Wohl Hopes FDA Approval Will Encourage Vaccinations
David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, talked with WRAL.com about the FDA giving fully approval to Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine.
“I think this helps for those people who are on the fence,” said Wohl. “Here’s another reason, another thing to think about in your decision-making and now it is fully FDA approved and I think the other Johnson and Johnson will be as well. I think it will help us in convincing people because they’re worried, they’re worried there has not been enough data or studies.”
How the U.S. Can Reach ‘Covid Normalcy’ by Spring 2022, According to Fauci — and What Experts Say That’ll Look Like (August 25, 2021)
CNBC reports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has fully approved Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid vaccine. And for Fauci, the White House’s chief medical advisor, that means more Americans will feel comfortable getting vaccinated, and the U.S. could have enough control over Covid to return to some degree of normalcy by spring 2022.
David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, was interviewed for the report and said Covid cases could rise again as temperatures drop and Americans resume indoor activities by necessity. “Unfortunately, I’m worried that we’re going to have a very tough autumn and winter,” Wohl told CNBC.
Monoclonal Antibodies Widely Available in N.C. For Many Testing Positive For COVID-19
As COVID-19 cases surge and ICU beds in hospitals across the state fill because of the highly contagious Delta variant, healthcare professionals are working to get the word out about an alternative treatment. WTVD-11 reports on monoclonal antibodies, meant to help keep COVID-positive patients out of the hospital, are most effective when given early after symptoms begin.
“If you get diagnosed with COVID-19, and you have symptoms, it doesn’t have to be severe; if you’ve lost your sense of smell if you have the sniffles, sore throat, fever, any shortness of breath, you’re having symptoms,” said David Wohl, MD, in the news report. “So, we want everyone who’s diagnosed with COVID-19, who has symptoms to ask their provider about ‘should I get a monoclonal antibody?’ Unfortunately, a lot of providers don’t know about this. So you might have to do your own little sleuthing.”
Watch or read the news report.
Health Care Half Hour: Dr. David Wohl Answers Questions About the Delta Variant
In “Health Care Half Hour,” NC Health News editor Rose Hoban presents Delta variant questions to David Wohl, MD, who talks through a return to masks, booster shots, and what a spike might look like in the months to come.
Delta Is Surging, But Is Another Variant On the Way? Here’s What to Know About Lambda
The News & Observer reports the delta variant is by far the dominant strain of the coronavirus in North Carolina and the rest of the country, but experts say there are also other variants to watch.
David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, explained the lambda variant is potentially concerning because in theory, the COVID-19 vaccines are not as effective against it.
“There’s indications that the antibodies from people who’ve been vaccinated do not neutralize lambda as well as they neutralize other variants,” Wohl said. “That’s the concern with lambda is that in laboratory tests, there may be diminished activity. It still works but not as avidly.”