Pei-Yong Shi, a virologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, said omicron is really unique because it has an incredible ability to change or evolve in a way that allows it to just zoom past the immune system, and it does this very quickly. “In terms of the ability to evade antibodies, omicron is a master player,” Shi said. “It’s way more efficient than all the previous variants. Like, in this case, sometimes you just need one key mutation there that can totally flip things around.” But Shi emphasized that there's no sign this new variant causes more severe disease compared to the previous omicrons.

A Canadian researcher points to work led by Dr. Vineet Menachery at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston on the virus's nucleocapsid protein, which in animal models is a control on severity. There could be mutations happening outside of the spike protein, where the majority of mutations occur, that we have no idea what the functional consequences would be. That could make the virus potentially more transmissible, more infectious or more pathogenic. And that's really scary to think about.

A study published May 4 in The BMJ found substantial differences in care for heart attack patients across six high-income countries despite international agreement on how heart attacks should be treated. “From a U.S. perspective, our heart attack care is good, but the one-year mortality rate is concerning,” said Dr. Peter Cram, professor and chair of internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Center at Galveston, who is one of the authors of the study. “If dying is one of the things we want to prevent, then we have work to do.” Physician’s Weekly and others also reported on the comparative study.

The Houston Business Journal cover story this week features Deborah Jones, dean at the school of nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. In the past 10 years, the UTMB enrollment numbers have increased by 52%. “We're not post pandemic; we're still going through it,” Jones said. “Nurses are certainly still feeling the impact of that. They’ve had to be at the front lines through the entire pandemic, figured out ways to deliver high quality care to patients with conditions that they had not seen before on this magnitude, while taking care of their children and families at home. They're tired. We're really trying to figure out how do we continue to support nurses so that they can support themselves and be able to stay in the profession.”

Guns are now the leading cause of death in children and teenagers in the United States. “In addition to common-sense gun control, such as safe storage and enforcement of red flag laws, we need universally administered community- and school-based programs that effectively prevent violence,” said Jeff Temple, PhD, a licensed psychologist, and director of the Center for Violence Prevention at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

The University of Texas Medical Branch’s League City Campus reached Advanced Level III trauma facility status. The verification process of trauma levels requires more than a year of preparation to achieve. “You need to have more trauma centers,” League City administrator Christine Wade said. “Otherwise, other hospitals can get overwhelmed.” League City’s growing population will need more trauma care. “The community here and the growth in this area is just unprecedented,” Wade said. “The emergency room has exploded in volume.”

Once you've asked someone how they are, it is important to listen—without shame or stigma. “Be patient, non-judgmental, and open to conversation,” said Dr. Jeff Temple, a licensed psychologist and University of Texas Medical Branch professor. You should be responsive and make eye contact. Hear them out, no matter what. And offer empathy. “You don't have to be an expert to know someone is struggling,” Temple said. “You just must be a caring person who wants to help. This shows the person that they can lean on you for support and rely on you when they're struggling.”

From December 2016 to October 2017, researcher Shannon Guillot-Wright from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston gathered data during interviews and from observations, field notes and photovoice. the seafarers fear that seeking medical attention for an injury or illness will cause them to be viewed as unhealthy and lead to the loss of employment. “In this way, companies penalize seafarers for accessing the protections guaranteed to them despite having contractual rights,” Guillot-Wright writes.