Category: Infectious Diseases
UNC Health Talk: Should You Wear Two Masks?
Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS, associate professor in the division of infectious diseases, and director of UNC Medical Center Infection Prevention, explains new guidance about layering masks, released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Learn more in this UNC Health Talk article.
Report from Malawi: Weathering a second wave—or tsunami—of COVID-19
Mina Hosseinipour, MD, MPH By Mina Hosseinipour, MD, MPH Officials announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Malawi on April 2, 2020. At UNC Project Malawi, we’d been working for a month to carefully review and prepare for the virus. We established COVID preventive procedures and clinical management guidelines and planning for staff and staff relatives. We enhanced our ox … Read more
Oral Drug Could Be Used to Prevent and Treat COVID-19 Infections
J. Victor Garcia, PhD The News & Observer reports that a drug tested at UNC-Chapel Hill could be used to both prevent and treat COVID-19 infections, according to new research published in Nature by senior author J. Victor Garcia, PhD. “This is something that is giving us hope that there might be an alternative that can be available in addition to the vaccine to help with the … Read more
Wohl Talks With Media About COVID, Vaccine Distribution and FDA Approval of HIV Treatment
David Wohl, MD David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, continues to share perspective and guidance with North Carolina media. In February, he contributed to the following news stories about COVID-19. Demographic breakdown remains steady even as hospital numbers decline, figures show – (CBS-17) UNC doctor debunks several myths surrounding the … Read more
Testing Asymptomatic Healthcare Personnel for COVID-19 Not Recommended
David Weber, MD, MPH Routine testing of asymptomatic healthcare personnel (HCP) in the absence of confirmed exposures to COVID-19 is not a recommended strategy for preventing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 causing the current global pandemic, according to a new review co-authored by David Weber, MD, MPH, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases and medical directo … Read more
Study: Antibody Treatment Can Help Prevent People From Contracting COVID
Myron Cohen, MD WRAL.com reports that an antibody infusion therapy designed to help coronavirus patients recover faster may prevent people from getting the virus. The clinical trial conducted by UNC, the National Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, in more than 100 nursing homes across the country, shows promising results, with the data suggesting that the … Read more
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Smooth Sailing For COVID-19 Vaccine Recipients at UNC-Chapel Hill Clinic
David Wohl, MD David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, talked with CBS-17 about UNC Health’s biggest vaccine clinic, held last week at the Friday Center. The article recognizes the goal to vaccinate 10,000 people in one week, including health care workers, long-term-care staff and residents, and adults 65 years and older, and identifies who … Read more
Hosseinipour Receives Distinguished Teaching Award for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction
Mina Hosseinipour, MD, MPH Mina Hosseinipour, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, was honored with the Distinguished Teaching Award for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction, given annually to acknowledge the UNC-Chapel Hill’s commitment to outstanding teaching and mentoring. Kenya McNeal-Trice, professor in the UNC Department of Pediatrics, and Eileen Burker, … Read more
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UNC Investigators Help Prove a Monoclonal Antibody Prevents, Treats COVID-19 in Nursing Homes
Myron Cohen, MD Eli Lilly today released results of a clinical trial that found bamlanivimab, a monoclonal antibody, significantly reduced the risk of contracting COVID-19 among residents and staff of long-term care facilities. The Phase 3 trial was conducted in partnership with the NIH”s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the COVID-19 Prevention Network (C … Read more
Providers, Health Directors Push Back On Complaints of Slow Vaccine Rollout
David Wohl, MD North Carolina Health News recently reported on UNC Health vaccination efforts and methods of distribution, recognizing how some local health officials say vaccine administration would have started faster if there had been more certainty and funding for their efforts. David Wohl, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, explained that while UNC … Read more
Nature Highlights UNC HIV Research in ‘Best of’ List from 2020
From left: David Margolis, MD, J. Victor Garcia, PhD, and Richard Dunham, PhD In an article titled, “Viruses, microscopy and fast radio bursts: 10 remarkable discoveries from 2020,” Nature featured an important HIV latency reversal discovery led by UNC School of Medicine researchers J. Victor Garcia, PhD, director of the International Center for the Advancement of Translational S … Read more
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Many South Carolina Healthcare Workers Opting Out of Getting COVID-19 Vaccine
David Wohl, MD Officials are fighting pushback from the very people who see the coronavirus up close everyday. WSOC-TV (Channel 9) reports many healthcare workers in South Carolina are opting out of getting the vaccine. David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, told WSOC-TV that the same muddled messages from Washington, DC, that caused doubts … Read more