Month: December 2020

Nearly one in four people may not get Covid-19 vaccines until at least 2022 because rich countries with less than 15% of the global population have reserved 51% of the doses of the most promising vaccines, researchers said.
Low- and middle-income countries – home to more than 85% of the world’s population – would have to share the remainder, said researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the United States.
An effective response to the pandemic requires high-income countries “to share in an equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines across the world”, they wrote.
“The uncertainty over global access to Covid-19 vaccines traces not only to ongoing clinical testing, but also from the failure of governments and vaccine manufacturers to be more transparent and accountable over these arrangements,” they added.
As of November 15, high-income nations had pre-ordered nearly 7.5 billion doses of vaccines from 13 manufacturers, the paper said.
This included Japan, Australia and Canada who collectively have more than 1 billion doses but accounted for less than 1% of current novel coronavirus cases, it said.
Even if leading manufacturers’ vaccines reach their projected maximum production capacity, nearly 25% of the world’s population may not get the vaccines for another year or more, according to the paper. The People’s Vaccine Alliance coalition last week said pharmaceutical companies should openly share their technology and intellectual property through the World Health Organisation (WHO) so that more doses can be manufactured.
The John Hopkins researchers said WHO’s COVAX Facility could play a key role in ensuring fairer access to approved vaccines but it has only secured 500 million doses, far below its target of delivering at least 2 billion doses by the end of 2021.

Not only have been worried about staying healthy this year from COVID, but for the past couple of months, you’ve also had to put the flu on your radar, as well. If you feel like you’ve caught the flu, don’t worry, rest, tea, and nutritious foods will help to keep your immune system strong as your body fends off the virus. With that said, there are also a few foods you can avoid to help expedite this process and even make your symptoms more manageable.
Alcohol
Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that you can become dehydrated quickly if you don’t drink water in tandem with it. If you have an elevated temperature or the onset of a low-grade fever, dehydration is something you want to avoid, as Kacie Vavrek, MS, RD, CSSD notes in an article for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Opt for sparkling water or electrolyte-infused water to help stay hydrated.
Greasy foods
If you’re experiencing gastrointestinal issues, you’ll want to avoid fried, greasy foods. Why? These foods have a high saturated fat content, and are difficult for your body to break down. The last thing you want to do is add more stress on your gut when it’s already feeling wonky.
Milk
The science around whether or not dairy milk causes the body to create mucus is inconclusive, however, for some it could help to alleviate pressure in their chest. If you’re already feeling congested, consider ditching the cow’s milk. And don’t miss Major Recent Findings About Dairy You Should Know.
Sugary foods
Added sugars are known to cause inflammation in the body, which can suppress immune function. Avoid the candy, donuts, and other sugary foods (and drinks) until your symptoms subside. Instead, reach for nutrient-dense fruits that are rich in vitamin C to get your sweet fix, including oranges and strawberries. Also consider incorporating kale into your diet, one cup (raw and chopped) offers roughly 80 milligrams of vitamin C, which is 89% of your daily value (90 milligrams).
Quinoa
Grains that are more difficult to digest should also be avoided when your stomach is feeling upset, such as complex carbs that are high in fiber such as wheat-based breads and pastas and eve grains like quinoa—especially when it’s not fully cooked. Instead, Vavrek recommends sticking to saltine crackers, toast, and pretzels.
Source: eatthis.com

A study conducted by the Transfusion Medicine Department of King George’s Medical University (KGMU) has found that the antibodies are depleting at a faster rate among the Covid-19 survivors above 50 years of age. The study further found that survivors in all the age groups, who were symptomatic for just one day, had stronger and more lasting antibodies in comparison to those who were symptomatic for more than a day.
These are the two interesting results thrown up for further research on 800 Covid-19 survivors who came for plasma donation after recovering from the disease.
The results of the study also revealed that antibodies were not only in sufficient numbers but also strong when the plasma was donated within 12-53 days post-recovery.
According to the head of the Transfusion Medicine, Prof Tulika Chandra, the department conducted the study during collecting plasma from Covid-19 patients, post-recovery, for the blood and plasma bank.
Of 800 plasma donors, 400 were not found suitable for donation. While 50 of them were anaemic or underweight or HIV positive and had other complications, 70 had contact history but never tested positive through RT-PCR method. About 53 were found unfit because they had come after the lapse of the three-month post-recovery period prescribed for donation.
However, the remaining 227 donors out of 400 ‘unfit’ donors were such who fulfilled all the criteria — they had confirmed positive, post-recovery period below three months and had no other disqualification but their plasma was not taken because antibodies were either not present or were in insufficient quantity.
“A majority of such donors, both male and females, were above 50 years of age. “We do not know yet whether antibodies were not formed at all or only short-acting antibodies were formed in these cases, but the result suggests that the threat of re-infection might be higher in people above 50 years,” she said.
Further, the study revealed that the ‘quality and quantity’ of antibodies among the 400 fit donors was better in Covid-19 survivors who were symptomatic for a day in comparison to those who had symptoms for more days.
Prof. Chandra said these findings need further research to explain the phenomenon responsible for it and reach any conclusion.