A new report from six Dalhousie University researchers has found government restrictions that limited movement during the first two years of the pandemic likely helped curb the spread of COVID-19.
It also found infection, hospitalizations and deaths increased when restrictions eased and the highly infectious Omicron variant arrived.
Comments closedCOVID patients exhale high numbers of virus during the first eight days after symptoms start, as high as 1,000 copies per minute, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.
Comments closedSo far, the National Institutes of Health’s progress has left patient advocates and some scientists underwhelmed. Accountability and oversight are needed.
Comments closedHigh levels of two blood biomarkers during infection could predict cognitive dysfunction, or “brain fog,” among COVID-19 survivors 6 and 12 months after hospitalization, according to a UK study published yesterday in Nature Medicine.
Comments closedMany people who have long COVID—a condition in which health issues persist months after infection—report struggling with “brain fog,” recurring memory and concentration lapses that make it difficult to function in everyday life. Now a new study has found these cognitive problems could result from blood clots triggered by infection, possibly through mechanisms like those that cause some types of dementia. These clots leave telltale protein signatures in blood, suggesting that testing for them could help predict, diagnose and possibly even treat long COVID.
Comments closedBlood clots in the brain or lungs may be responsible for certain symptoms of long COVID, including brain fog and fatigue, according to a new British study.
Comments closedProlonged exposure in close proximity to someone with COVID-19 puts people at high risk of catching the disease, even if they’ve had both the disease and vaccinations against it, a study shows.
Comments closedLast month, the National Institutes of Health updated its considerations for long COVID to say the burden of the condition in children “may be quite large.” Studies estimating its prevalence in pediatric populations are limited and conflicting, estimating up to 25% of children infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus could go on to develop long COVID, though it’s more likely between 2% and 10%. Older children with existing chronic diseases or who had a more severe COVID-19 infection have an increased risk.
Comments closedComments closedThis isn’t who I am – I don’t recognise myself. I panic if I get on the Tube and there’s no seat. It’s a very strange feeling, like not being in your own body. My fear is I’ll never really get better, and that I’m always going to be at 70% of my former self.
Given that 103 million Americans and 770 million people worldwide have been diagnosed as having contracted COVID-19, a future of misery could await a stunningly large cross-section of humanity.
Comments closed“These results suggest that although racial and ethnic disparities exist in measurement of oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry, overestimation may increase the risk of hospital readmission regardless of patient race.”
Comments closedThe latest snapshot of Canada’s battle against the pandemic captures the toll the Omicron variant has taken on the elderly.
The highly infectious variant drove up hospitalizations across Canada, especially in those age 65 and older, according to data released Wednesday from the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
Comments closedDr. Carlos Hernandez is an assistant professor in Dalhousie University’s faculty of computer science. He hopes to contribute to long COVID research in collaboration with scientists at Western University in London, Ont., and the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City in a multi-year study assessing cognitive damage caused by the condition.
But there’s just one issue: He needs more participants in the Halifax area.
Comments closedAcross the country, hospital emergency departments and intensive care units have seen a decline in COVID-19 patients compared with a year ago, but the number of people admitted to hospital because of the virus has increased nearly 20 per cent, according to new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
Comments closedAt the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus responsible for the disease, SARS-CoV-2, was feared for its devastating damage to the lungs. But it quickly became apparent that the virus can infect organs and tissues throughout the body, including the heart, brain, kidneys, and blood vessels.
Much of the resulting dysfunction was thought to be the result of inflammation, the immune system’s response to infection. But research has suggested that effects on mitochondria may also play a role in organ damage from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells, producing most of the energy they need.
Comments closedComments closedOur findings highlight the substantial cumulative burden of health loss due to long COVID and emphasize the ongoing need for health care for those faced with long COVID. It appears that the effects of long COVID for many will not only impact such patients and their quality of life, but potentially will contribute to a decline in life expectancy and also may impact labor participation, economic productivity, and societal well-being.
“This research highlights the need for continued vigilance and underscores the importance of ongoing preventive measures against COVID-19.”
Comments closed“This research highlights the need for continued vigilance and underscores the importance of ongoing preventive measures against COVID-19.”
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