As Covid cases rise, what to know about Paxlovid
NBC News, September 24, 2023
Covid cases have risen again. Some Americans are anxious about possibly getting very sick from the infection. Paxlovid antiviral pills remain an option for mitigating the risk. Research has shown that Paxlovid is associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization or death — but only for those who are already at higher risk of severe illness from Covid because they are older or have underlying health conditions.
NBC News, September 24, 2023
Covid cases have risen again. Some Americans are anxious about possibly getting very sick from the infection. Paxlovid antiviral pills remain an option for mitigating the risk. Research has shown that Paxlovid is associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization or death — but only for those who are already at higher risk of severe illness from Covid because they are older or have underlying health conditions.
'Tripledemic' viruses still spreading. What science shows about being contagious.
NBC News, December 18, 2022
People know when they have Covid symptoms, but do minor sniffles at the end of a coronavirus infection, for example, mean they’re still contagious? It’s a good time to brush up on what scientists know, and still don’t know, about how long people remain infectious with viral diseases — Covid, influenza, RSV — that are spreading across the U.S.
NBC News, December 18, 2022
People know when they have Covid symptoms, but do minor sniffles at the end of a coronavirus infection, for example, mean they’re still contagious? It’s a good time to brush up on what scientists know, and still don’t know, about how long people remain infectious with viral diseases — Covid, influenza, RSV — that are spreading across the U.S.
Omicron subvariants pose a new threat to people with immune deficiencies
NBC News, October 2022
The immunocompromised face a new winter of discontent as the omicron virus threatens to outrun the preventive monoclonal antibody cocktail that hundreds of thousands of them have relied upon for extra protection against Covid, as well as the sole antibody drug that has retained effectiveness as treatment for Covid.
NBC News, October 2022
The immunocompromised face a new winter of discontent as the omicron virus threatens to outrun the preventive monoclonal antibody cocktail that hundreds of thousands of them have relied upon for extra protection against Covid, as well as the sole antibody drug that has retained effectiveness as treatment for Covid.
Millions at risk as COVID-19 and Ukraine war threaten HIV/AIDS gains
Thomson Reuters Foundation, July 2022
The fight against HIV risks being derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS warned, with progress in cutting case numbers reversed in some countries and slowing overall. An estimated 1.5 million people contracted HIV worldwide in 2021, UNAIDS reported, with the number of new cases dropping at the slowest rate since 2016.
Thomson Reuters Foundation, July 2022
The fight against HIV risks being derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS warned, with progress in cutting case numbers reversed in some countries and slowing overall. An estimated 1.5 million people contracted HIV worldwide in 2021, UNAIDS reported, with the number of new cases dropping at the slowest rate since 2016.
Because of Covid, 2020 was a 'lost year' in the fight against HIV, report suggests
NBC News, May 2020
An ambitious new plan by the federal government, marshaled by Dr. Anthony Fauci, to accelerate the battle against the U.S. HIV epidemic appears to have made a markedly disappointing debut. CDC officials have expressed concern that disruptions the country’s Covid-19 response have caused to HIV-related services have inflicted collateral damage that could take years to undo.
NBC News, May 2020
An ambitious new plan by the federal government, marshaled by Dr. Anthony Fauci, to accelerate the battle against the U.S. HIV epidemic appears to have made a markedly disappointing debut. CDC officials have expressed concern that disruptions the country’s Covid-19 response have caused to HIV-related services have inflicted collateral damage that could take years to undo.
Covid symptoms may return for some after taking Paxlovid antiviral pills
NBC News, April 2022
There have been anecdotal reports of people treated for Covid with Pfizer's Paxlovid who experience a rebound of symptoms within about a week. These apparently rare cases have led infectious disease experts to call for federal agencies to issue more precise treatment and prevention guidelines addressing such outcomes.
NBC News, April 2022
There have been anecdotal reports of people treated for Covid with Pfizer's Paxlovid who experience a rebound of symptoms within about a week. These apparently rare cases have led infectious disease experts to call for federal agencies to issue more precise treatment and prevention guidelines addressing such outcomes.
After cancer screenings fell during Covid-19, an effort to reverse the trend
NBC's Today, March 2022
Given the worrisome drop in cancer screenings seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, health care facilities across the nation have been mobilizing to make-up for lost time. The overarching goal is to mitigate the harmful impact delayed cancer detection can have. A paper published in the journal Cancer offers good news and bad news on this front.
NBC's Today, March 2022
Given the worrisome drop in cancer screenings seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, health care facilities across the nation have been mobilizing to make-up for lost time. The overarching goal is to mitigate the harmful impact delayed cancer detection can have. A paper published in the journal Cancer offers good news and bad news on this front.
