Masking and physical distancing policies at The Ottawa Hospital are “all wrong,” says a pneumonia and lung cancer patient who tested positive for COVID-19 while receiving care at the hospital.
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 closed“It is unusual for [this virus] to change so significantly and develop 30 new mutations. The last time we saw such a big change was when [Omicron] appeared.”
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.”
Comments closedA cocktail of antibodies developed by the Quebec company Immune Biosolutions has proven its effectiveness in relieving respiratory symptoms caused by COVID-19 in the acute phase of the disease.
Comments closedPeople who survived Covid-19 early in the pandemic, before there were vaccines, continued to be at higher risk for a slew of health problems for up to two years after they got over their initial infections, compared to others who didn’t test positive, a new study finds, and that was especially true if they were hospitalized.
These health problems include heart problems, blood clots, diabetes, neurologic complications, fatigue and difficulties with mental health and have come to be known collectively as long Covid.
Comments closedIn a sign that scientists still don’t fully understand how some COVID-19 variants manage to evade the immune system, a new Ontario study has found that retirement- and long-term-care home residents infected during the first Omicron wave were 20 times more likely to get reinfected by the virus than those who avoided a prior infection.
The surprising finding by researchers at McMaster University runs counter to the prevailing wisdom that a previous COVID infection affords protection against future infections, at least in the older adults who participated in the study.
Comments closedPeople who endured even mild cases of covid-19 are at heightened risk two years later for lung problems, fatigue, diabetes and certain other health problems typical of long covid, according to a new study that casts fresh light on the virus’s true toll.
The analysis, published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, is believed to be the first to document the extent to which an array of aftereffects that patients can develop — as part of the diffuse and sometimes debilitating syndrome known as long covid — linger beyond the initial months or year after they survived a coronavirus infection.
Comments closed“In the 3 months postinfection, people who’d had COVID-19 had higher rates of death and many health conditions including heart failure, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression.”
Dozens of studies have shown that not only do N95 masks work on an individual level, but they lower transmission when people actually follow guidelines. Even the strongest critics of mask policies are forced to admit that masks themselves are effective.
Comments closedThe risk of developing venous thromboembolisms—potentially serious blood clots in the veins—is elevated among cancer patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and taking anticancer drugs, according to a study yesterday in JAMA Oncology.
Comments closedIn a paper published on August 18 in the journal Cell, scientists report that innate immune cells—a critical part of the immune system activated to battle COVID-19—remain altered for at least a year after infection. The finding suggests that these cells may play a role in some of the lingering symptoms associated with Long COVID, although more studies are needed to confirm that connection.
Comments closedU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday that it was tracking a new, highly mutated lineage of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Comments closedThe family of an Ottawa woman already suffering from pneumonia and lung cancer is calling for stricter masking policies after she became infected with COVID while a patient at The Ottawa Hospital.
Comments closedWhen you go to get your newly updated Covid-19 booster this fall, you might want to choose the arm the vaccine goes in carefully.
Comments closedThe World Health Organization and US health authorities announced on Friday that they were closely monitoring a new variant of the COVID-19 virus, although “for the time being, the potential impact of the many mutations in BA.2.86 is unknown.”
Comments closed