Category: Infectious Diseases
Cohen Writes Editorial on COVID-19 Prevention Study in NEJM
Myron Cohen, MD Myron Cohen, MD, wrote an editorial on the results of a clinical trial to determine efficacy of hydroxychloroquine as prevention of COVID-19. As of June 1, 2020, ClinicalTrials.gov listed 203 COVID-19 clinical trials with hydroxychloroquine, 60 of which were focused on prophylaxis — prevention of disease transmission. Researchers just published the latest results … Read more
Bartelt Discussed Study With Mayo Clinic To Understand How Plasma With COVID-19 Antibodies Can Fight Infection
Luther Bartelt, MD Luther Bartelt, assistant professor in the division of infectious diseases, discussed UNC Health’s participation in a Mayo Clinic study with the Federal Drug Administrations’s Expanded Access Program, an effort to study plasma with antibodies from the blood of people who have recovered from the coronavirus. In NC Health News, Bartlet said the UNC School of Medi … Read more
Researchers Discover Key Player in Hepatitis A Virus Infection
Stanley M. Lemon, MD How hepatitis A virus (HAV) manages to enter liver cells called hepatocytes and initiate infection had remained a mystery for fifty years until now. University of North Carolina School of Medicine researchers designed experiments using gene-editing tools to discover how molecules called gangliosides serve as de facto gatekeepers to allow the virus entry into … Read more
Sickbert-Bennett Shares Research On the Effectiveness of Face Masks
Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS, associate professor of infectious diseases and director of infection prevention at UNC Medical Center, discussed the effectiveness of different face masks in a WRAL TechWire news article written by Mark Derewicz. UNC researchers measured the “fraction of submicron particles that penetrate into the breathing space of … Read more
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Sickert-Bennett Tells How Hospitals Are Keeping Clean During the Pandemic
Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS, associate professor of infectious diseases and director of infection prevention at UNC Medical Center, explains how hospitals are staying clean during the COVID-19 pandemic in a new UNC Health Talk article. The article recognizes that hospitals are always committed to keeping their facilities clean and sanitary to p … Read more
Wohl Offers Advice For Reopening Establishments
David Wohl, MD David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, recommends in a News and Observer article that establishments adopt the model use in health care settings, which are designed to keep people from getting infected: people are kept from getting too close to each other, they wear masks and they clean surfaces often. Wohl says, “In general, … Read more
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Bartelt Tells How Plasma Donations Can Help COVID-19 Patients
Luther Bartelt, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, was featured in a News and Observer article about the use of COVID-19 plasma as therapy. “The antibodies are like a sponge that would soak up and neutralize the virus to impede its ability to replicate,” said Bartelt. He also added that “once the plasma is collected, it can be frozen and u … Read more
Use of Arthritis Drug For COVID-19 Lacks Clear Evidence of Clinical Improvement
Jonathan Parr, MD, MPH Jonathan Parr, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, was interviewed by the Charlotte Observer regarding the use of arthritis drug toxilizumab in treating COVID-19 and a case report that indicates “clear evidence of clinical improvement” is limited. This study “made us rethink our use of the drug,” says Parr in the … Read more
Fauci Commends Adimora For COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines
Adaora A. Adimora, MD, MPH Anthony S. Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has commended Adaora Adimora, MD, MPH, for participating in a panel that has developed a set of treatment guidelines for COVID-19. “You responded in an exceptional way and worked tirelessly to develop an outstanding initial set of guidelines in two weeks,” Fauci … Read more
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Long-Acting Injectable Cabotegravir Highly Effective at Preventing HIV Infection
Myron Cohen, MD Myron Cohen, MD, the Yeargan-Bate Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, and Epidemiology, co-led a global randomized, controlled and double-blinded study that shows the drug cabotegravir lowered HIV incidence among cisgender men and transgender women who have sex with men. An announcement about the study was published in the UNC Health … Read more
Wohl Encourages People to Exercise Caution In Phase 2 Opening
David Wohl, MD As businesses prepare for phase 2 in North Carolina’s reopening, David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, cautions members of the community that “just because you can go somewhere, doesn’t mean you should.” In a new WRAL.com article, Wohl says there are several things to consider before venturing out during the pandemic. “The v … Read more
UNC Behavior and Technology Lab Featured in New Medscape Video Series
From left: Lisa Hightow-Weidman, Kate Muessig, and Lina Rosengren-Hovee A new series produced by Medscape Video features the work of three members of the UNC Behavior and Technology Lab in the division of infectious diseases. ‘Confronting the HIV Epidemic’ includes compelling stories of people living with HIV and interviews, with Lisa Hightow-Weidman, MD, MPH, Kate Muessig, PhD, … Read more