Category Archives: Preventative Medicine

MIDDLETONMiddleton Dentist Dr. Chris Kammer established Victorious Dental at 8313 Greenway Blvd, Ste. 20 to focus on an alternative approach to dental care which treats tooth decay and preserves teeth rather than the more conventional method of drilling and filling them.

Kammer has been a dentist in Madison and Middleton for decades and says he has done just about everything in the field. About 15 years ago he became interested in the connection between mouth health and overall health. Kammer was fascinated by the correlation between poor dental health and increased risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes.

Kammer founded an organization called the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health, which is made up of health professionals dedicated to expanding awareness of the relationship between oral health and whole-body health. Kammer says about 1000 people attend the annual meetings.

His approach focuses on getting patients started early. He says children should begin scheduling regular visits at age one to establish a lifetime of good oral health. If and when tooth decay develops Kammer says it can be healed rather than removed.

Keep people in that lane, keep people in that preventative healing lane, so they don't ever have to get into the restorative, heavy duty surgical care lane, Kammer says.

Kammer decided to open a practice exclusively using the no-drill approach.

What if you moved away from traditional dentistry and focused on just starting out and keeping people decay free? Kammer asks. Or if they have decay, heal their decay with non-mechanical means, like they would do in medicine. If you had an infection in your skin or something, they wouldn't go cut your skin out to heal that infection. What does dentistry do when there's an infection in your tooth when there's tooth decaythey cut it out, it can be healed.

To treat tooth decay Kammer uses ozone which is an excited form of oxygen molecule. It can be used to sterilize the area of decay without needing to remove a large volume of the structure of the tooth. The tooth is then treated with silver diamine fluoride (SDF). Silver and Fluoride ions possess antimicrobial properties and remineralize the enamel and dentin on teeth.

Currently SDF is cleared for sale by the US Food and Drug Administration as a Class II medical device for the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity. Kammer says the National Institute of Health is expected to complete a study on the treatment in about two years.

Kammer believes the FDA will then approve SDF as the first medicine used to treat tooth decay.

Thats going to throw dentistry for a loop, Kammer says.

He notes it is important to understand there are caveats with the treatment. Areas of a tooth with decay darken turning black. The teeth also need a steady dose of fluoride and xylitol, ideally five separate exposures daily.

Kammer says the caveats are more perceived than actual since the dark spots can be covered cosmetically and xylitol is readily available and in many products.

As far as making teeth look nice, I can do it, Kammer says. But to me, it's more important we stop the disease first, then we can worry about making your smile look pretty.

Kammer says the treatment is cheaper than traditional dentist care and he is one of the few dentists that will accept Badgercare.

If I was running state aid, I'd say what you're doing we need to have everybody in the state doing because what I charge to heal a cavity versus what I would charge them if I were to fill, Kammer says. They'll never have further problems down the line, or less likely, but it would make all the sense in the world.

He says his approach could be a much more affordable option for dentists just starting out. The equipment needed is also lightweight and mobile compared to traditional dentistry.

Honestly I can't tell you how this is going to play in the big picture, but I do know that there should be a clinic like this in every city, Kammer states.

He thinks his practice could serve as a blueprint.

I'm seeing with an eye to the future, what I do here, can be done in other cities and throughout America because I think that's what we need, Kammer says.

Victorious Dental also offers services related to whole body health including: a saliva bacteria test; systemic inflammation blood test; cardiovascular ultrasound screening scan; and in-body visceral fat level scan. More information can be found at thedrillisgone.com.

The rest is here:
Local Dentist Aims to Revolutionize Industry with No-Drill Treatment - Middleton Times Tribune

An explosion in cancer therapies over the past decade has greatly improved peoples chances of surviving cancer. There are upward of 16 million human cancer survivors in the U.S. todayand that number is expected to grow substantially over the next five to 10 years.

The development of new targeted therapies has even transformed some once-terminal cancers into health conditions that can be managed more like a chronic disease. That is a huge success story, said Iris Jaffe, cardiologist and executive director of the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute (MCRI) at Tufts Medical Center.

However, some advances in cancer treatment have come at a cost, Jaffe said. Most of the new cancer therapies were studied in cancer patients who otherwise might have died from their cancer. The drugs were approved based on the survival data demonstrating their efficacy for treating tumors and metastasis.

Now, in many cases, we put patients on these drugs for life. And were discovering that many novel cancer therapies cause heart and blood-vessel side effects that were unanticipated when those drugs were first approved, she said.

These long-term side effects are particularly problematic for the youngest patients. Childhood-cancer survivors have a six-fold higher rate of developing cardiovascular disease 15 to 20 years later than those who havent gone through treatments. If you were a 10-year-old when you had cancer, that means you may be dealing with heart disease when youre only 25 or 30, said Jaffe, the Elisa Kent Mendelsohn Professor of Molecular Cardiology at Tufts University School of Medicine.

This medical quandary has led to an emerging field of medicine called cardio-oncology, which is dedicated to managing and studying heart and blood-vessel problems caused by cancer treatment.

In Tufts Cardio-Oncology Research Groupwhich was formed in October 2017 by Jaffe within the MCRIcardiologists and biomedical researchers are taking a unique approach to the problem. Theyre working closely with veterinarians to better understand and treat cancer therapies effects on the heart through studies in both people at Tufts Medical Center and pets at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

As the life-extending benefits of the new generation of cancer drugs reached veterinary clinicsadding an estimated average of 6 to 24 months of life to a typical pet dog treated for cancerthe risk of long-term cardiovascular side effects also rose. Some traditional chemotherapies such as doxorubicin, which also is used in human medicine, already are well known to cause long-term heart damage in dogs.

Thats why Cheryl London, V90, a veterinary oncologist well known for doing comparisons across species, was all ears when Jaffe approached her in April 2018, proposing a truly multidisciplinary approach to answering the questions raised by the Cardio-Oncology Research Group

Londonthe Anne Engen and Dusty Professor in Comparative Oncology atCummings Schoolis leading a study in dogs looking at whether immunotherapy can help the body fight lymphoma using far less-toxic doses of doxorubicin.

The clinical trial is being funded by part of a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health through the Cancer Moonshot initiative. Her colleague, veterinary cardiologist Vicky Yang, V09, led a team of Cummings School researchers who identified a potential biomarker thats an early indicator of heart damage being caused by this common chemotherapy.

With many new cancer therapies poised to enter veterinary clinics, London and Yang also are concerned about the long-term side effects of the comparable human drugs. For example, the oral cancer treatment toceranib (Palladia)the first cancer therapy approved specifically for dogsis analogous to sunitnib, a cancer treatment that often causes high blood pressure in people.

Given their patients potential for shared complications, London and Yang eagerly joined forces with their counterparts researching human medicine.

The Cardio-Oncology Research Group secured more than $3 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to launch a multidisciplinary study entitled Credentialing a Cross-Species Platform to Investigate Cancer Therapy-Associated Cardiovascular Toxicity. The study seeks to determine the mechanisms driving cancer treatments toxic effects, develop an early diagnostic for cardiovascular dysfunction, and assess possible preventative therapies.

The researchers are looking at two drugs in pets and people: toceranib, which causes high blood pressure, and doxorubicin, which causes heart failurein dogs being treated for cancer at the Henry & Lois Foster Hospital for Small Animals, and their human-medicine equivalents in people being treated at Tufts Medical Center.

In human and canine patients, clinicians are comparing ultrasounds of the heart called echocardiograms over time and blood pressure measurements against the results of blood tests to identify molecular changes that may serve as early indicators of cardiovascular side effects.

The study has already yielded new evidence of a cancer treatments effect on dogs. Pets blood pressure usually is not taken routinely as part of oncology follow-ups the way it is in people, said Yang, a research assistant professor at Cummings School. However, when veterinarians started checking blood pressure in dogs treated with toceranib as part of the studies done in collaboration with the Tufts physicians, they noticed that some canine patients were developing high blood pressure, just like many human patients treated with sunitnib do, Yang said.

While in human medicine cardiologists turn to existing blood-pressure medications to try to bring patients blood pressure down, so they can continue their cancer treatments, the approach is not based on any evidence.

We dont really know the biological mechanism thats causing the high blood pressure, and there have been no clinical trials to show whether one drug is better than another, said Jaffe.

Now the group is comparing the cardioprotective benefits of two blood-pressure medications in dogs treated with toceranib as part of the NIH-funded study. The findings could have practice-changing implications for pets and people alike.

If we see some benefit with the drug identified from our research study in the canine cancer patients, the next step would be a clinical trial in humans, said Jaffe. We already have cardio-oncologists taking care of patients at Tufts Medical Center, so we could pretty rapidly follow up on any promising approach in people.

Howard Chen, an assistant professor of medicine at Tufts School of Medicine and investigator in the MCRI at Tufts Medical Center, expects the cross-species nature of Tufts research to help translate his own laboratory findings into new diagnostics and treatments far more quickly.

A pre-clinical researcher, Chen is partnering with Yang on a complementary study funded by a Tufts Collaborates seed grant. Their research aims to determine whether molecular imaging can reveal biological changes in the heart caused by cancer treatments well before there has been a change in the organs structure or function.

