Author: dianad31

Measles is a very contagious virus that is especially dangerous for young children. This disease can be spread through a variety of mechanisms. It can be spread via airborne respiratory droplets (such as a cough or sneeze), it can be spread through saliva, touching fomites (inanimate objects such as countertops), and through vertical transmission from mother to infant during labor or nursing. Signs and symptoms of this disease include pain in the muscles, fever, runny nose, koplik’s spots, rash, dry cough, fatigue, and many more. According to the CDC, Measles was eliminated in the United States in 2000. This was due to the development of the MMRV vaccine and global measures taken to prevent the spread of the disease. Despite this feat, almost twenty years ago Measles has unfortunately become a problem again. In 2019, there was an outbreak of the Measles disease and over 1,000 cases were reported in the United States-the highest number since 1992.

As mentioned before, Measles is very infectious. In fact, it is more infectious than Ebola, namely because it’s droplets are able to remain suspended in the air for long periods of time and it is able to survive on surfaces for a long amount of time. According to Unicef, one can be infected by measles just standing in the same room as someone else who has the disease, even after they have left. Currently, measles outbreaks are occurring all over the world in places such as Liberia, Somalia, Greece, the United Kingdom, and the United States. After the measles being eliminated in so many different countries, what is causing these recent outbreaks? The main cause would be a lower rate of people being vaccinated. This is a very contagious disease and the best protection against it is immunization. Whenever a certain number of the population is not immunized, we are not able to maintain herd immunity, and more people are susceptible to transmitting the disease.

So what can be done to stop these outbreaks and once again eliminate the disease? Vaccination. Infections are most common in countries with weak health infrastructures. A unified global approach must be taken in order to provide these countries with the tools available to be able to sufficiently vaccinate their citizens. In addition campaigns should be created in order to raise the awareness of situations like these. Often times people are misinformed about vaccines and how they are able to prevent outbreaks of diseases such as Measles. The anti-vaxx movement is one of the factors that play into this misinformation. With a global approach to tackling our health problems, I believe Measles can be eliminated from many countries again.

This week we will be discussing monoclonal antibodies; specifically, we will be talking about omalizumab which is commonly known as Xolair. Antibodies play a critical role in our immune system to fight off pathogens. Naturally, their role is to detect specific antigens such as bacteria, viruses, etc. and stop the invasion via multiple mechanisms. In order to treat certain diseases, scientists are able to synthesize man-made antibodies to use in a patient. These man-made antibodies are made to treat specific diseases. According to an article released by MedNet, monoclonal antibodies are synthesized from cloned immune cells and are able to only bind to one specific type of antigen. The monoclonal antibody known as Xolair is used to fight off microbes that cause allergic asthma. Let’s look more into how this drug works and what side effects may come along with it.

Xolair is a prescription medicine that has to be injected under the skin every two to four weeks. It is used for patients who suffer from asthma caused by allergic reactions that are not able to be controlled from using inhaled corticosteroids. In order to determine the dosage that one needs before taking this medicine, the patient must be tested for the amount of IgE that is found in their system. There are many side effects that can come with taking this drug. However, one of the most severe is an allergic reaction which leads to anaphylaxis shock. Anaphylaxis causes massive vasodilation and bronchoconstriciton which leads to a drop in blood pressure and wheezing and tightness in the chest. Other side effects that come along with this drug include:

-Cancer

-Inflammation of blood vessels

-Fever and muscle aches

-Circulation problems

-Infection

-dizzines

-sore throat

There are many more side effects that can occur. Before you are able to receive the drug, it is important that you tell the doctor if you have a latex allergy because the syringe may have latex. If you have had a parasitic infection in the past, taking the drug may raise your probability to acquiring one again. The direct role that Xolair plays in the body is decreasing the amount of IgE produced by the body. IgE is an antibody that is frequently involved with the bodies reaction to small allergens such as pollen and dust. By decreasing the the body’s production of IgE , the symptoms of an allergy response are decreased as well. Because of this monoclonal antibody suppressing aspects of the acquired immune system (IgE) this leaves way for other symptoms to appear-such as those listed on the side effects list.

Got the sniffles? A sore throat? Can’t stop sneezing? During any other year we would just attribute these symptoms to a simple cold. However, it is safe to say that 2020 is not just “any other year”. Before we get into the details of the common cold, let’s talk about it isn’t. I’m not sure about anyone else, but I for one have dealt with a lot of anxiety during this pandemic. I’ve been anxious about all the things in my life being cancelled, I’ve been anxious about online school, but most of all I’ve been anxious about contracting Coronavirus and passing it on to my family. According to Intermountain Healthcare, the symptoms of the Coronavirus are so similar to the flu and common cold. For example, they all include a fever, sore throat, and coughing. However, what makes Covid-19 different is the dry cough and difficulty breathing. These can seem like such tedious attributes, but they make all the difference. Let’s look more at the common cold, also known as the rhinovirus.

