KTBS 3 -  Dr. John Vanchiere, LSUHS Associate Professor, shares, "A couple of weeks between vaccines is plenty enough time, but it's okay to go ahead and get all three at once. Your immune system can definitely handle it."

KTAL6 - The medical community advises high-risk people to continue to use precautions such as wearing a mask, keeping their distance, and washing their hands.  Most people who become infected will have a mild case.

KSLA12 - ”There has been an increase in COVID related hospitalizations again. Not nearly as many as in prior surges but definitely an increase, and that’s seen locally and nationwide,” Dr. John Vanchiere, Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Research at LSUHS  said.

Shreveport Times - "Knowledge is power," said Dr. Krista Queen. "If you get tested and you're positive, you can implement some changes to make sure you reduce the risk to those around you."

Webtimes.UK - Dr. Jeremy Kamil, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at LSUHS shares, "I’d rather have people complaining that we’re not naming enough than that we’re naming too many. It’s like if you sound a fire alarm all the time, people will stop evacuating the building quickly.”

KTAL 6 - Dr. Krista Queen, Director of Viral Genomics and Surveillance for the Center for Emerging Threats at LSUHS, shares there’s increased transmissibility of the new variant, ... but we’re not seeing increased disease severity.

Researchers from academic institutions in Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia have partnered to publish a playbook detailing their model developed for establishing collaborative, community-centered infectious diseases surveillance programs committed to improving equity in genomic sequencing.

SB Advocate - LSUHS Associate Director for Clinical Outreach, Dr. John Vanchiere said, "Based on the pattern of COVID activity over the past three years, we do expect to see a winter-time spike in COVID cases, probably beginning in December and peaking in February..."

The Center for Emerging Viral Threats at LSUHS recently sequenced the first instances in Louisiana of the XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.9.1 variants. "Detecting these very recently emerging variants demonstrates the robustness of our efforts,” said Krista Queen, PhD, Director of Viral Genomics and Surveillance.

Dr. Krista Queen, Director of Viral and Genomic Surveillance for the CEVT, was invited to speak at the Eastern Mediterranean Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance (EMARIS) Network, organized by the World Health Organization.

Vax Matters - Dr. Jeremy Kamil, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at LSUHS, shares answers to why viruses change, bringing his wealth of knowledge in virus and disease spread.

KNX News - A discussion with LSUHS virologist Jeremy Kamil who reviewed the study on the new research into origins of COVID-19 that connect raccoon dogs to the virus.

NY Times - Genetic samples from the market were recently uploaded to an international database and then removed after scientists asked China about them. LSUHS virologist, Dr. Jeremy Kamil said that fell short of conclusive evidence that an infected animal had set off the pandemic.

ABC News - Researchers analyzed genetic data from samples taken at the Wuhan market. "In samples with a hot amount of virus, there was not a trivial amount of DNA and RNA of raccoon dogs," Dr. Jeremy Kamil, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at LSUHS, told ABC News.

FORTUNE - "The studies don't exclude other hypotheses entirely. But they absolutely are pushing it toward an animal origin,” virologist Jeremy Kamil, at LSU Health Shreveport, told NPR at the time.

KTBS3 - “It’s important not to trivialize this virus. We’re all back to living as we did before, and I think the best tool we have in our arsenal is to stay current on the vaccine doses,” said Dr. Jeremy Kamil, virologist at LSUHS.

NOLA.com - Jeremy Kamil, LSUHS virologist, said, "It's a little bit uncertain how serious of a contender this virus is outside of New York, where XBB.1.5 was first discovered.

Shreveport Times - The Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats (CEEVT) and its wastewater monitoring laboratory at LSU Health Shreveport have been testing wastewater samples to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in local communities.

KTAL6 - Dr. Krista Queen with LSUHS says the COVID positivity rate in our area population is six percent. About two months ago, it was just below five percent. She says this is due to social dynamics returning to pre-pandemic norms and people not taking the same precautions.

KTBS3 - A medical triple threat—COVID-19, Influenza, and Respiratory syncytial virus, or RVS, has been ravaging U.S. health systems competing for attention.

NPR Red River Radio - "This virus is getting a lot of lottery tickets if you will. And it looks like, with these new variants, these new mutations are like the jackpot," says Jeremy Kamil, an immunologist at LSUHS. 

Mercury News - The (new) variants look a lot like the virus that was the template of our new bivalent booster, so vaccination still works. “It’s not a perfect match … but it’s close,” said Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSUHS, who studies variant mutations. “In most cases, that’s going to keep the infection in check.”

318 Forum - Dr. John Vanchiere, professor of medicine and pediatrics, director of community testing and vaccinations and principal investigator for the Pfizer Vaccine Trial in north Louisiana at LSUHS, shares, "The CDC recommends that people ages 12 years and older receive one dose of the updated COVID-19 bivalent booster vaccine if it has been at least two months since their last vaccine dose."

Washington Examiner - The Biden administration's fall campaign to get people vaccinated with the omicron booster has been off to a slow start. Dr. John Vanchiere, director for community outreach for Center for Emerging Viral Threats at LSUHS, anticipates that more people will get the updated booster as it gets closer to Thanksgiving in preparation for traveling and visiting family.

