Category: Infectious Diseases
White House Identifies Triangle Counties As Sustained Hotspots
David Wohl, MD Newly released data from the White House indicates 87 of North Carolina’s counties, including Durham, Orange and Wake counties, are “sustained hotspots” for COVID-19. David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, says there’s a limit to how many people, not only local hospitals, but also large regional medical centers, can take care … Read more
Rosengren-Hovee Receives Gilead Research Scholar Award to Study How Social Media Stigma Affect PrEP Uptake
Lina Rosengren Hovee, MD Lina Rosengren-Hovee, MD, MPH, MS, assistant professor of medicine in infectious diseases, received a 2020 Gilead Research Scholar Award for an HIV study that will yield insights into the social media ecosystem that prominently affects uptake Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) among Young Black Men who have Sex with Men (YBMSM). Types of stigma promulgated o … Read more
Fellows Match to the Department of Medicine
While the pandemic made this year particularly challenging for fellowship recruitment efforts and interviews, a series of videos showing each program’s strengths was a creative solution, introducing viewers to faculty and current fellows, with a brief glimpse into what it might be like to join the program. And although it was impossible to replicate the experience of visiting in- … Read more
North Carolina Needs to Do More to Protect Workers From COVID-19, Civil Rights Leaders Say
David Wohl, MD A labor advocate group is asking a North Carolina court to have the state’s Department of Labor reconsider additional actions to protect frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. ABC-13 News reports the request comes after Labor Secretary Cherie Berry said the pandemic is not a workplace hazard. “We know that this virus can be transmitted from one infected pe … Read more
Make Sure To Get Both Doses of Coronavirus Vaccine, Physicians Urge
Cindy Gay, MD, MPH The first two coronavirus vaccines seeking emergency authorization from federal regulators require two doses, and medical professionals worry that some people may be tempted to get only one dose. Experts say that could allow the virus to mutate and once again expose a danger to people. WRAL interviewed Cindy Gay, MD, associate professor in infectious diseases, … Read more
Researchers Rank Various Mask Protection, Modifications Against COVID-19
Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS It’s been shown that when two people wearing masks interact, the chance of COVID-19 transmission is drastically reduced. This is why public health officials have pleaded for all people to wear masks: they not only protect the wearer from expelling particles that might carry SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), but masks al … Read more
Who Is Rochelle Walensky, Biden’s Pick For CDC Director?
Adaora A. Adimora, MD, MPH Ada Adimora, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, was a guest on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and asked about Rochelle Walensky, an infectious disease specialist chosen by president-elect Joe Biden to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Oh, my God. You know, honestly, there is no better pick for this appo … Read more
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From UNC Health Talk: the Science of mRNA Vaccines
David Wohl, MD In our bodies right now, messenger RNA, or mRNA, is sending genetic instructions for cells to make proteins—the machines of life that make heart muscles beat, hair follicles grow, and many other biological process happen. This mRNA is a long molecule that contains instructions that a cell uses to create proteins. Knowing this, in January 2020 scientists sequenced t … Read more
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What We Know (and Don’t Know) About the COVID-19 Vaccines
Cindy Gay, MD, MPH Headlines and social media feeds have been abuzz in recent weeks with the news regarding the promising results of the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine trials. Clinical trials show the first two vaccines are about 95 percent effective at preventing people from getting sick with COVID-19. With a continued surge in cases in the United … Read more
NC Reports 2nd Day of More Than 6,000 New COVID-19 Cases Amid Record 2,191 Hospitalizations
David Weber, MD, MPH David Weber, MD, MPH, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, spoke to WTVD-11 News about the upward trend of COVID-19 cases in North Carolina. He said if the numbers worsen, certain figures project the nationwide number of a half-million deaths by April. “To put it in perspective…that is Charlotte or Raleigh just wiped out. Every sing … Read more
Three Faculty in Infectious Diseases Elected IDSA Fellows
Joe Eron, MD, Anne Lachiewicz, MD, and Christopher Hurt, MD The Infectious Diseases Society of America, the nation’s leading infectious diseases professional society, has elected Joe Eron, MD, Anne Lachiewicz, MD, MPH; and Christopher Hurt, MD, to its latest cohort of Fellows of IDSA. As the highest honor in the field of infectious diseases, IDSA fellowships recognize those who h … Read more
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Restaurants Turn to Tents and Heaters to Keep Diners Outdoors in Winter. Is it Safe?
Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS, told the News & Observer that outdoor dining tents could be safe if well-vented and distance kept between tables. She pointed to dining with people one doesn’t live with as a concerning spreader of the virus. “Proximity likely matters; that’s the rationale for having reduced capacity in restaurants,” said Sickbe … Read more