DFG establishes 13 new priority programs

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is establishing 13 new Priority Programmes (SPP) for 2022. This was decided by the DFG Senate at a meeting that was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 13 new consortia were selected from 47 submitted initiatives and will receive a total of approximately €82 million for…

Decennial day to set the agenda for advancing safe healthcare

ATLANTA (April 7, 2021) — Researchers and healthcare professionals specializing in healthcare epidemiology, infectious diseases, antimicrobial stewardship, and infection prevention will meet online on April 12 for Decennial Day to focus on global solutions for preventing healthcare-associated infections and addressing emerging pathogens and antibiotic resistance in healthcare. The event precedes Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of…

Stress from work and social interactions put women at higher coronary heart disease risk

PHILADELPHIA – Psychosocial stress – typically resulting from difficulty coping with challenging environments – may work synergistically to put women at significantly higher risk of developing coronary heart disease, according to a study by researchers at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health, recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The study…

Children less infectious than adults with SARS-CoV-2

Children may not be as infectious in spreading SARS-CoV-2 to others as previously thought, according to new University of Manitoba-led research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). “Our findings have important public health and clinical implications,” writes principal investigator Dr. Jared Bullard, associate professor, pediatrics/child health and medical microbiology/infectious diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine,…

Geography, job risk should be factors in prioritizing SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations

When setting SARS-CoV-2 vaccine priorities, Canada should take a more nuanced approach that considers geographic and occupational risk exposures, as 75% of Canadian adults have at least 1 risk factor for severe COVID-19, argues an analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). “Using risk factors for severe COVID-19 in a strategic vaccination strategy may not…

Vaccines and functional neurological disorder: A complex story, say experts

BOSTON — Videos of people experiencing severe neurological symptoms, including convulsions and difficulty walking, purportedly after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, have surfaced on Facebook, YouTube and other social media channels. The millions of people watching these videos might conclude that the vaccine is either quite dangerous to produce such symptoms or that the people in…