Tag: effective

7 Effective Ways To Get Rid of Age Spots, According to Dermatologists

Health/Skin care/Anti Aging

There’s nothing quite like looking in the mirror—or down at your hands—to discover spots and freckles you could swear weren’t there yesterday. Even though most of us have experienced our share of hyperpigmentation, we’re also fortunate enough to have tons of options at our disposal to, well, remove those annoying age spots before they get any worse.

So what are age spots, anyway? “Also known as sun spots or solar lentigines, age spots are benign pigmented spots typically caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun,” says Noelani González, MD, board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic dermatology at Mount Sinai West in New York. UV rays cause our pigment-producing skin cells to increase melanin production, resulting in those pesky brown spots.

If you have a family history of age spots, you’re more prone to developing them when you’re exposed to the sun (or tanning beds). They usually appear as flat brown spots on the areas of skin that are exposed to the sun most—face, neck, chest, hands, arms, and back—but can also appear as seborrheic keratosis, which are raised, wart-like skin growths.

When It Comes to Age Spots, Prevention is Everything

Even though age spots are usually no biggie, it’s crucial to prevent sun damage not only for aesthetic purposes, but to stay protected against skin cancer, says New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Ariel Ostad, MD, who recommends amping up your sun safety habits—like frequently applying broad spectrum sunscreen, staying out of the sun during its most powerful hours (12 p.m. to 5 p.m.), and covering your body with clothing and hats, as able.

As for the age spots that have already turned up on your skin? Here are the most effective over-the-counter and in-office treatments that dermatologists recommend.

How to Get Rid of Age Spots

Sunscreen

“The best OTC option to minimize current (and prevent future) age spots is sunscreen,” says Dr. González. Not only will sunscreen prevent the age spots you already have from getting darker, it will also keep future ones from forming. Experts recommend choosing sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum protection of SPF 30 or higher, such as Neutrogena Sheer Dry-Touch, EltaMD UV Clear, Cotz Flawless Complexion, and CeraVe Hydrating.

Non-prescription lightening creams and serums

OTC lightening creams help to reduce age spots by suppressing the production of melanin, says Anthony Youn, MD, board-certified plastic surgeon and author of The Age Fix. (Just note that they are most effective on age spots that have been caught early and are still on the lighter side.)

If you’d like to give this option a whirl, the active ingredients to look for are hydroquinone, glycolic acid, kojic acid, licorice root extract, and niacinamide. Hydroquinone is considered the gold standard of lightening, but is known for being harsher on skin and may trigger side effects, such as skin irritation and rebound pigmentation if it’s applied for too long, says Dr. Youn.

Dr. González’s top OTC picks include Skin Medica’s Lytera 2.0 Pigment Correcting Serum and SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense: “Both contain tranexamic acid, an ingredient also known for its lightening capabilities that tends to be less irritating than hydroquinone for some,” she says. She also recommends Murad Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Gel—it contains hydroquinone and glycolic acid, which helps to exfoliate the top layer of your skin.

If you struggle with spots on your face, you could also try incorporating a vitamin C serum into your daily routine. Since vitamin C is an antioxidant, it helps to protect the skin against sun damage, prevents dark spots, and gives an overall brightening effect.

Prescription fade creams

Prescription topical drugs can work slowly to lighten age spots (think: several weeks to months), the two most commonly prescribed being hydroquinone and tretinoin. Hydroquinone works by slowing the production of melanin, says Dr. Ostad, while tretinoin is a retinol cream that can improve skin texture and reduce pigmentation. Side effects are typically minimal, but can include itching, redness, or dryness.

Cryotherapy

During this in-office procedure, liquid nitrogen (a freezing agent) is applied to the age spots. “This freezes and destroys the pigment-making cells, causing the spots to flake off,” says Dr. González. As the skin heals, it appears lighter. This treatment is best for single age spots or small clusters of them, and can be done a few times a month if necessary.

Chemical peels

Depending on the depth of the peel, this treatment can be helpful in reducing the appearance of age spots, says New Jersey-based board-certified dermatologist Shari Sperling, DO. It involves your dermatologist applying an acid to the area, which burns the outer layer of your skin to where the age spots are camping out. As this layer of skin sloughs off, a new layer replaces it. The number of treatments needed vary based on the severity of the age spots and type of peel—side effects can range from none to a few days of peeling/dryness, says Dr. Sperling.

Intense pulsed light (IPL)

“Hands down, the easiest and most effective option for age spots is IPL,” says Dr. Youn, which uses light to target the color brown. “This destroys the pigment, causing the age spot to turn darker and slough off after about a week,” he explains. Most people require upwards of four treatments for optimal effect. Bonus: There’s no downtime and the treatment is virtually pain-free.

Laser treatments

Depending on your skin color, skin tone, and the location of your age spots, there are several types of laser treatments that can help. This is the preferred method of nixing age spots for dermatologists, thanks to the quicker recovery time and longer-lasting results. “The PicoWay is an especially effective laser to treat age spots, as the advanced laser uses ultra-short picosecond pulses to break up particles of skin pigmentation,” says Dr. Ostad.

Fraxel laser treatments are also a great option for age spots, he says. The technique uses a fractional laser (a focused beam of light that’s broken into a multitude of pinpoints) to deliver heat into the skin. This vaporizes the pigmented skin cells, while encouraging collagen remodeling in deep skin layers—and in addition to a reduction in age spots, results in tighter, smoother skin.

By: Krissy Brady

Source: Pocket

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Related Sources:

We wanted to take the time to recognize some of the unsung skincare heroes in the online community, the writers who know their stuff and link to reputable sources so that you know you can trust them. These 17 skincare writers are doctors, aestheticians, scientists, and often acne-sufferers themselves, and they are making scientifically-sound skincare available to all. If you’re looking for trustworthy skincare resources, look no further than this list.

Perry Romanowski and Valerie George of The Beauty Brains

Lisa and Marcia of Beauty Info Zone

Nicki Zevola Benvenuti of FutureDerm

Geri Brin of Fab Over Fifty

Dr. Cynthia Bailey of the Dr. Cynthia Bailey Skin Health and Wellness Blog

Renée Rouleau of Renée Rouleau Skincare

Alicia Yoon of Peach and Lily and Pibuu

Elizabeth Dehn of Beauty Bets

Patricia Bright of Patricia Bright

Ruth Crilly of A Model Recommends

Amber Clark of Barefoot Blonde

Caroline Hirons of Caroline Hirons

Huda Kattan of Huda Beauty

Nikkie de Jager of Nikkie Tutorials

Meg Biram of Meg Biram

Grasie Mercedes of Grasie Mercedes

Mary Helen Leonard of The Natural Beauty Workshop

The Lambda Coronavirus Variant Has Arrived In Australia Here’s What We Know So Far

Covid19, Health/Medicine News

We’ve seen the Alpha, Kappa and Delta variants cross our borders, but it turns out another strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 has reached our shores.

The variant, named Lambda by the World Health Organization (WHO) last month, was detected in an overseas traveller who was in hotel quarantine in New South Wales in April, according to national genomics database AusTrakka.

Some reports suggest the new variant could be fast spreading and difficult to tackle with vaccines. So what sets this variant apart from others and should we be concerned?

Here’s what we know so far.

Where did it originate?

Previously known as C.37, Lambda was first detected in Peru in December 2020. Since then, it’s spread to 29 countries, seven of which are in South America.

In April and May this year, Lambda accounted for over 80 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Peru, with a high proportion of cases also in Chile, Argentina, and Ecuador.

On 14 June, Lambda was listed as a ‘variant of interest’ by the World Health Organization due to its vast spread in South America.

Variants of interest are listed as such because they have the potential to be more infectious and severe, but haven’t yet had the devastating impact of those listed as variants of concern.

On 23 June, Public Health England classified it as a ‘variant under investigation’, after six cases were detected in the UK to date, which were all linked to overseas travel.

What makes it different from other variants?

There are now 11 official SARS-CoV-2 variants listed by the WHO.

All SARS-CoV-2 variants are distinguished from one another by mutations in their spike proteins — the components of the virus that allow it to invade human cells.

For instance, the Delta variant first detected in India has two key spike protein mutations — T478K and L452R  — that allow it to infect cells more easily and evade the body’s immune response.

According to research published last week but yet to be peer reviewed,  Lambda has seven unique spike protein mutations.

A Chilean team of scientists analysed blood samples from health workers in Santiago who had received two doses of the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech in China.

They found  the Lambda variant has a mutation called L452Q, which is similar to the L452R mutation seen in the Delta and Epsilon variants.

As the L452R mutation is thought to make Delta and Epsilon more infectious and resilient against vaccination, the team concluded that Lambda’s L452Q mutation might also help it spread far and wide.

While it’s possible that Lambda is indeed more infectious than other variants, it’s too early to know for sure, said Kirsty Short, a virologist at the University of Queensland.

“It’s very preliminary,” said Dr Short, who was not involved in the study.

“It’s a good starting point, but I certainly wouldn’t infer anything from that into the clinic.”

Are vaccines still effective against the Lambda variant?

The study also found signs that Lambda’s unique spike mutations could help it slip past the body’s immune response.

The results of the study suggested that the CoronaVac vaccine produces fewer neutralising antibodies — proteins that defend cells against infections — in response to the Lambda variant.

But according to Paul Griffin, who specialises in infectious diseases and vaccines at the University of Queensland, it’s important to remember that these antibodies are just one aspect of immunity.

“We know that [neutralizing antibodies] only tell a part of the story,” said Dr Griffin, who was not involved in the study.

“If that further immunity remains intact, then even with a reduction in neutralizing antibodies, sometimes that protection can still be enough.”

It’s also worth remembering that different vaccines work in different ways to respond to the virus and its variants.

“You can’t really extrapolate from one vaccine,” Dr Short said.

CoronaVac uses inactive versions of SARS-CoV-2 to kick the immune system into gear.

On the other hand, Pfizer contains a single strand of the genetic code that builds the virus’s spike proteins, while AstraZeneca contains a double-strand.

Dr Griffin said that more traditional inactivated vaccines like CoronaVac have proven to be less effective overall than others.

“As a broad category, the inactivated ones have been a little bit underwhelming, particularly compared to others that have such high rates of efficacy,” said Dr Griffin, who was not involved in the study.

While not much is known about how effective the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are against Lambda, their response to the Delta variant can offer clues.

A recent study from the UK found that two doses of either Pfizer or AstraZeneca are over 90 per cent effective at preventing hospitalisation due to the Delta variant.

Should Australia be worried?

While there has only been one case of Lambda recorded in hotel quarantine in Australia so far, it’s worth keeping an eye on the emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants around the world, Dr Short said.

“There’s a reason why it’s a variant that we’re watching and looking into more, but it’s certainly not at a point of panic or anything like that.”