The rhinovirus is a member of the picornavirus family and is a single stranded RNA virus. According to an article written by Dr. Pappas, the rhinovirus is responsible for what most people refer to as the common cold. Adults experience two to three colds per year, while a child may experience eight to twelve colds per year. Because of this data, it is said that children are the primary reservoir for the virus. When we generally think of the cold, we assume that it poses no threat to the lives of anyone. However, that is not true. Infections from the common cold often occur in children and can lead to exacerbated asthma attacks or upper respiratory infections such as ARI. These infections can be deadly, especially when left untreated.

The rhinovirus is easily spread and has two modes of transmission. It can be transmitted through droplets that are released whenever one coughs or sneezes or it can be transmitted through fomites. Fomites are basically just inanimate objects such as door handles or counter surfaces. No surprise here, but the cases of rhinovirus typically increase during the colder months in the fall or winter. This may be due to being close to the start of the school year. Also as it gets colder outside, people tend to be indoors with each other and within closer proximity making the virus easier to spread. The rhinovirus also proliferates better in colder temperatures as opposed to the hot temperatures found in the summer months. It’s important to be able to know the signs and symptoms illnesses such as the common cold or the flu, and especially coronavirus. It is not easy to differentiate between the three, but having the knowledge could lead to a quicker diagnosis.

As the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic continues, more discussions are being held about the different measures that can be taken. Last week on my blog, I discussed the work that is being done towards finding a vaccine to be used against this virus. As previously mentioned, until a vaccine is formulated and able to be distributed broadly, there will always be a risk for another outbreak of Coronavirus. The timeline for a vaccine is currently being set at anywhere from 12-18 months. However, something else is being done that involves immunity. Lately on the news, there has been lots of talk about antibody testing. Antibody testing can be used to test for whether someone has been affected with Coronavirus in the past and has since recovered from it-making them immune for a certain amount of time. How does this test work? Let’s discuss.

When a foreign microbe is introduced into our body, our immune system produces proteins that are known as antibodies. There are various kinds of antibodies that are produced by our bodies, and they can be used to tell us a plethora of information. According to Healthline, researchers are working to produce a serological test that can look for the presence of certain antibodies in the blood. IgM antibodies are the very first antibodies produced when a microbe is present. They are the first line of defense and therefore are present in large numbers at the beginning of an infection. IgG antibodies serve the role of “remembering” the microbes that you have already been exposed to. Whenever this serological testing is being done, if an abundance of IgG Coronavirus antibodies are found this could be a sign that you have already had the virus.

These antibody tests could mean a lot in terms of the future of life during this pandemic. For one, it could give us an idea of just truly how widespread this disease is. Because Coronavirus has many asymptomatic carriers and access to testing is somewhat limited, there is a great chance that many people have been infected without even knowing they had the virus. With antibody tests, those asymptomatic people would be able to be identified and those that already had the virus and are now immune may be able to return to work. According to an article released by NBC News, studies using antibody tests have already been started. Los Angeles County has over 10 million residents, and have had almost 10,000 cases confirmed. This makes it an ideal location for a study to be held to test the extent of how many people have been affected by Covid-19 in the United States. This could be the next big step in the fight against Coronavirus and potentially help towards coming out of lockdown earlier. I am excited to see the results of these studies.

The question that has been on everyone’s mind during this pandemic is: is there a cure? and when will we find a vaccine? The vaccine is a very crucial point to the end of this pandemic. No matter how much we are able to control the virus and flatten the curve, there will always be the risk for another major outbreak to occur so long as there is no vaccine. For example, the flu affects millions per year and takes lives. Because the flu has multiple strains, there is a new flu vaccine administered every year. The flu vaccine does not completely eliminate the flu, but it helps establish what is known as herd immunity. Herd immunity has been discussed in my previous blogs, but it is basically whenever enough of the population is vaccinated that it “protects” those who are immunocompromised and are not able to get vaccinated from getting sick. That is what we hope to do with the Coronavirus. If an effective vaccine is found, then this may prevent the chance for outbreaks such as this one in the future.

