Category: Corona Virus Vaccine

A new investigation led by researchers from the University College London and Dartmouth College suggests 14% of Americans had long COVID by the end of 2022. The details of the investigation are published in PLOS One.

Moreover, Americans who report having experienced long COVID said they also experienced more anxiety, low mood, and difficulty with memory.

All data was based on 461,550 respondents to the US Census Bureaus Household Pulse Survey, conducted from June 2022 to December 2022. Researchers compared survey answers among those who said they have had long COVID, those who said they have had COVID-19 but no lingering symptoms, and those who had never had COVID-19.

Forty-seven percent of survey respondents said they had been previously infected with COVID-19. Of those,13.3% said they had suffered "severe symptoms" during their illness. For people who had COVID that resolved within 3 months, only 7% said they had severe symptoms, compared with 24% for those who had had long COVID in the past and 31% who currently had long COVID.

Little is known about long Covid and its impact on health and wellbeing.

Among the 14% who said they had experienced long COVID, 7% said they were currently experiencing ongoing symptoms.

"Little is known about long Covid and its impact on health and wellbeing, but there is a growing body of evidence that many people experience persistent and concerning symptoms," study co-author Alex Bryson, PhD, MSc, of the University College London Social Research Institute, said in a press release.

In general women were more likely than men to report long COVID, as were people with lower education levels. The highest rate of long COVID was in West Virginia (18% of the population) and the lowest in Hawaii (11%).

Long COVID was independently associated with low mood, especially anxiety.

"Those who have ever had long Covid remain more likely to report low mood, challenges in carrying out daily tasks, and challenges with memory, concentration and understanding, compared to people who have never had long Covid," said Bryson.

In related news, researchers have reached an agreement on how best to measure the severity and impact of long COVID by identifying a "Core Outcome Measure Set" (COMS), according to a new report published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

Different countries, public health agencies, and clinics have shifting guidelines for how to identify and classify long COVID, with most relying on the World Health Organizations assessment that a long COVID patient must suffer new or ongoing symptoms at least 12 weeks after initial infection.

In the present report, 594 individuals from 58 countries participated in an online consensus meeting to develop the COMS. Twelve core outcomes for long COVID patients were identified, including fatigue or exhaustion, pain, post-exertion symptoms, work or occupational and study changes, and cardiovascular, nervous system, cognitive, mental health, and physical outcomes.

"This research has significantly narrowed down the range of preferred outcome measurement instrument options for researchers and clinicians to consider, said Paula Williamson, PhD, of the University of Liverpool in a press release.

COMS is the first step to developing long COVID treatments, the authors said, because it allows for clinicians to develop measurement tools to codify symptoms.

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Study: 1 in 7 Americans have had long COVID - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

November 03, 2023

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Patients with asthma who were hospitalized for COVID-19 had less severe disease and lower mortality rates than patients with no airway disease, according to a study published in The Journal of Allergy or Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

However, patients with COPD who were hospitalized for COVID-19 had more severe disease and higher mortality rates than those with no airway disease, Yunqing Liu, MS, PhD, department of biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, and colleagues wrote.

The study examined data from 8,395 patients admitted to Yale New Haven Health System between March 1, 2020, and April 1, 2021, for COVID-19. These patients included 969 with asthma, 1,132 with COPD, 768 with both asthma and COPD and 5,526 with no airway disease.

The 11.5% prevalence of asthma in this population was comparable with the 10.5% prevalence of asthma throughout Connecticut, the researchers said. COPD prevalence included 13.5% in the study cohort and 6.1% in the state, indicating increased risk for hospitalization for COVID-19 for patients with COPD, the researchers continued.

Patients with no airway disease had a median sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score of 0.32. Comparatively, patients with asthma had a significantly lower median SOFA score, at 0.15 (P < .01), and the patients with COPD had a significantly higher median score, at 0.86 (P < .01).

Compared with the absolute mortality rate of 11% among those with no airway disease, patients with asthma showed a significantly lower rate at 5%, whereas those with COPD showed a significantly higher rate at 21% (P < .01 for both). However, at 14%, the absolute mortality rate among those with asthma and COPD did not significantly differ from the no airway disease group, suggesting that asthma and COPD may have offsetting effects on the severity of COVID-19, the researchers wrote.

Specifically, compared with the no airway disease group, a multivariate logistic regression analysis showed patients with asthma had 35% lower adjusted odds for mortality of COVID-19 (OR = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.48-0.89) whereas patients with COPD had 40% higher odds for mortality (OR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.16-1.67).

Patients with no airway disease and those with both asthma and COPD had comparable odds for mortality (OR = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.77-1.26), further suggesting that asthma may offset the risk for severe COVID-19 among patients with COPD, the researchers wrote.

Further, the researchers found significant associations between mortality and higher total white blood cell counts, immature granulocyte counts and neutrophil counts in all four disease groups.

Elevated blood eosinophil counts, which the researchers noted are biomarkers of T2 inflammation, were associated with lower risks for mortality in all four disease groups, especially for patients with asthma. Also, patients with asthma, including those with both asthma and COPD, had higher levels of eosinophils on admission.

Specifically, after adjusting for cofounders, patients with absolute eosinophil counts of 200 cells/L or higher had lower odds for mortality compared with patients with lower eosinophil counts (OR = 0.52; 95% CI, 0.33-0.8).

But after adjusting for eosinophil levels, these differences in mortality between the groups persisted, including an odds ratio of 0.67 (95% CI, 0.49-0.92) for the asthma group and 1.38 (95% CI, 1.15-1.66) for COPD, indicating that peripheral eosinophilia does not fully explain the protection associated with asthma, according to the researchers.

Noting significant differences in exposure to systemic corticosteroids between the groups, the researchers also found an overall increase in mortality associated with IV methylprednisolone therapy (OR = 4.77; 95% CI, 3.69-6.17), which they called expected due to its selective use in patients with severe COVID-19.

Yet multiple regression analysis adjusted for exposure to systemic corticosteroids still showed a significant increase in mortality among patients with COPD and a significant decrease in patients with asthma and eosinophilia.

Patients at risk for severe COVID-19 require more intensive mitigation strategies such as social distancing, vaccine boosters and early outpatient pharmacotherapy, the researchers wrote, making their identification critical.

Based on these results, patients with COPD are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 and patients with asthma are at lower risk, the researchers continued. These differences may be due to protection conferred by T2 inflammation, the researchers added, but further clinical and mechanistic studies would be needed to confirm this association.

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Liu Y, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2023;doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2023.07.006.

Disclosures: Liu reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for all other authors relevant financial disclosures.

Denisa E. Ferastraoaru, MD

One of the most interesting findings is that differences in mortality between patients with asthma and COPD persisted even after adjustment for serum eosinophil counts. This suggests that peripheral eosinophilia might not be the main nor the only factor associated with lower mortality of COVID-19 in patients with asthma.

This might explain why patients with asthma on biologics working on the T2 pathway do not have worse COVID-19 outcomes than those not on monoclonal biologics. Likewise, COPD worsened outcomes even among those with high eosinophil counts. This demonstrates fundamental differences between asthma and COPD.

The results that COVID-19 patients with higher absolute eosinophil counts (greater than 200 cells/L) had lower odds of mortality compared with those with lower serum eosinophil levels are similar with our prior published data in our Bronx asthmatic population.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we noticed that our patients with asthma do better in terms of COVID-19 outcomes compared with those who do not have asthma. Even now, 3 years after the COVID-19 pandemic started, we cannot fully explain these observations. However, clinical and mechanistic research studies have emerged since that hopefully will shed more light in this field.

It is possible that the differences in lung inflammation in those with pre-existing asthma and pre-existing COPD are important in COVID-19 outcomes, as well as the age and associated comorbidities. It is known that COPD patients are older, a factor that is associated by itself with worse COVID-19 outcomes.

Although at this time there are no differences in the way we treat COVID-19 patients with asthma and COPD, current findings suggest that COVID-19 prevention strategies and early outpatient treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection should be implemented with priority for patients with COPD.

Although there is overlap in the medications used to treat these chronic respiratory conditions, this is a clear demonstration of how these two differ. Characterizing respiratory disease accurately as asthma or COPD is important to risk assess patients and to provide them anticipatory guidance.

The exact mechanism through which patients with asthma have lower odds for dying of COVID-19 is not clear. More data are also needed to identify if the odds for mortality of COVID-19 vary based on other allergic disorders, such as allergic rhinitis, rhinosinusitis and atopic dermatitis. Identifying these mechanisms might develop into new treatment and preventative modalities.

It is important to extend this observation to other respiratory viral infections. Does eosinophilia help prevent other viral asthma or COPD exacerbations? We need to understand if eosinophils are the cells that help fight or prevent serious COVID-19 infections. Alternatively, they could be markers of a milieu that is unfavorable to COVID-19. Understanding how the eosinophilic state reduces COVID-19 morbidity and mortality is an important next step.

Manish Ramesh, MD, PhD, associate professor and chief of the division of allergy-immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, also contributed to this Perspective.

Reference:

Ferastraoaru DE, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2021;doi:10.1016/j.jaip/2020.12.045.

Denisa E. Ferastraoaru, MD

Associate Professor, Allergy-Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center

Disclosures: Ferastraoaru reports no relevant financial disclosures.

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Asthma associated with lower mortality among patients hospitalized ... - Healio

General clinical features

Among the cohort of 9782 children diagnosed with ARIs, 5021 cases (51.3%) were identified prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (20182019), while 4761 cases (48.7%) were diagnosed during the pandemic period (20202022). Compared with the pre-COVID, the proportion of children aged 0~<1 years on ARIs was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic (p<0.05). Gender distribution exhibited no significant variation between the two periods (p>0.05), as indicated in Table1.

Between 2018 and 2022, the yearly counts of ARIs cases were 2356, 2665, 1092, 1681, and 1988, with the lowest number of inpatient ARIs cases in 2020. The annual percentage of positive cases was 12.99%, 19.32%, 20.32%, 19.45%, and 12.68%, as presented in Table S1. Indeed, the Chinese government implemented prompt and stringent epidemic prevention measures starting in January 2020, including home isolation and mask mandates. From December 2021, children above the age of 3 (except those with specific contraindications) received SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations in Shaoxing. The positive rate of respiratory viruses among children over 3 years old was 8.31% (52/626) in 2022 and 7.61% (29/381) in 2021. Importantly, the detection rate of common respiratory viruses did not exhibit a significant decrease after the introduction of the new coronavirus vaccination (P=0.69).

The identification of one or more viruses was observed in 16.35% (n=821/5021) of samples prior to COVID-19 and 17.06% (n=812/4761) during the pandemic, as detailed in Table1. The cumulative detection rate of respiratory viruses experienced a decline from January to April and increased from October to December during both study periods (Fig.1A).

Positive cases and infection rates of respiratory viruses among hospitalized children with ARIs from 2018 to 2022. A: Total positive cases and infection rates for all respiratory viruses. B: Positive cases and infection rates of RSV. C: Positive cases and infection rates of ADV. D: Positive cases and infection rates of Flu (A) E: Positive cases and infection rates of Flu (B) F: Positive cases and infection rates of PIV-1. G: Positive cases and infection rates of PIV-2. H: Positive cases and infection rates of PIV-3.

RSV emerged as the predominant virus prior to and during COVID-19, accounting for 50.79% of positive samples in 20182019 and 76.48% in 20202022. Notably, the RSV positive rate during 20202022 exhibited a more significant increase than in 20182019 (13.04% vs. 9.38%, p<0.05). Conversely, the positive rates of ADV, PIV2 and 3, and Flu B experienced more significant reductions during 20202022 compared to 20182019 (p<0.05), while the positive rates for Flu A and PIV1 exhibited no significant differences between the two periods (p>0.05) (Table1).

The temporal distribution of infections and positive rates is depicted in Fig.1B, wherein RSV infections and positive rates displayed seasonal fluctuations annually between September and May from 2018 to 2019, 2020 to 2021, and 2021 to 2022. A notable surge occurred from December 2019 to January 2020. ADV infections and positive rates exhibited seasonal fluctuations between January 2019 and January 2020, with a sharp decline between April 2020 and January 2022. Flu A infections and positive rates remained low between April 2020 and April 2022, with a modest increase observed in children during the COVID-19 recovery phase from May 2022 to September 2022. Flu B infections and positive rates were low between April 2020 and April 2021, with a subsequent modest increase after July 2021, although remaining lower compared to the same period prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. Notably, PIV1, PIV2, and PIV3 infections declined after January 2020 (Fig.1C H).

A total of 11 samples yielded positive results for two viruses, with 6 instances prior to COVID-19 and 5 during the pandemic (0.12% vs. 0.10%, p>0.05). Throughout COVID-19, the most prevalent mixed infection was ADV in conjunction with PIV3, accounting for 25.71% of mixed infection cases. Nevertheless, cases of more than two concurrent virus detections were not observed during the two study periods.

Patients were classified into four age groups. Table2 illustrates the detection rates of respiratory viruses in different age groups. Prior to and during COVID-19, the overall positive rate peaked at 19.94% and 23.15%, respectively, within the 112 month age group. These rates exhibited a descending trend with increasing age of the enrolled children. Compared to the period before COVID-19, the total positive rates within the 012 month age group were significantly higher during the pandemic (p<0.05), while significant differences were not noted in other age groups (Table S1).

The dominant viruses varied across the different age groups. Before and during COVID-19, although all seven viruses were not detected in each age group, RSV remained the most prevalent among those under 7 years. In 20182019, PIV-3 was the second most dominant virus in the <3 years age group, while ADV held this position in the 37 years age group. In 20202022, PIV-3 was the second most dominant virus in the <1 year age group, while Flu A took this place in the 17 years age group. Notably, the RSV detection rate among different age groups was higher in 20202022 than in 20182019, especially among infants (p<0.001).

Table3 provides an overview of the positive sample detection for each virus across different months before and during COVID-19. In general, the prevalence of respiratory viruses demonstrated higher rates during winter compared to other seasons, with total positive rates of 30.90% and 33.24% before COVID-19 and during the pandemic, respectively. In contrast to the equivalent period preceding COVID-19, the total positive rates during winter in the COVID-19 era exhibited no significant difference (p>0.05). During 20202022, the total positive rates during spring and summer seasons significantly decreased (p<0.05), increased significantly in autumn (p<0.05).

Figure2 further illustrates that both before and during COVID-19, the RSV-positive rate during winter was notably higher than in other seasons (p<0.05). During COVID-19, Flu A exhibited a higher positive rate (2.61%) in summer, contrasting with the higher rate (3.05%) in winter before the pandemic. Conversely, the PIV3 positive rate during the summer of the pandemic (0.3%) was lower than that during the same period before COVID-19 (5.76%).

Seasonal distribution trends of respiratory virus infection in hospitalized children with acute respiratory infection, 20182019 and 20202022

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Analysis of respiratory virus detection in hospitalized children with ... - Virology Journal

November 2, 2023

PROVIDENCE, RI On Monday, November 6, the City will request the Board of Contract and Supply to approve entering into contract with United Way of Rhode Island to fulfill an expanded scope of work outlined in the COVID-19 Equities Program, an ARPA ordinance drafted by the previous Administration outlining how the city will invest federal dollars to improve local racial equity.

Upon entering office, the Smiley Administration began conducting a line-by-line review of all ARPA ordinances. Through the review, lines were analyzed by their original intent, total funding allocated and whether the benefits of a current program or initiative could be maximized through additional funding. It was determined many of the funding totals were not enough to deliver what was outlined in the ordinance. In an effort to meet the intent of the proposal and increase the impact of the limited dollars, United Way was identified as a partner that has existing programs, established infrastructure, and afocus on equity. The remaining programming and allocated funds in the COVID-19 Equities Program will be administered by the City over the next few years.

I am incredibly excited to partner with United Way of Rhode Island to advance the many programs included in the COVID-19 Equities Program, said Mayor Brett P. Smiley. United Way is a trusted community partner taking meaningful steps to close local equity gaps. Over the coming months and years, we look forward to working with them to ensure each of these programs have the positive impact the Providence Municipal Reparations Commission intended them to have within our community.

United Way was included as a programming partner in the COVID-19 Equities Program when the ordinance was originally drafted. This new proposal would expand United Ways scope of work to focus on three main areas: 1) creation of a policy and research center at United Way; 2) developing nonprofit capacity; and, 3) issuing requests for proposals for grant funding. The City would increase United Ways funding from $1.75 million to $3.35 million to include the following select programs:

Grants for eligible and qualified nonprofit organizationsare intended to help close the racial wealth gap, address the impacts of urban renewal, and advance education-related deliverables.

We are honored to be chosen by the City of Providence as its partner for this important work, which is in perfect alignment of our mission at United Way and the commitment to building racial equity we bring to our state each and every day, said Cortney Nicolato, President and CEO of United Way of Rhode Island. As we have done for nearly a century, we understand the great responsibility of administering public funds and being good stewards of those dollars. We look forward to engaging the community to facilitate investments with the potential to create real, positive impacts for families across our capital city.

Under this contract, United Way would be the fiscal agent and program managers for the above listed programs, offering technical support and opportunities for community engagement. The City would be responsible for ensuring United Way meets contractual obligations and spending is compliant with federal law.

In 2021, the City of Providence received $166 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding. Per federal law, these funds must be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026. Of the $166 million, $10 million was allocated to the COVID-19 Equities Program, which was created following the guidance of the Providence Municipal Reparations Commission. To date, $275,000 of the original $10 million has been spent, $1.75 million previously allocated to United Way and an additional $1.6 million is being proposed for reallocation to United Way. The City will directly administer the remaining $6.3 millionin the COVID-19 Equities Program. Overall, none of the initiatives outlines in the COVID-19 Equities Program have changed and their respective funding amounts have not changed.

The Board of Contract and Supply agenda is now available online.

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City Proposes Increased Partnership with United Way of Rhode ... - City of Providence

CREVE COEUR, Mo. It's estimated that roughly 10% of people who contract COVID-19 will experience long-term symptoms.

A new study at Washington University in St. Louis is aiming to give long COVID-19 patients hope.

For 49 years, Rev. Philip Douglass has dedicated his life to preaching the gospel.

I was the kind of guy who would memorize my sermons, Rev. Philip Douglass said.

After battling COVID in March 2020, Douglass was struggling to remember the scripture.

It was quite an adjustment for me, Douglass said. All of my symptoms are normal for long COVID.

Struggling for answers Douglass turned to Washington University.

Its been known now for some time that COVID infection can have manifestations in the brain, said Dr. Eric Lenze.

Lenze says many long COVID patients have similar symptoms.

Depletion of serotonin, which is an important chemical of the brain involved in mood, thinking and energy, Lenze said.

Lenze is studying 300 patients using a drug known as Fluvoxamine, an antidepressant, to see if they show any improvement over a 12-week trial.

Weve had people who have completed this study already who have found some benefits, she said.

The trial hasnt worked out for me, Douglass said. I think Im one of the placebo.

Though the trial is random Lenze is still offering people like Douglass, who may have received the placebo, a reason to hope.

As long as you stick in the study, well make sure that you eventually definitely get the medication, so you can see if its helpful for you individually, Lenze said.

I am hopeful, Douglass said. I tend to be a pretty optimistic guy.

If you would like to enroll in Washington University's long COVID trial call 314-747-8906.

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Patients needed for Washington University's long COVID-19 treatment study - KSDK.com

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Dublin, Nov. 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Cleanroom Consumables Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global cleanroom consumables market has experienced robust growth, with the market size reaching US$ 4.1 Billion in 2022. Looking ahead, analysts anticipate the market to achieve a valuation of US$ 5.6 Billion by 2028, reflecting a steady compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% during the period from 2023 to 2028.

Cleanroom consumables are essential components crafted from top-quality raw materials designed to be worn in controlled environments with low impurities, such as dust, microorganisms, and chemical vapors. These consumables play a critical role in safeguarding products and processes from contamination stemming from individuals and their garments working within cleanrooms. Characterized by their washability, reusability, lightweight nature, skin-friendliness, and resistance to shrinkage, cleanroom consumables are available in a wide range of sizes, fabrics, and colors to cater to diverse client requirements. They find extensive applications in hospitals, medical colleges, research laboratories, as well as pharmaceutical and chemical industries worldwide.

Cleanroom Consumables Market Trends:

The burgeoning demand for enhanced quality and safety in healthcare products has emerged as a driving force behind the global demand for cleanroom consumables. Governments in numerous countries are introducing favorable regulations that promote the utilization of cleanroom consumables in the healthcare sector. This, coupled with the increasing demand for sterilized pharmaceutical formulations and advancements in medical equipment, is propelling market growth.

The sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the demand for cleanroom consumables, including goggles, gloves, and gowns, presenting lucrative opportunities for industry leaders. Key players in the sector are actively involved in regulatory approvals, training and development, as well as strategic acquisitions and collaborations with other companies. They are also intensifying research and development (R&D) efforts to introduce innovative products, which are expected to drive market expansion.

Story continues

Key Market Segmentation:

The comprehensive market report offers insights into various market segments:

Breakup by Product:

Breakup by Application:

Breakup by End User:

Breakup by Region:

North America (United States, Canada)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Others)

Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Russia, Others)

Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Others)

Middle East and Africa

Competitive Landscape:

The report includes an analysis of the competitive landscape, featuring profiles of key market players, including Ansell Ltd., Berkshire Corporation, Contec Inc., Dupont De Nemours Inc., EcoLab Inc., ITW Texwipe (Illinois Tool Works Inc.), Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Km Act Corp., Micronclean Ltd., Micronova Manufacturing Inc., Steris Corporation, and Valutek Inc.

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global cleanroom consumables market performed to date, and what are the future growth prospects?

What is the impact of COVID-19 on the global cleanroom consumables market?

Which regions are the key markets for cleanroom consumables?

What are the major product segments driving market growth?

What applications are driving the demand for cleanroom consumables?

Who are the key players in the global cleanroom consumables market?

What factors drive and challenge the industry?

What is the competitive landscape and the degree of competition in the market?

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute

Details

No. of Pages

148

Forecast Period

2022 - 2028

Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022

$4.1 Billion

Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028

$5.6 Billion

Compound Annual Growth Rate

5.1%

Regions Covered

Global

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/dgavpd

About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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COVID-19 Pandemic Spurs Accelerated Growth in Cleanroom Consumables Market, Projected to Reach $5.6 Billion by 2028 - Yahoo Finance

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people 50 years and older in a UK cohort experienced significant cognitive declineeven if they were never infected, reveals a study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity.

University of Exeter researchers analyzed neuropsychologic data from 3,142 participants aged 50 and older before the pandemic (March 2019 to February 2020) and during the pandemic's first (March 2020 to February 2021) and second (March 2021 to February 2022) years. The average participant age was 67.5 years.

In the first pandemic year, executive function and working memory were significantly worse across the cohort (effect size, 0.15 for executive function and 0.51 for working memory) and in those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI; effect size, 0.13 and 0.40) or a history of COVID-19 (effect size, 0.24 and 0.46). In the second year, impaired working memory persisted across the cohort (effect size, 0.47).