Dr Griffin added that Lambda would need to out-compete Delta to become a major concern. “That’s certainly not what we’re seeing,” he said.  But as more people get infected, the more chance the virus has to evolve into new variants, Dr Short said.

The best way to tackle this is to focus on getting more people vaccinated, not just in Australia, but globally. “What this should emphasise to everyone is that we need global effort in the vaccination campaign,” Dr Short said.

 By: ABC Health & Wellbeing Gemma Conroy

Source: The Lambda coronavirus variant has arrived in Australia. Here’s what we know so far – ABC News

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More Articles:

Music festival in the Netherlands leads to over 1,000 Covid infections

Covid cases are surging again in Latin America and the U.S., WHO officials warn

Covid cluster at hotel hosting Olympic athletes raises concerns as Tokyo cases surge

Hospitalizations rising again as delta variant spreads among the unvaccinated, doctors say

South Korea reports 1,600 new Covid cases as it tackles outbreak on military vessel

High Turnover? Here Are 3 Things CEOs Do That Sabotage Their Workplace Culture

Employee Behaviour/Strategy, Organization Psychology, Organization/Management, Workplace/Strategy

She has one too many deadlines to deal with

Every CEO wants long-standing employees, but their ineffective leadership causes organizational stress that cripples the workplace culture. Quite often, we read articles or hear of CEOs abusing their power and tarnishing their company’s reputation.

This is due to them neglecting feedback from their team and making decisions based solely on their own judgement. Not only does this erode trust, but it sets a standard that employee and leadership voices are not welcome.

When employees are taken care of, they go above and beyond to drive the company forward. Conversely, when they don’t feel valued, appreciated or kept in the loop, employees quickly become disengaged. The cost of a disengaged employee impacts more than the bottom line.

It decreases productivity, creates negative client experiences and destroys the company culture, to name a few. According to a Gallup survey, the State of the American Workplace 2021, 80% of workers are not fully engaged or are actively disengaged at work.

While CEOs claim to embody a people-first and feedback-driven culture, they believe, due to their position, that they know better than everyone else. Todd Ramlin, manager of Cable Compare, said, “if a person is fortunate to have the opportunity to be a CEO, they need to ask themselves if they can live by the company values, expectations, rules and processes that are in place.” They can’t pick and choose which rules and processes to abide by, yet punish others when they do the same. Doing so cultivates a toxic workplace and demonstrates poor leadership.

Here are three things CEOs do that sabotage their workplace culture.

Embraces Data, Dodges Emotions

The workplace is made up of a diverse group of experiences and perspectives. CEOs who lack the emotional intelligence to understand another person’s viewpoint or situation will find themselves losing their most valuable people. Sabine Saadeh, financial trading and asset management expert, said, “companies that are only data driven and don’t care about the well-being of their employees will not sustain in today’s global economy.”

Businessolver’s 2021 State Of Workplace Empathy report, revealed that “68% of CEOs fear that they’ll be less respected if they show empathy in the workplace.” CEOs who fail to lead with empathy will find themselves with a revolving door of leadership team members and employees. I once had a CEO tell me that he didn’t want emotions present in his business because it created a distraction from the data. His motto was, “if it’s not data, it’s worthless”.

As such, he disregarded feedback of employee dissatisfaction and burnout. Yet, he couldn’t understand why the average tenure of his employees very rarely surpassed one year. Willie Greer, founder of The Product Analyst, asserted, “data is trash if you’re replacing workers because you care more about data than your people.”

Micromanages Their Leadership Team

One of the ways a CEO sabotages a company’s culture is by micromanaging their leadership team. Consequently, this leads to leadership having to micromanage their own team to satisfy the CEOs unrealistic expectations. When leadership feels disempowered to make decisions, they either pursue another opportunity or check out due to not being motivated to achieve company goals.

As such, the executives who were hired to bring change aren’t able to live up to their full potential. Moreover, they’re unable to make the impact they desired due to the CEOs lack of trust in them. Employees undoubtedly feel the stress of their leadership team as it reverberates across the company.

Arun Grewal, founder and Editor-in-chief at Coffee Breaking Pr0, said, most CEOs are specialists in one area or another, which can make them very particular. However, if they want to drive their company forward they need to trust in the experts they hired rather than trying to make all of the company’s decisions.

At one point during my career, I reported to a CEO who never allowed me to fully take over my department. Although he praised me for my HR expertise during the interview, once hired, I quickly realized he still wanted full control over my department. Despite not having HR experience, he disregarded everything I brought to the table to help his company.

I soon began questioning my own abilities. No matter how hard I tried to shield my team from the stress I endured, the CEO would reach out to them directly to micromanage their every move. This left our entire department feeling drained, demoralized and demotivated. Sara Bernier, founder of Born for Pets, said, “CEOs who meddle in the smallest of tasks chip away at the fundamentals of their own company because everything has to run through them”. She added, “this eliminates the employee’s ownership of their own work because all tasks are micromanaged by the CEO.”

Neglects Valuable Employee Feedback

Instead of seeking feedback from their leadership team or employees, CEOs avoid it altogether. Eropa Stein, founder and CEO of Hyre, said, “making mistakes and getting negative feedback from your team is a normal part of leading a company, no matter how long you’ve been in business.”

She went on, “as a leader, it’s important to put your ego aside and listen to feedback that will help your business grow. If everyone agrees with you all the time, you’re creating a cult mentality that’ll be detrimental to your business’ success in the long run.” This results in a toxic and unproductive workplace culture.

What’s worse than avoiding constructive feedback is receiving it and disregarding it entirely. Neglecting valuable feedback constructs a company culture where no individual feels safe voicing their concerns. Rather than silence those who give negative feedback, CEOs should embrace them. These are the individuals who are bringing issues forward to turn them into strengths in an effort to create a stronger company.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website.
Heidi Lynne Kurter

Heidi Lynne Kurter

I’m a Leadership Coach & Workplace Culture Consultant at Heidi Lynne Consulting helping individuals and organizations gain the confidence to become better leaders for themselves and their teams. As a consultant, I deliver and implement strategies to develop current talent and create impactful and engaging employee experiences. Companies hire me to to speak, coach, consult and train their teams and organizations of all sizes. I’ve gained a breadth of knowledge working internationally in Europe, America and Asia. I use my global expertise to provide virtual and in-person consulting and leadership coaching to the students at Babson College, Ivy League students and my global network. I’m a black belt in Six Sigma, former Society of Human Resources (SHRM) President and domestic violence mentor. Learn more at http://www.heidilynneco.com or get in touch at Heidi@heidilynneco.com.

Source: High Turnover? Here Are 3 Things CEOs Do That Sabotage Their Workplace Culture

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Critics:

Organizational culture refers to culture in any type of organization including that of schools, universities, not-for-profit groups, government agencies, or business entities. In business, terms such as corporate culture and company culture are often used to refer to a similar concept.

The term corporate culture became widely known in the business world in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Corporate culture was already used by managers, sociologists, and organizational theorists by the beginning of the 80s. The related idea of organizational climate emerged in the 1960s and 70s, and the terms are now somewhat overlapping,as climate is one aspect of culture that focuses primarily on the behaviors encouraged by the organization

If organizational culture is seen as something that characterizes an organization, it can be manipulated and altered depending on leadership and members. Culture as root metaphor sees the organization as its culture, created through communication and symbols, or competing metaphors. Culture is basic, with personal experience producing a variety of perspectives.

Most of the criticism comes from the writers in critical management studies who for example express skepticism about the functionalist and unitarist views about culture that are put forward by mainstream management writers. They stress the ways in which these cultural assumptions can stifle dissent towards management and reproduce propaganda and ideology. They suggest that organizations do not encompass a single culture, and cultural engineering may not reflect the interests of all stakeholders within an organization.

References

  • Schein, E. H. (1990). Organizational culture. American Psychologist, 45, 109–119. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.45.2.109
  • Compare: Hatch, Mary Jo; Cunliffe, Ann L. (2013) [1997]. “A history of organizational culture in organization theory”. Organization Theory: Modern, Symbolic and Postmodern Perspectives (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 161. ISBN 9780199640379. OCLC 809554483. Retrieved 7 June 2020. With the publication of his book The Changing Culture of a Factory in 1952, British sociologist Elliott Jaques became the first organization theorist to describe an organizational culture.
  • Jaques, Elliott (1951). The changing culture of a factory. Tavistock Institute of Human Relations. [London]: Tavistock Publications. p. 251. ISBN 978-0415264426. OCLC 300631.
  • Compare: Kummerow, Elizabeth (12 September 2013). Organisational culture : concept, context, and measurement. Kirby, Neil.; Ying, Lee Xin. New Jersey. p. 13. ISBN 9789812837837. OCLC 868980134. Jacques [sic], a Canadian psychoanalyst and organisational psychologist, made a major contribution […] with his detailed study of Glacier Metals, a medium-sized British manufacturing company.
  • Ravasi, D.; Schultz, M. (2006). “Responding to organizational identity threats: Exploring the role of organizational culture”. Academy of Management Journal. 49 (3): 433–458. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.472.2754. doi:10.5465/amj.2006.21794663.
  • Schein, Edgar H. (2004). Organizational culture and leadership (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. pp. 26–33. ISBN 0787968455. OCLC 54407721.
  • Schrodt, P (2002). “The relationship between organizational identification and organizational culture: Employee perceptions of culture and identification in a retail sales organization”. Communication Studies. 53 (2): 189–202. doi:10.1080/10510970209388584. S2CID 143645350.
  • Schein, Edgar (1992). Organizational Culture and Leadership: A Dynamic View. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. pp. 9.
  • Deal T. E. and Kennedy, A. A. (1982, 2000) Corporate Cultures: The Rites and Rituals of Corporate Life, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1982; reissue Perseus Books, 2000
  • Kotter, J. P.; Heskett, James L. (1992). Corporate Culture and Performance. New York: The Free Press. ISBN 978-0-02-918467-7.
  • Selart, Marcus; Schei, Vidar (2011): “Organizational Culture”. In: Mark A. Runco and Steven R. Pritzker (eds.): Encyclopedia of Creativity, 2nd edition, vol. 2. San Diego: Academic Press, pp. 193–196.
  • Compare: Flamholtz, Eric G.; Randle, Yvonne (2011). Corporate Culture: The Ultimate Strategic Asset. Stanford Business Books. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. p. 6. ISBN 9780804777544. Retrieved 2018-10-25. […] in a very real sense, corporate culture can be thought of as a company’s ‘personality’.
  • Compare: Flamholtz, Eric; Randle, Yvonne (2014). “13: Implications of organizational Life Cycles for Corporate Culture and Climate”. In Schneider, Benjamin; Barbera, Karen M. (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Climate and Culture. Oxford Library of psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 247. ISBN 9780199860715. Retrieved 2018-10-25. The essence of corporate culture, then, is the values, beliefs, and norms or behavioral practices that emerge in an organization. In this sense, organizational culture is the personality of the organization.
  • Compare: Flamholtz, Eric; Randle, Yvonne (2014). “13: Implications of organizational Life Cycles for Corporate Culture and Climate”. In Schneider, Benjamin; Barbera, Karen M. (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Climate and Culture. Oxford Library of psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 247. ISBN 9780199860715. Retrieved 2018-10-25. The essence of corporate culture, then, is the values, beliefs, and norms or behavioral practices that emerge in an organization.
  • Jaques, Elliott (1998). Requisite organization : a total system for effective managerial organization and managerial leadership for the 21st century (Rev. 2nd ed.). Arlington, VA: Cason Hall. ISBN 978-1886436039. OCLC 36162684.
  • Jaques, Elliott (2017). “Leadership and Organizational Values”. Requisite Organization: A Total System for Effective Managerial Organization and Managerial Leadership for the 21st Century (2 ed.). Routledge. ISBN 9781351551311. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  • “Culture is everything,” said Lou Gerstner, the CEO who pulled IBM from near ruin in the 1990s.”, Culture Clash: When Corporate Culture Fights Strategy, It Can Cost You Archived 2011-11-10 at the Wayback Machine, knowmgmt, Arizona State University, March 30, 2011
  • Unlike many expressions that emerge in business jargon, the term spread to newspapers and magazines. Few usage experts object to the term. Over 80 percent of usage experts accept the sentence The new management style is a reversal of GE’s traditional corporate culture, in which virtually everything the company does is measured in some form and filed away somewhere.”, The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
  • One of the first to point to the importance of culture for organizational analysis and the intersection of culture theory and organization theory is Linda Smircich in her article Concepts of Culture and Organizational Analysis in 1983. See Smircich, Linda (1983). “Concepts of Culture and Organizational Analysis”. Administrative Science Quarterly. 28 (3): 339–358. doi:10.2307/2392246. hdl:10983/26094. JSTOR 2392246.
  • “The term “Corporate Culture” is fast losing the academic ring it once had among U.S. manager. Sociologists and anthropologists popularized the word “culture” in its technical sense, which describes overall behavior patterns in groups. But corporate managers, untrained in sociology jargon, found it difficult to use the term unselfconsciously.” in Phillip Farish, Career Talk: Corporate Culture, Hispanic Engineer, issue 1, year 1, 1982
  • Halpin, A. W., & Croft, D. B. (1963). The organizational climate of schools. Chicago: Midwest Administration Center of the University of Chicago.
  • Fred C. Lunenburg, Allan C. Ornstein, Educational Administration: Concepts and Practices, Cengage Learning, 2011, pp. 67
  • “What Is Organizational Climate?”. paulspector.com. Retrieved 2021-05-01.

