MMI In the News
February 23, 2024
Infection Control Today
Unveiling Malaria: Parasitic Complexity, Climate Impact, and Vaccination Advancements
MMI Professor Prakash Srinivasan explains why malaria is so complex.
February 16, 2024
Best Life
Doctor Reveals the COVID Symptoms That Show Up Before You Test Positive
MMI Professor and Virologist Andy Pekosz shares insights on symptoms that can appear before testing positive for COVID-19.
February 13, 2024
The Cool Down (a climate site)
Scientists sound alarm after finding evidence of disease-carrying insects migrating to new areas: ‘The link … is real’
Doug Norris is quoted.
February 11, 2024
NBC News
The threat of fungal infections is growing. Why is it so hard to make new drugs?
Fungal infections pose greater risks to human health. Arturo Casadevall shares insight.
January 31, 2024
NBC News
Washington state faces first outbreak of a deadly fungal infection that's on the rise in the U.S.
Professor and Immunologist Arturo Casadevall talks about Candida auris, the fungus the CDC is calling a serious global health threat.
January 24, 2024
NBC News
A rare fungal infection is popping in an unexpected part of the U.S.
The fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis causes the rare and sometimes fatal respiratory infection blastomycosis. Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD is quoted.
January 9, 2024
Health
How Long Should You Wait to Get Vaccinated After Being Exposed to COVID?
Virologist Andy Pekosz explains.
January 1, 2024
Food, We Need to Talk podcast with Juna Gjata
MMI Assistant Professor and microbiome expert Jotham Suez is interviewed on the podcast Food, We Need to Talk with Juna Gjata.
You can listen to the podcast on Spotify here and on Apple here.
December 26, 2023
Baltimore's WMAR TV
COVID, RSV, Influenza all at high levels during holiday season
Andy Pekosz is interviewed.
December 18, 2023
AARP
4 Big COVID Predictions for 2024
Andy Pekosz comments on what we can expect as we head into our fifth year with COVID-19.
November 27, 2023
Politico
5 questions about the latest disease outbreak in China
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
November 1, 2023
The Week (current affairs news magazine)
Malaria is spreading, but we can stop it
Cases of the mosquito-borne illness malaria have largely been concentrated in Africa-until now. MMI and JHMRI Professor Photini Sinnis, MD, provides insight.
October 25, 2023
The BMJ
What do we know about covid in immunocompromised people?
Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD, clarifies the broad definition of the term "immunocompromised" and explains why this group can be at risk for long-term infection.
October 23, 2023
NBC5 Chicago
Here are which COVID symptoms to look out for this fall
MMI Professor and virologist Andy Pekosz talks vaccines and variants.
October 16, 2023
WJZ CBS Baltimore
Johns Hopkins experts lend advice on protecting yourself with respiratory illnesses on the rise (Updated Video)
Andy Pekosz is featured.
October 16, 2023
The Guardian Nigeria
Breakthrough against yellow fever, dengue, Zika, other mosquito-borne vectors
MMI Professor George Dimopoulos is quoted. Senior Research Associate Shengzhang Dong is mentioned.
October 5, 2023
U.S. News & World Report
The Summer COVID-19 Increase Has Passed Its Peak. But Is More Coronavirus on the Way?
MMI Professor and virologist Andy Pekosz is quoted.
September 30, 2023
The Atlantic
Humans Can No Longer Ignore the Threat of Fungi
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
September 27, 2023
Telluride Daily Planet (Colorado)
An updated jab — but few places to get it
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
September 26, 2023
Knowable
How climate change could make fungal diseases worse
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
September 19, 2023
Today
When is the best time to get your flu shot? What to expect for the 2023-2024 flu season
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
September 7, 2023
Washington Post
Why planes are extremely gross right now
MMI associate scientist and virologist Kari Debbink comments on the risks of catching illnesses of airplanes.
September Issue
The New York Review
Spored to Death
Immunologist and fungi expert Arturo Casadevall and his "fungal infection-mammalian selection" hypothesis is mentioned.
August 31, 2023
Todayshow.com
Why do I keep getting colds every few weeks? 4 reasons why
MMI's Andy Pekosz comments on what drives cold frequency.
August 29, 2023
WJZ-TV (Baltimore)
Scientists at Johns Hopkins research malaria transmission following positive case in Maryland
George Dimopoulos, of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI), is interviewed.
August 29, 2023
New York Times
Is It Time to Wear a Mask Again?
MMI's Andy Pekosz comments.
August 28, 2023
WMAR TV (Baltimore)
COVID cases on the rise as CDC prepares to provide updated guidance
Andy Pekosz is interviewed.
August 28, 2023
WYPR Public Radio (Baltimore)
What you should know about emerging COVID-19 variants and a new round of booster
MMI Professor and virologist Andy Pekosz talks boosters.
August 28, 2023
WBAL TV (Baltimore)
Get the Facts on COVID-19: Current strains, symptoms, vaccine timeline
Andy Pekosz is provides insights on the latest COVID-19 strains.
August 25, 2023
Wired
The Battle Against the Fungal Apocalypse Is Just Beginning
Immunologist, mycologist and professor Arturo Casadevall explains what may be happening when fungal pathogens adapt to warmer temperatures.
August 25, 2023
NPR
Coronavirus FAQs: How worrisome is the new variant? How long do boosters last
Andy Pekosz discusses what the booster means to those over the age of 65 in this interesting and helpful Q&A.
August 24, 2023
Bloomberg Businessweek
COVID’s Summer Surge
Andy Pekosz discusses the COVID surge this summer.
August 23, 2023
MedPage Today
Partial Resistance to Therapeutic Mainstay for Malaria on the Rise
David Sullivan, MD, explains why multiple preventions are better than fewer.
August 22, 2023
NBC News
Inside a malaria research center after 9 cases identified in the U.S.
Dr. Photinni Sinnis provides a peak inside the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Center (JHMRI) and explains to NBC's Tom Costello and viewers if climate change may play a role in recent U.S. cases.
August 22, 2023
NBC's Today Show online
What you need to know about BA.2.86, a new ‘highly mutated’ COVID variant
Andy Pekosz comments on the latest variant.
August 11, 2023
New York Times
What to Know About the New Dominant Covid Variant
MMI virologist Andrew Pekosz comments on the new, dominant COVID variant EG.5.
August 10, 2023
Bloomberg Businessweek Podcast
Lyme disease spreading in the U.S.
Nicole Baumgarth, Professor and Director of the Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and Education Institute, discusses the increase in Lyme disease in the U.S.
August 9, 2023
WJZ-TV Baltimore
Johns Hopkins doctor explains new dominant COVID variant, EG.5
Andy Pekosz is interviewed and comments on the EG.5, the new COVID variant.
August 8, 2023
NBC News
What to know about the EG.5 coronavirus subvariant, now dominant in the U.S.
Andy Pekosz talks about EG.5, the latest coronavirus subvariant.
August 7, 2023
CNN
How an accidental discovery could help the fight against malaria
MMI's Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena discusses how an accidental discovery could stop the transmission of malaria from mosquitoes to humans.
August 4, 2023
Fast Company
Malaria disappeared in the U.S. in 2003. That changed this year
Doug Norris discusses some of the factors why mosquitoes are moving to higher elevations including climate change,
July 27, 2023
Bloomberg Businessweek Podcast
Mosquitoes’ attraction to humans and protecting against malaria
Conor McMeniman provides his expertise on mosquitoes' attraction to humans and protecting against malaria.
July 27, 2023
WYPR Public Radio (Baltimore)
What can you do to avoid ticks and prevent Lyme Disease?
Nicole Baumgarth, Director of the Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and Education Institute is interviewed.
July 26, 2023
Reuters
Fact Check-No proof of ‘deadly mosquitoes’ at AFRAM in Baltimore
Professor George Dimopoulos is quoted.
July 24, 2023
WMAR TV (Baltimore)
What to know about West Nile Virus after mosquitoes positive in Anne Arundel
Virologist Andrew Pekosz is interviewed.
July 20, 2023
AP
As temperatures rise, mosquitoes are also on the move. Scientists worry that could mean more malaria
Doug Norris is quoted.
July 19, 2023
AFP Fact Check
Experts dismiss 'impossible' claim that vaccines cause mpox infections
MMI's Kari Debbink comments.
July 14, 2023
BBC
Aspartame consumption advice unchanged
MMI Assistant Professor Jotham Suez discusses the WHO report on aspartame as a potential carcinogen.
July 13, 2023
NBC News
World Health Organization releases reports on artificial sweetener aspartame and cancer risk
Jotham Suez is quoted.
July 11, 2023
Herald-Tribune
As Sarasota's malaria case count increases, we talked with researchers about what's next
Photini Sinnis is quoted.
Boston Globe
Can climate change bring malaria to New England? Here’s what you need to know.
Prakash Srinivasan is quoted.
July 6, 2023
FOX4-TV (Cape Coral, FL)
Your Healthy Family: Keeping the mosquitoes away
Conor McMenamin is quoted.
July 6, 2023
Verywell Health
What You Need to Know About Malaria in the U.S.
MMI Assistant Professor Prakash Srinivasan comments on the recent cases of malaria detected in the U.S.
July 5, 2023
Wire News
10 unstoppable tips to keep mosquitoes away from your home
Conor McMeniman is quoted.
July 3, 2023
Boston Globe
Can climate change bring malaria to New England? Here’s what you need to know.
Prakash Srinivasan is quoted. Conor McMenamin is quoted.
June 28, 2023
NBC News
CDC issues malaria alert after 5 locally contracted cases reported in the U.S.
MMI and Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI) Professor Photini Sinnis is interviewed.
June 28, 2023
MedPage Today
Experts Quell Worries About Locally Acquired Malaria in the U.S.
David Sullivan, MD, comments on cases of malaria in the U.S.
June 25, 2023
New York Times
How to Build a Scent Smorgasbord for Mosquitoes
MMI and Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI) Assistant Professor Conor McMeniman talks about his research and the sensory biology of how mosquitoes track and hunt humans.
June 24, 2023
CNN
What scientists say keeps mosquitoes at bay
MMI and JHMRI Assistant Professor Conor McMeniman is quoted.
June 21, 2023
Economic Times
PM Modi interacts with group of eminent U.S. academicians in New York
MMI's Peter Agre is mentioned among other U.S. academics who India's Prime Minister Modi met with in New York City.
June 15, 2023
WYPR On The Record
Tick season is here, how can you protect yourself? Plus, conserving Baltimore's green sanctuaries | WYPR
Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and Education Institute Director Nicole Baumgarth talks tickborne diseases and how you can protect yourself this spring.
June 9, 2023
Deseret News
Home remedies and hacks for getting rid of mosquito bites
MMI and Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute's Conor McMeniman discusses some of the findings from his recent Current Biology study that found mosquitoes are attracted to specific human scents and repelled by others.
May 26, 2023
CBC Radio
Bug off! Your scent signature could be key to keeping mosquitoes away
Conor McMeniman discusses the findings from his lab's study which set out to create a setting to hone in on specific scents that night-hunting, malaria-carrying mosquitoes in Africa prefer in their sleeping blood meals.
May 19, 2023
Washington Post
How mosquitoes use your body chemistry to pick you for their next meal
MMI Assistant Professor Conor McMeniman built the ‘world’s largest perfumery for mosquitoes’ to test why some people get eaten alive while others do not.
May 19, 2023
Science
World’s largest ‘scent arena’ reveals bloody preferences of mosquitoes
MMI Assistant Professor Conor McMeniman and MMI postdoctoral fellow Diego Giraldo discuss their recent Current Biology study and "the world’s largest multichoice smell test for mosquitoes”—a giant experiment to figure out why the deadly insects prefer some people over others.
April 12, 2023
Wall Street Journal
Ticks Are Bringing Disease to a Backyard Near You
Nicole Baumgarth, DVM, PhD, director of the Bloomberg School's Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and Education Institute comments.
March 30, 2023
Baltimore Banner
Fungi help make pinot and penicillin. But scientists say a new one is killing people.
Fungal disease expert Arturo Casadevall discusses Candida auris, an emerging fungal threat that has been spreading in the United States since it was first reported in 2016.
March 29, 2023
Healio Hemotology
Convalescent plasma reduces hospitalization risk in COVID-19
Convalescent plasma, when administered within 9 days of symptom onset in patients with COVID-19, may reduce the risk for hospitalization, according to data published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
David Sullivan is quoted.
March 2023 issue
Baltimore Magazine
GameChanger: Nicole Baumgarth
Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Nicole Baumgarth, Director of the Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and Education Institute, is featured as a GameChanger. She talks about the Institute, its mission and why research in the field is lacking.
March 27, 2023
FOX-45 TV (Baltimore)
Avoiding tickborne diseases
Nicole Baumgarth, DVM, PhD, and Director of the Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and Education Institute explains babesiosis, recently declared an epidemic by the CDC, on Baltimore’s Fox 45.
March 22, 2023
A Woman’s Health
Autoimmune Disease: A Women’s Health Issue
Sabra Klein is quoted.
March 21, 2023
Bloomberg
Everything You Need to Know About the Spread of Deadly Fungus Candida Auris
Arturo Casadevall discusses why drug-resistant Candida auris emerging is “a harbinger of a scary future.”
March 21, 2023
Global News (British Columbia)
What is a raccoon dog and why is it being linked to COVID-19’s origin?
Arturo Casadevall comments on whether or not he thinks COVID-19 was zoonotic.
March 20, 2023
Washington Post
Deadly fungal infection rapidly spreading in U.S. health facilities
Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD, comments on how climate change and global warming can bring about diseases like Candida auris, the fungal infection the CDC recently announced is spreading at an alarming rate.
March 20, 2023
Science News
U.S. cases of a deadly fungus nearly doubled in recent years
Arturo Casadevall comments on the rise of cases of Candida auris infections and antifungal resistance.
March 17, 2023
New York Times
W.H.O. Accuses China of Hiding Data That May Link Covid’s Origins to Animals
Immunologist Arturo Casadevall, who co-authored a recent study examining the origin of the coronavirus, comments.
March 14, 2023
Slate
The Last of Us’ Big Vaccine Reveal Makes No Sense. That May Be the Point
Microbiologist, immunologist & fungi expert Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD, explains the science of a the plot centered around a Cordyceps fungus infection in the hit HBO show "The Last of Us."
March 7, 2023
Washington Post
How fake sugars sneak into foods and disrupt metabolic health
In this compelling article MMI's microbiome expert Jotham Suez discusses how artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes can alter your microbiome in ways that are detrimental to your metabolic health.
March 7, 2023
Wall Street Journal
Are Artificial Sweeteners Bad for You? New Worries About Link to Strokes, Heart Attacks
Assistant Professor Jotham Suez, PhD, comments on erythritol, an artificial sweetener that is slightly less sweet than other artificial sweeteners so it is used in higher quantities in food products.
March 6, 2023
Los Angeles Times
Scientists hope viruses hiding out in patients hold answers to long COVID
Diane Griffin, MD, PhD, discusses the body's response to viral infection and how the lingering coronavirus may drive chest pain, brain fog, fatigue and other long COVID symptoms.
March 6, 2023
Verywell Health
The First Test for COVID and Flu Is Here. But It's Tricky to Get One
Andy Pekosz, PhD, virologist and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response (JH-CEIRR), explains the benefits of the test which includes identifying which virus you have and which antiviral you need.
March 6
Futurity
Early, High Doses of Plasma Can Prevent COVID Hospitalizations
MMI's David Sullivan, MD, co-author of a new study in Clinical Infectious Diseases, explains that convalescent plasma works best when given early in the course of illness.
March 1, 2023
Bloomberg
Viruses Hiding Out in Patients Hold Long Covid Answers
Diane Griffin comments.
February 27, 2023
Bloomberg Radio
Covid Cause Most Likely a Lab Leak, Report Says
Virologist and MMI Professor Andy Pekosz talks with Nathan Hager of Bloomberg Radio about the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak.
February 21, 2023
Science News
Fungi don’t turn humans into zombies. But The Last of Us gets some science right
Arturo Casadevall discusses whether global warming has spurred fungi to mutate and become infectious.
February 9, 2023
Science
Japan moves to bolster vaccine R&D after COVID-19 exposed startling weakness
MMI Professor (and Vice President of the National Academy of Sciences) Diane Griffin comments on Japan’s vaccine research and development capabilities.
February 8, 2023
Verywell Health
Evusheld No Longer Authorized to Prevent COVID
MMI Professor and practicing infectious diseases physician David Sullivan, MD, discusses monoclonal antibodies.
February 6, 2023
STAT
Covid convalescent plasma: the ‘little engine that could’
Arturo Casadevall and co-authors Michael J. Joyner and Nigel Paneth provide commentary on why COVID convalescent plasma (CCP) is now better understood, and a more promising and highly effective therapy than monoclonal antibodies.
February 4, 2023
Bloomberg
‘Last of Us’ Keeping You Up? Here’s the True Danger of Killer Fungi
Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD, answers the question "Could a fungal disease emerge to cause a pandemic?"
February 4, 2023
CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.)
Frightened by fungal zombies in The Last of Us? The real-life threat is terrifying, too
Arturo Casadevall discusses fungal threats.
January 27, 2023
Nature
Stricter U.S. guidelines for ‘gain-of-function’ research are on the way — maybe
Arturo Casadevall provides insight on guidelines regulating research involving dangerous pathogens. Bloomberg School immunologist Gigi Gronvall, PhD, is also quoted.
January 27, 2023
NPR
Virologists defend their science as officials eye more oversight of risky experiments
Arturo Casadevall and Andy Pekosz signed on to the commentary referenced in the piece.
January 20, 2023
Washington Post
What ‘The Last of Us’ gets right about a climate-fueled fungus pandemic
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
January 12, 2023
CNN
Study shows convalescent plasma works for immune-compromised Covid-19 patients, but it can be hard to find
Arturo Casadevall, a co-author in the JAMA study mentioned in the CNN article, discusses the benefits of convalescent plasma for the immunocompromised.
January 12, 2023
Wired
What You Need to Know About the Kraken Covid Variant
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
January 11, 2023
Health News
New Research Explores The Entry of COVID-19 In The Nose
Andy Pekosz is mentioned.
January 6, 2023
Today.com
Omicron XBB.1.5 is the 'most transmissible' subvariant yet. Here's what we know
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
January 1, 2023
POLITICO
Once-favored Covid drugs ineffective on Omicron may be putting millions at risk
Arturo Casadevall weighs in.
December 31, 2022
CNN
2022 ends with looming risk of a new coronavirus variant, health experts warn
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
December 31, 2022
Eat This Not That
Multiple Viruses, Some Deadly, are Now Infecting Americans. Here's How to Tell Which You Might Have.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
December 23, 2022
Reuters
Omicron subvariant XBB jumps to 18% of U.S. COVID cases, CDC says
MMI Professor Andy Pekosz is quoted.
December 12, 2022
Medscape
As COVID Treatments Dwindle, Are New Ones Waiting in the Wings?
Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD, talks convalescent plasma, the only antibody-based therapy that is reliably available.
December 10, 2022
The Hill
COVID, RSV or flu? How to tell the symptoms apart
MMI Professor and Virologist Andy Pekosz discusses antivirals available for both the flu and COVID.
December 9, 2022
U.S. News & World Report
CDC: New Omicron Subvariants Increasing in the U.S.
Andy Pekosz provides insights on vaccines and circulating COVID strains.
December 8, 2022
WBAL TV 11 (Baltimore, Maryland)
Hopkins doctors warn public on dangers of possible 'triple-demic' this winter
Andy Pekosz is interviewed by WBAL-TV. (Check out his background that RoomRaters gave a 10/10!)
December 8, 2022
New York Amsterdam News
Protecting yourself against COVID-19 during the holidays
Andy Pekosz highlights why it is so important to pay attention to early symptoms, especially during the holidays.
December 5, 2022
The Hill
How bad is the flu this year? CDC map looks grim
Andy Pekosz why he believes the U.S. is still in the “early stages” of a surge in influenza cases
December 5, 2022
The Baltimore Banner
When can we get a universal flu vaccine? A flu-COVID-19 vaccine? A scientist weighs in.
Andy Pekosz comments on an early flu season and why children are being hit particularly hard.
December 2, 2022
The Hill
Why are so many people sick right now?
Andy Pekosz discusses what the "tripledemic" of viruses means
November 17, 2022
NBC News
Covid vaccine trials didn't monitor menstrual changes. Researchers say it's part of a bigger problem.
Sabra Klein, MMI Professor and co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Women’s Health, Sex and Gender Research, provides insights.
November 14, 2022
USA Today
Omicron variants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 make up nearly half of new COVID cases. What to know.
Andy Pekosz is quoted and helps explain what we need to know.
November 13, 2022
Verywell Health
What We Know About the XBB COVID Variant
Andy Pekosz explains that since XBB is a combination of the BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 sublineages, it means the subvariant has parts of two different viruses that infected the same host and exchanged some of their genes in the process
November 7, 2022
Deseret News
Top 4 symptoms of new COVID subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1
MMI Professor Andy Pekosz comments on the omicron subvariant BQ.1.1.
October 31, 2022
Fortune
Officials with COVID who take Paxlovid keep getting rebound positives. It’s now happened with Biden, Fauci, and the head of the CDC
Andy Pekosz weighs in.
October 24, 2022
Science News
What is long COVID and who’s at risk? This NIH project may find out Scientists with the RECOVER Initiative say they’re working as quickly as they can to find answers.
MMI's Diane Griffin is quoted.
October 20, 2022
Medical News Today
How an insect-eating mushroom could produce new antiviral and cancer drugs
Preliminary studies show that cordyceps mushrooms may benefit health via anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifatigue activity. Mycologist, immunologist and MMI dept. chair Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
October 18, 2022
USA Today
Move aside, BA.5: These new COVID variants are gaining ground in the US
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
October 1`7, 2022
Deseret News
New omicron subvariant BQ.1.1 gains momentum in U.S.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
October 13, 2022
Medical News Today
Common norovirus infection may be a trigger for Crohn's disease
Understanding more about how MNV triggers paneth cell death—a key marker of Crohn’s disease—could lead to new treatment strategies for the condition. MMI Associate Professor Jay Bream is quoted.
October 8, 2022
Deseret
Could omicron subvariant BQ.1.1 render COVID drugs useless?
The omicron variant of COVID-19 is still evolving, and new omicron subvariants have a better ability to evade coronavirus drugs or immunity acquired through past infection or vaccination. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
October 5, 2022
Global News
Omicron’s BQ.1.1 COVID-19 sub-variant. Why experts are watching it
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
September 26, 2022
Huffington Post
If You Just Had COVID, Here's When To Get The New Booster Shot
People who just had COVID-19 should follow a different timeline for the bivalent vaccine, according to MMI's Andy Pekosz and other experts.
September 25, 2022
The Hill
Pfizer vs. Moderna: What are the new bivalent boosters’ differences?
Both Moderna and Pfizer have a new FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine, specially formulated to ward off the omicron variant of the virus. Both vaccines are bivalent, meaning they contain parts of the original COVID-19 strain and the omicron strain that’s grown dominant in 2022. Here’s what you need to know if you’re trying to choose between the two. MMMI's Andy Pekosz provides insight.
September 22, 2022
Bloomberg Businessweek
The roll out of a COVID bivalent booster [Podcast]
Andy Pekosz discusses the roll out of the COVID bivalent booster.
September 20, 2022
Verywell Health
What’s the Difference Between a Strain and a Variant?
Andy Pekosz explains.
September 19, 2022
Today.com
When is the best time to get your flu shot? 2022-23 flu season explained
Andy Pekosz explains.
September 17, 2022
The Hill
Does the new bivalent COVID booster have different side effects?
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
September 3, 2022
C-SPAN
Andrew Pekosz on New COVID-19 Booster Shots and Fall Outlook [Video]
Andy Pekosz discussed the latest on the new round of COVID-19 booster shots authorized by the Food and Drug Administration earlier that week and the fall COVID-19 outlook.
August 19, 2022
ABC Australia
Sugar substitutes can alter gut microbiome and affect blood glucose tolerance in humans: study
A new study has found some healthy adults had less control over their blood sugar levels after two weeks of consuming sugar substitutes in amounts below the recommended daily allowance. MMI's Jotham Suez, who led the study when he was at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is quoted.
August 6, 2022
Fortune
Biden tests negative for COVID after 'rebound,' will isolate until confirmed
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that COVID rebounds are rare, they could be more common than we know, as most individuals with COVID stop testing after they receive a negative result.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
August 4, 2022
Vox
Should you get another COVID-19 vaccine booster now or wait for the new shots?
Some experts think it might be worth getting a second booster now if you face a high risk of COVID-19 exposure or if your previous dose was ages ago. The rise of BA.5 has spooked many of them, despite evidence the virus causes less severe disease now than at any other point during the pandemic.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
August 3, 2022
WBAL-TV
Maryland ramps up efforts to test, vaccinate for monkeypox, governor announces [Video]
Baltimore City is getting a limited number of additional monkeypox vaccines as cases in the state continue to rise. While it doesn't present the same threat as COVID-19, researchers said everyone needs to do their part to keep the virus from spreading.
Andy Pekosz is featured.
