Infectious Diseases

Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, is quoted in stories on COVID-19 patients who develop bumps, inflammation and swelling of the tongue while sick. “These symptoms aren’t surprising,” said Russo. “It’s common for viruses to cause both rashes and changes in the mucus membranes, like ulcers or spots in the mouth—and SARS-CoV-2 (the novel coronavirus) has already been linked with a number of skin conditions.”

A story on how the arrival of new COVID-19 variants and the increasing rate of vaccinations is affecting WNY quotes Jennifer A. Surtees, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry, who is doing genomic sequencing of the virus. “The vaccines are amazing and this is a bit of a race, but containment strategies still need to be in place.” The article also quotes John A. Sellick Jr., DO, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, who said about the new variants, “Just because we don’t have the laboratory evidence, doesn’t mean it’s not here.”

Stories quote John A. Sellick Jr., DO, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, on the effectiveness of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. “Potentially, the first dose of the vaccine gives a lot of protection, but you’re going to need the second dose to get good, durable protection,” said Sellick. 

Mashable reports that a mathematician has calculated that all the world's coronavirus particles could fit inside a soda can. The article references comments that Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, made about how widespread masking will reduce places for the virus to go.

Alan J. Lesse, MD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and senior associate dean for medical curriculum, was quoted in a story on the new CDC guidelines on not requiring quarantining after someone is fully immunized. “It’s not 100 percent and nothing ever is, but I think it’s a reasonable loosening of the restrictions,” he said.

WGRZ posted a segment on vaccines and over-the-counter medications. Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, answered questions posed by viewers.

Women’s Health reports on the different strains of COVID-19 that are emerging, and quotes Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases. “Most of these mutations have no functional consequence — it doesn’t change the virus’ properties or how serious a disease it causes,” he says. But, in some situations, a series of mutations can spread and create what’s known as a variant of the original virus. The story was picked up by other media.

Yahoo! News reports on double-masking guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other new recommendations such as wearing masks with nose wires. The article quotes Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, who said the new guidance is “very helpful” for the general public. But he points out that it’s unlikely to resonate with people who don’t think masks are effective at preventing the spread of the virus. “There are people who do wear masks and those who don’t wear masks,” he says. “But this will enable people who are wearing masks to up their game if they want to reassess what they have.” The report was carried by other media websites.

WIVB reported that infection with COVID-19 likely doesn’t provide the same level of immunity as the vaccines. “In South Africa, they have now identified circumstances, where people have become infected with the original virus, recovered from that, and then become infected with the South African variant,” said Timothy F. Murphy, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases. “That indicates that the immunity you get from the original virus is not protective against the South African variant, and that’s worrisome.”

WGRZ reports that demand for COVID-19 vaccines is increasing but the supply remains an issue, especially with New York making people with select comorbidities and underlying conditions eligible for the vaccine starting Feb. 15. “My guestimate is that well over half of the entire population of New York State will meet eligibility criteria,” said Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases. “In the short term, this will be problematic.”

The Buffalo News reports on how much freedom does COVID-19 immunity afford someone. Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, discusses immunity from people who were infected with COVID-19 and have since recovered. “It’s probably not as good as if you were fully vaccinated. But it’s still pretty good, so your risk is way, way, way less now in terms of traveling to be with your mom than it was before you got infected,” he said.

Prevention reports on a highly infectious COVID-19 variant that was first detected in the U.K. is now rapidly spreading in the U.S. The variant, B.1.1.7, has been detected in at least 34 states  and is expected to continue circulating. The article quotes Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, who said “only testing will tell if you have this variant.” He added that “it’s likely we’ll have additional COVID-19 variations in the future” and we’ll have to adjust our response accordingly — so when you have the chance to get the vaccine, it’s crucial that you do so to protect yourself and those around you. The article was picked up by other media outlets as well.

Parade magazine reports on COVID-19 variants and quotes Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, who said there are multiple variants “floating around” and that scientists are still studying how effective vaccines are against them. “We’re still on a learning curve,” explains Russo. “The general consensus right now is that we’re probably OK with the existing variant, at least protecting against severe disease.” 

WKBW reports that some people in New York are skipping the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, says the second dose is important to control the virus. “The higher the level of antibodies you have, the more likely it is that will confer protection against the variance, and since we know the second dose will maximize that level of antibody, it's critically important that everyone received their second dose,” said Russo.

Prevention reports on a survey which found that, despite recommendations to wear masks when you’re in contact with people outside your household to prevent the spread of COVID-19, only about half of Americans are doing so. The survey findings “are very disturbing and the main reason we continue to see the rise in cases and deaths,” says John A. Sellick Jr., DO, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases. The story was picked up by other news media.