Faheem Younus, MD
Tweeting health, from the COVID frontlines. Chief of Infectious Diseases, University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health. Views are personal
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Vaccine ingredients | Vaccine Knowledge
Vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk 102d 1 tweets
Quicklinks Active ingredients Added ingredients: Aluminium MF59 Thiomersal, also called Thimerosal Gelatine Human serum albumin and recombinant albumin Sorbitol and other stabilisers Emulsifiers Taste improvers
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Faheem Younus, MD Myth: Don’t take the flu shot as it has COVID vaccine (secretly) mixed in it. Fact: It’s a conspiracy theory Vaccine ingredients are listed here. Coronavirus isn’t mentioned anywhere Our family has gotten this year’s flu shot. Yours should too. Please 102d
Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in residents of Karachi—challenges in acquiring herd immunity for COVID 19
OUP Academic 130d 3 tweets
AbstractBackground. The recent pandemic by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global emergency. There is large number of asympto
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Faheem Younus, MD GREAT! Pakistan Edging Towards Herd Immunity Which Might be Achieved ~50% IMPORTANT study⬇️ 36% community positivity 13% healthcare workers These are May-July numbers AND still higher than NYC VERY happy for my motherland! There’s ease after hardship 128d
San Quentin's coronavirus outbreak shows why 'herd immunity' could mean disaster
Ron Lin - Los Angeles Times 169d 14 tweets
Public health experts say the rampant spread of the coronavirus at the prison shows the dangers of trying to achieve 'herd immunity' with the coronavirus.
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Faheem Younus, MD FASCINATING!!! This crowded CA prison has 3260 inmates. 2225 infected in 2-months, outbreak rages on. Herd immunity NOT achieved even with 68%+. 25 dead (~1%) If US had operated like this (without social distancing) 2.5 million would’ve died Read ⬇️ 168d
Russia’s fast-track coronavirus vaccine draws outrage over safety
Nature.com 169d 18 tweets
The immunization could be dangerous because it hasn’t been tested in large trials, say researchers.
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Faheem Younus, MD Is the Russian vaccine good? It’s tested on 76 volunteers; phase 3 trials not done. A good vaccine is tested on 20,000-30,000 volunteers We don’t know exact safety/efficacy. But we DO KNOW that for vaccines it’s more important be right than to be first 169d
Absence of Apparent Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from Two Stylists...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 197d 50 tweets
On May 12, 2020 (day 0), a hair stylist at salon A in Springfield, Missouri (stylist A), developed respiratory symptoms and continued working with clients until day 8, when the stylist received a...
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Faheem Younus, MD Is COVID airborne? Rarely. Two symptomatic COVID+ hair stylists exposed 139 clients for >15 min each. Both parties were wearing face masks ZERO clients got COVID! Facemasks work! A true airborne virus like measles would’ve infected over 100 folks 171d
Feasibility and physiological effects of prone positioning in non-intubated patients with acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19 (PRON-COVID): a prospective cohort study
The Lancet Respiratory Medicine 219d 2 tweets
Prone positioning was feasible and effective in rapidly ameliorating blood oxygenation in awake patients with COVID-19-related pneumonia requiring oxygen supplementation. The effect was maintained after resupination in half of the patients. Further...
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Faheem Younus, MD What is proning? Sleeping on your stomach is called PRONING which may improve oxygen levels in COVID pts by opening up the underused back areas of the lung. See pictures It’s like rotating tires on your car... May help but is experimental. 👇 184d
COVID ICU patients' survival rate has improved - study
U.S. 195d 2 tweets
The death rate for COVID-19 intensive care patients has dropped by about one-third since the start of the pandemic, due at least in part to better hospital care, a review of published studies found.
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Faheem Younus, MD Good news! Risk of dying due to COVID in an ICU has reduced by >30% Because we understand/treat COVID better... 24 observational studies analyzed. My experience is exactly the same. Our Rx protocols are much sharper now 195d
Bloomberg - Are you a robot?
Bloomberg.com 196d 2 tweets
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Faheem Younus, MD EXCELLENT News: Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID vaccine could be here by Oct! Phase 3 testing in 1000s of humans Projected to be 80% effective in preventing severe disease Pledged to produce 2 billion doses THIS YEAR! Feeling good. This👇is not false hope:) 195d
How to read the famous Coronavirus trajectory chart – Video Explainer
Our World in Data - Our World in Data 257d 3 tweets
Charts and data visualizations have become essential in tracking the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak across the world. They have become a mainstay in news, media, policy assessments and broader discussions.
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Faheem Younus, MD Want to develop a deeper understanding of the COVID pandemic? Watch this clip by Highly recommended. Full video here: Knowledge is power. 223d
Trends in Infectious Disease Mortality Among US Counties, 1980-2014
Jamanetwork.com 1037d 11 tweets
This population epidemiology study estimates county-level patterns in mortality rates from infectious diseases in the United States between 1980 and 2014.
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Faheem Younus, MD Thread: Why COVID is STILL a big threat for the US Perspective: In 2014, total US mortality from ALL infections was 113,650. This included pneumonia, diarrhea, meningitis, TB, HIV... COVID has surpassed it, with >117,000 deaths in JUST 4 months 1/ 227d
Postmortem Examination of Patients With COVID-19
Jamanetwork.com 251d 15 tweets
This case series describes autopsy findings in 10 patients with proven severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection who died at a university medical center in Germany.
