Infectious Diseases

Thomas A. Russo, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, was quoted in a WKBW story on recent CDC and FDA approval of COVID-19 vaccine boosters for specific individuals. “To be clear, it’s only Pfizer recipients at this point,” said Russo. “The first group that’s eligible are (those 65 and older) that are more than six months out from the last vaccination,” he said. “The second group that’s eligible is individuals 18-64 that are more vulnerable and susceptible to critical illness if they get infected. The last group that’s eligible are individuals who are 18 to 64 that are front-line workers.”

Thomas A. Russo, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, told Yahoo! News that he’s among the experts wary of a new policy announced by Joseph Ladapo, Florida’s new surgeon general, that gives parents in the state the choice of deciding whether their children need to quarantine after a COVID-19 exposure. “I think it’s going to result in enhancing transmission cases,” Russo said. “From a public health point of view, I do not think this will be beneficial. I’m not sure that parents are in the best position to judge this.”

WKBW-TV reports that some Buffalo area parents are calling for a Test To Stay model, relying on COVID testing instead of quarantine for school students. Thomas Russo, professor and chief of infectious disease at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB, said Test To Stay is an “interesting concept”, but comes with logistical challenges. “You need to have the availability to be able to do these rapid tests on a daily basis and obviously someone needs to pay for these tests which may or may not be possible depending on the school system,” he said.

The Daily Beast reports on West Seneca-based lawyer Ralph Lorigo, who claims to be the most in-demand attorney nationwide for people who attempt to force hospitals and doctors to give dying loved ones ivermectin for COVID-19 infections. Thomas Russo, professor and chief of infectious disease at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB, is quoted. “Until we get some sort of signal [ivermectin is] beneficial,” he said, “it’s in our patients’ best interest to hold off.” He added: “It’s not like we’re not treating these patients and don’t have some drugs that work,” he added. Russo said he believes it is dangerous for courts to enter into the argument and force the hand of doctors. The article was carried by Yahoo! News and MSN.

Thomas Russo, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, was quoted in The Buffalo News discussing how COVID-19 cases are rising in Erie County due the delta variant. The increase stems from factors entirely within our control: Not enough of those eligible for the vaccine have received it and too many people eased up on public health measures such as mask wearing and social distancing. "It's on us and our behavior," he said.

Bangor Daily News of Maine quoted Thomas Russo, professor and chief of infectious disease at the Jacobs School, in an article about a scheduled Brad Paisley concert with few COVID-19 regulations. The article pulls comments Russo made to Health. He said: "The delta variant has added a little bit of uncertainty about outdoor transmission. It's possible that since people shed so much more virus with this variant that it may increase the risk of transmission in outdoor settings." The article was carried by Yahoo! News.

The Buffalo News reports on disparities among the vaccinated and unvaccinated, and quotes John Sellick, professor of infectious disease at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB. “We’re not asking anyone to go storm a beach,” he said. “We’re not asking anyone to give up a piece of their liver. We’re talking about getting a safe, effective vaccine so we can stop the carnage.” “I don’t see it as a rich man-poor man kind of thing,” Sellick said, “because this is available to everyone.”

Thomas A. Russo, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, was quoted in a story about Brown University temporarily halting in-person dining due to a COVID-19 outbreak, a decision he called a “smart move.” “When masks are down, that’s when students are at risk,” he says. “I’ve always worried about transmission in dining halls — kids are talking and no one is cautious. It’s an at-risk setting.”

Health reports on an 8-year-old girl in Minnesota that has been in the hospital since March after developing a rare disorder - acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) - on the heels of a COVID-19 infection. "It's certainly possible that it could be caused by COVID-19," said Thomas Russo, professor and chief of infectious disease at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. "However, it's very difficult to be absolutely certain."

Thomas A. Russo, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, was quoted in an article on who should choose the nasal flu vaccine and why. “It’s sort of a niche vaccine, given that there are so many contraindications,” said Russo. “But it can be helpful for people who have a needle phobia.”

More than 50 news outlets nationwide published a report on the rise of COVID-19 infections among children, and the eligibility of young children to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. Timothy F. Murphy, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and senior associate dean for clinical and translational research, told the outlets that children might be less likely to suffer serious symptoms if infected, but there are still some dangers that appear to justify immunizing children. “I think we’re learning from all these hospitalizations that it is important to get that protection for children,” he said. “Even though the children tend to have milder disease ... when the number of children who get infected is very large, the small percentage of children who have more severe illnesses also increases.”

Thomas A. Russo, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, was quoted in an article on the safety of receiving the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time. Russo, who says receiving both vaccinations together are safe, adds, “The consequences of getting both COVID and the flu are not great. You’ll want to get vaccinated.”

Prevention reported on why vaccinated people still need to wear masks and quoted Thomas A. Russo, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, who said: “If you could possibly be infectious to others, it’s prudent for people to wear masks (when required) so they don’t serve as a vector.” It was also carried by MSN.

John A. Sellick Jr., DO, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, was quoted in a story on why up to 40 percent of Erie County’s positive COVID-19 tests were breakthrough cases among the vaccinated. “You’re seeing the tiny tip of the iceberg or the mountain,” he said. “In Erie County right now, you’ve got well over half a million people over the age of 18 who are either fully vaccinated or partially vaccinated. And they’re not in the hospital.” Peter Winkelstein, MD, executive director of the UB Institute for Healthcare Informatics, added, “Some people get confused, ‘Oh, the vaccines don’t work.’ But they work. They work, they work, they work — especially for keeping people out of the hospital. The vaccine is not a golden shield. It’s not a magic wand. But it’s really good, and it’s a lot better than nothing.”

John A. Sellick Jr., DO, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, was quoted in an article that seeks to answer questions about President Joe Biden’s recent COVID-19 vaccination mandate that requires all federal employees as well as staff at businesses with more than 100 employees to be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing. The hope is that the mandate will get more people vaccinated and the country closer to normalcy, said Sellick. “We’ve been playing nice for months and now we’ve hit a brick wall,” he said.