"Severe allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines are extremely rare" by Shalvi Gupta
As Coronavirus vaccines are being distributed by two companies Moderna and Pfzier, allergic reactions to the virus are being observed. While the reactions are rare they are still occurring. It was noticed that the most common reaction that was occurring after the vaccination was received was anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a very severe reaction that occurs after getting a vaccine. The rate of anaphylaxis in covid vaccines was 11.1 cases per 1 million doses. This was higher than the rate of anaphylaxis in flu vaccines which is 1.3 cases per 1 million doses. The US saw 21 cases of anaphylaxis after 1.9 million doses of Pfzier’s vaccine was distributed. While anaphylaxis can be treated with epinephrine, 4 out of the 21 cases of anaphylaxis that were hospitalized. As Moderna started distributing its vaccines, the cases went from 21 to 29. As the vaccines have been recently developed, the reactions and side effects to the vaccine are still unknown. Thus, if the patient has a history of anaphylaxis they should inform the person administering their vaccine, and should be monitored for 30 minutes after receiving the vaccine. Researchers and scientists have no idea why this is happening, but they are looking into it.
Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/covid-19-coronavirus-vaccine-severe-allergic-reactions-extremely-rare-cdc
As Coronavirus vaccines are being distributed by two companies Moderna and Pfzier, allergic reactions to the virus are being observed. While the reactions are rare they are still occurring. It was noticed that the most common reaction that was occurring after the vaccination was received was anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a very severe reaction that occurs after getting a vaccine. The rate of anaphylaxis in covid vaccines was 11.1 cases per 1 million doses. This was higher than the rate of anaphylaxis in flu vaccines which is 1.3 cases per 1 million doses. The US saw 21 cases of anaphylaxis after 1.9 million doses of Pfzier’s vaccine was distributed. While anaphylaxis can be treated with epinephrine, 4 out of the 21 cases of anaphylaxis that were hospitalized. As Moderna started distributing its vaccines, the cases went from 21 to 29. As the vaccines have been recently developed, the reactions and side effects to the vaccine are still unknown. Thus, if the patient has a history of anaphylaxis they should inform the person administering their vaccine, and should be monitored for 30 minutes after receiving the vaccine. Researchers and scientists have no idea why this is happening, but they are looking into it.
Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/covid-19-coronavirus-vaccine-severe-allergic-reactions-extremely-rare-cdc
"Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine May Be Most Effective in Adolescent Age Group" by Sarah San Vicente
With more and more vaccines distributed daily, the main question asked is when will the United States reach herd immunity. One major group of our country, however, hasn’t even begun the vaccination process. Adolescents under the age of 18 make up approximately 23% of the country’s population, a necessary demographic in reaching herd immunity. While early trials did not include those under the age of 16, the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine company has received early results in the 12-15 age group.
Original data (prior to peer-review and publication in a scientific journal) has shown this vaccine to be very effective in adolescents, with stronger antibody responses than seen in the 16-25 age group. This trial included 2,260 children from ages 12-15. Participants received both doses of the vaccine with the same level and schedule as adults, along with a placebo group that received salt water. Of the placebo group, only 18 had symptomatic coronavirus cases, with none in the vaccination group. While the levels of infection are too low to determine a specific efficacy rate at the moment, the high levels of antibodies produced are a good sign. Pfizer-BioNTech is hopeful that vaccinations for those ages 12–15 may begin before the coming school year, with emergency approval from the FDA. All other vaccine companies, such as Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca, are all either currently in or will begin testing in younger children at some point this year. While many parents hold anti-vaccine sentiments for children, due to a low risk of child hospitalizations, experts hope these results will quell fears and increase overall vaccination rates, leading to herd immunity even earlier.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/health/pfizer-biontech-vaccine-adolescents.html
With more and more vaccines distributed daily, the main question asked is when will the United States reach herd immunity. One major group of our country, however, hasn’t even begun the vaccination process. Adolescents under the age of 18 make up approximately 23% of the country’s population, a necessary demographic in reaching herd immunity. While early trials did not include those under the age of 16, the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine company has received early results in the 12-15 age group.
