Media Coverage

The five-day furor over Michael R. Caputo’s actions at the Department of Health and Human Services – and the uproar over a video in which he accused government scientists of “sedition” – ended with the announcement that he is leaving his department for at least 60 days. Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy and former president of the American Medical Association, said she is “outraged” by Caputo’s actions. “You can't suppress data, you can’t alter reports, because it will cost lives.” She added that the video was proof in itself that Caputo needed to take a medical leave.

The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, that is responsible for COVID-19 has mutated from its original strain, according to new research — and experts say that suggests it has become even more infectious. Discovering mutations can be useful from a scientific standpoint because “they allow us to track spread and exposures,” says John A. Sellick Jr., DO, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases. “This particular mutation originated in Europe and “allowed us to determine that most of the east coast virus came from Europe.”

Over the past three days, the percentage of positive cases in Western New York has gone from 1.2 percent, down to 1 percent, and back up to 1.9 percent. This means, simply put, more people need to adhere to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, says as fall and winter approach, one major concern is the increase in indoor activities. “I think it’s critical for everyone to be aware that if you’re interacting with individuals outside your social bubble indoors, that you should be wearing your mask at all times and you should maximize physical distance as best as possible,” says Russo.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put states on notice to prepare for a vaccine distribution as early as the end of October. New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo expects 40 million doses of the vaccine for New Yorkers once it is approved. Before it is distributed and after it is approved by the federal government, the state will require several task forces to review the vaccine and plan logistics. “I think what you should be paying attention to is there are multiple vaccines being studied,” says Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, adding that hopefully one or multiple of those vaccines will prove to be safe and effective.

Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, is quoted in a story on the Brazilian city of Manaus and the possibility that the city may have achieved herd immunity against COVID-19. A new study that was posted as a preprint, meaning that it has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, shows that antibody tests indicate that up to two-thirds of the population of Manaus may have caught the novel coronavirus, and that this may explain a sustained decline in new cases there, according to Popular Science. "It’s a little difficult to tease out if this is pure herd immunity versus a combination of things. But it’s intriguing for sure," Russo says.” 

Stories quote Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, on “COVID brain,” in which neurological symptoms appear long after the virus is no longer being detected. “We’re hearing about it with people who were very sick in hospitals, and those who were mildly ill as well,” he said.

Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, is quoted in a story on a supercomputer simulation suggesting that plastic face shields are ineffective at blocking coronavirus aerosols. “Face shields have been a poor alternative to masks all along,” Russo said. “We’ve known for a while if you wear a face shield, it doesn’t protect you from getting infected. It’s not very good at blocking respiratory particles, particularly the smaller ones.”

President Donald J. Trump’s executive order that allows Health and Human Services to cap certain prescription drug prices for Medicare to what he called the “most-favored-nation price” will be difficult to implement, experts say. “It will take months at least and will be challenged in court,” says Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy. “Count on it to be bitter, as opposition is mobilized, and any attempts to fix or control prices will be resisted to the end by the industries involved.”

A growing body of research suggests that the effects of COVID-19 do not end once the virus has left your body — and a new study has found that one symptom in particular is pretty common: lingering fatigue. “Data is showing this is not just an acute illness but that it has potentially long-term effects,” says Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases. Lingering fatigue isn’t unique to COVID-19. “Whenever someone has a physiological insult, whatever that may be, the body goes through an acute inflammatory process and then a repair process,” says Russo.

Deaths in the U.S. attributed to the coronavirus are nearing 200,000. The U.S. continues to lead the world in both total confirmed cases and deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, though the country does not have the highest percentage of fatal cases. “Two hundred thousand deaths is disturbing and frustrating because in this pandemic, deaths are preventable if we utilize appropriate public health measures,” says Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases.

Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, is quoted in a story on school reopening plans, and a lack of consensus statewide on when a school that has opened should close. Russo says lunchtime poses a challenge to schools: “Masks protect you from getting infected. When people eat or drink, they can’t wear their masks. Whenever your masks are down, the closer you are, the longer the period of time, the likelihood of getting infected increases.”

Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, is quoted in a story about phones and other products that test blood-oxygen levels for COVID-19. “What’s been intriguing about COVID is people who have no symptoms show up in the emergency room with oxygen stats in the 80s,” said Russo. Russo said if people use the new technology and it’s accurate, it could prompt more people to get proper tests for coronavirus or “trigger a call to their doctor.” 

John A. Sellick Jr., DO, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, said in an extensive interview that “everyone” should get a flu shot during the pandemic. “We talk about people in high-risk groups, but everyone should get a flu shot — particularly if you are older, if you have diabetes, if you have heart disease, lung disease, etc. Flu is a risk for everyone,” he said.

Donald Trump has issued an executive order attempting to set American drug prices, including those for seniors who receive their essential prescriptions through Medicare Parts B and D, to those in foreign markets. The political move was met with immediate cynicism by health industry experts. Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy and former president of the American Medical Association, is skeptical that Trump even intends to implement the executive order. “This is an election-year gambit to fulfill earlier campaign promises and force drug companies to lower prices voluntarily … this is a campaign ploy, not a commitment,” she says.

Sanjay Sethi, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, is part of a research team now looking at melatonin as a possible treatment for those with mild cases of COVID-19. Sethi says the idea was brought to his attention by his colleague and leader of the research team, Margarita L. Dubocovich, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of pharmacology and toxicology and senior associate dean for diversity and inclusion. “It cuts down on inflammation,” says Sethi. During this first trial, the team will research whether using higher dosages is safe to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 cases.