Damian McNamara is a journalist for Medscape Medical News and MDedge. He worked full-time for MDedge as the Miami Bureau covering a dozen medical specialties during 2001-2012, then as a freelancer for Medscape and MDedge, before being hired on staff by Medscape in 2018. Now the two companies are one. He uses what he learned in school – Damian has a BS in chemistry and an MS in science, health and environmental reporting/journalism. He works out of a home office in Miami, with a 100-pound chocolate lab known to snore under his desk during work hours.
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FDA, CDC urge pause of J&J COVID vaccine
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
Treatment for traditional blood clots, such as the drug heparin, should not be used for these clots.
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Study IDs most common lingering symptoms 8 months after mild COVID
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- Damian McNamara
“We see that a substantial portion of health care workers suffer from long-term symptoms after mild COVID-19.”
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About one in five clinicians considers quitting because of pandemic
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- Damian McNamara
“There are a substantial number of employees and trainees who are experiencing major stress and work disruptions because of the pandemic.”
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Excess deaths jump 23% in U.S. in 2020, mostly because of COVID-19
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- Damian McNamara
For comparison, the death rate increased by 2.5% or less annually in recent years.
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Less sleep, more burnout linked to higher COVID-19 risk, study shows
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
For each additional hour of sleep at night, risk for COVID-19 dropped by 12%.
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Update: U.S. regulators question AstraZeneca vaccine trial data
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
The NIAID statement does not say what data may have been outdated or how it may have changed the results.
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COVID-19 virus reinfections rare; riskiest after age 65
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
Initial infection was associated with about 80% protection overall against getting SARS-CoV-2 again.
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Delay surgery by 7 weeks after COVID-19 diagnosis, study shows
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
Risk for death was about 3.5 to 4 times higher in the first 6 weeks after surgery among people with a...
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CDC data strengthen link between obesity and severe COVID
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- Damian McNamara
Progressively intensive management of COVID-19 might be needed for patients with more severe obesity.
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Dining restrictions, mask mandates tied to less illness, death, CDC reaffirms
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- Damian McNamara
“When prevention measures like mask-wearing mandates are lifted, cases go up.”
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COVID-19 vaccination linked to less mechanical ventilation
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
A new paper offers a “real-world” look at vaccination effectiveness, according to the authors.
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FDA grants emergency use authorization to Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
“The advantages of having a third vaccine, especially one that is a single shot and can be stored without special refrigeration requirements, will...
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Janssen/J&J COVID-19 vaccine cuts transmission, new data show
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
"The decrease in asymptomatic transmission is very welcome news too in curbing the spread of the virus."
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Infectious diseases ‘giant’ John Bartlett: His ‘impact will endure’
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- Damian McNamara
Shortly after joining Johns Hopkins in 1980, Dr. Bartlett focused on HIV/AIDS research and caring for people with HIV.
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J&J vaccine 85% efficacious against severe COVID globally
- Author:
- Damian McNamara
The efficacy against severe disease provided by the Janssen/J&J vaccine held true regardless of age, race/ethnicity, absence or presence of...