Bloomberg - Jeremy Kamil, virologist and professor of microbiology and immunology at LSUHS, shares, "Vaccinated and previously infected people have robust and still-intact lines of defense, such as memory T-cells and B-cells. People previously infected also have additional immune cells that reside in the respiratory tract."

KSLA12 - Health officials expect a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases as the colder months set in. That’s due, in part, to the fact that people will be in more confined spaces.But Dr. John Vanchiere, infectious disease specialist at LSUHS, noted also that vaccination rates are lower.

Nature.com - Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport shared, “The world needs to see more collaborations like this. Speed is crucial when it comes to fighting the virus.”

318 Forum - The 155,000-square-foot Center for Medical Education will be home to large classroom spaces, clinical skills labs and simulation suites – each designed to encourage collaboration, active engagement and innovative thinking. 

NPR Red River Radio - Dr. Jeremy Kamil, LSUHS virologist, answers questions about the COVID-19 booster and when to get your flu shot.

CBC News - A recent spike in cases and hospitalizations in the U.K. have scientists bracing for potential winter waves. Dr. Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSUHS shares, "But the possibility that they're going to cause hospitals to be overwhelmed is what I want to dial people back on because we're not seeing any signs of that."

Bossier Press-Tribune - The FDA-authorized bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, or updated boosters, are now available at LSUHS and include an mRNA component of the original strain to provide an immune response that is broadly protective against COVID-19.

Medscape - Dr. Jeremy Kamil, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at LSUHS talks with Medscape about the importance of virology in addressing concerns over hot topic viruses.

Washington Examiner - Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSUHS, said the months it will have taken to get an updated booster since identifying the omicron variant last November is "unacceptable," resulting in many people getting infected with omicron and needlessly getting sick as previous vaccines proved less effective against the variant.

KTBS3 - While less common than with adults, 5 to 10% of kids have residual symptoms as late as 12 weeks later. And some problems can be very serious, said Dr. John Vanchiere, LSU Health Shreveport pediatrics professor said.

The Louisiana Board of Regents has supported full five-year approval for the Louisiana Addiction Research Center (LARC) and Center for Emerging Viral Threats (CEVT), with the CEVT continuing to be a designated Center of Research Excellence. The Board of Regents approval follows unanimous approval of both centers by the LSU Board of Supervisors earlier this year. Both centers were previously granted provisional approval and applied for full center approval earlier this year.

318 Forum Magazine - At this time, mask-wearing, hand washing and being “up to date” on your vaccine are the optimal prevention tools for contracting COVID and preventing severe illness. Dr. Andrew Yurochko and Dr. John Vanchiere of LSUHS share the latest on COVID-19.

KSLA 12 - Research experts and medical professionals from LSU Health Shreveport were joined by community leaders to provide an update on the COVID-19 pandemic. Speakers informed the community about the latest case numbers and efforts to increase vaccination rates.

The Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats’ (CEVT) Viral Genomics and Surveillance Lab has surpassed uploading its’ 15,000^th sequence to GISAID (Global Initiative on Sharing Influenza Data). The LSU Health Shreveport CEVT team has worked tirelessly since early in the COVID-19 pandemic to sequence and track variants of SAR-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease.

Red River Radio - Health Matters: Dr. John Vanchiere, Professor and Chief, Section of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Krista Queen, PhD, Director of Viral Genomic and Surveillance at LSUHS talk about conronavirus variants.

KSLA 12 - Dr. John Vanchiere, professor of pediatrics at LSU Health Shreveport said Louisiana ranks 45th and 46th in vaccination for COVID among those ages five to 11 and 11 to 15, respectively. He said he expects the number of cases to grow when students go back to school.

NY Times - Opinion - Dr. Jeremy Kamil, ... , shares "As a virologist, it’s important to me that people understand Covid-19 remains a great concern. But this does not excuse or license a misdiagnosis of the current situation."

Popular Science - The BA.5 wave may not overwhelm hospitals to the degree seen last winter, although emergency rooms and ICUs are already stretched thin. “But there’s definitely going to be an increase to some degree,” says Dr. Jeremy Kamil, a virologist who has led sequencing at LSUHS.

KTBS3 - Dr. John Vanchiere, the director of clinical research and the COVID-19 Strike Team director for LSU Health Shreveport, says people start feeling better within a day or two after their first dose of Paxolovid, however there can be side effects.  

KTAL6 -  Local health experts say the BA.2 omicron variant of the coronavirus has been on the rise across the country and is now the dominant strain in NW Louisiana. “As mysteriously as the virus came on, it’s kind of evolved and become a little less problematic when people get it,” said Dr. Michael Sewell, Section Chief for Division of Internal Medicine / Hospitalist Program.

KSLA12 - Beginning Tuesday, April 19, the Center for Emerging Viral Threats (CEVT) at LSUHS will no longer offer COVID-19 testing at its North Campus site. This change is due to the low number of COVID-19 cases reported in recent weeks. A look at the Louisiana Department of Health’s COVID case map shows the cases are low across the state.

