By Daniel R. Lucey MD, MPH, FIDSA The following five reasons support why there is no cause for alarm regarding the “Nigeria variant” announced Thursday (Dec. 24). In contrast with the two different virus variants linked separately with increasing cases in the UK and South Africa, the variant in Nigeria has: NOT been linked with […]
By Daniel R. Lucey M.D., MPH, FIDSA On Wednesday (yesterday), United Kingdom Health Minister Matt Hancock announced that two persons in the UK had been diagnosed with the South African variant virus and as a result immediate actions were taken, including strict “quarantine” of anyone who has been in South Africa or even been a […]
A template is needed for the variants to come By Daniel R. Lucey M.D., MPH, FIDSA Overshadowed by reporting about the UK variant virus “B.1.1.7,” a separate but similar variant SARS-CoV-2 virus in South Africa “501.V2” is under appreciated and deserves more international attention. Both variant viruses containing multiple mutations in the spike (S) protein, […]
Impact on vaccines and monoclonals remains unknown By Daniel R. Lucey M.D., MPH, FIDSA Today at least 10 European nations announced some new travel restrictions with regard to the United Kingdom due to a SARS-CoV-2 mutated variant that UK officials announced could be 70% more transmissible. See details below in two publications posted today including […]
The King says “I think we have failed” By Daniel R. Lucey M.D., MPH, FIDSA As new COVID-19 illnesses, hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths rise in Sweden, today the government posted new restrictions including for the first time use of face masks on public transport. This action follows the Dec.15 release of a 318-page interim […]
The following is a guest post by Richard Ngethe, MBA, and Jonathan Friedman, MS According to a study by UNAIDS of Brazil, of an estimated 140 million records in the national user database—including all health records—only 100 million unique patients were represented. The number of patients, therefore, was overstated by 40%.[1] This is the kind […]
More than 250 healthcare professionals from 60 countries have signed a letter sent to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus today calling for nations to contribute comprehensive data on the numbers of health workers worldwide infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. As safe and effective vaccines become available, the data would highlight […]
The following is a guest post by Cathy Cantelmo, Rebecca Ross, Shree Prabhakaran and Arin Dutta Indonesia has not yet achieved UNAIDS 90-90-90 HIV treatment targets or epidemic control. Of the people living with HIV as of June 2020, only 63 percent knew their status, just a quarter were on antiretroviral therapy, and a mere […]
From March 6, when the first diagnosis of COVID-19 in Denver, Colorado was confirmed, to October 6, more than 10,000 adults living outside of detention, long-term care, or shelter settings were diagnosed with the disease. More than a thousand were hospitalized, and 165 people died as a result of the disease. Of all of the […]
Inboxes fill fast on commemorative days like these with reminders of a challenge that has tragic impacts throughout the year. Often these days can seem to serve as a pass for remembering, discussing, pressing for solutions to the challenge on all the other days. In a year when a new pandemic has both dominated our […]
HIV
Leader Needed to Fight Another Pandemic: HIV – While the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted HIV services worldwide, the office of U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator has remained […]
Tuberculosis
In the six weeks before South Africa responded its first diagnoses of COVID-19 with the start of physical distancing measures, more than 47,000 people on average […]
Research & Development
By Mitchell Warren, executive director, AVAC In February 2020, just as the COVID pandemic began its rapid global spread, a major HIV vaccine trial called HVTN […]
Policy
By Karen Carvajal, M.D. Over the course of human history we have come a long way in our fight against the threat of infectious diseases and, […]