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UrduMen with low testosterone levels are more likely to require hospitalization after COVID-19 infection than men with normal levels or those on testosterone therapy, according to Saint Louis University School of Medicine and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis researchers.
Tag: COVID -19
Physical Activity May Still Not Match Pre-Covid 19 Pandemic Levels
Step counts—a measure of physical activity—were markedly lower early in the COVID-19 pandemic than pre-pandemic and remained lower, on average, in the two years following the onset of the global pandemic.
Department of Energy Announces $5 Million for Research to Develop New Models for Bio-Preparedness
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $5 million in funding for research to advance the development of tools that effectively use real-world data—disparate data that is often difficult to readily integrate—into new models (e.g., epidemiology or therapeutic development) in support of bio-preparedness and response studies.
Enhancing the effect of protein-based COVID-19 vaccines
Adding an ingredient called an adjuvant can help vaccines elicit a more robust immune response. In a study in ACS Infectious Diseases, researchers report a substance that boosted the immune response to an experimental COVID-19 shot in mice by 25 times, compared to injection with the vaccine alone.
Understanding the Expanded Role of Clinical Ethicists
The COVID-19 pandemic brought many troubling ethical issues to the frontlines of clinical care, creating significant distress for clinicians, patients, and families. Behind the scenes, clinical ethicists managed those issues to support front-line workers and were integral to hospital operations.
Early plasma antigen levels predict illness severity and clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19
A large cross-sectional study conducted in 114 centers in 10 countries confirmed that plasma viral antigen can be quantified in early samples obtained from patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and is highly associated with both baseline severity of illness and clinically important patient outcomes. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Black-owned restaurants disproportionately impacted during pandemic
A new study led by the University of Washington uses cellphone location data to estimate the number of visits to Black-owned restaurants in 20 U.S. cities during the first year of the pandemic. The study finds that despite the “Black-owned” labelling campaign launched by companies such as Yelp, the number of visits to Black-owned restaurants dropped off after an initial spike and was inconsistent around the country.
Research reveals widespread use of ineffective COVID-19 treatments after FDA deauthorized their use
In a paper published in JAMA Network Open, physician-scientists assessed the use of these two monoclonal antibodies for patients with COVID-19 before and after FDA deauthorization.
Penn State awarded $1.6M to study if COVID-19 contributes to cognitive decline
Penn State College of Medicine received a $1.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will support research into whether COVID-19 contributes to the development of cognitive decline.
American Society of Anesthesiologists Hosts ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2022
Adults who use cannabis consume more opioids after surgery. Reducing noise in the operating room (OR) improves postoperative behavior in children, including decreased temper tantrums and fussiness about eating. Minorities are less likely to have patient-centered end-of-life care. These are among the important research findings being presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2022, the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), Oct. 21-25 in New Orleans.
Preventing Pressure Injuries Among ICU Patients With COVID-19 Requires Extra Vigilance
Patients who are critically ill with COVID-19 are at exceptionally high risk for developing healthcare-associated pressure injuries, especially those related to medical devices, and clinicians must consider additional factors beyond those assessed with common classification tools.
No association found between mRNA vaccines and severe cardiovascular events
A case-series study has found that adenoviral-based vaccines may be associated with increased risk for myocardial infarction (MI) and pulmonary embolism (PE). No association between mRNA vaccines and severe cardiovascular incidence was found in the short term. Myocarditis and pericarditis were not included in the study. Risk for The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
When Recovery Goes Awry
New findings reveal how recovery progresses following inflammation triggered by injury or illness
Study: Long COVID continues to take a toll on state economy
Like a case of long COVID-19 itself, the effects of the coronavirus continue to linger in pockets of the state and its economy. They affect Oregonians to a wide range of degrees, ranging from the toll of missed work and lost wages due to long COVID to disruptions with child care and an uneven recovery in the workforce, among others. Those are among the findings in the latest report by University of Oregon researchers.
Having a partner more important than children to staving off loneliness during pandemic, new study finds
A new study released in the European Journal of Ageing found that having a partner had a greater impact than having children in helping to stave off loneliness among older adults during the pandemic’s first wave. Researchers at the University of Rhode Island, University of Florence, University of Maryland Baltimore County and the SGH Warsaw School of Economics analyzed data on more than 35,000 adults aged 50 and older from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe to examine if unpartnered and childless older adults reported more loneliness and how that changed over the course of the pandemic.
Pain is no joke in labour, but withholding laughing gas has no ill effects
Women giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic have been denied nitrous oxide (laughing gas) for pain relief due to fears of virus transmission from the aerosol-generating procedure.
Risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the Omicron surge in patients on dialysis: The role of antibody responses and vaccine doses
• Among US adults with kidney failure receiving dialysis, risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection during the Omicron-dominant period was higher among patients without vaccination and with 1–2 doses compared with 3 doses of mRNA vaccines.
