News
Children are not invulnerable to COVID-19 says Schaffner
Sep. 30, 2020—Children can catch, suffer and die from the coronavirus, according to the report. Between March 1 and Sept. 19, at least 277,285 schoolchildren in 38 states tested positive for the virus. And 51 of them — including 20 youngsters 5 to 11 years old — died of COVID-19. In all, 3,189 children ages 5 to 17 were...
Covid-19 twice as likely in teens than in younger kids says Creech
Sep. 29, 2020—Teenagers are twice as likely to be diagnosed with Covid-19 than younger kids, according to a report released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data could help to “inform decisions about in-person learning,” the study authors wrote. The findings should give us reassurance” that sending kids back to school is “an appropriate...
Buntin looks at U.S. households struck by COVID-19 financial hardships
Sep. 28, 2020—COVID-19 has caused widespread damage to the economy — so wide that it can be easy to overlook how unevenly households are suffering. But new polling data out this month reveal households that either have had someone with COVID-19 or include someone who has a disability or special needs are much more likely to also be hurting...
Lack of trust in a COVID-19 vaccine is a problem says Schaffner
Sep. 28, 2020—Covid-19 vaccinations could start as early as November or December, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said Friday. Fauci’s comments come as the US passed 7 million confirmed cases of Covid-19, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. More than 203,000 people have died. While vaccines for Covid-19 are being tested, the growing skepticism...
CNBC talks to Graves about next steps for the Affordable Care Act
Sep. 28, 2020—The Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments in a case against the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, after the presidential election in November. Millions of Americans have been laid off during the coronavirus pandemic and lost employer-sponsored health insurance along with their jobs. People could continue their employer-based insurance through a program...
Schaffner discusses new research on the asymptomatic spread of COVID-19
Sep. 23, 2020—“Even if we’re seemingly healthy, we have to wear masks” to reduce the risk of asymptomatic spread, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, said. Swab samples taken from patients’ noses and throats found no difference in the viral loads of either group. That suggests both groups...
Schaffner discusses the CDC’s COVID-19 response
Sep. 22, 2020—Dr. William Schaffner, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Former CDC Official, joins Yahoo Finance’s Akiko Fujita to break down the latest coronavirus developments, as the CDC changes their guidelines on aerosol spread of the virus.
Buntin is a Nashville Business Journal’s Women of Influence
Sep. 17, 2020—Get to know Women of Influence winner Melinda Buntin, of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Schaffner comments on COVID-19 vaccine trial complications
Sep. 17, 2020—The precise cause of the disease is key to the decision by authorities whether to resume the trial. Sometimes an underlying medical condition is “unmasked” by a person’s immune response to the vaccine, leading to illness, as happened with the MS patient. In that case, the trial might be continued without fear, because the illness...
Siloam Health welcomes Next Generation Board Member Belcher
Sep. 15, 2020—Siloam Health is blessed to have the input of an amazing group of individuals who help ensure that we carry out our mission and vision with excellence, integrity, and compassion. These leaders serve in the context of several different bodies with overlapping missions: The Board of Directors, which is legally responsible for governance, fiscal oversight, and strategic planning for...
Roumie to direct MPH Program
Sep. 15, 2020—Christianne Roumie, MD, MPH, has been named director of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Master of Public Health program, a two-year interdisciplinary program accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. Roumie, who completed her MPH at Vanderbilt in 2005, credits the program for igniting her passion for public health. Since earning her...
VUMC will take part of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine study says Creech
Sep. 14, 2020—Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is among participants working on a 30,000 person nationwide study involving a promising COVID-19 vaccine. Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, the director of Vanderbilt’s Vaccine Research Program says the center will take part in the Moderna study and they are currently enrolling participants for a vaccine developed by Pfizer. As Creech...
Community and close contact exposures contribute to the spread of COVID-19
Sep. 10, 2020—Findings from a case-control investigation of symptomatic outpatients from 11 U.S. health care facilities found that close contact with persons with known COVID-19 or going to locations that offer on-site eating and drinking options were associated with COVID-19 positivity. Adults with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results were approximately twice as likely to have reported dining at...
People should get their flu vaccine now advises Talbot
Sep. 9, 2020—Doctors and health officials are urging Americans to get vaccinated against influenza in record numbers this fall to avoid a dreaded scenario: flu colliding with a raging coronavirus pandemic. “If you let your health suffer, you’re more at risk from covid-19,” Vanderbilt University infectious-disease expert Keipp Talbot said. “If you’re going to be exposed to anyone at all,...
Keeping safety in forefront key to successful sports season says Diamond
Sep. 4, 2020—For weeks, coaches have put athletes through an endless series of drills in hopes that the repeated exercises will lead to a mastery of the skills. Their ultimate goal — wins. While plays and routes will become second nature to student athletes, there are a few additional skills that need to be in the lineup...