August 2, 2022
WBAL
New omicron-specific booster shots could limit COVID-19 mutation [Video]
The new booster shot could be a game changer in the fight against COVID-19. The booster, designed to target the omicron variants, is expected to be approved as soon as September.
Andy Pekosz is featured.
May 24, 2022
The Washington Post
Biden says everyone should be concerned about monkeypox. Naw.
Monkeypox isn’t the next coronavirus.The spread of another viral infection across roughly a dozen countries may sound worrying after over two years of the coronavirus pandemic. Even President Biden raised alarms Sunday when he said monkeypox is “something that everybody should be concerned about.”
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
May 23
The Hill
How the Food and Drug Administration saved thousands of lives [Opinion]
As the COVID-19 calamity has droned on, we have become accustomed to criticisms in our nation’s response. However, some things were done right.
Arturo Casadevall wrote the piece.
May 20, 2022
Verywell Health
When Should You Get Tested After a COVID-19 Exposure?
If you’re not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, get tested five days after having close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
Andy Pekosz provides guidance.
May 19, 2022
U.S. COVID Surges [Radio]
Andy Pekosz discusses the recent surge of COVID cases across the country.
May 3, 2022
The New York Times
Why Do I Feel Sick Before My Period?
Researchers don’t fully understand the menstrual cycle’s effects on the immune system, but experts say there are reasons some may feel sick at certain points.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
April 30, 2022
Fortune
BA.4 and BA.5, two new Omicron variants sweeping South Africa, detected in U.S.
Two new Omicron variants sweeping South Africa—likely able to evade vaccines and natural immunity from previous infections—have been identified in the U.S., multiple COVID-19 researchers told Fortune.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
April 22, 2022
Bloomberg
Latest on Public Health Interventions [Radio]
Andy Pekosz discusses the latest on shifting mask mandates and guidance, as well as the BA.2 subvariant
April 18, 2022
STAT
Men and women may respond differently to vaccines. Research needs to account for that
While debilitating side effects from vaccines are rare, vaccine trials and dose recommendations tend to overlook the growing evidence that immune responses differ widely in men and women, both in response to viral infections and following vaccination.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
April 19, 2022
CNN.com
New versions of Omicron variant make gains against BA.2
Arguably the most successful version of the Omicron coronavirus variant to date has been BA.2 -- but it hasn't been resting on its laurels. BA.2 has been picking up mutations, sometimes shifting into sleeker and, incredibly, even faster versions of itself.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
April 15, 2022
The Washington Post
New, highly transmissible forms of omicron may pose latest covid threat
New York state officials this week announced that two new omicron subvariants, dubbed BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1, have become the dominant forms of the coronavirus in the central part of the state. For weeks, infection rates in central New York have been at least twice the state average, according to data from the state health department. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
April 11, 2022
Verywell Health
How Long Does An Omicron Infection Last in the Body?
The Omicron variant is now the dominant COVID-19 strain in the United States, with the subvariant BA.2 accounting for the majority of current cases. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
April 7, 2022
CNN
BA.2, where are you? Dominant strain hasn't shown signs of starting a surge
Andy Pekosz explains what he thinks the new wave of the Omicron sub-variant BA.2 cases in Europe can be attributed to.
March 31, 2022
CNN.com
A Covid-19 spike like the one in China is unlikely in the US, experts say. Here's why
Andy Pekosz discusses why public health is very much a local thing, and why the Omicron variant is reaching around the world but different places are seeing significantly different effects.
March 30, 2022
Bloomberg News
Never Had Covid? You May Hold Key To Beating the Virus
Experts say studying those who have not yet caught COVID has become just as critical as studying those who have. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
March 29, 2022
Reuters
Explainer: Omicron 'stealth' COVID variant BA.2 now dominant globally
A sub-variant of the highly transmissible Omicron version of coronavirus known as BA.2 is now dominant worldwide, prompting surges in many countries in Europe and Asia and raising concern over the potential for a new wave in the United States. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
March 21, 2002
WTOP
BA.2 Variant Explained [Radio]
It remains unclear if BA.2 will cause a spike in COVID case in the U.S., but experts believe cases will go up. Andy Pekosz is interviewed.
March 21, 2022
WBAL-TV
Doctors hopeful immunity is enough to deter new omicron variant from spreading [Video]
Andy Pekosz talks about the new omicron sub-variant, BA.2
March 17, 2022
Bloomberg News
Should I Be Worried About Covid — Again?
Covid cases are dropping in the U.S. and mask mandates are being repealed all over. Yet over a third of the wastewater sample sites across the U.S. showed rising Covid-19 levels in the first 10 days of March. So is Covid going away or not?
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
March 14, 2022
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Omicron BA.2 COVID variant surges around the world [Radio]
Health authorities around the world are keeping a close eye on the Omicron BA.2 variant, as infections continue to spread. Several countries have experienced a surge in cases. Andy Pekosz is interviewed.
March 10, 2022
Everyday Health
What Is COVID-19 Super Immunity?
Also known as hybrid immunity, super immunity describes the high levels of antibodies in vaccinated people who get breakthrough COVID-19. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
March 9, 2022
WBAL-TV
COVID-19 antibody drug authorized to protect immunocompromised people [Video]
A new tool for protection against COVID-19 is now available for those most vulnerable for hospitalization and death. It is a different type of shot designed for patients who are immunocompromised and not able to build up good immunity with a vaccine alone. Andy Pekosz is featured.
March 3, 2022
Bloomberg News
COVID Cases Starting to Wane [Radio]
Andy Pekosz discusses the current state of Covid and how cases are starting to wane.
February 22, 2022
Advisory Board
Will Covid-19 soon be endemic?
More than 70% of Americans now have immunity against the omicron variant, according to a new model by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation—a level of protection several health experts say will likely help relieve overwhelmed hospitals and blunt the impact of future surges. Andy Pekosz provides insight.
February 21, 2022
WTOP
New omicron subvariant not expected to lead to another COVID-19 surge
As omicron cases continue to decline across the region, health departments in the greater DC area have reported new cases of a subvariant strain of the illness, but this may not mean the newest version of COVID-19 will lead to another spike in cases.
Andy Pekosz explains.
February 16, 2022
CNN.com
The US is lagging on booster shots compared to other western countries
Lagging uptake in the US of the third vaccine is concerning public health experts. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
February 11, 2022
Bloomberg News
Johns Hopkins: New Variants Don't Compare to Omicron [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses the path of Covid-19 infections and the emergence of new variants of the virus on "Bloomberg Surveillance."
February 9, 2022
Medical News Today
How are COVID-19 deaths counted, and what does this mean?
Arturo Casadevall provides insight.
February 7, 2022
USA Today
The new 'stealth' omicron variant hasn't yet caught on in the US. Scientists are asking why.
The new 'stealth' subvariant of omicron is surging worldwide but it still makes up only a tiny portion of U.S. cases. Scientists want to know why. MMI's Andy Pekosz is quoted.
February 1, 2022
Verywell Health
Sex Disparities In COVID Outcomes Aren't Just Biological
While biology plays a role, sex-related biological differences alone are not responsible for the observed sex disparities in COVID outcomes. Sabra Klein is quoted.
January 28, 2022
Bloomberg TV
Omicron Has Developed a 'Sister Virus'
Andy Pekosz discusses the discovery of an evolution of the omicron variant and looking forward to a time where masks will not need to be worn in public.
January 21, 2022
WTOP
DC-area’s omicron case surge is in decline, but hospitalizations are peaking
The D.C. area is mirroring the omicron surge and decline that has been seen in other parts of the world. COVID cases are down dramatically in much of the region, but hospitalizations are still peaking to an all time pandemic high. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
January 20, 2022
New York Times
Why Are Men More Likely to Die of Covid? It’s Complicated.
Sabra Klein shares insights.
January 12, 2022
Business Insider
Loss of taste or smell isn't a common COVID-19 symptom for Omicron infections, disease experts say
Andy Pekosz explains.
January 10, 2022
Advisory Board
Throat vs. nose? The debate over where to swab for omicron with rapid tests.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
January 3, 2022
New York Times
What Are the Symptoms of Omicron?
Andy Pekosz explains.
November 27, 2021
The New York Times
Chaos for passengers in Amsterdam is one sign of a scattershot response to the variant.
As more countries placed travel bans on southern Africa early Saturday for fear of a new and possibly more dangerous variant of the coronavirus, the passengers on two flights from South Africa found themselves caught in a pandemic nightmare.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
November 23, 2021
Wired
It's Time to Fear the Fungi
Humans have long been protected from fungal infections, thanks to our nice, warm blood. Climate change could ruin that.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
November 18, 2021
CNBC
More Americans are planning holiday parties without masks this year as Covid vaccine rates climb, study shows
Fewer Americans this year plan on taking precautions against Covid-19 when hosting or attending holiday gatherings compared with last year, signaling some return to normalcy now that 59% of the country is vaccinated against the virus.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
November 16, 2021
WBAL-TV (Baltimore, MD)
Differentiating the flu and COVID-19 as flu season approaches in Maryland [Video]
Cases of the flu are starting to pick up across the country. Experts expect influenza to make a comeback after it was virtually extinct last year. But COVID-19 could muddy the waters as far as the accurate reporting of those cases.
Andy Pekosz is featured.
November 11, 2021
Bloomberg News
Need Long-Term View on Covid Immunization: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses U.S. vaccination levels and looking towards long-term prevention of Covid-19 via booster shots.
November 2, 2021
Advisory Board
‘A turning point’ in the delta surge? Here's what experts think.
Rates of new Covid-19 cases in the United States are steadily dropping, suggesting the surge driven by the delta variant may have hit its peak—but some areas of the country are still struggling with high case rates, and the looming winter could lead to another surge in cases in some areas, experts say.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
November 2, 2021
Verywell Health
If You Contract COVID During Pregnancy, the Sex of Your Baby Matters—Here's Why
A new study looking at pregnant people with COVID-19 found that proteins and genes associated with immune responses were higher in male fetuses than female fetuses.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
October 30, 2021
CNBC
U.S. Covid cases fall to less than half of peak delta levels as country approaches holiday season
U.S. Covid cases have fallen to less than half of the pandemic’s most recent peak, a sign that the country may be moving past the punishing wave brought on by the delta variant this summer.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
October 24, 2021
Bloomberg
Boosters Could Help Long-term Covid Immunity: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses global vaccine distribution issues and the need for a broader availability of booster shots.
October 22, 2021
Bloomberg
Boosters Gain Backing From CDC Advisory Panel [Podcast]
Andy Pekosz talks about booster shots with Bloomberg's Nathan Hager.
October 18, 2021
The Wall Street Journal
Can I Get a Flu Shot and Covid-19 Booster at the Same Time? And Other Answers to Your Flu Season Questions
It is OK to get a flu shot and a Covid-19 vaccine on the same day, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Officials suggest getting them in different arms, or at least an inch apart if in the same arm.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
October 15, 2021
WIRED
The Malaria Vaccine Is a Big Deal, but Not a Silver Bullet
When Patrick Duffy started his career at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in 1991, scientists were already a few years into testing a first-of-its-kind vaccine that would protect against malaria. Thirty years later, the World Health Organization has finally recommended the product of that research as a malaria intervention for children under age 5 in Africa
Prakash Srinivasan is quoted.
October 6, 2021
WMAR
Flu strain extinction because of COVID-19? [Video]
After a very mild flu season, doctors say we have already seen more cases than this time last year. But there’s one strain that hasn’t appeared since the pandemic hit.
Sabra Klein is featured.
July 16, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
Some Baltimore-area school districts are not planning to require masks this fall, leaving choice to parents
Whether students will be wearing masks on the first day back to school in the fall is more likely to be determined by the preferences of their parents and the district where their school is located than on current public health guidance.
Andy Pekosz and Jennifer Nuzzo are quoted.
July 16, 2021
Bloomberg
L.A. County Bringing Back Mask Mandate as Delta Variant Spreads [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses the county of Los Angeles, California going back to requiring the wearing of masks indoors due to the spread of the delta variant.
July 16, 2021
Politico
When you’ll need your third Covid shot
Will I need a booster shot? When? Covid cases are rising in almost every state as the Delta variant attacks unvaccinated populations across the U.S. This discouraging trend, combined with Pfizer’s announcement last week that the company planned to seek approval for a Covid booster shot, has unleashed third-dose panic among the vaccinated. Bill Moss is quoted.
July 16, 2021
Bloomberg
Los Angeles Issues New Mask Guidance [Radio]
Andy Pekosz, professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, talks the latest on the virus with Bloomberg's Nathan Hager.
July 15, 2021
Bloomberg
Moderna’s Next Act Is Using mRNA vs. Flu, Zika, HIV, and Cancer
This year, Moderna could deliver 1 billion doses of its Covid shot and bring in $19 billion in revenue. It’s become the rare biotech to hit the big time without being gobbled up by, or splitting profits with, a larger, more established company. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
July 12, 2021
Buzzfeed News
Here’s Why You Probably Won't Need A Booster Shot Against The Delta Variant Anytime Soon
Facing the threat of a more infectious Delta variant, vaccine-makers Pfizer and BioNTech released a statement Thursday saying it “may be beneficial” for people to get a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine within six months to a year. But US health officials and other scientists have vehemently disagreed, saying our current vaccines are holding up really well — at least so far. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
July 12, 2021
Sinclair Broadcast Group [via WBFF]
CDC, FDA say Americans don't need booster shots as Pfizer pushes 3rd dose [Video]
Pfizer BioNTech kicked off the debate over booster shots with a Thursday announcement that they planned to seek U.S. authorization for a third COVID-19 shot in the coming weeks. But U.S. health agencies and immunologists are pushing back, saying the evidence does not support the need for booster shots at this time. Bill Moss is quoted.
July 12, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
FAQ: What to know about the delta variant, its spread in Maryland and what it might mean for vaccine boosters
Cases of COVID-19 in Maryland and around the country are way down from their winter peak, as are hospitalizations and deaths. That’s all thanks to the vaccines, which have proved highly effective in preventing severe disease, public health officials say. But the pandemic isn’t over, and the level of threat depends on where you live, your vaccination status, and now, a much more transmissible version known as the delta variant. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
July 12, 2021
Bloomberg
Delta Variant Showing More Severe Disease: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses the severity of the delta variant and the prospect of a Covid vaccine booster.
July 9, 2021
CBS News Radio - Los Angeles
COVID symptoms are a'changing [Radio]
Just when you get to know a virus, it goes and changes on you. That appears to be the case with COVID, where we may not be looking at the "usual" symptoms anymore. So we will go In Depth. And as we learn more about changing symptoms .... the Delta variant has cases on the rise again.
Andy Pekosz is featured at the 17:45 mark.
July 9, 2021
The Washington Post
What you need to know about the highly contagious delta variant
The highly transmissible coronavirus variant called delta is present in all 50 states and is already dominant in many parts of the United States. Bill Moss is quoted.
July 8, 2021
Fox News
Maryland says 100% of COVID-19 deaths last month were among unvaccinated
All COVID-19-related deaths that occurred in Maryland last month involved unvaccinated people, Gov. Larry Hogan’s communication’s director tweeted Tuesday. The state saw 92 deaths last month, according to local reports. Bill Moss is quoted.
July 7, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
Maryland seeks to sustain vaccine push to reduce equity gap, particularly with minority populations skewing younger
As a new, more transmissible strain of COVID-19 sweeps the country, Maryland may have positioned itself to fend off the worst of it. The Delta variant now accounts for about 25% of cases nationally and has been found in the state.
Bill Moss and Rupali Limaye are quoted.
July 7, 2021
Bloomberg
Vaccines Will Be Less Effective Against Covid Variants: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Bill Moss talks about the effectiveness of Covid vaccines against variants.
July 7, 2021
The Washington Post
All Marylanders who died of covid in June were unvaccinated, data shows
Unvaccinated people made up all of Maryland’s reported coronavirus deaths last month, as well as the vast majority of new cases and hospitalizations, the state reported Tuesday — data that public health officials say demonstrates the effectiveness of vaccines. Bill Moss is quoted.
July 6, 2021
CNN.com
Unvaccinated people are 'variant factories,' infectious diseases expert says
Unvaccinated people do more than merely risk their own health. They're also a risk to everyone if they become infected with coronavirus, infectious disease specialists say. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
July 2, 2021
Washington City Paper
DC Health: At This Time, People Who Got J&J Vaccine Do Not Need To Get Booster
Experts say more information about J&J’s effectiveness against the Delta variant and the possible side effects of Pfizer or Moderna boosters is needed.
Bill Moss is quoted.
July 2, 2021
Bloomberg
Vaccines Are Working Against Covid Variants: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz comments on the concerns surrounding the spread of the Covid-19 delta variant.
June 29, 2021
Verywell Health
COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots May Increase Antibodies in Transplant Recipients
Research shows that a third COVID-19 vaccine dose may increase antibody levels in solid organ transplant recipients.
Bill Moss is quoted.
June 25, 2021
Bloomberg
Delta Covid Variant Spreading 'Much Faster': Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz says the Covid-19 delta variant "seems to be spreading much faster than even the alpha variant," raising concerns over the return of indoor public gatherings.
June 24, 2021
Verywell Health
FDA Extends Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 Vaccine Shelf Life
FDA approved the shelf life extension of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine from three months to four and a half months. Vaccine doses are still safe and effective, and extending the shelf life reduces further vaccine wastage. Bill Moss is quoted.
June 24, 2021
CNN.com
Covid-19 vaccine boosters may be necessary. Here's what you need to know
Vaccine makers are preparing for a next possible phase of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout: booster doses. While boosters are not necessary now, more information is needed to decide on whether people might eventually need booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines. Bill Moss is quoted.
June 22, 2021
Advisory Board
'Two Americas': Why some states are far more vulnerable to the delta variant
Health experts warn that the particularly contagious delta variant may soon become the dominant strain of the coronavirus in the United States and could create "two Americas"—comparatively safe areas with high vaccination rates, and other areas with low vaccination rates and the potential for Covid-19 surges. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
June 21, 2021
Verywell Health
U.S. Government to Donate 500 Million COVID-19 Vaccines
The United States government will purchase 500 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and donate them to low- and lower-middle-income countries. This donation won't affect vaccine availability in the U.S., experts say. Bill Moss is quoted.
June 21, 2021
The Indian Express
Explained: Monoclonal antibodies & Covid
Trials in the UK have found a monoclonal antibody cocktail effective in some patients with severe Covid-19. What is this treatment, how does it compare with plasma therapy, and how much promise does it hold? Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
June 21, 2021
The Boston Globe
Local officials say Baker is failing to invest in state’s broken public health system
Governor Baker said last week that not a single dollar out of $2.8 billion in federal pandemic relief funding that he plans to allocate would go toward public health programs. Emily Gurley is quoted.
June 21, 2021
McClatchy (DC Bureau)
Is it better to get immunity from catching COVID — or vaccines? What science shows
Research shows both coronavirus infection and vaccination offers immunity that can protect people from getting sick again. But by how much and for how long remains unclear — a scientific gap that only time could fill. Sabra Klein is quoted.
June 21, 2021
Bloomberg
No Need for Covid Booster Shots Yet: Johns Hopkins' Pekosz [Video]
Andy Pekosz says the U.S. is in a good place when it comes to controlling Covid-19 infections.
June 21, 2021
Axios
New coronavirus variant gains foothold in the U.S.
Public health officials are renewing calls for COVID-19 vaccinations, as a more infectious variant that can be thwarted with available vaccines is spreading rapidly in the United States. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
June 16, 2021
WUSA9
How the Novavax vaccine works [Video]
Biotechnology company Novavax says it plans to submit their COVID-19 vaccine for emergency authorization. Here's everything you need to know about it. Bill Moss is featured.
June 14, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
FDA to authorize two batches of Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine made at troubled Baltimore plant; others likely to be tossed
Federal regulators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will authorize the use of millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine manufactured at the troubled Baltimore facility temporarily shut down earlier this year due to critical production errors.
Bill Moss is quoted.
June 14, 2021
The Hill
Delta variant's UK dominance sparks concerns in US
The Delta variant’s quick dominance over other COVID-19 strains in the United Kingdom (U.K.) is sparking concerns that the U.S. could be hit with a similar wave of new cases in the coming months. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
June 14, 2021
NPR
Anti-Vaccine Activists Use A Federal Database To Spread Fear About COVID Vaccines
The largest U.S. database for detecting events that might be vaccine side-effects is being used by activists to spread disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. Bill Moss is quoted.
June 11, 2021
The Miami Herald
When will the pandemic end? And will you need a booster shot? Where we’ll be in 2022
Experts interviewed by the Miami Herald are looking to the future. Here’s what they are saying about life in 2022. William Moss is quoted.
June 10, 2021
Montana Public Radio
Montana Researchers Use Gene Sequencing To Identify COVID-19 Variants
As health officials continue to roll out COVID-19 vaccines, making sure those vaccines remain effective against new variants of the virus is an important part of controlling the pandemic. Montana’s state health department and universities are working to stay on top of the virus evolution. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
June 10, 2021
Quillette
The Importance of Understanding the Nonspecific Effects of Vaccines
The world’s attention is presently focused on the mRNA vaccines, which may turn out to be the most revolutionary vaccines ever produced. However, very few doctors, and certainly not the public, have any awareness at all of the nonspecific effects of vaccines (NSEs). Sabra Klein is quoted.
June 10, 2021
WJZ
New Research Finds Thousands Of COVID Deaths May Be Linked To Reduced Use Of Convalescent Plasma [Video]
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has new research that shows thousands of COVID-19 deaths may be linked to a drop in the use of convalescent plasma as a therapy treatment. Arturo Casadevall, study-lead, is featured.
June 9, 2021
Miami Herald
When will the pandemic end? And will you need a booster shot? Where we’ll be in 2022
It’s 2022. And people have learned to live surrounded by COVID-19 and its many variants moving across the world.
Bill Moss is quoted.
June 8, 2021
Yahoo
The One Thing the FDA Could Do to Boost Vaccination, Survey Says
The vaccination process in the U.S. has had its fair share of bumps along the road, but now there's not much standing in the way of people across the country getting the COVID shot. Bill Moss is quoted.
June 7, 2021
Axios
America's next big wave of sick
Influenza cases and other common viruses have been at historically low numbers for the past year due to the safety precautions taken by the public to stifle the spread of COVID-19. But that could change soon. Andrew Pekosz is quoted.
June 7, 2021
The New York Times
What Women Need to Know About the Covid Vaccine
Can it affect mammograms or the timing of fertility treatments? What side effects should you look out for? Experts weigh in. Sabra Klein is quoted.
June 7, 2021
ABC
Full FDA approval could drive COVID-19 vaccinations, but experts advise against waiting
Two vaccine makers have now started the process for full FDA approval. William Moss is quoted.
May 28, 2021
WUSA9
VERIFY: Yes, you can get other shots after your COVID-19 vaccine [Video]
A Verify viewer wanted to know if getting another vaccine would affect their COVID-19 immunity. We asked the experts. Bill Moss is featured.
May 28, 2021
Bloomberg
Covid, Wuhan and the Lab-Leak Theory [Video]
Andy Pekosz says it is critically important to find the origin of the Covid-19 virus.
May 28, 2021
Scientific American
Why Deadly ‘Black Fungus’ Is Ravaging COVID Patients in India
Standard treatments such as steroids, as well as illnesses such as diabetes, make the fungal infection worse.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
May 26, 2021
CGTN
Dr. William Moss talks about COVID-19 vaccines and the global vaccination campaign [Video]
Bill Moss discusses COVID-19 vaccines and the global campaign to vaccinate against the disease.
May 26, 2021
VeryWell Health
Experts Say Patent Waivers Aren't Enough To Increase Global Vaccination
The U.S. government has shown its support in waiving intellectual property rights for the COVID-19 vaccines. Waiving patents alone is unlikely to increase global vaccine production because low- and middle-income countries still lack manufacturing capacity, technology, skills, and raw materials.
Bill Moss is quoted.
May 24, 2021
CNN.com
Covid-19 vaccine boosters may be necessary. Here's what you need to know
As the Covid-19 vaccine rollout continues in the United States, with people ages 12 and older receiving their shots, vaccine makers are now preparing for a next possible phase: booster doses. Bill Moss is quoted.
May 24, 2021
Salon
Mixing two different vaccine doses might actually strengthen COVID-19 immunity, not hurt it
Now, new research reveals that a person who received one dose of the Pfizer and another dose of the Moderna vaccine might actually be better than fully vaccinated. Indeed, scientists are learning more about mixing vaccine shots, and what they have found so far is encouraging. Bill Moss is quoted.
May 24, 2021
WUSA9
VERIFY: Yes, vaccinated people can transmit COVID-19 through kissing
While vaccinated people are less likely to spread COVID-19, it’s still possible. Which means you can still spread it when locking lips with an unvaccinated person.
David Sullivan is quoted.
May 21, 2021
Bloomberg
COVID-19 Vaccines & Pregnant Women [Podcast]
Sabra Klein, Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, discusses how vaccines are impacting pregnant women.
