns?
ANSWER: As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued around the world, the brightest hope for ending the pandemic has been the...
As companies race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine and countries scramble to secure doses, questions about the use of pork products — banned by some religious groups — has raised concerns about the possibility of disrupted immunization campaigns.
Allergic reactions to vaccines are rare but not unheard of.
Popular Science – Two healthcare workers in Alaska developed allergic reactions within minutes of receiving Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, The New York Times reported on December 16.
Both of the afflicted people worked at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, and one remained hospitalized through Thursday.
This staff member, who had no history of serious allergies, went into anaphylaxis shortly after her shot.
Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that...
Dec 17, 2020
AP – Twitter said Wednesday that it will begin removing misinformation about COVID-19 vaccinations from its site.
It listed among posts that will removed are those including false claims that the virus is not real, debunked claims about the effects of receiving the vaccine and baseless claims that suggest that immunizations are used to harm or control people.
Twitter said in a blog post that it will start enforcing the new policy...
CNN – US Rep. Joe Wilson announced Wednesday evening that he has tested positive for Covid-19 and will go into isolation through the holidays.
The South Carolina Republican is the latest member to test positive for Covid-19.
He was on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to vote and spoke on the House floor at 2 p.m. ET.
He kept his face mask on following new rules from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that members must keep them on...
"I chose to go a more natural route in terms of medicine, opting more for vitamins and healthy food."
I received the diagnosis that so many Americans across our country and the world had already received—I tested positive for COVID-19.
To make matters worse, my husband, and our nation’s Commander-in-Chief, received the same news.
Naturally my mind went immediately to our son. To our great relief he tested negative, but again, as so many parents have...
Hospital bills for uninsured COVID patients are covered, but no one tells them |
"Asking questions about insurance coverage is often referred to as a 'wallet biopsy,' and can result in fines for hospitals or even being temporarily banned from receiving Medicare payments."
Nashville Public Radio – When Darius Settles died from COVID-19 on the Fourth of July, his family and the city of Nashville, Tennessee, were shocked.
Even the mayor noted the passing of a 30-year-old...
Endocrine Society – According to a new study, over 80 percent of 200 COVID-19 patients in a hospital in Spain have vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D is a hormone the kidneys produce that controls blood calcium concentration and impacts the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a variety of health concerns, although research is still underway into why the hormone impacts other systems of the body. Many studies point to the beneficial...
Oct 29, 2020 |
CNN – Immunity to Covid-19 infection lingers for at least five months, researchers reported -- and probably longer than that.
While the report may seem confusing and contradictory to a similar report out of Britain this week, it really isn't.
People's bodies produce an army of immune compounds in response to an infection and some are overwhelming at first, dying off quickly, while others build more slowly.
The new report out Wednesday shows...
“One-third of people with obesity gained weight during the lockdown, compared to 20 percent of people with normal weight or overweight.” |
PLUS: How has COVID-19 affected America's sex life?
Oct 23, 2020
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana – A first-of-its-kind global survey shows the initial phase of the COVID-19 lockdown dramatically altered our personal habits, largely for the worse.
Leanne Redman, PhD, Associate Executive Director for Scientific Education at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, said
“The stay-at-home orders did result in one...
CNN – Dr. Fauci has said that he doesn't think a federal mandate would be the way to go.
Until now.
"Well, if people are not wearing masks, then maybe we should be mandating it," Fauci told CNN's Erin Burnett Friday.
Mask mandates may be tricky to enforce, but it might be time to call for them, Fauci said.
"There's going to be a difficulty enforcing it, but if everyone agrees that this is something that's important and they...
"The law prohibits employers from firing, demoting or otherwise retaliating against workers who refuse to take part in activities they believe are incompatible with public health and safety mandates."
Workers Fired, Penalized for Reporting COVID Safety Violations
Oct 23, 2020
Kaiser Health News – When COVID-19 began making headlines in March, Charles Collins pulled out a protective face mask from the supply at the manufacturing company in Rockaway, New Jersey, where he was the shop foreman...
What is the Antibody Test?
AMERICAN RED CROSS – An antibody test screens for antibodies in your blood, which are formed when fighting an infection, like COVID-19. An antibody test assesses whether your immune system has responded to the infection, not if the virus is currently present.
The COVID-19 antibody test is authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and may indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to the coronavirus,...