Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels.com Another COVID variant has been identified. Known as XBB.1.5. or the 'kraken' variant, it has been detected in 28 countries and is showing signs of being able to evade national immunity or protection offered by vaccines. It is cause for concern due to low vaccine intakes in countries such… Continue reading Don’t ditch your face masks just yet…
According to an editorial in Nature (dated 10 Jan 2022), it is time for us to come to terms with the fact that COVID-19 is here to stay. Given the amount of pandemic fatigue there is at the moment, many people have already come to terms with it. However, as Nature states, this doesn't mean… Continue reading What’s the latest with COVID-19?
There is a new variant of COVID-19, the virus that has caused a global pandemic that began in early 2020 and shows no signs of letting up. Here's what we know about it: Official name - SARS-CoV-2 variant: B.1.1.529. Classified on 26/11/22 by WHO and named Omicron First reported to WHO on 24/11/21 First discovered… Continue reading What do we know about the latest coronavirus variant, ‘Omicron’?
Researchers in the UK have found that the protection offered by the Pfizer/Biotech and AstraZeneca vaccines begins to fall after six months. The researchers have linked this to the need for booster shots for those who already had two doses of the vaccine. While major countries like the US, UK and also the EU are… Continue reading COVID-19 vaccine protection is fading as the number of cases increase
Face masks have become part of our new normal over the past year both indoors and outdoors. While they're highly recommended inside heavily populated areas like supermarkets/grocery stores and public transport, there's not much guidance when it comes to outside. According to Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH, the risk of catching COVID-19 outside is quite low.… Continue reading Do you need to wear a face mask outside?
EMA’s safety committee (PRAC) concludes that the benefits of the #COVID19Vaccine AstraZeneca still outweigh its risks despite possible link to rare blood clots associated with low levels of blood platelets. 👉Read more: https://t.co/WCdaKqOPxB pic.twitter.com/0NO8kh5a48 — EU Medicines Agency (@EMA_News) March 18, 2021 The EMA safety committee held a meeting on 18th March and found that:… Continue reading Update: EMA concludes that benefits of AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh the risks
Several countries across Europe have suspended the AstraZeneca vaccine due to safety concerns. There have been reports of blood clotting and deaths in people who have been administered the vaccine. In comparison, there seems to be little trouble with the rollout of the vaccine in the UK with scientists there insisting that the jab is… Continue reading AstraZeneca vaccine suspended in Europe due to safety concerns
Roxanne Cohen Silver, PhD: Research does make it clear that social media is a larger source of misinformation and rumour than we typically get from traditional media. There isn't anybody who is monitoring and vetting the information for its truthfulness or its veracity. So we need to step back. How are we using social media?… Continue reading How are we using social media?
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