Boston25 - “We are seeing the prevalence of BA.2 increasing as the overall Omicron wave has crashed,” said Jeremy Kamil, PhD, associate professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. “It is spreading. It can infect people who were previously vaccinated, particularly if they didn’t have a case of BA1.”

KTBS3 - Shelly Raley, the Program Coordinator for the LSUHS COVID Strike Team, says that circumstances make this current slowdown more calming than previous ones. "Currently there is no big delta or omicron that we see headed our way in the immediate future."

Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy was instrumental in the receipt of this funding for LSUHS, which will enhance the impact of the Center for Emerging Viral Threats (CEVT) as it is able to expand significantly in the new Center for Medical Education building. Additional medical education and research opportunities will yield enhanced economic impact to the region and the state.

NBC News - Scientists have detected a handful of cases of the delta-omicron hybrid but say it's unlikely to cause a new surge. Dr. Jeremy Kamil, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at LSUHS says, "Delta basically grabbed omicron's spike protein. This is essentially delta trying to hang on by plagiarizing from omicron."

Bloomberg - “I’m convinced that home testing is artificially lowering rates … and by a  lot,” says Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSUHS. “Especially when you factor in the additional impact of mild cases and pandemic fatigue.”

NPR - Dr. Jeremy Kamil, LSUHS Virologist, says these studies, along with several others published recently, are really tipping the scales toward an animal origin.

NPR Red River Radio - Health Matters: Andrew Yurochko, PhD and Krista Queen, PhD talk about COVID Sequencing – why it matters and how LSU Health Shreveport is contributing to this international conversation. 

Bloomberg - “No tests can tell you for sure what variant you have without full viral genome sequencing,” says Jeremy Kamil, a microbiologist and immunologist at LSU Health Shreveport. In the U.S., current federal guidance prevents labs from informing patients or their physicians about the specific genome-sequencing results.

The Philadelphia Inquirer - In addition to becoming more abundant with each exposure, the antibody response becomes more “mature,” saidDr. Jeremy Kamil, associate professor at LSUHS.

New York Times - “Expect the next variant to come out of left field,” said Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSU Health Shreveport. He added, “It’d be a hugely foolish thing for anyone to speak with excessive certainty about what’s coming in the next two years.”

NPR/Red River Radio - Health Matters: As the Omicron variant is surging in our region and across the country, Dr. Sanford Katz hosts this episode of Health Matters with guests Dr. John Vanchiere, Director of LSU Health Shreveport COVID-19 Community Testing and Vaccinations.

41NBC - Mercer University School of Medicine, in partnership with the Department of Biomedical Sciences and LSU Health Shreveport, was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. The money will help to guide Covid-19 research about possible variants of the virus.

Tittle Press - “It’s mostly that runny nose, sore throat, and nasal congestion,” said John Vanchiere, MD, PhD, associate director of the Center for Emerging Viral Threats at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport (La.). NPR.

“These gifts will provide fundamental support for the CEVT for years to come as we continue to address the public health needs of the North Louisiana region and beyond,” said LSU Health Shreveport Vice Chancellor for Research, Chris Kevil, PhD

iNews.co.uk - Jeremy Kamil, virologist and associate professor at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, told i: “SARS-Cov-2 is not going to become a ‘common cold’ / ordinary ‘seasonal’ coronavirus within the span of the next few months or even years.”

Today UK News - Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSUHS, agreed the world is now “well equipped” for the fight but viruses are always coming up with “countermeasures”. He suggests Covid could become more stealthy, like tuberculosis or HIV, with a longer “silent” phase of infection. (image: WHO)

NPR / Red River Radio - As the Omicron variant is surging in our region and across the country, Dr. John Vanchiere, Director of LSUHS COVID-19 Community Testing and Vaccinations, talks about how people are faring with this variant, testing and treatments, new isolation recommendations, and more.

KTBS3 - The LSUHS COVID-19 Strike team and Emerging Viral Threats lab hit a record high with over 14,000 COVID-19 tests conducted last week. This is quite a feat, considering many areas across the country have had to scale back testing to symptomatic people only because staff members and labs were overrun.

Eat This, Not That! - For many people, respiratory symptoms are the first sign of Omicron. "It's mostly that runny nose, sore throat and nasal congestion," Dr. John Vanchiere, the associate director of the Center for Emerging Viral Threats at LSU Health Shreveport, told NPR.

KSLA12 - Dr. Wanda Thomas, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at LSU Health Shreveport, explained the connection between COVID-19 and diabetes in children. 

KSLA12 - Dr. Suzanne Tinsley, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy at LSUHS, shares insights on study findings related to the impact COVID-19 can have on mobility.

NPR - "It's mostly that runny nose, sore throat and nasal congestion," says Dr. John Vanchiere, the associate director of the Center for Emerging Viral Threats at LSU Health Shreveport. "The cough is milder [than previous variants], if there's any cough at all, and fever seems to be a little less common."

Effective Wednesday, January 5, LSUHS will move its community COVID-19 testing and vaccination efforts back to the Louisiana State Fairgrounds located at 3701 Hudson Ave. to reduce wait times and accommodate more individuals each day. 

Dr. John Vanchiere, an infectious disease specialist at LSU Health Shreveport, agrees. “We are seeing significant increases in our positivity rates in our community testing and, unfortunately, also in our nursing home testing.