Sage Modelling Warns of Risk of ‘Substantial’ Covid Third Wave

Covid19, Medical News

Event image

New modelling for the government’s Sage committee of experts has highlighted the risk of a “substantial third wave” of infections and hospitalizations, casting doubt on whether the next stage of Boris Johnson’s Covid roadmap can go ahead as planned on 21 June.

Government sources suggested the outlook was now more pessimistic but stressed that a decision would be taken after assessing a few more days’ worth of data on the effect that rising infections are having on hospitalizations.

The prime minister is due to announce on Monday whether the lifting of the remaining restrictions – nicknamed “freedom day” by anti-lockdown Tory MPs – will have to be delayed.

Johnson is understood to be personally frustrated at the prospect of delaying the reopening, but a No 10 source said there were now clearly signs for concern in the data.

Key ministers and officials are expected to discuss a range of options on Sunday, when Johnson will still be hosting the G7, including a two- to four-week delay, as well as the possibility of a watered-down reopening that keeps some rules in place.

A Whitehall source said it was “broadly correct” that the outlook was now more pessimistic. “Cases are obviously higher and they are growing quickly,” the source said.

Prof Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London, said modelling updated this week suggested there was a risk of a surge in infections and hospitalizations that could rival the second wave in January.

Johnson sounded markedly less confident than in recent days when he was asked about the case for a delay as he visited a wind farm in Cornwall on Wednesday as part of the buildup to the G7 summit.

“What everyone can see very clearly is that cases are going up and in some cases hospitalizations are going up,” he said. “I think what we need to assess is the extent to which the vaccine rollout, which has been phenomenal, has built up enough protection in the population in order for us to go ahead to the next stage.

“And so that’s what we’ll be looking at. And there are arguments being made one way or the other, but that will be driven by the data. We’ll be looking at that and we’ll be setting it out on Monday.”

The prime minister had previously repeatedly said he had seen nothing in the data to justify a delay.

Ferguson said the cases of the Delta variant were now doubling in less than a week, close to what was seen before Christmas when the Alpha variant took hold and sent infections soaring in January to a daily peak of 68,000. What is unclear is how long the doubling will continue with so many adults vaccinated, and what proportion of new cases will turn into hospitalizations and deaths.

“There is a risk of a substantial third wave,” Ferguson said. “It could be substantially lower than the second wave or it could be of the same order of magnitude, and that critically depends on how effective the vaccines are at protecting people against hospitalization and death.”

He suggested there may be a case for postponing the reopening to get more shots into arms and reduce the size of any summer surge. “Clearly you have to be more cautious if you want measures to be irreversibly changed and relaxed,” he said. “Having a delay does make a difference. It allows more people to get second doses.”

Ministers have been encouraged by the enthusiasm with which younger people are taking up the opportunity to get their jab. The NHS announced that 1 million people had booked appointments through its website on Tuesday as eligibility was extended to 25- to 29-year-olds.

The next two to three weeks will be crucial for scientists on Sage to work out what the rise in hospitalizations – and potentially deaths – might look like in the months ahead.

Ferguson said: “One of the key things we want to resolve in the next few weeks is do we see an uptick in hospitalizations – we are seeing it in some areas – matching the cases, and what is the ratio between the two, because vaccination has substantially changed that.”

Evidence is firming up around the Delta variant being 60% more transmissible than the Alpha variant, with estimates ranging from 40% and 80%. The variant is somewhat resistant to vaccines, particularly after one dose.

While Ferguson believes we may see fewer deaths in the third wave compared with in January, the latest modelling does not rule out what he called a “disastrous” third wave if transmission and vaccine resistance are at the higher end of the best estimates.

The latest official data showed 7,540 new confirmed cases of the virus in England. Hospitalizations are not yet rising sharply nationwide, though they are surging in hotspot areas including Greater Manchester.

Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, said trusts in hard-hit areas were confirming that the vaccines provide good protection against the virus.

“There is a growing sense that thanks to the vaccine, the chain seen in previous waves between rising infections and high rates of hospital admissions and deaths has been broken. That feels very significant,” he wrote in a blogpost for the British Medical Journal.

But Hopson warned that the NHS was already “running hot” in many areas, and an increase in Covid admissions would set back efforts to tackle the long backlog of treatment for other health problems that has been caused by the crisis.

By:, and

Source: Sage modelling warns of risk of ‘substantial’ Covid third wave | Health policy | The Guardian

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Critics:

Recommended preventive measures include social distancing, wearing face masks in public, ventilation and air-filtering, hand washing, covering one’s mouth when sneezing or coughing, disinfecting surfaces, and monitoring and self-isolation for people exposed or symptomatic. Several vaccines have been developed and widely distributed since December 2020.

Current treatments focus on addressing symptoms, but work is underway to develop medications that inhibit the virus. Authorities worldwide have responded by implementing travel restrictions, lockdowns and quarantines, workplace hazard controls, and business closures. Numerous jurisdictions have also worked to increase testing capacity and trace contacts of the infected.

The pandemic has resulted in significant global social and economic disruption, including the largest global recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. It has led to widespread supply shortages exacerbated by panic buying, agricultural disruption, and food shortages. However, there have also been decreased emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases.

Numerous educational institutions and public areas have been partially or fully closed, and many events have been cancelled or postponed. Misinformation has circulated through social media and mass media, and political tensions have been exacerbated. The pandemic has raised issues of racial and geographic discrimination, health equity, and the balance between public health imperatives and individual rights.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in misinformation and conspiracy theories about the scale of the pandemic and the origin, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. False information, including intentional disinformation, has been spread through social media, text messaging, and mass media. Journalists have been arrested for allegedly spreading fake news about the pandemic. False information has also been propagated by celebrities, politicians, and other prominent public figures. The spread of COVID-19 misinformation by governments has also been significant.

Commercial scams have claimed to offer at-home tests, supposed preventives, and “miracle” cures. Several religious groups have claimed their faith will protect them from the virus. Without evidence, some people have claimed the virus is a bioweapon accidentally or deliberately leaked from a laboratory, a population control scheme, the result of a spy operation, or the side effect of 5G upgrades to cellular networks.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an “infodemic” of incorrect information about the virus that poses risks to global health. While belief in conspiracy theories is not a new phenomenon, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this can lead to adverse health effects. Cognitive biases, such as jumping to conclusions and confirmation bias, may be linked to the occurrence of conspiracy beliefs.

See also

References

As Pandemic Upends Teaching, Fewer Students Want to Pursue It

Adult Education, Crisis Strategy, Educational Technology

Kianna Ameni-Melvin’s parents used to tell her that there wasn’t much money to be made in education. But it was easy enough for her to tune them out as she enrolled in an education studies program, with her mind set on teaching high school special education.

Then the coronavirus shut down her campus at Towson University in Maryland, and she sat home watching her twin brother, who has autism, as he struggled through online classes. She began to question how the profession’s low pay could impact the challenges of pandemic teaching.

She asked her classmates whether they, too, were considering other fields. Some of them were. Then she began researching roles with transferable skills, like human resources. “I didn’t want to start despising a career I had a passion for because of the salary,” Ms. Ameni-Melvin, 21, said.

Few professions have been more upended by the pandemic than teaching, as school districts have vacillated between in-person, remote and hybrid models of learning, leaving teachers concerned for their health and scrambling to do their jobs effectively.

For students considering a profession in turmoil, the disruptions have seeded doubts, which can be seen in declining enrollment numbers.

A survey by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education found that 19 percent of undergraduate-level and 11 percent of graduate-level teaching programs saw a significant drop in enrollment this year. And Teach for America, which recruits recent college graduates to teach in low-income schools across the country, said it had received fewer applications for its fall 2021 corps compared with this period last year.

Credit…Rosem Morton for The New York Times

Many program leaders believe enrollment fell because of the perceived hazards posed by in-person teaching and the difficulties of remote learning, combined with longstanding frustrations over low pay compared with professions that require similar levels of education. (The national average for a public-school teacher’s salary is roughly $61,000.) Some are hopeful that enrollment will return to its prepandemic level as vaccines roll out and schools resume in-person learning.

