COVID vaccines and boosters shown to protect pregnant women and newborns: ‘Transferred protection’

Getting a COVID vaccine or booster while pregnant can benefit both the mother and the baby, according to a new study published in the journal Vaccine.

Researchers from the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium (IDCRC) analyzed data from the Multisite Observational Maternal and Infant Study for COVID-19 (MOMI-VAX), which began in June 2021.

The MOMI-VAX study was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

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"Our study supports that COVID-19 vaccination, and particularly booster doses, should be strongly recommended during pregnancy for maternal and neonatal protection," the study authors wrote in the journal article.

The study tracked the levels of COVID antibodies in pregnant women who had received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

It also checked antibody levels in their cord blood after childbirth.

Researchers tested blood samples of 240 pregnant participants and their newborn babies. Out of that group, 167 pregnant women had gotten the two-dose vaccine series and 73 had received a booster dose.

The women who received the vaccines were found to have antibodies against multiple COVID variants, including Delta and Omicron, according to the journal entry discussing the study findings.

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Their cord blood also contained the antibodies, confirming that they had crossed the placenta to offer protection for newborns.

Those who received a booster dose had "substantially more antibodies" against the virus, the researchers found.

Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, did not participate in the study but echoed the researchers’ support of prenatal vaccination.

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"Multiple studies have shown that COVID vaccination is safe during pregnancy and decreases severity of illness if you get COVID while pregnant," he told Fox News Digital.

This is particularly important because pregnant women are more at risk of complications from COVID, the doctor pointed out.

"This latest research shows antibody response to vaccination in not only the pregnant woman but also in the newborn, which strongly implies transferred protection to the baby," Siegel continued.

"It's not proven yet when is the best time in pregnancy to give the vaccine, but any time is considered quite safe," he added.

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The CDC recommends that everyone age 6 months and older get vaccinated against COVID and receive boosters at the appropriate time — "including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now or those who might become pregnant in the future," per its website.

Looking ahead, the researchers said more studies are needed to pinpoint the optimal time during pregnancy in which to get vaccinated for maximum protection.

They also plan to study other elements of prenatal COVID vaccination, including the antibody levels in breast milk and in babies during the year after birth.

Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for comment.

How your passwords can be stolen by AI listening to your keystrokes

Imagine typing your password on your computer and having AI listen to every keystroke and accurately guess what you are typing. 

This is not a sci-fi scenario, but a real possibility, according to a new study by researchers at Cornell University.

They reported that AI can listen to the keystrokes you make on your computer and steal your passwords with up to 95% accuracy. 

Let’s dive into this disturbing new information and see how you can protect yourself from this unfortunate situation.

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When the researchers tested an AI model listening to keystrokes, they trained the model on the intensity, waveform and time of each keystroke. The model listened for the keystrokes on a MacBook Pro and was able to repeat them with up to 95% accuracy.

However, having the model focus on the intensity, waveform and time of every keystroke means that AI will analyze the way you are typing and not how loud your keyboard sounds are while you're typing.

There's no need to rush out and get a brand-new keyboard that you think will sound quieter than the one you already have. The research team also tested this theory during a Zoom call and a Skype call, and each ended with the AI model reproducing keystrokes with over 90% accuracy.

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This means that AI can potentially steal your passwords or other sensitive data by simply listening to your keystrokes, even if you are not showing your screen or keyboard during a video call. This is a serious security threat that could expose your online accounts to hackers. 

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A hacker can simply use this technique or method by installing malware on your devices with a microphone, such as your laptop or smartphone.

Once the malware is installed, it can gather data from your previous keystrokes and then feed them to an AI model, which will then use your microphone to listen in and repeat those same keystrokes to get your passwords.

Although this is a more complicated way for a hacker to get password information out of you, it's not impossible, and you should still take precautionary measures to protect yourself from this potential threat. 

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Use strong and unique passwords for your online accounts and change them periodically. A password manager can be a vital tool in preventing AI intrusions for two main reasons.

First, it consolidates all your passwords, automatically populating login fields, eliminating the need for you to recall or manually type them. This reduces the chance of AI detecting or predicting your keystrokes.

Second, password managers generate and safeguard intricate passwords for every account. This means that even if a hacker compromises one password, your other accounts remain secure and untouched.

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Another way to protect yourself from AI getting your passwords is by using 2-factor authentication. Having 2-factor authentication will add an extra shield that will prevent AI from getting into your account even if it guesses a keystroke correctly. 

This usually comes in the form of having to provide extra information like confirming with a text message, email or even on a separate 2FA app such as Microsoft authenticator. 

With 2FA in place, AI won't be able to successfully steal your passwords with just a simple keystroke. Look into using 2-factor authentication on all your devices and accounts if it is available.

Keeping hackers and AI models out of your devices can be prevented if you have good antivirus software installed. Having antivirus software on your devices will make sure you are stopped from clicking on any potential malicious links that may install malware on your devices. That's the first step a hacker might use to get that AI model to record your keystrokes. 

See my expert review of the best antivirus protection for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices by visiting Cyberguy.com/LockUpYourTech

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

Ultimately, getting a new keyboard is not the solution to avoiding AI models stealing your keystrokes. 

The best you can do is follow all my suggestions above and make sure you're regularly checking all your accounts to spot any suspicious activity. 

This is a scary scenario; however, it can likely be avoided as long as you are vigilant and attentive to your information.

What more could AI companies like OpenAI be doing to make sure that hackers can't use their models to assist them with malicious activity? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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