Category: Fellowship
‘Breakthrough’ Infections Increasing in NC, But Vaccinated People Much Less Likely to Be Hospitalized, Die
Nearly one-fifth of the coronavirus infections reported in North Carolina during the first half of August were in people already fully vaccinated, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. A WRAL.com report recognizes that while there is stable and highly effective protection against hospitalizations and severe outcomes for people who are fully vaccinated, e … Read more
Antibody Treatments Can Slow Hospitalizations Due to COVID, But Vaccines Are Best
Myron Cohen, MD, professor of medicine in infectious diseases and director of the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, said masks and vaccines remain the best line of defense against Covid in an NBC News story. “You want to prevent any disease you can, rather than treat it, because the consequences of the infection are grave,” he said. At the same time, Cohen … Read more
Five-Year $3 Million Grant Will Study Pay-It-Forward Approach to Gonorrhea Testing
Pay-it-forward programs, whereby someone receives a gift or free service and then gives a gift to another person in return, have expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide an opportunity for healthcare providers to reduce costs, increase uptake of interventions such as testing and vaccines, and promote sustainability. Weiming Tang, PhD, and Joseph Tucker, MD, PhD, explain … Read more
Weber Contributes Data to Discussions Regarding Student Vaccine Requirements
Orange County Schools middle and high school students who are unvaccinated and want to play sports or take part in certain extracurricular activities will need to be tested twice a week for COVID-19. The school board decided in a unanimous vote to require the testing for students who want to be a cheerleader or join the band, chorus or theater this year. David Weber, MD, MPH, pro … Read more
Sickbert-Bennett Discusses the Best Face Coverings For Children With School Starting Back
Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS, associate professor of infectious diseases, talked with CBS-17 about face coverings for children as school starts back, emphasizing comfort is especially important. Sickbert-Bennett has extensively researched masks throughout the pandemic and says parents should find a mask that kids are willing to wear properly all day long. Watch or read the rep … Read more
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Weber Recognizes Masks and Social Distancing Remain Crucial With COVID Surge
Doctors: Masks and Social Distancing Crucial As COVID-19 Cases Skyrocket (August 5, 2021) A WRAL.com news report acknowledges doctors are learning more everyday about the Delta variant, and as new information is released, it can be confusing and overwhelming. David Weber, MD, MPH, professor of medicine in infectious diseases, said it takes 15 minutes for delta particles to spread … Read more
Boyce Awarded Doris Duke Funding for Malaria Study in Uganda
The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has awarded Ross Boyce, MD, MSc, a 2021 Clinical Scientist Development Award for his research proposal entitled, “Getting malaria off the back of women and children in western Uganda,” which aims at reducing the incidence of malaria among infants and young children in rural Uganda. Boyce, an assistant professor in UNC’s Division of Infectious … Read more
Congratulations, Graduates!
June 30th marked the completion of the ACGME portion of ID fellowship for three ID Fellows, Arianne Morrison, Laura Rachal, and Min Kim; along with the completion of Daphne Henson-Villanueva’s ICHID Fellowship. To celebrate, the faculty hosted the first in-person event in quite some time- at the Sienna Hotel in Chapel Hill. Complete with delicious food, beverages, and good compan … Read more
Study Compares Mortality Among People Entering HIV Care with General US Population
HIV-related mortality has decreased since 1996 due to improving treatments and evolving care guidelines, but the extent to which persons entering HIV care have a higher risk for death over the following years, compared with peers in the general population, has been unclear. Joseph Eron, MD, the Herman and Louise Smith Distinguished Professor of Medicine and chief of the division … Read more
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Study Finds Bamlanivimab Reduces Risk of COVID in Skilled Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities
Myron Cohen, MD, is the lead investigator of a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that shows bamlanivimab monotherapy reduced the incidence of infection in skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities with high risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure. The randomized phase 3 clinical trial included 966 residents and staff participants fr … Read more