But the challenges in teacher recruitment and retention run deeper: The number of education degrees conferred by American colleges and universities dropped by 22 percent between 2006 and 2019, despite an overall increase in U.S. university graduates, stoking concerns about a future teacher shortage.

For some young people, doubts about entering the teaching work force amid the pandemic are straightforward: They fear that the job now entails increased risk.

Nicole Blagsvedt, an education major at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, felt a jolt of anxiety when she began her classroom training in a local public school that recently brought its students back for full in-person learning. After months of seeing only her roommates, moving around a classroom brimming with fourth and fifth graders was nerve-racking.

Ms. Blagsvedt’s role also encompassed new responsibilities: sanitizing fidget toys, enforcing mask use, coordinating the cleaning of the water bottles that students brought to school because they couldn’t use the water fountains. In her first week, she received a call from an office assistant informing her that one of her students had been exposed to Covid-19, and that she had to help shepherd the students out of the classroom so it could be disinfected.

“This panic crossed my mind,” she said. “I thought: This was what it’s going to be like now.”

Administrators running teacher preparation programs said the new anxieties were most likely scaring away some potential applicants. “People are weighing whether or not it makes sense to go to a classroom when there are alternatives that may seem safer,” said David J. Chard, dean of the Wheelock College of Education and Human Development at Boston University.

But for many students, the challenges posed by remote teaching can be just as steep. Those training in districts with virtual classes have had to adjust their expectations; while they might have pictured themselves holding students’ hands and forming deep relationships, they’re now finding themselves staring at faces on a Zoom grid instead.

“Being online is draining,” said Oscar Nollette-Patulski, who had started an education degree at the University of Michigan but is now considering swapping majors. “You have to like what you’re doing a lot more for it to translate on a computer. I’m wondering, if I don’t like doing this online that much, should I be getting a degree in it?”

In some instances, remote teaching has deprived education students of training opportunities altogether. At Portland State University in Oregon, some students were not able to get classroom placements while schools were operating remotely. Others were given only restricted access to student documents and academic histories because of privacy concerns.

Credit…Benjamin Norman for The New York Times

At the university’s College of Education there was a decline in applications this year, which the dean, Marvin Lynn, attributed to students in the community hearing about the difficulties in training during the pandemic.

Applications may tick back up as schools return to in-person learning, Dr. Lynn said, but the challenges are likely to outlast this year. Educators have struggled with recruitment to the profession since long before the pandemic. In recent years, about 8 percent of public schoolteachers were leaving the work force annually, through retirement or attrition. National surveys of teachers have pointed to low compensation and poor working conditions as the causes of turnover.

The pandemic is likely to exacerbate attrition and burnout. In a recent national study of teachers by the RAND Corporation, one quarter of respondents said that they were likely to leave the profession before the end of the school year. Nearly half of public schoolteachers who stopped teaching after March 2020 but before their scheduled retirements did so because of Covid-19.

This attrition comes even as many schools are trying to add staff to handle reduced class sizes and to ensure compliance with Covid-19 safety protocols. Miguel A. Cardona, the secretary of education, recently called for financial help to reopen schools safely, which will allow them to bring on more employees so they can make their classes smaller. The Covid-19 relief package approved by President Biden includes $129 billion in funding for K-12 schools, which can be used to increase staff.

Not all teacher preparation programs are experiencing a decrease in interest. California State University in Long Beach saw enrollment climb 15 percent this year, according to the system’s preliminary data. Marquita Grenot-Scheyer, the assistant vice chancellor for the university system, attributes this partly to an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom, which temporarily allowed candidates to enter preparation programs without meeting basic skill requirements because of the state’s teacher shortage.

Teachers College at Columbia University in New York City also saw an increase in applications this year, according to a spokesman, who noted that teaching has historically been a “recession-proof profession” that sometimes attracts more young people in times of crisis.

Even some of those with doubts have chosen to stick with their plans. Ms. Ameni-Melvin, the Towson student, said she would continue her education program for now because she felt invested after three years there.

Maria Ízunza Barba also decided to put aside her doubts and started an education studies program at the Wheelock College of Education at Boston University last fall. Earlier in the pandemic, as she watched her parents, both teachers, stumble through the difficulties of preparing for remote class, she wondered: Was it too late to choose law school instead?

Ms. Ízunza Barba, 19, had promised to help her mother with any technical difficulties that arose during her first class, so she crawled under the desk, out of the students’ sight, and showed her mother which buttons to press in order to share her screen.

Then she watched her mother, anxious about holding the students’ attention, perform a Spanish song about economics.

Ms. Ízunza Barba said she realized then that there was no other career path that could prove as meaningful. “Seeing her make her students laugh made me realize how much a teacher can impact someone’s day,” she said. “I was like, whoa, that’s something I want to do.”

By Emma Goldberg

Source: As Pandemic Upends Teaching, Fewer Students Want to Pursue It – The New York Times

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Former Astronaut Pleads Guilty in Crash That Killed 2 Young Girls

Fox News Intensifies Its Pro-Trump Politics as Dissenters Depart

Opinion: Covid’s Deadliest Phase May Be Here Soon

Opinion: Scenes From a Mogul’s Marriage or: The Troubling Fourth Act of Bill Gates

Man Rescued in Colorado Mountain Pass Is Accused in 1982 Murders

How a Cozy Neighborhood Restaurant Became a Celebrity Hide-Out

Paul Ryan Critiques Trump’s Grip on the Republican Party

A Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Splits the Gucci Family

Pride Said Gay Cops Aren’t Welcome. Then Came the Backlash.

Stephen Colbert Parodies Brian Kemp’s Version of the National Anthem

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References

Agrba L (27 March 2020). “How Canadian universities are evaluating students during the coronavirus pandemic”. Maclean’s.

5 Key Variables That Will Impact Our Return To “Normal”

Covid19, Health/Medicine News, Healthcare Study

An illustration of a needle and rode - The road back to normalcy

As vaccines roll out around the world, the question on everybody’s mind, is what does the journey back to “normal” look like? A new normal won’t return at the flip of a switch. We need to understand what’s happening, and we need trusted data to do that. So what should we be tracking? What metrics do we need to make effective, data-driven decisions? And, how do we know if we’re on the path to normalcy?

We recently spoke with Dr. Sam Scarpino, complex systems scientist, and assistant professor at the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University. With his help, we’ve identified five key variables that can help us measure our progress to a state resembling normalcy. In other words, when data will tell us when and how we can return to a simpler—if not quite normal—life.

1. Vaccine effectiveness

The first variable is, of course, the vaccines themselves. In our conversation, Scarpino shared two important variables regarding vaccine rollout:

  1. Transmission: The amount that vaccines reduce transmission
  2. Deployment: How quickly we can roll out vaccines across the country and internationally

Public and private healthcare organizations will need to track these data at a granular level.

Scarpino also emphasized the need for passive, always-on surveillance for COVID-19 and for genomic variants, like the B.1.1.7 variant in the United Kingdom. “Without these surveillance systems, we’re going to be continually caught off-guard by this disease and the “new normal” will feel a lot less normal,” said Scarpino.

2. Vaccine distribution

Next, we have to consider the huge task of distributing and administering the vaccines. This of course brings production and logistical challenges from mass shipping of perishable products, to scaling delivery to patients within myriad healthcare systems. And most critical of all, prioritizing what groups should be vaccinated first, and managing follow-up to ensure second doses are administered on schedule.

“At this stage, the biggest obstacle is delivery of the vaccines,” shared Scarpino. “Given the lack of a uniform national plan, states and localities are creating their own distribution and vaccination plans. Every state has a different approach, with varying levels of success. As a result, we’re already seeing dreadfully slow uptake. What this means is that we need more federal support for community health organizations administering the vaccine and public health agencies monitoring and coordinating our responses.”

There are also concerns around equal access to vaccinations.

“Communities of color and Native American populations have experienced an increased burden of COVID-19, as a direct result of generations of systemic racism that have impacted health and access to healthcare. As a country, and internationally, we need to engage with individuals in these communities to ensure they have a voice and vote in how vaccines are prioritized.”

3. Vaccine acceptance and uptake

The third key variable is vaccine acceptance and uptake, which is difficult to predict. Vaccine acceptance is about building trust within local communities, especially where vaccine hesitancy is the norm. Uptake, on the other hand, is about vaccinations itself. Is it fast, easy, and accessible? The story of COVID-19 is fundamentally a local story, so what we really need are data insights at the postal code level.

“The first step is a critical and realistic assessment of our failures and successes, which requires data,” shared Scarpino. “If we don’t have detailed enough data around uptake, we can’t see which communities are close to herd-immunity and which are further away. We’ll be in the dark trying to respond to COVID-19 flare-ups.”

4. Testing speed and availability

It’s going to take time to roll out the vaccine. But with focus shifting to the vaccine itself, we can’t forget the importance of testing. We need to address questions like:

  • How available is on-demand testing?
  • What are the barriers that prevent people from being tested?
  • How long do the results take? Hours or days?

With this data, communities can identify hot spots and businesses gain insights they need to reopen, getting us one step closer to normalcy.

Scarpino emphasized that “high-rates of testing, paired with isolation, quarantine, and contact tracing can control COVID-19 even without a vaccine,” based on models and data from countries like Vietnam and Australia. “With the proper non-pharmaceutical interventions, we could potentially reach normalcy in months instead of years,” shared Scarpino.

5. Contact tracing

Finally, even with testing, vaccines, and wide scale public health measures, nothing beats good old fashioned contact tracing.

“Contact tracing—and its vital partner, case investigation to determine the source of infections—remains our best tool for fighting this disease,” shared Scarpino.

Closely monitoring where, when, and by whom one was exposed will help people understand if they are at risk, and take the right precautions, especially if they are asymptomatic. Contact tracing is foundational to the path to normalcy, by making sure that exposed individuals are aware, they can take actions to limit further transmission.

“We’ve seen myriad countries, like Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, China, South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, to name only a few, control this disease with testing, tracing, and isolation,” said Scarpino.

The vaccine also requires multiple doses, so Scarpino noted that “we need effective, and accurate systems, for monitoring uptake and ensuring individuals receive all the necessary rounds of inoculation. If our contact tracing systems aren’t working, we can’t control the disease and we can’t ensure individuals are being vaccinated properly.”

Getting back to “normal” takes all of us

Over the next few months, these factors will drive how quickly or how well things will return to normal for citizens, communities, and the economy.

“What we’ve seen over the past year is that society’s deepest challenges—from racism and its lasting effects, to chronically underfunding public health, or access to affordable healthcare and housing—largely dictated the course of this pandemic,” shared Scarpino.

“We can build a brighter, safer, and more productive future. One that will help us return to normal faster and prevent this from happening again. But it’s going to take all of us, working together and it has to start now.”

For more information, check out the Tableau COVID-19 Data Hub, where you can explore dashboards, find actionable insights, and visualize your own analyses.