May 19, 2021
Scientific American
Deadly Fungi Are the Newest Emerging Microbe Threat All Over the World
These pathogens already kill 1.6 million people every year, and we have few defenses against them
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
May 19, 2021
CNN
Young People, We Need You To Get Vaccinated [Transcript]
Bill Moss discusses addressing vaccine hesitancy among various populations and children's COVID case numbers in the U.S. He also talks about the CDC's new mask guidance for fully vaccinated Americans.
May 17, 2021
Verywell Health
CVS, Walgreens Wasted More COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Than Most States
CVS and Walgreens, two national pharmacy chains, wasted more COVID-19 vaccine doses than state and federal agencies. Many factors can cause vaccine waste, like storage errors or broken syringes. Bill Moss is quoted.
May 17, 2021
Bloomberg
Must Balance Vaccine Benefits, Virus Control: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lifting mask guidance for vaccinated individuals, a return to lockdown in Singapore, and the benefit of vaccinations for kids.
May 17, 2021
Associated Press
Explainer: Why did Yankees test positive after vaccination?
A New York Yankees player and several team staffers tested positive for the coronavirus although they were vaccinated, the baseball club said this week, underscoring that it’s possible to get an infection even after the shots. Bill Moss is quoted.
May 14, 2021
Business Insider
Vaccinated people can ditch masks and distancing, the CDC says. Experts think the guidance is overdue but may be too broad.
Fully vaccinated Americans don't have to mask up or social distance, the CDC announced. Experts say the change is overdue but lacks nuance. Emily Gurley is quoted.
May 14, 2021
Bloomberg
CDC Relaxes Mask Guidance for Vaccinated People [Podcast]
Bill Moss discusses the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announcing that vaccinated individuals don’t have to wear a mask or socially distance in most places.
May 14, 2021
Business Insider
The Yankees' 'breakthrough' COVID-19 infections are a case study in how the virus can spread among vaccinated people
The Yankees' relaxed restrictions, coupled with the spread of variants, may have set the stage for breakthrough infections. Emily Gurley is quoted.
May 13, 2021
WCNC
No, the U.S. COVID death toll has not hit a pandemic low
The current count is getting close to the low and experts are hopeful the country will reach that milestone in the coming weeks. Bill Moss is quoted.
May 13, 2021
Forbes
The Truth Behind Tucker Carlson’s Claims About Covid-19 Vaccine Deaths And The Government’s VAERS Database [Paywall]
Fox News’ Tucker Carlson and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) have misleadingly pointed to the database as possible evidence that Covid-19 vaccines are deadly. Bill Moss is quoted.
May 10, 2021
NBCNews.com
After year with virtually no flu, scientists worry the next season could be a bad one
More than a year after the pandemic started, Covid-19 is still ravaging parts of the world, but now scientists are warning that another virus could be a serious threat in the coming months: influenza.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
May 10, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
More at-home COVID tests coming to the market, and made in Maryland
An Australian company that recently began selling a rapid at-home COVID-19 test plans to open its first U.S. production plant in Maryland later this year.
Bill Moss is quoted.
May 10, 2021
Bloomberg
How Covid-19 Vaccines Can Differ for Children [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses expected guidance on vaccinations for children.
May 7, 2021
PolitiFact
Tucker Carlson’s misleading claim about deaths after COVID-19 vaccine
Tucker Carlson was citing data from the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System database, or VAERS. The VAERS system is open to anyone, and reports to it are not verified, making it a breeding ground for misinformation about vaccine safety.
Bill Moss is quoted.
May 6, 2021
WYPR
The Path To The Pandemic's End [Radio]
Only a small number of Marylanders who have received their first COVID-19 vaccine shot have skipped their second dose, less than 4 percent. Bill Moss discusses the factors behind vaccine drop-off.
May 3, 2021
PolitiFact
Federal VAERS database is a critical tool for researchers, but a breeding ground for misinformation
The federal government’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System helps researchers collect data on vaccine after-effects and to detect patterns that may warrant a closer look. The CDC cautions that VAERS results are not enough to determine whether a vaccine causes a particular adverse event.
Bill Moss is quoted.
May 3, 2021
WJZ
COVID-19 In Maryland: 10 Deaths Reported Sunday As Hospitalizations Continue To Decline [Video]
Maryland added 649 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday at hospitalizations and the positivity rate continues to decline, according to information released from the state health department.
Bill Moss and Jennifer Nuzzo are featured.
May 3, 2021
Bloomberg
Making Sense of CDC Guidelines for Vaccinated Individuals [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for people who have had the Covid-19 vaccine.
May 3, 2021
The Washington Post
Here’s what to do if you get covid-19 between vaccine doses
It is rare, but not unheard of, for people getting the Pfizer or Moderna coronavirus vaccines to contract covid-19 mid-vaccination — that is, between doses.
Bill Moss is quoted.
April 30, 2021
BestLife
This Side Effect Is More Common After Your First Pfizer Dose, Study Says
Side effects are common after many shots, but we've all been paying closer attention to them than ever with the COVID vaccine.
Bill Moss is quoted.
April 26, 2021
Spectrum News New York 1
Push for COVID vaccine could lead to advancements in preventing other illnesses [Video]
Pharmaceutical company Moderna announced this month it's capitalizing on the experience of developing a COVID-19 vaccine to advance more than a dozen other immunizations based in messenger RNA technology.
Andy Pekosz is featured.
April 26, 2021
WJZ
COVID-19 In Maryland: More Than 4M First Doses Administered, 1.8K Fully Vaccinated [Video]
More than four million Marylanders have received at least their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine Sunday, as cases and hospitalizations continue to decline, state health department officials said.
Bill Moss is featured.
April 26, 2021
WTOP
Which works best? Comparing vaccines for COVID-19 versus influenza [Radio]
The efficacy of influenza vaccines year-to-year can range between 20% and about 70%. But an immunology expert notes COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the U.S. have efficacy rates in the 90% range.
Andy Pekosz is interviewed.
April 26, 2021
Bloomberg
Defeating Covid-19 Takes a ‘Global Community’: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses shortfalls in oxygen for Covid-19 patients in India and the need for updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for people who have been vaccinated.
April 26, 2021
Reuters
J&J'S COVID-19 vaccine pause should be lifted, CDC advisers say [Paywall]
Use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine should be resumed in the United States despite evidence that it is linked to extremely rare but potentially deadly blood clots, advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended on Friday.
Bill Moss is quoted.
April 23, 2021
Everyday Health
Track the Vax: Do Women Experience COVID-19 and the Vaccines Differently From Men? [Podcast]
We’re more than a full year into the pandemic and it’s clear: Women are bearing the brunt of it.
Sabra Klein is interviewed.
April 23, 2021
Fox56
Why does your arm hurt after getting a vaccine? [Video]
With more than 50 percent of adult Americans already having their first does many people may wonder why the vaccine hurts your arm and why you may feel sick after receiving it.
Bill Moss is featured.
April 23, 2021
WJZ
800 Doses Of Moderna COVID Vaccine Already Administered At Fort Meade Were ‘Improperly Handled’ [Video]
Hundreds of people, including members of the military, now need to get a third dose of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine after officials found 800 vials were stored outside the recommended temperature for two days this month.
Bill Moss is featured.
April 23, 2021
WUSA9
VERIFY: What should you do if you have to delay your second COVID-19 vaccine? [Video]
In general, if you can’t get the second dose within the recommended 21 or 28-day timeline, should you start the process over again, meaning two more shots?
Bill Moss is featured.
April 23, 2021
The New York Times
The Covid-19 Plasma Boom Is Over. What Did We Learn From It?
While scant evidence shows that plasma will help curb the pandemic, a dedicated clutch of researchers at prominent medical institutions continue to focus on the narrow circumstances in which it might work.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
April 22, 2021
WUSA9
VERIFY: There is still no federal public health recommendation for COVID-19 booster shots [Video]
Public health experts still don't know whether a booster shot is on the horizon. But the CDC and FDA would make the final call.
Bill Moss is featured.
April 22, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
COVID vaccine appointments are more widely available in Maryland, but officials say demand remains high
Enough appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations were available Tuesday at the mass clinic in Bowie that Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan took to Twitter around 2 p.m. to urge people to go.
Bill Moss is quoted.
April 21, 2021
Advisory Board
Do Covid-19 vaccines affect women differently? 5 key questions, answered.
After seven women developed a serious type of blood clot after receiving one of the Covid-19 vaccines, many people are questioning whether the vaccines affect women differently than men—and what women should consider as they schedule their vaccinations. Sabra Klein is quoted.
April 21, 2021
CGTN America
William Moss on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause [Video]
Bill Moss discusses the pause in Johnson & Johnson's vaccine distribution after six women experienced blood clots.
April 21, 2021
Fox5 - DC
What women need to know about getting the COVID-19 vaccine [Video]
Sabra Klein joins Good Day DC to discuss the rate at which women are getting the COVID-19 vaccine in America and the effects the vaccine has on women specifically. Professor Klein is featured at the :55 mark.
April 20, 2021
The Newsworthy
J&J Vaccine Pause Explained [Podcast]
Today we’re breaking down the latest information about Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine. Earlier this week, the U.S. put the use of this particular vaccine on hold because of new questions about a potential rare, but serious, side effect: blood clots in the brain. Bill Moss is interviewed.
April 19, 2021
Bustle
How Long, Exactly, Will My COVID Vaccine Keep Me From Getting Sick?
While the current crop of COVID vaccines appear to be effective for months, experts expect that they’ll eventually start to lose their potency a little. Diane Griffin is quoted.
April 19, 2021
The Wall Street Journal
Covid-19 Vaccines and Rare Blood Clots: Are Women at Greater Risk?
Scientists are asking why more women than men were affected by a rare clotting disorder seen in some recipients of Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines. Sabra Klein is quoted.
April 16, 2021
Verywell Health
What Happens If I Get COVID-19 Between Vaccine Doses?
If you’ve only had your first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), it’s important to remember that you aren’t as fully protected as possible against COVID-19 just yet.
Bill Moss is quoted.
April 16, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
Are the side effects of the second COVID vaccine worse than the first? Your coronavirus vaccination questions answered.
The Baltimore Sun sought out to answers to some of the most frequent second dose questions. Read on to see what they found.
Bill Moss is quoted.
April 16, 2021
Bloomberg
Vaccines Are Working to Reduce Severe Infection: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses what is being learned about the vaccines in use, the importance of information on vaccine-related blood clots, and steps to overcoming vaccine hesitancy.
April 15, 2021
AARP
Already Got the J&J Vaccine? What You Need to Know Now
If you're one of the 7 million Americans who received the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine, you may be wondering how the government's new recommendation to pause its use impacts you. Here are five things you should know.
Bill Moss is quoted.
April 15, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
Maryland pauses use of Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine as CDC, FDA study six reports of blood clots
Vaccination sites in Maryland will pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as federal government officials review six reported cases of an extremely rare and severe type of blood clot found in recipients of the immunization.
Andy Pekosz and Jeffrey Kahn are quoted.
April 15, 2021
Forbes
How The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Pause Might Slow Down The Global Covid-19 Response
Richer countries have the luxury of picking and choosing between vaccine options, but their regulatory decisions may make it harder for poorer countries to fight the pandemic.
Rupali Limaye and Bill Moss are quoted.
April 15. 2021
Rolling Stone
Why Are Women Bearing the Brunt of Vaccine Side Effects?
It’s not just these severe and incredibly rare side effects — in the case of Johnson and Johnson, just six people out of more than 6.8 million vaccinated, or 0.00000088% — that are borne disproportionately by women, but a majority of mild and moderate side effects reported from the vaccine as well.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
April 15, 2021
CBS Evening News
U.S. calls for pause on Johnson & Johnson vaccine over rare blood clots [Video]
Federal health officials have asked states to pause administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the U.S. after six women developed a rare blood clot.
Sabra Klein is featured at the 2:40 mark.
April 15, 2021
The New York Times
What Women Need to Know About the Covid Vaccine
Can it affect mammograms or the timing of fertility treatments? What side effects should you look out for? Experts weigh in.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
April 14, 2021
GBH News
6 Questions Answered About The 'Pause' On Johnson & Johnson's COVID Vaccine
The pause is also intended to give better guidance to health providers on potential symptoms to watch out for in those already given the vaccine.
Bill Moss is quoted.
April 14, 2021
WUSA9
VERIFY: Risks of blood clotting from COVID-19 higher than the vaccine [Video]
Officials have recommended a pause on Johnson & Johnson vaccines after finding six notable cases of blood clotting. It doesn't compare to the risks of getting COVID.
Bill Moss is featured.
April 14, 2021
Shape Magazine
The Surprising Role Sex Hormones Play In Immunity
Women have an immunity advantage over men, and the latest science says that estrogen levels are partly to thank.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
April 14, 2021
Forbes
Why The Government Can Easily Hit Pause On The J&J Vaccine
On Tuesday, the CDC and FDA announced they were recommending that administration of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine should be paused as a possible connection to rare blood clots is investigated. Multiple states have already announced they’re suspending Johnson & Johnson shots.
Bill Moss is quoted.
April 13,2021
WUSA9
DC says it's no longer encouraging telework. Does that mean it's safe to return to work? [Video]
Starting in March, the District modified some of its COVID-restrictions, including the provision leftover from last year that strongly encouraged nonessential employees to work from home. Residents on social media questioned how safe it really is to head back into the office.
Andy Pekosz is featured.
April 12, 2021
Healio
‘Landmark discovery’: C. auris isolated from environment for first time
Researchers isolated Candida auris from a salt marsh and sandy beach in the Andaman Islands, suggesting that before its recognition as a human pathogen, it existed as an environmental fungus, they said.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
April 12, 2021
Health
I Didn’t Get Side Effects From My COVID-19 Vaccine—Am I Still Protected?
Experts say side effects are actually a good thing after the vaccine, so what if you feel fine?
Amesh Adalja and Bill Moss are quoted.
April 12, 2021
Bustle
Will I Be A Moderna Gal Forever?
Once everybody has their COVID shot this year, though, some experts are looking to the future, when you’ll need a new COVID vaccine dose, known as a booster, to deal with potential new strains of COVID and keep your immunity going strong.
Diane Griffin is quoted.
April 12, 2021
The Washington Post
Coronavirus vaccine technology is paving the way for a whole new approach to flu shots
The technology used in two of the coronavirus vaccines authorized by the Food and Drug Administration may enable scientists to develop flu shots in record time, but also make inoculations that could be more effective and protect against numerous flu strains for years at a time.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
April 9, 2021
Bloomberg
Variants Shifting Cases to Younger Demographic: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses the correlation between Covid-19 cases and deaths and the need to keep public health interventions in place as vaccinations continue.
April 7, 2021
National Geographic
Can a new app predict the next pandemic?
Scientists say it’s only a matter of time before another deadly virus jumps from animal to human and goes viral. A new global database attempts to rank the risk from wildlife. Emily Gurley is quoted.
April 2, 2021
Miami Herald
Some COVID viruses share a concerning mutation. Now it’s cropping up in South Florida
When Miami researchers began examining the genetic structure of the COVID virus in local hospital patients about two months ago, they were impressed by the diversity of the strains. But over the last several weeks, researchers have homed in on one trait that has become increasingly prevalent in viral samples taken from patients at Jackson Health System, Miami-Dade County’s public hospital, and UHealth Tower, the University of Miami’s hospital: the E484K mutation.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
April 2, 2021
DCist
Marylanders 16 Years And Older Can Now Pre-Register To Get Vaccinated
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Thursday that all state residents 16 years and older can now pre-register online to get vaccinated at a mass vaccination site, moving up a previously announced eligibility date of April 27.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
April 2, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
Maryland to preregister those 16 and up for COVID vaccine, plans to accelerate schedule of who’s eligible when
With cases of the coronavirus spiking in several East Coast states, Gov. Larry Hogan said Thursday that Maryland would aim to accelerate its COVID-19 vaccine prioritization schedule and authorize everyone 16 and older to preregister for appointments at mass vaccination sites.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
April 1, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
Missteps marked Maryland’s COVID vaccine rollout, experts say: ‘We have to be willing to try different things’
Scores of Marylanders say they have found themselves trapped in cycles of dead ends and loose threads since Jan. 25, when more than 2 million state residents became eligible for COVID-19 vaccination appointments at once. The process of securing a time slot has been ruthless, fraught and confusing, particularly for those without computer skills or internet connection.
Bill Moss is quoted.
March 31, 2021
WBAL
Medical experts explain presence of UK variant in Maryland amid pandemic [Video]
In Maryland, health officials are talking about the spread of the U.K. variant. But how is it different than the older strains? And is it more transmissible in children?
Andy Pekosz is featured.
March 31, 2021
WUSA9
VERIFY: No, COVID-19 vaccines don’t contain gluten
There are three authorized COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. All are safe for people with celiac disease.
David Sullivan is quoted.
March 29, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
There’s an early treatment for COVID now — and Maryland officials are pushing to spread the word as case count ticks up
Now, with cases again ticking up here and in many other states, possibly driven by variants, Maryland officials are trying to get the treatment to those most at risk for severe illness.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
March 29, 2021
WUSA9
VERIFY: Can you get COVID-19 if you're fully vaccinated?
Medical experts explained to the Verify team that the vaccines are highly effective at stopping COVID-19, but they are not perfect. Some people will still get infected, even though they are vaccinated.
Diane Griffin and Bill Moss are quoted.
March 26, 2021
Bloomberg
State Vaccination Variations Causing Confusion: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses states expanding vaccine eligibility and how vaccinations and therapeutics play into reopening plans.
March 24, 2021
Consumer Reports
Why Some People Are Getting COVID-19 Again
If you have recovered from a COVID-19 infection, probably the last thing you want is to get the virus again. And until recently, you may have thought or hoped that once you had the disease, you were protected—like you can be from, say, chickenpox.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
March 23, 2021
Indiana Public Radio
COVID-19 Vaccine Registration Open To Hoosiers 40 And Older Monday
Indiana opened registration beyond first responders and health care workers on Jan. 8, allowing Hoosiers 80 and older to schedule appointments for vaccines. On March 20, the state announced its expansion for Hoosiers 40 and older.
Bill Moss is quoted.
March 23, 2021
WBAL
Experts, Marylanders react to possible AstraZeneca vaccine as state enters Phase 2A rollout [Video]
More Marylanders become eligible to get the coronavirus vaccine Tuesday when our state marks a milestone in the pandemic and enters phase two of its vaccine rollout.
Bill Moss is featured.
March 23, 2021
BBC
Covid lockdown: Seven enduring claims fact-checked
Opposition to the UK lockdown has led to street protests and campaigns on social media. Many of the grievances expressed have been fueled by false and misleading claims.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
March 23, 2021
AARP
Two-Dose AstraZeneca Vaccine Is 79 Percent Effective in U.S. Clinical Trials
As the number of Americans getting a COVID-19 vaccine is rapidly escalating, a fourth one could be available in the United States if the federal government authorizes the use of a two-dose AstraZeneca product that the company says is 79 percent effective in protecting against moderate to severe coronavirus illness.
Bill Moss is quoted.
March 22, 2021
Los Angeles Times
Why are side effects worse after a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine?
When it comes to the one-two punch delivered by two-dose COVID-19 vaccines, it’s the second shot that really wallops.
Diane Griffin is quoted.
March 22, 2021
WJZ
Maryland Races To Vaccinate Vulnerable Communities As COVID Variant Cases Rise [Video]
The vaccination rush comes as the governor is about to open up eligibility. He promises everyone 16 and older will be able to make an appointment for a vaccine e by the end of next month.
Jennifer Nuzzo and Bill Moss are featured.
March 22, 2021
WTOP
‘We remain vulnerable’ — Johns Hopkins doctors urge continued caution on COVID-19
COVID-19 case numbers in the U.S. are on the way down, vaccines are getting into arms and spring is coming, which last year meant a decline in cases. However, experts say now is not the time to take our foot off the brakes.
Jennifer Nuzzo and Bill Moss are quoted.
March 22, 2021
Voice of America
Drugmakers Prepare COVID Vaccines Against Variants
Testing is under way for modified versions of COVID-19 vaccines that aim to deal with coronavirus variants.Experts say current vaccines still seem to work against the variants and prevent the most severe forms of disease, though the evidence is limited. Making changes may not be necessary for all the vaccines.
Bill Moss is quoted.
March 22, 2021
National Geographic
Why your arm might be sore after getting a vaccine
Pain and rashes are normal responses to foreign substances being injected into our bodies. But how much pain you experience after a shot depends on a lot of factors.
Bill Moss is quoted.
March 18, 2021
FoxNews.com
Pausing AstraZeneca COVID-19 jabs leaves some docs divided
After Europe was sent reeling following reports of blood clots in some people who received AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 shot, pausing vaccinations, several U.S. medical experts offered differing reactions.
Bill Moss is quoted.
March 17, 2021
Business Insider
Weddings could be safe this spring and summer, experts say — here's how to go about it
The CDC still advises against large events, but there are ways to keep weddings relatively low-risk.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
March 16, 2021
Live Science
Deadly hospital superbug found on a remote island beach
The findings mark the first time researchers have seen this multidrug-resistant organism in the "wild."
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
March 16, 2021
Business Insider
How convalescent plasma could be used to treat new variants of the coronavirus — especially where vaccines are scarce
The rise of contagious coronavirus variants has led to fears that they can both evade existing vaccines as well as authorized treatments like monoclonal antibodies. Convalescent plasma could still be a crucial coronavirus treatment, says an immunology professor.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
March 15, 2021
Austin American-Statesman
Why does Texas rank near last in percentage of residents vaccinated against COVID-19? [Paywall]
Texas officials have blamed the low ranking on many factors: The amount of COVID-19 vaccine doses from the CDC, reporting delays and winter storms.
Bill Moss is quoted.
March 15, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
Maryland health officials prepare to make all adults eligible for COVID vaccine by May 1, as long as there’s enough
A day after President Joe Biden directed states to make all adults eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations by May 1, Maryland officials said they were ready to heed the call. But Ricci said the expansion of eligibility in Maryland also would hinge on the vaccine supply.
Bill Moss is quoted.
March 12, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
Now’s not the time for Marylanders to be picky about which COVID vaccine they get, health experts say
With a one-dose immunization now a part of Maryland’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, eligible residents have started to wonder for the first time whether they have a choice to make.
Bill Moss and Gigi Gronvall are quoted.
March 12, 2021
Bloomberg
Some AstraZeneca Data Is Head-Scratching: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses some of the data surrounding AstraZeneca's PIc's COVID-19 vaccine, emphasizing the importance of monitoring safety.
March 12, 2021
New York Magazine
COVID Vaccine Side Effects: Everything You Need to Know
In the United States, we now have three vaccines — Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson — available to combat COVID-19. As the rollout of life-saving shots ramps up across the country, health experts say one thing is critical for people to understand before they roll up their sleeves: The vaccines may cause side effects.
Bill Moss and Sabra Klein are quoted.
March 11, 2021
Scientific American
So, What Can People Actually Do after Being Vaccinated?
First, here’s where the experts agree: The levels of protection provided by all of the available vaccines in clinical trials were extraordinary when it came to preventing severe disease, hospitalization and death. While the new variants pose a threat, most of those interviewed believe that current vaccines should provide reasonable protection there, too.
Bill Moss and Kate Grabowski are quoted.
March 10, 2021
International Business Times
COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects Worse In Women: Here's Why
Coronavirus vaccines have worse side effects in women, a recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.
Rosemary Morgan and Sabra Klein are quoted.
March 9, 2021
National Geographic
After you get a COVID-19 vaccine, what can you do safely?
As more people are fully vaccinated, certain activities will become less risky, but experts still recommend holding on to precautions for the near future.
Bill Moss is quoted.
March 9, 2021
The New York Times
Women Report Worse Side Effects After a Covid Vaccine
Men and women tend to respond differently to many kinds of vaccines. That’s probably because of a mix of factors, including hormones, genes and the dosing of the shots.
Sabra Klein and Rosemary Morgan are quoted.
March 8, 2021
Business Insider
Hardly anyone is following the CDC guidelines perfectly. Here's how to stay safe even while bending the rules.
As pandemic fatigue sets in, many Americans have stopped following CDC rules as closely. Experts shared tips for how to hug, see friends, and take trips while keeping your risk of infection low.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
March 8, 2021
WBAL
11 TV Hill recounts COVID-19 pandemic, one year later [Video]
The pandemic changed how we lived our lives both together and apart, and from the beginning, leaders from D.C. to Maryland knew this was a war not a battle.
Emily Gurley is featured.
March 8, 2021
USA Today
Blood plasma might be the weapon we’re missing to control COVID-19 [Opinion]
Johns Hopkins is testing blood plasma transfusions that have COVID antibodies and this could be the way to prevent infection entirely.
David Sullivan wrote the piece.
March 8, 2021
TODAY.com
Can I choose which COVID-19 vaccine I get?
Trial data indicates that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is just as good at preventing hospitalization and death as other candidates.
Bill Moss is quoted.
March 5, 2021
Bloomberg
Move to Mass Covid-19 Vaccinations Coming Soon: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses expanding vaccinations to younger people and public campaigns to boost vaccine acceptance.
