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immunology
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2021-06-05T13:07
I can see the light!
Late 2019 and 2020 were years of COVID-19, entirely. The long tunnel, so deep and dark that there seems no exit, is what we walked through. But I can find the light these days, and this article is one of the main causes of such an idea. It seems rapid and effective vaccination is making society stronger by developing herd immunity, and this article shows that the process is smoothly ongoing. I hope this news article is the flare for the victory, and it will free us from this pandemic! -
2021-01-22
Symptoms
Pretty much the symptoms of having Covid vary. Some of them are simple coughing, no sense in smell nor taste, and sore throat. Some more severe symptoms include not being able to breathe clearly, nausea of vomiting, fever or chills, and many others. It honestly depends on your health state and if you have a strong immune system or not. -
2020-11-18
"The End of the Pandemic Is Now in Sight" - The Atlantic Monthly
With the development of two viable COVID-19 vaccines, it appears that the end of the pandemic appears to be at hand in the near future. In an article for the Atlantic Monthly magazine, journalist Sarah Zhang explains how these viable vaccines were developed using new technologies and how the resolution of the pandemic is now more dependent on policy choices made by political leaders, namely the President of the United States. During the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical professionals, epidemiologists, and vaccinologists were in the dark about the symptoms, treatability, and curability of the disease. After months of intense hands-on experience and in-depth genomic research, the companies Pfizer and Moderna have developed viable vaccine candidates. But these vaccines are different from typical vaccines: they are mRNA vaccines. This means that they work by injecting mRNA which encodes viral proteins, rather than injecting a weakened or dead SARS-CoV-2 virus. mRNA vaccines, according to Zhang, were once thought to be potentially unviable, but the positive preliminary results of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines may mark the beginning of a new era of vaccine research and development. In the future, Zhang says, mRNA vaccines may be developed for the Zika virus or for personalized forms of cancer. However, a major drawback of mRNA vaccines is their fragility, as they require extremely cold temperatures to be preserved. Now that these vaccines may be available for public use in the near future, it is up to the United States' political leadership to formulate policies to promote the vaccination of the populace and the mitigation of COVID-19 infections during the winter. According to Zhang, "Every infection we prevent now—through masking and social distancing—is an infection that can, eventually, be prevented forever through vaccines."