Oncologists monitor cardiac function now as a routine follow-up in their patients, but its hard to predict which patients will go on to develop cardiac problems and when, said Chen. Existing medical imaging technology only provides anatomical information, so it cant tell doctors if theres a problem until cardiac function is already impaired. At that point, oncologists only choice is to stop the chemotherapy, which is not what anyone wants, because then the cancer will come back.

Chen has identified pathways in cardiac muscle cells that appear to be affected by cancer treatment in mice. Hes now using canine cardiac tissue from Cummings Schools deceased-body-donation programthrough which pet owners may donate their animals bodies to research that helps animals and peopleto study if its possible to see changes in those cells under magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Chens findings could be directly applied to human patients.

Yang said shes thrilled how the pace of the veterinary research seems to be accelerating as a result of working so closely with physicians and basic scientists. Theyre getting really excited about what we do, Yang said. Whenever they have an idea, theyre thinking about how to bring dogs into their studies.

The collaboration across human and veterinary medicine has really been spectacular agreed Jaffe. She noted that the cardio-oncology team has made rapid advances, secured multiple large NIH grants, and brought together senior investigators and junior investigators, providing great opportunities for mentoring.

I think we owe a lot of our success to having the veterinary school involved, Jaffe said. By demonstrating safety and efficacy in dogsreal cancer patientswe will not only help these pets and their owners, but well be able to translate these findings into people faster through this uniquely Tufts collaboration.

Genevieve Rajewski can be reached at genevieve.rajewski@tufts.edu.

Read the rest here:
Investigating Cancer Treatments' Effects on the Heart and Blood Vessels - Tufts Now

Visit the News Hub

This episode of 'Show Me the Science' reports on progress toward a vaccine and how to stay safe before vaccines become widely available

In this episode of "Show Me the Science," infectious diseases physicians at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis discuss the status, safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S., as well as how to approach flu season while the pandemic holds on during the winter months.

A new episode of our podcast, Show Me the Science, has been posted. At present, these podcast episodes are highlighting research and patient care on the Washington University Medical Campus as our scientists and clinicians confront the COVID-19 pandemic.

Drug companies are reporting eye-popping success rates in clinical trials of their vaccines to prevent COVID-19. Its possible the first people in the U.S. could begin getting shots before the end of the year. In this episode, well hear about the amazing pace of vaccine development, as well as Washington Universitys role in vaccine research, from infectious diseases specialist Rachel Presti, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medicine and medical director of Washington Universitys Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit. Presti discusses how soon most of us can expect to get a vaccine and how safe those shots are likely to be. In addition, we visit again with Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, a clinical instructor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases. She discusses how COVID-19 and the flu might interact as the pandemic continues during flu season. Hlatshwayo Davis believes its important for everyone to get a flu shot, and she and Presti both think that if we can double down on use of masks, hand-washing and social distancing, it will limit the spread of COVID-19 while also cutting down on the number of flu cases we will see.

The podcast, Show Me the Science, is produced by the Office of Medical Public Affairs at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Transcript

[music]

Jim Dryden (host): Hello, and welcome to Show Me the Science, conversations about science and health with the people of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, the Show-Me state. As we continue to look at Washington Universitys response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we focus in this episode on vaccines.

Rachel Presti, MD, PhD: I think its really, really exciting. The numbers that they were reporting are really remarkable, really kind of best-case scenario of what we were thinking we might get. So I think its very promising.

Dryden: Thats infectious diseases specialist Rachel Presti. Shes running the vaccine trials at Washington University School of Medicine, and she says with a few vaccines reporting early successes at much higher rates than anticipated, and with more reports expected soon, we could see some people in the United States vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus before the end of the year. But even with the good news, most of us wont have the opportunity to be vaccinated for several more months. So infectious diseases specialist Mati Hlatshwayo Davis says its important that we double down in our efforts to protect ourselves over the next couple of months. Part of that, she says, involves protecting ourselves against other viruses that circulate at this time of year, particularly influenza.

Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis, MD: If we dont have a really good and successful flu campaign, and we have a situation where our hospitals are overwhelmed with sick people from flu, from the myriad of other respiratory viruses out there on top of the fact that we have people still getting sick from coronavirus, we will again find ourselves in a situation where our resources are stretched.

Dryden: Flu shots have been available for several weeks. For coronavirus vaccination, not quite yet. But Pfizer, then Moderna, then AstraZeneca, all reported that their vaccines appeared to work. All reported success rates much higher than had been expected. And according to Rachel Presti, that means some people could start getting vaccinated in a few weeks.

Presti: They were talking actually about having vaccines available maybe in mid- to late December. Those would be small numbers, and it would probably be the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines. They would probably be mainly for healthcare workers who are at high-risk and other folks who were essential workers who are at high risk of infection.

Dryden: A lot of people had expected these first COVID vaccines would be closer to 50 or 60 percent effective, and that would have been considered good. So how big a deal is it that these early vaccines keep reporting success rates so much higher than that?

Presti: I think its really, really exciting. When you still have small numbers, you always worry about there being some small statistical kind of issue. But the numbers that they were reporting are really remarkable, really kind of best-case scenario of what we were thinking we might get. So I think its very promising.

Dryden: How do these studies determine that the shot is working, rather than that the volunteers just didnt get sick?

Presti: Obviously, there are a whole lot of people who got vaccinated, and there were whole lot of people who didnt get vaccinated, who never got exposed in that timeframe. So its important to continue to follow people. But a 90% efficacy means those numbers dont happen very often by accident.

Dryden: Now, the news about the vaccines was encouraging. But that Pfizer vaccine, and I think the Moderna vaccine as well, require some very specialized refrigeration. I guess Moderna doesnt have to be quite as cold. But people also need to get two doses of each of those shots to work. And I wonder if that makes it important to keep looking for other vaccines that might be easier to store, easier to get patients to comply with.

Presti: Right. I mean, I think were going to need multiple different vaccines because were going to need to be able to vaccinate the entire population of the world, really, to address this. This virus has really gone worldwide. And the Pfizer vaccine is going to require ultradeep cold storage, and that is just not something that is easy to do worldwide. It can be done in the US, but even in the US that is somewhat difficult. The Moderna vaccine requires freezing and sort of the normal freezer temperature, but that still is a little bit difficult. And you have to know that your freezers are not failing, you have to have access to electricity to keep things cold. Our hope is with the newer vaccines AstraZeneca actually can be stored at sort of refrigerator temperatures for quite some time. The closer we can get to a vaccine that doesnt require cold storage throughout its journey from the pharmaceutical company thats manufacturing it to your arm, eventually, the easier this is going to be. And then, the other thing is the number of doses. So ideally, a vaccine that is a single dose that doesnt require cold storage would be the best potential vaccine. But we also need one fast. So its great to have these vaccines available and know that they work because we can get started protecting some of the people who are most vulnerable.

Dryden: How long do the drug companies have to wait in order to demonstrate safety?

Presti: The FDA set out rules. They want at least two months of follow-up on all their participants after they get both doses of the vaccine.

Dryden: Theres been a lot of talk about whether the natural immune response persists in people who have had COVID-19, or whether they can get re-infected. Now, if they only test this vaccine for a few months, do we really know how long the protection lasts? Or do you expect this will be like a flu shot that we have to get every year at some point?

Presti: So I think we dont know. I think thats part of the reason why almost all of these studies are designed to last for at least two years. And so, hopefully, well have enough people who stay on the study arm. We would continue to follow them. And that way, we can see how long does the vaccine last. How long does the antibody response last? What is it that you need? And then, were getting a lot of blood so that we can see how long that does last. Most of these vaccines are sort of targeting the same kind of immune response. So theyre using different strategies, but theyre all targeting the same protein that spike protein on the virus. If that works in one vaccine, its very likely that itll work in another.

Dryden: A year ago, we had not heard of SARS-CoV-2. And now, theres a vaccine. Thats far and away the fastest vaccine development in the history of vaccines, Im guessing. And I wonder if theres any fear that in moving so fast, some corners might have been cut?

Presti: We tried not to. Theres always things that might happen that you find out about. And when you move this far this fast, theres a temptation to say, Oh, I think thats still okay. But in reality, Ive been very impressed. Both AstraZeneca and Janssen paused their studies. With all the pressure on these companies and the researchers doing the studies to get an answer fast, on the basis of one person getting sick with an unusual illness that could have potentially been related to the vaccine, they stopped the study. And they waited, and they evaluated, and they had multiple scientists look at the data. And so, those kind of safety corners are not being cut. Were hoping that if there are side effects that youll see them early. And were hoping that the fact that we are enrolling tens of thousands of people into these studies these are huge vaccine trials, much bigger than weve done in past. So were hoping that we will have that information because weve done it in more people, even if we tried to do it as quickly as possible.

Dryden: Nonetheless, there is lots of suspicion of other vaccines too. Some people refuse to have their kids vaccinated. Do you expect that even after a vaccine is approved, we may still get COVID outbreaks because some people are going to refuse to get this vaccination?

