COVID-19 Weekly News: October 19 – 25

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: US coronavirus map — what do the trends mean for you?

As cases of COVID-19 rise in many areas of the U.S., it's important for people to have up-to-date information to protect themselves and their loved ones. Mayo Clinic has a tracking tool that features the latest COVID-19 data for every county in all 50 states, and Washington, D.C. The tool also features Mayo Clinic insight on how to assess risk and plan accordingly.

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Facts about the flu vaccine, COVID-19

The race toward a vaccine for COVID-19 continues as multiple clinical trials are in the end stages of testing. While the wait for that vaccine continues, experts are urging people to get vaccinated for another infectious disease: influenza. While there have been questions about whether the flu vaccine could affect the effectiveness of a potential COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic virologist and vaccine expert, says there's no evidence this would happen.

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Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: COVID-19 trials pause over safety concerns

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, discusses current COVID-19 clinical trials. Dr. Poland also covers the possibility of reinfection with COVID-19, and the importance of getting a flu vaccination to protect yourself from influenza during the pandemic.

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Do Halloween masks protect you from COVID-19?

"A mask as part of a costume would not be considered to be protective against transmission of infection," says Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a Mayo Clinic pediatric infectious diseases specialist. "And we would discourage wearing a cloth mask underneath a Halloween face mask because that can impair breathing or make breathing difficult."

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Analyzing web searches can help experts predict, respond to COVID-19 hot spots

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Web-based analytics have demonstrated their value in predicting the spread of infectious disease, and a new study from Mayo Clinic indicates the value of analyzing Google web searches for keywords related to COVID-19.

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Expert Alert: Accelerated breast cancer treatments at Mayo Clinic provide more options for patients during pandemic

ROCHESTER, Minn. ― Radiation therapy for breast cancer can be grueling and disruptive, stretching out for as long as five to seven weeks, and often requiring extended time off from work or away from home. But research over the past decade, as well as new technology and innovations at Mayo Clinic, has led to treatment alternatives that are shorter, more targeted and just as effective.

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Mayo Clinic Health System to transition COVID-19 testing sites indoors

RED WING, Minn. — Mayo Clinic Health System will transition its COVID-19 testing sites to new indoor locations on Wednesday, Oct. 28, for everyone's safety including patients and staff during the winter. The initial process for patients showing signs of COVID-19 symptoms will remain the same:

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Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Resiliency during COVID-19 pandemic flu season

"A resilient immune system is not just preventing, but constantly eliminating our exposures to background infections or inflammatory agents," says Dr. Anjali Bhagra, a Mayo Clinic integrative medicine specialist. "It allows your body to keep healing from inflammatory or infective triggers." 

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Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Safe Halloween activities during the pandemic

This special edition of the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast features an #AskMayoMom episode, which is hosted by Dr. Angela Mattke, a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic Children's Center. Joining Dr. Mattke to discuss safe Halloween activities during the pandemic are Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious diseases physician at Mayo Clinic, and Dr. Kelsey Klaas, a Mayo Clinic pediatrician.

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Samantha Rossi

Samantha Rossi is a Digital Marketing Manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories. She supports marketing strategies for product management and specialty testing. Samantha has worked at Mayo Clinic since 2019.