March 5, 2021
STAT
For early testing of convalescent plasma, we were ‘building the plane while we were flying it’ [Opinion]
During the Covid-19 pandemic, clinicians have seen many remarkable things. Among them is how a 19th-century therapy called convalescent plasma came to be used in more than 500,000 hospitalized Covid-19 patients the United States and elsewhere.
Arturo Casadevall coauthored the piece.
March 4, 2021
Detroit Free Press
Doctor: COVID-19 positive Michiganders needed for plasma treatment study [Opinion]
The race between COVID-19 vaccines and the more contagious viral variants has intensified. As the U.S. struggles to ramp up COVID-19 vaccinations — with only a fraction of the population vaccinated — we need to explore other options to treat those who have been exposed to the virus, curb dangerous outbreaks and save lives.
David Sullivan wrote the piece.
March 4, 2021
Healthy You
Surviving a Pandemic: Dr. William Moss [Podcast]
People are going to great lengths to get the COVID-19 vaccine shot. But while national attention is on the COVID vaccine, the use of other vaccines is dropping in the US and around the world, posing new threats to public health
Bill Moss is interviewed.
March 4, 2021
The New York Times
Plan to Ditch the Mask After Vaccination? Not So Fast.
It’s not clear how easily vaccinated people may spread the virus, but the answer to that question is coming soon. Until then, scientists urge caution.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
March 4, 2021
Deseret News
4 tips to consider after you get the COVID-19 vaccine
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has some tips for dealing with COVID-19 vaccine side effects
Bill Moss is quoted.
March 4, 2021
WAND17-TV
Springfield diocese asking Catholics to avoid Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to fetal cell line usage
The Diocese of Springfield sided with other Catholic leaders in asking members to avoid using the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine due to moral questions raised about the use of fetal cell lines in its production.
Amesh Adalja and Bill Moss are quoted.
March 3, 2021
The Swaddle
Research Is Revealing How the Immune System Responds To Viruses Differently in Men, Women
A growing body of research into the immune system’s response to Covid-19 and other viral infections is shedding light on differences between male and female responses that leave men more at risk of severe illness and death.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
March 3, 2021
The Scientist
Sex Differences in Immune Responses to Viral Infection
Stronger interferon production, greater T cell activation, and increased susceptibility to autoimmunity are just some of the ways that females seem to differ from males.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
March 1, 2021
The Daily Express (UK)
Nipah virus bio-terror threat: Pathogen risks being weaponised by 'bad actors' – warning
The Nipah virus could be used as a weapon by bio-terrorists because of its "high fatality rate and ability to cause public fear" and has is considered a threat "that needs to be addressed", experts have claimed.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
NOTE: This story also ran in MSN
March 1, 2021
BestLife
These Side Effects Are Much More Likely After Your Second Shot, CDC Says
However, they also found that there are some minor side effects and two of these are much more likely to occur after your second shot: fever and chills
Bill Moss is quoted.
NOTE: This story also ran in MSN and Yahoo.
March 1, 2021
Science News
Global inequity in COVID-19 vaccination is more than a moral problem
Lopsided distribution will cost lives, ding the global economy and perpetuate the pandemic
Bill Moss is quoted.
March 1, 2021
Refinery29
COVID Cases In The U.S. Are Declining. When Will We Get To Herd Immunity?
As of Friday, over 68 million doses of the vaccine have been administered nationwide.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
February 26, 2021
The Washington Post
Pfizer, Moderna or maybe J&J? Right now, the best vaccine for you is the one you can get.
The anticipated authorization of a third coronavirus vaccine has raised a new question for many Americans: Which shot should I get? The answer, experts say, is whichever one you can.
Bill Moss is quoted.
NOTE: This story ran elsewhere, such as SF Gate and The Seattle Times.
February 26, 2021
VOA
[VIDEO] Pfizer, Moderna Promise Major Boosts in Vaccine Supply
Drug company officials say they are speeding up delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States. With more vaccine plants online, they say they can produce enough vaccine by the end of July to cover nearly the entire U.S. population. But low-income countries are still at the back of the line.
Bill Moss is featured.
February 26, 2021
WUSA9 (CBS Washington, D.C.)
Explaining how the Johnson & Johnson vaccine works and what makes it different from others
The FDA is expected to approve Johnson & Johnson's vaccine for emergency use. Here's how it differs from the other vaccines on the market.
Bill Moss contributed.
February 26, 2021
Bloomberg
[VIDEO] COVID Vaccinations Driving Decline in Deaths
Andrew Pekosz is featured.
February 25, 2021
Deseret News
Why you get symptoms from the 2nd COVID-19 vaccine dose
The COVID-19 vaccine continues to roll out. But people have reported feeling symptoms of a cold — fever, fatigue and more — after getting a second shot. Experts want to calm fears over those symptoms, though.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 25, 2021
WBAL (NBC Baltimore)
Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine one step closer to federal approval for emergency use
Promising news about Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine candidate comes the day before Maryland opens its third mass vaccination site.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 25, 2021
Newsweek
Serious COVID Vaccine Side Effects Still Rare As 65 Million Shots Given: 'Fantastic'
As of Tuesday, over 65 million people across the U.S. had been given a Pfizer or Moderna COVID vaccine.
Bill Moss is quoted.
NOTE: This story ran elsewhere, such as on MSN.
February 24, 2021
The Washington Post
Biden administration, vaccine makers scramble to outflank coronavirus variants
‘Go ahead and . . . get them ready to go,’ U.S. official urges manufacturers on updated vaccines.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 24, 2021
TODAY
Experts explain why 2nd COVID-19 vaccine dose may have more side effects
While about a third of the people who receive the vaccine have symptoms that "seem like the flu," that's an expected immune response.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 24, 2021
AARP
Do COVID-19 Vaccines Interfere With Common Prescription Drugs?
Medical experts explain why there's little reason to worry about your medications
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 23, 2021
Los Angeles Times
Modified COVID-19 vaccines may get nod from FDA without repeating full trials
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued new guidance Monday that streamlines the vetting process for COVID-19 vaccines that are modified to target new coronavirus variants.
Diane Griffin is quoted.
February 23, 2021
Los Angeles Times
Coronavirus Today: Is it time for some optimism?
Scientists are still unsure of the exact threshold that will be necessary to reach herd immunity against the coronavirus. Some estimate it could happen when 50% of people are immune; others think the figure is closer to 90%.
Diane Griffin is quoted.
February 22, 2021
The Washington Post
Biden administration, vaccine makers scramble to outflank coronavirus variants
Biden administration officials, pharmaceutical companies and scientists are racing to get ahead of a coronavirus that has become a more aggressive shape shifter than many expected. But they are still struggling to answer basic questions about where the variants are spreading, how quickly to update the vaccines and whether more problems are just over the horizon.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 22, 2021
Today.com
Yes, you can still get COVID-19 after being vaccinated. Experts explain why
It's not a sign that the vaccines have failed. Data seems to indicate that post-vaccination coronavirus cases are mild.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 22, 2021
Bloomberg
Vaccines Protect From Covid Variants: Johns Hopkins' Pekosz [Video]
Andy Pekosz says the U.S. has to get better at distributing the Covid-19 vaccines and expects pandemic-related restrictions to be relaxed by midyear.
February 22, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
While some desperately hunt for appointments, other Marylanders don’t want to get a COVID vaccine — at least not yet
The grim milestone comes roughly one year after the first coronavirus death in the United States.
Lisa Cooper, Bill Moss and Gigi Gronvall are quoted.
Februry 22, 2021
WJZ
More Than 1 Million COVID Vaccine Doses Administered In Maryland, Gov. Hogan Says [Video]
Maryland has now administered one million COVID—19 vaccination doses, but supply issues remain. As of Friday, only 5% of people in Baltimore City and 6.8% of people in Baltimore County have been fully vaccinated.
Bill Moss is featured.
February 19, 2021
The Salt Lake Tribune
David Sullivan: Convalescent plasma could give us a new tool to live with COVID-19 [Opinion]
Blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients could be key to setting us free without having to wait for vaccines to reach everyone. This type of plasma — also called high-antibody-titer convalescent plasma — has already been used to successfully treat more than 400,000 hospitalized U.S. patients. Could it help stop the virus’ progression, if given to patients at an earlier stage of their illness?
David Sullivan wrote the piece.
February 19, 2021
New Hampshire Public Radio
COVID-19 Variants: New Strains Of The Coronavirus Raise New Questions [Radio]
Mutations in viruses occur continually and though many don't result in changes in disease severity or immune response, COVID-19 has mutated in some ways that concern scientists.
Bill Moss is interviewed.
February 19, 2021
WHYY
N.J. and Delaware working to sequence more coronavirus samples to track variants
Public health laboratories in New Jersey and Delaware are working to do more investigations of the genetic data of coronavirus samples, to identify new variants sooner and see how the virus is spreading.
Diane Griffin is quoted.
February 19, 2021
Associated Press
Experts warn against COVID-19 variants as states reopen
As states lift mask rules and ease restrictions on restaurants and other businesses because of falling case numbers, public health officials say authorities are overlooking potentially more dangerous COVID-19 variants that are quietly spreading through the U.S.
Diane Griffin and Caitlin Rivers are quoted.
February 18, 2021
NPR
New Coronavirus Variants Appear To Have Evolved In The U.S. [Radio]
Scientists are evaluating domestic COVID-19 variants to see whether they pose a new threat, as public health experts warn the U.S. needs better surveillance to spot mutations and slow their spread.
Andy Pekosz is interviewed.
February 18, 2021
Today.com
Are 'immunity bubbles' safe for vaccinated people?
Experts weigh in on the latest iteration of pods or bubbles, which aim to provide social interaction as people become fully vaccinated.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 16, 2021
Associated Press
Vaccine delays leave grocery workers feeling expendable
A decentralized vaccine campaign has resulted in a patchwork of policies that differ from state to state, and even county to county in some areas, resulting in an inconsistent rollout to low-paid essential workers who are exposed to hundreds of customers each day.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 15, 2021
Global News - Canada
Coronavirus: Hunting for variants and the case for travel restrictions
As highly-infectious variants of the novel coronavirus spread around the world, there are mounting questions on how best to keep Canadians safe. Once again, travel is in focus as attention shifts from declining cases in Canada to these new threats from abroad.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
February 12, 2021
Indiana Public Radio
How Will Indiana Distribute COVID-19 Vaccines? Here’s What You Need To Know
The state extended vaccine appointments to Hoosiers 65 and older on Feb. 1. Originally, health officials had anticipated opening appointments to Hoosiers 60 and older, but decided to split that group in half in response to the federal allocation of vaccines.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 12, 2021
Bloomberg
U.S. at Transition Time for Covid Vaccinations: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses expanding vaccination efforts in the U.S., lessons learned from Israel’s vaccination success, and discovery of further Covid-19 variants.
February 11, 2021
Los Angeles Times
What if my second vaccine dose is early or delayed? Here's what the CDC says
The second shot of the COVID vaccine does not need to happen precisely 21 or 28 days after the first to be effective.
Diane Griffin is quoted.
February 11, 2021
National Geographic
After you get a COVID-19 vaccine, what can you do safely?
As more people are fully vaccinated, certain activities will become less risky, but experts still recommend holding on to precautions for the near future.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 10, 2021
WFAE
Some People Who Aren't Eligible For COVID-19 Vaccines Are Cutting The Line [Radio]
In many states, when you sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine, it is up to you to tell the truth about whether or not you're eligible. It's an honor system, but that system doesn't always work.
Bill Moss is interviewed.
February 10, 2021
Global News
‘Concerning’ Brazil COVID-19 variant found in Canada. What you need to know
Canada has reported a first case of a new potentially more contagious Brazilian variant of the coronavirus. The case involves a Toronto resident, who is hospitalized and had recently travelled from Brazil, city health officials confirmed on Sunday.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
February 10, 2021
NPR
Does Loose Enforcement Of Vaccine Eligibility Rules Encourage Line-Jumping?
Right now in Washington state, workers in health care settings, nursing home residents and staff, first responders, people 65 or older, and people 50 or older who live in multi-generational homes are eligible for the vaccine. But, in some cases, younger people, and people who work in professions not yet eligible, have received vaccine appointments.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 8, 2021
Los Angeles Times
A third COVID-19 vaccine could soon join the U.S. market. Will enough people want it?
The J&J vaccine didn't appear to perform as well as others in clinical trials. But scientists say it is impossible to know whether any one vaccine is better.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
February 8, 2021
Voice of America
Don't Panic, the COVID-19 Shots Still Work
On January 29, the company, a division of health care giant Johnson & Johnson, announced its shot was 66% effective against moderate to severe COVID-19. It's a lackluster result compared with the 95% that Pfizer-BioNTech reported for its vaccine, or Moderna's 94%. But those headline efficacy figures obscure an important point: Against the most serious cases, the shot was very effective.
Jennifer Nuzzo and Bill Moss are quoted.
February 8, 2021
Voice of America
What We Don't Know About Chinese, Russian COVID Vaccines Going to Less Wealthy Countries [Video]
The first vaccines against COVID-19 have gone mostly to wealthier countries. Now, several middle-income countries are getting their shots. Many come from Chinese and Russian drugmakers. But critics note that these developers have not been forthcoming with data on their vaccines' safety and efficacy.
Bill Moss is featured at the 2:25 mark.
February 5, 2021
WUSA9
VERIFY: Are sharks being used in COVID-19 vaccines?
Squalene is a fat molecule harvested from the oil in shark liver, and it has been used as an additive to a few COVID-19 vaccines in development.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
February 5, 2021
Bloomberg
Covid-19 Has 5 or 6 Variants of Concern: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses known variants of the coronavirus and modeling of global vaccination rates.
February 5, 2021
Bloomberg
Latest COVID-19 Vaccine Updates [Podcast]
Bill Moss, Executive Director of the International Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, provides a coronavirus and vaccine update.
February 4, 2021
USA Today
Cutting, bribing, stealing: Some people are getting COVID-19 vaccines before it's their turn
More than a month since the U.S. first began administering COVID-19 vaccines, many people who were not supposed to be first in line have received vaccinations. Anecdotal reports suggest some people have deliberately leveraged widespread vulnerabilities in the distribution process to acquire vaccine. Others were just in the right place at the right time.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 2, 2021
KUOW
People jump vaccine line in Washington state, as hundreds of thousands can’t get appointments
Across Washington state, people ineligible for the vaccine are getting it anyway, including the archbishop of Seattle. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands who are eligible haven’t been able to score an appointment.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 2, 2021
Business Insider
Nearly one-third of Israelis have been vaccinated, and very few of them have gotten sick — a sign of light at the end of the tunnel
Israel has immunized more people per capita than any other country. As of Thursday, nearly a third of Israel's population — 2.8 million out of 9 million residents — had gotten a first shot, and more than 1.6 million people had received the full two-dose regimen.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
February 2, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
First case of South African variant of coronavirus detected in Baltimore area; will vaccines stop it?
State health officials have detected Maryland’s first case of the South African variant of the coronavirus in the Baltimore area, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Saturday.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 2, 2021
Bloomberg
U.S. Hits Pandemic Milestone With More Vaccinated Than Cases
More Americans have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine than have tested positive for the virus, an early but hopeful milestone in the race to end the pandemic.
Bill Moss is quoted.
February 2, 2021
Bloomberg
Covid Variants a Reminder That Pandemic Is Global: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses nationalization of vaccines and the efficacy of vaccines against variants.
February 2, 2021
The Washington Post
Maryland becomes second state to report case of coronavirus variant that first emerged in South Africa
The new, highly transmissible coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa has emerged in Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Saturday, marking the second state to report a confirmed case of the mutated virus.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
February 2, 2021
C-SPAN's Washington Journal
Andrew Pekosz on COVID-19 Variants and Vaccine Development [Video]
Andy Pekosz of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health talked about the latest developments on COVID-19 vaccines and emerging variants.
February 2, 2021
C-SPAN's Washington Journal
Andrew Pekosz on COVID-19 Variants and Vaccine Development [Video]
Andy Pekosz of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health talked about the latest developments on COVID-19 vaccines and emerging variants.
January 28, 2021
Los Angeles Times
Coronavirus Today: Vaccine inequities emerge
One of the inescapable patterns of the pandemic has been how the virus does not touch all lives equally: Along with the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, people who are Black, Latino or poor have experienced a disproportionate number of serious illnesses and deaths.
Diane Griffin is quoted.
January 28, 2021
FoxNews.com
Second California patient dies soon after COVID-19 vaccination, investigations underway
The widow of a California health care worker who died after receiving the second dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine says her late husband "believed in vaccines."
Bill Moss is quoted.
January 27, 2021
Los Angeles Times
Coronavirus Today: A life-or-death social experiment
California is just clawing itself out of a devastating surge that made it the epicenter of Americans’ COVID-19 pandemic. All but four of the state’s 58 counties are in the highest-risk purple tier, where transmission of the virus is “widespread.”
Diane Griffin is quoted.
January 25, 2021
Elemental
4 Theories Why Covid-19 Is Worse for Men
Men have a greater risk of developing severe Covid-19 infections and ultimately dying from the disease. Not only is that a trend doctors have observed since the beginning of the pandemic, it’s also the finding of a recent study that pooled data from over 3 million people from 47 countries.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
January 25, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
Convalescent plasma: a quality COVID treatment unnecessarily mired in controversy [Commentary]
The FDA approved convalescent plasma for hospital use under Emergency Use Authorization last August, when it met the regulatory criteria of probable efficacy and definite safety. Unfortunately, the rollout of that authorization was marred by errors during a presidential news conference, where efficacy was mistakenly exaggerated. This created an unnecessary controversy that colors the view of plasma to this day.
Arturo Casadevall coauthored the piece.
January 25, 2021
FoxNews.com
Risks of COVID-19 disease ‘far outweigh’ vaccine side effects: experts
The serious outcomes that may arise from COVID-19 disease, like hospitalization and death, far exceed side effects from vaccines.
Bill Moss is quoted.
January 22, 2021
Bloomberg
Mass Covid Vaccination Campaign Needed in U.S.: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses ways to improve the U.S. vaccination process and the level of vaccinations needed to curb the coronavirus pandemic.
January 20, 2021
Independent
Biden’s Covid plan: How top health experts want the incoming administration to address the pandemic
The nation’s leading experts are calling on the new president to create mass vaccination sites, improve genome sequencing and rejoin the World Health Organization.
Bill Moss is quoted.
January 19, 2021
WBEZ - Chicago
Face It! You’re Bad At Judging Physical Distance. Here’s How To Do It
Following these guidelines is more critical than ever in this stage of the pandemic, with surging numbers in many parts of the world along with the discovery of seemingly more contagious strains of COVID-19. Emily Gurley is quoted.
January 19, 2021
WBAL
Mayor calls on state to set up mass vaccination sites; vaccination spots filled this month [Video]
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is calling on Gov. Larry Hogan to set up mass COVID-19 vaccination sites to speed up vaccinating the city population. Bill Moss is featured.
January 19, 2021
The Baltimore Sun
Maryland expands vaccine eligibility even as vaccines remain in short supply
The plan to implement Maryland’s new policy enabling adults 65 and older to start getting inoculated for COVID-19 lacks critical details that officials and experts say could hamper the ability to ensure all those who want the vaccine can get it anytime soon. Ruth Faden and Bill Moss are quoted.
January 19,. 2021
WBUR
Governors Frustrated With Slow COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout [Radio]
Governors across the country are expressing frustration with the Trump administration over a slowdown in the rate of vaccination against COVID-19. States are facing a shortfall in the number of doses promised by the federal government, as a more infectious variant of the coronavirus is spreading. Bill Moss is interviewed.
January 19, 2021
The Huffington Post
The Most Common Coronavirus Vaccine Questions, Answered
Do the COVID-19 shots prevent infection? How long does immunity last? Do they work against mutations? Here's what to know. Bill Moss is quoted.
January 15, 2021
Miami Herald
Florida health officials want to scrutinize COVID test results. It’s unclear why
Florida health officials recently asked labs reporting COVID-19 cases to include a new data point: how long it took for the specimen used in the test to register as positive, a measure that can indicate how much virus is present.
Rachel West is quoted.
January 15, 2021
Bloomberg
Covid Variants Are an Ongoing Research Question: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses the understanding of Covid-19 variants and targets for vaccine rollouts in the U.S.
January 13, 2021
McKnight's Senior Living
Senior living communities can navigate the pandemic through a ‘nuanced’ approach, experts say
Experts discuss various approaches to help senior living communities navigate their approach during the pandemic.
Bill Moss is quoted.
January 13, 2021
Newsy
Can Biden Distribute 100 Million Vaccine Doses In His First 100 Days? [Video]
Experts say additional vaccine brands, increased manufacturing and more money for distribution needed to accomplish Biden's 100 million dose promise.
Bill Moss is featured.
January 12, 2021
AFP Fact Check
US researcher exaggerated adverse reactions to Moderna Covid-19 vaccine
A speech by a biomedical researcher claiming that 21 percent of patients from the Moderna vaccine trial have experienced severe adverse events has been shared thousands of times on social media since December 11. This claim is false.
Bill Moss is quoted.
January 8, 2021
Miami Herald
Nearly half of new COVID variant cases in the U.S. are in Florida. Experts warn of surge
The mutated and likely more contagious strain of the novel coronavirus detected in Martin County last week is growing in Florida, with 22 cases now in the state, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gigi Gronvall and Rachel West are quoted.
January 7, 2021
Fox35 - Orlando
Proposal calls for cutting Moderna vaccine dose in half [Video]
A top health official says the U.S. should consider cutting the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine dose in half to serve more people. Others say this is premature.
Bill Moss is featured.
January 6, 2021
CGTN
COVID-19 vaccine side effects: What to expect after the shot
With vaccine roll-outs across Europe and several other parts of the world already under way, it is common for people to want to understand what it is they're being given and what to expect from it. Bill Moss is mentioned.
January 5, 2021
WBFF
Health department says Maryland is 'on pace with other states' but only 1% is vaccinated [Video]
On Monday, the Maryland Department of Health reported 5,923 people received the COVID-19 vaccine in the last 24 hours. That brings the state’s total number of vaccinations to just shy of 66,000. Three weeks since vaccinations got underway nationwide and MDH says just 1.09% of Maryland is vaccinated.
Bill Moss is featured.
January 5, 2021
Fortune
A faster-spreading COVID variant puts a spotlight on the U.S. vaccine rollout
An easier-to-spread variant of COVID-19 detected in the U.S. could intensify the virus’s surge, if it hasn’t already, boosting the urgency for a speedier, more effective vaccine push. Andy Pekosz is quoted.
January 5, 2021
Bloomberg
U.S. Needs Private-Public Vaccine Distribution Plan: Johns Hopkins
Bill Moss discusses issues with the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in the United States.
January 4, 2021
CNN.com
Some think Moderna VIPS may cut the line to get scarce Covid-19 vaccine
When biotech company Moderna announced Tuesday that it planned to offer its workforce a chance to get vaccinated with its recently authorized Covid-19 vaccine, their decision raised some eyebrows.
Bill Moss is quoted.
January 4, 2021
NBCNews.com
Colorado reports first confirmed case of U.K. coronavirus variant
The new variant, dubbed VUI-202012/01, is believed to be more contagious but not more lethal than other strains.
Diane Griffin is quoted.
January 4, 2021
USA Today
Fact check: Post falsely claims COVID-19 is another flu strain, misattributed to Cornell professor
In attempts to push baseless and debunked claims that the coronavirus pandemic is a hoax, some social media users are sharing a lengthy statement that claims to be authored by a professor at Cornell University.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
January 4, 2021
WBNG
How the COVID-19 vaccine impacts blood donation
With the ongoing pandemic, the Red Cross needs the help of blood and platelet donors to meet the needs of patients, but if you have received the COVID-19 vaccine it might impact the next time you donate.
Bill Moss is quoted.
January 4, 2021
Business Insider
Monoclonal antibody treatments could cut COVID-19 hospitalizations significantly — but doctors aren't using their full supply
As the US rejoiced over the results of two coronavirus vaccine trials in November, a significant drug advancement slipped by relatively unnoticed.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
January 4, 2021
WUSA9 - DC
VERIFY: Yes, it's normal for viruses to mutate [Video]
There's new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus hitting South Africa and the United Kingdom. Our Verify experts says its normal for a virus to mutate over time
Bill Moss is featured.
January 4, 2021
WUSA9 - DC
VERIFY: Are current COVID-19 vaccines effective against variant strains? [Video]
Reports of new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are popping up globally, will the current COVID-19 vaccines protect us against them?
Bill Moss is featured.
December 23, 2020
NBC Palm Springs
Vaccine Expert: Misinformation Around Covid Vaccines is Tragic [Video]
As the vaccines slowly continue to roll out across the country, COVID continues to kill a record number of Americans, many say they will opt out when it’s their turn to get protection against COVID-19.
Bill Moss is featured.
December 23, 2020
The Boston Globe
In Rhode Island and across the US, strained health agencies push do-it-yourself contact tracing
Lags in notifications from COVID-positive patients, contacts refusing to take calls from tracers, and other issues are making it impossible to reach contacts quickly enough to control outbreaks.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
December 22, 2020
STAT
The looming questions scientists need to answer about the new variant of the coronavirus
A variant of the coronavirus that emerged in the United Kingdom has forced London to shut down, led some countries to ban travel to and from the U.K., and set off a global manhunt to find out where else this version has arrived.
Diane Griffin is quoted.
December 18, 2020
Bloomberg
Flow of Covid Vaccines Will Be Variable: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses concerns about the holidays in the U.S. and the distribution and availability of Covid-19 vaccines.
December 18, 2020
TIME
What Makes COVID-19 Different From the Flu?
But compared to our typical seasonal flus, what makes SARS-CoV-2 dangerous is that it’s a brand new virus. When it first started spreading around the world, none of our immune systems had experience with it, and it took scientists time to develop effective tests for it, let alone treatment methods and the vaccines that have just recently begun rolling out.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
December 18, 2020
CNN
What you need to know about the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines [Video]
The Moderna coronavirus vaccine was recommended for emergency authorization by an FDA panel, following the FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine last week. CNN's Brian Todd reports on how the two vaccines are different, and why experts say that shouldn't matter.
Bill Moss is featured at the 1:51 mark.
December 17, 2020
Verywell Health
Will COVID-19 Vaccines Be Required In Schools?
On Friday, December 11, the Food Drug and Administration (FDA) approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use authorization. Many are looking toward the vaccine as a possible solution to the rising COVID-19 cases forcing institutions—like schools—across the country to close. However, despite the approval and dissemination of the Pfizer vaccine, some experts believe vaccine mandates in schools are unlikely to happen.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 16, 2020
Scripps [via WMAR]
Debunking COVID-19 vaccine myths [Video]
Now that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine has the green light, medical experts are working to debunk vaccination myths.
Bill Moss is featured.
December 15, 2020
Indiana Public Media
How Will Indiana Distribute COVID-19 Vaccines? Here's What You Need To Know
Indiana will begin receiving its first doses of COVID-19 vaccines this week, and anticipates receiving more at least weekly. The state’s first phase of initial doses will go to health care workers and long-term care facility residents.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 15, 2020
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
UW Health receives first COVID-19 vaccine shipment; first employees get vaccinated
Wisconsin expects to receive 49,725 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week. Soon after, the state should receive about 101,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Moderna as long as the company receives emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Both vaccines require that people receive two shots, separated by a few weeks.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 14, 2020
WBAL
Hopkins experts share information about COVID-19 vaccine, challenges [Video]
One day after an FDA advisory panel signed off on the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine and with emergency use authorization expected sometime in the next 24 hours, experts at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shared a virtual update on what they’ve learned so far, and what challenges we face moving forward.
Bill Moss is featured.
December 11, 2020
Verywell Health
Immunity Against COVID-19 Will Take Time After Vaccination, Experts Say
Although immunity is offered through Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines, building immunity against COVID-19 takes time and will still require social distancing and mask-wearing. While experts think it may last years, immunity duration is unknown. Therefore, more studies will need to be conducted.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 11, 2020
Elemental
Every Covid-19 Vaccine Question You’ll Ever Have, Answered
Clear guidance on everything you want to know about the vaccine (and then some).
Bill Moss, Rupali Limaye and Rene Najera are quoted.
December 11, 2020
Cleveland.com
Coronavirus vaccine may make some people feel lousy, so why take it? Here are answers
Body aches, fever, chills and fatigue. The proposed COVID-19 vaccines will protect you from one bug, but make you feel as if you’ve been hit by another. Why take a vaccine that has a chance of making you feel bad? People who get immunized have a lower chance of getting the illness and taking up a bed in an already overtaxed hospital.
Rupali Limaye and Bill Moss are quoted.
December 11, 2020
Tegna [via WQAD]
VERIFY: New COVID-19 vaccines won't cause you to be infectious
Many have asked if the vaccines being considered for COVID-19 could make recipients contagious to at-risk immunocompromised people like some past vaccines.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 11, 2020
CIDRAP
On cusp of COVID vaccines, experts discuss rollout challenges
Although the country is in the midst of the darkest period of the coronavirus pandemic, with emergency authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine imminent and distribution of initial doses expected to start this month, the beginning of the end is starting to come into focus.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 11, 2020
The Huffington Post
What Are The Side Effects Of The Coronavirus Vaccine?
We are getting closer and closer to a COVID-19 vaccine becoming available. And, like most vaccines, there will probably be mild to moderate side effects. But many experts believe the benefits of getting immunized far outweigh potential issues if it means people are protected against the coronavirus.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 11, 2020
Bloomberg
Covid-19 Measures Need Better Commitment in U.S.: Johns Hopkins [Radio]
Andy Pekosz discusses guidelines on masks, medical restrictions on Covid-19 vaccines, and concerns about vaccine distribution to poorer nations.
December 11, 2020
NBCNews.com
How to get a Covid vaccine: Everything we know, from cost to effectiveness
From vaccine deserts to pricing and timing, there is a lot we know about forthcoming vaccines — and some crucial unknowns.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 10, 2020
Tegna [via KARE11 News]
VERIFY: AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine does not use fetal cells
Viral posts claim one of the new coronavirus vaccines uses fetal cells, but experts say that's not true. Here are the facts.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 10, 2020
The Quicky
Why The New COVID Vaccine News Is Causing A Stir [Podcast]
When Pfizer announced that their experimental COVID-19 vaccine has an efficiency rate of over 90% it not only made the world rejoice that there may finally be some light at the end of the virus tunnel, it also sent the stock market soaring.
Bill Moss is interviewed.
December 10, 2020
AARP
7 Myths About Coronavirus Vaccines
The unprecedented speed of vaccine development has generated a number of misconceptions that have fueled skepticism among some Americans. Here are some prevalent coronavirus vaccine myths and the truth behind the medicines designed to combat COVID-19.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 9, 2020
Yahoo
The Unhealthiest Side Effect of the COVID Vaccine, According to Nurse Who Got It
The COVID-19 vaccine is just days to weeks away from becoming a reality. However, while the FDA confirmed on Tuesday that the Pfizer vaccine appears to meet the standard for emergency use authorization, confirming both its safety and efficacy, there are still a lot of people who are concerned about its potential side effects.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 9, 2020
WMAR
Maryland, Baltimore get ready for first COVID-19 vaccine doses [Video]
This week, the FDA will evaluate the first COVID-19 vaccine for Emergency Use Authorization, from Pfizer. In anticipation of its approval, state and local health officials spoke about how they are getting ready.
Bill Moss is featured.
December 9, 2020
Science News
Here are answers to 6 burning questions about COVID-19 vaccines
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is gearing up to consider emergency use authorization for Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine on December 10 and for Moderna’s on December 17. But there are still crucial questions about how these vaccines and others will work once they get injected into people around the world.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 9, 2020
Tegna [via KGW]
VERIFY: Newly vaccinated people won’t spread COVID-19 to the immunocompromised
In this time of pandemic, many people have avoided loved ones who are frail for fear of possibly spreading COVID-19. The people at risk include those whose immune systems have been weakened by chemotherapy or by other conditions. But when vaccines against the coronavirus get the OK, could the recently immunized possibly pass on COVID-19?
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 9, 2020
Voice of America
Experts: Vaccines Appear Safe, But Some Questions Remain
Vaccines against COVID-19 may begin arriving within days in the United States, as the fastest-ever vaccine development reaches a conclusion. Experts say no corners have been cut. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering authorizing the vaccines after a shorter-than-normal safety testing period.
Bill Moss and Rupali Limaye are quoted.
December 9, 2020
NBCNews.com
FDA: Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine safe and effective after one dose
Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine candidate offers some protection after the first dose, with nearly full protection after the second dose, according to documents released Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 9, 2020
CNN.com
People who have tested positive for Covid-19 should still get the vaccine, doctor says
Experts are urging anyone whose already been infected with COVID-19 to get a vaccine once they're available to the public.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 8, 2020
WebMD
Nurse Shares COVID Vaccine Side Effects from Trial
Nurse researcher Kristen Choi, PhD, experienced first-hand a "worst-case scenario" of potential side effects after receiving an experimental COVID-19 vaccine in a phase III trial. She says providers should be prepared to reassure patients if reports of similar experiences spread when vaccine rollouts begin.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 8, 2020
WBAL
ESPN: Lamar Jackson expected to start in Cowboys game [Video]
The Baltimore Ravens activated quarterback Lamar Jackson, fullback Patrick Ricard, long snapper Morgan Cox and defensive tackle Justin Madubuike from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. The team is reporting that there were four different strains of the virus in their facilities and that three of the strains were stopped with only one causing the outbreak in the facility.
Andy Pekosz is featured.
December 8, 2020
WBAL
Maryland prepares as COVID-19 vaccines inch closer to approval [Video]
As Maryland inches closer to the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine, state and local health officials are preparing in several ways. A vaccine for COVID-19 could be rolled out in a little more than a week, and local health officials say educating people is one of their biggest challenges.
Bill Moss is featured.
December 8, 2020
The Baltimore Sun
Maryland prepares to launch vast coronavirus vaccine messaging program as FDA weighs approval
Maryland health officials will embark soon on a multifaceted messaging campaign — possibly featuring celebrities, faith-based leaders and trusted “community messengers” — to entice state residents to get COVID-19 vaccines.
Bill Moss and Jinlene Chan are quoted.
12/04/20
United Press International
COVID-19 vaccine efficacy depends on distribution, public confidence, experts say
The effectiveness of new vaccines developed to prevent COVID-19 likely depends on how well they are distributed and the degree to which the public is willing to take them, public health experts said.
Bill Moss is quoted.
12/04/20
WMAR
Johns Hopkins experts explain hurdles for COVID-19 vaccination [Video]
Johns Hopkins vaccine experts say even with highly effective vaccines ready for emergency use authorization, there are still lots of hurdles to get over... from distribution to getting people to accept the vaccine.
Bill Moss and Rupali Limaye are featured.
12/04/20
WBAL
Experts detail challenges ahead as officials develop COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan [Video]
It's now estimated that Maryland will have enough doses of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of December to at least cover health care employees. During an afternoon briefing, experts from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health detailed the challenges ahead.
Bill Moss is featured.
12/04/20
The Baltimore Sun
Coronavirus vaccines coming, but Johns Hopkins experts say some vital questions remain unanswered
Vaccines designed to mitigate the scope and severity of the coronavirus pandemic could be distributed to millions of Americans before the end of December, health officials said this week. But much about the vaccines — such as the duration of immunity they offer, possible long-term side effects and variance across different ages, races and ethnicities — will likely take another year or so to understand.
Bill Moss and Rupali Limaye are quoted.
12/04/20
WTOP
With coronavirus vaccines inching closer to approval, DC-area doctor says there are still unanswered questions
A pair of COVID-19 vaccines could be approved for use in the U.S. within weeks, but there are still several unknowns, including duration of immunity.
Bill Moss is quoted.
12/04/20
Newsweek
Unknown COVID Vaccine Side Effects May Appear After Millions Immunized—But Benefits Outweigh Risks
The potential rare, and long-term side effects of COVID vaccines may emerge—if they do at all—after millions of people are immunized, experts have told Newsweek. However, they stressed the benefits of getting vaccinated against a virus that has killed over 1.4 million people worldwide and is still raging in many countries by far outweighs the risks.
Bill Moss is quoted.
12/04/20
Bloomberg
FDA Expected to Approve Use of Pfizer Vaccine: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses he timeline for a rollout of a Covid-19 vaccine in the U.S. and adjusting coronavirus self-isolation guidelines.
12/04/20
C-SPAN
COVID-19 Vaccines for Children Expected to Be Widely Available By Fall 2021 [Video]
Experts say coronavirus vaccines need to be tested in children under 12 before they are rolled out. Pfizer has conducted some tests in children over 12 and Moderna expects to follow up with their own tests in that age group shortly
Bill Moss is featured.
12/04/20
C-SPAN
Johns Hopkins University Hosts Briefing on COVID-19 Vaccines [Video]
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health hosted a virtual press briefing with researchers and medical experts on COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts. They provided a status update on the coronavirus vaccines recently announced by Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca.
Bill Moss and Rupali Limaye are featured.
December 3, 220
WAMU
Protecting Yourself Amid The Pandemic’s Winter Surge [Radio]
What should we be doing to protect ourselves during this precarious time? How much are cases rising locally? And how soon might a vaccine be available to you? In times of uncertainty, we look to medical professionals for guidance.
Bill Moss is interviewed.
December 3, 2020
AARP
What Are the Side Effects of COVID-19 Vaccines?
Health experts say there is one thing that's critical for people to understand before they roll up their sleeves for the shots: While no major safety concerns have so far been reported, the vaccines may cause a few unwelcome side effects.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 3, 2020
TIME
What You Need to Know About COVID-19 and Flu
This winter, the influenza virus has a rival—the coronavirus fueling the COVID-19 pandemic—and health officials are anticipating a showdown that could have dire consequences for the health of millions.
Andy Pekosz is quoted
December 3, 2020
The Washington Post
‘Absolutely normal’: Covid vaccine side effects are no reason to avoid the shots, doctors say
Ahead of the anticipated distribution of Moderna’s two-dose vaccine and a similar vaccine developed by Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech, which could be coming in a matter of weeks, experts have stressed the importance of transparent messaging in ensuring wide public acceptance and completion of the vaccination regimens.
Bill Moss is quoted.
December 1, 2020
Popular Science
Vaccines could be out by the end of 2020, but reaching everyone will take time
The past few weeks have been nothing but good news for COVID-19 vaccines. On Friday, Pfizer applied for emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after announcing that its vaccine is 95 percent effective. Moderna isn’t far behind.
William Moss is quoted.
December 1, 2020
WPFW
Monday Morning QB [Radio]
William Moss discusses vaccine development and distribution as Moderna and Pfizer vaccines draw closer to becoming available.
November 30, 2020
WebMD
AstraZeneca Plans More Testing of COVID-19 Vaccine
Pharmaceutical company Astra Zeneca will conduct more clinical trials to clear up questions about the effectiveness of its coronavirus vaccine
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
November 30, 2020
WHYY - NPR
Why contact tracing isn’t the COVID solution we thought it would be
Because it is such a resource- and labor-intensive containment tool, contact tracing in Philadelphia and the rest of Pennsylvania never ramped up to the levels recommended to effectively contain the coronavirus. The stretches when the city’s contact tracing resources could keep pace with the virus came only during the periods when there was minimal community spread.
Emily Gurley is quoted
November 30, 2020
BBC
Vaccines in Africa [Video]
Bill Moss discusses vaccine availability in Africa, estimating the vaccines won't be available to much of the continent until late 2021.
November 30, 2020
Bloomberg
AstraZeneca Vaccine Trial Likely Needs a Restart: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses confusion over the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine trial and the rising number of hospitalizations in Europe.
November 25, 2020
Star Tribune
EXPLAINER: China's claims of coronavirus on frozen foods
China says it has detected the coronavirus on packages of imported frozen food, but how valid are its claims and how serious is the threat to public health?
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
November 25, 2020
WMAR
Third COVID-19 vaccine shows promising results [Video]
It's been 10 months since the identification of COVID-19 and already, there are three vaccines with late-stage trials showing they are highly effective. Oxford-AstraZeneca is the latest, along with Pfizer and Moderna.
Bill Moss is featured.
November 25, 2020
Sinclair Broadcast Group [via WBFF]
Vaccines are on the way, but distribution could face challenges
Some nations have already rejected the idea of mandatory vaccinations. Much like lockdown mandates and stay-at-home orders that have been issued in the United States from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, compulsory vaccination orders cannot be made by the federal government.
Joanne Rosen and Bill Moss are quoted.
November 25, 2020
The Associated Press
Keep the mask: A vaccine won’t end the US crisis right away
Don’t even think of putting the mask away anytime soon. Despite the expected arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in just a few weeks, it could take several months — probably well into 2021 — before things get back to something close to normal in the U.S. and Americans can once again go to the movies, cheer at an NBA game or give Grandma a hug.
Bill Moss is quoted.
November 24, 2020
1010WCSI.com
How does Oxford-AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine work?
Following news of up to 90% coronavirus vaccine efficacy, AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s effort involves a more traditional method, as opposed to other vaccine candidate platforms. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine involves an inactivated common cold virus isolated from chimpanzees, altered with genes to express the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Bill Moss is quoted.
November 24, 2020
Sinclair Broadcast Group [via WBFF]
COVID-19 Vaccine development could shape the future of immunization
The method of vaccine development, first introduced as a concept in 1961, has been dubbed “revolutionary” by epidemiologists and has only been in serious development since the early 2010s when Moderna was formed. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed mRNA vaccine development into overdrive this year, fueled by government and private funding from across the globe.
Bill Moss is quoted.
November 24, 2020
Fortune
COVID vaccines won’t come fast enough to save struggling businesses. But plasma might [Opinion]
Positive results from these outpatient plasma trials could radically affect how quickly society and the economy return to normal—even as we wait for promising vaccines and drugs to be proven both “safe” and “effective,” the FDA’s standard for approval for broader use.
David Sullivan wrote the article.
November 24, 2020
FoxNews.com
How does Oxford-AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine work?
Following news of up to 90% coronavirus vaccine efficacy, AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s effort involves a more traditional method, as opposed to other vaccine candidate platforms.
Bill Moss is quoted
Noveber 23, 2020
WBAL
Questions surround timeline of potential coronavirus vaccine distribution [Video]
Among the first of the questions that lie ahead for a potential coronavirus vaccine are who will get the vaccine and when? If all goes well, the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine could be available by the end of the year, according to a John Hopkins University expert. But that's where the questions start.
Bill Moss is featured.
November 23, 2020
Bloomberg
What Emergency FDA Authorization Means for Covid-19 Vaccine [Video]
Andy Pekosz offers insight into emergency authorization of a vaccine as Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE plan to file Friday for use of their coronavirus vaccine in December.
November 19, 2020
WUSA
VERIFY: What is a Messenger RNA vaccine? [Video]
Both Pfizer and Moderna say they are close to a vaccine for COVID-19. In both cases, they are a type of brand new vaccine.
Bill Moss is featured.
November 19, 2020
TIME
The U.S. COVID-19 Outbreak Is Worse Than It’s Ever Been. Why Aren’t We Acting Like It?
Nothing about the current COVID-19 explosion should come as a surprise. As the virus spread throughout summer and fall, experts repeatedly warned winter would be worse. So it has. The U.S. is now locked in a deadly cycle of setting, then shattering, records for new cases and hospitalizations.
Bill Moss is quoted.
November 18, 2020
Newsweek
Why Moderna's COVID Vaccine Has a 'Huge Advantage' Over Pfizer's
Moderna's COVID vaccine is easier to store, transport, and prepare than Pfizer's, experts have told Newsweek, giving it a "huge advantage" if and when the time comes for them to be rolled out across the U.S.
Bill Moss is quoted.
November 17, 2020
Bloomberg
Dr. Sabra Klein on the Gender Risk Factor of Covid-19 [Video]
Sabra Klein, Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, explains why gender is an important risk factor for Covid-19 and weighs on our progress toward a vaccine.
November 16, 2020
SELF
Measles Infections Are Skyrocketing Because of Low Vaccination Rates
Measles infections worldwide have risen dramatically from their historic low in 2016, ringing alarm bells for public health experts around the globe. In 2019, the global death rate for measles was more than 50% higher than in 2016, and total cases increased by a whopping 556%, according to a joint report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
Bill Moss is quoted.
November 16, 2020
Science News
Measles has come back with a vengeance in the last several years
Measles has come back with a vengeance around the world in recent years, wiping out steep declines in cases seen since the start of the new century.
Bill Moss is quoted.
November 16, 2020
TIME
Why You May Not Be Able to Get Pfizer's Frontrunner COVID-19 Vaccine
Pfizer’s promising COVID-19 vaccine must be stored at about -70° C (-94° F)—a temperature cold enough to harden ice cream into a spoon-breaking block of ice, and that only specialized freezers can produce. Those cold storage requirements are raising serious questions about who could get the Pfizer vaccine if it’s approved, and when.
Bill Moss is quoted.
November 13, 2020
MarketWatch
Are rapid COVID-19 tests the way to get everyone traveling again? [Opinion]
Vaccines are a method of delayed antibody generation, and a vaccine for COVID-19 clearly would move us closer to resuming normal life. Except a vaccine represents just one approach to dealing with COVID-19 and, most likely, is not the panacea that we all long for.
David Sullivan wrote the piece.
November 13, 2020
Bloomberg
Covid-19 Vaccine Distribution Could Pose a Challenge: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses hopes pinned on a Covid-19 vaccine, the Covid outbreak in Denmark’s mink population, and the reliability of coronavirus testing.
November 13, 2020
Bloomberg
Latest on a Coronavirus Vaccine [Podcast]
William Moss, Executive Director of the International Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, provides a coronavirus and vaccine update.
November 13, 2020
NBCNews.com
'Breakthrough finding' reveals why certain Covid-19 patients die
Research shows Covid-19 patients with life-threatening illness have antibodies that disable key immune system proteins called interferons.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
November 12, 2020
The Baltimore Sun
Maryland hospitals rush to buy ultra-cold freezers to provide COVID-19 vaccines a warm welcome
The freezers, which can hold about 4,000 doses each and cost between $10,000 and $20,000, are part of a larger, complex logistical distribution effort for potential vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna, which have both been tested in Maryland. But they represent among the biggest potential physical hurdles for distribution.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
November 11, 2020
Scripps [via KRTV]
COVID-19 vaccine: Experts say it could begin to be distributed by the end of 2020 [Video]
As of this week, we have optimistic news regarding phase-three efficacy results from biopharmaceutical company Pfizer – which has been collaborating with German company BioNTech.
Bill Moss is featured.
November 10, 2020
WMAR
COVID-19 vaccine closer to reality [Video]
On Monday night we were closer to a potential Coronavirus vaccine. Pfizer Incorporated and BioNTech announced they’ve created a vaccine that is 90% effective in preventing Coronavirus.
Bill Moss is featured.
November 6, 2020
Bloomberg
U.S. Registers Two Days of 100,000 Covid Cases: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses the surge in U.S. coronavirus cases, hospitalization and mortality in the current wave of illness, and provides an update on coronavirus vaccine trials.
November 6, 2020
The New York Times
Nasal Spray Prevents Covid Infection in Ferrets, Study Finds
Scientists at Columbia University have developed a treatment that blocks the virus in the nose and lungs, is inexpensive and needs no refrigeration.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
November 3, 2020
NBCNews.com
Covid-19 antibodies diminish over time, but experts say there's no reason to be alarmed
Most experts agree that drops in antibody levels over time are expected, and that these declines are not altogether concerning.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
October 30, 2020
Bloomberg
Gender Importance in COVID-19 Illness [Podcast]
Sabra Klein, Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, discusses why gender is an important a risk factor for COVID-19.
October 30, 2020
Bloomberg
Need Targeted Interventions to Curb Virus Spread: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses the increased rate of Covid infections as the weather turns cooler, acting to prevent hospitalizations, and what type of data we can expect from coronavirus vaccine trials.
October 29, 2020
WBAL
Hopkins gets grant to create research center to study coronavirus immunity
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Bloomberg School of Public Health will create a new research center to study COVID-19 immunity. Researchers announced Wednesday that they received a five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
October 29, 2020
The Baltimore Sun
New Hopkins center aims to explain why some become severely sick from COVID-19, fuel better treatments
Johns Hopkins researchers have launched a center to better understand how people’s immune systems respond to the coronavirus, information that could explain why some become more severely sick from COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
October 28, 2020
WebMD
Patients With Worst COVID May Be Key Plasma Donors
Factors such as sex, age and severity of the disease may help identify COVID-19 survivors who have high levels of antibodies that can protect against the disease, a new study suggests.
Sabra Klein, study-lead, is quoted.
October 23, 2020
STAT
Blood plasma showed no benefit in Covid-19 patients in trial — a finding that could re-energize debate
The findings, published in BMJ, could re-energize the debate over whether blood plasma is an effective treatment for the disease.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
October 23, 2020
Bloomberg
Covid Vaccine Likely Not 100% Effective: Johns Hopkins’ Pekosz [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses realistic expectations for a coronavirus vaccine.
October 22, 2020
Voice of America
Who's In Line for COVID-19 Vaccines?
There won't be enough vaccinations for everyone at first. Hard decisions have to be made about who gets it and who doesn't. So, public health experts are laying out guidelines that aim to do the most good with a limited resource.
Bill Moss is quoted.
October 21, 2020
Cleveland.com
Older men who survive coronavirus appear to be best source of plasma containing valuable antibodies
Older men who have recovered from COVID-19 coronavirus may be the best source of plasma containing antibodies that could help protect others from the disease, new research suggests.
Sabra Klein, study co-lead, is quoted.
October 21, 2020
CNBC.com
Severe COVID-19 patients may be best donors for plasma therapy: Study
COVID-19 patients who are sick enough to be hospitalised are likely to have high levels of antibodies that can protect against the disease and maybe the best donors for convalescent plasma therapy, according to a study.
Sabra Klein, study co-lead, is quoted.