Tableau

Tableau

From connection through collaboration, Tableau is the most powerful, secure, and flexible end-to-end analytics platform for your data. Elevate people with the power of data. Designed for the individual, but scaled for the enterprise, Tableau is the only business intelligence platform that turns your data into insights that drive action

Source: 5 Key Variables That Will Impact Our Return To “Normal”

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References

Nigerian Filmmaker, Teniola Olatoni Premieres “The New Normal” to Rave Reviews, AP, November 18, 2020

The Strange Story Of Remdesivir, A Covid Drug That Doesn’t Work

Covid19, Health/Medicine Innovations, Health/Medicine News, Pharma/Medicine

Remdesivir in a syringe.

While clinical trials suggest remdesivir isn’t very effective in treating Covid-19, recent studies have shown that it does block Coronavirus activity. That apparent contradiction makes the antiviral drug even more controversial.

Remdesivir is an experimental drug developed by biotech company Gilead Sciences (under the brand name Veklury) in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases.

It’s one of many drug candidates that were originally designed in response to the threat from emerging diseases caused by RNA viruses — germs like the one behind the 2002 SARS outbreak — that have potential to cause global pandemics.

Such ‘broad-spectrum’ drugs target features shared by a wide range of disease-causing germs. In remdesivir’s case, that’s the virus’ genetic material, RNA. The drug proved ineffective against the Ebola virus, however, yet was still subsequently repurposed for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

Remdesivir is not effective for Covid

News media prematurely reported that patients were responding to treatment. But the published data lated showed that “remdesivir was not associated with statistically significant clinical benefits [and] the numerical reduction in time to clinical improvement in those treated earlier requires confirmation in larger studies.”

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As our special series On the Front Lines continues, NBC’s Joe Fryer profiles one of the country’s first COVID-19 patients, Raymond Sismaet, who spent nearly a month in a hospital before recovering. His story spotlights the antiviral drug remdesivir as a possible coronavirus treatment. » Subscribe to TODAY: http://on.today.com/SubscribeToTODAY​ » Watch the latest from TODAY: http://bit.ly/LatestTODAY​ About: TODAY brings you the latest headlines and expert tips on money, health and parenting. We wake up every morning to give you and your family all you need to start your day.
If it matters to you, it matters to us. We are in the people business. Subscribe to our channel for exclusive TODAY archival footage & our original web series. Connect with TODAY Online! Visit TODAY’s Website: http://on.today.com/ReadTODAY​ Find TODAY on Facebook: http://on.today.com/LikeTODAY​ Follow TODAY on Twitter: http://on.today.com/FollowTODAY​ Follow TODAY on Instagram: http://on.today.com/InstaTODAY​ Follow TODAY on Pinterest: http://on.today.com/PinTODAY​ #Coronavirus​ #Remdesivir​ #TodayShow​

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The controversy surrounding remdesivir therefore revolves around whether the drug is actually an effective treatment. Early studies produced conflicting evidence on remdesivir’s effectiveness. Some found that Covid patients who received the drug recovered faster and fewer people died, but other studies showed that it didn’t reduce the length of hospitalization or death rate.

What’s weird about remdesivir is that it hasn’t been held to the same standards as other drug candidates. Covid-19 vaccines have been developed 10 times faster than traditional drugs, but they’ve passed the phase-3 clinical trials that test whether a potential medicine is both safe and effective in thousands of people.

Normally, a drug is only approved for use by a regulatory body like the US Food and Drug Administration if it meets the two criteria for safety and efficacy. Nonetheless, in October 2020, remdesivir was granted approval by FDA based on promising data from relatively small trials with about 1000 participants.

A large-scale analysis by the World Health Organization’s Solidarity trial consortium has cleared-up the confusion. Based on interim results from studying more than 5000 participants, the international study concluded that remdesivir “had little or no effect on hospitalized patients with Covid-19, as indicated by overall mortality, initiation of ventilation, and duration of hospital stay.”

As a consequence of being mostly ineffective, WHO recommends against the use of remdesivir in Covid-19 patients.

Remdesivir is an expensive drug

The drug is administered over 5 or 10 days. A five-day course of treatment costs around $2600 per person. So for a hospital with hundreds of Covid patients, that would amount to millions of dollars for one antiviral.

That price could be cost-effective if remdesivir saved lives and its use was limited to moderate or severe disease, but it’s also being made available for milder cases and WHO found that it isn’t a lifesaving drug.

What next for remdesivir? Following WHO’s finding, an article in the British Medical Journal highlighted another antiviral as a cautionary tale: oseltamivir or ‘Tamiflu’ — a drug that aims to block the influenza virus.

During the early 2000s, governments started stockpiling Tamiflu, paying billions to its manufacturer, pharmaceutical firm Roche. Then in 2013, independent researchers gained access to Roche’s unpublished data, revealing that the drug caused many side effects and only shortened the duration of flu symptoms by a few hours.

Tamiflu only cost $75 per treatment and yet was still a massive waste of money. The BMJ article implies that the story of remdesivir is another scandal waiting to happen.

Given that remdesivir is expensive and doesn’t seem to save lives, does it have any value? Maybe — but not as a medicine itself. Recent research suggests scientists should at least keep studying how it works in order to develop better drugs.

Remdesivir does block Coronavirus

Remdesivir doesn’t prevent people from being infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Whereas a vaccine is designed prompt your immune system to recognize the spike protein that allows Coronavirus to invade cells — and protect people from infection — antivirals such as remdesivir aim to disrupt the virus’ ability to replicate, to slow its spread and give your body extra time to develop immunity.

Coronaviruses use RNA for their genetic material — not the DNA used by cells — which means that they need a special molecular machine to copy their genes when producing new virus particles. That machine, ‘RNA polymerase’, is what’s targeted by remdesivir.

Two studies have now revealed how remdesivir blocks SARS-CoV-2 at the molecular level.

First, chemical engineers at the University of Chicago found that remdesivir is better at reducing virus replication than two similar antivirals, ribavirin and favilavir. Their computer models suggest that remdesivir beats the other drugs because it’s the best at binding and destabilizing the RNA polymerase.

In the second new study, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin used ‘cryogenic-electron microscopy’ (cryo-EM) to take snapshots of the structure of the molecules involved in replication as they would interact in a Covid patient.

After adding remdesivir to RNA polymerase, cryo-EM images showed that the drug acts like a blockage in a photocopier, getting stuck in the RNA polymerase. When four molecules of remdesivir get between the gears of the polymerase machine, its copies of RNA ‘paper’ can no longer pass through, stalling the virus-copying process.

That leads us to why it’s worth studying remdesivir. As structural biologist David Taylor explains, “We were able to identify the point where that paper jam happens […] If we want to make the blockage even worse, we could do so.”

One of remdesivir’s flaws is its (possibly toxic) high dosage over a short timeframe, which contributes to adverse side effects. By tweaking the drug molecule’s structure, scientists may be able to make it block the RNA polymerase machine with fewer molecules, which would then allow the drug to be delivered in a smaller dose.

In fact, Gilead Sciences has already isolated a compound similar to remdesivir, GS-441524, which costs less and is easier to manufacture. It’s also simpler to administer: while remdesivir must be injected, GS-441524 could be ingested in pill form. More of the molecule reaches the lungs — the main site of infection — too, which led researchers to state that “GS-441524 is superior to remdesivir for Covid-19 treatment.”

As SARS-CoV-2’s genetic material mutates to create new strains of the virus — and variants of Covid-19 — we may need antivirals to buy us time if those new strains end-up evading our current vaccines.

So despite being expensive and ineffective at treating Covid, remdesivir’s true value could be to help researchers create more effective medicines.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.
JV Chamary

JV Chamary

I’m a science communicator specialising in public engagement and outreach through entertainment, focusing on popular culture. I have a PhD in evolutionary biology and spent several years at BBC Science Focus magazine, running the features section and writing about everything from gay genes and internet memes to the science of death and origin of life. I’ve also contributed to Scientific American and Men’s Health. My latest book is ’50 Biology Ideas You Really Need to Know’

