Category: Infectious Diseases
Durham’s Brii Biosciences Bets $100M to Advance Possible COVID Therapy
David Wohl, MD A WRAL TechWire report says Brii Biosciences, which has operations in Durham as well as Beijing, has announced its commitment to support a combination therapy called BRII-196/BRII-198. “So far, this therapy and other monoclonal antibodies show effectiveness against the Delta variant, which now accounts for almost all the COVID-19 cases in the U.S.,” said David Wohl … Read more
News and Observer Consults Experts About Attending Large Events
David Wohl, MD As college football stadiums across the nation fill up with cheering fans and limited masking, a Raleigh News & Observer article asks the experts about virus spread. David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases responded. “Delta is a game-changer (pun intended). This variant is hyper-infectious and hyper-dangerous. That means the … Read more
Weber Explains UV Light, New LARQ Bottle Designed to Deliver Clean Water
David Weber, MD, MPH David Weber, MD, MPH, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, commented on UV light technology, which is used in the LARQ Bottle. The new bottle was designed to give people around the world access to pristine drinking water, easily and sustainably. A news report in King Weekly Sentinel reports the bottle’s technology activates every two … Read more
Booster Shots Could Start September 20
Credit: FOX-46 Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease expert, said he believes booster shots will be available for Americans starting Sept. 20 – but not everyone will be able to get a dose right away. David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, answered questions about booster shots on FOX-46, Good Day Charlotte. Watch the segment.
September Could Be Worst Month For COVID Hospitalizations Yet
David Wohl, MD WRAL reports that evidence is mounting to show the fight against COVID-19 in North Carolina could be about to enter uncharted waters. “We’re in the place we are now, a place of surge, a place of pain, a place of chaos, because, to be truthful, we have so many people unvaccinated,” said David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases. “I … Read more
Should We Focus on Getting Vaccines For Kids or Booster Shots for Adults?
Credit: WTVD-ABC 11 David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, talked with ABC-11 about COVID-19 models and when cases might peak. He also answered questions about vaccines for kids and booster shots for adults. Watch the news story.
Which Type of Immunity Is Best Against Variants? More Symptoms, More Spread and Other COVID-19 News
Jessica Lin, MD MSCR An article in Infection Disease Special Edition reviews recent studies about COVID-19 transmission, including one led by Jessica Lin, MD, that showed COVID-19 spreads quickly through a household. The observational study, conducted between April and October 2020, followed 100 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 around the Raleigh, N.C., area and included … Read more
Cooper Promises Expanded Access to COVID Antibody Treatment
David Wohl, MD On the same day North Carolina hospitals reported a record number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units across the state, Gov. Roy Cooper signaled he will take action expanding access to a potentially lifesaving treatment designed to keep people out of the hospital in the first place. “We’ve been beating the drum for months now, since November of last year, … Read more
How Safe Are Outdoor Events? Is a Lockdown Coming?
David Weber, MD, MPH Eighteen months into the pandemic and there are still a lot of questions out there about everything related to COVID-19. CBS 17 took those questions to health experts to get answers using facts not fear. David Weber, MD, MPH, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, contributed to the question and answer segment. Read or watch the report. … Read more
Experimental Monoclonal Antibody Combo Shows Significant Efficacy Against COVID-19
David Wohl, MD (Credit: TPAN) As part of the NIH-sponsored ACTIV-2 clinical trial for COVID-19 outpatients, preliminary data revealed that a new combination monoclonal antibody treatment reduced hospitalizations and death by 78 percent in high-risk patients. ACTIV-2 vice chair David Wohl, MD, leads monoclonal treatment for UNC Health. Read more from the UNC Health and UNC School … Read more
Hobbs and Duncan Win $3.9M NIAID Grant to Study a Meningitis Vaccine’s Effect on Gonorrhea
Marcia Hobbs, PhD, and Alex Duncan, MD, PhD The NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has awarded Marcia Hobbs, PhD, and Alex Duncan, MD, PhD, a five-year, $3.9 million grant to study how a vaccine recently developed to prevent life-threatening infections caused by group B Neisseria meningitidis, the MenB vaccine, may also protect people from infection with … Read more
Transmission Rate of COVID-19 Within Households Can Be Over 30%, More than 50% from Minority Communities
Jessica Lin, MD MSCR With potent virulence and transmissibility, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is one of the deadliest pathogens to be encountered in recorded history. Scientists have reiterated that other than hygienic measures, distance between individuals is the best defense against its spread. However, the latter is difficult within a household and presents challenges in the event of … Read more