CU Anschutz In The News

In this series, recognized experts from the University of Colorado's Severe Asthma Clinic and Comprehensive Lung and Breathing Program explain the implications of recently approved monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma. They explain the value of recognizing the heterogeneity of asthma and the need for correct diagnosis of this troubling subtype as early as possible. Although new and emerging therapies show a promising reduction in disease burden, specialists say that equity and access issues still thwart their efforts to provide these benefits to every patient.

“We were able to determine that she had the triggers in her bloodstream that would suggest that it comes from the vaccine,” said Dr. R. Todd Clark, assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Clark knew the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had warned against standard blood clot medicine to treat the side effect, but no alternative was clear. “We made the call for Bivalirudin based off of the best available evidence,” Dr. Clark said.

To get a sense of what's behind the rising proportion of cases in children, we spoke to Dr. Sean O'Leary, vice chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Infectious Diseases. O'Leary is also a professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado Medical Campus and Children's Hospital Colorado.

“Our experience shows us that these clot reactions are very rare, and they can be treated,” said R. Todd Clark, MD, MBA, lead co-author and assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “People can feel comfortable getting vaccinated with any of the authorized vaccines, including the J&J vaccine. Getting vaccinated is a critical step in combatting this pandemic so we can return to our normal lives.”

That said, the idea of a link is still being studied, according to Dr. Tamara Oser, associate professor and director of High Plains Research Network Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “The data so far is mixed,” she tells DiabetesMine. “One study says ‘yes’ (there is a link), but another says ‘no.’ We’re still learning, and it’s a growing field.”

It’s still a bit early to assess the impact of repealing the dial, though trends are starting to emerge, said Dr. Jon Samet, dean of the Colorado School of Public Health. Cases already were rising before the state left restrictions up to the counties, and it’s not surprising they’ve kept going up, he said. “We were certainly in a general upswing,” he said.

To calculate an accurate death rate, the total number of positive COVID-19 cases among vaccinated individuals must be known. But that number isn't, said Lisa Miller, an epidemiologist and clinical professor at the Colorado School of Public Health. "We don't know that because we're not out there testing everyone (vaccinated)," she told USA TODAY.

There's strong evidence that all three vaccines being used in the U.S. offer good protection against the U.K. variant. At hospitals run by the University of Colorado, Dr. Michelle Barron [CU School of Medicine professor] says the median age of COVID patients has dropped by more than a decade. It's now people in their late 40s. “A lot of them are requiring ICU care, whereas before, a lot of them were more so just on the floor and still requiring hospitalization but not quite as sick.”