Animals likely source of COVID-19; pregnant women have robust immune response to vaccines: Coronavirus update – cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A draft report found animals are the likely origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers have found pregnant women have a strong immune response to the vaccines, and may pass some protection to newborns.

Cleveland.com is rounding up some of the most notable coronavirus news making headlines online. Heres what you need to know for Monday, March 29.

Animals were likely source of the coronavirus, report says

A joint report from the World Health Organization and China ranks four possibilities for the origins of COVID-19, and concludes the virus likely to very likely passed from bats to humans through another animal, according to the Associated Press. The other scenarios evaluated by the report include direct transmission from bats to humans, which it finds likely, and spread through cold-chain food products, which it finds possible but not likely. The report found the possibility it originated from a lab extremely unlikely.

Study finds pregnant women have strong immune response to vaccines

The COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna were highly effective at producing a robust immune response in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, according to a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Researchers from hospitals and universities in the Boston area also found pregnant women may pass antibodies to newborns through breast milk and the placenta. The study found side effects were rare, and comparable to those found in women who are not pregnant.

Transplant recipients show insufficient response to vaccines

Organ transplant recipients and others who are immunocompromised had an insufficient immune response to the coronavirus vaccine, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine studied 439 transplant recipients and found only 17% produced detectable antibodies.

The recipients who were most likely to develop an immune response were younger than age 60, did not take anti-metabolites for immunosuppression and received the Moderna vaccine.

Coronavirus infects cells in the mouth, scientists find

An international team of scientists found evidence the coronavirus infects cells in the mouth, according to the National Institutes of Health. The potential for the virus to infect cells in the mouth may explain COVID-19 symptoms such as taste loss, dry mouth and blistering, according to the NIH.

It also raises the possibility the mouth may play a role in the virus reaching the lungs or digestive system. Further research could help inform strategies to reduce transmission within and outside the body, the NIH said.

Your coronavirus vaccine questions answered:

Are you contagious if you have side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine?

Are you less immune to the coronavirus if you dont have vaccine side effects?

Can I still get my second dose of coronavirus vaccine if I develop COVID-19 symptoms after the first?

Can you mix and match two doses of coronavirus vaccine from different manufacturers?

Can you request one coronavirus vaccine if you have concerns about the other?

Coronavirus vaccine misinformation permeates social media: Here are the facts to counter six false claims

How will local drug stores keep the coronavirus vaccine on site if it needs to be cold? How will they avoid waste?

If Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are for people 16 and older, what does that mean for children? What about minors with pre-existing conditions?

If the coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective, how will you know if youre in the other 5%?

Should cancer patients get the coronavirus vaccine?

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Should you get the second vaccine if you contract COVID-19 after your first coronavirus vaccine dose?

What if you contract COVID-19 in between your two coronavirus vaccine doses?

Who should skip the second shot of coronavirus vaccine? Weve got answers

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Will your COVID-19 vaccine be less effective if you need to wait longer for the second dose?

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Animals likely source of COVID-19; pregnant women have robust immune response to vaccines: Coronavirus update - cleveland.com