October 21, 220
CNN.com
Blood from sickest Covid-19 patients may be the best for convalescent plasma treatment
Blood from the most severely ill Covid-19 patients may be the best for use in convalescent plasma therapy, according to a new study from Johns Hopkins University.
Sabra Klein, study co-lead, is quoted.
October 19, 2020
The Huffington Post
What We Know About Oestrogen's 'Protective Effect' Against Covid-19
Early on in the pandemic, it became obvious that men – as well as older women – were more susceptible to negative outcomes from Covid-19. Men, especially, are more likely to be hospitalized by the virus and end up in intensive care. They are also twice more likely to die from the virus as women. It led researchers to hypothesize that the female sex hormone oestrogen might have some kind of protective effect.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
October 19, 2020
Bloomberg
Wearing Masks Will Help Keep Economies Open: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz says it's "quite clear" wearing masks reduces cases of Covid-19 infections and will help prevent an economic lockdown.
October 16, 2020
Gray TV DC
The military’s war on COVID-19 [Video]
The United States military fights terrorism, saves lives during natural disasters, and now, its latest mission is the war on coronavirus. This is the biggest role the military has ever played in preparing for vaccine distribution to the public. And it is also the most ambitious timeline for developing, manufacturing, and delivering a vaccine.
Bill Moss is featured.
October 15, 2020
Bloomberg
Vaccine Development Process Can Be Safely Accelerated: Johns Hopkins [Video]
William Moss discusses ways to safely accelerate the coronavirus vaccine development process, challenges in delivering a vaccine to patients, and the differences between antibody treatments and a vaccine.
October 14, 2020
ABCNews.com
Some states raising doubts about federal tests sent to nursing homes, citing shaky reliability
Several states have curtailed using coronavirus testing equipment in nursing homes that was provided by the Trump Administration after concerns were raised about the results, including false positives that risk mistakenly sending vulnerable seniors into special COVID isolation wings that could ultimately expose them to the virus.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
October 12, 2020
NHK World - Japan
Securing Equitable Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines [Video]
Many countries are rushing to secure COVID-19 vaccines for their own population's use, and wealthy nations are funding research to procure massive amounts of doses. Some developing countries are trying to secure vaccines, which may not yet be proven safe, raising concerns that there will be discrepancies in vaccine distribution. Should the most vulnerable people and countries have early access to vaccines?
Bill Moss is featured.
October 12, 2020
NPR
Coronavirus FAQ: What's The Deal With The '15 Minute Rule'?
That "15-minute rule" is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guideline for defining a close contact of an infected person. But experts say the risk of infection is a lot more nuanced than that guidance might imply.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
October 5, 2020
Maryland Public Television
State Circle: October 2, 2020 [Video]
Andy Pekosz is featured at the 1:50 mark.
October 5, 2020
People Magazine
President Donald Trump’s Preexisting Conditions Put Him at Higher Risk of Severe COVID-19
Emily Gurley is quoted.
October 5, 2020
Newsweek
Amy Coney Barrett Had COVID-19 This Summer—What Are Her Reinfection Risks?
Bill Moss is quoted.
October 2, 2020
Brown Daily Herald
COVID-19 blood-based treatment clinical trials come to Rhode Island
Researchers at Rhode Island Hospital and Johns Hopkins University study the efficacy of potential COVID-19 treatment for early stages of illness.
David Sullivan is quoted.
October 2, 2020
CGTN
The Heat: Fears of second wave of Covid-19 [Video]
Coronavirus deaths worldwide are near 1 million, most of them here in the United States: more than 2 hundred thousand lives lost. And the outlook is dire for the country: COVID-19 infections rose in 21 states last week. It could impact schools reopening and the easing of restrictions.
Bill Moss is featured.
October 2, 2020
WIRED
This Congressperson Wants to Rev Up Covid Testing
On Thursday, Mikie Sherrill, a freshman congressperson from New Jersey, plans to introduce the SPEEDY Act, which would tie federal reimbursement to test result speeds.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
October 2, 2020
Bloomberg
Study finds Trump was 'the largest driver of the COVID-19 misinformation' early in pandemic[Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses President Donald Trump testing positive for Covid-19 and the potential issues he faces as part of a high-risk group.
October 1, 2020
NHK
When Could a COVID-19 Vaccine Be Ready? [Video]
As the coronavirus pandemic still sweeps around the world with second waves already erupting in some countries, pharmaceutical companies and research institutes around the world are fast-tracking the development of COVID-19 vaccines. Some scientists say that vaccine trials and approvals take months or even years. However, US President Trump claims one will be available before the presidential election. So, when will we have a safe and effective vaccine?
Bill Moss is featured.
September 28, 2020
KUSI News
Johns Hopkins conducting two COVID-19 clinical trials at UC San Diego [Video]
Two COVID-19 clinical trials are currently being conducted locally at UC San Diego and there is an urgent need to find participants.
David Sullivan is featured.
September 28, 2020
The Hub
For scientists, a 'healthy debate' about convalescent plasma
In 'The Wall Street Journal', Johns Hopkins immunologist Arturo Casadevall explains the different federal responses to the COVID-19 treatment and why it's normal to lack consensus in science
Arturo Casadevall is mentioned.
September 25, 2020
Nature
Convalescent plasma falls flat in first randomized trial
Plasma from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 could benefit sick patients, but definitive evidence for or against convalescent plasma is still lacking.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
September 25, 2020
Bloomberg
Herd Immunity Not a Realistic Answer to Covid-19: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses the varying effects of coronavirus on different patients, studies on mutations in the virus, and what is to be expected of a successful vaccine.
September 24, 2020
UPI
Experts unsure about COVID-19, flu co-infection, but expect U.S. to find out
Becoming ill with both COVID-19 and the seasonal flu is possible, but it's unclear whether one virus makes the other one worse, experts said this week.
Andy Pekosz and Dan Salmon are quoted.
September 24, 2020
WebMD
Report: States Need to Track COVID-19 Data Better
While all 50 states and the District of Columbia have COVID-19 data dashboards, the data reported is inconsistent, incomplete, and inaccessible in most locations, a report from Resolve to Save Lives concludes.
Andy Pekosz and Dan Salmon are quoted
September 24, 2020
Route Fifty
Flu Season Could Further Strain Public Health Systems
The symptoms of the flu and coronavirus are similar and experts warn confusion over the two could overburden Covid-19 testing capacity.
Andy Pekosz and Dan Salmon are quoted.
September 24, 2020
Newsy
Doctors Warn About Challenges Ahead Of A 'Twindemic'
Symptoms for COVID-19 and the flu are almost identical, like body and muscle aches. One major difference, COVID-19 patients often lose smell or taste. The same people are at high risk for both.
Andy Pekosz and Dan Salmon are quoted.
September 24, 2020
Roll Call
Flu could strain health system already burdened by COVID-19
A rough flu season could compound the problems the COVID-19 pandemic has already caused in the United States, and public health experts are warning that a mild flu season in the Southern hemisphere may not mean Americans will experience the same thing.
Andy Pekosz and Dan Salmon are quoted.
September 24, 2020
The Hill
Rising coronavirus cases spark fears of harsh winter
After surpassing another grim milestone — 200,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths — the U.S. is bracing for an increase in lives lost this fall and winter as the pandemic collides with flu season.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
September 24, 2020
Bloomberg
Bloomberg DayBreak [Podcast]
Andy Pekosz discusses the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic as the country surpasses 200,000 deaths.
He is featured at the 15:40 mark.
September 23, 2020
Boston Herald
Flu and coronavirus could make for twin pandemics, burdening testing capacity and hospitals
The impending flu season coupled with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic could make for an even greater public health challenge this winter, burdening testing capacity and hospitals, according to Johns Hopkins experts.
Andy Pekosz and Dan Salmon are quoted.
September 23, 2020
News 12 - Westchester
Same tactics, different threat – Flu season poses new risk amid pandemic [Video]
As the weather gets colder, Americans are facing another viral threat: the flu.Doctors at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health say social distancing and wearing masks will help people avoid the flu, as well as the coronavirus. Andy Pekosz is featured.
September 23, 2020
WBFF
Doctors Stress Importance of Flu Shots, Warn of Possible 'Twindemic' this Fall [Video]
Doctors are worried about a possible 'twindemic' this fall, warning of what could happen when flu season and COVID-19 overlap.
Andy Pekosz and Dan Salmon are featured.
September 23, 2020
WMAR
Doctors worried about fall 'Twindemic' [Video]
Just in time for the start of fall, health officials at Johns Hopkins University are warning the public to be aware of the so-called “twin-demic” of the flu and the coronavirus.
Andy Pekosz and Dan Salmon are featured.
September 23, 2020
WJZ
‘Twin-Demic’ | Health Officials Warn Coronavirus, Flu Season Could Stretch Healthcare System To Limits [Video]
COVID-19 has now killed more than 200,000 people in the US. Johns Hopkins doctors are worried about a double hit with the flu this fall.
Andy Pekosz and Dan Salmon are featured.
September 23, 2020
WTOP
Johns Hopkins health experts emphasize importance of flu shots, warn of flu, coronavirus ‘twin-demic’
Health experts from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore are warning of a flu and coronavirus “twin-demic,” and they are urging people to get their flu shots so as not to overwhelm an already stetched-out health care system. Andy Pekosz and Dan Salmonare quoted.
September 23, 2020
Business Insider
Supply shortages are forcing restrictions on who can get a COVID-19 test, and it's happening at the worst possible time
A shortage of a chemical used to process the COVID-19 test has caused healthcare systems across the US to limit who is able to get a test — right before the start of the flu season — The Wall Street Journal reported.
Andy Pekosz and Amesh Adalja are quoted.
September 23, 2020
The Guardian
Flu vaccine critical to avoid stretching US healthcare amid Covid, scientists warn
A national public health campaign promoting the flu vaccine is urgently needed to avoid stretched healthcare services being overwhelmed this winter as the US faces cold season while still struggling to gain control of the coronavirus pandemic, scientists have warned.
Dan Salmon and Andy Pekosz are quoted.
September 23, 2020
CBSNews.com
When will a coronavirus vaccine really be ready?
As much of America enters its seventh month of quarantine measures, more than 200,000 people have died from the coronavirus, and the mental and financial health of the country is wearing thin. Hopes of returning to normalcy are now pinned on one thing: finding a vaccine.
Bill Moss is quoted.
Septmember 23, 2020
The Wall Street Journal
A Little Debate on Plasma Is Healthy for Science [Opinion]
How can two federal agencies come to different conclusions on a topic of such great importance in the middle of an epidemic? Understanding the dispute requires a little history and also thinking about how experts evaluate evidence.
Arturo Casadevall coauthored the piece
September 21, 2020
Fox19 - Cincinnati
Volunteers needed for COVID-19 plasma trials at UC’s College of Medicine [Video]
A study of two new possible treatments for COVID-19 from Johns Hopkins University and University of Cinncinnati's College of Medicine will use convalescent blood plasma to test its effectiveness as outpatient therapy. The trial will help determine whether antibodies from people who have recovered from COVID-19 can help those who have been recently exposed or have been recently been diagnosed and have symptoms.
David Sullivan is featured.
September 21, 2020
WJAR - Rhode Island
Rhode Island Hospital is part of national trial involving convalescent plasma [Video]
Researchers worked to prevent the progression of COVID-19 early on. Rhode Island Hospital is one of 30 test sites nationally. This research centers around using a century-old technology: convalescent plasma. Right now, it’s being used as a treatment in the hospital setting for some of our sickest COVID-19 patients.
David Sullivan is featured.
September 21, 2020
WCVB5 - Worcester
Worcester researchers part of nationwide COVID-19 plasma study [Video]
A nationwide COVID-19 study that is looking at infection prevention and curative early treatment is now underway, and researchers in Worcester are looking for your help.
David Sullivan is featured.
September 21, 2020
The Baltimore Sun
Johns Hopkins seeks Baltimore-area participants for studies on using coronavirus antibodies to prevent, treat infection
Johns Hopkins University is seeking Baltimore- and Annapolis-area residents who recently have been diagnosed with or exposed to the coronavirus for two clinical trials studying the effectiveness of blood plasma with virus antibodies in preventing and treating infections of COVID-19.
David Sullivan is mentioned.
September 18, 2020
KJZZ
The Coronavirus Vaccine Race — And Its Hidden Hurdles[Radio]
Around the globe, labs and factories are racing to test and produce more than a billion doses of coronavirus vaccine.To shrink a 10-year marathon into a 10-month sprint, they are merging institutional knowledge with novel bioscience methods.
Bill Moss is interviewed.
September 18, 2020
Bloomberg
Avoiding a Large Covid-19 Second Wave Is Possible: Johns Hopkins[Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses the ebb and flow of covid-19 in the United States as the nation nears 200,000 virus deaths and steps to try to avoid a second wave of infections.
September 17, 2020
Sharecare
Can You Get COVID-19 More Than Once?
Are COVID-19 survivors really at risk of getting it again? The answer to that question isn’t clear—at least not yet. There is no definitive proof that recovering from COVID-19 and producing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 means people won’t get the disease a second time. David Sullivan is quoted.
September 17, 2020
WMAR
COVID-19 antibody treatment trial looking for volunteers [Video]
With the uncertainty of what fall will bring, researchers are working hard to find a solution for COVID-19.
David Sullivan is featured.
September 16, 2020
The Scientist
Indian Study Shows No Survival Benefit of Plasma in COVID-19
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for its use, although the absence of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has led to skepticism about its effectiveness among experts.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
September 15, 2020
NPR
General Public Won't Receive COVID-19 Vaccine Until Mid To Late 2021, Doctor Predicts [Radio]
When a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, it's a complex process to distribute it and make it accessible to everyone who needs it.
William Moss is interviewed.
September 14, 2020
Bloomberg
Covid-19 Is Not a Benign Disease in Children: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses the pause of AstraZeneca’s phase three vaccine trial, new information on children and Covid-19, and how colleges and universities are handling coronavirus outbreaks.
September 10, 2020
C-SPAN
Dr. William Moss on COVID-19 Vaccine Development [Video]
William Moss, executive director of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health International Vaccines Center, talks about the national and international effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.
September 9, 2020
Forbes
8 High Achievers Share How They Are Managing Pandemic Related Challenges
For high achievers, it’s not a question of if they will get through the latest hiccup, as they have confidence that they will. The question for them is how and when.
Peter Agre is quoted.
September 8, 2020
The Washington Post
A common North American mouse can catch and spread the coronavirus in labs, studies show
Deer mice, the most abundant mammal native to North America, can catch the coronavirus and pass it to other mice in laboratory settings, raising a remote possibility that they could become a reservoir for the pathogen in nature and transmit it to humans.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
September 8, 2020
The Baltimore Sun
Maryland will allow Big Tech to track if someone with the coronavirus comes near you. Should you let them?
Gov. Larry Hogan announced this week that the state would adopt the tech giants’ jointly developed software, Exposure Notification Express, or ENX, which uses smartphones to alert users if they have had contact over the past 14 days with someone who has tested positive for the virus.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
September 8, 2020
Radiolab
Fungus Amungus [Radio]
Six years ago, a new infection began popping up in four different hospitals on three different continents, all around the same time. It wasn’t a bacteria, or a virus. It was ... a killer fungus. No one knew where it came from, or why. Arturo Casadevall is featured.
August 28, 2020
The Washington Post
Controversial change in guidelines about coronavirus testing directed by the White House coronavirus task force
A shift this week in government testing guidelines for Americans exposed to the novel coronavirus was directed by the White House’s coronavirus task force, alarming outside public health experts who warn the change could hasten the disease’s spread.
David Sullivan and Jennifer Nuzzo are quoted.
August 27, 2020
The New York Times
Why Does the Coronavirus Hit Men Harder? A New Clue
The coronavirus may infect anyone, young or old, but older men are up to twice as likely to become severely sick and to die as women of the same age. Why? The first study to look at immune response by sex has turned up a clue:
Sabra Klein is quoted
August 26, 2020
USA Today
COVID-19 tracking apps, supported by Apple and Google, begin showing up in app stores
Four months after Apple and Google announced an unusual collaboration to help public-health authorities track the novel coronavirus, apps built on their privacy-optimized Exposure Notification framework have begun arriving in the U.S.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
August 26, 2020
The Huffington Post
Why Trump’s Desperate Bid For A Win On COVID-19 Puts Lives At Risk
For the last few weeks, the FDA has been wrestling with whether to authorize plasma therapy on a nonexperimental basis, which would mean doctors could prescribe it on the spot.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
August 25, 2020
Healio
FDA OKs convalescent plasma for COVID-19 amid questions about its usefulness
The FDA authorized the emergency use of convalescent plasma as a therapy for patients hospitalized with COVID-19, saying the “known and potential benefits” of the technique outweigh any risks. However, others questioned the timing of the emergency use authorization (EUA) while trials assessing convalescent plasma for COVID-19 therapy are ongoing.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
August 25, 2020
Science Magazine
In FDA’s green light for treating COVID-19 with plasma, critics see thin evidence—and politics
The authorization for convalescent plasma could allow more hospitalized patients to receive the antibody-rich plasma, which is donated by people who have recovered from the disease. But in the wake of Trump’s announcement, which came a day before the start of the Republican National Convention, researchers struggled to sort the politics from the medical and scientific import of the EUA.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
August 25, 2020
The New York Times
F.D.A. ‘Grossly Misrepresented’ Blood Plasma Data, Scientists Say
Experts discuss a statistic used by administration officials when announcing the FDA's emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma treatment. The number has no clear origin.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
August 25, 2020
ABCNews.com
Emergency plasma authorization sparks concern for those leading charge on treatment
In the high-pressure push to combat COVID-19, two things have become abundantly clear: we need effective treatment and we need further data to inform our findings.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
August 25, 2020
Bloomberg
FDA Head Walks Back Claim of Dramatic Benefit From Covid Therapy
The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reversed the claim that an experimental therapy had provided a dramatic benefit to Covid-19 patients. “What I should have said better is that the data show a relative risk reduction not an absolute risk reduction,” said Stephen Hahn.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
August 24, 2020
The Washington Post
Trump touts FDA’s emergency authorization of convalescent plasma as historic breakthrough, but scientists are doubtful
Arturo Casadevall discusses the importance of the FDA support for emergency authorization use of convalescent plasma as a treatment against the coronavirus.
August 24, 2020
NPR
NIH Warns Data On Effectiveness Of Convalescent Plasma In Treating COVID-19 Is Weak [Radio]
Arturo Casadevall discusses the importance of convalescent plasma treatment and early promising results in advance of clinical trials.
August 20, 2020
WBAL
Test allows swabbing for coronavirus on surfaces, designed to help determine risks [Video]
A new test is now available that allows people to swab for the coronavirus on surfaces in public places. This technology could help determine whether schools and businesses are doing a good job of disinfecting.
Andy Pekosz is featured.
August 20, 2020
Scientific American
Why Some People Get Terribly Sick from COVID-19
What determines if someone gets desperately ill from the disease that is ripping its way across the planet? You are likely familiar with the broad categories of people who face greater risk: older individuals, men, those who have certain chronic conditions, and in some countries people of color. Researchers are looking deeper into these groups to determine the underlying roots, both biological and social, for their vulnerability.
Sabra Klein, Sherita Golden and Erin Michos are quoted.
August 18, 2020
CNN.com
Researchers hope this old-fashioned treatment will work for coronavirus
President Donald Trump and US health leaders have done a full court press to encourage people who survived Covid-19 to donate plasma to help those who are sick.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
August 17, 2020
The Associated Press
‘Are you doing OK?’: On the ground with NYC contact tracers
Comparing U.S. state and city contact tracing programs is difficult because they vary widely in what they release, but some public health scholars say the numbers that New York reports are promising.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
August 17, 2020
Gizmodo
The Biggest Unanswered Questions About a Covid-19 Vaccine
A vaccine for the coronavirus that causes covid-19 appears to be our best strategy to ending the current pandemic. Unfortunately, the fastest time frame in which scientists have managed to create any vaccine in history was four years, and there’s already plenty of skepticism surrounding the safety, availability, and effectiveness of any future covid-19 inoculation.
William Moss is quoted.
August 14, 2020
Bloomerg
Covid-19 Transmission Not Strong on Surfaces: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses the possibility of Covid-19 reinfection, coronavirus transmission, and concerns about valve masks.
August 11, 2020
The Scientist
Noel Rose, Who Demonstrated Autoimmunity Exists, Dies at 92 The Johns Hopkins University researcher bucked the prevailing idea that the body would not launch an immune response against its own tissues, and in doing so established an entirely new scientific discipline.
August 10, 2020
Bloomberg
Difficult to Justify Full Return to School: Johns Hopkins’ Pekosz [Video]
Andrew Pekosz discusses questions surrounding the return of children to school and looks at phase three vaccine trials.
August 10, 2020
Wired
The US Is Disastrously Behind in Covid-19 Testing. Again
With infections rampant in parts of the nation, backlogs are preventing people from getting timely test results, hampering efforts to contain the virus.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
August 10, 2020
Buzzfeed News
Convalescent Plasma Is Looking Like A Coronavirus Success Story
As we await a coronavirus vaccine, the spotlight in COVID-19 treatments is returning to antibodies, the body’s natural defenses against viruses. While almost no US hospitals were using convalescent plasma treatment before April, it is now administered to an estimated 1,500 patients a day in around 2,000 hospitals nationwide.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
August 5, 2020
The New York Times
As Trump Praises Plasma, Researchers Struggle to Finish Critical Studies
American scientists are hoping Covid-19 patients in Brazil will help them answer a century-old question: Can this golden serum, loaded with antibodies against a pathogen, actually heal the sick?
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
August 4, 2020
Associated Press
Baseball teams try to adapt, find safe options on road trips
Gone for now are the days of baseball players, often dirt-stained and still in uniform, gathering in the clubhouse to scarf down a late night meal before heading their separate ways until doing it all again some 24 hours later. Emily Gurley is quoted.
August 4, 2020
CNN.com
Do some people have protection against the coronavirus?
A recently published summary article in the journal Nature Reviews Immunology put forth a tantalizing possibility: A large percentage of the population appears to have immune cells that are able to recognize parts of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and that may possibly be giving them a head start in fighting off an infection. In other words, some people may have some unknown degree of protection.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
August 3, 2020
The Los Angeles Times
Amid a pandemic response that promises marvels of genetic engineering, vaccines developed at “warp speed” and artificial intelligence at the bedside, it takes courage for a scientist to dust off a remedy from the history books and propose it as modern medicine.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
August 3, 2020
Voice of America
Researchers are testing a fungus known to grow in high radiation environments to see if it could possibly protect humans traveling in space. One fungus being studied survived – even thrived – in areas around the former Chernobyl nuclear power center in Ukraine.
Radamés J.B. Cordero is quoted.
August 3, 2020
Associated Press
Cardinals contact tracer finds ‘tricky balance’ in new role
After 20 years in baseball ranging from media relations to international scouting, Moisés Rodríguez is in a role he never imagined — contact tracer during a coronavirus pandemic.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
July 31, 2020
NBC News
As California coronavirus cases spike, contact tracing stalled by fear and embarrassment
Factors such as testing delays, distrust and embarrassment are combining to make efforts to contain COVID-19 more difficult in the state that now has the highest number of cases in the nation.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
July 30,2020
Healthline
3 More COVID-19 Vaccines Move Toward Final Stage of Testing
Three more COVID-19 investigational vaccines have been shown in early clinical trials to be generally safe and to induce an immune response in healthy volunteers.The results of two of these studies were published online yesterday in The Lancet. One is a phase 1 and 2 trial by researchers at Oxford UniversityTrusted Source with support from AstraZeneca. The other is a phase 2 trial by Chinese researchers supported by CanSino BiologicsTrusted Source.
Naor Bar-Zeev and William Moss, who coauthored an editorial cited in the article, are quoted.
July 27, 2020
Bloomberg
Bloomberg Surveillance [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses the severity of Covid-19 infections and how they appear to be less severe in individuals under the age of ten.
He is featured around the 1:57:40 mark
July 24, 2020
Fox 8
Antibodies disappear quickly in some people who had COVID-19 says study; Tulane & Johns Hopkins experts react [Video]
With no COVID-19 vaccine approved yet, there is a lot of focus on antibodies, proteins that develop after someone has been infected with the virus. Antibodies are supposed to help fight off infection and provide protection against re-infection. But UCLA research published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine found that in some people the antibodies disappeared or decayed quickly. Arturo Casadevall is featured.
July 22, 2020
Physician's Weekly
Covid-19: Early, Promising Results for Three Vaccines
As the Covid-19 pandemic rages on, the race for a vaccine is heating up. On Monday, July 20, promising early results of three vaccine trials were announced, two published in The Lancet — one from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, and the other from CanSino Biologics — and the third, from Pfizer and BioNTech, published by medRxiv, the results of which have not yet been peer reviewed. William Moss and Naor Bar-Zeev, who coauthored an editorial cited in the article, are quoted.
July 22, 2020
The Hill
How excited should we be about coronavirus vaccine progress and what is dual immune action?
