You may not realize it but your diabetes medication, metformin extended release, has been recalled. One of the places to look for information on recalls of medications is the Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts page on the FDA website. The recall, on May 28, is for Metformin Hydrochloride Extended-Release Tablets, USP 500mg by a...
Read MoreAltruism, Endemic Diseases and a COVID-19 Vaccine?
When Heidi Larson worked for UNICEF as an anthropologist, much of her time was spent ferreting out the rumors that influence public opinion. In 2003, she went to Northern Nigeria where political and religious leaders had decided to stop supporting the vaccination of children against polio. They told parents that the vaccines were contaminated with...
Read MoreBasic Science Moving COVID-19 Research Forward
Before going to trials with human beings, basic science medical research occurs. Using laboratory studies with cell cultures and animal models (like mice), this essential research is the first step on the ladder to medications that work in humans. Nobel Prize winner, James Allison, is an example of someone who has conducted basic medical research that has...
Read MoreThe Amazing Things We Know About Coronavirus (SARS-COV-2)
Lately, there has been coverage about the second wave of COVID-19 coming this fall and winter. This news can be frightening but it is important to remember how much has been learned in just the last four months about this virus. I took heart first, in an article which describes the entire virus and its proteins. Viral Genome Described The New York Times...
Read More1918 Pandemic Learnings and 2019-20 Pandemic Failings
In 2020 the world population is 7.68 billion; four times the population in 1918. According to an article written for the 100-year anniversary of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic called, “The Deadliest Flu: The Complete Story of the Discovery and Reconstruction of the 1918 Pandemic Virus,” “If a severe pandemic, such as occurred in 1918...
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