The race for an effective Coronavirus vaccine has many participants. Research labs, Universities, and doctors all across the world are racing to find a vaccine that works. Health officials say that the timetable they are looking at for a vaccine is within 18 months. This may sound like a long time, but for a vaccine, this is a relatively quick turnaround. Keep in mind, when making a vaccine you must spend weeks upon weeks researching the virus. Then the components of the vaccine are put together. After the potential vaccine is found, then it is usually tested to animals and you must observe how they react to it. According to CNN, after animal testing, the vaccine goes into human testing. This is a three phase process. The first phase involves administering the vaccine to a very small number human subjects and monitoring their immune response. The second increases the number of tests subjects and randomly administers the vaccine. The third phase includes testing tens of thousands of people. It was announced some days ago that vaccines were already being tested on humans in Seattle. This was significant because rather than testing animals first, the animals and humans are being tested at the same time.

According to BBC News, there has also been many efforts being put towards finding a drug that treats the actual virus rather than a preventative measure such as a vaccine. There are various antiviral drugs that have been tested in the past few weeks for patients with Covid-19. Some trials have started in Europe using a drug named remdesivir. This drug was initially used as a drug against Ebola, but it is said to be effective for a variety of other viruses. Trials testing lopinavir and ritonavir have also occurred. These drugs are used to treat HIV, and unfortunately the data coming from the trials is not supporting that the use of this drug against Covid-19 would be successful. Another drug typically used against Malaria and known as Chloroquine has been tested. Some lab tests have shows that it can kill the virus, but the World Health Organization claims that there is not enough evidence of its effectiveness.

Clearly many people are working hard day and night to find solutions to end this pandemic. Although finding something quickly would be great, we must be careful not to move too quickly and potentially release something that could be dangerous or ineffective. Many people are under great pressure right now, and I am interested to see the development of the new drugs and vaccines.

Cancer is a disease that affects millions of lives across the world every single day. Most people know someone who has been affected by the disease whether personally or through a family member. The National Cancer Institute describes cancer as being, “the name given to a collection of related diseases. In all types of cancer, some of the body’s cells begin to divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissues.” Normally, the cells in our body grow/divide when needed, and when the body tells the cells to stop growing, they stop growing. However, in the case of cancer, the cells continue to grow without halt and eventually form tumors. So what is being done today to treat the disease that affects so many people? Let’s discuss.

Dendritic cells are a type of cell a part of the immune system. They present antigens on their surface so that the adaptive immune system is able to be triggered. In an article released by Cancer Health, they discussed how dendritic cells could be used to help treat cancer. This method includes a vaccine in which a patient’s dendritic cells are taken out and exposed to cancer antigens in a lab. After exposure, the treated cells are then put back into the body. This would allow the body to treat the cells that have the cancer antigens on it as an invading microbe and kill it-thus slowing down it’s growth. Research is of course still being done on deciding which antigens should be used to treat the dendritic cells. There are self-antigens, viral-antigens, and cancer-specific antigens. Each option has it’s own pros and cons.

Although what I just described seems like a simple solution, there are still a good amount of challenges. For example, in order for the immune system, more specifically the T cells, to be activated and kill the antigen presenting cells, there must be a sufficient number of T cells do begin with. Patients who have undergone chemotherapy can make this a difficult task. The chemotherapy may damage immune cells such as the T cells and render them not as effective. In addition, as a person ages, their immune system is not as strong as it could be and may not mount as large of an attack with T cells as someone else immune system would. Cancer cells also have different defense mechanisms. They sometimes have the ability to physically enable T cells from being able to enter, and some tumors completely compromise the immune system’s response. As you can see, there are so many factors that go into fighting cancer. The use of Dendritic cells however, is a very interesting idea on how to cure cancer. I believe it shows promise, and I am excited to see where the research is in the new future.

Tuesday March 24th was World Tuberculosis Day 2020. I’m sure that is not common public knowledge as even I didn’t know that this day existed. With the whole world currently dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, many things are looked over, including other diseases. Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis and this disease attacks the lungs. Many people who are infected with the virus do not show symptoms, however, the disease is deadly. Symptoms include coughing, night sweats, fever, chills, weight loss, chest pain, and more. Transmission is human to human and comes through droplets that are released from coughs or sneezes. How dangerous is TB? Let’s discuss.

Tuberculosis is the world’s deadliest infectious disease. According to the World Health Organization, it was reported in 2018, 10 million people became infected with TB and over 1 million people died. They also predicted that in 2020, the disease will kill around four million people. Adults are the most at risk group for contracting the disease, but any age group is able to contract it. In an article published by Infection Control Today, the efforts that being made today to slow down the spread of this disease is discussed. The theme for World TB Day on the 24th was “It’s Time”. This theme addresses the fact that it is time for health officials to increase measures to prevent and treat the disease and also amp up the resources available in order to have more research on the disease. The World Health Organization said that TB was one of the most urgent infectious diseases that should be addressed this decade, and I couldn’t agree more.

