Posts from Those Nerdy Girls

A: Quite low, but not zero. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released data on reported breakthrough cases—meaning a positive SARS-CoV-2 test more than 2 weeks after FULL vaccination. TL;DR: ➡️ 5,814 cases were reported out of over 75 MILLION people who were fully vaccinated by this time. ➡️ 396 people Read more…

Q: I keep hearing people say ‘it’s not a vaccine’ so, what’s the definition of a vaccine? And are the vaccines for COVID vaccines? TL;DR: A vaccine is a product that is introduced to your body with the intent to create antibodies against a specific disease, giving you the ability to resist infection. There are Read more…

R: Los reguladores de vacunas de Europa y el Reino Unido han estado muy ocupados últimamente. En resumen: Continúan las investigaciones sobre un posible vínculo entre la vacuna Astrazeneca y un tipo de coágulo de sangre poco común. Los reguladores del Reino Unido y la Unión Europea continúan enfatizando que la vacuna previene la infección Read more…

A: When immunity starts waning and/or breakthrough infections start increasing in vaccinated people, boosters will likely start to be recommended. The exact length of time that the currently available COVID-19 vaccines will provide immunity for is not currently known. Researchers are, however, continuing to monitor people who took part in vaccine trials to try to Read more…

A: This week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put a “pause” on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to investigate reports of rare blood clots potentially caused by VITT. These reports are like the cases seen in Europe after getting the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. VITT is a super rare medical condition where Read more…

En esta edición de la serie de “Conoce a las Nerdy Girls”, les presentamos a Gretchen Peterson. Antes de unirse a las Nerdy Girls, Gretchen Peterson tuvo una larga y exitosa carrera como maestra de secundaria. “Hasta mayo del 2020, enseñaba las clases de tecnología y empresas a los estudiantes de 10 a 14 años Read more…

In this live Q&A, we’ll be talking with the operators of two other #SciComm pages, Unambiguous Science and ScienceWhizLiz. We’ll talk about the J&J vaccine pause, fleas, Canadian geese, kids and COVID, long COVID, and creative vaccine strategies. ➡️ Welcome, Intros, and Chit Chat (0:00-3:40) ➡️ Can flea bites transmit COVID-19? (3:40-5:26) ➡️ Blood clotting Read more…

A: Peru has one of the highest excess death rates in the world and more than 47,000 people in Peru have died from COVID-19 as of March 2021 with excess deaths at nearly 2,600 per million (from a population of 32 million). How did this happen? TL; DR: Controlling COVID-19 requires many public health measures Read more…

R: Mucho y nada bueno. Brasil ocupa el segundo lugar después de EE.UU. en términos de nuevos casos diarios y muertes totales, pero tiene una población mucho menor. Ahora se considera que Brasil es el epicentro de la pandemia en el mundo. En los últimos días, Brasil ha superado casi 4,000 muertes relacionadas con COVID-19 Read more…

A: Yes. V-safe is a smartphone app from the CDC designed to help us monitor vaccine safety for people who get the vaccine outside of clinical trials—like most of us. People who got the vaccine can report their side effects. Keep in mind that the data in V-safe are self-reported. Results are available through the Read more…

P: Ya que esté vacunada, ¿puedo transmitirle los anticuerpos a mi bebé amamantando? ¿La leche materna congelada después de la vacuna también beneficiaría a otros miembros de la familia? R: Sí, tenemos evidencia preliminar -limitada- de que la leche materna puede proveer cierta protección contra el SARS CoV-2 a su bebé. Tristemente, aún no tenemos Read more…

A: Safer options exist, especially if you are not vaccinated. It is hard to maintain masks, distance, and airflow inside a bar, especially after a few drinks. COVID-19 cases spread at the bar have a way of traveling through the community and affecting many. A recent study identified 46 cases of COVID-19 linked to one Read more…

A: YES! Evidence continues to mount that the vaccines DO IN FACT REDUCE ASYMPTOMATIC INFECTIONS. ➡️ While the Nerdy Girls are still dreaming of a world where transmission was explicitly tested in the clinical trials (call us next time☎️), the data pouring in from around the world strongly suggests that the vaccines are very good Read more…

A: We understand you may be fearful. Here’s what you need to do if you recently got the J&J vaccine. 1️⃣ Watch for the specific symptoms: severe headache, abdominal pain (belly or gut), leg pain, or shortness of breath. If you have any of these symptoms up to a month after receiving the J&J vaccine, Read more…

R: Aún no se sabe, pero puede ser posible. “COVID prolongado” es cuando las personas continúan teniendo síntomas durante semanas o incluso meses. Hay algunos informes de casos de niños que tienen síntomas prolongados después de una presunta infección por COVID-19 y se necesita mucha más investigación para determinar con qué frecuencia sucede esto, por Read more…

Giving themselves runway to perform all appropriate due diligence, the FDA and CDC have called for a temporary pause in the use of the J&J vaccine. Their diligence will analyze the cases of six U.S. women who developed very rare blood clots after receiving the J&J vaccine. Nearly seven million people have received this vaccine Read more…

A: Yes, you can and Ramadan Mubarak! Islamic leaders and scholars agree that getting the COVID-19 vaccine does not break the fast for Ramadan. Read on for more answers to your questions about Ramadan and the COVID-19 vaccine. Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims and is observed by fasting from dawn to sunset. Many Read more…

TL; DR. About 40,000 children (ages 0-17) in the US have lost a parent to COVID-19. Today, we interview Nerdy Guest Dr. Rachel Kidman to discuss her recent research on this topic. Dr. Kidman is an Associate Professor at Stony Brook University and teaches in their Program in Public Health. She is a social epidemiologist Read more…

A: A qualified “yes”! An outdoor amusement park can be a low-risk outing if you pay attention to context and use your SMARTS! Context matters, especially these three factors: 1️⃣ Do you have to travel a long way to get to the park? (Closer is better, no plane travel is better). 2️⃣ What is community Read more…

R: Aún está por determinarse, pero Pfizer ha publicado datos que muestran una alta protección por hasta 6 meses. NOTA: Esto NO significa SÓLO 6 meses, significa… ¡POR LO MENOS 6 meses! La mayoría de los científicos creen que la protección durará sustancialmente mucho más. Todos estamos ansiosos por saber cuánto tiempo durará la protección Read more…