Source: The Strange Story Of Remdesivir, A Covid Drug That Doesn’t Work

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Nitin Gadkari calls up Sun Pharma’s chief to arrange Remdesivir injections for Nagpur | Indiablooms – First Portal on Digital News Management
http://www.indiablooms.com – Today
[…] today Nitin Gadkari Image: PIB Nitin Gadkari calls up Sun Pharma’s chief to arrange Remdesivir injections for Nagpur India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | 11 Apr 2021, 07:55 p […] India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | 11 Apr 2021, 07:55 pm #NitinGadkari, #SunPharma, # Remdesivir, #Nagpur Nagpur/UNI: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari called up Sun Pharma’s chief to arrange fo […] With Maharashtra witnessing a spurt in COVID-19 cases, Remdesivir injections are in high demand in the state. Remdesivir is considered a key anti-viral drug in the fight against COVID-19, especially in adult patient […]
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Remdesivir Shortage In Nagpur; Gadkari Dials Sun Pharma Chief
http://www.moneycontrol.com – Today
Remdesivir [Image: Reuters] Union minister Nitin Gadkari has called up Sun Pharma’s chief to arrange fo […] Union minister Nitin Gadkari has called up Sun Pharma’s chief to arrange for 10,000 injections of Remdesivir in Nagpur in view of a shortage of the medicine here in Maharashtra. Remdesivir is considered a key anti-viral drug in the fight against COVID-19, especially in adult patient […] over phone to inform him about the situation here and appealed to him to make available the Remdesivir injections […]
6
Appropriate decision on lockdown in Maha after April 14: Tope | Politics
http://www.devdiscourse.com – Today
[…] with the State Task Force, the chief minister discussed the availability of oxygen & beds, use of Remdesivir, treatment protocols, increase in capacity of facilities, imposition of restrictions & fines fo […]
0
India bans remdesivir exports as COVID-19 cases surge | India News | Al Jazeera
http://www.aljazeera.com – Today
India has banned the export of antiviral drug remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients as demand rocketed amid a record surge in COVID-1 […] In addition to the remdesivir ban “till the situation improves”, the health ministry said in a statement that manufacturers ha […] The World Health Organization in November issued a conditional recommendation against the use of remdesivir on hospitalised patients, regardless of disease severity, saying there was no evidence that th […]
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India at third spot on Forbes billionaires’ list : The Tribune India
http://www.tribuneindia.com – Today
[…] 2 hours ago Govt prohibits exports of remdesivir till COVID situation improves in India Drugs inspectors, other officers directed to verify stocks, […]
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India bans export of Covid-19 treatment drug remdesivir
http://www.digitaljournal.com – Today
India on Sunday banned the export of remdesivir as infections soared to a new daily high and hospitals grappled with increasing demand for th […] Remdesivir, made by US pharma giant Gilead, was one of the first drugs to show relative promise in shortenin […] generic pharmaceutical producers based in India, Pakistan and Egypt, allowing them to manufacture remdesivir for distribution in 127 mostly low and lower-middle income nations […] firms in India — the world’s biggest producer of generic drugs — are licensed to manufacture remdesivir […]
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Lack of testing, Covid appropriate behaviour not being followed in three states, says Centre
scroll.in – Today
[…] “Similarly, shortage of Remdesivir, Low Molecular Weight Heparin needs urgent attention in Korba District,” the central governmen […]
1
കോവിഡ് വ്യാപനം; റെംഡെസിവിര്‍ കയറ്റുമതി നിരോധിച്ച് ഇന്ത്യ  | Remdesivir‘| Covid !9
http://www.mathrubhumi.com – Today
[…] Content Highlights:India Bans Export Of Anti-Viral Drug Remdesivir
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India bans exports of Remdesivir drug as new COVID-19 cases hit another record
thefinancialexpress.com.bd – Today
India on Sunday banned the export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients as demand rocketed due to a record surge in COVID-1 […] In addition to the Remdesivir ban “till the situation improves”, the health ministry said in a statement that manufacturers ha […] media posts on Sunday showed large queues of people in the western state of Gujarat waiting to buy Remdesivir injections for COVID-19 patients. “Every day the central government is providing 50,000 Remdesivir injections but all of them are getting consumed,” Rajesh Tope, health minister of India’ […]
1
Centre bans exports of anti-viral drug Remdesivir
http://www.doonited.in – Today
[…] The Centre on Sunday prohibited exports of injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the Covid-19 situation in the country improves […] In light of the above, Government of India has prohibited the exports of Injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the situation improves,” the statement said […] The government has taken the following steps to ensure easy access of hospital and patients to Remdesivir: 1. All domestic manufactures of Remdesivir have been advised to display on their website, details of their stockists/distributors t […]
2
SPL7013 COVID-19 nasal spray virucidal against SARS-CoV-2
starpharma.com – Today
[…] very favourably with the selectivity index against SARS-CoV-2 reported in the literature of 279 for remdesivir and 55 for hydroxychloroquine […]
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India bans Remdesivir exports as coronavirus rages on; rallies continue | MarketScreener
http://www.marketscreener.com – Today
[…] sixth record rise in seven days, harried relatives of patients made a kilometre-long queue to buy Remdesivir outside a big hospital in the western state of Gujarat, witnesses said […] In addition to the Remdesivir ban “till the situation improves”, the health ministry said that manufacturers had been asked t […] The World Health Organization in November issued a conditional recommendation against the use of Remdesivir in hospitalised patients, saying there was no evidence that the drug improved survival and othe […]
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India bans Remdesivir exports as coronavirus rages on; rallies continue | Health
http://www.devdiscourse.com – Today
India on Sunday banned the export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients as demand rocketed due to a record surge in COVID-1 […] sixth record rise in seven days, harried relatives of patients made a kilometre-long queue to buy Remdesivir outside a big hospital in the western state of Gujarat, witnesses said […] In addition to the Remdesivir ban “till the situation improves”, the health ministry said that manufacturers had been asked t […] The World Health Organization in November issued a conditional recommendation against the use of Remdesivir in hospitalised patients, saying there was no evidence that the drug improved survival and othe […]
0
Maharashtra: Decision on Covid lockdown after 14 April, says health minister Tope
http://www.livemint.com – Today
The Maharashtra CM discussed several issues including availability of beds, use of Remdesivir and imposition of restrictions in today’s meeting The worst-hit Covid-19 state has administered over 1 crore vaccine doses state so far
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India bans export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir amid surge in Covid cases
inquest.org.in – Today
[…] In the order, the government said it has banned the export of Remdesivir injection and Remdesivir active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) till the pandemic situation in the country stabilises […] To ensure more people can get Remdesivir, the government said manufacturers of Remdesivir have been asked to show on their website the details of their stockists and distributors […] of Pharmaceuticals has been in contact with the domestic manufacturers to ramp up the production of Remdesivir,” the government said. The National Clinical Management Protocol for COVID-19 lists Remdesivir as an investigational therapy, where informed and shared decision making is essential […]
5
India bans exports of antiviral drug Remdesivir as COVID-19 cases surge
http://www.channelnewsasia.com – Today
NEW DELHI: India on Sunday (Apr 11) banned the export of antiviral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients as demand rocketed due to a record surge in COVID-1 […] In addition to the Remdesivir ban “till the situation improves”, the health ministry said in a statement that manufacturers ha […] media posts on Sunday showed large queues of people in the western state of Gujarat waiting to buy Remdesivir injections for COVID-19 patients. “Every day the central government is providing 50,000 Remdesivir injections but all of them are getting consumed,” Rajesh Tope, health minister of India’ […]
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Coronavirus Lockdown India News Live Updates: Covid-19 Cases, Lockdown, Night Curfew Guidelines in Delhi, UP, Maharashtra, MP Today Latest News
indianexpress.com – Today
[…] As Covid-19 cases continued to surge, Centre on Sunday banned the export of anti-viral drug remdesivir in view of increased demand, news agency PTI reported […] easy access of the drug, which is used in treatment of coronavirus, all domestic manufacturers of remdesivir have been requested to display details of their stockists and distributors on their website, th […] 13:52 (IST) 11 APR 2021 Two including nurse arrested for illegal Remdesivir sale The Crime Branch of Pune City police has arrested two persons, including a nurse from […]
3
Covid-appropriate behaviour not being followed in three states: Govt | Business Standard News
http://www.business-standard.com – Today
[…] Shortage of Remdesivir and low molecular weight Heparin needs urgent attention in Korba, the ministry said […]
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Govt bans export of Remdesivir: Know all about the drug
http://www.hindustantimes.com – Today
[…] What is Remdesivir? Remdesivir is an investigational antiviral drug to fight Sars-cov 2, the virus that causes Covid-19 […] How did Remdesivir come into use? FDA had to issue an emergency use authorisation of Remdesivir to give doctors access to the medication outside of an investigational (clinical trial) setting […]
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COVID appropriate behaviour not being followed in 50 most-affected districts in 3 states: Govt | Health
http://www.devdiscourse.com – Today
[…] Shortage of Remdesivir and low molecular weight Heparin needs urgent attention in Korba, the ministry said […]
0
Govt prohibits exports of remdesivir till COVID situation improves in India | India News,
indianexpress.com – Today
In view of increased demand for remdesivir due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Centre on Sunday said the export of the antiviral injectio […] which is used in treatment of coronavirus, to hospitals and patients, all domestic manufacturers of remdesivir have been advised to display on their website details of their stockists and distributors, th […] This has led to a sudden spike in demand for remdesivir injection used in treatment of COVID patients,” the ministry said […] “In light of the above, Government of India has prohibited the exports of remdesivir injection and remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the situation improves,” it said […]
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Mathura’s Banke Bihari temple issues new guidelines amid surge in COVID-19 cases | India News • eeKPe News
news.eekpe.com – Today
[…] As India experiences a second wave of novel coronavirus infections, the demand for anti-viral drug Remdesivir has surged too. The Centre on… Read more India Bans Export Of Anti-Viral Drug Remdesivir Amid Surge In… INDIA eekpe – April 11, 2021 0 <!– –>7 Indian corporations are producing Remdesivir beneath voluntary licensing settlement with Gilead Sciences (File)New Delhi: India has banne […]
0
Doctors continue debate over ivermectin for COVID-19
http://www.gmanetwork.com – Today
[…] that only 16 deaths have been reported involving ivermectin, compared to much higher totals for remdesivir, which is used to treat COVID-19 symptoms, as well as COVID-19 vaccines […]
24
Can natural antioxidants help fight new GI symptoms in Covid patients?
yespunjab.com – Today
[…] (Agency) Covid Spike: India Prohibits Export Of Remdesivir – Advertisement – ShareFacebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Linkedin Telegram Yes Punjab – TO […]
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Covid spike: India prohibits export of remdesivir
http://www.ibtimes.co.in – Today
[…] trend, the Ministry said: “There is a potential of further increase in demand of injection remdesivir and remdesivir active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in the coming days […] of the above increasing Covid cases, Government of India has prohibited the exports of injection remdesivir and remdesivir active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) till the situation improves […] ” Govt of India prohibited exports of injection remdesivir and active pharmaceutical ingredients Seven Indian companies are producing injection remdesivir under voluntary licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences, US […]
0
India bans exports of anti-viral drug Remdesivir as Covid-19 cases surge
kathmandupost.com – Today
India said on Sunday it had banned the export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients after a record spike in Covid-19 cases sent deman […] “In light of the above, Government of India has prohibited the exports of Injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the situation improves,” the health ministry said in a […]
0
India bans exports of Remdesivir drug as new Covid-19 cases hit another record, South Asia News & Top Stories
http://www.straitstimes.com – Today
NEW DELHI (REUTERS) – India on Sunday (April 11) banned the export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients as demand rocketed due to a record surge in Covid-1 […] media posts on Sunday showed large queues of people in the western state of Gujarat waiting to buy Remdesivir injections for Covid-19 patients. “Every day the central government is providing 50,000 Remdesivir injections but all of them are getting consumed,”Mr Rajesh Tope, health minister of India’ […]
3
India bans exports of Remdesivir drug as new Covid-19 cases hit another record
http://www.hoteldealsphuket.com – Today
NEW DELHI (REUTERS) – India on Sunday (April 11) banned the export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients as demand rocketed due to a record surge in Covid-1 […] media posts on Sunday showed large queues of people in the western state of Gujarat waiting to buy Remdesivir injections for Covid-19 patients. “Every day the central government is providing 50,000 Remdesivir injections but all of them are getting consumed,”Mr Rajesh Tope, health minister of India’ […]
1
Centre prohibits export of Injection Remdesivir in view of surge in COVID cases
http://www.thestatesman.com – Today
[…] This has led to a sudden spike in demand for Injection Remdesivir used in the treatment of COVID patients […] In light of the above, the Government of India has prohibited the export of Injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the situation improves […] Government of India has taken the following steps to ensure easy access of hospital and patients to Remdesivir: All domestic manufactures of Remdesivir have been advised to display on their website, details of their stockists/distributors t […]
1
Vaccine universalisation, vaccine nationalism need of the hour: AAP leader Chadha writes to PM | Politics
http://www.devdiscourse.com – Today
[…] for all and taking steps like prohibiting COVID medicine export as it has today banned export of remdesivir injections,” he said […]
0
India bans export of Remdesivir amid rising Covid-19 cases
newsvibesofindia.com – Today
New Delhi (NVI): India has prohibited exports of Injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the COVID-19 situation improves, as the countr […] It said that there is a potential of further increase in the demand of Injection Remdesivir in the coming days. At present, seven Indian companies are producing Injection Remdesivir under voluntary licensing agreement with M/s […] In light of the above, India has prohibited the exports of Injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the situation improves, the Ministry said […]
0
Maharashtra: Thane Covid centre patients shifted over oxygen concerns | Business Standard News
http://www.business-standard.com – Today
[…] as officer in charge to coordinate the purchase, storage and distribution of medical oxygen gas and Remdesivir injections, a release by civic spokesperson Sandeep Malavali said […]
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India bans exports of Remdesivir drug as new COVID-19 cases hit another record | MarketScreener
http://www.marketscreener.com – Today
[…] In addition to the Remdesivir ban “till the situation improves”, the health ministry said in a statement that manufacturers ha […] media posts on Sunday showed large queues of people in the western state of Gujarat waiting to buy Remdesivir injections for COVID-19 patients. “Every day the central government is providing 50,000 Remdesivir injections but all of them are getting consumed,” Rajesh Tope, health minister of India’ […]
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Maha: Thane COVID centre patients shifted over oxygen concerns | Health
http://www.devdiscourse.com – Today
[…] as officer in charge to coordinate the purchase, storage and distribution of medical oxygen gas and Remdesivir injections, a release by civic spokesperson Sandeep Malavali said […]
0
India Bans Exports of Antiviral Drug Remdesivir as COVID-19 Cases Surge
science.thewire.in – Today
Seven Indian companies have licensed the drug from Gilead Sciences, with an installed capacity of about 3.9 million units per month.
2
India bans exports of Remdesivir drug as new COVID-19 cases hit another record | Health
http://www.devdiscourse.com – Today
India on Sunday banned the export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients as demand rocketed due to a record surge in COVID-1 […] In addition to the Remdesivir ban “till the situation improves”, the health ministry said in a statement that manufacturers ha […] media posts on Sunday showed large queues of people in the western state of Gujarat waiting to buy Remdesivir injections for COVID-19 patients. “Every day the central government is providing 50,000 Remdesivir injections but all of them are getting consumed,” Rajesh Tope, health minister of India’ […]
0
Amidst sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, India bans export of Remdesivir; its active pharmaceutical ingredients
asianews.press – Today
[…] As a result, it has led to a sudden spike in demand for Injection Remdesivir used in the treatment of COVID patients and the potential for a further increase in this demand i […] The Government of India has prohibited the exports of Injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) “till the situation improves in the country […] India govt has taken the following steps to ensure easy access of hospital and patients to Remdesivir: All domestic manufactures of Remdesivir have been advised to display on their website, details of their stockists/distributors t […]
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No export of Remdesivir till COVID situation improves in India: Govt
http://www.eastmojo.com – Today
New Delhi: In view of increased demand for Remdesivir due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Centre on Sunday said the export of the antiviral injectio […] which is used in treatment of coronavirus, to hospitals and patients, all domestic manufacturers of Remdesivir have been advised to display on their website details of their stockists and distributors, th […] This has led to a sudden spike in demand for Remdesivir injection used in treatment of COVID patients,” the ministry said […] “In light of the above, Government of India has prohibited the exports of remdesivir injection and remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the situation improves,” it said […]
0
India halts export of key Covid drug Remdesivir as cases rise across country
theprint.in – Today
