News and Events

OF INTEREST: CD8+ T cell responses in COVID-19 convalescent individuals

COVID-19

Subject: CD8+ T cell responses in COVID-19 convalescent individuals target conserved epitopes from multiple prominent SARS-CoV-2 circulating variants

 
This study examined whether CD8+ T-cell responses from COVID-19 convalescent individuals (n=30) potentially maintain recognition of the major SARS-CoV-2 variants (n=45 mutations assessed). Only one mutation found in B.1.351-Spike overlapped with a previously identified epitope (1/52), suggesting that virtually all anti-SARS-CoV-2 CD8+ T-cell responses should recognize these newly described variants.
 
 
 
Tags: 
news
COVID-19
Publication Date: 
04/12/2021

From Washington DC: Dr. Collins provides an update on COVID-19

COVID-19

Subject: Subject: In an interview for Fox News Radio’s podcast From Washington, Dr. Collins provides an update on COVID-19 vaccinations, public health measures, achieving herd immunity, and more

 

A new item has been added to the Director's Page - Statements, Articles, and Media:

In an interview for Fox News Radio’s podcast From Washington, Dr. Collins provides an update on COVID-19 vaccinations, public health measures, achieving herd immunity, and more

04/02/2021 05:15 AM EDT

 

 

Tags: 
news
COVID-19
Publication Date: 
04/12/2021

New funding opportunity for Community COVID-19 Testing Info Webinar Tuesday, March 16th at 4:00pm EST

rcmi

New funding opportunity for Community COVID-19 Testing Info Webinar Tuesday, March 16th at 4:00pm EST

 Disseminating Message:

The CDCC will host an informational webinar for potential applicants to the RADx-UP CDCC Community Collaboration Mini-Grant Program next Tuesday, March 16 at 4:00 PM EST. This webinar will provide an overview of RADx-UP, the Coordination and Data Collection Center (CDCC), and the Mini-Grant Program, as well as answer questions about the application process. 

The registration link is here: https://duke.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYscO-trzIjG9zWbFvc80DHixsSj4NHbl5q The webinar will also be recorded and posted afterwards on the Apply for a Grant page, for those unable to attend.

CDCC RFAs: Community Collaboration Mini-Grants and Rapid Pilots
Last week, we announced two new funding opportunities to expand our important work to increase COVID-19 testing in communities hardest hit by the pandemic. The deadline for application for both opportunities is April 16, 2021. Application instructions and a communication kit to spread the word about these opportunities throughout your networks are available at https://radx-up.org/apply-for-grant/.

Community Mini-Grants
Community organizations can apply for up to $50,000 in funds to support increased testing for COVID-19 through the RADx-UP Community Collaboration Mini-Grant Program. These funds are available to community-serving organizations, faith-based organizations, community-based clinics, and tribal nations and organizations. Funds can be used to help advance capacity, training, support, and community experience with COVID-19 testing initiatives. This RFA seeks to support the inclusion of additional community partners and stakeholder groups that are not currently part of the RADx-UP program through CDCC sub awards. 

Funds can be used to support personnel costs, contracted service costs (transportation, translation, and interpretation, etc.), and non-personnel costs (participant incentives, information and technology equipment, etc.) Please share this opportunity with partners in your community.

Questions? Please contact us at RADx-UP-CDCC@duke.edu .

 

Tags: 
news
COVID-19
Publication Date: 
03/15/2021

Will the COVID-19 vaccines work against new strains?—and more questions answered

COVID-19

Will the COVID-19 vaccines work against new strains?—and more questions answered

About 10% of Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine—and if you haven’t yet, your turn will likely come soon with the Biden administration announcing it will distribute 13.5 million doses per week. Understandably, there are a lot of questions—but we have answers.

I want a vaccine now. Who is eligible to receive the vaccine? Even with the rollout progressing, there are still a relatively limited number of vaccines available. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidelines to states on who should receive the vaccine first, based on the most high-risk populations. Click here for the latest guidelines.

Should I be worried about side effects? As with many vaccines, mild side effects are common—and in many cases, they’re signs that the vaccine is working. Watch:

 
 
 

 

Will the vaccine work against new strains? Viruses mutate all the time. While we’re still waiting for data to be released, public health experts stress the current vaccines are effective enough against variants to make people less sick, prevent hospitalizations and deaths, and stop the spread.

The bottom line: Getting vaccinated will slow the spread of the virus, giving it fewer opportunities to replicate—and therefore fewer opportunities to mutate again in the future. 

We answer these questions and more at www.COVIDVaccineFacts.org. We just posted a dozen new questions, including: 

·      Does the vaccine make me contagious?

·      How much protection does the first dose give?

·      Is there a grace period for scheduling the second dose?

·      How long after receiving the vaccine will I be fully immune?

·      I’m young and healthy. Should I still get vaccinated?

·      Will the vaccine interact with my medication?

·      Can I get a regularly scheduled vaccine before or after the COVID-19 vaccine?

·      Is a monoclonal antibody treatment the same as a vaccine?

P.S. Watch our new video to learn how vaccines were developed so quickly.

 Good Day BIO bionewsletter@bio.org

 

Tags: 
news
COVID-19
Publication Date: 
02/19/2021

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