Researchers can test blood samples taken for other reasons to see if patients have previously had COVID-19.
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Your blood can hold a record of past illnesses. That information can reveal how many people have had a certain infection – like 58% of Americans having had COVID-19 by the end of February 2022.
Although the COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives, they have been insufficient at preventing breakthrough infections.
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Research suggests that too-frequent immunizations may lead to a phenomenon called “immune exhaustion.”
Emergency medical technicians aid a COVID-19 patient at his home in Louisville, Kentucky. Like much of the U.S., Louisville is experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 patients requiring emergency transport to medical facilities.
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Medications to treat COVID-19 are in no way a substitute for the vaccine. But under the right circumstances, some show great promise for helping patients.
An FDA panel has voted against recommending approval of a booster COVID-19 shot for the general population – disappointing some public health officials.
Although there is no evidence yet that it affects COVID-19 vaccines, schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease, has been associated with lower vaccine immunity for several vaccines.
Despite rampant misinformation, studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for both the mom and baby.
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COVID-19 vaccination produces a more consistent immune response than a past infection. With the delta variant, the difference in protection may be even greater.
One of this and one of that might be a good strategy to coronavirus vaccination.
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Various companies use different ingredients and different delivery systems in their COVID-19 vaccines. Researchers are investigating whether it’s better for individuals to mix what’s available.
A man receives the COVID-19 vaccine in Lima, Peru.
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The survival of the human body is a fine balancing act between cell growth and cell death. Understanding our cells’ complex “licence to die” could give us new ways to combat disease.
A sign shows the way to a recovery area to monitor any immediate side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 17, 2020, in Reno, Nevada.
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Many people never experience the least bit of discomfort from the COVID-19 vaccines, but mild side effects are common. They include swelling in the affected arm, nausea and chills.
Vaccination produces a much stronger and more consistent immune response than infection.
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If you’ve already had the coronavirus and recovered, you might be tempted to give the vaccine a pass. A scientist explains why the shot offers the best protection against future infection.
An immunologist explains that you get some protection from the first dose of the mRNA vaccines but you need two to build up strong immunity, particularly to newer coronavirus variants.
Gene-based vaccines had never been approved for humans before the coronavirus pandemic.
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The coronavirus pandemic has driven a lot of scientific progress in the past year. But just as some of the social changes are likely here to stay, so are some medical innovations.
It’s not a stretch to say asymptomatic spreaders unwittingly engage in zombielike behaviors.
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SARS-CoV-2 is much like a zombie virus. It interferes with normal sickness behavior and blocks pain, turning its victims into unsick spreaders of the virus.
The microbes living in the gut are key to good health.
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The microbes in your gut influence how your immune system reacts to bacteria and viruses. A severe immune reaction is deadly; a small one lets the virus win. The right balance may depend on your diet.
The older you get, the more slowly you heal, and there are a number of reasons why.
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Healing is a complicated process. As people age, higher rates of disease and the fact that old cells lose the ability to divide slow this process down.
A man in San Pablo, California, gets a flu shot at a drive-through flu shot clinic Nov. 6, 2014.
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Any COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be given first to higher risk groups before it is given to children. But we still need vaccines that are safe and effective for them too.
Associate Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Affiliate Associate Professor of Genome Sciences and Microbiology, University of Washington