A new experimental vaccine that could provide protection against multiple varieties of dangerous coronaviruses just passed a major hurdle in its development that may bring it closer to being tested in clinical trials, according to David Martinez, PhD, assistant professor of immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine and a member of the Yale Center for Infection and Immunity.
Coronaviruses are behind some of the deadliest outbreaks of the past few decades. These viruses tend to jump from animal hosts to humans. This has occurred at least three times with different coronaviruses during this century. These viruses then produce deadly respiratory illnesses.
For these reasons, developing vaccines that can provide broad coverage against lethal coronaviruses is essential. In a study published in Cell Reports, Martinez and colleagues at the Duke Human Vaccine Institutewhere Martinez worked before coming to Yale in May 2023tested a newly developed vaccine intended to protect against three deadly coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that led to the COVID-19 pandemic. Martinez, the studys first and lead corresponding author, led the research team along with co-corresponding authors Ralph Baric, PhD, of the University of North Carolina; and Barton Haynes, MD, and Kevin Saunders, PhD, of Duke University.
The study found that vaccinated mice infected with lethal SARS-CoV 2003 and MERS-CoV survived their infections, while unvaccinated mice did not. The vaccine also provided protection against rising SARS-CoV-2 variants, like XBB1.5. This finding could help move the vaccine into phase-1 clinical trials, says Martinez, andeventuallyinto peoples arms.
While the year 2020 is inextricably linked with the coronavirus dubbed SARS-CoV-2, that virus is just one of many that can cause illness and death. This massive group of viruseswhich can be found in animals all over the worldhad shown itself to be a potential danger to people nearly two decades earlier.
In 2003, a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-1, commonly known as SARS (for severe acute respiratory syndrome), started infecting people in Asia. Presumed to have jumped to people from bats, it infected around 8,000 people, nearly 800 of whom diedmaking SARS-CoV-1 the first new, highly-infectious disease of the 21 st century, according to the World Health Organization. Ten years later, anothertotally distinctcoronavirus called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (or MERS) also emerged, this time spilling over into people from camels.
Despite their being genetically distinct from one another, the viruses had a few commonalities: each one came from animal hosts, mortality rates were relatively high, and the diseases manifested as respiratory illnesses.
It became very clear that coronaviruses are a public threat to humanity, says Martinez. And then came a virus that needs no introductionSARS-CoV-2.
Martinez started working on a universal coronavirus vaccine during his postdoctoral training at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. After first focusing his research on the development of a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 he got caught up in the idea of developing a vaccine that could provide broader coverage for other animal-origin coronaviruses.
The concept has precedent. Other scientists have tried to develop universal vaccines for HIV and viruses that cause influenzawith mixed success. To do this, Martinez and his colleagues searched for an Achilles heelan element that the viruses needed to survive, and that the immune system could be reliably expected to spot. The team chose the RBD receptor, a binding domain found both on MERS and SARS that the viruses need to infect host cells.
To make their vaccine, the researchers engineered a scaffold to attach all three versions of the RBD receptor. They then mixed up the vaccine and injected it into their mice, before introducing their subjects to the three deadly viruses.
Vaccinated mice all survived. But some of the unvaccinated succumbed to their infectionshinting that the vaccine was key to helping mice fend off the worst of the illness.
Previous studiesincluding in labs where Martinez has workedhave tested universal vaccines before. But this study is the first to show that a SARS and MERS vaccine can provide protection against three lethal respiratory illnesses in animals, says Martinez.
The vaccine is a triple threat to the viruses, he says.
The vaccine may work because it reduces viral load in the respiratory and nasal passages. One of the reasons that SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses are thought to be so deadly is that the virus accumulates in cells in the lungs.
The researchers found that vaccinated mice had lower viral load in their upper airway in the respiratory system than unvaccinated micehinting that the vaccine was helping to keep down the viral count and potentially reduce transmission.
