Among the many challenges we have faced this year in dealing with the pandemic, screening for the detection of febrile persons entering facilities remains problematic, particularly when paired with CDC and WHO social distancing guidelines. Aggressive source-control measures during the outbreak of COVID-19 have led to the re-purposed use of non-contact infrared thermometry (NCIT) for temperature screening. Fever is defined …
The devastating effects of COVID-19 among older adults residing in long-term care settings have been well documented. Although much attention has been paid to COVID-19-associated mortality in nursing homes, less is understood about its effects on assisted living residents. Most assisted living residents are aged 80 years or older and many have multiple chronic illnesses, making them highly susceptible to …
Care homes need to be vigilant for outbreaks of COVID-19, even after residents have received two doses of the vaccine, according to new research being presented. Martin Martinot, of the Hopitaux Civils de Colmar, Colmar, France, and colleagues studied an outbreak of COVID-19 that began in a care home in eastern France a month after a campaign to double vaccinate …
In a highly anticipated study that compares rapid antigen and laboratory PCR approaches for COVID-19 serial screening, researchers affiliated with the National Institutes of Health’s Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative reported that both testing methods were equally effective in detecting SARS-CoV-2 infection when tests were given on a regular cadence every three days. While individual PCR tests are more …
Ivermectin is a widely prescribed medication for the treatment of COVID-19 although there is some question as to the clinical efficacy of the drug. We are all acutely aware of the devastation COVID-19 has brought around the world and therapeutic approaches are needed to improve outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Several countries have included ivermectin in their treatment guidelines, leading …
In an article in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers examined if there were benefits to Tai Chi or conventional exercise on central obesity in middle-aged and older adults. Hundreds of participants were assigned exercise interventions including aerobic exercise, strength training, and tai chi. What this study found was that Tai Chi was effective at reducing waist circumference in the …
We hear a lot about “long-haulers” and “long-COVID,” but what are the frequency and variety of persistent symptoms after COVID-19 infection? A study published in JAMA Network Open found that COVID-19 symptoms “commonly persisted beyond the acute phase of infection, with implications for health-associated functioning and quality of life; however, methodological improvements are needed to reliably quantify these risks.” Health …
According to a research letter published in The Lancet, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) UCLH Biomedical Research Centre states that levels of antibodies in the blood of vaccinated people, able to recognize and fight the new SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant are lower than those against previously circulating variants. Additionally, the level of antibodies is lower with increasing age and …
Early evidence suggests that COVID-19 patients with positive influenza A immunoglobulin M (IgM) had a lower risk of mortality and severe COVID-19 illness compared with those who showed a negative IgM status. It has also been reported that influenza vaccination is negatively associated with COVID-19 mortality in older adults; in Brazil, a patient registry showed that patients who recently received …
In a recent study published in the JAMA Internal Medicine Network, the use of psychotropic medications among nursing home residents in Ontario, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic was discussed. The study examined the monthly proportion of nursing home residents who were prescribed psychotropic drugs as a proportion of the monthly number of residents filling a prescription for any drug from …
