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LATEST SCIENCES AND RESEARCH
READ | ‘Silent spreaders’ can carry the same amount of virus as those with symptoms
The true extent of the asymptomatic spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 disease, is still unknown.
In June, a news update from the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that current evidence from contact tracing suggests that asymptomatic (without symptoms) infected individuals are much less likely to transmit the virus than those who develop symptoms.
However, a more recent study, published this month in the journal Thorax, found that people with a “silent” Covid-19 infection have as much virus in their nose and throat as those with symptoms.
A second study, also published this month in PLOS Medicine, found that while most infected people develop symptoms, they can test positive for the virus before those symptoms appear.
READ | What Experts Have Learned and Questions Remaining About Serious Covid-19 Infections
For months, scientists have been trying to understand the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 and Covid-19 caused by the virus.
Based on intensive research since the outbreak in central China late last year, we know that the virus behaves differently compared to similar pathogens. But while the understanding of Covid-19 disease has come a long way, many questions remain.
In a recently published editorial, three researchers review current information on treating patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) that patients with severe Covid-19 may experience. They also explore what has been learned about the treatment of Covid-19 patients and look at gaps in knowledge that warrant further investigation.
ARDS is a rapidly progressing disease in critically ill patients, where the patient’s lungs cannot supply enough oxygen to their vital organs. Patients with ARDS are usually placed on ventilators.
The condition has been observed to develop in many severe Covid-19 patients. A systemic review and a meta-analysis that was presented to the Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this year explained that the prevalence of mortality among patients with comorbidities and advanced age was very high, with ARDS, “the predictor most probable independent of hospital mortality ”.
READ | A blood test could detect those most at risk for severe Covid-19
If you are unlucky enough to be admitted to the hospital with Covid-19, a common blood marker can predict the severity of your illness, new research shows.
The blood marker is called “red blood cell distribution width” (RDW): Basically, the greater the variation in red blood cell size, the worse the patient’s prognosis, the study authors explained.
A Covid-19 patient’s RDW test result “was highly correlated with patient mortality, and the correlation persisted when controlling for other identified risk factors such as the patient’s age, some other laboratory tests, and some pre-existing conditions, “said study co-author Dr. Jonathan Carlson, of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston.
The new study was published online Sept. 23 in JAMA Network Open and was led by Dr. John Higgins, a hospital pathologist researcher and associate professor of systems biology at Harvard Medical School.
READ | Could Zinc Help Fight Covid-19?
Millions of people take zinc supplements at the first sign of the common cold. Now, new research suggests that the nutrient could also play a role in the Covid-19 results.
Researchers from Spain reporting at a European conference on coronavirus found that hospitalized Covid-19 patients with low levels of zinc in their blood tended to do worse than those with healthier levels.
“Lower levels of zinc on admission correlate with greater inflammation in the course of infection and a worse outcome,” said a team led by Dr. Roberto Guerri-Fernández from Hospital Del Mar in Barcelona.
An expert in the United States said the finding makes intuitive sense.
“Zinc was long thought to boost the immune system,” said pulmonologist Dr. Len Horovitz of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “One possible explanation in this study is that zinc may have a protective anti-inflammatory effect.”
In the new study, Guerri-Fernandez’s team tracked medical results against laboratory test results from 249 patients admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 in March and April. The patients were an average of 63 years old and 21 (8%) died from their disease.
LATEST CORONAVIRUS CASES
SA cases update:
The latest number of confirmed cases is 670,766.
According to the latest update, 16,398 deaths have been registered in the country.
There have been 603,721 recoveries.
So far, more than more than 4.14 million tests have been performed, and 15,028 new tests have been reported.
Global Cases Update:
For the latest global data, follow this interactive map from Johns Hopkins University & Medicine.
As of late Sunday night, positive cases worldwide were nearly 32 million, while deaths were more than 995,000.
The United States had the highest number of cases in the world – more than 7 million, as well as the highest number of deaths – more than 204,000.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE REST OF THE WORLD
Last News:
HEALTH TIPS (as recommended by the NICD and WHO)
• Keep your physical distance: stay at least one meter from someone who is coughing or sneezing
• Practice frequent hand washing, especially after direct contact with sick people or their surroundings.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, as your hands touch many surfaces and could transmit the virus.
• Practice respiratory hygiene: cover your mouth with a bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Remember to dispose of the tissue immediately after use.
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