Presti: I think thats possible. The thought is that this might become one of those seasonal viruses, and we may see it come through. I think theres still questions about whether or not we could come up with a better treatment or a better vaccine, that would target coronaviruses more in general. Weve now seen these outbreaks of SARS and MERS, and now SARS-CoV-2. It was easier to come up with a COVID-19 vaccine because of all the work that was done trying to make a SARS and a MERS vaccine that never got fully developed because those viruses went away. So you dont think this one is going to go away. We think itll probably wind up circulating to some extent, and the hope is that well have enough immunity to it that we wont see these kind of huge outbreaks that were seeing right now.

Dryden: With those other viruses, I mean, one of the reasons they went away was that there was more than just a waiting for a vaccine, there were lots of public health measures that were taken. So Im guessing that while were all waiting and hoping that the news about vaccines continues to be good, we still need to do the things that weve needed to do from the beginning.

Presti: Oh, absolutely. And right now, were looking at really scary numbers. Were seeing the hospitals filling up. This is the nightmare scenario that people were worried about back in March. New York especially, there were certain areas of New York that just saw huge numbers, and the rest of the country didnt experience that. I think its always a little hard to prepare for something that you dont have direct experience with. And yet, its so critically important because if we run out of ICU beds, if we run out of places in the hospital to take care of people, then people are going to die because we cant do what we need to do.

Dryden: There are vaccine candidates that are being tested at Washington University School of Medicine. Is it still possible for people to volunteer?

Presti: Theyre still ongoing. Its still possible to volunteer. We have had tremendous outpouring, great community support for the vaccine studies. But each of the vaccine studies, were expecting that we may be doing more, and each of the vaccine studies have slightly different eligibility criteria, slightly different people theyre looking for. And so, yeah, if people are interested, I cant promise that I can get you on the vaccine study tomorrow, but we are still looking for people. Yeah.

Dryden: Until then, I guess masks, handwashing, social distancing, until, and even beyond, the time that some of us get vaccinated.

Presti: Right. So I mean, the vaccines arent going to work instantaneously. You need to get that immune response, and that usually takes about three weeks. So we want to make sure that you cant rip your mask off and stop washing your hands the day after you get the vaccine. The other thing is what weve noticed with handwashing and wearing masks is, were not seeing a lot of flu right now. And when we shut things down in March, we not only did a decent job trying to flatten the coronavirus curve, but we saw other respiratory viral infections just plummet. So these work. It works as a way of keeping yourself healthy and safe, and to some extent maybe should be something that we think about doing a little bit more. Not shutting the economy down, not shutting the schools down; but think about washing your hands, and think about wearing a mask in these respiratory viruses.

Dryden: Presti says even if it does keep those vaccinated from getting sick, we wont know right away whether the vaccine also prevents those who get the shot from spreading the infection to others who havent yet been vaccinated. So even after people are vaccinated, Presti says its important for them to remain vigilant with masks, distancing, and handwashing; still our best strategies for fighting COVID-19. Those practices also are likely to help protect against flu. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, also an infectious diseases specialist, says because COVID-19 is so new, its not yet clear how the novel coronavirus and influenza will affect one another.

Hlatshwayo Davis: We dont know what flu and coronavirus are going to do together. That is a sort of time will tell. What is important, and what we do know, is that flu on its own carries with it a high degree of morbidity and mortality, right? People can get very sick, and people can die. We know that we need to protect ourselves from flu. We know what were dealing with with coronavirus. And so its obvious that to have both of them not at a place of being well-controlled will be difficult, and, quite honestly, devastating if we dont get ahead of it.The level that a lot of us in the public health sector are most concerned about is not so much on the individual level as much as how this will impact our hospital systems. If we dont have a really good and successful flu campaign where people get their vaccines early and are willing to actually get them, and we have a situation where our hospitals are overwhelmed with sick people from flu, from the myriad of other respiratory viruses out there, on top of the fact that we have people still getting sick from coronavirus, we will again find ourselves in a situation where our resources are stretched. Where we dont have enough beds for those who critically need them. Where we dont have enough ICU space and ventilators for those that critically need them. And where we possibly then run into issues around supply. So its critically important that we try to prevent what we know we can prevent. And our prevention strategies for flu are: get your flu vaccine and continue the same preventative strategies around COVID that will also help with flu and other respiratory viruses. Masking up is key. Masking up is the number one thing that I think people need to really, really get on board with. Washing hands with soap and water; where thats not available, with hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Social distancing at least six feet apart if youre in public, right? So avoiding large gatherings, particularly indoors. And those things will go such a long way to making sure that we keep the case numbers down from both influenza and coronavirus.

Dryden: Some of that was sort of at a macro level, though. At a micro level, I wake up, and I feel sick. Then what? I mean, I assume a phone call to the doctor is in order. We dont want to just show up at a doctors office. But should we isolate? Should we get tested? How does a person make that sort of a determination?

Hlatshwayo Davis: I think its critically important not to play your own doctor as much as possible. So for anyone who has access to a primary care physician, I think that should be your first call. A lot of the symptoms that we see with coronavirus are very similar to what we see with flu and other respiratory viruses. There are some differences. For the most part, we see with coronavirus, its not this sudden attack where you suddenly go down; whereas, with flu, you can oftentimes feel like youre hit by a truck almost immediately. But every disease does not follow the rulebooks. Theyre just variations around common themes. And so, rather than try to make assumptions or I mean, one thing I would say is if you wake up with symptoms, whatever they may be, whether its a fever, cough, trouble breathing, difficulty smelling, loss of taste, and other type of symptoms, the first determination is, How sick do you feel? Are you comfortable enough to still be at home? And if so, the first call really should be to your primary care physician. But if youre in a position where there is concern about how stable you can be at home youre having trouble catching your breath; you feel really, really bad then you have to go to an emergency room. I think the biggest message here is there are many similarities between these viruses, so its important to get testing wherever possible, and that you cannot be your own physician. So to that extent, try to engage the healthcare system as much as possible. Other resources that I think are important for people who need help who may not have access to a primary-care physician or who have other barriers that prevent them from being able to access the health-care system, whether it be they dont have transport, they have trouble paying bills, that they have trouble getting food for their families, are number one, the CDCs website is amazing. And it breaks down information on all of these topics weve been talking today very clearly and succinctly. But our county and city Departments of Health have incredible websites with all the sort of resources and numbers you can call to ask questions if youre struggling. So I would definitely direct people to engage in those resources.

Dryden: Should we have little oximeters at home? A thing that we can put on our fingers so that if we feel bad, we can get a quick read on what our blood oxygen level might be?

Hlatshwayo Davis: Thats an excellent question. Ill tell you a story first by way of example. When I was pregnant with our first child, I said to my husband, Babe, I found a home ultrasound on Amazon. I think Im going to get one. And he looked at me, and he said, Woman, absolutely not. You? With an ultrasound, with all of your anxiety and fears around the baby? What happens if you dont know how to use it, and you dont hear a heartbeat one day? So I say that to say, Im very wary of people arming themselves with tools that they may not be equipped to understand or know how to operate fully. So I think those types of contraptions, while I absolutely advocate for them, should be done under the observation and guidance of a health-care professional. My home hospital, Barnes-Jewish Hospital in Washington University School of Medicine, we have a home-monitoring program. So if you get diagnosed with coronavirus within our system, you can actually sign up for a home-monitoring program where you will be mailed such tools as the oximeter that youre talking about and a thermometer. But the difference is, youre guided by a healthcare professional either over the phone or through your computer as to what to do, what not to do, questions you can ask if things arent working. I love how engaged people are in their health, and I love how thoughtful people are. But I do think we need to do it in a way thats measured and has the expertise of the people that have been trained to support us.

Dryden: It seems to me that there were a few countries in the southern hemisphere that during their winter reported rather light flu seasons in 2020. The assumption being that because people were isolating due to COVID, they also were protecting themselves from other viruses that they might pick up just being around other people. And I wonder if theres a potential silver lining that if were protecting ourselves from COVID, and wearing masks, staying apart, working from home if possible, or whatever it is, if maybe we might get lucky this flu season. Is there any possibility of that?

Hlatshwayo Davis: If you are conscientious about using preventative strategies that protect against respiratory viruses in ways that we know, not only does it drive down the morbidity and mortality so that getting sick and potentially dying from those illnesses it definitely has a protective benefit. It would not be a surprise to me. I think we have an opportunity here to use what weve learned since March around coronavirus to protect ourselves and our loved ones. I will say, though, that cannot happen in isolation. When it comes to the flu, the vaccine is critical. And so, that has to happen.

[music]

Dryden: So if you havent gotten your flu shot yet, its important to get one. Its also important to remain vigilant with masking, social distancing, and handwashing as COVID vaccines gradually become available. Until then, there are still openings for volunteers who want to take part in vaccine trials at Washington University School of Medicine. For more information, please consult the Division of Infectious Diseases clinical trials website or email idcru@wustl.edu. Again, thats idcru@wustl.edu. Show Me the Science is a production of the Office of Medical Public Affairs at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The goal of this project is to keep you informed and maybe teach you some things that will give you hope. Thanks for tuning in. Im Jim Dryden. Stay safe.

Washington University School of Medicines 1,500 faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Childrens hospitals. The School of Medicine is a leader in medical research, teaching and patient care, ranking among the top 10 medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Childrens hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.