Original data (prior to peer-review and publication in a scientific journal) has shown this vaccine to be very effective in adolescents, with stronger antibody responses than seen in the 16-25 age group. This trial included 2,260 children from ages 12-15. Participants received both doses of the vaccine with the same level and schedule as adults, along with a placebo group that received salt water. Of the placebo group, only 18 had symptomatic coronavirus cases, with none in the vaccination group. While the levels of infection are too low to determine a specific efficacy rate at the moment, the high levels of antibodies produced are a good sign. Pfizer-BioNTech is hopeful that vaccinations for those ages 12–15 may begin before the coming school year, with emergency approval from the FDA. All other vaccine companies, such as Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca, are all either currently in or will begin testing in younger children at some point this year. While many parents hold anti-vaccine sentiments for children, due to a low risk of child hospitalizations, experts hope these results will quell fears and increase overall vaccination rates, leading to herd immunity even earlier.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/health/pfizer-biontech-vaccine-adolescents.html
"Prediabetes" by James He
Most people have heard of diabetes, an incurable metabolic disease characterized by malformed or absent bodily responses to fluctuations in blood glucose levels. Although extensive research has probed the etiology of the disease, no ubiquitous treatment for either type I or type II diabetes currently exists as an efficacious measure to mitigate the disease effects. Consequently, afflicted individuals are forced to significantly compromise their normal lifestyle and constantly monitor their health metrics - blood pressure, blood glucose, and weight.
The widespread concern surrounding diabetes and the lack of a counteractive treatment prompt a more obscure health diagnosis: prediabetes. Such a condition is characterized nominally - a health state in which the individual’s blood glucose, blood pressure, weight, and other diabetes risk factors are slightly elevated, but not at the level seen in diabetic patients. For example, an A1C reading of 6.5% indicates the threshold for the amount of sugar circulating in a diagnosed diabetic patient while a reading of 5.7% sets the bar for prediabetes. Patients diagnosed with prediabetes may be recommended for similar adjustments as diabetics: metformin if the risk of developing diabetes appears particularly, and lifestyle adjustments for lower risk instances.
Like many conditions, aging is a natural contributor to an elevated risk of diabetes, or more preemptively, prediabetes. Over the last decade, individuals over 60 have been diagnosed with prediabetes more frequently. However, many of them have not heard of the condition, leaving them uncertain about how to proceed. Undoubtedly, the prospect of acquiring diabetes later on proves daunting, but taking precautionary measures that come with side effects or inconveniences is not an attractive option either. There is not a standard line of care following such a diagnosis, which makes it harder for these patients to judge their situation. In fact, recent research suggests that most individuals afflicted with prediabetes are not more likely to develop diabetes, and have similar risk factors for death.
Compounded together, these factors make prediabetes an ambiguous condition. Is it anything more than elevated blood pressure or blood glucose detected at your annual physical? Perhaps. But if it is treated in the same way as diabetes, does that make it a separate condition, or just diabetes with lower risk thresholds?
Source: Span, Paula. “How Meaningful Is Prediabetes for Older Adults?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Feb. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/02/23/health/elderly-prediabetes-selvin.html.
Most people have heard of diabetes, an incurable metabolic disease characterized by malformed or absent bodily responses to fluctuations in blood glucose levels. Although extensive research has probed the etiology of the disease, no ubiquitous treatment for either type I or type II diabetes currently exists as an efficacious measure to mitigate the disease effects. Consequently, afflicted individuals are forced to significantly compromise their normal lifestyle and constantly monitor their health metrics - blood pressure, blood glucose, and weight.
The widespread concern surrounding diabetes and the lack of a counteractive treatment prompt a more obscure health diagnosis: prediabetes. Such a condition is characterized nominally - a health state in which the individual’s blood glucose, blood pressure, weight, and other diabetes risk factors are slightly elevated, but not at the level seen in diabetic patients. For example, an A1C reading of 6.5% indicates the threshold for the amount of sugar circulating in a diagnosed diabetic patient while a reading of 5.7% sets the bar for prediabetes. Patients diagnosed with prediabetes may be recommended for similar adjustments as diabetics: metformin if the risk of developing diabetes appears particularly, and lifestyle adjustments for lower risk instances.