• Irrespective of vaccine doses, risk for infection was higher among patients with low circulating levels of anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
The AABB releases clinical practice guidelines for the appropriate use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma
The Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) has released clinical practice guidelines for the appropriate use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) in hospital and outpatient settings. Based on two living systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the guidelines provide five specific recommendations for treating patients with COVID-19 and suggest that CCP is most effective when transfused with high neutralizing titers to infected patients early after symptom onset. The guidelines are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
KU Cancer Center researchers discover that people with blood-related cancers have a higher chance of COVID breakthrough infections
Individuals with blood-related cancers are more likely to experience a COVID-19 infection even after being vaccinated, a University of Kansas Cancer Center study has found.
COVID-19 genomic recombination is uncommon but disproportionately occurs in spike protein region
An analysis of millions of SARS-CoV-2 genomes finds that recombination of the virus is uncommon, but when it occurs, it is most often in the spike protein region, the area which allows the virus to attach to and infect host cells.
Children infected with an acute case of COVID-19 can still develop long COVID symptoms
While research has revealed that children and adults hospitalized with COVID-19 are more susceptible to developing long COVID symptoms, a new study by researchers at UTHealth Houston found that children infected with COVID-19, but not hospitalized, still experienced long COVID symptoms up to three months past infection.
Triple Therapy Halved the Risk of Death Among Patients Hospitalized With Severe COVID-19
Adding baricitinib to remdesivir and dexamethasone improved outcomes among patients hospitalized with Covid-19, according to a Rutgers researcher
SuPAR identifies patients at high risk of blood clot formation
Blood clots are thought to occur in as many as a third of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. In many cases these clots can be deadly, such as pulmonary embolisms—blood clots that travel to the lungs. In fact, in nearly one third of patients with COVID-19, these clots led to death.
Researchers ID Low Immune Cell Responsiveness and High Level of Proteins as Features of COVID-19 Severity
Article title: Chemokines, soluble PD-L1 and immune cell hyporesponsiveness are distinct features of SARS-CoV-2 critical illness Authors: Eric D. Morrell, Pavan K. Bhatraju, Neha A. Sathe, Jonathan Lawson, Linzee Mabrey, Sarah E. Holton, Scott R. Presnell, Alice Wiedeman, Carolina Acosta-Vega,…
ATS Research Program Announces Partner Grant Recipients
The American Thoracic Society Research Program today announced the six recipients of the Non-Profit Partner Grants for the 2021-2022 grant cycle. These grants are awarded through partnerships with the American Lung Association, CHEST Foundation, COPD Foundation, and the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research.
Study Shows Fewer People Tried to Quit Smoking During COVID-19 Pandemic
A new study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society shows serious smoking cessation activity declined among adults in the United States immediately after the onset of COVID-19 and persisted for over a year. Declines in attempts to quit smoking were largest among persons experiencing disproportionately negative outcomes during COVID-19, including Black people, people with comorbidities, middle-aged people, and lower educated people. The data was published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open.
Data science teams analyzed COVID-19 data for early pandemic response
ORNL researchers used two different methods to compile data from the COVID-19 response to give decision-makers an informed perspective on what was going on in locations around the country.
BioGX Launches CE-IVD Marked Multi-gene COVID-19 Point-of-Care Test at AACC
BioGX announced the launch of a point-of-care (POC) CE-Marked, three gene multiplex COVID-19 test on its pixl platform.
Scientists use copper nanowires to combat the spread of diseases
An ancient metal used for its microbial properties is the basis for a materials-based solution to disinfection. A team of scientists from Ames National Laboratory, Iowa State University, and University at Buffalo developed an antimicrobial spray that deposits a layer of copper nanowires onto high-touch surfaces in public spaces.
LumiraDx to Present on Impact of its Next-Generation Microfluidic Technology at American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Conference in Chicago
LumiraDx, a next-generation point of care diagnostics company will be hosting an industry workshop at this week’s American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Conference in Chicago. The workshop, held on July 27th, will include data-backed insights on the impact of LumiraDx’s advanced microfluidic technology over lateral flow point-of-care antigen tests, and the role of these rapid immunoassays in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clear Labs to Lead Session on Whole Genome Sequencing at AACC Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago
Clear Labs harnesses the power of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to simplify complex workflows for clinical and applied markets. By creating a fully automated platform that brings together DNA sequencing, robotics and cloud-based analytics, Clear Labs liberates genomics to deliver increased clarity. Clear Labs’ turnkey platform accelerates outcomes and improves accuracy for detection and surveillance of infectious diseases. With a novel approach, Clear Labs is helping the world better understand, track and mitigate tomorrow’s novel pathogens.
UCLA launches effort to expand its COVID test to detect other emerging viruses
UCLA Health is joining a new effort to increase the ability to quickly respond to emerging pathogens by creating the capability to detect all existing and new respiratory RNA viruses in a single test.