And the vaccine wasnt just broadly protective of original variants of SARS-CoV-2. Vaccinated mice also had greater immunity to new COVID variants like XBB1.5, which are being included in the updated versions of the fall COVID booster shots.
The universal coronavirus vaccine wont be available anytime soon. And even if it were, it wouldnt entirely eliminate the need for boosters, says Martinez, who is continuing his work on universal vaccines at Yale. But if it passes clinical trials, it might lengthen the time needed between boosters, he says, as newer variants would have less of an edge than they do now.
The vaccine may be good news for more just than tackling coronaviruses. If a universal coronavirus vaccine is approved, it could open the door for developing other universal vaccines to tackle tricky or deadly illnesses, including influenza, Martinez says.
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The rapid outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) led to a pandemic known as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
A recentScientific Reportsstudy assessed the effect of religiosity, education, trust in scientists, and political orientation on peoples belief in COVID-19-related conspiracy theories (CTs) In Europe.
Study:Exploring COVID-19 conspiracy theories: education, religiosity, trust in scientists, and political orientation in 26 European countries. Image Credit:Liftwood/Shutterstock.com
Although CT is omnipresent, its prevalence in Western societies has become more dominant in times of crisis, emergencies, and uncertainties. A small but important group of individuals or organizations formulates CTs.
Their main objective is to secretly develop and promote content for an individual benefit that is against the common good. This misinformation significantly affects social and political events.
As expected, several CTs have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although CTs were initiated since the first news about the pandemic, their number rose steeply after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the global SARS-CoV-2 outbreak a pandemic.
Governments worldwide implemented national lockdowns to prevent further spread of SARS-CoV-2. During lockdowns, the social media use increased substantially. The major vectors for disseminating COVID-19-related CTs are Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. These platforms generated an infodemic that raised mass suspicions about COVID-19 events.
The rapid spread of the infodemic has significant consequences as it can influence peoples adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures, such as wearing facemasks, conducting social gatherings, and vaccination. Historically, general beliefs in CTs have greatly hindered mass immunization. Likewise, COVID-19-related CTs have increased the tendency to resist vaccination.
Previous studies have also indicated that CTs are developed and spread due to political and psychological agendas. Conspiratorial thinking and social disadvantages, including ethnic minorities, are linked to CT development.
Psychological factors (e.g., different personality traits, emotions, us versus them worldviews, biases, intuitive and paranoid style of thinking), trust in science, education, political orientation, and religiosity also influence CT. Understanding how CTs related to COVID-19 have affected different countries worldwide is imperative.
The current study explored how education, political orientation, trust in scientists, and religiosity influence peoples support for CT.
This study analyzed data from the latest 10th European Social Survey (ESS10) round. The primary data collection method of ESS10 is associated with a face-to-face standardized survey questionnaire. The most recent ESS10 data, published in May 2023, includes information on 26 European countries.
55,555 interviews were conducted with individuals above 15 years of age, irrespective of their citizenship, nationality, language, or legal status.
Although descriptive analyses were performed at the beginning by comparing 26 countries, later multilevel and by-country regressions were conducted to determine the contribution of each predictor. This study observed that CTs have spread in many Western democracies and induced protest movements against the policy measures implemented to contain COVID-19.
Consistent with previous studies, education was an essential covariate of belief in COVID-19-related CTs in Europe. Previous studies have indicated that People with higher education are better trained in logical and analytical thinking. These people are aware of counterarguments, which makes them resistant to believing CTs.
People with higher education were more suspicious about the idea that complex problems have simple solutions and are more skeptical towards CTs. However, this study revealed that the correlation between educational level and belief in CTs was not fixed among all individuals.
A positive correlation between religiosity and CTs was found. People who claim to be religious are skeptical about science and are more inclined towards conservatism, and traditionalism supports CTs more frequently.
Apocalyptic beliefs can drive support for CTs. Quasireligious elements, including esotericism, prophecy, and millennialism, indulge in CTs. A dogmatic religious belief, i.e., fundamentalism, significantly impacts CT.
