covid-19 - National Center for Health Research

NCHR Comments on EPA Request for Information on Better Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management to Help Reduce COVID-19

December 5, 2022: Current IAQ standards are insufficient and poorly regulated at state and local levels to keep the public safe from increased COVID-19 transmission and other respiratory illnesses. Federal mandates would ensure that all indoor public spaces are properly assessed to improve ventilation rates. In the absence of greater regulation, the EPA must promote alternative methods of air filtration such as the Corsi-Rosenthal Box.

NCHR Comments On Emergency Authorization for New COVID-19 Drug

November 9, 2022: FDA Advisory committee considers EUA emergency authorization of new COVID-19 treatment. NCHR says study is small and flawed and additional data are needed and FDA advisors agree.

When Do At-Home COVID-19 Tests Expire?

The FDA has recently given emergency authorization to extend the shelf-life of at-home test kits, adding an additional 3-6 months to the expiration date printed on the box.

NCHR’s Testimony to FDA on the Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine

June 7, 2022: While this vaccine demonstrates similar levels of efficacy as compared to vaccines approved for COVID-19, the data suggests additional safety risks. Even if it is not proven to be less safe than the other COVID vaccines, it lacks long-term, placebo-controlled efficacy data and there is very little safety or efficacy data for the most at-risk patients. When we already have vaccines on the market that are FDA approved, and based on much better data, why would the FDA authorize this vaccine?

COVID-19 Tests: How surprise billing affects patients across the country

Approximately one million Americans a day receive a COVID-19 test, often with the expectation the test will be free. However, many have found coverage is not guaranteed through private insurance, resulting in surprise bills ranging from $50 to as much as $2,000. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect yourself.

NCHR’s Testimony to FDA About Molnupiravir for COVID-19

November 30, 2021: For molnupiravir, the balance of benefits and risks may differ between different types of patients, and not all types of patients were studied.

Improving the Accuracy of COVID-19 Media Coverage

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Center for Health Research hosted 9 teleconferences featuring COVID-19 researchers as speakers and discussants on different aspects of COVID-19 of importance to journalists. The main goal of this project was to help journalists understand the nuances of often conflicting information about COVID-19 research, to help ensure accurate media coverage.

Improving Outcomes for Long COVID-19 Patients

The project “Engaging Stakeholders in Patient-Centered Outcomes Research and Clinical Effectiveness Research to Improve Outcomes for Post-Acute COVID-19 Patients” aims to strengthen collaboration among healthcare providers, patients, disability experts, payers, and employers.

NCHR’s Testimony to FDA Regarding Boosters for Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine

September 17, 2021: The data provided for this meeting do not allow us to draw confident conclusions, and a premature decision will make it impossible to do the research necessary to draw scientific conclusions.

Covid-19: FDA set to grant full approval to Pfizer vaccine without public discussion of data

BMJ, August 20, 2021: The FDA is being criticized for not holding an advisory committee meeting to discuss Pfizer’s application for full approval of its covid-19 vaccine. Will it undermine public confidence?

7 things to know about bad COVID-19 tests

CBS 5, July 29, 2021: This CBS 5 investigation about FDA emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for COVID tests will shock you! Thanks to Kris Pickel, you can find out why so many COVID tests and antibody tests were not accurate and how many we still aren’t sure of.

Can California’s public universities mandate COVID-19 vaccines?

Monterey Herald, April 26, 2021: Dr. Diana Zuckerman and Robert Kaplan address the possibility of mandatory vaccinations at California public colleges and strategies to ensure policies can withstand legal choices.

What you need to know about J&J’s newly authorized one-shot COVID-19 vaccine

ScienceNews: February 27, 2021. On February 27, the FDA authorized Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in the U.S. The other two authorized vaccines are made by Pfizer and Moderna. None are FDA approved. All show effectiveness, but there are too few serious COVID-19 cases in any of the studies to conclude how well it prevents hospitalizations or deaths.

J&J COVID-19 Vaccine Wins Unanimous Backing of FDA Panel

Medscape Medical News: February 26, 2021. An FDA advisory panel lent their support today to a rapid clearance for Janssen/Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, but several researchers expressed concerns to the panel about the lower standards of EUAs, including NCHR’s president Dr. Diana Zuckerman.

Covid-19: Should vaccine trials be unblinded?

BMJ, December 29, 2020. Volunteers in COVID-19 vaccine studies want the vaccine, not placebos, but stopping studies early could be dangerous.

COVID-19: Myths v. Reality

There is a lot of misinformation about Covid-19 floating around. Here’s what you need to know to separate myth from reality.

Will Covid-19 vaccines save lives? Current trials aren’t designed to tell us

October 21, 2020, BMJ. Current Covid-19 vaccine trials don’t give the public enough information on whether the vaccine is safe or will work for everyone.

FDA Promises Strong Safety Standards for Covid-19 Vaccines as It Convenes Advisory Panel

WSJ, October 23, 2020. FDA promises strong safety testing for coronavirus vaccines even as current standards criticized at advisory meeting.

FDA Panel To Lay Regulatory Groundwork For COVID-19 Vaccine

NPR, October 22, 2020. Dr. Diana Zuckerman spoke about making sure vaccines aren’t rushed through too quickly to be safe at the FDA advisory meeting on Covid-19 vaccine approval.

Using informatics to guide public health policy during the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA

There are many conflicting views about how to get the Covid-19 pandemic under control in the U.S. Our study in the Journal of Public Health, published in July 2020, explains how experts can use existing datasets and analytical tools to evaluate the risks of different policies, and determine the resources and policies needed to save lives during this pandemic and any future pandemics