Google/Apple’s contact-tracing apps susceptible to digital attacks
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists and health authorities have relied on contact-tracing technologies to help manage the spread of the virus.
Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines offer high protection against severe COVID-19, 6 months after second doses, finds study of over 7 million adults
Protection against severe COVID-19 by two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines remained high up to six months after second doses, finds new research which analysed NHS health record data on over seven million adults. Reassuringly, the University of Bristol-led study published in The BMJ today [July 20], found protection in older adults aged over 65 years, and in clinically vulnerable adults.
Six-Country African Study Shows COVID-19 Can Be Dangerous in Pregnancy
A new study involving hospitalized women in 6 African countries from the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Institute of Human Virology showed that pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 had 2X the risk of being admitted to the ICU and 4X the risk of dying than pregnant women who didn’t have COVID-19.
High Blood Viscosity Can Predict Higher Risk of Death in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
EMBARGOED UNTIL JULY 18, 2022, 2PM EST Study Title: “Association of Blood Viscosity with Mortality among Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19” Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology – *Embargoed until July…
Texas Biomed tapped for national ‘Dream Team’ developing antivirals against COVID-19 and other threats
Texas Biomedical Research Institute Professor Luis Martinez-Sobrido, PhD, an expert in virology, vaccines and antiviral research, has been recruited to collaborate with three of the nine Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern announced by NIH this spring.
Adults with blood cancers respond to booster, not initial dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Most patients in the study mounted immune responses after a booster dose, and no patient with antibody responses died from COVID-19.
Deep economic divide found even among employed people during COVID-19
An exploratory study with implications for the growing gig-economy indicates there were only two kinds of workers during COVID-19: the haves and the have-nots.
Scientists develop tools for early detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants in wastewater
New tools developed at Scripps Research and UC San Diego are helping public health officials around the world get vital information about pathogen variants from wastewater.
Inhalable COVID-19 Vaccine Shows Promise in Rodent Model
Researchers have created an inhalable COVID-19 vaccine that is shelf stable at room temperature for up to three months, targets the lungs specifically and effectively, and allows for self-administration via an inhaler.
Nanoparticle vaccine protects against a spectrum of COVID-19-causing variants and related viruses
A new type of vaccine provides protection against a variety of SARS-like betacoronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 variants, in mice and monkeys, according to a study led by researchers in the laboratory of Caltech’s Pamela Bjorkman, the David Baltimore Professor of Biology and Bioengineering.
Some Pre-existing Mutant Strains of the Virus Causing COVID-19 May Resist Paxlovid
Doctors should reserve Paxlovid for the highest risk patients because if Paxlovid is widely used, it mostly will destroy the variants it can treat, says a Rutgers researcher.
COVID-19 vaccination activates antibodies targeting parts of virus spike protein shared between coronaviruses
Could the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine reawaken previous antibody responses and point the way to a universal coronavirus vaccine? A new analysis of the antibody response to a COVID-19 vaccine suggests the immune system’s history with other coronaviruses, including those behind the common cold, shapes the patient’s response, according to a recently published study published in Cell Reports.
Age may rival politics in COVID-19 vaccine debate
New research from the University of Georgia suggests age and risk perception may have as much of an effect on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance as party affiliation.
Study highlights heavy mental health burden of COVID-19 for ‘shielders’
Research from a new study suggests that health anxiety among the clinically vulnerable groups who shielded at home has risen since the first pandemic wave, despite developments in viral treatment and the roll-out of the vaccination programme.
COVID-19 vaccine protects people of all body weights from hospitalization and death, study of 9 million adults in England suggests
COVID-19 vaccines greatly reduced the number of cases of severe COVID-19 disease for everyone regardless of their body size, according to a new study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. Vaccine effectiveness was similar for those with a higher BMI and of a healthy weight, but slightly lower in the underweight group, who were also the least likely to have been vaccinated.
MSU researchers use AI to stay ahead of COVID-19 and other diseases
The National Institutes of Health have awarded Michigan State University researchers $2.7 million to continue developing artificial intelligence algorithms that predict key features of viruses as they evolve.
Awake prone positioning does not offer benefit in reducing intubation for COVID-19 induced acute respiratory failure
A large multicenter, randomized clinical trial revealed no difference in the risk of endotracheal intubation requirement at 30 days between awake prone positioning and standard positioning for patients with COVID-19 who suffered from acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, according to research published in JAMA by researchers at UTHealth Houston.
The COVID-19 pandemic increased depression among young adults, particularly women
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on many people’s lives. Emerging adults may have been particular impacted, given their transition from adolescence to adulthood during such a time of upheaval, with their educational and career aspirations thrown into disarray. A new study has found that the risk for depression tripled among young people – particularly younger women – during the pandemic, and that this risk persisted into 2021.