W.H.O Updates

COVID disrupts healthcare in low- and middle-income countries The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected healthcare programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that work to protect populations against HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria, according to a new report by the Global Fund…

Pfizer COVID vaccine shows varied effect against variants, study suggests One dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine appears to be not very protective against the B117 variant, and two doses may not be as effective against the B1351 variant, according to a…

Scientists worldwide have been working to produce an effective COVID-19 vaccine. There is increasing concern surrounding the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine making it a controversial vaccine candidate. The promise of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was developed in partnership with…

Kidney dialysis patients 40 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID COVID-19 hospitalization and all-cause death rates for patients with end-stage kidney disease undergoing dialysis, as well as kidney transplant recipients, climbed steeply early in the pandemic, and both exhibited racial…

In the fight against COVID-19, in addition to the development of successful vaccines, researchers have been investigating potential treatment options. Since drug development is typically a lengthy process, many research groups have investigated the potential for existing drugs to be repurposed for…

An antiviral medication could soon be available for treating COVID-19. Molnupiravir, an antiviral medication that is currently in clinical trials, may soon be added to the currently available tools to treat COVID-19. Molnupiravir is an antiviral that is different from the currently…

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The infection is transmitted through respiratory droplets and close contact. The major organs affected by COVID-19 include the lungs, the heart, kidneys, genitals, and liver. Severe cases of COVID-19 include respiratory distress and…

Respiratory viruses spread through small droplets in the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or even talks.1-2 For example, one study found that speaking loudly for one minute can cause the dispersal of 1,000 virus-containing droplets into the air. These droplets…

An observational study was conducted through the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS (Rome, Italy) to determine if those who experienced severe COVID-19 infections developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There were 381 participants involved in the study ranging in age from 18…

A research group from the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, Maryland) investigated the impact that wearing a mask has on the severity of COVID-19. They found that there were benefits of wearing a mask even after infection had occurred. In addition to…