Feb. 4, 2021 — A congressional panel says major brands of commercial baby food routinely have high levels of toxic heavy metals such as mercury and arsenic. The House Oversight Committee’s panel says the FDA is not doing enough to regulate the products, leaving babies at risk for serious developmental and neurological problems. … Read more
Jan. 27, 2021 — The U.S. is nearly 6 weeks into its historic campaign to vaccinate Americans against the virus that causes COVID-19, and so far, the two vaccines in use look remarkably low-risk, according to new data presented today at a meeting of vaccine experts that advise the CDC. With 23.5 million doses … Read more
Dec. 1, 2020 — An influential government committee has recommended that health care workers and people who reside in long-term care facilities get the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines when they become available. In a 13-to-1 vote, the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) said health care workers and residents of nursing homes and … Read more
By February next year, at least half of India’s 1.3 billion population is likely to have been infected by the novel coronavirus. This may help slow the spread of the disease, a government committee tasked with providing projections told news agency Reuters on Monday. India’s current coronavirus tally stands at over 75 lakh cases and … Read more
NITI Aayog member VK Paul, who is also the chief of an expert panel coordinating efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic in India, said on Sunday that the possibility of a second wave of infections during the winter season cannot be ruled out. He said it is likely to happen, despite the decline in the … Read more
With no lockdown, the coronavirus pandemic would have hit India very hard with a peak load of more than 1.40 crore cases arriving in June, professor M Vidyasagar of IIT Hyderabad has pointed out after conducting a study on ‘Progression of the Covid-19 Pandemic in India: Prognosis and Lockdown Impacts’. “Given our lack of preparedness … Read more
Oct. 7, 2020 — FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, MD, says no COVID-19 vaccine will be approved without input from its vaccine advisory panel — a step that will slow the process down and require public comment. That step will be required whether a drugmaker seeks approval for an emergency use authorization or through the regular … Read more
September 22, 2020 — Black doctors are joining to create their own independent task force to review decisions about potential COVID-19 vaccines, according to STAT News. The committee is being organized by the National Medical Association, which was founded in 1895 as a professional society for Black physicians. As trust in federal health agencies … Read more
What is a respiratory pathogens (RP) panel? A respiratory pathogens (RP) panel checks for pathogens in the respiratory tract. A pathogen is a virus, bacteria, or other organism that causes an illness. Your respiratory tract is made up of parts of the body involved in breathing. This includes your lungs, nose, and throat. There are … Read more