Tag Archives: Peter Hotez

Our West Nile summer

Posted on July 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of rain = lots of mosquitoes. Local health authorities worry the post-Beryl explosion of the blood-sucking insects could become more than a nuisance, raising the risk of infections of West Nile and other mosquito-borne illnesses. At least 496 mosquito … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

FDA suggests annual COVID booster

Posted on January 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I like the idea of this, which is to make COVID shots simpler and thus hopefully more likely to be taken, but it seems to be more nuanced than that. The US Food and Drug Administration wants to simplify the … Continue reading →

Posted in National news, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on FDA suggests annual COVID booster

The new county COVID risk assessment system

Posted on September 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how it works. Harris County has revamped its method for assessing the public’s risk for contracting COVID-19, replacing the threat level system that has been in place since early in the pandemic with a community level system that … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The new county COVID risk assessment system

Yeah, ivermectin is useless against COVID

Posted on March 27, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Hardly a surprise. Antiparasitic drug Ivermectin became a partisan battleground during the Covid-19 pandemic, as anti-vaccine influencers and Republican politicians hawked it as a miracle cure, to the widespread skepticism of infectious disease experts. A peer-reviewed study recently presented by Dr. Edward Mills, a professor … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Yeah, ivermectin is useless against COVID

COVID may be down but it’s definitely not out

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder, this pandemic hasn’t gone away. It’s less of a threat to us here right now, but it’s still very much a threat. The evolution of the coronavirus is likely to produce dangerous new variants that escape built-up … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Omicron on the decline in Houston

Posted on February 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news. Omicron is receding in the Houston area, new data show, even as hospitals continue to feel the strain of January’s post-holiday bump in COVID-19 cases. The region’s rate of transmission — a key metric used to gauge … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

You don’t want to go to the ICU right now

Posted on January 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

And even if for some reason you did want to go to the intensive care unit, there probably wouldn’t be room for you. The number of Texas intensive care unit beds available for adult patients is at an all-time low … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Corbevax gets its approval

Posted on January 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Kudos. Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine today announced Corbevax — a protein sub-unit COVID-19 vaccine — has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India to launch in that nation. The vaccine has been developed in … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Corbevax gets its approval

Corbevax

Posted on December 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Very cool. A Houston-made COVID-19 vaccine will likely be approved for use in India by the end of the year, said Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of Texas Children’s Hospitals Center for Vaccine Development. Hotez and his co-director, Dr. Maria Elena … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Here comes omicron

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It was always just a matter of time. Texas has identified its first case of the omicron COVID-19 variant, a strain flagged as potentially more infectious than any that has come before it, including the delta variant responsible for surges … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Here comes omicron

Harris County at “moderate” threat level again

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

For now. As with all things, for now. The COVID-19 threat level in Harris County was reduced Friday to moderate from significant as the local number of hospitalized patients and new cases met thresholds that guide the meter while a … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Back to Code Red

Posted on August 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty much inevitable at this point. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Thursday returned the county to the highest COVID-19 threat level and urged unvaccinated residents to stay home and avoid unnecessary contact with others. At a news conference, Hidalgo … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

You can lose the mask if you’re fully vaxxed

Posted on May 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Do your part, reap the reward. Federal health officials reversed course Thursday and advised that people who are fully vaccinated can stop wearing masks and observing social distancing in most indoor and outdoor settings. It’s welcome news for many who … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | 21 Comments

It still looks grim in the Houston area

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Brace yourselves. As Houston left 2020 in the rearview mirror, the coronavirus continued to spread throughout the region unchecked, with some of the highest positivity rates since the start of the pandemic. And that spike will only continue to climb, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A new high in hospitalizations

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is fine. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported Monday a pandemic high 11,351 hospitalizations from COVID-19. This surpasses the previous all-time high of 10,893, which occurred on July 22. The record comes in the midst of a … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Next in line for the vaccine

Posted on December 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Attention will shift to more vulnerable populations. Texans who are 65 years old and older, and those who are at least 16 with certain chronic medical conditions will be next in line for the COVID-19 vaccine, the Texas Department of … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Can we get enough people vaccinated?