See the original post here:
Podcast: COVID-19 vaccines around the corner Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - Washington University School of Medicine in St....

This is part of a four-part series exploring the four facets of the ProShares MSCI Transformational Changes ETF (NYSEARCA:ANEW) ETF: The Future of Work, Genomics and Telehealth, the Digital Consumer and the Food Revolution. Click on other themes where linked to read other installments.

Healthcare has come a long way over the course of human history, but this may be one of the most exciting times in the sector and theProShares MSCI Transformational Changes ETF (NYSEARCA:ANEW) lets investors make their bet on those exciting developments.

Some of these changes are highly technical in nature. For instance, genomics combines our increasingly deep and complex knowledge of human biology with the sheer data-crunching power of technological advances to enable us to understand how a persons genes work and to use that to heal them.

Others are a lot closer to home. The Covid-19 pandemic has made traveling to the doctors office even more awkward and troublesome than before.As taken from ProShares information on the ANEW ETF, According to an April 2020 Harris Poll, 32% of Americans have used telehealth services, doubling since before the outbreak. The shift to telehealth may endure. Indeed, a May 2020 McKinsey & Company study stated that up to $250 billion of current U.S. healthcare spending could potentially be virtualized post-pandemic.

And thats not all. From targeted therapeutics to molecular diagnostics, ANEW digs deep into the cutting edge of the healthcare sector and pulls some of its best prospects together into one fund for investors.

The fund charges an 0.45% expense ratio, or $45 per $10,000 invested annually.

I had a chance to discuss the ANEW ETF with Scott Helfstein, Executive Director of Thematic Investing for ProShares, and talk about how ANEW is letting investors get in on cutting-edge medical advancements.

InvestorPlace: Gene editing can sound scary to some people, but its a market that continues to grow gene editing is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.6% through 2027, to reach $6.6 billion. What are some of the use cases for this therapy investors might be more familiar with?

Scott Helfstein, Executive Director of Thematic Investing for ProShares: The search for a COVID-19 vaccine is one very salient example right now. Leading vaccine candidates from Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) and Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)/Biontech (NASDAQ:BNTX), and other companies use genetic therapy through messenger RNA that essentially delivers photocopied blueprints. This is remarkable, representing a possible turning point in medicine and potentially the first time that genetic medicine is administered at mass scale. The technology could someday be adapted to teach the body to fight off a range of pathogens from cancer to HIV.

The COVID gene-based vaccines are specific sections or strands of genetic code manipulated to include instructions for the human body to produce antibodies capable of fighting off the virus. The vaccine does not edit peoples DNA, an individuals unique code, but uses genetic material as a delivery mechanism. Teaching the body to fight off disease directly by offering instructions at a genetic level is different than using medicine that directly attacks the pathogen or exposes the body to produce an immune response. Companies in ANEW such as Moderna and Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX) have been exploring mRNA treatment for other areas as well.

There are few examples where treatment focuses on editing underlying human DNA or an individuals core genetic code, but this is still early in development. In 2019, a doctor in China introduced a genetic treatment to human embryos aiming to make twin girls immune to HIV. While this may sound like science fiction, there is a strong possibility that doctors will be able to actually cut out genetic code associated with diseases, perhaps even degenerative diseases like Alzheimers, and replace those genes with healthy code. This type of direct manipulation could play an important role in preventative treatment with companies like CRISPR (NASDAQ:CRSP), Invitae (NYSE:NVTA), and Editas (NASDAQ:EDIT) leading the way.

InvestorPlace: Telehealth has become a vital component of the current healthcare landscape. Obviously the Covid-19 pandemic impacted that transition, but what do you see as the future of this space? What are the companies that stand to particularly benefit?

ProShares:The adoption of Telemedicine is an excellent example of a transformational change in motion before the pandemic that has been accelerated by COVID-19. Can you imagine people actually heading back to their doctors to sit in crowded waiting rooms in future flu seasons? McKinsey reports that in 2019, 11% of U.S. consumers reported use of Telemedicine or Virtual Care services. More recently, 76% of respondents say they are moderately or highly likely to use telehealth going forward

The interesting part is that technology to support telehealth has been in place for years. There were two impediments prior to the pandemic, and COVID appears to have mowed them over. The first is related to policies around reimbursement, as both government and private insurance were not sure how to treat telemedicine. The second was doctor and patient behavior, with both hesitant to take the relationship online. Both of those impediments are may be a thing of the past.

With widespread adoption of video conference for activities from work to family holidays and happy hours, much of the U.S. population has gotten comfortable with communication technology. Telehealth can improve efficiency in healthcare. Teladoc (NYSE:TDOC) has been one beneficiary of the shift to telehealth. The company recently raised its guidance to project 2020 earnings of almost $100 millionmore than triple 2019s results.Medical device makers, such as Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT), that provide instruments continuously monitoring patients are integral to meeting the demand for remote care, as well.

InvestorPlace: Data is vital to healthcare, and big data advances are helping grow the world of genomics. What are some of the leaders in the space, and what does the growth ramp for that area look like?

ProShares:Advances in biotechnology and genomics are in large part due to innovations in data analysis as well as biology. That cannot be overstated. The human genome consists of 20,000 pairs of amino acids, which would amount to a stack of 8.5 x 11 paper that was 200 feet tall. That is a twenty-story building. Biological science plays an important part, but analyzing these massive datasets is critical as well. That is just one example of data in medicine, and not even the low-hanging fruit.

Improving data access, quality, and analytics could help build a more efficient healthcare system from hospitals to individual medical practices. The healthcare industry is estimated to produce 5% of world data, but sector remains one of the least digitized. There is tremendous opportunity to leverage data for supply chain management, imaging, medical alerts, predictive analytics, new therapies, and process optimization. Veeva Systems (NYSE:VEEV), for example, is a cloud-based platform that attempts to streamline data access. IBM has also focused the Watson artificial system on cancer diagnosis. The computer is capable of reading more scans than any doctor can ever see in the course of their lifetimes, and the computer can identify or infer patterns that would otherwise be impossible for humans, hopefully then increasing the diagnostic accuracy.

InvestorPlace: The growth of targeted therapeutics is allowing for better cancer treatments with fewer adverse effects, as compared to typical treatments like chemotherapy and surgery. Do you see more companies breaking into the space? And how far do you expect the sector to expand?

ProShares:Targeted therapeutics or treatments customized based on both patient and disease characteristics, as you note, are increasingly common in cancer treatment. The idea is that targeted or personalized treatment will more effectively address a harmful disease specifically as opposed to traditional therapies targeting all rapidly reproducing cells. An increased emphasis on personalized medicine, which is critically reliant on data analysis, offers the possibility of better patient outcomes delivered more efficiently at lower cost. This is another area in healthcare we believe is still in early stages with significant growth ahead.

There are two main considerations. First, the treatment can be developed to have an optimal impact on diseased tissue while limiting the impact on the rest of the body. Second, drug development should be faster and cheaper since treatments need not be effective or even safe for all people provided they are only administered to those patients most likely to respond well. That could translate to billions in drug development savings. Quark is an interesting example of a company pushing the limits in the field.

InvestorPlace: Molecular diagnostics tests have supplanted a number of traditional testing methods, and have increased accuracy and speed of diagnoses. Can you discuss that?

ProShares:Its startling to hear the term rapid PCR test enter the mainstream media, but this reflects the importance molecular diagnostics which uses genomic scienceto testing for an illness as challenging as COVID-19.

Several hundred diagnostics have been submitted to the World Health Organization for the identification of the novel coronavirus, but only a few dozen of these have been approved for use by major healthcare authorities. Companies like Abbott Laboratories and Roche Diagnostics have seen their tests approved for use in several countries. A smaller company like Twist Bioscience (NASDAQ:TWST) is another example of an innovator in the field.

InvestorPlace: This intersection of science, tech and healthcare is of growing interest to investors. Which subsections and companies should investors be the most excited about in the next 3-5 years?

ProShares:There is a reasonable possibility that we are at the rebirth of healthcare along the lines of Hippocrates or Galen. A decade from now, we may look back and see medicine of late 20thcentury as the dark ages. The combination of genomic technology, diagnostic data, and targeted therapeutics, all powered by advanced data analysis, opens the possibility of preventive medicine and minimally invasive treatment while optimizing patient outcomes. There is a lot to be excited about based on market size and the time to deployment.

Genomics is really fascinating, and maybe a little scary. Delivery of treatment through genetic material like the some of the COVID vaccines as well as human gene editing hold tremendous potential. Companies like Moderna and Novavax have already made great strides in possibly bringing genomic treatment mainstream. COVID accelerated this transition. Editing the human genome is still in early stages but offers the possibility of treating diseases once thought almost incurable. Gene editing companies CRISPR, Editas, and Invitae hold some of the most valuable patents in the field.

On the date of publication, Jessica Loder did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.

In The InvestorPlace Q&A, weinvite a manager to speak directly to Main Street investors, whether discussing their firms technologies, strategies or investments for the year ahead. Our goal is to put the spotlight on fund managers and other institutional investors of note, providing a detailed look into their management styles, world views and investing strategies.Read past interviews here.

See the rest here:
The InvestorPlace Q&A: Genomics, Telehealth and the Future of Healthcare with the ANEW ETF - InvestorPlace

The globalAlternative Medicineresearch report presents obligatory facts and statistics on trends & developments. It highlights technologies & capacities, materials & markets, and unpredictable structure of the globalmarket. Moreover, major Alternative Medicine market players such as Medigenics, Herb Pharma, Deepure Plus, Pure encapsulations, Nordic Naturals, Helio USA, Herbal Hills, Thorne Research, Pacific Nutritional are covered in the report.

The report offers best approaches to assess the global Alternative Medicine market and props up the preventative and deliberated organization. It discloses the realistic facts and widespread assessment of the global Alternative Medicine market. The report emphasizes fundamental synopsis of the global industry, embracing categorizations, applications, explanations, and manufacturing chain structure. The study also analyzes a comprehensive inference of the market and includes important insights, industry-authenticated figures, and facts of the global market.

Sample of global Alternative Medicine Market Report at::https://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/global-alternative-medicine-market-report-2020-industry-analysis-752803#RequestSample

Furthermore, the research study assesses the principal aspects of the Alternative Medicine market that engages growth rate, cost, capacity, revenue, demand, gross, capacity utilization rate, market share, consumption, export, production, supply, import, price, gross margin, and so on. The study utilizes numerous analytical techniques in the analysis of the Alternative Medicine market research to achieve comprehensive statistics. It also includes the evaluation of the global industry players and their market scope.

The global Alternative Medicine market research report emphasizes on the assessment of its diverse segments Herbal supplements, Nutraceuticals Supplements, Others and main geographies. The profound analysis of the market demonstrates the established market developments & trends and key factors impelling the market growth. The research study also highlights various Alternative Medicine market projections, drivers, restraints, and market framework for each region along with its sub-segments Men, Women.

Inquire before buying Alternative Medicine Market report::https://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/global-alternative-medicine-market-report-2020-industry-analysis-752803#InquiryForBuying

Following are major Table of Content of Alternative Medicine Market Report:

1. Industry Overview of Alternative Medicine.2. Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Alternative Medicine market.3. Specialized Information and Manufacturing Plants Investigation of Alternative Medicine.4. Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis.5. Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Alternative Medicine by Regions, Types and Manufacturers.6. Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Sale Price Analysis of Alternative Medicine industry by Regions, Types and Applications.7. Supply, Import, Export and Consumption Analysis of Alternative Medicine Market.8. Major Manufacturers Analysis of Alternative Medicine industry.9. Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of Alternative Medicine.10. Industry Chain Analysis of Alternative Medicine.11. Development Trend Analysis of Alternative Medicine Market.12. New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Alternative Medicine.13. Conclusion of the Alternative Medicine Industry.

Additionally, the market study emphasizes the leading Alternative Medicine market players ruling globally with a summary of the key factors such as sales, contact details, product specifications & pictures, and market share. The assessment also represents the forecasts and historical facts & figures that make the Alternative Medicine report an incredibly precious reference for marketing, counselors, industry administrative, sales & product managers, analysts, and other individuals hunting for essential industry data. The Alternative Medicine report is available in willingly handy scripts with outstandingly demonstrated tables, figures, and graphs.

Originally posted here:
Global Alternative Medicine Market Proceeds To Witness Huge Upswing Over Assessment Period by 2025 - SpinazzolaLive

The researchers say the potential of the tactic used for years in tobacco control efforts is only just beginning to be understood in the beverage industry. They hope their findings could help inform public legislation in this area.

"The results of this study indicate that warning labels may be effective tools for reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, particularly beverages such as sweetened teas, pink lemonade and chocolate milk for which the sugar content is not immediately obvious or well known," said Cindy Leung, assistant professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and lead author of the study.

Reducing sugar in soft drinks particular hidden sugar that consumers are unaware of or that acts as empty calories in drinks has been a priority for public health initiatives and the beverage industry in recent years.

Legislation efforts from the public health side have focused on taxation: with jurisdictions such as Boulder, Albany, Berkeley, San Francisco, Seattle and Philadelphia all introducing sugar taxes (others, however, have rejected sugar taxes or brought in pre-emptive bans on such taxes).

The idea of warning labels, while not new, has received less attention. San Francisco passed the US first law mandating a warning label on soda ads in 2015, but last year the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled the law was unconstitutional and infringed on brands right to commercial speech under the First Amendment.

The beverage industry, meanwhile, has always questioned the effectiveness of sugar taxes; while in 2015 it was the American Beverage Association which posed one of the first challenges to San Francisco's warning label law.

Other efforts to reduce sugar consumption from sugar-sweetened beverages include limiting or banning the availability of drinks and/or their advertising in schools or educational settings; and innovation from manufacturers in low or no sugar alternatives.

In the University of California, Davis, study published this month in The Journal of Nutrition and partly funded by the National Institutes of Health - researchers placed warning labels on beverage dispensers at a University of Michigan cafeteria for one semester in 2019. The bright yellow labels displayed a large triangle and exclamation mark, stating: "Warning: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and tooth decay."

Two other cafeterias in separate areas of the campus served as control sites, with no such warnings displayed on beverages.

Nearly 1,000 college students were contacted by email before and after the warning labels were implemented to ask them to participate in surveys with no specific mention of sugar-sweetened beverages. Participants were given a $10 gift card after completing each survey.

In total, 840 students across all cafeterias were included in the study. At the intervention site, consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks that had the warning label declined by 18.5% (compared to a decline of 4.7% at the control sites where no label was used). Students exposed to the warning labels also reduced their consumption of fruit juice by 21%, even though juices had not been labeled as sugar-sweetened beverages.

"Results of this intervention demonstrate that SSB warning labelsled to a 14.5% reduction in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages amongcollege students, which was driven by significant declines inconsumption of fruit drinks, sweetened teas, and flavoredmilk,"write the researchers in the study.

Furthermore, the warning labels were considered acceptable by students.

"The vast majority of students at the intervention site also reportedpositive or neutral attitudes toward the sugar-sweetened warning labels.

"Together, these findings suggest that the warning labels are anacceptable and appropriate way to curb the consumption ofsugar-sweetened beverages, particularly where added sugars areless obvious, unlike regular sodas which have been the target ofpublic health programs and policies for years."

Consumption of diet soda did not change over the course of the study.

Eight US cities and states have proposed warning labels for sugar-sweetened beverages. San Francisco's Board of Supervisors is moving forward with amending its ordinance; while Baltimore, Washington, New York State, Vermont, Massachusetts, Hawaii and California have all proposed similar legislation (none of these have, as yet, moved forward in the legislative process).

The researchers suggest that data, such as from their study, could help inform strategies.

"Sugar-sweetened beverages remain ubiquitous in retail and cafeteria settings. As we explore avenues to promote healthy food and beverage choices, warning labels are a potential tool to reduce their consumption that should be tested in other populations and other settings, say the authors of the UC Davis study.

"These results provide evidence to inform future institutional strategies... and legislative efforts to use warning labels as a promising approach to sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.

Earlier this year, researchers at Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis on the impact of sugar-sweetened beverage warning labels. They found that warnings on sugar-sweetened beverages were effective in dissuading consumers from choosing them: with labels using graphics having the most impact.

Meanwhile, an article published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine in April evaluated warning policies in light of existing health and safety warnings on consumer products and the First Amendment; suggesting warnings on labels and at point of sale may pose fewer First Amendment concerns than on advertisements.

Source:Journal of Nutrition,'Warnings labels reduce sugar-sweetened beverage intake among college students'.https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxaa305

Visit link:
Could warning labels on soda reduce consumption? - BeverageDaily.com

(TNS) - When cases of the novel coronavirus first emerged in the United States, concerns over whether the nation's health-care system had the capacity to care for mass quantities of sick individuals loomed large.

And as leaders grappled with how hospitals could treat a growing pool of COVID-19 patients, other facets of the health-care system were altered or paused.

At Kalispell Regional Medical Center in Montana, elective procedures ranging from cosmetic surgeries to routine cancer screenings were back-burnered in March, as they were at hospitals nationwide. Dr. Randall Zuckerman, chairman of Kalispell Regional's Department of Surgery and physician director of its surgical service line, said this was done primarily to conserve personal protective equipment (PPE).

"There are three major issues that impact our ability to deal with COVID and those are PPE, testing and hospital beds and the staff that manage them," Zuckerman said. "Upfront we were really worried about PPE because the global supply chain had run dry. When that happened all of the specialty societies, including the American College of Surgeons, came out with a very strong recommendation to stop elective surgery. So we stopped everything."

The decision also prompted Zuckerman and other surgeons within his unit to switch to what he called a "Team B approach." Instead of having the department's eight surgeons working at once, only two surgeons would work for a week at a time while the other six were sent home.

"There were still emergency surgeries that had to be performed. So what we were trying to avoid was all of us possibly coming down with COVID at the same time," Zuckerman explained. "At that point we didn't understand the magnitude of the virus. We didn't understand what would happen if you operated on someone who inadvertently got COVID."