A lower trust in scientists was strongly linked with the tendency to endorse CTs. A rejection or distrust in science and suspicious behavior towards scientists was strongly associated with higher susceptibility to COVID-19-related misinformation.
In contrast, a higher confidence in scientists was linked with a greater adherence to policies generated to contain the pandemic. For instance, people with higher trust in science are less likely to believe CTs that claimed COVID-19 vaccines to be unsafe and less effective.
Political extremism has been strongly associated with dichotomous, i.e., black-and-white observations. For instance, political extremism has a higher tendency to classify events as good or evil.
This study highlighted that CTs can undermine trust in public health institutions and policies developed and implemented to contain the pandemic. Unlike education, trust in scientists, religiosity, and political orientation moderately influence peoples CT beliefs.
It was recommended to develop policies tailored to different demographic groups and engage them with effective communication strategies to address CTs and their evolving nature.
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October 28, 2023 Ava Dela Pena -- SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Hofstra University issues news measures for COVID-19 protocols. // Photo Courtesy of Engin Akyhurt
Despite rising COVID-19 rates, Hofstra University has made major changes to its COVID-19 policies regarding isolation.
On Sept. 19, students received an email from Student Health Services (SHS) outlining updated COVID-19 policies. These policies no longer require infected students to isolate in designated COVID-19 housing. Instead, students are expected to isolate in their dorms or homes.
The email advised students to report positive COVID-19 tests on their Medicat portal. Should a student test positive for COVID-19, SHS states that isolation should begin a minimum of 5 full days after you began feeling sick. According to the email, students can resume normal activity while wearing a mask for five days following isolation as long as they are fever-free for 24 hours on the fifth day.
As we cannot verify home or self-testing, images or reports of these tests do not need to be submitted, the email said. Additionally, it is no longer a requirement to report positive diagnoses to faculty.
Micaela Delgado, a sophomore music business major, had a different experience after testing positive for COVID-19. Delgado tested positive on Sept. 10 after using an at-home test, as she expressed difficulty obtaining a test from SHS.
SHS did not instruct me whatsoever on what I should do about having COVID-19, Delgado said.
Expressing concern about her roommates safety, she asked SHS if there were any vacant dorms for her to use while she was positive for the disease.
They said to stay put and hopefully I wont spread it, Delgado said.
According to Beth McGuire, the executive director of campus living, Nassau Hall is no longer used for COVID-19 housing. As to whether it will be used for that purpose in the future, that would be determined by our colleagues in student health and the university administration, in consultation with medical experts, McGuire said.
Delgado also said that SHS advised her to continue going to public places, such as the student center, for meals. They advised her to try to limit her contact with other students.
As for classes, Delgado was advised to go to classes if she felt comfortable. SHS advised her that she just had to wear a mask.
SHS also recommended Delgado to social distance in her dorm. However, Rob Stahl, the executive director of Student Health Services, wrote in a statement that there is no university requirement, but we expect students to take responsibility and isolate.
Conversely, sophomore Ella Bandelin recounted that in the spring 2023 semester, she was required to move to a dorm in Nassau Hall after she tested positive. She recalls being housed in isolation for at least five days before she was allowed to return to her dorm in the Netherlands. Last semester, Nassau Hall was reserved for COVID-19 housing.
They asked about my roommates and if they got [COVID-19], Bandelin said. I had to fill out a form and tell them who I was in contact with so [SHS] could contact them.
Those who were in close proximity with her were contacted by SHS and required to take a COVID-19 test. When they tested positive, they were also required to isolate themselves in Nassau Hall. There, the students were provided with meals and bedding during their stay.
The first significant change in COVID-19 policy was made as early as March 27, when President Susan Poser announced that the schools policy on COVID-19 vaccination would be changing.
Effective immediately, the university will not require Hofstra University students, faculty or staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Poser said. Although we strongly encourage all members of our community to stay up to date on vaccines, COVID-19 numbers remain low, with health experts predicting a continued decline.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, new COVID-19 hospitalizations in New York initially began decreasing in January but have increased since mid-July.
