Health Sciences In The Media

Efforts are underway to bring to market a vaccine for a fungal infection that occurs in the deserts of the Southwest. With recent studies showing promise, there is a renewed push. Dr. John Galgiani, director of the University of Arizona's Valley Fever Center for Excellence, is heading up vaccine research there and believes the vaccine shown to prevent valley fever in mice should be available for dogs, which also get infected in large numbers, as soon as next year.

Dr. Shad Marvasti, an associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, said Memorial Day weekend was a disaster in terms of the pandemic. “We paid the price for it when we saw the increase in the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in Arizona. Hopefully, we’ve grown wiser and more sober from the realities of COVID-19.”

For Eddie Case, his battle with COVID-19 didn't end when he went home from the hospital. In March, his symptoms were so severe he had to spend 20 days in a medically-induced coma. Six months later, he said his life isn't the same. "People have fatigue and confusion, difficulty focusing and concentrating," said Dr. Shad Marvasti, director of public health for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.

Dr. Ole Thienhaus, chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, discusses the combined impact of long-term extreme heat and a pandemic on mental health.

In honor of Dr. Fayez K. Ghishan’s 25th anniversary as director of the Steele Children’s Research Center at the University of Arizona, members of the Phoenix Women’s Board of the Steele Children's Research Center have contributed $5 million to establish an endowment in his name. The endowment celebrates and honors Ghishan for his life’s work to improve treatment and seek cures for childhood diseases.

Efforts are underway to bring to market a vaccine for a fungal infection that occurs in the deserts of the Southwest. With recent studies showing promise, there is a renewed push. Dr. John Galgiani, director of the University of Arizona's Valley Fever Center for Excellence, is heading up vaccine research there and believes the vaccine shown to prevent valley fever in mice should be available for dogs, which also get infected in large numbers, as soon as next year. A veterinary vaccine company, Anivive, is developing it. "It's very promising," said Galgiani.

"We don't have anywhere near the population exposed, infected or recovered or somehow immunized to COVID-19 yet. We're not going to get to herd immunity until many more people are exposed to the virus or if we have a vaccine which will enable more people to get immunity," said Dr. Shad Marvasti, director of public health for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.

"We don't have anywhere near the population exposed, infected or recovered or somehow immunized to COVID-19 yet. We're not going to get to herd immunity until many more people are exposed to the virus or if we have a vaccine which will enable more people to get immunity," said Dr. Shad Marvasti, director of public health for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.

Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona health officials held a press conference at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix at 3 p.m. regarding influenza and flu shots.

There are now more than 25 million confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) across the globe. "We basically have 50 laboratory experiments going on right now, and every state has a slightly different policy approach," said Joe Gerald, an associate professor at the University of Arizona's Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, in an Aug. 24 story in The New York Times. "If we get complacent, this thing could get out of control again. And we'll have even less safety margin to manage it because we're starting from a higher place."