HCN Essentials: Novavax Vaccine: MIA, COVID “Breathalyzer” Test, COVID Long-HaulerDecember 14, 2021 | Trending in Healthcare Allergy & Immunology COVID-19: Whatever Happened to the Novavax Vaccine? At the outset of the pandemic, biotechnology company Novavax was one of the frontrunners to bring a vaccine against COVID-19 to market. But nearly two years later, Novavax’s vaccine has yet to appear. In a compelling article, the BMJ details the repeated delays and setbacks that have torpedoed Novavax’s once-promising vaccine candidate and rendered it unnecessary now that other vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca flood the global marketplace. Read full article Allergy & Immunology A COVID ‘Breathalyzer’: Not All Hot Air? Since the onset of COVID-19, medical professionals have struggled to rapidly diagnose and determine whether someone has the respiratory illness. This issue is particularly acute in hospital intensive care units (ICUs) where doctors and nurses must triage patients based on the severity of their illnesses. Now, a “breathalyzer” test given to critically ill patients has been found to detect the virus quickly and efficiently, providing new hope for the rapid screening of people who are overwhelming hospital emergency rooms. Specifically, the breathalyzer test was found to detect COVID-19 with 88% sensitivity among a group of 46 patients admitted to an ICU. Read full article Allergy & Immunology Living With COVID: A Long Hauler’s Journey Amy Watson became famous for coining the term “COVID long hauler” to describe people, such as herself, who suffer from the effects of the respiratory disease over an extended period. These long-haul symptoms can include fever, body aches, and fatigue. Watson herself says she rarely goes more than a few hours without suffering a fever, nearly two years after first contracting COVID-19. GoodRx Health chronicles Amy Watson’s story and what it’s like for people suffering from long COVID. Read full article