Doctors and nurses at UNC Hospital are seeing an increase in patients suffering from pneumonia and other complications from COVID-19. “Once you start feeling that feeling that you cannot breathe, man there is nothing more real than that,” said Shannon Carson, MD, chief of the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine for UNC Health. … Read more

An Associated Press article reports the “drugmaker AstraZeneca said Monday that late-stage trials showed its coronavirus vaccine is highly effective, buoying the prospects of a relatively cheap, easy-to-store product that may become the vaccine of choice for the developing world.” Joe Eron, MD, chief of the division of infectious diseases, said that it is unclear … Read more

The UNC Kidney Center’s “Carolina Kidney Team” ranked first in North Carolina for fundraising, and second in the nation, after virtually completing the National Kidney Foundation’s Annual Kidney Walk on November 15. The team walked for current patients, former patients, their caretakers, and others impacted by kidney disease, calling attention to the prevention of kidney … Read more

“Pankaj and I love Diwali. It is the Festival of Lights when we spend some time with our family, decorating our house, putting up lights and having good food. To us, Diwali is a time of being grateful for our family, friends and all our blessings.”   Koyal Jain, MD, and Pankaj Jawa, MD Diwali is … Read more

From Governor Roy Cooper to infectious disease experts to ordinary residents, North Carolinians are thrilled by the prospects of two COVID-19 vaccines currently under trial with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “None of us can predict how many people will actually want the vaccine given people’s concerns for a variety of reasons,” said David … Read more

Gerald Hladik, MD, and Prabir Roy-Chaudhury, MD, joined Rob Hayden, executive director of the North Carolina National Kidney Foundation (NCNFD), on Thursday, November 19, to recognize the burden of kidney disease in North Carolina and express appreciation to policymakers for supporting the “Living Donor Protection Act.” They were joined by kidney donors and kidney transplant … Read more

WRAL Tech Wire reports people dealing with heart failure and no longer adequately responding to medications have a new option to improve quality of life: Cardiaccontractility modulation, or CCM. The treatment is now available through UNC Medical Center, having been utilized recently for the first time in the Carolinas. “CCM therapy is a therapeutic option … Read more

An NC Health News report says a health center in Hertford County that is screening patients who can’t afford routine colonoscopies with mail-in kits could make a big difference in Hertford County, which is part of a swath of North Carolina and Virginia Counties with some of the highest rates of colorectal cancer deaths in … Read more

An NC Health News report recognizes that as the number of COVID-19 cases climbs, hospitals across the state are feeling the strain of an influx of patients sickened by the lingering coronavirus. Shannon Carson, MD, chief of pulmonary medicine was interviewed about the use of ventilators and alternative treatment for patients with adult respiratory distress … Read more

Cindy Gay, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, oversees the clinical trial of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine candidate at UNC-Chapel Hill. She says the high initial efficacy rate shown by the drug “was more than we were hoping for.” Listen to her interview with WRAL News.

Keisha Gibson, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine and pediatrics and vice chair of diversity and inclusion in the department of medicine, received the 2020 H. Fleming Fuller Award in a virtual ceremony Thursday, November 12. Benny Joyner, MD, MPH, was a co-honoree. The H. Fleming Fuller Award, which has been given annually since 1986, … Read more

Sidney Smith, MD, and Myron Cohen, MD, have been recognized in Clarivate’s 2020 list of Highly Cited Researchers™.  Altogether the list includes 20 UNC School of Medicine and 16 UNC Chapel Hill researchers who have demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field or fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last … Read more