Test to Treat: pharmacists say Biden's major new Covid initiative won't work
The Guardian, March 2022
A major new Biden administration initiative to facilitate access to Covid-19 antivirals will have a limited impact and fail to mitigate certain health inequities, major pharmacist groups argue, because pharmacists are restricted from prescribing the pills. The “Test to Treat” program is meant to address the maddening difficulty Americans have had in accessing Covid-19 treatments.
The Guardian, March 2022
A major new Biden administration initiative to facilitate access to Covid-19 antivirals will have a limited impact and fail to mitigate certain health inequities, major pharmacist groups argue, because pharmacists are restricted from prescribing the pills. The “Test to Treat” program is meant to address the maddening difficulty Americans have had in accessing Covid-19 treatments.
Even mild Covid is linked to brain damage, scans show
NBC News, March 2022
During at least the first few months following a coronavirus infection, even mild Covid-19 is linked to tissue damage and accelerated losses in brain regions tied to the sense of smell, as well as a small loss in the brain’s overall volume. Mild Covid is also associated with a cognitive function deficit. These are the findings of the first study of the disease’s potential brain impacts that is based on brain scans taken both before and after coronavirus infection.
NBC News, March 2022
During at least the first few months following a coronavirus infection, even mild Covid-19 is linked to tissue damage and accelerated losses in brain regions tied to the sense of smell, as well as a small loss in the brain’s overall volume. Mild Covid is also associated with a cognitive function deficit. These are the findings of the first study of the disease’s potential brain impacts that is based on brain scans taken both before and after coronavirus infection.
Pfizer's Covid pill has been heralded as a game-changer. The U.S. is bungling the rollout
NBC News, February 2022
Critical shortages of Covid-19 treatments have hamstrung health care providers as the omicron wave has driven a desperate need for treatments to keep people with Covid out of the hospital. The situation has been worsened by states not prioritizing people at the highest risk of severe illness or death — those who are immunocompromised and unvaccinated people with underlying health conditions.
NBC News, February 2022
Critical shortages of Covid-19 treatments have hamstrung health care providers as the omicron wave has driven a desperate need for treatments to keep people with Covid out of the hospital. The situation has been worsened by states not prioritizing people at the highest risk of severe illness or death — those who are immunocompromised and unvaccinated people with underlying health conditions.
Pfizer Covid antiviral pills may be risky with other medications
NBC News, December 2021
As the omicron surge pummels a pandemic-weary nation, the first antiviral pills for Covid-19 promise desperately needed protection for people at risk of severe disease. However, many people prescribed Pfizer’s or Merck’s new medications will require careful monitoring by doctors and pharmacists, and the antivirals may not be safe for everyone, experts caution.
NBC News, December 2021
As the omicron surge pummels a pandemic-weary nation, the first antiviral pills for Covid-19 promise desperately needed protection for people at risk of severe disease. However, many people prescribed Pfizer’s or Merck’s new medications will require careful monitoring by doctors and pharmacists, and the antivirals may not be safe for everyone, experts caution.
FDA clears AstraZeneca's Covid preventive antibody therapy for the immunocompromised
NBC News, December 2021
The Food and Drug Administration authorized the first injectable monoclonal antibody cocktail for long-term prevention of Covid-19 among people with weakened immune systems before they have been exposed to the coronavirus. The FDA issued an emergency use authorization for AstraZeneca’s antibody cocktail, Evusheld, for what is known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, against Covid-19.
NBC News, December 2021
The Food and Drug Administration authorized the first injectable monoclonal antibody cocktail for long-term prevention of Covid-19 among people with weakened immune systems before they have been exposed to the coronavirus. The FDA issued an emergency use authorization for AstraZeneca’s antibody cocktail, Evusheld, for what is known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, against Covid-19.
Covid antibody drugs could protect people with weak immune systems against Covid
NBC News, November 2021
If the FDA grants emergency authorization to monoclonal antibodies as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against Covid-19, how accessible will this preventive therapy be for immunocompromised people? Demand for the antibodies as treatment has fallen. But health care providers are struggling with staffing concerns, which could affect their capacity to provide PrEP.
NBC News, November 2021
If the FDA grants emergency authorization to monoclonal antibodies as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against Covid-19, how accessible will this preventive therapy be for immunocompromised people? Demand for the antibodies as treatment has fallen. But health care providers are struggling with staffing concerns, which could affect their capacity to provide PrEP.
NGOs scramble to dampen COVID-19's impact on people living with HIV
Thomson Reuters Foundation, October 2021
HIV professionals battling to maintain services during the COVID-19 pandemic have been adopting innovations - from mailing out prescriptions to scaling up self-testing and video consultations. Their creative approach appears to have helped buck forecasts for a plunge in global HIV treatment rates, though international organisations say the coronavirus has still dealt a blow to the global fight against HIV.
