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Phenylephrine Spelled Backwards is Enirhpelynbehp
News headlines are screaming about class action lawsuits being filed against drug companies selling the oral form of a nasal decongestant that the FDA says doesn’t work. It’s called phenylephrine. Phenylephrine has been around since the early 1970s and it’s a common ingredient in over-the-counter (OTC) cold remedies found in grocery stores in the medicine…
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Striking a Blow for Science with the Coffee Temperature Experiment!
We got our new thermometer the other day and did a coffee cup temperature test. It’s certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), but we’re not sure where it was manufactured. The instruction sheet looks like it was translated into English. First, we measured the temperature of coffee in different cups. We measured the temperature…
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Stop Me If You Heard This One Before
I saw one of my favorite X-Files episodes the other night. It’s titled “Monday.” Mulder goes through the day repetitively doing the same things, including fumbling his chance to thwart a bank robber who blows up the bank and everyone in it, including Mulder. See the Wikipedia for a full spoiler alert but I’m going…
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How to Find Covid-19 Vaccine Availability By County
I’m finding out that maybe the best way to learn what the local public health issues are concerning Covid-19 infections as well as vaccine availability are through the county public health agency in my area. According to the Johnson County Public Health department, hospital admission rates in Johnson County currently low. I can search the…
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CDC Recommends Updated COVID-19 Vaccine This Fall-Winter Season
The CDC has posted a press release announcing that it has recommended the updated COVID-19 vaccine for the fall/winter virus season.
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CDC ACIP Meeting Today on Covid-19 Vaccines
Today is the scheduled meeting for the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). It meets from 10 AM-4 PM EDT. The final agenda is here. The presentation slides are at this link. I also want to recommend the recent article on the new Covid vaccine published in Scientific American on September 1, 2023, entitled…
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FDA Authorizes Updated mRNA Covid-19 Vaccines
Today, the FDA approved and authorized the updated mRNA Covid-19 vaccines, specifically for the monovalent XBB.1.5 variant. See the announcement on the FDA website for full details. The CDC ACIP will meet to discuss clinically-based recommendations for the use of these vaccines tomorrow.
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CDC Update on SARS CoV-2 Variant BA.2.86
New update on the Covid-19 variant BA.2.86 as of Sept. 8, 2023. Highlights: “The current increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the United States are not being driven by BA.2.86 and instead are being caused by other predominantly circulating viruses. Early research data from multiple labs are reassuring and show that existing antibodies work…
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The AARO Finally Has a Website And is it Part of a Zero-Sum Game?
The All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) finally has a website—more than a year after it was formed. It looks like there’s an intriguing message in the section “Coming Soon: US Government UAP-Related Program/Activity Reporting.” It says AARO will accept reports of UAP from current government employees who know of any programs or activities related to…
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CDC Update Today on Covid-19 Variant BA.2.86
Today’s update by the CDC on the Covid-19 variant BA.2.86 is at this link. Highlights: “The variant has been identified in at least four states in the United States in samples from either people or wastewater. This variant is currently being studied in the laboratory to help understand how the immune system may interact with…