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Adults 85 and older who received COVID and flu vaccines at the same time appeared to have a very small higher risk of stroke. (CNN)
Only 7% of U.S. adults and 2% of kids received the new COVID-19 vaccine as of two weeks ago, according to the CDC. (AP)
An mRNA-based combination flu-COVID vaccine generated a strong immune response in a mid-stage trial of adults, developers Pfizer and BioNTech said.
A former executive at a South Florida Medicare Advantage organization was charged for her alleged role in a roughly $53 million fraud scheme, the Department of Justice said.
Exela Pharma Sciences issued a nationwide recall of some of its sodium bicarbonate, midazolam, and cysteine hydrochloride injections.
Here are warning signs that America's healthcare workforce is burned out. (Axios)
And here's how burnout is playing out among large retail pharmacists, too. (USA Today)
Republicans delayed more than $1 billion in funding for the PEPFAR HIV program. (The Washington Post)
An audit of the Maryland Heath Departments found $1.4 billion in unaccounted-for funds that the state received during the pandemic. (The Washington Post)
The only medical school on a Native American reservation is preparing students to serve in rural and tribal areas. (CBS News)
While global vaccine coverage for kids improved in past years, they're not back to pre-pandemic levels. (MMWR)
What would happen to developing nations if COVID-related patents were suspended? (The Hill)
Lawmakers are looking for ways to speed up the FDA approval process for new rare disease treatments. (Endpoints News)
Two workers at a Japanese nuclear power plant were hospitalized after being sprayed with liquid laced with radioactive materials. (AP)
Children and adolescents who received mental health counseling or therapy increased from 10% in 2019 to 13.8% in 2022, CDC data showed.
Twice as many parents of kids ages 9 to 15 reported concerns about internet addiction than substance addiction. (JAMA Network Open)
A woman filed a lawsuit against her ob/gyn claiming he secretly used his own sperm to impregnate her during fertility treatments. (The Seattle Times)
Healthcare professionals at D.C.'s Unity Health Care are trying to unionize. (DCist)
Savannah renamed one of its town squares after the first Black Civil War nurse. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Kristen Monaco is a senior staff writer, focusing on endocrinology, psychiatry, and nephrology news. Based out of the New York City office, shes worked at the company since 2015.
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infections were more common and linked to more severe outcomes than influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in emergency department (ED) patients in Sweden, especially among those unvaccinated against COVID-19.
The findings were published yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Karolinska Institutet researchers assessed rates of 30-day all-cause death, hospitalization, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission of adults seen in six EDs in Stockholm County for Omicron, flu, or RSV infection in 2021-2022 and 2015-2019. Of 6,385 patients in 2021-2022, 76% were infected with Omicron, 17% had flu, and 7% had RSV.
In total, 22.1% of Omicron patients were unvaccinated against COVID-19 before their ED visit, while 75% had received at least two doses.
Thirty-day death rates were 7.9% in the Omicron group, 2.5% in flu patients, and 6.0% in the RSV group. Omicron patients' adjusted death odds ratio (OR) was 2.36 compared with flu and 1.42 compared with RSV. Stronger links were seen in unvaccinated Omicron patients relative to flu (OR, 5.51) and RSV (OR, 3.29).
Death rates at 30 days were 15% among Omicron patients aged 75 years or older, compared with 8% in the 2021-2022 flu group, 12% in the 2021-2022 RSV cohort, 7% among 5,709 prepandemic flu patients, and 9% among 955 prepandemic RSV patients. Among Omicron patients who received at least two COVID-19 vaccine doses, the OR for death was 2.00 compared with flu and 1.20 compared with RSV.
This underscores the need for public health strategies for managing and mitigating the impact of Omicron and other viral respiratory infections, with continued assessments of their comparative severity.
