Preeti Mehrotra, MD (Infection Control, BIDMC) spoke about the state’s COVID-19 vaccination rates, which outpace that of other parts of the country, and what it means to individual families. Mehrotra also noted that her sense of comfort is slowly growing but that there is still work to do.
According to a modeling study, the presence of even small quantities of infection-blocking antibodies in vaccinated people’s blood indicates that a vaccine is effective at protecting against COVID-19. Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) noted that more studies are needed to pin down which cells or molecules determine the level of protection
Researchers conducting a study in Spain have found that vaccinating people with both the Oxford–AstraZeneca and Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines produces a potent immune response against the virus which researchers hoped for and expected from mixing different vaccines, a strategy known as a heterologous prime and boost. Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) said the responses look promising and show the potential of heterologous prime–boost regimens.
As the virus surges in countries like India, where there aren’t enough vaccines, experts like Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) are focused on various COVID-19 variants to see if they pose a challenge to current vaccines, including one he helped develop for Johnson & Johnson.
Medical providers are seeing an increase in health problems as a direct result of pandemic-era living. Some of the health conditions doctors are seeing more of now include hair loss. Alexa Kimball, MD, MPH (President & CEO, Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians and Dermatology, BIDMC) said that the fall of 2020, primary care physicians and dermatologists started to notice a substantial increase in the number of people, particularly women, who were reporting that their hair was falling out in clumps. This phenomenon, called telogen effluvium, is typically caused by stress, illness or pregnancy.
Sharon Wright, MD, MPH (Infection Protection, BILH) commented that all three of the coronavirus vaccinations are extremely effective against severe disease, hospitalizations, and death.
A team of investigators led by Ashley L. O’Donoghue, PhD (Healthcare Delivery Science, BIDMC) found that an increase in access to naloxone could reduce some of the increases in fatal opioid overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As misinformation promoted by anti-vaccination organizations and individuals undermines trust in science and generates skepticism about the authorized vaccines, experts answer some of the questions that remain because of misconceptions. Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) explains how study of coronavirus vaccines has actually been extremely rigorous.
Researchers are exploring whether people will need booster shots in the coming months and years to maintain immunity or to protect against newly emerging COVID-19 variants. Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) said there could be two reasons why booster shots may be needed, the first is the natural waning of vaccine immunity, and the second is that new variants could emerge that might not be fully covered by the current vaccines.
It's unclear if everyone will need boosters, but early results are promising.
Students describe the challenges and treasures of navigating classes and the pandemic.
Medical professionals who have been on the front lines of COVID-19 at BIDMC and other local hospitals, including Barbara S. Lee (Social Work, BIDMC) and Pamela N. Peck (Psychiatry, BIDMC), shared how their emotional well-being has been impacted over the past 14 months while they put their lives on the line to save others. The hospitals have bolstered and implemented programs to support their staff, drawing on the expertise of Harvard’s faculty specializing in mental health, and created new wellness resources.
According to CDC data released on Sunday, about 5 million Americans missed receiving their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) noted it’s unclear exactly what's leading to so many missed second appointments for COVID-19 vaccines but that it's likely that getting a second shot, even at a later point in time, is still very beneficial.
Christina Yen, MD (Medicine, BIDMC) shared that an N95 can be reused anywhere from 20 to 25 times and still keep SARS-CoV-2 at bay.
Preeti Mehrotra, MD (Infection Control, BIDMC) spoke about the potential changes to CDC guidelines regarding mask requirements outdoors.
People who delayed medical and dental care as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic are returning to doctors’ offices, sometimes with exacerbated symptoms and conditions due to the delay in treatment, according to doctors. A study from BIDMC found that new cancer diagnoses had gone down during the pandemic because patients weren’t coming in for treatment, which implies that patients might come in later with later-stage cancers.
The digital mental health space was growing rapidly even before the COVID-19 pandemic but stress and anxiety brought on by the health crisis have accelerated demand for virtual behavioral health services. John Torous, MD (Psychiatry, BIDMC) explained the benefits of increased digital mental health care access.
A group of Boston Red Sox players received the first vaccination against COVID-19 on Monday from BIDMC staff at Fenway Park.
As Massachusetts hospitals settle into a new normal, they’ve shifted from managing a raging crisis to incorporating COVID-19 into their daily work. Kevin Tabb, MD (CEO, BILH) commented that the profile of the typical COVID-19 patient has changed, noting that seniors no longer make up the majority of people hospitalized with the disease. Patients now tend to be younger, in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.
Massachusetts epidemiology and infectious disease experts suggested newer variants may be more transmissible and could be better able to resist COVID-19 immunity from the vaccines or a natural infection. Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) noted many of these variants show enhanced transmission and, in some studies, enhanced disease, during his remarks at a at a state legislative hearing on Tuesday.
