With rise in variants, Mass. scientists warn of evolutionary arms race between virus and vaccines

Massachusetts epidemiology and infectious disease experts suggested newer variants may be more transmissible and could be better able to resist COVID-19 immunity from the vaccines or a natural infection. Dan Barouch, MD, PhD of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center noted many of these variants show enhanced transmission and, in some studies, enhanced disease, during his remarks at a state legislative hearing on Tuesday. (WBUR, April 14, 2021)

Regeneron’s COVID-19 drug appears to prevent virus spread within households

A late-stage trial found that Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody, which is currently cleared for use for high-risk people who have the disease but aren’t hospitalized, reduced the risk of symptomatic infections in individuals living with someone infected by 81 percent. Dan Barouch, MD, PhD of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a co-principal investigator of the trial and noted the results are highly encouraging and that the treatment could be particularly useful in places such as nursing homes where residents might be exposed to someone infected with COVID-19 while waiting to get vaccinated. (Boston Globe, April 12, 2021)

Video: Massachusetts doctor shares why people should get COVID-19 vaccine

Robin Colgrove, MD of Mount Auburn Hospital discussed the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic and shared a message for Massachusetts residents who remain hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine, encouraging people who want to help the most vulnerable people in our population to get the vaccine. (WCVB Channel 5, April 12, 2021)

More Mass. towns than not see rise in COVID-19 cases

As more Massachusetts towns see rise in COVID-19 cases, Brian Hollenbeck, MD of New England Baptist Hospital noted most cases in Massachusetts are related to the B.1.1.7 variant and that at this point, there’s no neighborhood that’s unaffected by the variant. (Boston 25 News, April 12, 2021)

Fatigue, headaches, and worse: For some, neurologic symptoms are lingering after COVID

As growing evidence suggests that brain and nervous-system problems are prevalent among “long-haulers,” the estimated 10 to 30 percent of COVID-19 survivors who remain ill months after their infection, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Critical Illness and COVID-19 Survivorship Program is the most comprehensive post-COVID clinic in New England. Jason Maley, MD of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center directs the program and said the group is seeing 10 to 15 new patients a week and is fully booked for months. Tamara Fong, MD of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center said long-haulers’ symptoms often resemble a post-concussion syndrome. But unlike with a concussion, it’s not clear whether the brain suffered a direct injury. (Boston Globe, April 12, 2021)

5 actions that promote COVID-19 vaccine equity

To distribute COVID-19 vaccines equitably and efficiently, Beth Israel Lahey Health has developed new strategies to organize and successfully vaccinate more than 14,000 patients a week across Eastern Massachusetts. In an Insight article published in JAMA Health Forum, Leonor Fernandez, MD of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Peter Shorett, MPP of Beth Israel Lahey Health, identified five key lessons about health equity that have emerged from BILH’s vaccination campaign for the health system’s approximately 1.6 million patients. (Becker’s Hospital Review, April 9, 2021)

A conundrum for hospitals: How to vaccinate their sick patients against COVID-19

Providing vaccines in the in-patient setting is a concern many hospitals face due to limited supplies and logistics. Sharon Wright, MD, MPH of Beth Israel Lahey Health spoke to the approach Beth Israel Lahey Health is taking to address this challenge for patients who received their first vaccine dose in the outpatient setting, and become eligible for their second dose during an inpatient stay at one of our hospitals. (CNN Online, April 8, 2021)

Get ready for travel prices to surge, experts say

The Washington Post spoke with six travel experts, including Lin Chen, MD of Mount Auburn Hospital, on what people can expect from the CDC’s new guidelines for vaccinated travelers. Chen noted that enough is unknown about the coronavirus — especially as new variants emerge — and that travelers still need to be cautious. (Washington Post, April 8, 2021)

An HIV lab’s pivot to develop a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine wins STAT Madness ‘Editors’ Pick’

The Editors’ Pick award in this year’s STAT Madness contest honors Dan Barouch, MD, PhD of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and his team for rapidly shifting gears and their work to develop the Johnson & Johnson vaccine – a single-dose, easily shipped and stored vaccine that holds promise as a game-changer for protecting hard-to-reach populations. (STAT, April 5, 2021)

Specialized Boston clinics treat long-haul COVID-19 patients

Special clinics in Boston help “COVID long-haulers” – patients who struggle with lasting COVID-19 symptoms for weeks and months. Jason Maley, MD of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, who leads the Critical Illness and COVID-19 Survivorship Program at BIDMC, noted patients improve over time and at their own pace, and there is potential for symptom improvement after vaccination – but most data is still anecdotal at this time. (WCVB Channel 5, April 5, 2021)

The story of one dose: Inside the sprawling operational puzzle of bringing the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine to the public.

Dan Barouch, MD, PhD of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, who helped develop the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, spoke to the vaccine planning process and how, in some ways, the discovery of the virus with pandemic potential was a moment Barouch and team had been preparing for decades. (New York Magazine, April 5, 2021)