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.

We are in the midst of another COVID-19 wave driven by the highly contagious BA.4 and BA.5 variants, which have a mutation in the spike protein of the coronavirus that causes these variants to more easily attach to (and infect) people. “Even small quantities of the virus floating around could infect you if you are not wearing a mask,” said Dr. Janak Patel, director of the Division of Infectious Disease and Immunology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, adding that this could be the case for certain outdoor settings, too — a situation that was generally considered OK for the past two-plus years of the pandemic.

With monkeypox spreading globally, many experts believe the virus can’t be contained STAT, July 19, 2022 It has been a mere nine weeks since the United Kingdom announced it had detected four cases of monkeypox, a virus endemic only in West and Central Africa. In that time, the number of cases has mushroomed to nearly 13,000 in over 60 countries throughout Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, new parts of Africa, South Asia, and Australia. The growth in cases and the geographic spread has been rapid and relentless. Now, even as global health officials race to curb spread of the virus, most experts polled by STAT said they don’t believe it will be possible to contain it. “I think we missed that train at this point,” said Gary Kobinger, director of the Galveston National Laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch and a member of an expert committee that advises the World Health Organization’s Emergencies Program. Kobinger also discussed monkeypox on the The Dave Glover Show on KMOX radio in St. Louis, Missouri.

New research from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston shows that while lockdowns early in the pandemic were necessary to prevent the spread of the virus, keeping young people out of schools put an unprecedented mental health strain on this generation. “The lockdowns, while necessary, kept teens and children away from the developmental milestones that we expect at that age: developing autonomy away from your parents, making mistakes, all those normal things that are supposed to happen around that age was interrupted,” said Dr. Jeff Temple, vice dean for research at UTMB’s School of Nursing and the director of the Center for Violence Prevention. “This was all a perfect storm that we’re going to see dramatic effects for a generation to come.” ABC 13 Houston also reported on this study with reporter Nick Natario’s interview with Temple.

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch have achieved success with a new vaccine developed to fight Lassa Virus, a pathogen that causes Lassa fever. Lassa fever is lethal in humans and nonhuman primates with a mortality rate as high as 70% in hospitalized cases. “Different countries have different lineages of Lassa virus, and a fast-acting vaccine that can prevent the disease is a major goal when dealing with an outbreak,” said Dr. Robert Cross, one of the lead researchers. “Several vaccine candidates to treat Lassa have been under development since 2005, but most require multiple injections and can take up to four weeks to become effective. There are no vaccines currently licensed for the prevention of Lassa fever."

When an ambulance brought a man with leg pain to the University of Texas Medical Branch, Dr. Alfred Scott Lea, an infectious-disease specialist, was immediately concerned. Lea diagnosed him with a vibrio infection. The article reports the man’s experience recovering from the virus. This story was also reported in Business Insider.

This year’s new inductees include Mariano Garcia–Blanco, a professor and distinguished chair in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and an adjunct professor at the Duke–National University of Singapore Medical School. His lab is known for its research on RNA-binding proteins in infection and immunity. They have identified numerous RNA-binding proteins that affect the replication of flaviviruses such as dengue, yellow fever and Zika. They also have studied the role of RNA helicase DDX39B in alternative splicing of the interleukin 7 receptor, which affects some autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis.

James Bond lives with no health consequences, and some scientists have listed all the times Bond took no precautions at all. Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel analyze the data in Medical Discovery News.

Dr. Sally Robinson writes about a new number to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7. It is 988. This will help anyone experiencing a mental health crisis to connect with trained staff. It is free and confidential. If needed, connection to local support will be given.

Dr. Victor S. Sierpina lists things to consider if this is you, including checking with your doctor. “COVID cases are still occurring regularly locally and nationally though at a much lower rate than at the beginning of the year when Omicron variants emerged,” he writes. “It is still highly contagious but with high vaccination rates and natural immunity from exposures, hospitalizations and deaths are way down. Still, it pays to be cautious.”