Tilman Fertitta’s sold-out San Luis Salute Mardi Gras bash in Galveston Feb. 25 will honor Dr. Barbara Thompson, professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The traditional pomp and circumstance includes presentation of not only the honoree but also the Knights of Momus court, dignitaries and distinguished guests. The Houston Chronicle and KPRC reported that gala proceeds benefit the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

A small study of nonvaccinated men who died of COVID-19 complications suggests the testes may be a sanctuary for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, raising questions about potential consequences for reproductive health among those infected. Results from the Brazilin and U.S. study emphasize the importance of testicular damage in severe COVID-19, said Dr. Rafael Kroon Campos, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He told Medscape Medical News that other viruses have also been shown to infect or otherwise cause testicular damage such as Zika, Ebola and the closely related SARS-CoV-1. “It is critical to continue to investigate the impact of the disease in testes, including the impact of different variants of concern on testicular damage,” he said. Thailand Medical News also reported the preprint study posted Feb. 8 at MedRxiv.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been a challenge to find blood and blood components, said Juan David Garcia, UTMB administrative director of laboratory services in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Services. “Blood centers just don’t have enough people donating,” Garcia said. “Our supply has been an issue but we have been working with more than 10 different blood suppliers around the country including Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, and others to maintain the adequate number of units available at UTMB.”

UTMB researchers published a study in 2020 that examined potential impact of living near refineries using a population-based analysis. Dr. Stephen Williams, professor and chief of the Division of Urology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, is one of the authors. “There is an association we found with proximity to an oil refinery and increased types of all cancer and particularly bladder cancer, which is quite provocative,” told the Beaumont TV news crew Monday.

A third dose of COVID-19 vaccine provides robust protection against the omicron variant, according to research from a team of scientists at Pfizer, BioNTech and the University of Texas Medical Branch. The non-peer-reviewed study found that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are insufficient to induce robust antibody neutralization against omicron, but a third increases the magnitude of neutralization. The effect remained robust at 4 months after the third dose, according to the study.

Researchers are working to understand how the brain works and the biology of behavior, writes Dr. Sally Robinson in her regular newspaper column. “These studies are beginning to help understand individuals with conduct disorders and explosive rages and also help understand school shootings, muggings and road rage,” she writes. “Children with increased irritability and anger should seek medical help.”

“Meditation is something I often prescribe in my writings and integrative medicine practice,” Dr. Victor S. Sierpina writes in his regular column for the newspaper. “It’s an evidence-based method for improving health and well-being, managing stress, pain, multiple physical and mental problems and the general chaos of life.”

Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster appears to protect against the Omicron variant for at least four months, according to a new study. “The current vaccine is good for prevention of severe disease, hospitalization and death,” said Dr. Pei-Yong Shi, distinguished chair in innovations in molecular biology at the University of Texas Medical Branch and senior author of the study.