Like many conditions, aging is a natural contributor to an elevated risk of diabetes, or more preemptively, prediabetes. Over the last decade, individuals over 60 have been diagnosed with prediabetes more frequently. However, many of them have not heard of the condition, leaving them uncertain about how to proceed. Undoubtedly, the prospect of acquiring diabetes later on proves daunting, but taking precautionary measures that come with side effects or inconveniences is not an attractive option either. There is not a standard line of care following such a diagnosis, which makes it harder for these patients to judge their situation. In fact, recent research suggests that most individuals afflicted with prediabetes are not more likely to develop diabetes, and have similar risk factors for death.
Compounded together, these factors make prediabetes an ambiguous condition. Is it anything more than elevated blood pressure or blood glucose detected at your annual physical? Perhaps. But if it is treated in the same way as diabetes, does that make it a separate condition, or just diabetes with lower risk thresholds?
Source: Span, Paula. “How Meaningful Is Prediabetes for Older Adults?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Feb. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/02/23/health/elderly-prediabetes-selvin.html.
"Elevated Risk of COVID-19 in Individuals with Dementia" by Raabiah Chaudhry
New research presented in Alzheimer’s & Dementia reveals that the risk of contracting and, even further, meeting poor outcomes from COVID-19 is higher for individuals with dementia. This reflects the necessity of developing ways to protect individuals with dementia from being infected, while also taking into account and eliminating the downfalls of social isolation.
While previous studies have shown that the alterations in the blood-brain barrier of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease causes a predisposition of viral/bacterial infections, impairment of memory linked to dementia adds the risk of compromising the ability to follow precautions for preventing COVID-19.
An analysis of the health records of 61,916,260 individuals, 1,064,960 of which have dementia, reflects that individuals with dementia are twice as likely to contract COVID-19, with vascular dementia showing the highest odds, followed by presenile dementia. The likelihood of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 is also higher for individuals with dementia.
Further, Black individuals with dementia have a higher risk of contracting, being hospitalized, and dying from COVID-19 than white individuals, which coincides with the racial disparities associated with COVID-19 on a larger population scale.
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41582-021-00473-0
New research presented in Alzheimer’s & Dementia reveals that the risk of contracting and, even further, meeting poor outcomes from COVID-19 is higher for individuals with dementia. This reflects the necessity of developing ways to protect individuals with dementia from being infected, while also taking into account and eliminating the downfalls of social isolation.
While previous studies have shown that the alterations in the blood-brain barrier of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease causes a predisposition of viral/bacterial infections, impairment of memory linked to dementia adds the risk of compromising the ability to follow precautions for preventing COVID-19.
An analysis of the health records of 61,916,260 individuals, 1,064,960 of which have dementia, reflects that individuals with dementia are twice as likely to contract COVID-19, with vascular dementia showing the highest odds, followed by presenile dementia. The likelihood of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 is also higher for individuals with dementia.
Further, Black individuals with dementia have a higher risk of contracting, being hospitalized, and dying from COVID-19 than white individuals, which coincides with the racial disparities associated with COVID-19 on a larger population scale.
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41582-021-00473-0
"Bioinformatic Applications in Diagnosis for Genetic Disease" by Saumya Shah
Compared to the field of medicine which has existed as long as humans have, the field of bioinformatics exploded with the advent of computers, genetic analysis, and big data analytics within the last century. Bioinformatics is a field that combines computer science, statistics, mathematics, and biology to create meaning from the vast wealth of biological data being generated everyday. Various data types fall under the realm of bioinformatics such as genomes, microbiomes, drug modeling, and population demographics. However, the application of bioinformatic knowledge is only as cohesive as the physicians who integrate the vast data into their decision-making. Every year, more medical students are being trained in the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man database, a free database created by John Hopkins University that provides extensive genetic and pathological information. For example, searching for the symptom “difficulty breathing” yields genetic disorders such as craniodiaphyseal dysplasia or neuronopathy with their corresponding gene and phenotype mapping. From there, the site lists the proteins that the genes encode for and case studies of people affected by the disease which physicians can use to inform their treatment plan. In a study of medical students at John Hopkins, students felt more confident in their ability to diagnose and suggest treatment for genetic conditions after attending educational workshops about OMIM. However, a large percentage felt that the site was too complicated to navigate when compared to popular sites like Google and Wikipedia. Researchers suggested that medical students needed more detailed workshops in OMIM at the beginning and 1-2 years later, could use a refresher course to maintain high levels of confidence in the diagnosis of genetic diseases as well as in creating a differential diagnosis in general. While the site does not have the user-interface and readability that Wikipedia and Google have, OMIM is still a valuable tool for physicians looking to expand their differential diagnoses with genetic conditions and find the molecular basis for symptoms of disease.