Shreveport Times - Despite the increased attention of omicron, delta continues to be the main variant in Louisiana, however, Dr. John Vanchiere, an infectious disease expert and Associate Director of the Center for Emerging Viral Threats at LSUHS, believes that could change much faster than some might think.

TheBulletin.org - Associate professor of microbiology and immunology at LSUHS Jeremy Kamil said he is “not at all convinced” that the current vaccines will continue to be protective “indefinitely.” "We just need to update our shot to show our body a repertoire that encompasses the variability at the key sites for neutralization"

KSLA12 - Sequencing is a multi-step process that includes using robotic technology to help make the process faster, more efficient and to reduce human error. "While this new variant has more mutations than others, her team is much more equipped this time around," says Dr. Krista Queen, Director of Viral Genomics and Surveillance for LSUHS.

Shreveport Times - "The definitive 'are we protected' is not known yet, and won't be for a couple of weeks. Based on the sequencing and what we know about the protection of the vaccine, we expect there will be some protection," shared Dr. John Vanchiere, Infectious Disease Specialist at LSUHS. CDC updates on Omicron Variant

Shreveport Times - Research Notebook: Since the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic scientists around the world have been working together on critical genomic sequencing efforts to better understand how the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads and evolves and help guide and evaluate public health response. 

Roy O. Martin III and Kathy Martin have donated $500,000 to the Center for Medical Education as part of a larger LSU system-wide gift supporting top capital priorities for the Fierce for the Future Campaign. The Martin’s gift will be directed to the Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats (CEVT) to be housed on the top floor of the Center for Medical Education.

KTAL/KMSS - Local infectious disease expert and LSU Health Shreveport Director of Testing and Vaccines says the findings of a small study showing Pfizer’s booster offers strong protection against the fast-spreading omicron variant are promising, but it will be a few more weeks before we know just how effective it is.

“It is very important for folks to get vaccinated against flu and COVID so that we can, prevent illness and death in the community and keep folks out of the hospital. And reduce the transmission of these to other people who may not be able to be vaccinated,” said Dr. John Vanchiere, infectious disease specialist at LSUHS.

Financial Times - Labs are scrambling to answer 3 fundamental questions: is it more transmissible, can it evade the vaccination, and does it cause more severe disease? Jeremy Kamil, a virologist studying Sars-Cov-2 evolution at LSUHS, describes his shock when this genome was released. “It was like coming home from vacation and seeing that someone hasn’t just planted a few flowers in your garden. They’ve remodeled the whole landscape.”

KSLA12 - Dr. John Vanchiere shares "We've seen the variants over the past two years emerge and each was more transmissible than the prior one. The early data appears that this omicron variant may even be more transmissible than delta." 

KTBS3 - Jeremy Kamil, PhD., a virologist at LSU Health Shreveport, says the Omicron variant was first found on Nov. 11. What the South African scientists discovered was that this new variant is a lot different than the ones that have been seen so far. "This one is very extensively mutated.”

Bloomberg - While the U.S. is sequencing a much higher percentage of Covid samples than earlier, the bigger issue may be that not enough virus testing is done in the first place, said Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport.

Read the Full Article in PDF

News Star - Louisiana Tech University, Grambling State University, LSU Health Shreveport and several health clinics across the region are working together to sequence the COVID-19 virus to learn how it's spreading and if any new variants arise. Research from the three universities is made available for the public online at nla-health.com.

An official release of five PSAs created by five student filmmakers from the Northwest Louisiana area was held on November 22nd at LSUHS as part of a collaboration between the Film Prize Junior program and LSUHS, followed by Q&A sessions about this project.

Louisiana Radio Network - LSU-Health Shreveport is helping parents by making it as convenient as possible to have children ages five to eleven get vaccinated at schools in north Louisiana. 

KTBS3 - “It's not an emergency, it's not a ‘got to do this before the winter’ kind of thing,” said Dr. John Vanchiere, director of COVID-19 community testing and vaccinations at LSUHS. “We’d rather have more young adults get vaccinated, than use boosters in that age group at this point. That would be much more effective."

The LSU Health Shreveport COVID-19 Strike Teams reached a major milestone today having administered just over 100,000 VACCINATIONS. Over 175 individuals have been a part of the LSUHS vaccine teams comprised of physicians, nurses, nursing, medical and allied health students, and the Louisiana National Guard.

KTBS3 -  As mask mandates are lifted across the state, the medical community is waiting to see what effects may come from the decision. Dr. John Vanchiere, an infectious disease expert at LSU-Health Shreveport, said overall, he thinks that it was the right decision. 

KTAL/KMSS -  Shreveport doctors are urging the public to not underestimate COVID-19 as Governor Edwards has lifted the state’s mask mandate for at least the next four weeks. Dr. Andrew Yurochko with LSUHS says the virus spread has followed a pattern and therefore, one must continue to protect him or herself.

A new variant of COVID-19 has been identified in Louisiana by scientists at the LSU Health Shreveport Emerging Viral Threats Center. LSUHS announced this month that the B.1.630 variant had been sequenced and reported by the center, though health officials believe this variant's predominance is very low and much less transmissable than the deadly delta variant.