As mentioned earlier, before this week, I had no idea that World TB Day was even a thing. TB is a scary disease and it accounted for a large number of deaths last year. It saddens me to know that the theme for this year’s TB Day was “It’s Time”. Health leaders had planned on putting their foot down and really detailing the work that needed to be done in order to attack the disease that is TB. However, because of the unfortunate and unforeseen turn of events this year, I feel as though the efforts towards tackling TB will be minimized. That is the scary thing with this pandemic. We keep talking about the rising numbers of Coronavirus cases and how healthcare systems are being overwhelmed, but people are forgetting about the fact that other diseases must be treated too. The beds in hospitals that people need for heart attacks, broken bones, strokes, and diseases such as TB are being taking up my Coronavirus patients. So I end this article by saying this. Do not forget about the other diseases, like Tuberculosis, during this time. Keep others in mind when deciding to leave your home during this time and listen to what the health officials and the government are telling people to do.

If you would have asked me a month ago, how I thought the month of March would go, I never in a million years would have guessed this. Throughout February we heard reports of an epidemic in China. To me, that seemed so far away, and seemed as though it had no effect on me, but that would quickly change. For Spring Break, my friends and I had plans to go to Miami, Florida. We had our plane tickets booked, our Airbnb booked, and an itinerary laid out. Soon after confirming all of our purchases, the first few cases of Covid-19 began to pop up in the United States and the public began to become concerned. We were still planning on going on our trip until UNC imposed a travel advisory to all states who had declared a State of Emergency (Florida was on that list). Even after this, we were STILL planning on going, until our parents, who were rightfully concerned, urged us to cancel the trip, so we did. After hours of staying on the phone trying to get my money back from the airlines and Airbnb, I was more concerned with getting my refunds than the oncoming pandemic.

Having my Spring Break trip get cancelled really upset me, especially when I saw that UNC students still chose to go to Florida and other locations outside of the country. To make matters worse, a couple of days after cancelling my trip, my Study Abroad program in the summer got cancelled as well. I was very excited for this Study Abroad opportunity, and it was basically the last chance I would have had to Study Abroad as an undergraduate student, so this absolutely devastated me. We then got the email telling us that school would essentially be online for the rest of the semester, and we were to stay off of campus. I lugged around the house mad that the Coronavirus was disrupting so many things. My family told me that the things I was losing in that moment had no comparison to the things that other people were losing because of the Coronavirus. This pandemic has taken lives, jobs, and shattered economies. It has truly impacted the world as a whole negatively. This is a great tragedy that we are in, however, college students still have every right to be upset. I have learned that I can acknowledge that there are a lot worse problems people are facing due to this virus and still be upset that a significant portion of my college experience is being taken away. Everyone is experiencing this pandemic in their own unique way, and everyone will cope with this pandemic in their own way. This is unlike something that any of has experienced, so I believe that all feelings are valid.

In all honesty, this situation is scary. I may have downplayed the severity of the virus at first, but now I am completely aware of the gravity of this situation- and it is scary. Being stuck in your house all day, you begin to get anxious. Living with two older parents, I was and still am terrified to go out in public in fear that I will contract the virus and pass it on to them. Seasonal allergies have turned into great fear as I ask myself is my throat sore because of the pollen outside? Or is it sore because I have the Coronavirus? I cannot go anywhere without hearing about this virus. It is all they talk about on the news, it’s every where on social media, and even my own phone sends me updates every couple of hours. As the numbers continue to rise, and our government still scrambles and debates on how to handle the pandemic, all I can do is practice social distancing and pray that this is all over soon. Starting classes back this week has been helpful. Although the stress of schoolwork adds on to the stress I am already feeling from this situation, the classes give structure to my day and prevent me from getting lost in my own thoughts of worry. These are truly unparalleled times, and no one truly knows how to handle it. For me, I am just taking it day by day-that is all you really can do. I am hopeful for the future and truly understand that I can not take any experience for granted!

