Archive for coronavirus
From our labs and clinics: The top 10 COVID-19 science stories of 2021
As COVID-19 waxed, waned, morphed, and waxed again this year, research was taking place throughout Boston Children’s Hospital. Ongoing national studies the hospital is leading or co-leading include Overcoming COVID-19, a CDC-funded study on COVID-19 and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C); IMPACC, examining immune responses in people hospitalized with COVID-19; and MUSIC, studying MISC’s ... Read More
Emerging protein-based COVID-19 vaccines could be game-changing
Current messenger RNA vaccines appear to offer at least some protection against new SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicron, especially for people who have received boosters. But manufacturing costs and the need for ultra-cold refrigeration have limited availability of these vaccines in low-and middle-income countries. That’s where emerging protein-based COVID-19 vaccines — including two candidates developed at ... Read More
Care for post-COVID symptoms helps get figure skater back in the rink
Drew Kenney is no stranger to the ice. As a local and national competitive figure skater, the 16-year-old executes double salchows, double flips, and axels with ease. So when she began to feel winded — and then started falling — at the rink last fall, she knew something was wrong. “At first we thought she ... Read More
‘Feeling empowered’: How vaccination helped me care for my family when one son got COVID-19
In mid-November, I awoke to an email from my children’s school stating that my second grader, Kyle, had been a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19. I wasn’t overly concerned. While this was the first “close contact” email we had received, we had previously been notified that both our children were in ... Read More
Pass the pie and a mask: COVID-19 safety tips for the holidays
This holiday season will seem different than the last one — but it’s still not the season to blissfully ignore health and safety measures that combat COVID-19. Thanks to the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, families shouldn’t feel obligated to repeat last year’s unprecedented public health guidance to hunker down at home for the holidays. This ... Read More
Returning to holiday chaos: Preventing anxiety in kids
After taking last year “off,” many families are preparing to dive back into holiday busyness, and with it, holiday stress. But what has the time away from crowds, travel, and extended family done to kids’ abilities to enjoy the yuletide cheer? Here, psychologist Dr. Lauren DiLullo with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, answers ... Read More
Improving treatment process so kids can return to sports after COVID-19
Children can’t wait for the next game, the next tournament. Sports means many things to them, including an escape from the uncertainty and stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ensuring that kids can return to sports and resume other types of competitive activities after recovering from COVID-19 has become a priority for parents, coaches, and physicians ... Read More
COVID vaccines are here for kids ages 5 to 11. Here’s what families should know.
On November 2, 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signed off on the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to help prevent COVID-19 in children ages 5 to 11. What does this mean for your child? We’ve got answers. Why is it important to vaccinate kids against COVID-19? Although most children have ... Read More
The great mask debate: how to deal with bullying over face masks in school
As the war against COVID-19 rages on, so do the battles about the best ways to stop the spread. And, as some families are finding, these battles include backlash over the decision of whether to send their children to school in masks. “Like many aspects of the pandemic, masks have become a polarizing issue, and ... Read More
What makes the Delta variant of COVID-19 so contagious?
The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has swept the planet, becoming the dominant variant within just a few months. A new study from Boston Children’s Hospital, published in Science, explains why Delta spreads so easily and infects people so quickly. It also suggests a more targeted strategy for developing next-generation COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Last spring, ... Read More