January 2021: Trending Health News

Trending health news for January 2021

A New COVID-19 Challenge: Mutations Rise Along With Cases

The race against the virus that causes COVID-19 has taken a new turn: Mutations are rapidly popping up, and the longer it takes to vaccinate people, the more likely it is that a variant that can elude current tests, treatments and vaccines could emerge. On January 15th, the World Health Organization urged more effort to detect new variants. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a new version first identified in the United Kingdom may become dominant in the U.S. by March. Although it doesn’t cause more severe illness, it will lead to more hospitalizations and deaths just because it spreads much more easily, said the CDC, warning of “a new phase of exponential growth.” Read more...

New mRNA Technique Used on COVID-19 Vaccine May Lead to Flu, HIV Vaccinations
More than 100 COVID-19 vaccines are in development or in clinical trials, but the vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna share a common development process. Each uses a breakthrough gene-editing technique that modifies messenger RNA (mRNA) to induce an immune response. Following the successful development of the COVID-19 vaccine, Moderna has already announced its intention to develop vaccines for both the flu and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) using this technique. Read more...

Revised Vaccine National Strategic Plan by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services The Vaccines National Strategic Plan, released on January 19, 2021, is a newly revised roadmap in the coordination of vaccine development and use in the United States. Although significant progress against vaccine-preventable diseases has been made in the U.S., there remain significant gaps in vaccination coverage that contribute to preventable morbidity and mortality each year. The updated Vaccines National Strategic Plan provides a vision for the U.S. vaccine and immunization enterprise for the next 5 years as the nation seeks to eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases. Read more...

Research Identifies Genetic Risk Factor for Stroke

A team of researchers has identified a common genetic variant as a risk factor for stroke, especially in patients older than 65. Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is commonly associated with aging and hypertension, but a minority of cases are caused by cysteine altering variants in the NOTCH3 gene. Approximately 1 in 300 people have this type of gene variant. A rare hereditary condition known as cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy, or CADASIL, which is caused by this gene variant, has been associated with SVD and an increased risk of stroke. Read more...

FDA Grants Marketing Authorization for New ACL Implant

the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted marketing authorization—under the De Novo premarket review pathway—for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) implant, intended to serve as an alternative to ACL reconstruction to treat ACL tears. The device, the Bridge-Enhanced ACL Repair (BEAR) Implant, unlike traditional reconstruction, does not require the use of harvested tendons for ACL repair and is the only currently- available alternative to reconstruction with allograft, autograft or suture-only repair for the treatment of ACL rupture. Read more...

Potential COVID-19 Drug is Successful in Lab Study

In a study published in the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology, mouse models with COVID-19 showed positive results when a small peptide was introduced nasally. The peptide proved effective in reducing fever, protecting the lungs, improving heart function and reversing cytokine storm -- a condition in which an infection triggers the immune system to flood the bloodstream with inflammatory proteins. The researchers also report success in preventing the disease from progression. Read more...

Looking for more COVID-19 resources?

• COVID-19 in the Geriatric Patient
• Free COVID-19 Healthcare Resource Kit