McLaren Health Care

Breakthrough cases are rare but expected with mass vaccination programs. As of mid-July, more than 159 million people in the United States are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Among the vaccinated, there are more than 10,000 reported “breakthrough” cases, which is defined as testing positive for COVID-19 once fully vaccinated (two or more weeks after receiving the second vaccine dose). Medical professionals and public health experts expect these cases with mass vaccination programs. No vaccine is 100 ...

How big of a risk are COVID-19 breakthrough cases? People getting a COVID-19 vaccine have an expectation of being protected. But with reports of breakthrough cases, experts urge everyone to understand what to expect from the vaccines’ protection. Breakthrough cases of COVID-19, though rare, are patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus two or more weeks after their vaccination — once plenty of time has passed for the body’s immune system to build an antibody defense. This situation was one p...

What does it mean that multiple coronavirus variants have been discovered. Mutation is a natural process for all viruses. The resulting virus from these mutations are called variants. In terms of the pandemic and the coronavirus, doctors, researchers and public health experts credit the sharp spike in COVID-19 cases over the winter months to these variants. How do these variants factor into the ongoing pandemic? Viral spread Variants of the coronavirus were discovered early in the pandemic. In the natur...

The vaccines are here, but many falsehoods are circulating about the lifesaving inoculations. For months any and all updates on a COVID-19 vaccine were eagerly awaited and absorbed. Now that they’re here with FDA approval and the program is ramping up, many still question and doubt the vaccine — from its safety and efficacy to its underlying technology. Several misconceptions are circulating around the web or being whispered about in social circles to fuel that doubt. Yet those misconceptions’ underlyin...

Despite testing negative after a COVID-19 illness, some patients still experience the lingering, debilitating symptoms of post-COVID syndrome The perception that a “recovered” COVID-19 patient’s health returns to how it was before their diagnosis is not the case for many. A recent study conducted in England (with similar findings resulting from a study at an American university) determined that approximately 10 percent of COVID-19 become “long haulers.” COVID-19 long haulers are those who tested positiv...

An advisory panel recommended COVID-19 vaccines should first go to healthcare workers and residents of nursing homes. "We’ve been very encouraged watching the release of the efficacy data of the vaccine trial..." With two COVID-19 vaccines showing very high efficacy levels expected to be authorized for emergency use before the end of 2020, the question then became who will get it first. It was a question that had long been speculated – since the beginning of vaccine development. Earlier this month, an a...

The CDC has reduced its 14-day quarantine guidelines it had recommended since the start of the pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic in the United States this past spring, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recommended that anyone exposed to the coronavirus and at-risk of developing COVID-19 quarantine themselves for 14 days. Meant to curb the spread of the virus, the practice of quarantining was vital in flattening the curve after the initial coronavirus spike in the spring. ...

There are some concerns about a heart condition in recovered COVID-19 patients. Among those who have recovered from COVID-19, which is considered a respiratory infection, one of the more serious concerns is if they will develop a heart condition so many with the virus have developed in their recovery. What is myocarditis? One of the more serious and telltale COVID-19 symptoms is a shortness of breath, which can leave the heart with an inadequate level of oxygen. A low level of oxygen can cause blood cel...

Similar symptoms among the three illnesses can cause confusion Entering the colder months, the traditional common cold and flu seasons has been aggressively complicated by the on-going pandemic. With varying levels of symptom severity, confusion can result from the respiratory distress often associated with both a cold and the flu. Confusion is now further compounded with the respiratory symptoms caused by COVID-19. When trying to distinguish between the illnesses, adding to the complexity are the other...

Is the flu shot more important this year? Every year, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with other leading medical experts, highly recommend every eligible person receive a flu shot. Has COVID-19 changed this? "...it’s crucial to protect against the flu in order to prevent co-infections of both illnesses, which could be devastating.” “This upcoming season, the flu shot carries more importance that perhaps ever before,” said Dr. Elfatih Abter, Director of Infectious Disease at McLa...