Pregnancy and COVID-19: What Every Expectant Mother Needs to Know

Protect yourself and your baby: COVID-19 poses serious risks for pregnant women, including an increased likelihood of severe illness, preterm birth, and pregnancy complications. COVID-19 infection during pregnancy also raises the risk of stillbirth and neonatal death. Expectant mothers must take extra precautions to avoid exposure, such as diligently wearing a well-fitting mask, maintaining social distance, improving ventilation, and getting vaccinated. Prompt testing and medical care are critical if symptoms develop. With vigilant prevention and close …

Enable Read

New Hope in 2023: A Guide to the Latest Covid-19 Treatments

In 2023, the landscape of Covid-19 treatments continues to evolve rapidly as researchers develop new therapies and refine existing ones. The Covid-19 pandemic has spurred unprecedented collaboration and innovation in the medical community, leading to a growing arsenal of tools to prevent, treat, and manage the disease. From next-generation vaccines to potent antiviral drugs and novel immunotherapies, the options for combating SARS-CoV-2 are more diverse and effective than ever before. As we navigate the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, …

Enable Read

COVID-19 vs. Coronavirus: Clearing Up the Confusion

Understand the difference: COVID-19 is the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which is just one strain within the larger coronavirus family. While all COVID-19 cases are caused by SARS-CoV-2, not all coronavirus infections are COVID-19.
The recent global pandemic has generated immense interest and concern around the terms “coronavirus” and “COVID-19.” While often used interchangeably in public discourse, they are not quite the same thing. This article aims to clarify the confusion and explain the nuanced but important distinction between the two related but separate concepts. Understanding …

Enable Read

Kids and COVID-19: What We Know Now

As part of public-health strategies to keep children safe, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that K–12 schools with prevention strategies strictly in place be allowed to keep their doors open and to continue in-person instruction. The CDC also encourages parents to vaccinate children aged 12 and older.
Symptoms to Look Out for in Kids
Children infected with coronavirus—such as COVID-19—can develop symptoms such as a fever, cough, runny nose, muscle aches, or vomiting. In some cases, children can develop …

Enable Read

CDC Urges Pregnant Women to Get COVID-19 Vaccine as Deaths Hit New Record

Approximately 22,000 women were hospitalized due to complications associated with novel coronavirus infections; among those women, 161 died. In comparison, non-pregnant patients were twice as likely to require admission to the ICU and 70 percent more likely to die than their pregnant counterparts.
COVID-19 Pregnancy Risks
A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in January 2021 found that pregnant women infected with COVID-19 were twice as likely to die during their pregnancies as uninfected women. The researchers studied data from U.S. …

Enable Read

Merck Seeks FDA Authorization for First COVID-19 Pill

Merck has requested that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approve molnupiravir as the first treatment for developed cases of COVID-19 in adults who are at risk of progressing to severe COVID-19 and hospitalization.
The FDA has approved the first pill to treat the serious lung infection COVID-19. The pill that is taken orally at home could relieve hospital systems of the burden of caring for people who contract the flu by helping them treat the symptoms at home rather than be admitted to the hospital. A course of treatment is eight pills taken daily for…

Enable Read