Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) speaks with KNX In Depth’s (podcast) hosts Mike Simpson and Charles Feldman about a COVID-19 vaccine. Editor’s note: Interview begins around 24:09.

KNX In Depth: China recovers from COVID so why can't the U.S.?--California hospitals in danger of reaching critical capacity levels--Can your boss force you to get a COVID vaccine?

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Marsha Maurer, DPN, RN (CNO, BIDMC) discussed steps BIDMC is taking to keep staff safe during the pandemic.

As the pandemic intensifies and fatigue grows, officials are enforcing new protocols for staff.

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This week, the Department of Public Health released their weekly dashboard which classified 97 Massachusetts towns and cities as “red zones.” That number is about eight times higher compared to just one month ago. Michael Gibson, MD (Interventional Cardiology, BIDMC) explained, “when one person gets it, they give it to two, then they give it to four, we are seeing the exponential growth when people run into each other, some of whom are a symptomatic carriers.” Gibson also notes that social economics is a factor in the rise of COVID-19 cases.

Why, week after week, do certain communities remain at high-risk for COVID-19?

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Using a massive database of genetic information, researchers at BIDMC identified a genetic variant that the scientists think influences how the immune system responds to COVID-19. To do this research, Robert E. Gerszten, MD (Cardiovascular Medicine, BIDMC), and his coauthors relied on research from earlier in the year that identified a specific genetic variation in the area of the genome that codes for blood type.

We’re just beginning to understand how our genes and COVID-19 mix

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Kevin Tabb, MD (CEO, BILH) discusses the COVID-19 vaccine, and notes that the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines will likely arrive in Massachusetts in the next ten days. Editor’s note: Interview begins around 1:15.

'Bloomberg Surveillance' Full Show (12/2/2020)

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When asked if there can be more than one COVID-19 vaccine, Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) says we need multiple vaccines to be successful.

So When Exactly Will a COVID Vaccine Be Ready?

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The battle against caregiver fatigue and burnout has become harder than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic. Alexa Kimball, MD, MPH (CEO, BIDMC) said despite the scope of the problem, there is plenty organizations can do to help healthcare workers and shared a number of strategies her team is taking to ease physician stress during the pandemic.

Uber Eats and Peloton subscriptions? Some creative ways Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians fights burnout

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Health Leaders urge patients not to defer critical screenings and appointments as they did during and in the weeks after the spring surge of the virus. Richard Nesto, MD (CMO, BILH) says a hospital environment is, in many ways, safer than walking around town or going to a store. BILH’s special hours to reduce exposure in common areas are highlighted as some of the measures local health systems have taken.

Doctors have message for patients: Don’t skip non-urgent appointments

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Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) weighs in on how researchers arrived at the effectiveness rate of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and its significance bringing the pandemic under control. Barouch explains why these revolutionary vaccines offer so much promise in the battle against COVID-19.

BOSTON — The race to get a COVID vaccine across the finish line is in the final leg.

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Delirium is often the first symptom of COVID-19 to appear in older people, a new study finds. Sharon Inouye, MD, MPH (Geriatric Medicine, BIDMC) says COVID can operate through multiple ways to affect the brain, and then, the usual stressors of being sick and hospitalized can contribute to delirium.

Delirium May Be Only Sign of Severe COVID in Elderly: Study

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Public health leaders, including from BILH, urge Massachusetts residents to be cautious around Thanksgiving and encourage the public to not gather in large groups.

Mass. hospital officials warn against large holiday gatherings

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The COVID outbreak forced changes big and small, some of which are here to stay – including the recent expansion of telehealth services. Thomas DelBanco, MD (Medicine, BIDMC) said the recent surge in doctor appointments via telehealth is decades overdue.

What will the new post-pandemic normal look like?

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Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) discusses COVID-19 vaccine development and the technology behind several leading candidates.

Pfizer and Moderna use mRNA in their COVID-19 vaccines. This never-before-used technology could transform how science fights diseases.

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Roger Shapiro, MD (Infectious Diseases, BIDMC) discusses how treatment strategies for COVID-19 have evolved over the course of the pandemic.

Months of hospital experience, global research and drug trials are helping medical teams refine treatment

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As Americans seek out coronavirus tests more than ever, urgent care is quickly becoming the go-to health care destination for a growing share of the population. Ateev Mehrotra, MD, MPH (Medicine, BIDMC) argues that if the medical system was to be redrawn, he’d want primary care doctors spending time on the sicker population.

In many places, urgent care is the only way to get a coronavirus test quickly.

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Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) discusses the possibility of more than one successful COVID-19 vaccine and notes why that is preferable in combatting the disease.

So When Exactly Will a COVID Vaccine Be Ready?

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Kevin Tabb, MD (CEO & President, BILH) discusses how the system has been preparing for a second surge and is confident going into the winter now that teams have had experience with COVID-19 and time to stock up on protective gear, medical equipment, test kits, and therapeutics.

‘We still face some pretty significant challenges,’ said one hospital system head. Chief among them: people’s behavior over the holidays.

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John Torous, MD (Digital Psychiatry, BIDMC) discusses how video consults offer an effective way to stay in close contact with mental-health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

You may not want to go to the doctor. There are plenty of proactive steps you can take—without leaving the house.

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Kathryn Stephenson, MD, MPH (Center for Virology & Vaccine Research, BIDMC) discusses COVID-19 vaccine distribution and the complications that hospitals may face with the need for ultra-cold freezers to store the vaccine.

No one is being chill about this.

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In this op-ed, Kenneth Wener, MD (Infectious Diseases, LHMC) and Mary LaSalvia, MD (Infectious Diseases, BIDMC) join infectious disease leaders across Boston in encouraging local residents to follow Governor Baker’s newly updated COVID-19 guidelines.

They balance the public health benefits of keeping the population safe — and in school — with the need to maintain a strong economy to support all the residents of our state.

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