Wednesday, September 16, 2020 (Kaiser News) — More than 20 states either don’t release or have incomplete data on the rapid antigen tests now considered key to containing the coronavirus, which has sickened more than 6 million Americans. The lapses leave officials and the public in the dark about the true scope of the pandemic … Read more
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Coughs and fevers increase every winter, which will lead to high demand for coronavirus tests If most people with a cough or fever request a coronavirus test this winter, there won’t be enough tests every day for five months, a study estimates. Based on normal levels of coughs and … Read more
FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A new clinical trial will try to determine whether the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine can protect health care workers from being infected with COVID-19. Hundreds of millions of people have received the MMR vaccine since it was developed nearly 50 years ago. It’s usually given … Read more
Image copyright Getty Images A director of the government’s test and trace programme in England has issued a “heartfelt” apology for problems with the coronavirus testing system. In a tweet, Sarah-Jane Marsh explained it was the laboratories, not the testing sites themselves, that were the “critical pinch-point”. This comes as scientists have sounded the alarm … Read more
Image copyright Getty Images The main test used to diagnose coronavirus is so sensitive it could be picking up fragments of dead virus from old infections, scientists say. Most people are infectious only for about a week, but could test positive weeks afterwards. Researchers say this could be leading to an over-estimate of the current … Read more
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Hong Kong is battling repeated surges in infections Hong Kong has begun a free universal Covid-19 testing programme, despite criticism that it is not effective and could be misused for surveillance. The voluntary mass testing is being conducted with the help of medical staff from mainland China. A health workers … Read more
Aug. 31, 2020 — Emergency use authorization or approval for a COVID-19 vaccine before Phase 3 clinical trials are complete could be considered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to the agency’s commissioner, Dr. Stephen Hahn. “It is up to the sponsor [vaccine developer] to apply for authorization or approval, and we make … Read more
Nursing home staff will have to be tested regularly for COVID-19, and facilities that fail to do so will face fines, the Trump administration said Tuesday. Even though they account for less than 1% of the nation’s population, long-term care facilities account for 42% of COVID-19 deaths in the United States, the Associated Press reported. … Read more
By Robin Foster and E.J. Mundell HealthDay Reporters FRIDAY, Aug. 21, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The Trump administration has blocked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from regulating a wide swath of laboratory tests, including ones for the coronavirus. The new policy, which was posted Wednesday and is strongly opposed by the FDA itself, stunned … Read more
Image copyright Getty Images Poor regulation of antibodies tests – that could indicate if someone has had coronavirus – could be putting the public at risk, doctors have warned. The Royal College of Pathologists has written to the health secretary, calling for rules to be tightened on kits sold direct to consumers. The letter warns … Read more