David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, expressed concern for North Carolinians resuming normal activities to soon. In a News & Observer article, Wohl said that he worries the current decline in COVID-19 cases is the back slope of the post-holiday surge. He also added the slowing of the decline … Read more

While millions of people in dozens of countries have received the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine with few reports of ill effects, and its prior testing in tens of thousands of people found it to be safe, the vaccine is being investigated. A New York Times article explains the decision to pause the vaccine in European countries, … Read more

Louise King, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of general medicine and epidemiology, is co-medical director of the new UNC COVID Recovery Clinic designed to help patients with ongoing symptoms and serve as an opportunity for physicians to learn more about the syndrome. “I think there is a lot of fear associated with … Read more

David Wohl, MD, talked with the New York Times about a study that will test the Moderna vaccine in children under 12, including babies as young as six months old. He said the study appears well designed and likely to be efficient, but he questioned why children were to be followed for only one year, … Read more

Giselle Corbie-Smith, MD, MSc, professor of medicine in the division of general medicine and the Kenan Distinguished Professor of Social Medicine, was featured on WRAL’s On the Record where she explained the idea of vaccine deliberation. “The decision is being made cautiously, by many Black and Brown patients as they experience health care systems that have … Read more

Patient-clinician agreement for symptomatic adverse events in phase 1 trials appeared moderate to poor, suggesting clinicians are underreporting toxicity, according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Ethan Basch, MD, MSc, the Richard M. Goldberg Distinguished Professor of Medical Oncology and director of the UNC Cancer Outcomes and Research Program at … Read more

March is Kidney Awareness Month–a time to highlight a disease that affects more than 30 million Americans. It’s important to know the risk factors of chronic kidney disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and family history. Kidney disease can be caused by glomerular diseases and autoimmune disease, or it can be genetic. … Read more

Patrick Ellsworth, MD, assistant professor in the division of hematology in the UNC Department of Medicine, received a new ASH Research Restart Award to help ensure research continuity and workforce stability during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The American Society of Hematology (ASH) announced that 19 talented early-career investigators will receive critical funding to support their resumption … Read more

A comprehensive review by University of North Carolina researchers and colleagues of hundreds of publications, incorporating more than two dozen articles on prevention screening for lung cancer with low-dose spiral computed tomography (LDCT), shows there are both benefits and harms from screening. The review was published in JAMA on March 9, 2021. The results of … Read more

Calling the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s newly released recommendation statement to expand eligibility for annual lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography a step forward, researchers say future changes should address equity and implementation issues. In an editorial published in JAMA, M. Patricia Rivera, MD, professor of medicine in the division of pulmonary medicine, … Read more

The findings reported on a secondary objective to reduce time to negative test result of infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus in individuals with symptomatic COVID-19. UNC School of Medicine’s William Fischer, MD, is the lead investigator on the study of Molnupiravir, the investigational drug also known as EIDD-2801. Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced preliminary results from Ridgeback’s … Read more

The UNC School of Medicine community is saddened to share that former cardiology colleague and friend, James R. “Buddy” Harper, MD, passed away March 8, 2021, in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Update: Read Dr. Harper’s obituary in The Pilot. Dr. James R. “Buddy” Harper touched the lives of generations of Tar Heels, from patients and colleagues … Read more