The decision to halt elective procedures, which hospital leadership at the time said likely would cost Kalispell Regional millions, is just one example of how the pandemic has infiltrated nearly every arm of health care. And according to Zuckerman and other hospital leaders, one would be hard-pressed to find a piece of the industry that hasn't been impacted by the virus.

ZUCKERMAN IS one of three Kalispell Regional physicians recently interviewed by the Daily Inter Lake with the goal to better understand how COVID-19 has directly or indirectly affected day-to-day operations. Dr. Cory Short, a hospitalist trained in internal medicine and physician lead for the acute-care services line, and Dr. Adam Smith, a family medicine specialist and physician lead for the primary care service line, also were interviewed. All three physicians, who each oversee hundreds of employees within their respective service lines, said COVID-19 has been a nine-month learning curve, and it's one that has impacted each of their departments uniquely.

For example, Zuckerman said the ebb and flow of beds and PPE availability, as well as strain on staff, will be his deciding factors on whether non-emergency procedures are once again altered. He said PPE is no longer a concern at this point and his attention is now focused on hospital bed capacity and how many staff are quarantined due to symptoms or exposure.

"Just a little while ago we were running into bed troubles, and it was a function of both absolutely bed availability as well as staffing," Zuckerman said. "We were running at more than 100% capacity for a period of time and then we had a bunch of staff who were unavailable. So there was probably a three-week stretch where we thought seriously about canceling elective surgeries again."

The dedicated COVID unit at the hospital can comfortably fit around 30 patients. But for stretches in October and November, Flathead City-County Health Department data showed hospitalizations exceeded or hovered just below that number. Zuckerman added that aside from the COVID unit, he is watching emergency room capacity.

"The most unpredictable part is how many people will come through the emergency room, and that fluctuates daily. So then what we have is bodies sort of competing for the same beds." he said. " But honestly, the nurses, the CNAs and other folks over there are doing a fantastic job and are keeping the wheels spinning. To my knowledge, since starting services back up, we haven't had to cancel a surgery yet."

Zuckerman also noted there are certain routine screening procedures he would like to continue offering in-person. The reason for this is two-fold, with the first being to avoid an increase in patients exhibiting late-stage diseases something of which he and others experienced an influx after elective services started ramping back up in May.

Zuckerman pointed to colonoscopies as one example, which often allow doctors to spot small polyps and remove them before they become cancerous. He also said the cancellations prompted some delays in chemotherapy for those who had been diagnosed with cancer.

"If you stop all screening and treatments, there are downstream, detrimental effects to that," he pointed out. "And it may take awhile to see those effects, but this concern sort of runs true across a multitude of medical problems."

The second reason for Zuckerman wanting to maintain various in-person visits is the desire to maintain better relationships with his patients. He said in the past nine months the hospital's telehealth services have been used more frequently and while that technology has its benefits, he would rather report initial test results, namely cancer diagnoses, face-to-face.

"It's tough to deliver those results when you're not in the same room," Zuckerman said. "These conversations are usually complex and can be scary and it's hard for people to hear that information on the phone or via a computer."

Some of Zuckerman's concerns align with those expressed by Smith, who works as a primary care physician in Polson and Kalispell. Smith said not being able to closely monitor patients with chronic diseases is a major worry of his.

"There are a lot of preventative services that we offer in primary care that we certainly don't want to see delayed," Smith said. "That can be anything from colonoscopies to mammograms, which help us locate tumors before they become enlarged."

Smith also said he has lost some of his doctor-to-patient intimacy. As a primary care physician, he often has the opportunity to work with the same patients year after year, which allows him to bond with them and more deeply understand their needs. Smith said a few patients he has treated for more than a decade died from COVID-19-related complications.

"We care for people in all aspects of life, from birth to death," Smith said. "But it's certainly been hard to watch patients that you've cared for for so long be lost to this virus."

WHILE ASPECTS of the pandemic have challenged the world of primary care, a COVID-19-related shift in Smith's responsibilities has allowed him to witness health-care high points as well.

Smith has extensive experience working in rural settings and has functioned as a liaison between Kalispell Regional and critical-access hospitals in remote areas including Libby, Shelby, Polson and Ronan.

"We have really focused on how we can support these clinics, whether that's with education efforts, staffing or taking in critical patients," Smith said. "These small rural hospitals have less bench strength than we do, so situations like COVID tend to take a bigger toll on them. The teamwork I've seen has been incredible."

He highlighted one instance when a critical-access hospital had to send the vast majority of its staff home to quarantine, so Kalispell Regional helped organize and send over additional medical personnel. Smith said it has been fascinating to watch this level of teamwork play out not only at a local level, but on a global scale as well.

"The health-care industry typically has a competitive edge to it, but a lot of that has gone out the window with COVID," Smith said. "It's been interesting to watch hospitals collaborate on this and share what has worked for them and what hasn't."

Smith has also played an instrumental role in establishing Kalispell Regional's respiratory screening facilities. He said the pop-up resources, which prompted the hospital to bring on numerous additional staff members, have been vital in helping Flathead County understand its outbreak, especially after Kalispell Regional established in-house testing earlier this fall. Smith said the hospital has been regularly testing over 3,000 people per week since the testing platforms became fully operational in late October.

"Being able to identify this illness early so we can intervene sooner has really been helpful in testing and battling COVID here in Montana and it's a novelty that most of the state has not had," Smith said.

For Short, the quick turnaround in testing also has greatly benefited his emergency department's ability to organize and treat patients in a fast-moving environment. The in-house lab is able to provide results in about 48 hours, which helps Short and others not only have a better sense of how many patients are actually COVID-positive, but whether any staff members are infected as well.

WHILE SMITH and Zuckerman have dealt with various aspects of COVID-19, Short has been in the throes of treating positive patients directly since March.

He said the hospital's emergency department actually experienced a decline in patient activity at the start of the pandemic, as many other hospitals did. Short explained this was largely due to the public fearing exposure at the hospital.

"What we were seeing, for example, were patients who had actually experienced stroke symptoms several days prior to coming in and were then being admitted with advanced chest pain and heart complications after the fact," Short said. "So this started us down a major road of educating the public, telling people if they need emergency services, it's safe to come here, we have the necessary protocols in place."

Short said after the Flathead Valley experienced a dip in new cases around April and May, it didn't take long for emergency activity to pick back up. While the department typically sees around 50 to 60 patients per day, he estimated that number was closer to 70 to 80 visits over the summer and into the fall. The increase was due in part to the tourist season, but he also said the department was experiencing a noticeable bump in patients experiencing respiratory complications.

SHORT SAID the pandemic has been a marathon for both health-care workers and the community. And while he hopes the population is rounding into one of the final legs of that marathon with the upcoming shipment COVID-19 vaccine, he said it feels as though they still have a ways to go.

"We started off at a sprint and then transitioned into this marathon mode and that's really hard for everyone to sustain. The biggest challenge we face right now is endurance," Short said. "At the hospital level, we are tired. Fatigue is certainly settling in among staff. And at the community level, you know, we are all social creatures. We want to be with each other, we want to commune together and to continue having the discipline to not is really hard."

Smith and Zuckerman seconded this, saying they anticipate it will be difficult for others to continue practicing COVID-19 protocols in the coming months as Montana nears its one-year mark fighting the virus. All three physicians also agreed that they have never experienced anything like this pandemic in their lifetimes.

"I think many physicians, depending on what capacity they played in this response, would tell you this is perhaps the most challenging time of their career. I include myself in that," Short said. "It will be interesting to see how this virus has changed our society two, five or 10 years down the road. By then we will have known what worked, what didn't, and hopefully we will all come out stronger on the other side of that."

Reporter Kianna Gardner can be reached at 758-4407 or kgardner@dailyinterlake.com

(c)2020 the Daily Inter Lake (Kalispell, Mont.)

Visit the Daily Inter Lake (Kalispell, Mont.) at http://www.dailyinterlake.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Continued here:
The Impact of COVID on Hospital Operations: Physician Perspective - GovTech

You may be used to drizzling honey over oatmeal or in your tea. However, the trend today is to slather it on your face. Really.

People are searching for ways to use honey for face wash, and you can find how-to videos for honey face masks on TikTok and Instagram.

It may seem odd at first. You may be wondering why you would put something super sticky and full of sugar on your skin. Wouldnt that lead to breakouts (and a mess in your bathroom)?

Well, according to some, using honey on your face may lead to smooth, moisturized, blemish-free skin.

We dove into the research and talked to expert dermatologists to find out: Should everyone start using honey for face wash?

Whether its a tried-and-true skin care regimen, how often you wash your hair, or the cosmetics youre curious about, beauty is personal.

Thats why we rely on a diverse group of writers, educators, and other experts to share their tips on everything from the way product application varies to the best sheet mask for your individual needs.

We only recommend something we genuinely love, so if you see a shop link to a specific product or brand, know that its been thoroughly researched by our team.

Using honey as face wash isnt something beauty bloggers invented. People have used honey for its skin benefits for ages.

Legend has it, Cleopatra used a mask made of milk and honey on her face. Indigenous tribes in Burkina Faso also use honey to clean their skin.

Many other cultures use honey topically to treat wounds, eczema, and other skin conditions. This includes Ayurvedic medicine, Persian traditional medicine and Quranic medicine.

