In Review: COVID-19

SOMBER CEREMONY: Members of the Medical Center’s COVID-19 Command Center—Melissa Allen, administrator for UR Medicine Labs; Brenda Tesini, infection prevention specialist; Paul Graman, hospital epidemiologist for Strong Memorial Hospital; Karen Davis, chief nursing officer; Mike Apostolakos, chief medical officer; Mark Taubman, CEO of the Medical Center and UR Medicine; Kathy Parrinello, chief operating officer and executive vice president; and Michael Leonard, associate chief quality officer for Strong and director of Employee Health—take part in a moment of silence on March 9. A University-wide event, the moment marked the one-year anniversary of the day in 2020 when Medical Center leaders met to prepare for the arrival of COVID-19 in the Greater Rochester region. (Photo by Keith Bullis/University of Rochester Medical Center)

Medical Center Joins New Clinical Trials, Adds to Antibodies Research

As the COVID-19 pandemic moves into its second year, Rochester researchers and clinicians continue to help lead work to develop vaccines and understand the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

A few highlights:

Can Mothers with COVID-19 Safely Breastfeed?

A new study, conducted by researchers at the Medical Center as well as Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Idaho, indicates that breastfeeding mothers with COVID-19 do not transmit the SARS-CoV-2 virus through their milk but do confer milk-borne antibodies that are able to neutralize the virus.

The researchers analyzed 37 milk samples submitted by 18 women diagnosed with COVID-19. As reported in the journal mBio, none of the milk samples was found to contain the virus, while nearly two thirds of the samples did contain two antibodies specific to the virus.

Critically, the results suggest that mothers with COVID-19 should not be separated from their newborn children.

The team has enrolled nearly 50 women who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and has followed their progress with the disease for as long as two months.

Are Vaccines Safe for Children?

The Medical Center is participating in a pediatric vaccine study to test the efficacy of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in healthy chil-dren and adolescents ages 6 months to 12 years.

Along with other select academic medical centers, Rochester researchers plan to test the vaccine in 600 to 700 healthy children and adolescent participants.

The trials will include two doses of the vaccine and will begin this spring.

Is a Third Vaccine Dose Effective?

The Medical Center is also participating in a new clinical trial that will evaluate the safety and efficacy of a third dose of the Pfiz-er/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in adults.

While the vaccine has been approved for a two-dose regimen, the new study represents an important step in developing long-term vaccination strategies to protect against circulating and emerging variants of the virus.

Rochester is one of four US sites taking part in the study, which will involve individuals who participated in the first phase of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine trials last spring, all of whom were fully vaccinated more than six months ago.