Medical Testing

South Africa suspends AstraZeneca vaccine drive following small clinical trial

Sun, 2021-02-07 21:56 — mike kraft

South Africa suspends AstraZeneca vaccine drive JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa has suspended plans to inoculate its front-line health care workers with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after a small clinical trial suggested that it isn't... AP NEWS

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Calls grow for US to rely on rapid tests to fight pandemic

Sat, 2021-02-06 13:49 — mike kraft

Associated Press News News from The Associated Press, the definitive source for independent journalism from every corner of the globe. AP NEWS

WASHINGTON (AP) — When a Halloween party sparked a COVID-19 outbreak at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, school officials conducted rapid screening on more than 1,000 students in a week, including many who didn’t have symptoms.

Although such asymptomatic screening isn’t approved by regulators and the 15-minute tests aren’t as sensitive as the genetic one that can take days to yield results, the testing director at the historically Black college credits the approach with quickly containing the infections and allowing the campus to remain open.

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UK backs CureVac effort to make vaccine for COVID variants U.S. rushes to catch up

Fri, 2021-02-05 10:15 — mike kraft

UK backs CureVac effort to make vaccine for COVID variants LONDON (AP) — The U.K. government announced Friday that it plans to work with a German biopharmaceutical company to develop vaccines targeting emerging variants of COVID-19 as public health... AP NEWS

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. government announced Friday that it plans to work with a German biopharmaceutical company to develop vaccines targeting emerging variants of COVID-19 as public health officials call for new tools to keep the virus in check as it mutates.

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Low Reimbursements Are Causing Some Doctors to Stop Testing for Covid

Thu, 2021-02-04 13:35 — mike kraft

Dr. Robin Larabee was thrilled to start offering coronavirus testing at her pediatrics practice in Denver last fall. Testing for children is often scarce, and her new machines could return results within minutes.

She quickly discovered an unexpected obstacle: a major health insurer that paid her less than the cost of the test itself. Each kit Dr. Larabee purchased for her machines cost about $41, but the insurer sent back half that amount each time she submitted a claim.

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OPINION: Community health centers can help stamp out Covid-19

Wed, 2021-02-03 09:58 — mike kraft

Community health centers can help stamp out Covid-19 - STAT Across the U.S., community health centers are located in areas where the epidemic is surging among communities of color. Patrick Skerrett STAT

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U.S. strikes $230 million deal for over-the-counter Covid tests

Mon, 2021-02-01 16:51 — mike kraft

U.S. strikes $230 million deal for over-the-counter Covid tests "Making easier-to-use tests available to every American is a high priority with obvious benefits," White House Covid-19 adviser Andy Slavitt told reporters NBC News

The Biden administration announced a $230 million deal to ramp up production of the country's first over-the-counter, at-home Covid-19 test.

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UK detects S.African coronavirus variant in people with no travel links

Mon, 2021-02-01 10:32 — mike kraft

UK detects S.African coronavirus variant in people with no travel links Eleven people in different regions have tested positive for the South African coronavirus variant without having any links to people who have travelled recently, prompting mass testing in the areas to contain the outbreak. Reuters Staff U.S.

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‘Like Wartime’: Canadian Companies Unite to Start Mass Virus Testing

Sun, 2021-01-31 13:13 — mike kraft

TORONTO — As frustration mounts in Canada at the leaden weight of lockdowns and the glacial pace of vaccinations, a consortium of some of the country’s largest companies has launched a rapid testing program with the aim of protecting their 350,000 employees and publishing a playbook for businesses across Canada on how to reopen safely.

The program is believed to be the first of its kind among the Group of 7 industrialized nations, and has already attracted the attention of the Biden administration.

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ANALYSIS: How the Search for Covid-19 Treatments Faltered While Vaccines Sped Ahead

Sat, 2021-01-30 12:43 — mike kraft

Nearly a year into the coronavirus pandemic, as thousands of patients are dying every day in the United States and widespread vaccination is still months away, doctors have precious few drugs to fight the virus.

A handful of therapies — remdesivir, monoclonal antibodies and the steroid dexamethasone — have improved the care of Covid patients, putting doctors in a better position than they were when the virus surged last spring. But these drugs are not cure-alls and they’re not for everyone, and efforts to repurpose other drugs, or discover new ones, have not had much success.

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