KTBS3 - Dr. John Vanchiere, an infectious disease and pediatrics specialist with LSUHS said some of the conditions that do not compromise the immune system, but make a person eligible for a booster shot include obesity, diabetes, heart disease and an age over 65.

KSLA12 - “We can do it. We know there is no reason why we can’t do it. Most of the people who have been hospitalized or have severe disease now have not been vaccinated. We know that getting vaccinated reduces the likelihood that you end up in the hospital, at least 25-fold,” said Former State Representative Barbara Norton.

KSLA12 - “What we tended to see with the Delta variant is it has impacted our pregnant populations very very hard, especially at the height of the Delta variant we had transfers from all over the state of pregnant woman who were in respiratory distress and significantly decompensating,” said Dr. Caitlin Busada, associate program director of residency of Obstetrics & Gynecology at LSUHS.

The EVT Viral Genomics and Sequencing Lab at LSU Health Shreveport is first in the state to sequence and report that a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been detected in Louisiana. The new variant, B.1.630, was sequenced last week from two samples collected in Baton Rouge.

A new CDC report finds that U.S. adults reported experiencing increased anxiety and depression symptoms during August through December 2020 as new COVID-19 cases increased. Find strategies to help cope with stress during COVID-19 and how to get help if you’re struggling.

KTBS3 - Dr. John Vanchiere, the lead investigator in the Pfizer vaccine study at LSUHS said, “We expect that to take at least four to six weeks of time. And Pfizer and Moderna are both starting additional enrollment in the pediatric studies in that 5- to 11-year-old age range, so that they can get more data under the research protocol to submit to the FDA when it’s appropriate.”

LSU Health Shreveport has been on the front line fighting the COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning. The establishment of the Emerging Viral Threats lab in March of 2020 led to mass testing and vaccination sites, clinical trials in patient treatment options and viral sequencing that discovered 7 COVID-19. variants.

KTBS3 - Dr. John Vanchiere, an infectious disease and pediatrics specialist and the lead investigator on the Pfizer vaccine study at LSU Health Shreveport, shares "Demonstrating effectiveness that is preventing hospitalization and death or severe disease is very challenging in the pediatric population, because kids don't get generally very sick."

Wall Street Journal - Some virologists believe the Delta variant evolved to maximize transmissibility and that its ability to spread rapidly will eventually reach a ceiling as more of the global population gets vaccinated. “It looks like this virus is already driving a Lamborghini right now in terms of transmissibility, so I’m not sure it can get much faster,” said Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSU Health Shreveport who is studying coronavirus genetics. Read the full article.

Forum - Dr. Sarwat Umer, Associate Professor of Medicine/Pediatrics, and Dr. Anusha Vuppala, Rheumatology Fellow, at LSUHS share information on Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), a complication associated with COVID-19 infection in children.

KTAL/KMSS - “It seems that we’re past our peak of this delta variant surge,” said LSUHS Professor Dr. John Vanchiere. “Most of the rest of the nation is still in the climbing phase of this delta surge, so we’re a few weeks ahead of many places in terms of, our numbers seem to be slowing down on hospitalization side.”

KTAL/KMSS - “By November 1st, if people are not vaccinated then they would not be able to work inside of the various Ochsner facilities,” says Dr. Charles Fox, the chief medical officer at Ochsner LSU Health. 

LSU Health Shreveport is looking for Part-time / Temporary workers for their COVID-19 Strike Team. Swab Assistants are needed for Shreveport-Bossier, as well as Monroe, Ruston, Alexandria and Lake Charles areas.

SCIENCE.org - Dr. Jeremy Kamil, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at LSU Health Shreveport, says "that we truly have no idea what mutations will show up next, in what order, or on top of what existing variants."

KSLA12 - “PCR is the gold standard, but people who are nervous, they have a cold, runny nose or fever, it’s a great way to sort of test,” said Dr. Andrew Yurochko, professor and vice-chair of microbiology and immunology at LSU Health Shreveport.

KTBS3 - “What I recommend for most people, especially if they've had symptomatic COVID, is that they wait about a month, six weeks, somewhere in that range before they get their first dose of vaccine,” Dr. John Vanchiere, LSU Health Shreveport.

ABC4 - “We do not know whether this is going to be better or worse than Delta, there’s not enough information,” Dr. Andrew Yurochko with LSU Health Shreveport tells NewsNation. “Forty-four states have reported Lambda cases and WHO has labeled it “a variant of interest.”

AAMC.org - Despite more than 70% of adults in the country having received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 81% of people 65 and older being vaccinated, a dramatic spike in infections among unvaccinated younger people, coupled with staffing shortages, is testing the surge plans hospital systems developed for previous waves.

FDA.gov - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee), for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older.

LA Radio Network - “Those who have been hesitant to take this as a very important milestone that should allow them just to breathe a sigh of relief and go get their vaccine,” said LSUHS Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. John Vanchiere.

StatNews - By cutting how much the virus replicates — both through preventing infections and by shortening the infections that do occur — vaccines limit the likelihood of additional, more dangerous variants. Says Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSUHS, “The virus has to replicate in order to mutate, but each virus doesn’t get many lottery tickets in a vaccinated person who’s infected.”