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s going to take a lot of work. In poll after poll, alarming numbers say they don’t plan to be inoculated with the vaccine, whose 95 percent efficacy rate in trials exceeded everyone’s expectations. It’s scientists’ nightmare: create one of … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

We are not ready to re-reopen

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but… Texas COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined the most significantly — 4,144 Tuesday, down from 10,893 on July 22 — but new cases, positive test rates, daily deaths and viral spread are all … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We are not ready to re-reopen

Coronavirus and hurricane shelters

Posted on August 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Two things we have to be thinking about today. Houston officials and public health experts are expressing concern that Tropical Storm Laura could amplify the spread of COVID-19 by displacing residents to public shelters or residences outside the area, increasing … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Our vaccination rates are down, too

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I wish I had a snappy intro for this, but I just don’t. The summer months are typically the busiest of the year in Dr. Kenya Parks’ office, a steady flow of parents trotting in their little ones to receive … Continue reading →

Posted in School days, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Our vaccination rates are down, too

We need to understand what we did wrong

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

So yeah, we need this. Two of the nation’s most influential experts on the coronavirus pandemic, both based in Texas, are calling for an independent, nonpartisan investigation of the U.S. response to the novel coronavirus. “We must prevent this from … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Have we gone from “concerned” to “alarmed” yet?

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’re getting there. With cases of the coronavirus surging to record levels in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott recommended Tuesday that Texans stay home as much as possible and for the first time moved to allow the tightening of two kinds … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

How bad is it going to get in Houston?

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m worried, y’all. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas continued to reach record highs over the weekend while new cases also climbed in the Houston area. The new figures come as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and leaders in other … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Anti-vaxxers gonna anti-vaxx

Posted on June 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Every step of the way, they are an obstacle to public health. The Texas group that lobbies against vaccine mandates is now launching a campaign against COVID-19 contact tracing, the public health measure used for decades around the world to … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Anti-vaxxers gonna anti-vaxx

So how’s that reopening going?

Posted on June 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Well, there’s more of it. Gov. Greg Abbott announced his third phase Wednesday of reopening Texas businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing virtually all of them to operate at 50% capacity. That is effective immediately, and there are “very limited … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

That’s not how you test

Posted on May 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. Texas health officials made a key change Thursday to how they report data about the coronavirus, distinguishing antibody tests from standard viral tests and prompting slight increases in the state’s oft-cited daily statistic known as the positivity rate. The … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Are we headed towards a coronavirus spike?

Posted on May 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

One set of researchers thinks we may be. Houston is one of several cities in the South that could see spikes in COVID-19 cases over the next four weeks as restrictions are eased, according to new research that uses cellphone … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

We still have no idea how many people have been infected

Posted on April 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

There’s just a real lack of testing being done. Six times in three weeks, Marci Rosenberg and her ailing husband and teenage children tried to get tested for the new coronavirus — only to be turned away each time, either … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We still have no idea how many people have been infected

The Houston healthcare community is preparing for COVID-19

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I sure hope it’s enough. With last week’s new certainty that the novel coronavirus is loose and being transmitted in Houston, the region’s medical providers are bracing for the current handful of known cases to blaze into an outbreak like nothing in … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The state responds to coronavirus

Posted on March 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Like it or not, we need to be prepared. Texas officials are scrambling to remain prepared for a major outbreak of a pneumonia-like disease whose global spread one expert says is now moving into “the next phase.” From the governor’s … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The state responds to coronavirus

Our vaccine exception rates keep going up

Posted on June 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A small change to the law in 2003 has had a big effect over time. As measles cases hit a 25-year high in the United States, Texas medical experts fear the state could see the next outbreak of a vaccine-preventable … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Our vaccine exception rates keep going up

Our measles risk

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Do I spend too much time worrying about stuff like this, or do I not spend enough time on it? Harris County is one of the nation’s most vulnerable counties to a measles outbreak, according to a new study based … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Our measles risk

Can we turn the anti-vax tide in the Lege this session?

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It sure would be nice, and this needs to be the primary goal. In Texas, children are required to have certain sets of vaccinations before they can be enrolled in public school – including the vaccine for measles. But parents … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Can we turn the anti-vax tide in the Lege this session?

Measles comes back to Houston

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We all vaccinated our kids, right? Five cases of measles have been confirmed in the greater Houston area, a regional cluster that makes Texas the eleventh state this year to report the highly contagious disease until recently thought virtually eliminated … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments