Sending follow-up text message reminders about receiving a COVID-19 vaccination improved appointment scheduling and vaccination rates in the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Health system, according to a Nature study yesterday. The randomized, controlled trial included 93,354 Californians who were eligible in early 2021 (ie, those above 65 or at high risk for poor …
A COVID-19 flare-up in the Chinese city of Nanjing has spread to more cities and provinces, including Wuhan, where officials ordered mass testing for nearly 12 million of the city’s residents. China is among several Asian nations battling a virus resurgence, along with Japan, where one of the country’s top doctors called for government officials …
Among US Military Health System (MHS) beneficiaries diagnosed as having COVID-19, obesity was independently and strongly associated with hospitalization, need for oxygen therapy, higher viral load, and an altered immune response, according to a prospective study late last week in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. A team led by researchers from the Uniformed Services University …
Study: Severe COVID, higher viral loads, immune response linked to obesity Read More »
Over the weekend, COVID-19 cases continued to surge across the country with Florida experiencing record daily highs of new cases and hospitalizations. The current surge of virus activity is due to the highly transmissible Delta (B1617.2) variant. Yesterday the country reported 25,141 new COVID-19 cases, and 71 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 tracker. In …
Age-groups tied to different frequent COVID-19 symptoms Researchers found that different age-groups had different associations with various COVID-19 symptoms, according to a Lancet Digital Health study late last week. The study was evaluating an artificial intelligence (AI) model for early COVID-19 detection (1 to 3 days of symptom onset). The researchers trained their AI model …
A recent study suggests that patients taking statin medications have a significantly lower risk for in-hospital death from COVID-19. The findings, published in PLOS ONE, demonstrated that the use of statins prior to admission was associated with a 41% reduction of in-hospital death and a greater than 25% reduction in risk of developing a severe …
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say the Delta variant (B1617.2) is as contagious as chickenpox in an internal document leaked to the Washington Post today. The agency also said that, although vaccinated people rarely get serious breakthrough infections, when they do get infected they can transmit the virus as easily as unvaccinated …
US COVID-19 vaccine disparities linked to socioeconomics US COVID-19 vaccine disparities (CVD) were linked with income, education, political views, and race, according to a study yesterday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers looked at vaccination rates in 756 counties, or 51.5% of the US population, on Apr 19, when almost …
New studies show an association between COVID-19 and cognitive impairment in older patients, with one reporting memory problems and worse physical health 8 months after diagnosis and others finding cognitive decline and accelerated Alzheimer’s disease symptoms as long as 6 months after infection. Memory problems, worse physical health University of Oslo researchers led the first …
Studies: COVID tied to persistent cognitive deficits in seniors Read More »
President Joe Biden today announced all civilian federal workers and contractors need to be vaccinated against COVID-19, or face regular testing, mandatory mask wearing, and limits on travel. The president also announced a new incentive program that calls on states and territories to give the newly vaccinated $100 when they get the shot. “It’s time …
Biden: Federal workers must get COVID-19 vaccine Read More »