Spencer Edward

A Lancet study has said that levels of antibody from Covid-19 vaccines may decline in 60 to 90 days. It said that two doses of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines offer good protection from the virus. The antibody levels developed are substantially higher. But it starts diminishing after six of the second dose. The study said that antibody levels could reduce by around 50 percent over 10 weeks. The study was done at the University College London. Researchers said that the drop in antibody levels is a cause of concern. They said that this could weaken the body’s levels to fight off new variants. They, however, didn’t predict how soon mutation can happen.

Researchers said that high antibody levels are important in the fight against the virus. The vaccines do develop very high antibody levels to protect against severity. For the study, researchers analyzed the data of 600 people. All the participants were above 18 years of age. They were fully vaccinated. They found antibody levels after two doses are consistent across all age groups. They, however, said that clinical implications of lowering antibody levels after two to three months are yet to be established. A decline was surely expected earlier after a certain period. But the latest study shows that the reduction could be more than 50 percent. Researchers said that vulnerable adults should be given priority for booster doses.

Researchers said that those given the AstraZeneca vaccines are most likely to have the lowest antibody levels than those vaccinated with the vaccine manufactured by Pfizer. They recommended that this should also be taken into account while deciding who all be given the booster dose at the earliest when available. Researchers also said that there were limitations in the data as it involved a small sample size. Each individual contributed one sample. They added that immunity levels differ from person to person. It depends on the body’s ability to fight against the virus and also T-cell responses.

People think that chest pain and uneasiness in the left arm are some common signs and symptoms of almost all types of heart attacks. However, over the years, many studies have shown it might not be true in all cases. Studies have revealed that only these symptoms are not the hallmarks for all patients. A new study has found that women go through a different set of heart attack symptoms than men. Experts who have been involved in the study have said that in many cases red flags of heart attack among women can start showing up weeks before the actual cardiac incident. The study has been done by experts from the American Heart Association (AHA). Experts have been analyzing symptoms of heart attack among women. They have found that around 95 percent of women start developing new symptoms of a heart attack a month prior to the cardiac event and these symptoms fade away after the incident. Around 71 percent of women have the same subtle symptoms before the heart attack, said the experts. The AHA has started a survey on 500 women who have recovered from a heart attack in 2003. The authors of the study have said that unexplained fatigue has been the most common symptom among 95 percent of women who have said that they have not been feeling well during the month or before the cardiac incident. The study has noted that around 71 percent of women have said that they have been experiencing tiredness for no logical reason weeks before they have suffered a heart attack. A cardiologist Leslie Cho has claimed that if people undergo new or unexplained fatigue or if they feel tired after their usual workout session or while resting, they should get in touch with their health care provider and consider the risk of a heart attack.

The authors of the study have said that unusual fatigue is not the only alarming symptom that can lead to a cardiac event. If people are not able to sleep properly, it might be a matter of concern. As per the survey done by the AHA, around 48 percent of women who have recovered from a heart attack have said that they have been facing difficulty in falling asleep a month prior to their heart attack incident. This is the reason; Dr. Leslie Cho has said that for people who feel exceptionally tired for no rational reason and have difficulty in falling asleep, then it might be an early sign of a heart attack. The survey has revealed that fewer than 1 in three women undergo chest pain during the onset of a heart attack. The survey has noted that only 31 percent of women experience chest pain before a cardiac event that is considered a hallmark sign of a heart attack. Nearly 43 percent of women have said that they have felt no chest pain during their cardiac events. The authors of the study have said that due to no chest pain prior to the onset of a heart attack, most heart attack cases are undiagnosed among women as compared to men. Experts have said that more often women are incorrectly diagnosed and discharged from emergency wards. Scientist Jean C. McSweeney who is a professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has said that many health care providers still consider chest pain as the main sign of a heart attack.

Health experts from the AHA have said that unexplained fatigue is the most common and early sign of a heart attack among women, while women more often experience shortness of breath as compared to any other symptoms once their cardiac event starts. More than half of the participants of the survey, or around 58 percent of women have said that they have undergone shortness of breath during their cardiac arrest. At the same time, nearly 42 percent of women have said that they have been dealing with the symptom weeks before the heart attack. Experts from the AHA have said that if people feel unexplained shortness of breath with or without chest pain, they should immediately consult their health care providers. Dr. Nieca Goldberg has said that usually, women keep a record of their symptoms of heart attack to less life-altering health issues such as acid reflux or the flu. Still, there are many women who do not believe that they can suffer a heart attack. Dr. Goldberg works as the medical director for the Joan H Tisch Center for Women’s Health at the Langone Medical Center located at New York University. The authors of the new study have said that women, who are dealing with these symptoms, should not delay their treatment and immediately book an appointment with their health care providers. However, there are many past studies that have shown that men are two times more likely to suffer a heart attack as compared to women.

The test positivity rate is rising in at least 42 states of the United States right now; it shows that the COVID19 pandemic is not yet over. Vaccine rollout program in the US is extensively going on in the country, but still, there are many people who have not been vaccinated yet. Many people are hesitant to book an appointment for vaccination due to the fear of initial side effects of the vaccine and many people have dodged their second doses. However, children are still at a higher risk of contracting the virus, as there is no shot for them at present. Although clinical trials are going on, children who are below 12 years are still not eligible to get the vaccine. The situation is less likely to change until schools start reopening next month, experts have said. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that though kids are less likely to fall ill with severe COVID19 disease but they can be a potential reservoir of infection. They can easily be infected with the virus and transmit it to others. The rate of infection and death due to COVID19 has reduced in the US as compared to last year; however, the more deadly Delta variant has become dominant in the country and is spreading across many states. Dr. David Cennimo, who is an infectious disease expert from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, has said that it is critical to vaccinate children to put a stop to the spread of the virus.

Pfizer and BioNTech have got their vaccine authorized from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use on children who are in the age range of 12 to 15 years. The companies have started testing their shot in a large group of kids who are under 12 years. The age range of children has been divided into five categories, 5 to 11 years, 2 to below 5 years, and 6 months to below 2 years, said the experts. Johnson & Johnson as well as asked for emergency use expansion for its shot to include kids who are in the age group of 12 to 17 years. The company has declared that it is enrolling kids who are in the age range of 12 to 17 years in its ongoing 2a phase clinical trial. Many experts are doubtful whether a COVID19 shot will be ready before schools reopen next month. Dr. Reynold Panettieri, the vice chancellor for translational medicine and science at Rutgers University, has said that many schools are up for reopening in the third week of August, and it is uncertain whether a vaccine will be ready and approved by that time. He hopes that a vaccine might be authorized and ready for emergency use by Thanksgiving. However, it is unclear whether there will be a vaccine for babies who are under 2 years. Pfizer as well is uncertain about a definitive date for when a shot will be ready for children below 12 years. The company has claimed that the data for kids in the age group of 5 to 11 years will be available by September 2021 and they can go ahead and apply for approval for emergency use. Dr. David Cennimo has noted that it is important to prioritize the age group first. He has said that school-going kids have more social interaction as compared to young kids and toddlers; therefore it is necessary to protect them as soon as possible.

Pfizer and BioNTech have said that the data for kids below 5 years will be available soon after they apply for emergency use authorization for a vaccine for kids in the age group of 5 to 11 years. The data for kids in the age group of 6 months to 2 years will be available around October and November and the company will file for authorization. Health experts have said that children contribute to a huge portion of the population. They can be potential spreaders or carriers of the virus. They have said that by vaccinating children, it will be easy to achieve herd immunity. As per the latest, kids who are below 15 years of age account for 26 percent of the global population. Health authorities claim that inoculating will lead to full protection against COVID19 only if the shots prove to be efficient against different variants of the virus. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been proved to be highly efficient among adolescents so far. The CDC has said that the Pfizer-BioNTech shot has been proved to be 95 percent effective against lab-confirmed COVID19 infection among people who are 16 years and above. The vaccine has been similarly effective among the younger population as well. Pfizer shot has been able to produce a robust immune response among children who are in the age range of 12 to 15 years. However, there have been many concerns regarding mRNA vaccines. There have been more than 1000 cases of myocarditis and pericarditis linked to mRNA shots. The CDC has said that these health conditions lead to inflammation of the heart. Cases of heart inflammation have been reported among adolescents particularly after vaccination. However, the advantages of getting the vaccine still outweigh the potential risk.