As the first anniversary of Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness (MassCPR) approaches, Harvard Medicine News spoke with the co-leads of its vaccine working group, Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) about the striking accomplishments in COVID-19 vaccine development, what we’ve learned so far, and what lies ahead.

COVID-19 vaccine experts talk lessons learned, challenges ahead

+ Read More

Rishi Wadhera, MD (Cardiology, BIDMC) noted how hospital visits for heart attacks and other cardiac conditions declined markedly during the pandemic, fueling physicians’ concerns that people with acute conditions may be staying at home due to fear of exposure to COVID-19.

First wave of COVID-19 linked to spike in cardiovascular deaths

+ Read More

More than a dozen sites were illuminated in Boston Tuesday evening in solidarity with cities across the nation memorializing the hundreds of thousands of lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. BIDMC is amongst the hospitals and universities in the Longwood Medical Area that participated by illuminating their buildings in an amber hue.

Sites, hospitals and universities are participating in the COVID-19 Memorial -- the national moment of unity and remembrance hosted by the Presidential Inaugural Committee -- by lighting up their buildings

+ Read More

In this CNN article in Spanish, Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine developed in partnership with BIDMC is expected to be the seventh coronavirus vaccine approved in the world. (Spanish Translation: La vacuna contra el coronavirus de Johnson & Johnson en alianza con BIDMC está a punto de convertirse en la séptima en ser aprobada en el mundo.)

Vacuna de Johnson & Johnson contra el coronavirus: lo que sabemos de su fabricación, estudios clínicos y ventajas

+ Read More

A gene-editing technique that modifies messenger RNA (mRNA) to induce an immune response was used for the two COVID-19 vaccines currently being distributed in the U.S. and could revolutionize the creation of future vaccines and medical therapies. Alexa Kimball, MD, MPH (President & CEO, Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at BIDMC) said people have recognized the possible utility of mRNA for years, but COVID rapidly advanced this research.

New mRNA Technique Used on COVID-19 Vaccine May Lead to Flu, HIV Vaccinations

+ Read More

At least three members of Congress have tested positive for the coronavirus even after receiving their first dose of the vaccine prior to their exposure to the virus. Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) noted that the first shot of the vaccine confers some protection, but overall, the proven protection is after the second shot.

Members of Congress got the coronavirus even though they’d been vaccinated. Experts explain how that happened

+ Read More

While acute cardiovascular problems have gone down during the pandemic, deaths from cardiovascular disease went up in some regions across the U.S. Rishi Wadhera, MD (Cardiology, BIDMC) shared how there are likely several reasons to this, the first, and most concerning, is that patients with cardiovascular conditions avoided seeking care at hospitals due to fear of contracting the virus.

Why deaths from cardiovascular disease have risen during the pandemic

+ Read More

Johnson & Johnson expects to release critical results from its COVID-19 vaccine trial in two weeks but most likely won’t be able to provide as many doses as expected this spring due to unanticipated manufacturing delays. Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC), referenced how simpler logistics behind the vaccination campaigns result in a more successful program.

Johnson & Johnson Expects Vaccine Results Soon but Lags in Production

+ Read More

As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its eleventh month, health care experts are still concerned about patients putting off doctor visits. Researchers at BIDMC found heart disease deaths increased by 11%, and deaths related to high blood pressure increased by 17% after the onset of the pandemic, compared to the previous year.

Health care experts worry about patients putting off doctor visits during pandemic

+ Read More

The data on whether pregnant women should get a coronavirus vaccine is limited. To gather more data, hospitals in Boston have launched a pregnancy registry, including BIDMC.

Should pregnant women get a coronavirus vaccine?

+ Read More

In this article, Rishi Wadhera, MD (Cardiology, BIDMC) and Robert Yeh, MD (Cardiology, BIDMC) discussed a new study from the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology at BIDMC, which found that cardiovascular deaths unrelated to COVID-19 increased during the pandemic.

Spikes in cardiovascular deaths shown to be an indirect cost of COVID-19 pandemic

+ Read More

Rishi Wadhera, MD (Cardiology, BIDMC) discussed a new study from the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology at BIDMC, which found that cardiovascular deaths unrelated to COVID-19 increased during the pandemic.

Cardiovascular Deaths Increased Early on in Pandemic: Study

+ Read More

Sharon Wright, MD, MPH (Infectious Disease, BIDMC), spoke about the post-holiday surge and the importance of getting everyone vaccinated eventually to prevent the severe illness and complications of COVID-19, reduce hospitalizations and ultimately reduce deaths.

Dr. Sharon Wright with Beth Israel speaks about the latest hospital capacity and what the recent case increase could mean for emergency rooms.

+ Read More

Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC), lead researcher on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine candidate, discussed the level of protection after receiving the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, how long people should still wear a mask, and a strategy shift to reach herd immunity.

What happens after the first COVID-19 dose?

+ Read More

The Baker administration, in partnership with the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, announced four grants totaling $1.5 million to broaden coronavirus testing methods in the months ahead. BIDMC will be one of the hospitals analyzing existing coronavirus antigen tests.

State gives $1.5M in grants for development of new Covid testing

+ Read More

In the midst of the COVID-19 vaccines rollout, clinicians and researchers are working to assess next generation COVID-19 vaccine candidates, and as part of that effort, researchers are presenting alternatives to measure a vaccine’s effectiveness by using immune markers that a person develops in their blood after inoculation. Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) spoke to how trials so far suggest that levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin G (IgG) could serve as that proxy indicator.

As placebo-controlled testing falls out of favour, vaccine developers eye blood markers and challenge trials to assess next-generation candidates.

+ Read More

Nhi Vo (Radiology, BIDMC) looks over a carpet of daffodils left for medical workers at BIDMC by Boston-based floral company Cityscapes. Editor’s note: Photo is featured April 10.

The photos that helped us tell the stories of 2020

+ Read More

The Boston Globe’s latest on what people need to know about the vaccine rollout in Massachusetts included Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine development in partnership with BIDMC. Johnson & Johnson expects to have early data from its trial by the end of January, with hopes of submitting an application for FDA emergency use authorization in February.

Five things you need to know about the vaccine rollout in Mass.

+ Read More

As 2021 begins, doctors from Massachusetts hospitals worry infections from holiday gatherings will crowd ICUs even more. David Longworth, MD (President, Lahey Hospital) expressed concern about the impact of the holidays in contributing a surge upon the existing surge.

Infectious Disease Doctors Look Back At A Tough Year — And Forward With Concern

+ Read More

Mary LaSalvia, MD (Infectious Disease, BIDMC) and Kenneth Wener, MD (Infectious Disease, LHMC) joined with other Boston infectious disease experts to address the COVID-19 pandemic and share 2021 resolutions in an opinion piece for the Boston Globe.

As we ring in a new year, here are our resolutions; please consider joining us.

+ Read More