Friday, October 15 top stories

It is Friday, October 15. I will share a few top story briefs and then show an interview with Dr. IV Mirus about updates on Covid-19 treatments and vaccines.

Former president Bill Clinton was hospitalized on Tuesday for an urinary tract infection that spread to his bloodstream. His doctors said he received IV antibiotics and fluids and is in good spirits and is up and walking. Clinton is 75 years old. His wife, Hillary, was seen visiting the hospital.

The Biden administration announced that international travelers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 can enter the U.S. on November 8. This applies to both air and land borders. Foreigners who are unvaccinated will be barred from entry, but children will be exempt. Travelers will need to show proof of vaccination.

A British Member of Parliament named David Amess was stabbed multiple times at a “meet and greet” with voters at a church. Police said a 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and that they’ve recovered a knife. Amess was 69 and leaves behind a wife and five children.

The attack brought memories of another MP who was killed during a meeting with her constituents in 2016 — Jo Cox.

In southern Afghanistan, there was an explosion at a mosque that killed at least 36 people and wounded 70 others. It seems like suicide bombers targeted the mosque. It is the second serious attack in a week, with another explosion last week at a mosque in northern Afghanistan that killed 46 people.

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Here is an interview with Dr. IV Mirus about a new pill that treats coronavirus infections and about updates on booster shots.

Alex: Now I want to ask you about the new oral medication available to treat Covid-19 patients, from a company Merck, called Molnupiravir. It seems to be an effective pill. Can you explain what you know about that medication?

Dr. IV Mirus: Yeah. It’s pretty amazing to see what science can do. When we face a problem, we look for a solution. The name of that medication, Molnupiravir, interestingly, is from Thor’s hammer. That’s the name of the hammer, which applies to that medication because it has a large success rate for people who get sick and infected with Covid-19. When they take the pill medication, it can reduce the illness or death rate by 50%. That’s amazing! But there are some limits, which Merck is investigating right now. 50% is amazing, but only when used for those who are at high risk for getting sick or have other medical problems. The other thing is you have to take it when you get sick, like after one or two days of having symptoms - you have to take the medication right away for it to be successful. But the medication is really amazing because it’s another toolbox that we can use to fight Covid-19. There are other medications like resmdesivir, which we’ve been using for a while now. That’s ok, not too great. When fighting the virus, it will “freeze” it but this new medication, Molnupiravir, will actively destroy the virus. So, that’s why it’s more successful. But I want to make it clear that the best way to fight Covid-19 is getting vaccinated. That’s the best method. The medicine works, but vaccines are the best way to prevent infection. I still recommend getting vaccinated.

Alex: Now, about the booster shot for Pfizer, the FDA has approved a booster shot for those who are vulnerable with their health and yesterday a panel said it’s good to go for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson to give booster shots. Can you explain what you know about these two?

Dr. IV Mirus: Yeah, we expect to add a third shot for Moderna and a second booster shot for Johnson & Johnson. As for Moderna… Some people might not realize the first two doses of the Moderna vaccine are a little stronger than Pfizer. So, the third booster shot is a half dose, but it still works and a third booster shot is recommended. People who should get a shot are ages 65 and older or those who are sick already or at a high risk for a severe Covid-19 infection. That applies to people who are often exposed, like myself who works with Covid-19 patients everyday. It would be a good idea for me to get a third booster shot. So, that would be a good way to prevent infection. The priority here are the first two shots. We already know the first two shots will prevent serious infection and prevent entry to the hospital and death, but the third shot is good to prevent any kind of infection for Covid-19. It’s successful. Now, they’re researching whether they can mix doses like Pfizer with Moderna? Can you mix these with Johnson & Johnson? This is being researched and I expect them to make a statement about that soon this week, too. But like I mentioned, really, the priority is the first two shots. If you are interested in a third booster shot, I would recommend talking with your doctor for more information about if you might need a third booster shot or not.

Alex: Thank you, Dr. IV Mirus, for your time and willingness to share your knowledge.

That is all the top stories for this week. Check our other videos on “The Daily Moth.” See you on Monday and stay with the light.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/14/politics/bill-clinton-hospitalized/index.html

https://abcnews.go.com/International/uk-mp-david-amess-stabbed-multiple-times/story?id=80601729

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/afghanistan-explosion-mosque-dozens-killed-kandahar/

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/15/us/politics/vaccine-mandate-travel-us.html