In a news release from EurekaAlert, researchers at Columbia University say that they found no signs of virus inside the patients’ brain cells but saw many brain abnormalities that could explain the confusion and delirium seen in some patients with severe coronavirus and the lingering “brain fog” in those with mild disease. The study, which the authors called the largest …
A MedPage Today article reports that as Great Britain continues to stretch out the interval between the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to 12 weeks, data out this week seems to support doing so, but concerns remain. A study published in The Lancet showed that the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine provides sustained protection of 76% during the 12-week interval …
Recent studies have suggested that to reach immunity, immunocompetent SARS-CoV-2 seropositive adults may only require 1 dose rather than 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine, however, these studies did not include older adults. Older adults living in nursing homes are at higher risk for severe COVID-19, and the immune response to the vaccine may differ from that of younger, healthier …
A study of about 200 COVID-19 patients last year found that nearly half reported a loss of taste or smell. While most of them regained their senses within four weeks, roughly 10% reported their condition had been unchanged or worse. Doctors are still learning about this COVID-19 related symptom and what possible treatments could be helpful. Some physicians have begun …
Clinical trials suggest high efficacy for COVID-19 vaccines, but evaluation of vaccine effectiveness against severe outcomes in real-world settings and in populations at high risk, including older adults, is needed. In a multistate network of U.S. hospitals during January-March 2021, receipt of Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines was 94% effective against COVID-19 hospitalization among fully vaccinated adults and 64% …
The University of Liverpool’s Professor Tom Solomon is a co-author of the research paper discussing the rare cases of blood clots in the brain and low platelets seen in some patients after vaccination. The authors stress the importance of rapidly identifying the syndrome, vaccine-induced thrombosis and thrombocytopenia (VITT), and the importance of following a particular treatment approach that is very …
The World Health Organization China Joint Mission reported human-to-human transmission in China largely occurred within families, accounting for 78% to 85% of clusters in Guangdong and Sichuan provinces. Stay-at-home orders reduced human mobility by 35% to 63% in the United States, 63% in the United Kingdom, and 54% in Wuhan, relative to normal conditions. This decrease in mobility increased time …
Inhaled budesonide, a common corticosteroid used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, can shorten the time it takes for people not admitted to the hospital to recover from COVID-19 by three days, a trial in people over 50 at greater risk of COVID-19 and people aged over 65 has identified. Among patients who completed all 28 days of …
Recent studies have suggested that to reach immunity, immunocompetent SARS-CoV-2 seropositive adults may only require 1 dose rather than 2 doses of a messenger RNA vaccine, however, these studies did not include older adults. Older adults living in nursing homes are at higher risk for severe COVID-19, and the immune response to the vaccine may differ from that of younger, …
Bortezomib is a common multiple myeloma therapy that can cause treatment-related peripheral neuropathy, a risk factor for falls. The relationship between bortezomib and falls in older patients with multiple myeloma is unknown. In a recent study published in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology, in older adults with multiple myeloma, bortezomib was associated with an increased risk of having a diagnostic …
