COVID Vax in Pregnancy Protects Young Infants Against Omicron
Maternal COVID vaccination in pregnancy protected young infants against Omicron-associated hospitalization, but few women actually receive the vaccine during pregnancy, according to new data from the CDC. At least one maternal vaccine dose had an effectiveness of 54% (95% CI 32-68) against COVID-related hospitalization among infants younger than 3 months of age, and an effectiveness […]
Higher BMI Tied to Other Severe Respiratory Infections Too
A higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with increased risks for hospitalization and death due to COVID-19 and other respiratory infections as well, according to a study using data from the U.K. Biobank. After a mean follow-up of 11.8 years, the hazard ratios per 10-unit higher BMI was 2.26 (95% CI 2.05-2.49) for severe […]
Chest CTs Reveal Abnormalities 2 Years After Severe COVID
Two years after hospitalization for severe COVID-19 illness, more than a third of patients from the pandemic’s early days had lingering pulmonary abnormalities on chest CT scans, according to a prospective study from Wuhan, China. The incidence of persistent interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) fell over follow-up after hospital discharge from Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, dropping from […]
Vax Protection Fades Fast Against BA.4/5-Related Hospitalizations
Vaccine protection against hospitalization from the latest Omicron subvariants deteriorates rapidly, even after a third dose, new data from South Africa indicated, suggesting that annual boosters might not cut it for high-risk people. With the primary two-dose series of Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine, effectiveness against BA.4/5-related hospitalization slipped from 47.4% after 3-4 months (95% CI 19.9-65.5) […]
People With HIV More Likely to Be Hospitalized With Monkeypox?
Co-infection with HIV may increase the risk of hospitalization in patients with monkeypox, CDC researchers said, though other research did not confirm this. Among over 1,300 patients with monkeypox in eight U.S. jurisdictions, hospitalization was more common among those with HIV (8%) than those without the virus (3%), reported Kathryn G. Curran, PhD, of the […]
Depression May Follow Those Bedridden for COVID
Patients who had severe acute COVID-19 but avoided hospitalization saw higher risks for certain mental health conditions, according to an observational study. Among nearly 10,000 individuals, those diagnosed with COVID-19 had a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.18, 95% CI 1.03-1.36) and poorer sleep quality (PR 1.13, 95% CI 1.03-1.24) compared with […]
More adults are falling every year, despite prevention efforts
Falls are a leading cause of hospitalization and institutionalization for older adults in the U.S. and fall prevention efforts are an important part of geriatric education and health. Yet, a new University of Michigan study found that despite prevention efforts, falls increase by about 1.5% annually, with wide variations in incidence based on geography. “It […]
Study strengthens case that vitamins cannot treat COVID-19: Vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc were not found to lessen a patient’s chance of dying from COVID-19
A new review of COVID-19 hospitalization data by researchers at The University of Toledo has found that taking immune-boosting supplements such as vitamin C , vitamin D and zinc do not lessen your chance of dying from COVID-19. Early in the pandemic, healthcare providers tried a variety of micronutrients as potential therapies for the new […]