Lee-Barber, J., Kulo, V., Lehmann, H. et al. Bioinformatics for medical students: a 5-year experience using OMIM® in medical student education. Genet Med 21, 493–497 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41436-018-0076-7
Compared to the field of medicine which has existed as long as humans have, the field of bioinformatics exploded with the advent of computers, genetic analysis, and big data analytics within the last century. Bioinformatics is a field that combines computer science, statistics, mathematics, and biology to create meaning from the vast wealth of biological data being generated everyday. Various data types fall under the realm of bioinformatics such as genomes, microbiomes, drug modeling, and population demographics. However, the application of bioinformatic knowledge is only as cohesive as the physicians who integrate the vast data into their decision-making. Every year, more medical students are being trained in the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man database, a free database created by John Hopkins University that provides extensive genetic and pathological information. For example, searching for the symptom “difficulty breathing” yields genetic disorders such as craniodiaphyseal dysplasia or neuronopathy with their corresponding gene and phenotype mapping. From there, the site lists the proteins that the genes encode for and case studies of people affected by the disease which physicians can use to inform their treatment plan. In a study of medical students at John Hopkins, students felt more confident in their ability to diagnose and suggest treatment for genetic conditions after attending educational workshops about OMIM. However, a large percentage felt that the site was too complicated to navigate when compared to popular sites like Google and Wikipedia. Researchers suggested that medical students needed more detailed workshops in OMIM at the beginning and 1-2 years later, could use a refresher course to maintain high levels of confidence in the diagnosis of genetic diseases as well as in creating a differential diagnosis in general. While the site does not have the user-interface and readability that Wikipedia and Google have, OMIM is still a valuable tool for physicians looking to expand their differential diagnoses with genetic conditions and find the molecular basis for symptoms of disease.
Lee-Barber, J., Kulo, V., Lehmann, H. et al. Bioinformatics for medical students: a 5-year experience using OMIM® in medical student education. Genet Med 21, 493–497 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41436-018-0076-7
"Third COVID-19 Vaccine Approval" By Priya Gupta
An early step in the approval of a third COVID vaccine in the United States was completed this morning. The FDA staff report, which is delivered to the advisory committee for the approval of vaccines, endorsed the Johnson and Johnson one-dose COVID vaccine.
This vaccine comes after the approval of two other vaccines, the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine. Both of these vaccines are two-dose vaccines, requiring a second dose after three or four weeks, respectively.
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine was found to be effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths in all age, race, and comorbidity groups tested. In addition, this vaccine is much easier to use logistic-wise. This vaccine can be stored from 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, which is more practical than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that require ultra-cold freezers.
The staff report issued supported the authorization of this vaccine and claimed that its data met the standards of the FDA. This report will be presented to the committee on Friday, February 26. Although the committee does not have to follow the advice of the report, they typically do.
The authorization of this vaccine will help further the process of vaccinating our population. Along with social distancing and wearing a mask, this is a great step in ending the year-long pandemic.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/24/covid-vaccine-fda-staff-endorses-jjs-single-shot-for-emergency-use.html
An early step in the approval of a third COVID vaccine in the United States was completed this morning. The FDA staff report, which is delivered to the advisory committee for the approval of vaccines, endorsed the Johnson and Johnson one-dose COVID vaccine.
This vaccine comes after the approval of two other vaccines, the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine. Both of these vaccines are two-dose vaccines, requiring a second dose after three or four weeks, respectively.
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine was found to be effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths in all age, race, and comorbidity groups tested. In addition, this vaccine is much easier to use logistic-wise. This vaccine can be stored from 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, which is more practical than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that require ultra-cold freezers.
The staff report issued supported the authorization of this vaccine and claimed that its data met the standards of the FDA. This report will be presented to the committee on Friday, February 26. Although the committee does not have to follow the advice of the report, they typically do.
The authorization of this vaccine will help further the process of vaccinating our population. Along with social distancing and wearing a mask, this is a great step in ending the year-long pandemic.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/24/covid-vaccine-fda-staff-endorses-jjs-single-shot-for-emergency-use.html