Ninety-day mortality was 11% among Omicron patients, 3.7% in 2021-2022 flu patients, 8.7% in 2021-2022 RSV patients, 5.1% in the prepandemic flu group, and 9.6% in prepandemic RSV patients.
In 2021-2022, 30-day mortality was 2.6% for influenza A patients; none of the 17 influenza B patients died. From 2015 to 2019, 30-day mortality was 3.2% in influenza A patients and 3.8% in influenza B patients.
"This underscores the need for public health strategies for managing and mitigating the impact of Omicron and other viral respiratory infections, with continued assessments of their comparative severity," the authors wrote.
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As updated COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out across the country, fresh evidence confirms that the vaccines are overwhelmingly safe, with only a small percentage of people reporting serious reactions.
More than 38 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Ontario alone as of Oct. 8, with 23,002 reports of adverse reactions, an incidence of 0.06 per cent, according to a report from Public Health Ontario.
The report, published earlier this month, is based on surveillance data collected from patients since the start of COVID-19 vaccinations in December, 2020.
It found that 94.5 per cent of those adverse reactions were not serious, with allergic skin reactions and redness or pain at the injection site among the most common complaints.
Just 5.5 per cent of adverse events linked to the vaccines were considered serious and included conditions that required an admission to hospital or resulted in death.
Rollout of updated COVID-19 vaccines confusing, experts say
But Public Health Ontario says that doesnt mean the vaccines were the cause. The surveillance program captures all medical events that occur after vaccination, so those that would have happened anyway are included in the report, even if theres a small likelihood of a link.
I see this very positively that theres been 38 million doses in arms, very small numbers of adverse events reported, less than 0.1 per cent of doses, and the vast majority of those, close to 95 per cent, are non-serious, said Reed Morrison, a public health physician with Public Health Ontario who has expertise in vaccine-preventable diseases.
There have been 821 reports of myocarditis or pericarditis, which involve inflammation of the heart, after COVID-19 vaccination, according to the PHO report, for a rate of 22.2 per million mRNA doses administered. Young males aged 12-24 appear to have the highest risk. Previous research has shown the vast majority of cases are mild, patients recover quickly and risks can be averted by extending the time between doses.
Similar data published by British Columbia earlier this year also confirms the strong safety profile of COVID-19 vaccines. There, the vast majority of reported adverse events were allergic reactions or pain at the injection site, with about 8 per cent of events considered serious.
That report provides extensive details about the serious cases, which included people who required a hospital admission or died, making it clear the vaccine was likely not the cause. For instance, several people died after receiving a vaccine, but investigations revealed they had extensive medical conditions, such as an individual with metastatic cancer.
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said in an interview that the evidence is clear: Vaccines are safe.
Were transparent about those adverse events, he said. I think its important not to say there are none, but its a tiny number.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 continues to cause serious outcomes and death, particularly among the elderly and other high-risk groups. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 3,786 people were in hospital as a result of COVID-19 for the week ending Oct. 17, a slight decrease from the week before.
At the same time, a new study published by Canadian researchers found that babies whose mothers had been vaccinated against COVID-19 during pregnancy were less likely to experience serious health complications, be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit or die. The study, published this week in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, looked at data from more than 142,000 births in Ontario and followed infants for six months to determine their outcomes.
Researchers found that 7.3 per cent of infants whose mothers had received at least one COVID-19 vaccination experienced a serious event, such as a seizure, in the first month of life, compared with 8.3 per cent of those whose mothers were unvaccinated; neonatal death occurred in 0.09 per cent of babies exposed to the vaccine in utero, compared with 0.16 of those who were not; and 11.4 per cent of vaccine-exposed babies required admission to a neonatal intensive care unit, compared with 13.1 per cent of babies born to unvaccinated mothers.
Sarah Jorgensen, one of the studys authors, said the findings should provide reassurance to pregnant women that the vaccines are safe and can help protect their babies.
