Category: Infectious Diseases
Sickbert-Bennett Featured in UNC Health Media Briefing About COVID Precautions During the Holidays
Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, assistant professor in infectious diseases and medical director of UNC Medical Center Infection Prevention, participated in the UNC Health Media Briefing “COVID Precautions During the Holidays.”
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Coronavirus Today – Nov. 12 COVID Spread in Rural NC; Testing For Holiday Travelers and College Students; Insurance and Travel Testing
Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS As North Carolina’s COVID-19 case counts rise steadily, the tightening grip of the coronavirus is having a disparate impact on the state’s rural counties. In a North Carolina Health News report, Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, associate professor of infectious diseases, told reporters college students could begin preparing for visits home now by isola … Read more
An Explanation For Some Covid-19 Deaths May Not Be Holding Up
Early in the pandemic, anti-il-6 drugs became a standard of care for treating COVID patients at many hospitals, widely believed to quell the immune system response. Now, evidence mounts that they are not effective. Jonathan Parr, MD, MPH, in infectious diseases, and William Fischer, MD, in pulmonary medicine, were interviewed by the New York Times.
‘Major advance’: Long-acting injectable more effective than daily pill in preventing HIV
A long-acting injectable drug, cabotegravir, is safe and more effective than a daily pill in preventing HIV acquisition, according to results from a study of 3,127 cisgender women in sub-Saharan Africa. “New HIV prevention agents that address the many needs of all individuals at risk for acquiring HIV are essential pillars of our strategy to end the HIV epidemic,” says Myron Cohe … Read more
Studies Find Mixed Results For Tocilizumab To Treat COVID-19
Healio reports on three studies recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine that evaluated the effects of tocilizumab against COVID-19, as well as an editorial by Jonathan Parr, MD, MPH, associate professor in infectious diseases. “Newly released randomized trials suggest a potential role for tocilizumab in COVID-19 but do not show clear evidence of efficacy, in contrast to obse … Read more
Wohl Says Pfizer’s Advancements On COVID-19 Vaccine Are Promising But Continued Precautions Are Needed As Cases Rise
David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, said Pfizer’s advancements on the COVID-19 vaccine are promising. However, as virus cases spike in North Carolina, he encourages people to keep their guard up and continue to take the same precautions that were recommended in March.
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New Record: NC Reports 2,908 New Cases of Coronavirus
One month into Phase 3, coronavirus cases continue to climb in North Carolina. In a new WRAL report, Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, associate professor in infectious diseases, says contact tracing shows the majority of cases are connected through close contact where people are not wearing a mask or practicing social distancing.
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Sickbert-Bennett Explains How To Prepare For Family Visits During the Holidays
Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, associate professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, recognizes three main factors that affect the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 in a social setting: “the size of the gathering, how much time you’ll be spending with others, and what kind of space you’re in,” said Sickbert-Bennett in an MSN Lifestyle article.
Wohl Urges Americans to Wear Masks
David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases urged everyone to wear a mask as COVID-19 cases spike and health officials look ahead to what could be a deadly holiday season. “It’s not an act of defiance, it’s an act of denial by not putting on a mask,” Wohl told WRAL News. “Please wear a mask, it’s patriotic, it helps protect fellow Americans. It’s … Read more
A Presidential Experiment: What are Monoclonal Antibodies?
David Wohl, MD When President Donald Trump was hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), he received an experimental treatment that is still in clinical trials, including at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill. Monoclonal antibody treatment uses antibodies manufactured in a laboratory that are designed to attached to the coronavirus to prevent it from entering into cel … Read more
Can Scientists Take the STING Out of Common Respiratory Viruses?
Stanley M. Lemon, MD Stanley M. Lemon, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases and department of microbiology and immunology, and his lab, with GSK colleagues, have discovered the majority of rhinoviruses need a human protein called STING to infect cells and replicate to cause disease. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the … Read more
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Parr Recognizes More Trials Are Needed to Validate Tocilizumab For COVID-19 Treatment
Jonathan Parr, MD Tocilizumab, used for rheumatoid arthritis because it suppresses part of the immune response, has now been widely used for Covid-19 patients, but new studies cast doubt on the drug and the “hypothesis underlying its use.” A New York Times and Washington Post article recognized two studies in JAMA Internal Medicine and one in The New England Journal of Medicine … Read more