BBC - Dr, Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSUHS, says "I would be delighted that a vaccine company overcame the immense challenges to make it work. But it's imperative that the efficacy data be vetted independently."

KEEL - Dr. John Vanchiere, LSUHS Pediatric and Infectious Disease Specialist, explains, "Booster shots are recommended for individuals who are moderate to severe immune-compromised. It's the same vaccine, just like the second dose, you're going to get a third dose of the same thing."

The Guardian - Dr. John Vanchiere, a professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases at LSUHS, shared that caring for seriously ill children is always distressing, but more so when “we know the vast majority of these infections are preventable." 

Cape Cod Times - “I would say (the road race) is probably minimal risk” for the spread of the novel respiratory virus,” said Jeremy Kamil, PhD, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at LSUHS, where he leads COVID-19 genomic sequencing. “It’s a lot of people running, breathing hard, but they’re breathing outside. The ventilation factor is enormous.”

KSLA - Emerging data have demonstrated that immunocompromised people who have low or no protection following two doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may have an improved response after an additional dose of the same vaccine. No appointments are necessary to get the additional shot, but LSUHS suggests you come based on a schedule shown here.

Baton Rouge - The Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics sent a letter to Gov. John Bel Edwards stating that the 750 member organization strongly recommends universal masking while indoors in schools.

KTBS - With children headed back to school during yet another COVID-19 surge, many parents of young children are wondering when those under age 12 will be able to get vaccinated. Dr. John Vanchiere, lead investigator on Pfizer vaccine trials at LSUHS, said the hospital is seeing an increase in vaccinations for the 12-18 age group. As for kids ages 5-11, the trials are ongoing and expanding.

Heavy.com -  Dr. Jeremy Kamil, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at LSUHS leads COVID-19 sequencing at the institution shared that he believes a doomsday variant is extremely unlikely and that people should be talking instead about the importance of getting vaccinated because variants can develop when large numbers of people do not.

Dr. John Vanchiere, Professor of Pediatrics and Infectious Disease at LSUHS served as was one of eight clinical leaders in Louisiana invited to participate in The Louisiana Community Engagement Alliance Against Covid-19 Disparities (LA-CEAL) Town Hall meeting which was designed to provided updated information on COVID-19.

KNOE - Dr. Shawn McNeil, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at LSUHS says mental health is as important and in some cases more important than a person’s physical health. He says some children are going through a lot of stressful events right now. including their sleep schedule changing, more expectations in a new grade level, or the pandemic, including mask mandates.

KSLA12 - Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has implemented a statewide indoor mask mandate to combat the spread of COVID-19 and the delta variant of the virus. Gov. Edwards made the declaration during a news conference Monday, Aug. 2. The new mask mandate is set to expire on Sept. 1, 2021, but could be extended if needed, the governor said.

KTAL/KMSS - LSUHS was awarded one of three contracts in Louisiana to deliver FREE COVID-19 testing in kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) for the 2021-2022 school year. The agreement is in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) with funding provided by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

KTAL - Dr. Yurochko, a Professor and Vice-chair of Microbiology and Immunology at LSU Health Shreveport, said by now one ought to know that “masks absolutely work” — and his stance on it is abundantly clear, citing Delta variant is more infectious and anyone who is more vulnerable or who has underlying health issues should mask up.

New York Times - Facing deep mistrust stoked by rampant conspiracy theories, local health officials are fighting for influence when the only sure strategy for beating back the virus is getting more people vaccinated. “It’s a lot of small battles in different places,” Dr. John Vanchiere said, “and every battle is going to be different.”

Boston Globe - Dr. Jeremy Kamil, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at LSUHS, oversees a team of scientists reading the genomes of positive virus samples each week. A run of samples this week found the number of cases involving the delta variant had exploded. Dr. John Vanchiere, a professor of infectious disease at LSUHS said a growing public awareness of local delta cases was one reason his team was now vaccinating twice as many people as a month ago — as many as 100 a day.

LSUHS hosted a press conference where research experts, medical professionals and community leaders gave an update on the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of the new Delta variant of the virus, along with latest numbers and efforts to increase vaccination rates.

Local clergy and Vaccination providers, including LSU Health Shreveport, are joining forces to administer free Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccinations to all citizens with particular emphasis on teenagers.  Also, other health screening services will be offered including blood pressure checks, COVID-19 Rapid Test, glucose/blood sugar check and physical fitness activities for the whole family.

Bloomberg News - Given the patchy start to COVID surveillance last year, some experts have expressed concern over whether the CDC can create a system that will help bring the pandemic to a true end. Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSUHS, points out that the agency takes weeks to provide data from sequencing including diseases such as influenza, too.

KSLA 12 - On Monday, July 19, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggested all kids age 2 or older should wear a face mask. “The ages 12 and under, they are a vulnerable population and the argument from the AAP that wearing mask in schools will help lessen the risk of transmission and infectivity for those, I think is a very strong argument,” said Thomas.