Pregnant women and really young infants in the first couple of months, theyre also high-risk, said Ms. Jorgensen, who is a pharmacist and a PhD candidate in the Temerty Faculty of Medicines Institute for Medical Science at the University of Toronto.
Some experts have expressed concern over what they describe as confusing or inadequate messaging about the importance of getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine this fall. In B.C., Mr. Dix said the provinces Get Vaccinated system, built during the pandemic, is helping ensure people get timely information about when and where to get their vaccine. Last year, the province vaccinated a record number of people against influenza, which Mr. Dix credits to the success of the new system.
It sends messages to people based on their risk status, age or other information, allowing them to book vaccine appointments instantly. As of this week, the province had already vaccinated more than 250,000 people with the updated XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine, Mr. Dix said, with another 276,000 appointments booked. Nearly 600,000 people have received flu shots this year, he added.
Fewer than 5% of all Utahns have received the latest COVID-19 shot since it was released in mid-September, a rate that lags behind nationwide numbers that are being described as absymal.
Its what we expected. We didnt think thered probably be a lot of people thatd get the COVID vaccine, said Rich Lakin, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services immunization director, who shared the data with the Deseret News.
Lakin said as of Friday, the departments internal tabulation shows 157,677 Utahns have gotten the shot updated to target a recent version of the virus, which is just under 4.9% of the population. He said that number is up about 40,000 from last week.
Thats not too bad, If we can continue at 40,000 a week through Thanksgiving, that would be great, Lakin said, adding that a slow down in the uptake is more likely, at least until theres more people that are hospitalized and sick from COVID-19.
Thats always a trend. Its been a trend with flu and it will be a trend with COVID also, he said, with cold weather expected to bring an increase in the spread of respiratory viruses as more people spend time indoors and at holiday gatherings.
Nearly 88,000 Utah adults ages 60 and older have already rolled up their sleeves for the new vaccine, along with more than 59,000 adults 18 to 59 years old, according to a breakdown provided by Lakin.
But only around 10,700 Utah children have gotten the shots that are available to anyone six months and older. More than half of those children were over 12 and less than 1,700 were under 5.
Nationally, 7.1% of adults have received the new vaccine, but among children, that number dropped to 2.1%, according to an Oct. 8-14 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One expert on the CDC panel that saw the data Thursday, Dr. Camille Kotton of Harvard Medical School, labeled the rates abysmal and called for stepped-up public education efforts about the shots, The Associated Press reported.
The CDC survey found that nearly 38% of adults said they probably or definitely would not get the new COVID-19 shot, while 2 in 5 children have a parent who said they wont be getting them vaccinated against the virus, either.
The new COVID-19 vaccine, intended to provide an annual dose of protection against the latest version of the virus like a yearly flu shot, had a rocky roll out after being approved by the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC.
Not only were the shots hard to find thanks to distribution issues nationwide, some insurance companies were slow to cover the cost of shots that are no longer paid for by the federal government now that the national pandemic emergency is over.
There was a lot of initial interest from some Utahns in the new shots, the first since last years booster dose. The Salt Lake County Health Department was so overwhelmed the first day appointments were available that people were waiting on hold for up to 45 minutes.
You always have your early vaccinators, so the demand will always be high in the beginning, he said, suggesting that any pent-up demand for the new COVID-19 shots has been met. It may trickle down from there. Its hard for me to say.
Although just over 64% of Utahns got the initial series of COVID-19 shots, less than 16% got a booster dose last year. Nationally, those numbers are also higher, with almost 70% of Americans getting the first round of shots, and 17%, a booster dose.
Utahs new vaccination numbers follow a nearly a 7% increase in the weekly average number of people hospitalized in the state for COVID-19, to just under 75 as of Thursday, although the same average for new hospital admissions for the virus dropped from 12 to 7.
The amount of COVID-19 in wastewater in Utah, however, is at elevated or potentially concerning levels at just over 94% of the sewage treatment sites monitored throughout the state, with increased levels of the virus found in samples from more than 11% of the sites.