On Monday, the medical journal The Lancet published two studies about two promising vaccine candidates. The Oxford University group based at Jenner Institute tested their vaccine on more than 1,000 people. A biotech group in China called CanSino tested their vaccine on about 500 participants.
William Moss and Naor Bar-Zeev, who coauthored an editorial cited in the article, are quoted.
July 22, 2020
Scientific American
Contact Tracing, a Key Way to Slow COVID-19, Is Badly Underused by the U.S.
Across the U.S., states that once acted as if the pandemic was going away are setting new daily records for infections, hospitalizations and deaths. There is one proved tool that has helped other countries stem the pandemic -- contact tracing. But in the U.S. it is severely underused.
Emily Gurley is quoted.
July 22, 2020
CNN
Oxford's Covid-19 vaccine appears safe and induces immune response, early results suggest, but more research is needed
Results from trials involving three different coronavirus vaccines released Monday, all showing positive results, with evidence the vaccines can produce immune responses that would be expected to protect people against infection.
William Moss and Naor Bar-Zeev, who coauthored an editorial cited in the article, are quoted.
07/20/20
Bloomberg [Video]
Virus Case Level Is ‘Disconcerting’: Johns Hopkins’ Pekosz
Andrew Pekosz discusses the surge in U.S. coronavirus cases, and how the virus is impacting younger individuals.
July 17, 2020
Bloomberg [Video]
Covid-19, Influenza Mix ‘Inevitable’ in Fall: Johns Hopkins’ Adalja
Andrew Pekosz discusses the surge in U.S. coronavirus cases, and how the virus is impacting younger individuals.
July 14, 2020
Bloomberg [Video]
Plasma Treatment Results Encouraging: Johns Hopkins' Casadevall
Arturo Casadevall discusses his latest work and the impact of convalescent plasma in the fight against Covid-19.
July 13, 2020
Boston Globe [Paywall]
While the European Union recovers, the United States splinters
Three months after the death tolls reached their devastating peaks, the two unions are charting increasingly divergent paths. Europe is recovering, swiftly and definitively, while the United States stalls and splinters.
Bill Moss is quoted.
July 10, 2020
CBS This Morning
Coronavirus gender gap: Scientists try to explain why men are much more likely to die of COVID-19
Researchers have been studying the effects of the coronavirus on both men and women, and they've found that men are more likely to suffer worse outcomes from the disease, and are as much as 2.4 times more likely to die. Sabra Klein is featured.
July 8, 2020
USA TODAY
Coronavirus is revolutionizing scientific practices and communication. Here's how
Just as everyday life has been affected by COVID-19, science itself has changed. Scientists have had to learn how to produce meaningful information for a world clamoring for speedy results.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
July 1, 2020
Bloomberg
Coronavirus Cases Top 48,000, Virus Keeps Spreading in South [Video]
Andrew Pekosz discusses the surge in U.S. coronavirus cases, and what is being learned about how the virus works within the human body.
June 22, 2020
BBC
Are more women dying of Covid-19 in India?
New research by a group of scientists in India and US shows that although men make up the majority of infections, women face a higher risk of dying from the coronavirus than men.
Sabra Klein and Kunihiro Matsushita are quoted.
June 15, 2020
The Hill
Trust but verify: The US government needs to validate antibody tests
If serology test results are to be used in public health decision making—such as reporting the true prevalence of a disease or changing reported case fatality rates — the tests used must be as dependable as possible.
Gigi Gronvall and Rachel West wrote the article
June 15, 2020
Bloomberg
[VIDEO] Global Coronavirus Cases Top 7.5 Million; 420,000 Deaths Recorded
Reopening economies too early risks a fast rebound of infections
Andrew Pekosz is interviewed.
June 15, 2020
National Geographic
How long does the coronavirus last inside the body?
Researchers are narrowing down how long the virus persists inside the body and whether people can be quickly re-infected.
Diane Griffin is quoted.
June 11, 2020
Bloomberg
Bloomberg Daybreak: June 10, 2020 – Hour 2 [Audio]
Protests over the past week have raised concerns over the possibility of a spike in coronavirus cases, and mixed messaging on how COVID-19 spreads has created nationwide confusion.
Andy Pekosz is introduced at the 14:30 mark
June 11, 2020
NPR – Goats and Soda
Why Forecasters Can’t Make Up Their Mind About Africa And The Coronavirus
When the new coronavirus started spreading around the world, there were dire warnings about what would happen when it hit African countries. Now, there are a range of predictions – from pessimistic to guardedly optimistic.
Shaun Truelove and William Moss are quoted.
June 8, 2020
Bloomberg
Loosening Covid-29 Restrictions Shows Mixed Results [Video]
Andrew Pekosz updates work on vaccines and antibody treatments for Covid-19 and examines the spread of the virus as public restrictions are loosened in the United States.
June 5, 2020
WebMD
Plasma Therapy Helps Critically Ill COVID Patients
The blood plasma of people who have recovered from the new coronavirus infection may help critically ill COVID-19 patients recover, a new study finds.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
June 4, 2020
U.S. News & World Report
Plasma Therapy Aids Recovery in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients
The blood plasma of people who have recovered from the new coronavirus infection may help critically ill COVID-19 patients recover, a new study finds.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
June 2, 2020
Los Angeles Times
Engineer? Cancer expert? Physicist? They’re coronavirus researchers now
David Sullivan usually studies malaria in remote regions of Bangladesh and Africa. That work has made him an expert on the drug chloroquine, which showed apparent promise as a COVID-19 treatment in the outbreak’s earlier days. But after his colleagues at Johns Hopkins University pulled him into COVID-19 discussions, he noticed a research gap in a very different part of the pandemic fight: convalescent plasma.
June 2, 2020
Consumer Reports
What Socializing, Going to Work and School Might Look Like as States Reopen Amid the Pandemic
What was long thought of as “normal” is not coming back anytime soon. But after the current phase of lockdown ends, there will be a new normal—less restrictive than simple stay-home orders, but far different from what we knew before.
William Moss and Crystal Watson are quoted.
May 29, 2020
Bloomberg
Antibody Tests Don’t Tell If Protected From Reinfection: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andrew Pekosz discusses antibody testing and wearing masks as part one of protection against Covid-19.
May 28,2020
USA TODAY
Use of survivor plasma is considered safe, but two new tests will see if it combats COVID-19
Two new clinical trials will begin this week testing plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 on people who have been exposed to the virus, or are in the early stages of the disease.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
May 26, 2020
Bloomberg
Latin America, Africa Are Fast Becoming the New Virus Front Lines [Video]
Andrew Pekosz discusses the rising concern over the spread of the coronavirus in Latin America and Africa
May 15, 2020
Bloomberg
Reopening Needs a Different Kind of Covid-19 Monitoring: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andrew Pekosz discusses taking a different approach to Covid-19 testing and monitoring as economies begin to reopen.
May 13, 2020
U.S. News & World Report
Could Survivors’ Blood Help Patients Battling COVID-19? Trials May Tell
Could blood plasma drawn from people who've recovered from COVID-19 help prevent new coronavirus infections or ease symptoms in those already infected?
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
May 12, 2020
VOA
US College Student Who Overcame COVID-19 Donates Plasma to Research
Twenty-year-old Leo Canty says he was worried less about himself and more about the people around him when he tested positive for COVID-19. The college student was determined to donate his plasma for potential therapy for both prevention and treatment in the fight against the coronavirus.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
May 11, 2020
The Wall Street Journal
Covid-19 Raises Questions About the Value of Personalized Medicine [Paywall]
A group of medical dissenters argues that tailoring treatment to the genetic profiles of individuals, a longstanding goal for researchers, is less important than the old-fashioned public health measures being used against the pandemic.
Arturo Casadevall is featured.
May 11, 2020
Bloomberg
Johns Hopkins Envisions ‘Massive Vaccination Program’ for Covid-19 [Video]
Relentless work is being done on finding a coronavirus vaccine, and now mobile apps will be used to conduct contact tracing.
Andrew Pekosz is interviewed.
May 11, 2020
The Baltimore Sun
Blood of those recovered from COVID-19 could ‘head the disease off at the pass,’ health experts say
A donation program, part of an initiative at LifeBridge Health, is joining numerous hospitals and universities around the country in exploring the use of convalescent blood plasma as a therapy for people suffering from COVID-19.
Arturo Casadevall and David Sullivan are quoted.
May 11, 2020
CBS News
Using plasma transfusions to treat COVID-19
Convalescent plasma may just be a stop-gap measure against COVID-19 until more treatments and a vaccine come along. But doctors have already used donated plasma on thousands of patients, and are finding some success with a procedure that dates back more than 120 years.
Arturo Casadevall is featured.
May 11, 2020
Healio
Johns Hopkins begins trials of blood plasma for COVID-19 treatment, prophylaxis
Two randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials at Johns Hopkins Medicine aim to determine whether blood plasma will be effective as prophylaxis against COVID-19, a strategy that would be “enormously valuable” and has been efficacious against other viral diseases.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
May 7, 2020
WBAL TV 11 - NBC
Maryland pediatricians worry as parents cancel child checkups, vaccinations
Pediatricians around Maryland are growing more and more concerned as more parents are canceling well-child checkups and vaccinations out of fear of becoming infected with coronavirus.
William Moss is quoted.
May 5, 2020
Business Insider
How climate change could make infectious diseases even more difficult to combat in the future
Researchers fear the current pandemic could only be the beginning of a new battle against infectious disease outbreaks—the World Health Organization warns that climate change could make the spread of disease even worse in the coming decades.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
May 5, 2020
Bloomberg
Covid-19: Johns Hopkins Sees ‘Great Hope’ in Antibodies Research [Video]
Andy Pekosz discusses testing of existing medicines as coronavirus treatments, and the importance of antibody research and testing.
May 5, 2020
Bloomberg
Hope for Antibody Testing [Podcast]
Andy Pekosz joins the show at the 27:55 mark.
April 30, 2020
Inverse
Why is COVID-19 Killing More Men Than Women? Scientists Have 4 Theories
"Being male is a risk factor for death from Covid-19."
Sabra Klein is quoted.
April 30, 2020
FiveThirtyEight
Why Are More Men Than Women Dying of COVID-19?
While men account for the majority of COVID-19 cases in some countries but a minority of cases in others, they consistently make up the majority of deaths.
Sabra Klein is featured.
April 28, 2020
WebMD
COVID-19 Antibody Testing Brings Cautious Hope
Antibody testing has the potential to help determine when Americans can return to work and resume normal activities, as well as who can donate blood that can be used to make convalescent plasma to help those who are gravely ill.
Diane Griffin is quoted.
April 28, 2020
National Geographic
What you should know about experimental therapies for coronavirus [Paywall]
Here are some of the coronavirus therapies currently being tested, with estimates of how soon they might be widely available for the general public.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
April 28, 2020
Maryland Public TV – Direct Connection
COVID-19 Crisis [Video]
When host Jeff Salkin talked to the show’s first coronavirus expert, from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Maryland had 0 reported cases. 8 weeks later, over 800 people have lost their lives statewide, and over 1,500 are currently hospitalized.
Andy Pekosz rejoins the show.
April 27, 2020
The New York Times
Can Estrogen and Other Sex Hormones Help Men Survive Covid-19? [Paywall]
Men are more likely than women to die of the coronavirus, so scientists are treating them with something women have more of: female sex hormones.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
April 27, 2020
CBS News
State Department says coronavirus samples from China "critical" for developing vaccine; Experts say that's not the case
Some medical experts interviewed by CBS News question some of the administration's claims about whether China's lack of transparency is actually blocking the world from developing a vaccine.
Andrew Pekosz is quoted.
April 24, 2020
NPR
Researchers Look To Behavior To Explore Why The Coronavirus May Hit Men Harder
Researchers suspect that the coronavirus is hitting men and women differently. Worldwide, men appear more likely to suffer more severely or die from COVID-19 than women.
Research led by Sabra Klein is mentioned.
April 24, 2020
Bloomberg
[Video] Coronavirus Treatment: Topical vs. Internal Remedies
Explaining distinctions between topical and internal virus treatments, and the timeline for vaccine testing.
Andrew Pekosz is featured.
April 22, 2020
FOX 17 – Nashville
A potential COVID-19 vaccine without a shot? One research team is working on a patch
What if you could one day get coronavirus protection without a shot? One research team in Pittsburgh is working on a small skin patch it says has the potential to stick it to the coronavirus in an innovative way.
William Moss is featured.
April 21, 2020
GQ
Why Does Coronavirus Disproportionately Kill Men?
While many mysteries remain, one attribute of the virus that has become clear is that more men than women are dying of Covid-19, the infectious disease that coronavirus can cause in humans.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
April 20, 2020
TIME
California Doctor Selling False ‘Miracle Cure’ for COVID-19 Charged With Mail Fraud
A California doctor accused of hawking a supposed “miracle cure” for COVID-19 is facing up to 20 years in prison for fraud.
David Sullivan is quoted.
April 17,2020
Bloomberg
Covid-19 Causes Broad Spectrum of Diseases: Johns Hopkins’ Pekosz [Video]
Andy Pekosz explains what is being learned about patterns of coronavirus infections, the uncertainties of testing, and questions about immunity and reinfection.
April 17,2020
WBAL TV 11
Medical experts share when things could return to normal for Maryland
It's been more than a month since the coronavirus pandemic hit Maryland, but medical experts don't expect a peak to hit until sometime next in May.
William Moss is quoted.
April 17,2020
Newsweek
To Treat Coronavirus, An Old Therapy Is Offering New Hope [Opinion]
In the current COVID-19 pandemic, both China and Italy have used convalescent plasma as a treatment, and the emerging data is encouraging.
Arturo Casadevall is mentioned.
April 16,2020
Mother Jones
Inside One Family’s Desperate, Hopeful, Facebook-Fueled Search for Plasma
Kellie Burns, a former health care consultant who’d been tuning into New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s daily coronavirus briefings, had determined that an experimental transfusion of convalescent plasma was the least risky, most feasible option to give her father a fighting chance in his battle with the coronavirus.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
April 14, 2020
Bloomberg
Tracking the Path of the Coronavirus Outbreak [Audio]
Andy Pekosz discusses tracking the path at the coronavirus outbreak.
He is introduced to the podcast at the 1:50 mark
April 13, 2020
Politico
How to manage your coronavirus stress
Most of us have made huge changes in our lives over the past month and are facing an uncertain future, all while trying to wrap our heads around a global health and economic mess.
Sabra Klein is featured.
April 13, 2020
Yahoo! News
COVID-19: Young Boys At Higher Risk Of Infection and Severe Illness From Coronavirus, Says Study
In a study of over 2,500 children—aged 0 to 18—with COVID-19, some 57 percent were male, suggesting that “biological factors” could make men more susceptible to the virus.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
April 8, 2020
International Business Times
Coronavirus Update: NY COVID-19 Patients Are Being Treated With Anti-Malarial Drug
There is little scientific evidence on the efficacy of an anti-malarial drug combination to fight COVID-19. State officials, however, are banking their hopes on a small study showing that the drug may have helped a small group of patients who were mildly ill from COVID-19 to recover.
David Sullivan is quoted.
April 7, 2020
Bloomberg
It’s Still Hard to Predict Who Will Die From Covid-19 [Opinion]
Although the initial epidemiological data show that Covid-19 is more severe in older people, men and those with pre-existing conditions, not everyone with severe disease has these risk factors. And not everyone at risk has the same symptoms, prognosis or outcome.
Arturo Casadevall co-wrote the piece.
April 6,2020
The Washington Post
All across the United States, the coronavirus is killing more men than women, data show [Paywall]
An emerging body of research has revealed that women’s bodies are better at fighting off infection, thanks to the hormones in their systems and the genes on their two X chromosomes.
Sabra Klein is quoted
April 6, 2020
New York Post
Researchers able to test if blood plasma of coronavirus survivors can protect health care workers
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University now have federal approval to test if blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients can help protect the heroes on the front line of the battle against coronavirus.
Arturo Casadevall has amassed a team of physicians and scientists from around the country who are now establishing a network of hospitals and blood banks that can collect, isolate and process blood plasma from COVID-19 survivors.
April 6, 2020
The New York Times
Does Covid-19 Hit Women and Men Differently? U.S. Isn’t Keeping Track [Paywall]
Data from other countries shows that more men are dying from the virus than women — a discrepancy that should inform the response and vaccine research in the U.S. But it isn’t.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
April 6, 2020
The New York Times
C.D.C Recommends Wearing Masks in Public; Trump Says, ‘I’m Choosing Not to Do It’ [Paywall]
President Trump said on Friday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was urging all Americans to wear a mask when they leave their homes, but he immediately undercut the message by repeatedly calling the recommendation voluntary and saying that he would not wear one himself.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
April 3, 2020
The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus Survivors Keep Up the Fight, Donate Blood Plasma to Others [Paywall]
A national Covid-19 project seeks volunteers to aid the seriously ill.
Arturo Casadevall is featured.
April 2, 2020
USA Today
The first coronavirus patients are being treated with convalescent plasma therapy. Will it work? Not even the doctors know.
Whether the plasma, derived from the blood of people who have recovered from COVID-19, will help them fight off the devastating disease is still unknown. But in less than 3 weeks, the effort to find out has gone from an idea to a worldwide program entirely self-organized by medical researchers.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted
April 1, 2020
France24
Coronavirus: Why do more men die of Covid-19 than women?
As the world faces the most serious public health crisis in a century, scientists and professionals are scrambling to understand who is most vulnerable to Covid-19 and why.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
March 30, 2020
Buzzfeed
Survivors Of COVID-19 May Hold The Key For Everyone Else — In Their Blood
This week, researchers in New York City started collecting blood from COVID-19 survivors. The hope is that their immunity can be shared with others.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
.March 30 2020
The Washington Post
Blood from people who recover from coronavirus could provide a treatment
Plasma is being studied as a way to fight off the virus
Arturo Casadevall and Evan Bloch are quoted
March 27, 2020
The Washington Post
Men are getting sicker, dying more often of covid-19, Spain data shows [Paywall]
Pneumonia cases, hospitalizations, ICU visits, death and even basic symptoms were more frequent in males.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
March 26, 2020
NPR
FDA Expedites Treatment Of Seriously Ill COVID-19 Patients With Experimental Plasma
The FDA is facilitating access to COVID-19 convalescent plasma for use in patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections.
Arturo Casadevall, who co-championed the idea, is featured.
March 26, 2020
Nature
How blood from coronavirus survivors might save lives
Hospitals in New York City are gearing up to use the blood of people who have recovered from COVID-19 as a possible antidote for the disease.
Arturo Casadevall who has been fighting to use blood as a COVID-19 treatment since late January, is featured.
March 26, 2020
The Guardian
Men are much more likely to die from coronavirus—but why?
Behavioural factors that differ across genders may have a role in fatality rates of the coronavirus. However, there is a growing belief among experts that more fundamental biological factors are at play.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
March 24, 2020
NBC News
New York will be first state to test treatment of coronavirus with blood from recovered patients
Hoping to stem the toll of the state’s surging coronavirus outbreak, New York health officials plan to begin collecting plasma from people who have recovered and injecting the antibody-rich fluid into patients still fighting the virus.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted
March 23, 2020
The Washington Post
Major universities suspend most lab research—but not into coronavirus [Paywall]
A growing number of universities are suspending nonessential research, another sign of the vast disruption the pandemic is wreaking, with faculty members and graduate students racing to close labs.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
March 23, 2020
Forbes
This Coronavirus Patient Dodged A Bullet With Hydroxychloroquine. Is She A Harbinger or Outlier?
Given the life and death situation of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and the possibility that hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin may be helpful, it is valuable and ethical for authors of drug-testing studies to report results.
Ying Zhang is quoted
March 20, 2020
The Washington Post
The coronavirus is killing far more men than women
Upwards of 70 percent of deaths in Italy have been men. The question is: Why?
Sabra Klein is quoted.
March 20, 2020
Fox News
More men dying from coronavirus than women, data suggests
More than 10,000 people have died from the novel coronavirus, with men seemingly hit harder by the virus than women, according to early data.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
March 19, 2020
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (USA Today Network)
Possible coronavirus treatment could be in clinical trials within weeks, using plasma from recovered patients, if doctors get FDA approval
The Johns Hopkins University doctor coordinating a nationwide effort to launch emergency clinical trials of plasma from patients who've recovered from coronavirus said he expects to forward a plan to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration Wednesday and to start treating the first patients in about four weeks.
Arturo Casadevall, who has been organizing the convalescent sera efforts nationwide, is quoted.
March 18, 2020
The Baltimore Sun
Johns Hopkins experts are learning more about the coronavirus. Here’s what they want you to know.
As much of Maryland and the United States hunker down at home to help stop spread of the coronavirus, scientists are making progress in understanding how the virus is transmitted, how it affects humans and, most importantly, how it can be stopped.
Experts at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health offered some updates and things people can do now. This Q&A is adapted from a webcast moderated by Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, and includes Andy Pekosz and Caitlin Rivers.
.March 17, 2020
The New York Times
How Long Will the Coronavirus Outbreak and Shutdown Last? [Paywall]
Public health officials say a coronavirus vaccine won’t be ready for widespread public use for at least a year to 18 months, taking us well into 2021.
Andrew Pekosz is mentioned.
March 16, 2020
Forbes
How Bad Will the COVID-19 Coronavirus Epidemic Get In the U.S.? Health Experts Weigh In
How bad might the COVID-19 outbreak get in the United States, and what measures are needed to contain it? We reviewed statements from government health officials and surveyed infectious disease experts to forecast the coming weeks.
Andrew Pekosz is quoted.
March 16, 2020
The Baltimore Sun
Johns Hopkins researcher wants to fight coronavirus with a serum made from the blood of recovered patients
In an article published Friday in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researcher Arturo Casadevall argues that blood injections from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 might help protect at-risk people — including health care workers and family members caring for sick relatives — from falling prey to the disease
March 5, 2020
Allure
The Difference Between a Surgical Mask and a Respirator Mask
There are two types of masks used in preventing infections: surgical masks and respirator masks. It’s important to know the difference, and which situations they’re useful in.
Andrew Stanley Pekosz is quoted.
March 3, 2020
The Philadelphia Inquirer
How a Pennsylvania doctor stopped a virus outbreak in 1934—with blood
J Roswell Gallagher took a decisive step in 1934 to tackle a measles outbreak that has relevance for how the world responds to the new coronavirus.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
March 3, 2020
Maryland Public Television
Direct Connection
Andrew Pekosz is featured for the full show, hosted by Jeff Salkin, discussing the latest coronavirus/COVID-19 news.
March 3, 2020
CBS News
The passengers in his cab were coughing but wearing but wearing face masks. He still caught the coronavirus
A taxi driver in Thailand likely caught the coronavirus from Chinese tourists who were passengers in his cab. The tourists were coughing but wearing face masks, the driver said. He still caught the virus, despite the masks.
Andrew Pekosz is featured.
March 2, 2020
NPR
How A Coronavirus Blood Test Could Solve Some Medical Mysteries
As the coronavirus spreads more widely around the globe, scientists are starting to use a powerful new tool: a blood test that identifies people who have previously been exposed to the virus. This kind of test is still under development in the United States, but it has been rolled out for use in Singapore and China.
Andrew Pekosz is quoted.
February 28, 2020
The Wall Street Journal
[Opinion] How a Boy’s Blood Stopped an Outbreak
A school physician’s approach to measles in 1934 has lessons for the coronavirus.
Arturo Casadevall wrote the article.
February 28, 2020
CBS News
The No. 1 way to prevent coronavirus isn’t wearing a face mask
As fears over the coronavirus spread, thousands of Americans are clamoring to buy face masks in an effort to protect themselves, sending prices soaring and leading manufacturers like 3M to ramp up production. However, experts say stocking up on face masks is actually misguided — and there's a much simpler thing you could be doing right now to protect yourself.
Andrew Stanley Pekosz is quoted.
February 28, 2020
NPR
How A Coronavirus Blood Test Could Solve Some Medical Mysteries
As the coronavirus spreads more widely around the globe, scientists are starting to use a powerful new tool: a blood test that identifies people who have previously been exposed to the virus.
Andrew Stanley Pekosz is quoted.
February 21, 2020
The New York Times
Why the Coronavirus Seems to Hit Men Harder Than Women [Paywall]
The coronavirus that originated in China has spread fear and anxiety around the world. But while the novel virus has largely spared one vulnerable group—children—it appears to pose a particular threat to middle-aged and older adults, particularly men.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
February 10, 2020
FOX News
Chernobyl shocker as fungi that eats radiation found inside nuclear reactor
A type of black fungus that eats radiation was discovered inside the Chernobyl nuclear reactor.
A paper co-authored by Arturo Casadevall is cited.
February 5, 2020
Axios
Coronavirus vaccines in development aren't a short-term cure
There are a dozen research projects underway to try to come up with a vaccine for the Chinese coronavirus
Andrew Pekosz is quoted.
February 3, 2020
VOA News
New Tech Could Make Coronavirus Vaccine in Record Time
According to recent reports, a vaccine against the new Wuhan coronavirus may start testing in as little as three months.
Andrew Pekosz is quoted.