Thomson Reuters Foundation, October 2021
HIV professionals battling to maintain services during the COVID-19 pandemic have been adopting innovations - from mailing out prescriptions to scaling up self-testing and video consultations. Their creative approach appears to have helped buck forecasts for a plunge in global HIV treatment rates, though international organisations say the coronavirus has still dealt a blow to the global fight against HIV.
"I felt this huge relief": how antibody injections could free the immunosuppressed under Covid
The Guardian, September 2021
The FDA is expected to issue an emergency authorization that would permit immuno-compromised people to receive routine injections of monoclonal antibodies, which research indicates would offer them substantial protection against Covid-19. For people with suppressed immune systems, such a powerful complement to vaccination could finally bring them freedom from lockdown limbo.
The Guardian, September 2021
The FDA is expected to issue an emergency authorization that would permit immuno-compromised people to receive routine injections of monoclonal antibodies, which research indicates would offer them substantial protection against Covid-19. For people with suppressed immune systems, such a powerful complement to vaccination could finally bring them freedom from lockdown limbo.
FDA authorizes Covid antibody treatment as preventive after exposure
NBC News, August 2021
The FDA has approved Regeneron's monoclonal antibody cocktail, REGEN-COV, for use as post-exposure prevention among unvaccinated and immunocompromised people at high risk of severe Covid-19. They must have been in recent close contact with someone who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
NBC News, August 2021
The FDA has approved Regeneron's monoclonal antibody cocktail, REGEN-COV, for use as post-exposure prevention among unvaccinated and immunocompromised people at high risk of severe Covid-19. They must have been in recent close contact with someone who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
HIV After COVID: Anthony Fauci and an Army of Researchers Seek to Regain Momentum
The Guardian, June 2021
HIV was instrumental in training armies within the medical, scientific and public health sectors to better fight COVID-19. However, the new pandemic has apparently worsened its predecessor. This comes during the initial roll-out of the national plan Dr. Anthony Fauci designed to ramp up federal spending on HIV with a goal of ending that virus as a public health threat by 2030. (Click here for YouTube video of interview with Dr. Fauci.)
The Guardian, June 2021
HIV was instrumental in training armies within the medical, scientific and public health sectors to better fight COVID-19. However, the new pandemic has apparently worsened its predecessor. This comes during the initial roll-out of the national plan Dr. Anthony Fauci designed to ramp up federal spending on HIV with a goal of ending that virus as a public health threat by 2030. (Click here for YouTube video of interview with Dr. Fauci.)
"New disease, no treatment, no cure": How Dr. Fauci's Fight Against AIDS Prepared Him For COVID-19
The Guardian, December 2020
Marking his 80th birthday and his 40 years at the head of the global HIV research response, Fauci projected that the history will recall him perhaps most notably for his efforts to provide HIV treatment in low-income nations. He doesn't want to retire until the HIV epidemic is over, preferably thanks to a vaccine. Then he would like to pen a memoir as perhaps the only person to advise seven presidents.
The Guardian, December 2020
Marking his 80th birthday and his 40 years at the head of the global HIV research response, Fauci projected that the history will recall him perhaps most notably for his efforts to provide HIV treatment in low-income nations. He doesn't want to retire until the HIV epidemic is over, preferably thanks to a vaccine. Then he would like to pen a memoir as perhaps the only person to advise seven presidents.
Dr. Anthony Fauci turns 80 – and Even His Birthday Surprise Obeyed COVID Rules
The Guardian, December 2020
How Dr. Fauci's wife, the NIH's top bioethicist, Christine Grady, leveraged his security detail to surprise him with a celebration for his 80th birthday. The delighted lodestar of the COVID-19 era recalled how impressed he was with his wife's sly and deft trickery. "I'm not easily fooled," he noted.
The Guardian, December 2020
How Dr. Fauci's wife, the NIH's top bioethicist, Christine Grady, leveraged his security detail to surprise him with a celebration for his 80th birthday. The delighted lodestar of the COVID-19 era recalled how impressed he was with his wife's sly and deft trickery. "I'm not easily fooled," he noted.
Love in the age of coronavirus: how couples are getting creative in the face of upended weddings
The Guardian, March 2020
The United States has 450,000 weddings slated for March through May alone. Many couples with dates through June are scrambling to reschedule, while others are downsizing to a small gathering at their parents’ house, or getting legally married in the short-term and planning a vow renewal ceremony on their first wedding anniversary.
The Guardian, March 2020
The United States has 450,000 weddings slated for March through May alone. Many couples with dates through June are scrambling to reschedule, while others are downsizing to a small gathering at their parents’ house, or getting legally married in the short-term and planning a vow renewal ceremony on their first wedding anniversary.