The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is the latest pathogen to “spill over” from animals to people, but hundreds of thousands of other viruses lurking in animals could pose a similar threat. Now, a new online tool ranks viruses by their potential to hop from animals to people and cause pandemics.The tool, called SpillOver, essentially creates a “watch list” of newly discovered animal viruses that pose the greatest threat to human health. The researchers hope their open-access tool can be used by other scientists, policymakers and public health officials to prioritize viruses... Read More

The group of 10 Republican senators that attempted to negotiate with President Biden on coronavirus relief slammed the president in a biting statement Wednesday night accusing him of misrepresenting their meeting and its fallout. Biden on Wednesday was asked if he will have failed at his promise of bipartisanship if he does not secure any GOP votes for his $2 trillion-plus spending package after no Republicans voted for his coronavirus stimulus either. The president responded that the GOP group he met with before passing the coronavirus stimulus wasn’t acting in good faith. “The... Read More

Governor Cuomo repealed a controversial law that shielded nursing homes and other essential businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits Tuesday night.The measure rolled back the “Emergency or Disaster Treatment Protection Act,” which granted health care facilities and workers liability immunity from negligence suits, and comes as Cuomo’s administration is under federal investigation for covering up some 9,000 COVID-19 related nursing home deaths last year.The scandal — exclusively revealed by The Post — weakened Cuomo politically and led to calls for him to resign... Read More

TORONTO – Canada on Monday suspended the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for people under age 55 following concerns it might be linked to rare blood clots.The National Advisory Committee on Immunization had recommended the pause for safety reasons and the Canadian provinces, which administer health in the country, announced the suspension Monday.”There is substantial uncertainty about the benefit of providing AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines to adults under 55 given the potential risks,” said Dr. Shelley Deeks, vice chair of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.Deeks... Read More

Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp joined “Your World” Thursday, one day after announcing every state resident aged 16 and older can receive a coronavirus vaccine. KEMP: We’ve vaccinated 75% of our seniors. Our first responders, health care heroes, and most of our teachers have now been vaccinated. We lowered the age [of eligibility] a few days ago to 55 and now we’re opening it up to everybody.We’re dealing with the situation we have in Georgia, every state is different in a lot of ways. We’re seeing tremendous demands in the metro Atlanta area. Thankfully the federal government... Read More

Health officials detected a case of the Brazilian coronavirus variant in a New York resident for the first time last week. In a press release issued Saturday, officials said the patient is a Brooklyn resident in their 90s with no travel history, and that work was underway to learn more about the patient and any potential contacts.The strain was first identified by scientists at Mount Sinai hospital and then verified by the Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center Laboratories.”This is a race between the vaccine and the variants, and we continue to make tremendous progress of getting shots... Read More

Two lineages of a coronavirus variant first detected in California have been classified as “variant[s] of concern” (VOC) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the agency citing an estimated 20% increased transmissibility over the wild-type strain.The variant, dubbed B.1.427/B.1.429 or 20C/L452R, comes in addition to three other already-classified VOCs first identified in South Africa, Brazil and the U.K. An update to the CDC’s webpage cites preliminary research published ahead of peer review from researchers affiliated with the University of California San Francisco,... Read More

Critics have mocked the coronavirus vaccination timeline laid out by President Biden Thursday night, with everyone from pundits to satirical website The Onion chiming in on his stated goal of a return to small social gatherings with close family by Independence Day.Biden, who also vowed all Americans would become eligible to receive a vaccine by May 1, raised eyebrows by adding that intimate gatherings could be allowed two months later.Journalist Tim Miller questioned Biden’s messaging, stating Americans should be working toward a return to normalcy, not tiny gatherings. “I... Read More

During his prime time address Thursday night, President Biden set out two key dates: May 1st, when he plans to direct states to make all adults eligible for COVID vaccines, and July 4th, when he expects the country to be able to fully reopen.I have some concerns about this timeline.First, even if enough vaccine from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson are available for all Americans by May 1st, defying the agreed upon timetable of approximately 700 million doses distributed by the end of May, we still have the major issue of vaccine compliance.In fact a recent Monmouth University poll found... Read More

The Food and Drug Administration is warning Americans against using ivermectin, a drug that kills parasites, to treat COVID-19. “Taking large doses of this drug is dangerous and can cause serious harm,” the FDA said Friday. Ivermectin is used to treat head lice and some skin conditions like rosacea in humans, and is used to treat internal and external parasitic infections in animals. FDA GREENLIGHTS ELI LILLY COVID-19 COMBO THERAPYSome researchers have touted ivermectin as a potential treatment for COVID-19 throughout the pandemic, but the jury is still out on whether it is an effective... Read More