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Tag: research

Loss of smell, taste after mild COVID improves within 3 years, study shows

Mild COVID-19 infections can cause a loss of taste and smell, but a study today in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery suggests that almost all cases resolve within 3 years of initial infection.

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New study suggests gargling with salt water may be associated with lower COVID hospitalization

A new study being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Anaheim, California determined that both a low- and high-dose saline regimen appeared to be associated with lower hospitalization rates compared to controls in SARS-CoV-2 infections.

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This drug was hailed as a COVID game-changer. Here’s what we know about Paxlovid today

The drug could help people at high risk, writes Dr. Lynora Saxinger. But COVID has changed. Here’s what you should know about the current risks and benefits.

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Long COVID linked to allergies in new study

In an analysis of 13 published prospective studies of people of all ages with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who were followed up for at least 12 months, pre-existing allergic conditions were linked to higher risks of experiencing long COVID, according to a study today in Clinical & Experimental Allergy.

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Study suggests mass vaccination programs cut COVID cases in Japan 65%

The population benefit of COVID-19 vaccination via direct and indirect effects was substantial in Tokyo in early 2022 during Omicron, with an estimated 65% reduction in the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections, according to a new model that compared risks between unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals.

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Childhood abuse linked to higher risk of adult COVID‑19 death

A new study from researchers at the University of Pittsburgh shows adults who suffered childhood abuse or neglect were more likely to be hospitalized for COVID‑19 or die from the virus in adulthood.

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Global COVID vaccination saved 2.4 million lives in first 8 months, study estimates

The COVID-19 vaccination campaign in 141 countries averted 2.4 million excess deaths by August 2021 and would have saved another 670,000 more lives had vaccines been distributed equitably, estimates a working paper from University of Southern California (USC) and Brown University researchers.

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EPA Testing Shows the Power of DIY Air Filters to Trap Viruses

The results are in: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency research testing of do-it-yourself ‘Corsi-Rosenthal Box’ indoor air filters shows they are 99% effective in removing airborne virus. The ‘Owl Force One’ device tested by the EPA was built by UConn Indoor Air Quality Initiative researchers with Middletown, Connecticut public school children.

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Study: Regardless of variant, half of long-COVID patients fail to improve after 18 months

More than 50% of long-COVID patients failed to improve 1.5 years after their initial diagnosis, according to a new study based on cases seen at a Danish post-COVID clinic, both before and after the Omicron variant period.

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SARS-CoV-2 virus found to migrate within neurons and infect the brain

The emergence of different variants of SARS-CoV-2 has produced a wide range of clinical profiles and symptoms in patients. For the first time, researchers at the Institut Pasteur and Université Paris Cité have demonstrated, in an animal model, a characteristic common to several SARS-CoV-2 variants: the ability to infect the central nervous system.

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How SARS-CoV-2 contributes to heart attacks and strokes

COVID-19 is known to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. The intense inflammation that occurs throughout the body in severe cases likely contributes to this increased risk. But it’s not clear whether SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, also affects blood vessels directly.

To find out, an NIH-funded research team, led by Dr. Chiara Giannarelli at New York University School of Medicine, analyzed coronary artery tissue samples from eight people who died of COVID-19 between May 2020 and May 2021. Results appeared in Nature Cardiovascular Research on September 28, 2023.

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Researchers estimate 1% or 2% of hospital patients in England caught COVID after admission

During the country’s second COVID wave, 95,000 to 167,000 hospital patients in England were infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the hospital, partly due to a lack of single rooms, suggests a study published yesterday in Nature.

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COVID can worsen lower urinary tract symptoms in men

Research in the Journal of Internal Medicine indicates that SARS-CoV-2 infections may worsen lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men, based on 18,000 men treated for LUTS in Hong Kong in 2021 and 2022.

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Risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome 6 times higher after COVID infection, study suggests

A new study from Israel ties COVID-19 infection to an increased risk of a diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks, while mRNA vaccination was linked to a decreased risk of the rare but serious autoimmune disease.

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Smell loss from COVID fades quickly with help of new pill

New clinical-trial data suggest that an antiviral pill called ensitrelvir shortens the duration of two unpleasant symptoms of COVID-19: loss of smell and taste. The medication is among the first to alleviate these effects and, unlike other COVID-19 treatments, is not reserved only for people at high risk of severe illness.

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HHS unveils $500 million more in ProjectNext Gen COVID funding, including for 3 vaccines

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced more than $500 million more in funding through its Project NextGen program to speed the development of new vaccines and treatments for COVID-19.

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Not ‘little adults’: Experts say long COVID undercounted, misdiagnosed in kids

Kids don’t come home and say, ‘Mom, I have postexertional malaise, I have brain fog.’ What happens is that they start doing poorly in school, and parents find out weeks and weeks later.

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