Last time I discussed the Coronavirus on here was on February 8th, and wow have the times changed since then. What once seemed like a distant outbreak that would have no direct effect on myself or the United States has dramatically made it’s way to changing the course of every day life for the foreseeable future. Spring Break plans were cancelled, schools across the nation have been shut down, stores have been close, jobs have been laid off, and so much more. Most American citizens, had the same attitude as me when news about the Coronavirus overseas started to be reported, they thought there was no way it could make it over here. Even our own President told citizens that the disease would not spread in the United States, and here we are. Both the public’s and more so the government’s handling of this situation has been lackluster. If not taken seriously by all parties, the future will be negatively impacted in both the United States and globally.

The two words that everyone keeps hearing during this pandemic is: Social Distancing. What is it? What does it look like? Well, social distancing is exactly what it sounds like, it means avoiding others in social settings. In an article published by CNN, questions about what can be considered social distancing are answered. You should not gather in groups larger than ten people. You should go out in public unless you need to go to the grocery store or to work, and even then, if possible, you should always maintain at least a six foot difference between yourself and the people around you. You should not go out to eat in restaurants, but rather or carry out or take out. You should visit family or friends in their homes and vice versa. Bottom line: if you can stay home, then STAY home. This virus is spreading very quickly, and the less people that we have out and about, then the slower that this virus will spread. Because Covid-19 has such a long incubation period, and it is asymptomatic in many patients, many people can spread the disease without even knowing they have it. This is why it is best to just stay home, not only are you protecting yourself, but you are protecting everyone that you may come into contact with.

As of this morning, March 22nd, the United States have confirmed over 30,000 cases becoming the third highest in the world. The number of actual cases is much higher than this reported number however due to the lack of testing resources and asymptomatic carriers. Currently, the virus is growing exponentially and hospitals and healthcare workers will soon be overwhelmed if the curve is not flattened. In an article released by the Washington Post, graphs are used to demonstrate the benefits and consequences of urgent action being taken such as social distancing. The different graphs show what would happen with no measures taken, attempted quarantine, moderate distancing, and extensive distancing. The key is not necessarily how many people get infected, but rather when they get infected. If a lot of people get infected in a short amount of time, healthcare facilities would quickly be overwhelmed and there would be no way to effectively treat everyone. However, if that same number of people were to get infected over a long period of time, people would have time to recover and leave hospitals before new people get infected, and the healthcare facilities would not be overwhelmed.

Many people, especially the younger population are not taking this pandemic seriously. Younger people believe that the virus will not affect them because it mainly kills people who are older. However, in order to effectively combat this pandemic, it will take an effort from society as a whole. Everyone must practice social distancing in order to “flatten the curve” and help out our healthcare workers. Remember to stay home, wash your hands, and do your part part for society!

On this week’s blog, we are going to be talking about a very relevant topic-especially within the college population. Sexually transmitted diseases, aka STDs. STDs can be defined as infections or diseases that are spread through sexual contact and are caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites. Of course, when we were first get to college, the importance of sexual health is stressed to us. All throughout UNC’s campus there are multiple resources set up in order to remind students to practice safe sex. Whether it’s the pamphlets you see at Campus Health or the bucket of condoms found inside the bathrooms in the Union, there’s no doubt that an effort is being made. Despite all these reminders, according to the CDC, the population of ages 15-24 make up only a fourth of the sexually active population, but account for half of the new STDs that occur in the United States each year. This is a very significant percentage that young adults are responsible for.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. It is a bacterial disease. Typically it is found in young women and the infection causes few or very mild signs and symptoms, so someone may have it without knowing. This asymptomatic feature makes it very easy for the infection to be transmitted to others without anyone knowing. If left untreated, Chlamydia can lead to serious health problems such as infertility. Unfortunately, despite many medical advances cases of sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis have increased. In an CNN Health article, it is stated that, “The new (CDC) report found that rates of reported cases tended to be highest among adolescents and young adults.” From a public health standpoint, an increase in STDs can have a very negative impact. Not only can they be responsible for a number of birth defects, but some diseases such as gonorrhea are becoming drug resistant.

As previously stated, young adults play a huge role in the increase of sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. As a college student, I believe that other college students have the power and responsibility to practice safe sex and help lower the increasing numbers. Being on a college campus, there are so many resources to help protect against STDs. You can find free condoms, for both men and women all over the campus. There are also other items available such as Dental Dams or plastic wraps. Another option is to practice abstinence- this is the safest and most effective way to avoid STDs as it is 100% guaranteed to protect you from STDs. Outside of the young adult population, one of the reasons for STD transmission is because people to do not have the access to be able to go get tested. As students at UNC, we have access to Campus Health and should take advantage of that if we suspect that we have an infection. Young adults play a big role in the nation’s public health. It’s important that we get rid of the stigma around talking about sexual health so that we are able to have important and informative discussions about how to have safer sex.