All of these people were and are on to something. Honey has many powerful properties, says New York City-based cosmetic dermatologist Michele Green, MD. According to research, honey has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and humectant (moisturizing) properties.

The antibacterial properties make it good as both treatment and prevention for acne, Green explains. This is credited to the hydrogen peroxide in honey, although the amount varies among honey types.

Honeys anti-inflammatory powers come from antioxidants that help calm irritated skin, says Konstantin Vasyukevich, MD, a facial plastic surgeon and rejuvenation expert based in New York City.

And since honey has humectant effects, it may help keep skin looking younger, or at least smoother.

Lastly, honey contains natural enzymes that help remove dead skin cells and reduce redness, Green says.

Its important to note that most cosmetic products contain only up to 10 percent honey.

That doesnt seem like much, but it may still have an effect. As a natural remedy, honey is certainly not as effective in the treatment of medical skin conditions as a prescription medicine would be. However, it can be an effective remedy for someone with a mild skin condition or as a preventative treatment, Vasyukevich says.

It is generally safe to use honey on your skin, since it is great for people with acne [or] eczema. It is even safe for patients with sensitive skin, Green says.

However, consider testing the honey or product on a small area of your skin before applying it all over your face.

If you notice any redness, itching, or swelling when testing it, wash the honey or product off with soap and water. Then, Green recommends applying a topical hydrocortisone cream. Do not continue using the honey or product.

You may be having an irritant or allergic reaction to the honey itself or another ingredient. Consider contacting the manufacturer of the product to learn exactly what it contains. This can help you identify the culprit.

If you are curious about using honey on your face, you have options. Some users swear by applying raw honey directly to their skin and letting it sit for 510 minutes before washing it off.

Others prefer to create a face mask by mixing the honey with other ingredients, such as yogurt, matcha tea powder, or oats. Green shares this honey face mask recipe:

Finally, you can find a variety of skin care products (such as those below) that contain honey. The concentration of honey in these may be very low. So, it may be hard to tell if any benefits you experience are due to the honey or other ingredients.

If you wish to DIY your skin care, keep in mind that each variety of honey has different levels of antioxidants and other beneficial compounds. So, you may see different results depending on which honey youre using.

That said, many recommend Manuka honey, which has been shown to have higher antibacterial activity compared to other types of honey. Many brands add cane sugar or corn syrup to their honey. In a 2018 study of 118 honey samples, 27 percent were of questionable authenticity.

Consider buying local honey. Or use the True Source Honey tool to look up the UPC of a product and verify if its certified as pure.

Not interested in a DIY project? Consider these skin care products that contain honey. Each has at least a 4.5-star rating on Amazon.

Price: $

Appropriate for use on your face, chest, neck, and hands, this moisturizer with Manuka honey and beeswax is super silky not sticky. Its made to absorb well without leaving you greasy.

Buy the LOreal Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition All-Over Honey Balm online.

Price: $

Peanuts and honey arent only good ingredients for making a sandwich. The two pack antioxidants and moisturizing benefits into this lotion.

Buy the Mario Badescu Honey Moisturizer online.

Price: $$

The charcoal in this mask is said to help relieve clogged pores while the honey moisturizes. The formula contains no parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, propylene glycol, mineral oil, DEA, petrolatum, paraffin, polyethylene beads, or formaldehyde.

Buy the Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Honey Mask to Purify & Nourish online.

Price: $$

Farmacy uses a blend of honey, propolis, and royal jelly (all compounds made by bees) in this mask. However, if you have sensitive skin, the company warns that the warming sensation may cause irritation.

Buy the Farmacy Honey Potion Renewing Antioxidant Hydration Mask online.

Using honey for face wash or as a face mask is not only popular. It may also benefit your skin. Thanks to honeys antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties, it may help prevent acne, calm irritation, and maintain hydration.

If used properly, washing [your] face with honey can help keep the skin looking younger, improve radiance and smoothness, and mitigate irritation and acne flare-ups, Vasyukevich says.

However, be mindful to use pure honey if you are going to DIY a treatment.

As with any skin care regimen, if you notice irritation, stop using the product or honey. If your skin seems fine, be patient and try your honey routine for at least a week to see if you notice any difference.

Brittany Risher is a writer, editor, and digital strategist specializing in health and lifestyle content. Shes written for publications including Elemental, Mens Health, Womens Health, and Yoga Journal.

Here is the original post:
Honey for Face Wash: Should You Use It? - Healthline

More than 200 people in Denmark have now been infected with a mutated version of the coronavirus.

Large areas of North Jutland, the country's northernmost region, have been placed under lockdown and prime minister Mette Frederiksen ordered a cull of all 15 million mink in the country's farms.

What is mink-related coronavirus?

Mink-related coronavirus refers to several mutated versions of Covid-19 that developed when mink caught the virus from humans working on Denmark's farms.

Mink have in turn infected humans with a mutant version of the virus.

Denmark's State Serum Institute said several mutant versions of the virus had been found in mink, some of which have mutations in the spike protein, which is significant in the bodys immune response and is a key target for vaccines.

Will the outbreak affect future vaccines?

Announcing the new lockdown measures, Ms Frederiksen said the mutated virus was a serious risk to public health and to the development of a vaccine.

Ms Frederiksen cited a report which said the mutated virus had been found the weaken the body's ability to form antibodies, potentially meaning current vaccines under development would not be able to provide immunity.

Some scientists outside Denmark however are sceptical about the impact the mutation could have on a possible future vaccine.

A single mutation, I would not expect to have that dramatic an effect, said Marion Koopmans, head of virology at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands, where analysis of viruses from an earlier outbreak among mink was conducted.

Its almost never the case that its such a simple story of one mutation and all your vaccines stop working, Emma Hodcroft, a virus expert at the Institute of Social and Preventative Medicine in Bern, Switzerland, told Stat News.

The World health organisation's chief scientist also urged calm, saying researchers will need to wait before coming to a conclusion on whether the mutation will affect vaccines, adding that there was no indication it would.

What does this mean for Danish mink?

Denmark is the world's largest mink fur exporter, producing an estimated 17 million furs per year.

Kopenhagen Fur, a cooperative of 1,500 Danish breeders, alone accounts for 40 per cent of global mink production.

The Danish government has ordered a cull of all minks in the country's 1,139 farms.

Danish fur farmers said the cull may spell the end of the industry in the country.

Read the original:
What is mink-related coronavirus? - The Independent

When the novel coronavirus began to spread across China, researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) sprang into action and they havent slowed down since. They are collaborating with each other and with other institutions to unlock the secrets of the virus that causes COVID-19 and to develop tests, vaccines, and treatments.

Weve done more work faster than we have ever done before, making real progress on antibodies, tests, and a vaccine, says Barton Haynes, MD, the Frederic M. Hanes Professor of Medicine and the director of DHVI.

DHVI researchers are attacking the new virus by applying knowledge, experience, and technology gained from years of working with HIV, influenza, and other viruses.

All the work weve done has allowed us to transition on a dime, Haynes says. All the vaccine constructs weve developed were immediately repurposed for COVID-19.

And vaccine designs are only the tip of the iceberg. DHVI faculty are also developing and running assays and tests, accessioning and distributing blood and tissue samples for studies, and isolating antibodies from infected individuals. Using approaches from a number of different disciplines, they are putting together a holistic picture of how the immune system and the novel coronavirus interact.

Two long-running programs at DHVI set the stage for the swift response. One is the HIV vaccine research program funded by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID). A series of three grants from NIAID have provided continuous funding since 2005 of the Duke Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI), Duke Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Design, and Duke Consortia for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD). The other is a pandemic preparedness program funded since 2017 by the Department of Defenses Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

All the work weve done has allowed us to transition on a dime, Haynes says. All the vaccine constructs weve developed were immediatelyrepurposedfor COVID-19.

The DARPA Pandemic Preparedness Platform (P3) seeks to develop strategies, technologies, supply chains, and expertise to make it possible to rapidly produce antibody-based treatments for any novel pathogen. These treatments, which can also be used for temporary prevention, are sometimes called passive vaccines or medical countermeasures.

Greg Sempowski, PhD, professor of medicine and pathology and leader of the P3 program, says, Im incredibly proud of how well our staff and scientists have stepped up. They have worked very long hours to quickly bring on all the systems needed to support this type of research. Its not easy. Having really high-quality people who are committed is an enormous asset.

DHVIs work on COVID-19 is being supported with emergency funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supplements to existing grants, and $17million allocated to Duke by the North Carolina legislature.

Antibodies play a crucial role in the development of vaccines, treatments, and even some kinds of COVID-19 tests, so the first order of business was discovering antibodies capable of neutralizing the new virus, SARS-CoV-2.

Once we have the antibodies in hand, there are lots of different things we can do with them, says Michael Tony Moody, MD, associate professor of pediatrics. The key thing is getting the antibodies in hand. Moodys lab was one of several that collaborated to do just that.

DHVI researchers isolated more than 2,500 antibodies from individuals infected with COVID-19 in only ten weeksa remarkable feat.

Kevin Saunders, PhD, associate professor of surgery and director of research at DHVI, says, The antibody isolation technique that we use was developed under our HIV research programs over the last 15 years. Weve really learned how to do that quickly and in depth. Thats why we could get to 2,500 antibodies in a matter of weeks.