Text Size: A- A+ New Delhi: The Centre on Sunday prohibited exports of injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the Covid-19 situation in the country improves. Remdesivir is considered a key anti-viral drug in the fight against Covid-19 […] addition, the government has taken three steps to ensure easy access of hospitals and patients to Remdesivir. All domestic manufactures of Remdesivir have been advised to display on their website, details of their stockists/distributors t […]
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Enterprise Information | Inventory and Share Market Information – Information by Automobilnews.eu
automobilnews.eu – Today
“Export of injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Energetic Pharmaceutical Components (API) prohibited until the COVID-19 state of affairs within the […]
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As coronavirus cases spike, Indore’s health infrastructure gets stretched | Business Standard News
http://www.business-standard.com – Today
[…] uploading videos and messages on social media about shortage of beds and key medicines like Remdesivir […] He said Remdesivir consignments were coming in at present and their distribution was taking place as per guidelines […] “Doctors have been told to give Remdesivir injections only to those who absolutely need it,” Satya said […]
2
India bans exports of anti-viral drug Remdesivir as COVID-19 cases surge
http://www.theglobeandmail.com – Today
India on Sunday banned the export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients as demand rocketed due to a record surge in COVID-1 […] sixth record rise in seven days, harried relatives of patients made a kilometre-long queue to buy Remdesivir outside a big hospital in the western state of Gujarat, witnesses said […] In addition to the Remdesivir ban “till the situation improves,” the health ministry said that manufacturers had been asked t […] The World Health Organization in November issued a conditional recommendation against the use of Remdesivir in hospitalized patients, saying there was no evidence that the drug improved survival and othe […]
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Covid-19: India bans export of Remdesivir injection, API
http://www.thedailystar.net – Today
India today prohibited the export of Remdesivir injection, which is used to treat Covid patients, and also Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), amidst a surge in coronavirus cases in the country […] “This has led to a sudden spike in the demand for injection Remdesivir used in treatment of Covid patients […] Seven Indian companies are producing the Remdesivir injection under voluntary licensing agreement with M/S Gilead Sciences of the USA […]
3
Maharashtra likely to announce 15-day lockdown after weekend curbs, marginal drop in Covid-19 cases after night curfew
http://www.financialexpress.com – Today
[…] Other suggestions by Fadnavis like the early report of tests, availability of Remdesivir and oxygen for treatment will also be considered […]
1
“For God’s Sake, Get Vaccine, Drugs”: Top Mumbai Doctor’s Desperate Appeal
http://www.allplacesmap.com – Today
[…] The hospital was not only short of vaccines but also life-saving drugs like Remdesivir, said Dr Jalil Parkar, a pulmonary consultant with the hospital […] There is a shortage of Remdesivir, there is shortage of Tosilizubam […] “My earnest request for god’s sake please see to it that Remdesivir, Tosilizubam, vaccination — they are available […]
0
COVID-19: Centre bans exports of anti-viral drug Remdesivir till situation in India improves
http://www.dnaindia.com – Today
COVID-19: Centre bans exports of anti-viral drug Remdesivir till situation in India improves India’s sudden spike in COVID-19 cases has led to an increase i […] Zee Media Updated: Apr 11, 2021, 06:29 PM IST The Centre on Sunday prohibited exports of injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the Covid-19 situation in the country improves […] data on deaths In light of the above, Government of India has prohibited the exports of Injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the situation improves,” the statement said […]
1
8k Remdesivir vials have arrived: Madhya Pradesh official as cases surge
http://www.financialexpress.com – Today
[…] (Representational image: IE) Amid a surge in coronavirus cases and a clamour for Remdesivir, a drug considered useful in the treatment of the infection, a senior Madhya Pradesh official o […]
1
India bans Remdesivir exports till COVID surge abates
http://www.businesstoday.in – Today
Seven Indian companies producing Remdesivir injections under voluntary licensing agreement with US-based Gilead Sciences have an installed capacity of about 38.80 lakh units per month
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Government Halts Export Of Remdesivir Till COVID-19 Situation Improves
http://www.moneycontrol.com – Today
[…] The Government of India said: “Export of injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) prohibited till the COVID-19 situation in the countr […] of Pharmaceuticals has been in contact with the domestic manufacturers to ramp up the production of Remdesivir in India. Notably, there are seven Indian companies that are currently producing injection Remdesivir under voluntary licensing agreement with M/s Gilead Sciences, USA […]
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Export of anti-viral drug remdesivir prohibited in view of increased demand due to surge in COVID-19 cases: Centre. | Newsalert
http://www.devdiscourse.com – Today
Export of anti-viral drug remdesivir prohibited in view of increased demand due to surge in COVID-19 cases: Centre. PTI | New Delhi | Updated: 11-04-2021 18:11 IST | Created: 11-04-2021 18:11 IST Export of anti-viral drug remdesivir prohibited in view of increased demand due to surge in COVID-19 cases: Centre. (This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) POST / READ COMMENTS Country India Share
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Clinical Research Forum Presents Moderna and Pfizer with Award for Extraordinary Impact on Health | NEWS-Line for Healthcare Professionals
http://www.news-line.com – Today
[…] Hospital; Margaret Lippincott, MD, Instructor in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital · Remdesivir in COVID 19 – John Beigel, MD, Associate Director for Clinical Research, National Institute o […]
1
Centre bans export of Remdesivir amid crunch, eases access of Covid patients to anti-viral drug – Coronavirus Outbreak News
http://www.indiatoday.in – Today
[…] being used in the treatment of Covid-19 patients, the Centre has prohibited the export of Injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) […] In a press note on Sunday, the Centre prohibited exports of Injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API). A number of companies in India produce Injection Remdesivir under a voluntary licensing agreement with US pharma giant Gilead Sciences […]
3
For God’s Sake, Get Vaccine, Drugs: Top Mumbai Doctor’s Desperate Appeal
http://www.ndtv.com – Today
[…] The hospital was not only short of vaccines but also life-saving drugs like Remdesivir, said Dr Jalil Parkar, a pulmonary consultant with the hospital […] There is a shortage of Remdesivir, there is shortage of Tosilizubam […] “My earnest request for god’s sake please see to it that Remdesivir, Tosilizubam, vaccination — they are available […]
16
Government bans export of Remdesivir till Covid-19 situation improves
economictimes.indiatimes.com – Today
[…] In an order, the government said it has banned export of Remdesivir injection and Remdesivir active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) till the pandemic situation in the country stabilises […] the government has also taken a few steps to ensure easy access of hospital and patients to Remdesivir. These steps are: – All domestic manufactures of Remdesivir have been advised to display on their website, details of their stockists/distributors t […]
6
COVID-19: India bans export of Remdesivir drug, injection as coronavirus cases surge | India News
zeenews.india.com – Today
CORONAVIRUS COVID-19: India bans export of Remdesivir drug, injection as coronavirus cases surge The Centre banned the export of Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients as the demand for anti-viral drug Remdesivir has surged […] As India experiences a second wave of novel coronavirus infections, the demand for anti-viral drug Remdesivir has surged too. The Centre on Sunday (April 11, 2021) banned the export of Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients […]
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India bans export of Remdesivir, its ingredients till COVID situation improves | Coronavirus News | Inshorts
inshorts.com – Today
india has banned the export of injection remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients api till the coronavirus situation in the country improves the centre said on sunday theres potential for further increase in demand for remdesivir in the coming days the government said adding that the …
0
Centre Bans Export of Remdesivir and Its Active Ingredients till Covid Crisis Eases in India
http://www.news18.com – Today
The Centre on Sunday prohibited the export of Remdesivir injection and its active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) till the pandemic situation arising ou […] The decision has been taken to ensure easy access of Remdesivir to infected patients and hospitals providing treating against the virus […] Several hospitals have complained of shortage of Remdesivir, considered a key anti-viral drug in the fight against COVID-19, especially in adult patients wit […] other steps to bring the situation under control, including advising all domestic manufactures of Remdesivir to display on their website, details of their stockists and distributors to facilitate access t […]
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India bans export of Remdesivir injection amid surge in Covid cases | India News – Times of India
http://www.allplacesmap.com – Today
NEW DELHI: India on Sunday banned the export of Remdesivir injection till the Covid-19 situation improves in the country […] The government in a statement said that all domestic manufactures of Remdesivir have been advised to display on their website, details of their stockists/distributors t […] of Pharmaceuticals has been in contact with the domestic manufacturers to ramp up the production of Remdesivir […] The alarming spike in Covid cases in the country has led to a sudden increase in demand for the Remdesivir injection used in treating Covid patients […]
0
India bans exports of anti-viral drug Remdesivir as COVID-19 cases surge
http://www.arabnews.com – Today
NEW DELHI: India said on Sunday it had banned the export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients after a record spike in COVID-19 cases sent deman […] “In light of the above, Government of India has prohibited the exports of Injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the situation improves,” the health ministry said in a […]
0
India bans exports of anti-viral drug Remdesivir as COVID-19 cases surge | Reuters
http://www.reuters.com – Today
[…] 1 MIN READ NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India said on Sunday it had banned the export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients after a record spike in COVID-19 cases sent deman […] “In light of the above, Government of India has prohibited the exports of Injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the situation improves,” the health ministry said in a […]
2
India bans export of Remdesivir injection amid surge in Covid cases | India News – Times of India
timesofindia.indiatimes.com – Today
India News: NEW DELHI: India on Sunday banned the export of Remdesivir injection till the Covid-19 situation improves in the country.
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No lockdown in Madhya Pradesh, only ‘corona curfew’, says CM | Business Standard News
http://www.business-standard.com – Today
[…] We have received 4,000 injections of Remdesivir (the key anti-viral drug) and would be getting 5,000 more today […]
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Coronavirus: Centre bans export of antiviral drug Remdesivir amid surge in cases
scroll.in – Today
The Centre on Sunday banned the export of antiviral drug Remdesivir indefinitely, in view of the rising coronavirus cases in the country, ANI reported […] The government said the ban, which covers Remdesivir injections and Remdesivir active pharmaceutical ingredients, will be lifted only after there is an improvement in th […] Remdesivir is considered a key drug in combating Covid-19, especially in adult patients with sever […]
1
Gilead Sciences : India bans exports of anti-viral drug Remdesivir as COVID-19 cases surge | MarketScreener
http://www.marketscreener.com – Today
“In light of the above, Government of India has prohibited the exports of Injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the situation improves,” the health ministry said in a statement. Seven Indian companies have licensed the drug from Gilead Sciences, with an installed capacity of about 3.9 million units per month. (Reporting by Krishna N. Das and Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Susan Fenton)
0
Centre Prohibits Export of Remdesivir till COVID-19 Situation in Country Improves
http://www.india.com – Today
Centre Prohibits Export of Remdesivir till COVID-19 Situation in Country Improves…
1
India bans exports of anti-viral drug Remdesivir as COVID-19 cases surge
mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com – Today
India bans exports of anti-viral drug Remdesivir as COVID-19 cases surge Reuters / Updated: Apr 11, 2021, 17:50 IST Representational Image […] Photo: BCCL New Delhi: India said on Sunday it had banned the export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients after a record spike in COVID-19 cases sent deman […] “In light of the above, Government of India has prohibited the exports of Injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the situation improves,” the health ministry said in a […]
7
Centre prohibits export of Remdesivir & its API till COVID-19 situation improves in India
http://www.republicworld.com – Today
With several states complaining of shortage of Remdesivir injections – which is used in COVID-19 treatment, the Centre on Sunday, has banned the export of Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the COVID-19 situation in the country improves […] READ | Remdesivir shortage in Nagpur; Union Minister Nitin Gadkari dials Sun Pharma chief Govt bans export of Remdesivir Additionally, Centre has taken the following steps to streamline Remdesivir supply: All domestic manufactures of Remdesivir have been advised to display on their website […]
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Govt suspends export of Remdesivir till coronavirus situation improves | Business Standard News
http://www.business-standard.com – Today
The union government on Sunday suspended the export of Remdesivir injections and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the coronavirus situation improves in the country […] “The current situation has led to a sudden spike in demand for Remdesivir injection used in treatment of Covid patients […] In addition, the government has taken the steps to ensure easy access of hospital and patients to Remdesivir All domestic manufactures of Remdesivir have been advised to display on their website, details of their stock lists or distributors t […]
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India bans export of Remdesivir drug, injection till Covid situation improves
http://www.livemint.com – Today
“Export of injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) prohibited till the COVID-19 situation in the countr […] This has led to a sudden spike in demand for Injection Remdesivir used in treatment of COVID patients. There is a potential of a further increase in demand for Remdesivir injection in the coming days,” the Centre said in a statement […] of Pharmaceuticals has been in contact with domestic manufacturers to ramp up the production of Remdesivir, it further stated. In its fresh order, it said that all domestic manufactures of Remdesivir advised to display on their website, details of their stockists/distributors to facilitate acces […]
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No lockdown in MP, only ‘corona curfew’: Chouhan | Health
http://www.devdiscourse.com – Today
[…] We have received 4,000 injections of Remdesivir (the key anti-viral drug) and would be getting 5,000 more today […]
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India Bans Export Of Anti-Viral Drug Remdesivir Amid Surge In Covid Cases
http://www.ndtv.com – Today
[…] In an order, the government said it has banned export of Remdesivir injection and Remdesivir active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) till the pandemic situation in the country stabilises […] To ensure more people can get Remdesivir, the government said manufactures of Remdesivir have been asked to show on their website the details of their stockists and distributors […] of Pharmaceuticals has been in contact with the domestic manufacturers to ramp up the production of Remdesivir,” the government said. The National Clinical Management Protocol for COVID-19 lists Remdesivir as an investigational therapy, where informed and shared decision making is essential […]
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Remdesivir injections and Favipiravir tablets vanish from UP’s Prayagraj medicine shops | Allahabad News
dlsnewsindia.com – Today
PRAYAGRAJ: The Remdesivir injection and Favipiravir tablets seem to have vanished from the city-based medicine market wit […] at Leader road dealing wholesale medicine market claimed that there was an acute shortage of Remdesivir injection and Favipiravir tablets […] UP Chemist & Druggist Federation admitted to TOI that there has been an acute shortage of Remdesivir injection and Favipiravir tablets in markets and we have been demanding from concerne […] “ I have made calls to my relatives to arrange Remdesivir injection after seeing its acute crisis in city” said Ashutosh who arrived Leader road medicin […]
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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS FROM WESTERN REGION AT 5 pm. | Law-Order
http://www.devdiscourse.com – Today
[…] BOM2 MH-REMDESIVIR-CONTROL ROOMS Maha to set up control rooms for smooth supply of Remdesivir Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has decided to set up district-level control rooms to ensur […] government has decided to set up district-level control rooms to ensure smooth supply of Remdesivir injections and prevent hoarding and black-marketing of the drug, officials said on Sunday […]
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Coronavirus update: Latest Covid-19 vaccine and world news
http://www.cnn.com – Today
[…] India has banned the export of anti-viral drug remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients following a rise in coronavirus cases, a statement fro […] The ban would apply to Injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) until the Covid-19 situation in the country improves, th […] ministry said, adding that this rise has led to a sudden spike in demand for the anti-viral drug remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients used in the treatment of coronavirus patients […]
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Business & Financial News, U.S & International Breaking News | Reuters
http://www.reuters.com – Today
[…] Carnival-loving, eloquent Soeder wants to be Germany’s first Bavarian chancellor 2h ago India bans Remdesivir exports as coronavirus rages on; rallies continue 2h ago Pacific island devotees of Prince Phili […]
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AAP slams BJP’s ‘free Remdesivir distribution’ in Surat; Guj CM says ‘not from govt stock’
http://www.republicworld.com – Today
Last Updated: 11th April, 2021 16:37 IST AAP Slams BJP’s ‘free Remdesivir Distribution’ In Surat; Guj CM Says ‘not From Govt Stock’ Slamming BJP’s Gujarat unit over Remdesivir injection hoarding, AAP said that the BJP had taken PM Modi’s message of  “converting disasters o […] Currently, Gujarat’s neighbouring state Maharashtra too is facing an acute Remdesivir shortage. READ | Maharashtra to set up control rooms for smooth supply of Remdesivir amid COVID crisis “About Surat, C R Paatil has arranged for 5,000 Remdesivir injections […]
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FREE Coronavirus Awareness Training – Free E-Learning Course
http://www.mandatorytraining.co.uk – Today
[…] trials are looking at the potential use of two HIV drugs as well as another antiviral called Remdesivir that was developed to tackle haemorrhagic fevers including Ebola […]

