All posts by Emily Samson

How were the COVID-19 Vaccines Developed So Quickly?

What does it take to supply COVID-19 vaccines across the globe? Here's how  the leading players are working it | FiercePharma

Image from fiercepharma.com

Emily Samson

On March 11th, 2021, a year after the World Health Organization had officially declared the COVID-19 pandemic, one in ten Americans had been fully vaccinated. In the past, vaccine development has taken up to 10 to 15 years. The COVID-19 vaccine was developed and administered in less than one year. How was the vaccine developed so quickly?   

The main reason is that the vaccine was designed based on decades of advanced research. For  years, scientists have been studying similar coronaviruses, such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory System), and they were already familiar with the way the virus worked. The mRNA technology used in both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine has been in the works for 10 to 15 years.  As soon as the virus’ genome was known, that knowledge could be immediately applied to developing an mRNA-based vaccine.  

Tests of safety and efficacy are often the slowest part of the vaccine development process. It requires three phases of clinical trials that involve an increasing number of participants and costs. Recruiting participants and raising money for testing can take vaccine developers years. However, the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic led to strong funding, and the massive number of infections greatly increased the speed of this process. Usually, each of the three phases of clinical testing happen one after the other, because vaccine developers do not want to spend money on testing if a vaccine is not successful in an early phase. However, for the COVID-19 vaccines, all three clinical phases happened simultaneously, because billions of dollars were invested in development efforts and a large number of participants were willing to participate in testing trials.  

As with every other FDA-approved vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccines were tested with tens of thousands of participants before decisions were made regarding safety and effectiveness. All approved vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous standards for emergency authorization and are being continuously monitored as they are administered to the public. The efficiency of the COVID-19 vaccine development is the culmination of many prior accomplishments and a testament to science and collaboration. 

 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03626-1

 https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/were-the-covid-19-vaccines-rushed

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-did-we-develop-a-covid-19-vaccine-so-quickly

The “Natural” Label on Food Products

What Does Natural Mean? The FDA's New Definition Might Change Your Pantry |  Bon Appétit

Image from bonappetit.com

Emily Samson

Walking down the aisle of a grocery store, it is common to see products labeled as “natural”, “all natural”, or “made with natural ingredients”. These labels can be found on everything from peanut butter to candy to cereal. Many people see the word “natural” on a food product and think it might be better for them. In 2016, the International Food Information Council found that “natural” was one of the top three phrases chosen to define a healthy eating style. Additionally, many consumers thought a “natural” label meant the food was produced with no pesticides and contained no artificial ingredients or GMOs. But what does the word “natural” really mean on these labels?

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are both responsible for regulating food labels in the United States. However, neither the FDA nor the USDA have strict guidelines for the word “natural” on food labels. According to the USDA’s guidelines, a “natural” product cannot contain artificial ingredients and should be minimally processed. Being minimally processed is defined as processing the food in a manner that does not fundamentally alter the product. The FDA states that if a food product is labeled as “natural”, nothing artificial, such as artificial food coloring, has been added to it. Additionally, the FDA does not consider the word “natural” on food as describing any nutritional or health benefits.

Many people correctly assume that “natural” products do not contain artificial ingredients. However, both the USDA and FDA’s regulation of the word “natural” allows foods to be genetically modified and produced with pesticides, which goes against what many people believe about these products. Additionally, the word “natural” on a food product does not indicate that the product is healthier than an alternative.

If you want to avoid eating food produced with pesticides or GMOs, you can choose foods that have the “USDA certified organic” label. However, it is also important to remember that even if a product has a “USDA certified organic” or “natural” label, it does not mean that it is a nutritionally healthier alternative. Those labels only indicate how the product was produced.  

https://food.unl.edu/sorting-food-facts-and-myths-do-foods-labeled-natural-deliver-your-expectations 

https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/use-term-natural-food-labeling

https://www.organicvalley.coop/blog/what-does-organic-mean/

https://modernfarmer.com/2019/04/reminder-the-word-natural-means-absolutely-nothing-on-food-labels/

Do Blue Light Glasses Really Help?  

Image result for blue light glasses

Image from womenshealthmag.com

Emily Samson

The average American adult spends as many as 12 hours a day in front of a TV, computer, or phone, and the pandemic has likely added an hour or two to that number. There is no evidence that electronic screen usage causes eye damage. However, there is a theory that people might experience more symptoms, such as tiredness or dryness, with greater screen time. Concepts like these merit great care. It can be argued that associating screen activity or exposure with eye damage has done more harm than good. If this theory is inaccurate, it might unnecessarily increase worry about screen time and unhelpfully create or reinforce unhealthy avoidant behavior.     

The theory is that people tend to develop screen time habits, such as blinking less than usual, which can lead to more symptoms of eye dryness or irritation. In this context, one recommendation for eye health is glasses that limit exposure to blue light. Since the onset of the pandemic, blue light glass retailers have reported a surge in sales. Is this another example of creating an illness in order to sell the cure? Or is there some verifiable health benefit?  

 Blue light glasses block around 20% of blue light waves. Most light sources, such as the sun, emit a broad spectrum of light, including blue light. Electronic screens, which are made out of light emitting diodes (LEDs), emit more blue light than traditional light sources. 

Studies show that blue light helps regulate the body’s sleep cycles. During the day, blue light can boost alertness. A study of eight people suggested that too much blue light at night can disrupt the body’s sleep patterns. However, the evidence is incomplete, and this is still up for debate.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology advises that it is not helpful to spend money on blue light glasses, because there is insufficient evidence that eye strain is an issue or that blue light is problematic. Rather than purchasing blue light glasses, they recommend following the 20/20/20 rule to limit any unwanted eye symptoms. Every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds. It may also help to keep the screen an arm’s length away from your eyes and perhaps limit staring at a bright screen in a dark room. If your eyes feel dry, simply blink or take a short break from looking at your screen. 

 https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/blue-light-digital-eye-strain

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side#:~:text=LED%20lights%20are%20more%20efficient,less%20than%20most%20fluorescent%20lightbulbs.