By Nancy Lepid
(Reuters) – The following is a roundup of some recent scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find a cure for the disease caused by the virus, Covid-19, and a vaccine.
Breathing through a face mask does not affect the lungs
The average face mask can be uncomfortable, but does not limit the flow of oxygen to the lungs, even in people with severe lung diseases, the researchers say. They tested the effect of wearing a surgical mask on a gas exchange – a process that adds oxygen to the body’s blood – while removing carbon dioxide – 15 healthy physicians and 15 military veterans, with severely damaged lungs, flattened by a fast-paced six-minute walk, Hard surface. The level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood was measured before and after the walking King test. Neither healthy doctors nor patients with diseased lungs showed any major change in gas exchange measurement after a running test or 30 minutes later. The discomfort of the mask is not due to reabsorption of carbon dioxide and is not likely to reduce oxygen levels, researchers reported in the Thorax Journal on Friday. Instead, the mask can irritate the sensitive facial nerves, warm the inhaled air, or cause discomfort by inducing feelings of claustrophobia. Any such inconvenience should not cause safety concerns, the researchers said, adding that a “proven system of improving public health” could contribute to the reduction. (https://bit.ly/34qdsEG)
New coronavirus lasts nine hours on human skin
A new study has found that, not placed on the left side, the new coronavirus can live for many hours on human skin. In order to keep potentially healthy volunteers from becoming infected, the researchers performed lab experiments using cadaver skin, which would have been used for a skin graft. While influenza A virus survived on human skin in less than two hours, the novel coronavirus survived for more than nine hours. Both were completely inactivated within 15 seconds by a hand sanitizer containing 80% alcohol. U.S. Department of Disease Control and Prevention Centers currently recommend alcohol-based hand rubs with 60% to 95% alcohol or a thorough hand wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Studies have shown that COVID-19 transmission is largely caused by aerosols and droplets. However, the authors of the new study concluded in a report published on Saturday in Clinical Infectious Diseases, “Proper hand hygiene is important to prevent the spread of SARS-Cavi-2 infection.” (https://bit.ly/34vrdlm)
Obstructive sleep apnea is linked to bad COVID-19
A common sleep disorder, Covid-19 patients are at higher risk of serious illness, a new study shows. Using Finnish national databases, the researchers found that while rates of infection with the new coronavirus were similar to those with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and those who were infected, those with OSA were five times more at risk. Hospitalized. When people with OSA are asleep, their breathing stops for a while and then resumes, often at night. OSA is associated with health problems such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes, but the risk for serious covid-19 is even higher after researchers consider all of these factors. Studies cannot prove that OSA causes more serious consequences. But in a paper put on Medrexiv before peer review, researchers advise doctors evaluating patients with suspected or confirmed coronavirus infections to recognize that sleep disorder is a risk factor for severe COVID-19. (https://bit.ly/3nmUDuz)
Infrared thermometers may be inaccurate in adults
A small study suggests that contactless infrared thermometers, long used in children and now used to screen for fever in public places, may not accurately measure adult body temperature, a small study suggests. Devices are kept slightly away from the forehead. Because they never touch the skin, they help prevent the transmission of germs and do not need to be sterilized after each use. In a study of 265 adults in two hospitals, researchers compared the infrared thermometers to “temporal artery” thermometers, which are rubbed around the forehead. When the body temperature was below 99.5 degrees F (37.5 C), the devices gave a similar result. But for body temperature, contactless thermometers “show poor accuracy” with more inconsistencies as temperatures rise, according to a report published Friday in the American Journal of Infestation Control. Since only 37 study participants had a fever, a larger study is needed to confirm these findings, the researchers said. Meanwhile, they added, when an infrared thermometer shows a temperature of .599..5 F in an adult, it may be prudent to take direct measurements with a thermometer rather than contact with the body. (https://bit.ly/34qHLuL)
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(Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Editing by Bill Burkerot)
