The Austin television station reported researchers at UTMB developed a COVID-19 vaccine delivered through the nose. It can add extra protection against COVID-19 since it can “effectively” kill the virus where it enters the body— the respiratory tract. The vaccine can be delivered in a nasal spray. Researchers found the new vaccine is stable, but they need to do further animal and human trials. “These efforts are underway and crucial since more than 10 billion doses of vaccines are needed across the globe, particularly in middle- to low-income countries, where the affordability of the current vaccines is a big concern,” said Dr. Ashok Chopra, UTMB microbiologist and co-author of the study. World Pharma News reported this news as well, and i45now interviewed Dr. Chopra about this second-generation vaccine.

Dr. Jeff R. Temple, from the University of Texas Medical Branch Health at Galveston, and colleagues assessed whether COVID-19-induced financial impact, stress, loneliness, and isolation were related to perceived changes in adolescent mental health and substance use. Dr. Temple also appeared on KHOU’s Sunday morning news program July 24 to discuss this research.

Scott Weaver, director of science at Galveston National Laboratory, told The Paper that he believes a Nature study more formally confirms what many virologists intuitively suspected: that climate change will redistribute many habitats for zoonotic virus hosts, promoting the risk of virus cross-species transmission. In addition, the concentration of less diverse animal populations in smaller areas may facilitate zoonotic outbreaks, which would increase the risk of epidemics spreading to humans. However, Weaver also said that it is difficult to pinpoint climate change as “conclusive evidence” of known cross-species shifts, as several other important factors are involved, such as deforestation and land use. “We need better monitoring of viruses and their hosts to identify projected changes in virus distribution before we can directly determine the direct impact of climate change on humans,” he said.

The Brazoria County newspaper reported that the U.S. cases of monkeypox appear to be transmitted more along sexual network pathways, quoting UTMB Biocontainment Care Unit Medical Director Dr. Susan L.F. McLellan. “That is one way it can be transmitted and the most common in the current outbreak,” she said. “It can be transmitted through other means, such as skin-to-skin between people who have contact with someone with a lesion and someone without. It is commonly spread through networks where individuals are having high-frequency sexual encounters with new partners.” Dr. McLellan also joined the July 26 Town Square program on Houston Public Media to answer questions about monkeypox.

George Sealy, an island native from one of Galveston’s most distinguished families and a longtime member of the Sealy & Smith Foundation board, died July 23. “George Sealy will long be remembered for his visionary advocacy and support for UTMB’s mission,” said Dr. Ben Raimer, medical branch president. “And, for everyone who was fortunate enough to meet him personally, George’s wisdom and legendary sense of humor will be greatly missed.”

“Of the thousands of medical articles published annually, of most interest to those of us in primary care are the ones that have an impact on how we practice,” wrote Dr. Victor S. Sierpina in his column. “These are the studies that show how to improve patient outcomes in morbidity and mortality, reduce risk, improve safety and lower costs.” And he lists some top studies.

The current COVID-19 variants are more transmissible than ever, leading to a higher rate of infection throughout the country and increased risk associated with most activities. “The current variants, which are BA.4 and BA.5, constitute for about 82% of our current variants within our health system,” Dr. Janak Patel, director of the Division of Infectious Disease and Immunology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, told HuffPost.