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Faheem Younus, MD PERSPECTIVE Ten autopsies on COVID+ patients Average age 79 All had fever/cough/dyspnoea Path. showed diffuse alveolar damage Conclusion: COVID primarily remains a respiratory illness Other systems do get involved, but not common 242d
Moderna Announces Positive Interim Phase 1 Data for its mRNA Vaccine (mRNA-1273) Against Novel Coronavirus | Moderna, Inc.
Moderna, Inc. 254d 15 tweets
After two doses all participants evaluated to date across the 25 µg and 100 µg dose cohorts seroconverted with binding antibody levels at or above levels seen in convalescent sera mRNA-1273 elicited neutralizing antibody titer levels in all eight...
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Faheem Younus, MD GOOD NEWS After 2-doses of Moderna’s COVID vaccine, patients seroconverted with binding/neutralizing antibody levels at or above levels seen in convalescent plasma! Generally safe Early results. Small numbers Phase 3 trials to begin in July 254d
Do You Really Have to Disinfect All Groceries Now? An Expert Explains
ScienceAlert 264d 1 tweets
There is no evidence currently that COVID-19 is transmitted by food. The biggest risk when it comes to COVID-19 and groceries is being around other people in the grocery store while you are shopping.
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Faheem Younus, MD Myth Must wipe groceries/produce with bleach or you’ll get COVID Fact Such bleach/chemical use does more harm than good. No COVID cases have been linked to contaminated packets👇 COVID generates enough real problems; let’s not create more for ourselves 264d
Interpreting Diagnostic Tests for SARS-CoV-2
Jamanetwork.com 266d 53 tweets
This Viewpoint discusses the 2 most common categories of testing to diagnose SARS-CoV-2—real-time PCR to identify viral RNA and serological diagnosis of IgG and IgM antibodies to assess immune response—and estimates time intervals for test...
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Faheem Younus, MD Guide to COVID PCR test: Turns + 24-h before symptom onset; remains + for 1-2 wks More than 90% sensitive Virus couldn’t be cultured after 8-days Persistent + PCR post recovery likely detects dead viral genome Such patients are likely NOT contagious 265d
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Transmission
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 270d 42 tweets
COVID-19 is most often spread from person to person among close contacts.
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Faheem Younus, MD Myth: Due to outbreaks in meat processing plants, stop eating meat. We can get COVID from it. Fact: No we can’t. Because: 1. COVID is not a food borne disease. To get sick, we inhale - not ingest - the virus 2. Cooking the meat kills viruses anyways 270d
How Monoclonal Antibodies Might Prove Useful Against The Coronavirus — NPR
Apple.news 288d 1 tweets
A treatment strategy that identifies particularly potent immune system proteins, then gins up mass quantities for a single dose might help prevent infections or quell symptoms, scientists say.
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Faheem Younus, MD Treatment news! This monoclonal antibody, which may not even require human plasma, may prove effective against COVID. Multiple companies working on it simultaneously. Expected availability within months. 288d
Treatment of Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 With Convalescent Plasma
Jamanetwork.com 306d 58 tweets
This case series describes clinical outcomes in 5 Chinese patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, ARDS, and high viral loads despite antiviral treatment who were given human plasma with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies obtained from previously infected...
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Faheem Younus, MD CLARIFICATION: Convalescent plasma treatment has been around for decades. Nothing magical about it. The five COVID patients who recovered were from China - not US. See attached article. Hospitals in USA are now beginning such treatments. 299d
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Faheem Younus, MD Treatment news! 5 critically ill COVID patients (on ventilators) received antibody-rich plasma from 5 other patients who had recovered from COVID. Results: 3 discharged; 2 in stable condition! Now 1 of my recovering patients wants to donate his plasma! 300d
Would you wear a face mask to protect yourself?
The Baltimore Sun - baltimoresun.com 305d 1 tweets
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Faheem Younus, MD Asymptomatic people will have to wear facemasks in public as Coronavirus will likely rage on for months. In Hong Kong, 76% of the population wore masks during 2003 SARS. I wrote about it 11 years ago. Time for CDC to move in that direction now. 305d
Viral Damage and Nasal Sinus Disease | Taste and Smell
Health.uconn.edu 311d 1 tweets
In adults, the two most common causes of smell problems that we see at our Clinic are: (1) Smell loss due to an ongoing process in the nose and/or sinuses such as nasal allergies and (2) smell loss due to injury of the specialized nerve tissue at...
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Faheem Younus, MD 4/10: If you lose your sense of smell, you have COVID. FALSE. It’s common to temporarily lose one’s sense of smell with many viral infections/allergies. It’s a non-specific symptom that may or may not happen with COVID. 311d
Hot Tub Lung: Presenting Features and Clinical Course of 21 Patients - PubMed
PubMed 311d 1 tweets
Hot tub lung likely represents hypersensitivity pneumonitis due to inhalational exposure to M. avium complex. Antimycobacterial therapy does not appear to be required in the management of this disease. Although corticosteroids may be helpful in the...
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Faheem Younus, MD 3/10: Going into a sauna for 20 min can kill more than 90% of viruses, including coronavirus. Wrong. There are no scientific trials to suggest the validity of this claim. On the contrary, saunas can cause pneumonias, folliculitis, etc. Read below 311d