KSLA 12 - Dr. Jonathan Eaton, a critical care doctor with LSUHS shares his main concern during this latest surge in COVID-19 cases is the new age group being impacted. “The best thing we have is being vaccinated. Don’t think because your 30 to 40 years old you’re invincible to this.”

KEEL Radio - LSUHS Dr. John Vanchiere talks about the medical community's growing concern over the new COVID Delta variant. "We've gone from a hundred cases a day to over twelve hundred cases a day," he says, addressing the increase across the state, "We're seeing a lot more infections now, locally as well as statewide. It's a big surge in infections."

Boston 25 News - Dr. Jeremy Kamil, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at LSU Health in Shreveport, Louisiana, calls the two-dose data very clear and very strong. “You can control your behavior and go back and get that second shot and do your part to protect our community and to protect our country from the pandemic having another big wave here."

KTBS 3 - Dr. John Vanchiere, an infectious disease specialist and the principal investigator in the Pfizer vaccine study at LSU Health Shreveport, said they are now in the 10th month of the initial clinical trials and no booster is needed so far. “So our current look is that for the vast majority of people, boosters are not on the horizon, at least for the first year after injection.”

KTAL/KMSS - COVID-19 Pfizer vaccinations were provided by LSUHS at St. Mary of the Pines Catholic Church. There were no out-of-pocket costs, and no one was turned away based on their insurance status as their main priority is keeping the community safe.

KTBS 3 - A mobile vaccination effort continued at the Renaissance of Allendale Apartments. This was a collaborative effort of multiple agencies: City of Shreveport, HUD, Department of HHS, LSU Health Shreveport and Shreveport Housing Authority. "The way that we combat that virus, the way that we get back to normalcy is through being vaccinated and I do not want us to let our guard down," said Shreveport Mayor Perkins. 

BBC World - Even with 166 examples of Delta plus shared on GISAID, "we don't have much reason to believe this is any more dangerous than the original Delta," according to Dr Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSU Health Shreveport. "Delta plus might have a slight advantage at infecting and spreading between people previously infected earlier or who have weak or incomplete vaccine immunity."

NOLA.com - “This virus can get past the defenses that our bodies made against earlier pandemic viruses,” said Jeremy Kamil, a virologist who has been sequencing variants at LSU Health Shreveport. Being infected last summer will not necessarily protect someone from being infected by the delta variant.

Louisiana Radio Network - LSU Health Shreveport infectious disease professor Dr. John Vanchiere said cases have been the highest amongst men under the age of 18. “The cases that have been reported in-depth on, about 400 cases, they have said that all of those who’ve been effected have recovered.” (image from Amelia Heart & Vascular Center)

Nature - The rapid rise of the highly transmissible strain in the United Kingdom has put countries in Europe, North America and Africa on watch. Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSU Health Shreveport, expects Delta to eventually become dominant in the United States, “but to be somewhat blunted by vaccination”.

KSLA 12 - Across Louisiana, more than 3 million doses of the vaccine have been placed in arms, while 1.4 million Louisianans are fully vaccinated — about 32% of the state. “The faster we can vaccinate ... the more difficult it is for these variants to emerge across the world, and we are seeing it,” LSUHS Dr. John Vanchiere said.

Louisiana Radio Network - The objective of the grant is to strengthen global capabilities to detect and respond to pandemic threats in the future. Director for Emerging Viral Threats at LSUHS Dr. Andrew Yurochko said the award is indicative of LSU Health Shreveport’s strides in detecting variants and assisting with vaccine rollout.

Red River Radio - Work by Drs. Jeremy Kamil and Rona Scott along with COBRE principal investigators Drs. Andrew Yurochko and Chris Kevil has produced and shared 2,839 full coverage SARS-CoV-2 genomes, which amounts to over 60% of the SARSCoV-2 genome surveillance from Louisiana, and 1.2 % of the total US data submitted to GISAID which is the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data.

The Rockefeller Foundation - LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) is receiving funding ($340,000) from the Rockefeller Foundation. This follows the announcement yesterday of LSUHS being awarded $730,000 to further its work in genomic sequencing of COVID-19 through a NIH supplemental grant.  LSUHS joins Harvard and the Broad Institute at MIT among others in the US Regional Accelerators for Genomic Surveillance.

New York Times - The split is particularly stark in Britain, which is facing the spread of a new variant, while America has essentially lifted all rules for people who are vaccinated. “Globally, it’s a nightmare, because most of the world is still not vaccinated,” said Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport. “It raises the stakes.”

KTBS 3 - Dr. Jeremy Kamil from LSU Health Shreveport joins the discussion about the latest on the vaccine, variants and the state of our region.

LSU Health Shreveport has identified two cases of the novel COVID-19 variant of concern, B.1.617.2, which was first identified in India and is rapidly spreading around the world. LSU Health Shreveport sequencing also reveals that B.1.1.7, sometimes called “the U.K. variant,” remains dominant in North Louisiana, as is the case in the rest of the United States, as well. 

KTAL/KMSS - Health officials from LSUHS say long COVID is something people have been experiencing after recovering from COVID-19. Symptoms like fevers, cold-like symptoms, and extreme fatigue can appear weeks after infection.