Pfizer COVID-19 shot 95% effective, seeking clearance soon

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Pfizer says that more interim results from its ongoing coronavirus vaccine study suggest the shots are 95% effective and that the vaccine protects older people most at risk of dying from COVID-19.

The announcement, just a week after Pfizer first revealed promising preliminary results, comes as the company is preparing within days to formally ask U.S. regulators to allow emergency use of the vaccine.

Pfizer initially had estimated its vaccine, developed with German partner BioNTech, was more than 90% effective after 94 infections had been counted. With Wednesday’s announcement, the company now has accumulated 170 infections in the study — and said only eight of them occurred in volunteers who got the actual vaccine rather than a dummy shot. One of those eight developed severe disease, the company said.

The company has not yet released detailed data on its study, and results have not been analyzed by independent experts.

Pfizer said its vaccine was more than 94% effective in adults over age 65, though it is not clear how the company determined effectiveness in older adults, with only eight infections in the vaccinated group to analyze and no breakdown provided of those people’s ages.

Earlier this week Moderna, Inc. announced that its experimental vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective after an interim analysis of its late-stage study.

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Pfizer says it now has the data on the vaccine’s safety needed to seek emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.

The company didn’t disclose safety details but said no serious vaccine side effects have been reported, with the most common problem being fatigue after the second vaccine dose, affecting about 4% of participants.

The study has enrolled nearly 44,000 people in the U.S. and five other countries. The trial will continue to collect safety and efficacy data on volunteers for two more years.

Pfizer and BioNTech said they expect to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses globally in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.

U.S. officials have said they hope to have about 20 million vaccine doses each from Moderna and Pfizer available for distribution in late December. The first shots will be offered to vulnerable groups like medical and nursing home workers, and people with serious health conditions.

LINDA A. JOHNSON

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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