Media Coverage

Thomas A. Russo, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, told the Buffalo News that COVID-19 symptoms that linger after recovery are a reality for some patients. “The sicker you are, the more likely you are to have these symptoms that persist after recovery,” he said. “However, certain individuals who had mild symptoms still have these persistent symptoms. We need to think of it as not just being a virus that affects our respiratory tract. This virus can affect any organ in the body.”

An article on the what Delta variant of COVID-19 means for the next chapter of the ongoing pandemic quoted Timothy F. Murphy, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and senior associate dean for clinical and translational research. “When we recalculate the percent of the population that we will need to have vaccinated in order to substantially reduce the amount of circulating virus, the number is going to be higher than 70 percent,” said Murphy. “It’s probably going to be in the 85 percent or 90 percent rate, to get what is called herd immunity.”

Multiple news outlets quoted John A. Sellick Jr., DO, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, in stories on whether nosebleeds are a sign of COVID-19. Sellick says nosebleeds definitely are not a main symptom of COVID-19, but adds “we’re at the time of year where people get nosebleeds anyway, due to allergies and being in air conditioning.”

John A. Sellick Jr., DO, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, was quoted in a story about the “Delta Plus” variant of the coronavirus, first detected in April in India’s state of Maharashtra. “As of now, [the symptoms] seem to the same as [those] of the Delta variant and earlier coronavirus strains,” he said.

Multiple news outlets reached out to John A. Sellick Jr., DO, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, for help explaining why the Delta variant is so dangerous. The Delta variant has several mutations on its spike protein, the crown-like piece of the virus that latches onto a person’s cells, he said. Thus, Delta “binds very tightly,” compared to other variants, Sellick said, allowing it to “stay attached very well” once it gets ahold of cell receptors.”

John A. Sellick Jr., DO, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, noted that any links tying constipation to COVID-19 are not very strong. “Given how prevalent constipation is in the general population of the U.S. (afflicting an estimated at 42 million people), it's difficult to say if COVID-19 actually causes the condition or if it's a coincidence when it does happen in COVID-19 patients.”

Thomas A. Russo, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, was quoted in stories about the rise of COVID-19 infections, including in children. “There’s actually data out there that if adults get vaccinated, to a degree, that decreases COVID cases in children,” he said.

The Buffalo News quoted Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy, in a story on mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for front-line health care workers at state-owned facilities. “It’s the right thing to do to protect patients and to protect ourselves. Absolutely,” said Nielsen.

Thomas A. Russo, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, was quoted in stories on mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for U.S. service members. The exact date for mandatory vaccinations will depend on when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully licenses the available vaccines. As of July 28, the vaccines available in the U.S. all have an “emergency use authorization.” To get full FDA approval, the government agency requires six months of safety data from users, said Russo.

In Western New York on July 14, the seven-day average for COVID-19 cases was 25. That’s more than four times higher than the lowest figure from early June – but it is significantly less than last summer’s lowest numbers, which hovered around 40 for a seven-day average. “We’re going to have a reasonable summer,” says Thomas A. Russo, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases. “Last summer was really pretty good, and we had no vaccination and a small proportion had been naturally infected. … We had a lot more cases than we’re having now.” Russo noted, too, that hospitalization and death numbers locally are at all-time lows, and nearly two-thirds of eligible Erie County residents are fully vaccinated.

The Buffalo News reported on the opening of the area’s first child sleep study center run by UBMD Pediatrics at Oishei Children’s Hospital and the center’s recent accreditation by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The story describes how there was no pediatric sleep study center in the region until North Buffalo native Amanda B. Hassinger, MD, clinical associate professor of pediatrics, took matters into her own hands. Nine days after completing a yearlong sleep medicine fellowship at UB last June, she helped open the UBMD Pediatrics Sleep Medicine Center. Hassinger and Alberto Monegro, MD, attending physician in the Department of Medicine, run the center.

The Buffalo News reported that with the closure of the Niagara Falls vaccine center, UB’s South Campus hosts the only state-run vaccination center locally and quoted Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy, who said: “Now that supply is plentiful and we’ve vaccinated most of the people who really wanted to be vaccinated, we’re now trying to do the hard-to-reach people or the people who are reluctant or opposed.”

Breakthrough COVID-19 infections are being reported across the country, but Thomas A. Russo, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, says vaccinated Western New Yorkers should not be too concerned. “I think the people in Western New York that should be nervous are the unvaccinated,” Russo says. “If you’re unvaccinated, the delta variant is highly infectious, and it will find you.” A new study that has not been peer reviewed yet shows the Johnson and Johnson vaccine may be less effective against the delta variant compared to the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. “The J&J may be more imperfect than the other vaccines,” Russo says. “We will have to see how that plays out. I think the J&J will keep us out of hospitals, and that’s the most important thing.”

New York’s COVID-19 cases and percentage of people testing positive have risen over the past month. Data from the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows roughly 56 percent of all New Yorkers have been vaccinated. The CDC says the more infectious delta variant of the virus now accounts for 83 percent of new cases in the United States. John A. Sellick Jr., DO, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, says it is a worry, but there are some positives to take away. “If you’re completely vaccinated, you have protection against this, especially with the mRNA vaccines,” he says. “The problem is for the people who have not been vaccinated. The vast majority of the high caseload states are states with low vaccination rates. It’s a real lesson for us. The more people we get vaccinated, the better we’re going to be, [the] delta [variant] or not.”

Thomas A. Russo, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, says: “If you think you’re safe from the coronavirus just because you’re outdoors, think again. While the wind and the large volume of air make the outdoors less risky than being indoors, circumstances matter.” He says someone who is infectious “can cough or sneeze, or just talk and, if you happen to inhale those respiratory droplets or they plop into your eye, you can get infected”. He advises that, depending on where you are, “maximize the distance between yourself and others.”