Daily Iberian - "What we know is that people who were vaccinated, if they do get sick, if they catch COVID, their symptoms are generally mild, and the amount of virus in their nose is generally less,” said Dr. John Vanchiere, infectious disease and pediatrics specialist at LSU Health Shreveport.

ArkLaTex Homepage - “Why the second shot is so important, is the first one gives you a good response, the second one is better, and the third one gets even better and better and better. And so it just primes your immune response,” Dr. Andrew Yurochko, professor of microbiology and immunology at LSUHS said.

Blue Mountain Eagle - Dr. Jeremy Kamil, an associate professor of Microbiology and Immunology at LSU Health Shreveport, said it is crucial to be mindful of “over-interpreting” the emergence of a variant. Virus variants are a significant public health concern, but viruses continually change.

Los Angeles Times - Scientists have found that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is capable of infecting two types of brain cells — neurons and astrocytes. Scientists have been trying to understand why and how it causes these issues in the brain, said study leader Diana Cruz-Topete, a molecular endocrinologist at LSU Health Shreveport.

China Daily - "Despite a few mutations here and there, the virus is still SARS-CoV-2 and the disease is still COVID-19. Risk will be highest to the elderly, and to those in high-risk groups, such as people who are diabetic, overweight, (have) high blood pressure, or who have inborn errors of immunity," warned Dr. Jeremy Kamil, LSUHS associate professor.

In a collaborative event between LSUHS and LA Tech University, Dr. Chris Kevil, Vice Chancellor for Research at LSUHS, and Theresa Sokol, MPH, Acting State Epidemiologist for the Louisiana Department of Health opened the year with New Frontiers in Biomedical Research lectures focused on patient care.

The74Million - “Until you get upwards of 80 percent of children vaccinated, you’re going to have a hard time going back to pre-pandemic practices without some risk of illness and death,” Jeremy Kamil, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, told The 74.

KTBS - Dr. John Vanchiere, lead investigator on the Pfizer vaccine study at LSUHS said, “The vaccine is effective at several things. Number one, reducing people from getting sick from COVID and spreading it to other people. Big time important is that vaccination reduces hospitalization and death.”

LSU Health Shreveport continues COVID-19 testing, while simultaneously offering large scale vaccine clinics and leading Louisiana in sequencing the virus from positive test samples. Testing and vaccine sites are located throughout Northwest Louisiana—including Minden, Monroe, Ruston and rural outlying cities like Tallulah. A concerted effort has been made to deliver testing and vaccines regardless of the ability to register or travel far outside of one’s home as “access for all” has been a guiding principle for the delivery these services.

CNN News 18 - India recorded on Monday 3,52,991 new Covid-19 cases and 2,812 deaths in the last 24 hours. The country saw 22.5 lakh new infections in the last one week, the highest ever the world has seen, pushing India’s health infrastructure to a brim.

BoomNews India - Number of COVID-19 cases in India is now at the highest per day in any country in the world. Dr. Jeremy Kamil, LSUHS virologist, discusses status of variants, vaccines, and transmissability.

KPVI 6 News - "A bit of low-grade fever, or muscle aches, fatigue for a couple of days, even headaches after getting your vaccine are not uncommon,” states Dr. John Vanchiere, the lead investigator on the Pfizer vaccine study at LSU Health Shreveport. “That’s an indicator that your immune response is kicking in."

BBC News - A coronavirus variant identified in India is being investigated by scientists across the world. However, it is not yet known how far it has spread or whether it is driving the deadly second wave of Covid in India itself. Dr Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSUHS, says, "I doubt whether the Indian variant is more infectious than the UK variant - and we must not panic."

Pitt News - “A variant is like a unique constellation of mutations while a mutation will be like one star in that constellation,” stated Jeremy Kamil, virologist at LSU Health Shreveport. “Alternatively, if a variant was a fingerprint, then a mutation will be one line that’s part of the fingerprint.”

NBC News - Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSU Health Shreveport, said that he wasn’t surprised this mutation was detected, as lab data suggests it would play a role in breakthrough cases.

KEEL 101.7FM - The local medical community has stepped up on several fronts to battle COVID-19 on the front lines and in the lab. The Commission has approved the donation of as much as $1 million dollars for the Center for Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats (CEVT). This money will be used for a new building to expand the local medical school and for continued research.

KTBS 3 - "Those who are hesitant, and I would say that's the vast majority ... those who are hesitant, than refusing ... will see very quickly that their colleagues have gotten the vaccine and no adverse side effects or long term complications or other issues," said Dr. John Vanchiere of LSU Health Shreveport.

BBC.com/Russia - Scientists from the United States and Argentina came to this conclusion after analyzing the neutralizing ability of the sera of those vaccinated with the Russian vaccine. But Sputnik still protects against a severe form of the disease, the authors emphasize.

KTBS 3 - It's been difficult for much of the homeless to get to sites like the Louisiana State Fairgrounds. That's why Dr. John Vanchiere, an infectious disease specialist with LSU Health Shreveport, looked at all options, even transportation to get the homeless population there.

KSLA12 - LSUHS Dr. John Vanchiere said as a country we have a long history of producing vaccines and it’s normal for manufacturing issues to occur. The fact that it’s recognized and there’s a transparency to the reporting should give us even more trust.