Of those antibodies, DHVI scientists have identified some with potent and complementary neutralizing powers against SARS-CoV-2. Together or individually, these antibodies could be a powerful treatment for people in the early stages of infection. They could also be used as a temporary preventative for people at high risk of exposure, such as healthcare workers.

One of these antibodies will be tested as a preventative in a Phase I trial in early 2021. Rather than manufacturing the antibodies, which is very time consuming, DHVI will manufacture mRNA molecules, the genetic blueprints that tell the body how to make the antibodies.

This effort is being supported by an additional $7.6 million grant from DARPA. Emmanuel Chip Walter, MD, professor of pediatrics, who directs the DHVI Clinical Trials Unit, will be running the trial. The manufacturing will happen onsite in DHVIs current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) facility, directed by Matthew Johnson, PhD.

These potent antibodies are also being used to create a test for COVID-19. Because they bind so well to the virus, the antibodies will attract SARS-CoV-2 like a magnet. This type of test could be faster and less expensiveand therefore more widely availablethan polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.

A long-lasting vaccine, sometimes called an active vaccine to distinguish it from antibody treatments, is also a priority at DHVI.

An active vaccine spurs the body to create not only effective antibodies, but also memory cells that can churn out more of those antibodies in the future if needed.

Dozens of vaccine candidates are already being manufactured and tested around the world. This first wave of vaccines will doubtless slow down the spread of COVID-19, but its possible, even expected, that they will provide less than full protection.

DHVI is working on vaccines that will plug some of the holes. Were thinking about a second wave of vaccine with enhanced immunogenicity, Saunders says. DHVI vaccines may be able to provide a boost to some of the front runners if they turn out to have a low potency or not to be effective in a particular population, such as older adults.

A multidisciplinary understanding of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies is crucial to this effort. We really go deep, Saunders says. Weve looked at a more global picture of antibody response. That global picture is the necessary foundation for designing a highly effective vaccine.

The power of the DHVI is that we have people who think about the problem in a different way, but we all come together and use our skill sets to make the biggest impact on the same problem, Saunders says.

Kevin Wiehe, PhD, associate professor of medicine, studies the genetic sequences of antibodies using computational methods. He looks at how the antibody sequences from people with COVID-19 evolve as their infections progress. We normally do very deep sequencing so we can get hundreds of thousands of antibody sequences from an individual at any time point, he says. We can see the initial antibody response, which is potentially different than the [mature] antibody that occurs later.

Other DHVI scientists are looking at the other side of the equationthe virus. SARS-CoV-2 is covered with spike proteins that allow the virus to infect cells. These spikes are where antibodies attach.

Rory Henderson, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, uses computer simulations to identify mutations in the spike protein that alter its shape, or conformation. In an actual infection, spike proteins change conformation frequently. But in a vaccine, some of these conformations will do a better job than others at spurring the immune system to produce effective antibodies. Its been remarkable how quickly we were able to go from not knowing anything about the coronavirus to having these designs, Henderson says. If one of the shapes is preferred, we already have that particle ready for a vaccine.

This speed was made possible by previous HIV work. Henderson says, We repurposed all of the techniques and tools we used for HIV and applied those to the coronavirus spike.

Priyamvada Acharya, PhD, associate professor of surgery, puts it this way: We have been studying a very difficult virus for a long timeHIV 1. So we have gained some superpowers.

Acharya examines the engineered spike proteins at the atomic level in the Titan Krios cryo-electron microscope to make sure their shape is what was expected. Then the spikes can become ingredients in vaccines, either as mRNA or manufactured proteins. Indeed, some are already being evaluated in animal studies. Acharya uses the cyro-EM to take a look at samples from the studies to see if good antibodies are being produced and how they interact with the spike. So far, the results have been promising.

While DHVI researchers are working on new-and-improved vaccine designs, they are also participating in the nationwide effort to get the first wave of vaccine candidates evaluated as quickly as possible by serving as a clinical trial site. Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials require tens of thousands of volunteers at multiple sites across the country. DHVI enrolled more than 80 volunteers for the Phase 2/3 trial of the Pfizer vaccine candidate, and is now enrolling even more participants for a trial of AstraZenecas vaccine.

Walter, who is leading this effort as head of the DHVI Clinical Trials Unit, says, DHVI is pretty well positioned because of its experience with HIV, ranging from vaccine discovery to the ability to implement clinical trials. Shifting to COVID was challenging, but we had the resources to do it.

Walter also leads Dukes participation in the nationwide series of trials to test treatments for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The first trial studied remdesivir alone, and subsequent trials tested it in combination with other medicines. The first study showed decreased time hospitalized for patients who got remdesivir, hence it became standard of care, Walter says.

Beyond vaccines, DHVI is also pursuing other avenues, including testing and diagnostics. Thomas Denny, DHVI chief operating officer, and his lab assisted with testing in the early days of the pandemic, when clinical labs were overwhelmed. Denny led a team at DHVIthat also designed and implemented the surveillance testing of students, staff, and faculty being used on campus this fall. As part of the campus testing program, DVHI has processed almost 100,000 tests since August 2.

Denny is also working on designing more sensitive assays that can determine not just whether the virus is present or not, but in what amounts. With a lot of viral infections, like HIV, weve learned over the years that being able to quantify the viral amount has been useful as a signal with respect to disease prognosis or response to therapy, he says. If the same is true for COVID-19, that information could be used to guide clinical decisions. Denny is analyzing samples from COVID-infected adults and children who are participating in observational studies at Duke. He will compare the results of his assays with notes on their clinical condition to look for correlations between viral load and disease progression.

Dennys lab also developed assays to look for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in the blood, which could, among other things, be used in seroprevalence studies to show how many people have recovered from COVID-19.

Christopher Woods, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, and his team are coming at diagnostics from a different directionlooking at the immune response. The idea is that samples from an infected person will contain not only the pathogen, but also biochemical signals of the immune response. In fact, the immune signals may be easier to detect in early stages of infection than the pathogen, which is only just beginning to multiply. Woods has a track record in this area: he and his team have been able to distinguish viral from bacterial infections based on the immune response, and to identify infections 36 to 48 hours before the onset of symptoms.

We have not had great success [in the past] being able to distinguish different types of viral respiratory infections, he says. Until COVID. He and his team have found a unique signature in blood samples that indicates the immune system is mounting a response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The samples used in that study were from people who were past the early stages of infection, but Woods is planning future studies to see if the signature is present in the pre-symptomatic phase of COVID-19. If so, a diagnostic test for that signal could help curb the spread of the disease and allow earlier treatment.

Sallie Permar, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics, molecular genetics & microbiology, immunology, and pathology, is working to understand the immune response to COVID-19 in children. Although children do get the disease, they are more likely to have no or few symptoms than adults. However, some children experience a severe inflammatory reaction to COVID-19, called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

Not only do we want to understand what about infant or pediatric infections leads to the lack of disease during the acute infection, Permar says, but also what are the factors that lead to post-infection inflammatory syndrome?

To help answer some of these questions, Permar and Maria Blasi, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, are doing a study in non-human primates to track the immune response over the course of infection in adults and infants. They are also studying adult and infant lung cells in the lab to see how the cells respond to infection.

DHVI researchers are also studying children in several ongoing observational trials. These trials include infected children as well as children who are uninfected (at least initially) but living with someone who is. The children are being followed over time to learn more about immune activity and clinical symptoms during infection, recovery, and beyond. We dont yet know what a long-term response to the coronavirus is, Permar says. Well be studying them for at least a year.

While the Haynes, Saunders, and Sempowski labs were isolating antibodies from COVID-infected individuals, they also looked at a sample from a person who had been infected with another pandemic-causing coronavirusSevere Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)in 2003. They discovered that some of the SARS antibodies from that individual also neutralized SARS-CoV-2.

That raised a tantalizing question: Might it be possible to design a vaccine that elicits cross-protective antibodies? Such a vaccinea pan-coronavirus vaccinewould protect against multiple coronaviruses, including Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which emerged in 2012, as well as other as-yet-unknown coronaviruses.

SARS-CoV-2 is not a one-off event, Saunders says. There seems to be a coronavirus pandemic every eight to ten years. Were looking at the future pandemics and trying to predict what that will look like and to see if we can generate immunity for those types of viruses.

DHVI has already begun working with scientists at UNC-Chapel Hill on a pan-coronavirus vaccine.

Its only a matter of time before the next coronavirus outbreak, Haynes says, and we will be ready for it.

Top photo: Emmanuel "Chip" Walter, MD, head of the DHVI Clincal Trials Unit, gives a nasal swab to Kristin Weaver, a healthy participant in the Pfizer vaccine clinical trial.DHVIenrolled more than 80 volunteers for the Phase 2/3 trial of the Pfizer vaccine candidate. Photo by Lindsay Key.

Mary-Russell Roberson is a freelance writer in Durham. She covers the geriatrics and aging beat for the Department of Medicine in the Duke University School of Medicine.

Read the original here:
Years in the Making: Duke Human Vaccine Institute researchers attack COVID-19 - Duke Today