pandemic

The Race to a Vaccine

April 5, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

Scientists in a high security lab. Picture by Shutterstock

I hope everyone is safe and healthy! I wanted to share some news about the ongoing creation of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. While social distancing is the best way to slow the spread of Coronavirus and flatten the curve of infections to make sure that hospitals are not overwhelmed, to return to full normalcy, we need to discover, test, and administer a vaccine in large quantities. The good news is that there are currently 35 companies racing to create a vaccine and at least 52 vaccine programs underway.

The Difficulty of Predicting the Coronavirus Trajectory

February 17, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

How fast will the new coronavirus spread? Biostatisticians are trying to predict its pattern. Picture by Shutterstock.

There is currently a debate about the trajectory of the new coronavirus disease, now named COVID-19. Different models are predicting different outcomes and numbers provided by Chinese authorities seem to indicate a steep increase in cases. Continue Reading

WHO Declares Global Health Emergency

January 30, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

WHO declares Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Picture by Shutterstock

The continuous spread of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) led the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency today. WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the main reason for the declaration “is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries”. Ghebreyesus made sure to praise the measures and the ways in which Chinese authorities are controlling this outbreak. Continue Reading

The Norwegian Approach to Public Health and Pandemic Preparedness

December 21, 2019 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

Norway has a universal health system. Photo by Mia Tellmann

As with many other countries around the world, biodefense and public health planning, surveillance, and response are the responsibilities of numerous intertwined agencies within a country that all have different assignments and responsibilities, yet have to work together to successfully protect a nation from harm.

Last summer, I interviewed a Norwegian public health expert who chose to remain anonymous. She shared with me valuable information regarding the Norwegian Government’s approach to public health. As the Norwegian health system is universal and available to everyone, I was interested to find out how they organize pandemic preparedness and the agencies involved. Continue Reading

Flu shots are now available!

September 9, 2019 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

Influenza virus. Picture by Shutterstock/Rost9

Flu shots for the 2019-20 season are out. Go and get yours! It’s the best prevention that’s available for now. I got mine on Labor Day at my local pharmacy, which proved to be a good decision as there were no lines with people still away for the holiday. Continue Reading