January 31, 2020
CGTN
Andrew Pekosz explains the current state of the coronavirus
Professor Andrew Pekosz highlights the importance of tracking possible mutations by having virus data available earlier and warns of the dangers in mild infectious cases.
January 29, 2020
WBAL TV
Medical researcher calls strain of coronavirus ‘serious threat’
This strain of coronavirus is new, unknown, and appears to be very efficient in its movement. The changing virus needs to be closely monitored in case it becomes even better at infecting humans.
Andrew Pekosz is quoted.
1/17/20
Bloomberg
Coca-Cola’s New Drink Innovations [Audio]
William Moss, Executive Director of the International Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, discusses developing vaccine strategies for measles on the featured podcast.
The segment begins at the 10:27 mark.
01/14/20
Bloomberg
There’s Been a Global Resurgence of Measles [Video]
William Moss discusses the resurgence of measles outbreaks on “Bloomberg Markets.”
12/10/19
Bloomberg
Early Flu Season Cases Much Higher Than Average: Johns Hopkins [Video]
Andrew Pekosz, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence in Influenza Research and Surveillance, discusses the tracking of regional influenza outbreaks and the importance of vaccinations to avoid the infection.
11/05/19
WBUR 90.9
‘Immune Amnesia’: Why Measles Is Dangerous For Years After Catching It, Study Shows
Research finds that measles, which kills more than 100,000 children a year around the globe, is an even more dangerous germ than previously thought. It can cause what the scientists call "immune amnesia:" Children who catch the measles can lose resistance they had built up to other illnesses.
William Moss is quoted.
11/05/19
The Scientist
Measles Leaves the Immune System Vulnerable to Other Diseases [Opinion]
Two studies present biological evidence that measles infections in unvaccinated children wipe out immune memories of other pathogens, putting the kids at risk of other deadly diseases. William Moss is quoted.
11/05/19
Newsweek
Parents Who Don’t Vaccinate Children Against Measles Risk ‘Destroying’ Their Immune Systems, Scientists Believe
Parents who don't vaccinate their children against measles risk the virus "destroying" their immune systems and making them vulnerable to other diseases, scientists have warned. William Moss is quoted
11/05/19
Inverse
Scientists have learned that the measles virus gives the immune system amnesia
The measles virus may be even more harmful than previously thought, causing potentially deadly damage to immune memory, according to new research.
William Moss is quoted.
10/03/19
Gizmodo
A 1964 Earthquake Might Have Unleashed a Deadly Fungus on the Pacific Northwest
Two decades ago, a rare but deadly fungal infection began killing animals and people in the U.S. and Canada. To this day, no one has figured out how it arrived there in the first place. Now a pair of scientists have put forth their own theory: Tsunamis, sparked by a massive earthquake in 1964, soaked the forests of the Pacific Northwest with water containing the fungus.
A paper co-authored by Arturo Casadevall is cited
10/02/19
BBC News
Tsunamis linked to spread of deadly fungal disease
A major earthquake in Alaska in 1964 triggered tsunamis that washed ashore a deadly tropical fungus, scientists say.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
08/30/19
ABC 7 Chicago
The US eliminated measles in 2000; Current outbreak could change that
There's a "reasonable chance" the United States will lose its measles elimination status in October because of ongoing measles outbreaks in New York, according to Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
William Moss and Paul Spiegel is quoted.
08/30/19
Science Mag
Eradication goal splits malaria community
On 9 September, the Lancet Commission on Malaria Eradication, a group of 26 academics from around the globe, will publish a study recommending that the world set a 2050 target for eradication.
William Moss is quoted.
08/28/19
Science Magazine
Is setting a deadline for eradicating malaria a good idea? Scientists are divided
The debate is about more than just the usefulness of bold goals in global health. The focus on eradication has skewed scientists’ and funders’ priorities, says Brian Greenwood, a malariologist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
William Moss is quoted.
08/25/19
Newsweek
Computer Simulation Just Predicted A Huge Measles Outbreak in Texas, With 4,000 Percent Increase Predicted In Some Communities
Texas could be hit by large measles outbreaks in which up to 400 people fall ill at a time, according to a forecast by researchers investigating low vaccine rates. Between 2003 and 2018, the number of children exempt from vaccines before attending school spiked from 23,000 to 64,000, according to existing research.
William Moss is quoted.
08/25/19
WebMD
Aging Narrows Gender Gap in Flu Vaccine Response
Aging reduces the stronger immune response that women typically have to vaccination, a new study finds.
Sabra Klein, senior author of the study, is quoted.
08/21/19
The Atlantic
Lyme Disease Is Baffling, Even to Experts
But new insights are at last accumulating.
Ying Zhang is quoted
08/19/19
STAT
Could the world see a resurgence of polio? Experts fear a cautionary tale in measles
As measles case counts have exploded around the globe this year, public health officials doggedly trying to rid the world of another disease scourge have watched the numbers rise with some concern.
William Moss is quoted.
08/16/19
Kenosha News
Commentary: The problem with the ‘superbug’ label
Bacterial drug resistance is a major public health problem that potentially affects all of us. Using accurate language is necessary to keep the public optimally informed about this important threat. Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
08/14/19
The Baltimore Sun
The problem with the ‘superbug’ label | Opinion [Paywall]
Bacterial drug resistance is a major public health problem that potentially affects all of us. Using accurate language is necessary to keep the public optimally informed about this important threat. Arturo Casadevall co-wrote the Op-Ed piece.
08/13/19
Star Tribune
Deadly fungal disease may be linked to climate change
Candida auris has become a global health threat since it was identified a decade ago, especially for patients with compromised immune systems.
Arturo Casadevall, co-author of the study, is quoted
08/13/19
Wired
The Desperate Race to Neutralize a Lethal Superbug Yeast
Candida auris has spread rapidly around the globe, seemingly springing from nowhere and exposing the weaknesses in our defenses against new diseases.
Arturo Casadevall, co-author of a featured paper, is quoted.
07/30/19
Business Insider
A mysterious and deadly fungal infection is spreading across the globe, and no one knows how to stop it
A deadly, drug-resistant fungus called candida auris is spreading on a global scale and causing what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls "urgent threats."
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
07/29/19
The Baltimore Sun
Dr. Keerti Shah, Johns Hopkins scientist who helped create a cervical cancer vaccine, dies
Dr. Keerti V. Shah, a retired Johns Hopkins scientist who helped established the causality of cervical cancer, died of kidney failure Sunday at his home in Ponce Inlet, Florida.
A quote from a statement by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is featured.
07/29/19
Salon
New study warns climate crisis may have been pivotal in rise of drug resistant superbug
Research argues Candida auris may be the first example of a new fungal disease emerging from climate change.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
07/25/19
Yahoo
Deadly new fungal superbug is worrying doctors — here's what you need to know
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning about a deadly new fungal superbug called Candida auris fungus, which was first seen in a patient in 2009 in Japan. Scientists say it can be hard to identify with standard lab tests, and now a new study suggests climate change may be fueling it.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
07/24/19
Washington Post
Deadly fungal disease may be linked to climate change, study suggests
Researchers in the United States and the Netherlands have a new theory: They propose that global warming may have played a key role and suggest that this may be the first example of a new fungal disease, Candida auris, emerging from climate change, according to a study published Tuesday in mBio, a journal of the American Society of Microbiology.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
NOTE: The study was also covered by: CNN, NBC News, The Baltimore Sun, Newsweek and Medical Express.
07/17/19
Infection Control Today
Women’s Stronger Immune Response to Flu Vaccination Diminishes With Age
A study suggests that women tend to have a greater immune response to a flu vaccination compared to men, but their advantage largely disappears as they age and their estrogen levels decline.
Sabra Klein, study senior author, is quoted
07/12/19
The Atlantic
A Groundbreaking Study Is Good News for Cats—And People
Researchers studying the cat-poop parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, made a breakthrough that will spare a lot of felines from research.
Isabelle Coppens is quoted.
06/04/19
The Science Times
Genetically-Modified Fungus May Stop the Spread of Malaria
Over the years, various experiments and researches have been put to motion in the hopes of finding a cure that can put an end to Malaria. This time, scientists have decided to use the spider gene to genetically produce a fungus that will, in turn, produce the venom that can quickly put these mosquitoes down.
Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena is quoted.
May 31, 2019
NPR
Scientists Genetically Modify Fungus To Kill Mosquitoes That Spread Malaria
In the hope of finding a new way to fight malaria, scientists have used a spider gene to genetically engineer a fungus to produce a venom that can quickly kill mosquitoes.
Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena is quoted.
May 30, 2019
The Wall Street Journal
‘Range’ Review: Late Bloomers Bloom Best [Paywall]
Journalist David Epstein says that late specialization demonstrably helped elite athletes in many sports. It can serve the rest of us well, too. In his latest book, “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World,” Mr. Epstein makes a well-supported and smoothly written case on behalf of breadth and late starts.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
May 29, 2019
MSN
Lyme Disease Can Be Avoided Naturally. Here’s How
Of the 35 essential oils used in a 2018 study as effective forms of treatment against Lyme disease, garlic, myrrh, thyme, cinnamon, allspice berries, cumin and eucalyptus were proven to kill off B. burgdorferi better than standard Lyme antibiotics.
Ying Zhang, lead author of the study, is quoted.
May 20, 2019
The Associated Press
Vaccine rates rise on long-wary ‘hippie’ island near Seattle
The Vashon Island School District has seen a significant increase in fully immunized children. The number of kindergartners who received the required set of state-mandated vaccines jumped by 31% in the past six years, from 56% to nearly 74% in the 2017-18 school year.
William Moss is quoted.
May 14, 2019
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Social media, vaccine exemptions to blame for measles outbreak, researcher contends
To fight the measles outbreak that has spread to 23 states, authorities must reduce vaccine exemptions and fight a tide of social media disinformation, a national expert told more than 200 students and faculty Monday at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Diane Griffin is quoted.
May 8, 2019
The Scientist
Eye for Manipulation: A Profile of Elisabeth Bik [Opinion]
The microbiologist has turned her attention full-time to unearthing problematic figures in papers- for free.
Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
May 8, 2019
NBC News
For cancer patients, fear of measles has upended daily routines
With measles scares happening everywhere from movie theaters to cruise ships to planes, individuals with compromised immune systems and their families are upending their daily routines to avoid getting the highly contagious disease.
William Moss is quoted.
May 7, 2019
The Baltimore Sun
Immunization complacency threatens to undo progress [Opinion]
State and local public health officials are urging parents to make sure their children's immunizations are up to date before the start of school.
William Moss is a co-author of the op-ed
May 1, 2019
PBS
There’s a measles outbreak. Do you need another shot?
If the U.S. loses its “measles elimination” status, it will join Venezuela as the only other country in North and South America with this distinction. Measles was declared eliminated across the Americas in 2016, but within a year, an outbreak sparked in Venezuela that has persisted up to the current day.
William Moss is interviewed.
May 1, 2019
The Washington Post
Promising treatment emerges for ‘persistent’ Lyme bacteria
About 300,000 people a year are infected with Lyme disease through tick bites, and for up to 20 percent of them the condition persists after a course of antibiotics. But just in time for tick season, researchers are now onto a promising treatment for those sufferers.
Ying Zhang, the study’s senior author, is quoted.
April 26, 2019
Nature
First proven malaria vaccine rolled out in Africa— but doubts linger
The RTS,S vaccine is up to 40% effective at preventing malaria in young children.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
April 26, 2019
Contagion Live
World Malaria Day 2019: New Innovations, Same Targets: Public Health Watch
World Health Organization (WHO) officials have announced plans for a pilot study in Malawi of a new vaccine—called RTS,S—to significantly reduce the disease in children. Experts from around the world gather at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI) in Baltimore, Maryland, for a scientific symposium entitled “Malaria Elimination in Africa” for the 13th World Malaria Day on April 25th.
William Moss is quoted.
April 26, 2019
Newsweek
UNICEF: The Ground for the Global Measles Outbreaks We Are Witnessing Today Was Laid Years Ago
UNICEF announced that 21.1 million children had missed their first dose of the measles vaccine every year over the last eight years.
William Moss is quoted.
April 24, 2019
NPR
World’s First Malaria Vaccine Launches In Sub-Saharan Africa
Health officials are rolling out the first approved vaccine aimed at stopping a human parasite. It's for malaria — and the hopes are that one day the vaccine could save the lives of tens of thousands of children each year.
William Moss is quoted.
March 26, 2019
STAT
The measles virus was down and out. Now it’s primed for a comeback
Some experts believed the world was ready to rid itself of measles once and for all. These days, with massive outbreaks in the Philippines and Ukraine, more than 80,000 cases in the past year in Europe, and ongoing epidemics in New York, Washington, Texas, Illinois, and California, measles does not feel like an endangered virus.
Williams Moss is quoted.
March 21, 2019
Newsweek
Anti-Vaxxers Are Anti-Vaxxers for One of These Four Reasons
Scientists studying anti-vax posts on Facebook found that the movement doesn't stem from one fear, but rather a range of theories believed by people spanning demographics and the political spectrum.
William Moss is quoted
February 22, 2019
Newsweek
Anti-vax Religious Group Says Sorry For Helping Cause Massive Measles Outbreak
Japan has been undergoing its worst measles outbreak in at least a decade, and one religious order opposed to vaccinations has now apologized for its role in helping to spread the disease.
William Moss is quoted.
February 11, 2019
Palm Beach Daily News
A Woman’s Journey health conference in West Palm Beach draws 300 people
Six health care subjects were covered at “A Woman’s Journey” presented by Johns Hopkins Medicine. The Palm Beach Daily News was one of the sponsors.
Sabra Klein was among the speakers at the 13th annual conference.
February 11, 2019
Newsweek
Children of Anti-Vaxxers Try To Get Vaccinated Without Their Parents Knowing
As Washington state deals with a measles outbreak that has caused at least 53 people—the majority of whom are unvaccinated children—to contract the potentially deadly disease, young people have asked how they can get vaccinated without their parents' knowledge.
William Moss is quoted.
February 7, 2019
MSN
Measles Outbreak Predicted by Scientists a Year Ago
In a study published almost a year ago, scientists identified "anti-vaxx hotspots"—and the areas flagged include those where cases of measles are being reported.
William Moss is quoted.
February 1, 2019
Newsweek
2019 Could Be Worst Year For Measles In U.S. For 30 Years: ‘Were Losing Ground To A Disease That Once Killed Millions’
Almost 20 years after measles was eliminated in the U.S., 2019 could see the highest rates of the dangerous disease in three decades, an expert has warned.
William Moss is quoted.
January 30, 2019
Newsweek
‘In 12 Hours She Was Dead’: Read Roald Dahl’s Heartbreaking Letter to Anti-Vaxxers After His Daughter Died From Measles
A 1986 essay written by the late Charlie and the Chocolate Factory author Roald Dahl about his daughter dying of measles has been shared widely online, as new outbreaks of the dangerous disease have given it fresh relevance.
William Moss is quoted.
December 21, 2018
Science Trends
How Do Living Cells Survive When Skipping A Paycheck?
Recent research on baker’s yeast uncovered a new way cells slow their growth down when nutrients are running low. This information from an improbable source provides new insight into a family of uncharacterized human genes, some of which cause severe neurological disorders, epilepsy, and possible autism when mutated.
J. Marie Hardwick wrote the piece.
December 3, 2018
Science News
Around the world, reported measles cases jumped 31 percent in 2017
Political unrest and refusal to vaccinate is driving the measles surge, health experts say.
Bill Moss is quoted.
November 13, 2018
Reader's Digest
Why the New Flu Drug Is a Game Changer
Everyone should still get their flu shots, but at least we're rolling into this year's flu season with a new weapon: a drug that stops the virus in its tracks.
Andrew Pekosz is quoted
September 28, 2018
Medical Daily
Flu Season Is Starting: 5 Tips To Avoid Falling Sick
Since flu season is right around the corner, it is important to start taking preventative measures. The CDC estimates that influenza has annually resulted in between 9.2 million and 35.6 million illnesses.
Andrew Pekosz is quoted.
September 26, 2018
CNN
Gene editing could eliminate mosquitoes, but is it a good idea?
Researchers have rendered a population of mosquitoes in a lab sterile using the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 by homing in on a specific target in insect DNA -- the doublesex gene -- raising the possibility of eradicating disease-carrying species of the insect entirely, according to a new study
Conor McMeniman is quoted.
September 8, 2018
Consumer Reports
Is It Too Soon to Get the Flu Vaccine?
Last year’s season set new records both for numbers of children who died from flu and for flu-related hospitalizations. But should people get the shot now, before the flu even arrives in January and February?
Andrew Pekosz is quoted.
August 28. 2018
KJZZ 91.5 – Phoenix
Measles Cases Reach Record High In European Region, WHO Reports
The World Health Organization this week reported cases of measles have hit a record high in the European region.
Bill Moss joins the radio show and weighs in on the concerning increase in measles cases in some parts of the world.
August 21, 2018
The Baltimore Sun
There is no wall against infectious diseases
Biological threats continue to evolve, even as public focus careens from one crisis to another. The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act (PAHPRA) of 2013 funded the agencies that maintain a focus on biosecurity, and that act is now up for reauthorization.
Rachel Evans, a PhD student in the W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology, wrote the piece.
August 20, 2018
NPR
Video: The 7 Dwarfs Whistle While They Work To Fight Malaria
A Disney video details many of the important measures Americans took to protect themselves from malaria, getting rid of standing water, screening windows, papering over cracks in the walls, and even weeding ponds to make it easier for fish to eat mosquito larvae.
William Moss is quoted.
August 10, 2018
STAT News
Graduate biomedical education needs an overhaul. Here’s our version
The training of new scientists has become a highly specialized endeavor that frequently emphasizes the acquisition of factual knowledge instead of skills that are essential for good scientific practice, such as critical thinking, rigorous research design, analysis, and philosophy of science.
Gundula Bosch and Arturo Casadevall wrote the article.
July 30, 2018
Everyday Health
FDA Approves New Drug to Treat Recurrent Malaria
Malaria caused by recurrent Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) is a difficult-to-treat and life-threatening condition that affects 8.5 million people a year. On July 20th, the FDA approved a new drug to help treat this problem.
David Sullivan is quoted
July 18, 2018
Newsweek
Men Might Recover Faster From Flue Than Women Thanks to a Special Molecule, Study Suggests
Due to a higher presence of a lung-healing protein, men may recover quicker from cases of the flu than women according to a recent study.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
July 13, 2018
The Scientist
Software-Based Chemical Screen Could Minimize Animal Testing
Worldwide, millions of animals are used for toxicity testing of compounds intended for human and environmental use. Now, toxicologists have developed software that can accurately predict the outcomes of assays.
Thomas Hartung is quoted.
July 12, 2018
One India
Zika virus infection may multiply risk of miscarriage, stillbirth
Zika virus could pose a far greater threat to pregnancy than recent studies of miscarriage and stillbirth in human infections have reported. This virus do not show any symptoms and thusraises concerns about the complications which are likely to arise from this condition.
Sabra Klein is quoted.
June 6, 2018
CNN
Measles vaccine recommended for those attending World Cup
Russia has also been heavily affected by the recent outbreak of measles, with more than 800 cases reported in 2018. Children and adults who are traveling to Russia for the World Cup -- which takes place between June 14 and July 15 -- should therefore make sure that they have received two doses of the measles vaccine.
Diane Griffin is quoted.
April 8, 2018
CBC (Canada)
The Kingdom: How Fungi Made Our World
Neither plants nor animals, fungi are the most underappreciated kingdom of the natural world. During a billion years of evolution, they’ve become masters of survival. And yet, fungi have also been integral to the development of life on Earth. In fact, neither land plants nor terrestrial animals would exist without them. Arturo Casadevall is quoted.
March 22, 2018
The San Diego Union Tribune
Common malaria resistance trait discovered in Scripps Research-led study
One-third of Africans carry a previously unknown mutation that appears to help them resist malaria, according to an international study led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute. If confirmed with more research, the discovery may lead to new malaria drugs, and have implications for the health of those who carry the genetic trait. Sean Prigge is quoted.
March 14, 2018
The Genetic Literacy Project
CRISPR-edited mosquitoes could dramatically reduce more than 200 million annual cases of malaria
Swatting at mosquitoes is a great start, but if we really want to cut down on the hundreds of millions of malaria cases they cause every year, we're going to need some more effective weapons. Now, researchers from Johns Hopkins have used the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tool to engineer mosquitoes that are highly resistant to the malaria parasite, by deleting one specific gene. George Dimopoulos, study lead, is quoted.
March 13, 2018
Fox News
Johns Hopkins scientists genetically engineer malaria-resistant mosquitoes
Bloomberg School researchers engineered mosquitoes which are resistant to the malaria parasite, by deleting a gene called FREP1 which helps malaria survive in the mosquito’s gut. George Dimopoulos, study lead, is quoted.
March 8, 2018
ZME Science
CRISPR edit makes mosquitoes far less likely to pass malaria
Scientists used the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technique to deactivate a gene in order to make mosquitoes less likely to get infected by parasites that cause malaria in humans. George Dimopoulos, study lead, is mentioned.
February 22, 2018
Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
Outsmarting an Outbreak
Faculty Mention: Douglas Norris
Scientists may soon be able to predict potential outcomes of mosquito-borne illnesses, and quash new ones before they have a chance to spread.
February 17, 2018
NPR
Did Pox virus research put potential profits ahead of public safety?
In the brave new world of synthetic biology, scientists can now brew up viruses from scratch using the tools of DNA technology. The latest such feat, published last month, involves horsepox, a cousin of the feared virus that causes smallpox in people. Critics charge that making horsepox in the lab has endangered the public by basically revealing the recipe for how any lab could manufacture smallpox to use as a bioweapon.
Arturo Casadevall and Tom Inglesby are quoted. (Note: This story ran on NPR outlets across the country.)
February 14, 2018
Nature
Train PhD students to be thinkers not just specialists
Many doctoral curricula aim to produce narrowly focused researchers rather than critical thinkers. That can and must change, writes Gundula Bosch, director of the School’s R3 Graduate Science Initiative, where students learn to apply rigor to their design and conduct of experiments; view their work through the lens of social responsibility; and to think critically, communicate better, and thus improve reproducibility. Arturo Casadevall, who founded the R3 program, is mentioned.
February 9, 2018
NPR
Blue dye kills malaria parasites – but there is one catch
It's hard to imagine that a blue dye sold in pet food stores in the U.S. to fight fungal infections in tropical fish could be a potent weapon against malaria. A study published this week in The Lancet Infectious Diseases showed that might be possible. Bill Moss is quoted.
January 31, 2018
New York Magazine
Everything You Can Do to Prevent the Spread of Flu
Start with getting the flu shot. However, getting it doesn’t mean you’re immune to the flu. The piece includes advice from experts about actions you can take (and things you can buy) to fight the flu this season and stay healthy throughout the year.
Andy Pekosz is quoted.
January 25, 2018
The Star
Handkerchief nightmare? Beat the common cold by blowing your nose
During the first three days of a common cold, the sufferer is contagious - he or she can pass the cold on to others - so it is recommended that the person stay at home and gets as much rest as possible. Sabra Klein’s research is mentioned.
January 24, 2018
Runner's World
Here’s why you can’t (and shouldn’t) run away from the flu in 2018
Even for strong and healthy runners, this year’s flu is no joke. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), anywhere between 5 and 20 percent of the U.S. population contracts the flu each year. And according to the CDC’s latest report, the virus is particularly dangerous this season. Andrew Pekosz is quoted.
January 23, 2018
Reuters
Mosquito-packed drones could give extra bite to Zika fight
Spraying thousands of chilled, sterile mosquitoes from specially adapted drones could prove a cost-effective way to slash numbers of the insects and curb the spread of Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases, say the backers of the technology. WeRobotics, a non-profit trialing the method, plans to start mosquito-release tests shortly in Latin America. Conor McMeniman is quoted.
Romper
Can You Get Sick from the Flu Shot? Here's What the CDC Has To Say
The CDC says that getting a flu shot does not cause the flu illness, since the vaccine is made either with an inactivated virus that's not infectious, or no virus at all. An inactivated virus means that the virus has been killed. The flu shot may cause a reaction, but it does not cause the flu. Andrew Pekosz is quoted.
January 19, 2018
Forbes
Gates Foundation funds research for new synthetic malaria vaccine
The Wistar Institute will collaborate with the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute and Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: INO) on the research initiative, which was created in the lab of David B. Weiner, Ph.D., executive director, Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute. Weiner is a molecular immunologist and considered a DNA vaccine pioneer. The Malaria Research Institute is mentioned.
January 4, 2018
Motherboard
Co-Authored Biomedical Papers List Men as First Authors More Frequently Than Women
Even papers that indicated authors had “contributed equally,” male-female listing was statistically more frequent than female-male listing, the study finds. Arturo Casadevall, study co-author, is quoted.
January 3, 2018
JHU Hub
Biomedical science education needs a new philosophy
Newswise
Perspective: Let’s Put the ‘Ph’ Back in Science PhD Programs
Pilot program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health aims to close gaps in graduate science education. Gundula Bosch and Arturo Casadevall, study co-authors, are quoted.