By Nancy Lepid
(Reuters) – The following is a summary of some recent scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find a cure and vaccine for the disease caused by the virus, Covid-19.
Adults younger than severe COVID-19 survive a heart attack
Comide-19 patients in the U.S. from April to June. Of the 419 treated in hospitals, only 5% were between the ages of 18 and 34. But the group had “significant rates of adverse outcomes,” according to a report Wednesday in JAMA Internal Medicine. About one in five needs intensive care, one in 10 needs mechanical ventilation, and about 3% have died. The death rate is lower than in the elderly, while it is twice the death rate of young adults from heart attacks, the authors say. Obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes were associated with an increased risk for adverse events. For young adults with more than one of these conditions, the risk of a bad outcome was the same for middle-aged adults without risk factors. “Consistent with previous findings of disproportionate disease severity in these demographic groups,” more than half of the young adults admitted to the hospital were black or Hispanic. “Given the rapidly increasing rate of Covid-11 infection in young adults, these findings underscore the importance of infection prevention measures in this age group.” (https://bit.ly/2DHodce, https://bit.ly/3bEsJF8)
Antibiotics fail to help hospitalized COVID-19 patients
According to a Brazilian study, the antibiotic azithromycin does not appear to provide any benefit to hospitalized COVID-19 patients who have difficulty breathing. In 57 hospitals, 243 COVID-19 patients who needed oxygen or mechanical ventilation were randomly assigned to receive azithromycin, while 183 patients did not receive antibiotics. All received other standard treatments, including hydroxychloroquine in Brazil, a malaria drug that other studies have shown has little or no benefit. While azithromycin did no harm, after 15 days it did not involve any patient improvement or reduce their risk of death. In an April survey of more than 1,000 physicians from county countries, azithromycin was the second most commonly prescribed treatment for COVID-19, the study researchers wrote in The Lancet Medical Journal. “The absence of any benefit in this new study suggests that regular use of this strategy should be avoided,” they said. (https://bit.ly/35l8QBN, https://bit.ly/2ZDBBWT)
Risk of catching COVID-19 when hospitalized
Of the nearly .00 patients admitted to Boston’s main hospital between early March and the end of May, only two became ill with coronavirus infections, which could be recovered when hospitalized, doctors said. Infected by a potential spouse who initially looked good during the daily visit but the patient was still hospitalized with symptoms that developed. Prior to that restrictions on visitors and universal masking rules were applied. Another patient developed symptoms four days after leaving the hospital. The source of the infection was not known. According to a paper published Wednesday in the JAMA Network Open, the hospital has COVID-19 units dedicated to infection control efforts that include isolation rooms for airborne infections, personal protective equipment for staff and monitoring to ensure that it was used properly, universal masking, visitors. Restriction, and liberal Covid-19 testing of therapeutic and asymptomatic patients. These “strong and rigid infection control systems may be associated with minimal risk” may be associated with the risks of COVID-19 spreading in hospitals, the authors concluded. Their findings, if copied to other U.S. hospitals, “should reassure patients,” they said. (https://bit.ly/32bgWLm)
Long-term COVID-19 lung damage may improve over time
Covid-19 Lung damage lasts a long time but improves, researchers reported at the European Respiratory Society International Virtual Congress on Monday. The researchers studied 86 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, of whom 48% had a history of smoking and 21% needed intensive care. 6 weeks after discharge, 47% of patients still reported feeling short of breath. By 12 weeks, it dropped to 39%. CT scans still showed lung damage in 88% of patients at six weeks, down from 56% at 12 weeks. “Overall, this study shows that Covid-1 survivors retain pulmonary vulnerabilities after recovery. However, overtime, moderate improvement can be detected,” said Dr. S. K. Krishnan, chief researcher at the University Clinic in Innsbruck, Austria. Sabina Sahanika said. A press briefing. The importance of early pulmonary rehabilitation after COVD-19 patients came out of the ventilator is discussed in a related study highlighted at the meeting. This should include balance and walking, strengthening muscles, breathing exercises and endurance training. Yara Al Chikhni, a co-founder of the University of Grenoble Alps in France, said in a statement that the sooner rehabilitation began and the longer it lasted, the faster and better the patients’ ability to walk and breathe and improve muscle. (https://bit.ly/3bI8uq8)
Open https://tmsnrt.rs/3a5EyDh in an external browser for Reuters graphic on developmental vaccines and treatments.
(Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Editing by Bill Burkerot)