Risk factors included less exercise (P = 0.0049; executive function) and increased alcohol use (P = 0.049; working memory) across the whole cohort, as well as depression (P = 0.011; working memory) in those who tested positive for COVID-19 and loneliness (P = 0.0038; working memory) in those with MCI.

In the second year, less exercise continued to affect executive function across the cohort, and associations persisted between worsened working memory and increased alcohol use (P = 0.0040), loneliness (P = 0.042), and depression (P = 0.014) in those with MCI and reduced exercise (P = 0.0029), loneliness (P = 0.031) and depression (P = 0.036) in those who had COVID-19.

Risk factors included less exercise and increased alcohol useacross the whole cohort, as well as depression in those who tested positive for COVID-19 and lonelinessin those with mild cognitive impairment.

"It is now more important than ever to make sure we are supporting people with early cognitive decline, especially because there are things they can do to reduce their risk of dementia later on," lead author Anne Corbett, PhD, said in a University of Exeter press release.

In a related commentary, Dorina Cadar, PhD, of University College London, said, "Looking back, COVID-19 has revealed the astonishing vulnerability of our societies, but also the lack of strategy and organisation from so many governments worldwide, and our shared fragility when confronted with infections."

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CEPI, Oxford launch project to develop arenavirus vaccines - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Forty percent of US parents who worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic report experiencing more parenting stress, compared with 27% of those who worked onsite, according to a research letter published today in JAMA Network Open.

Northwestern University researchers surveyed 825 employed parents from all 77 neighborhoods in Chicago from May to July 2022 about their work situation in the first 2 years of the pandemic. Respondents were adult parents of at least one child living at home. Of the parents, 62.5% worked from home, and 52.5% were women.

The study period included 13 months of remote instruction in Chicago schools,forcing many parents to manage work and schooling at home, the authors noted.

"The COVID-19 pandemic changed work arrangements with more frequent work from home, or telework," they wrote. "Parents are a unique subset of employees, yet little is known about how telework is related to the health of working parents."

A higher percentage of remote-working parents were White (45.0%) than Black (14.6%) or Hispanic (28.5%), and a higher proportion of parents who worked onsite were Black (26.0%) or Hispanic (41.9%) than White (23.8%).

After adjustment, teleworking parents had greater odds of parenting stress than those who worked onsite (adjusted odds ratio [aOR],1.88)especially among fathers (aOR, 2.33 vs 1.53 for mothers), but there was no difference in respondents' general health status (aOR,1.23) or improved mental health (aOR,1.14).

Strategies to support parents who telework, such as promoting work schedule autonomy and employee assistance programs,may have important health implications for parents and children.

"For parents, especially fathers, telework during the COVID-19 pandemic offered a new opportunity to spend time with their children," the researchers wrote. "Our findings suggest teleworking may also add to parenting stress or that parents with more stressful parenting situations preferentially select telework arrangements."

The researchers noted that legislation has been proposed to both expandand limitremote work options. "Therefore, it is crucial that researchers, health professionals, and policymakers continue to assess the associations among telework, parenting stress, and parent health," they said.

"Strategies to support parents who telework, such as promoting work schedule autonomy and employee assistance programs,may have important health implications for parents and children."

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Survey: Teleworking parents more stressed than those who worked ... - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Lancaster County remain significantly higher than mid-summer, but are nowhere near the tally during the height of the pandemic.

During the week ending Oct. 28, 20 new people were hospitalized in the county with COVID-19, a bit lower than Septembers peak of 34 and also down from Octobers peak of 27. That compares with two new people hospitalized during the second week of July, and 14 during the first full week of September. These numbers are from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Though new weekly hospitalizations were in the single digits during much of the summer, they sharply increased in August, jumping from six hospitalizations in the week ending Aug. 5 to 19 in the week ending Aug. 26.

The CDC and the state of Pennsylvania no longer track COVID-19 cases, so deaths and new weekly hospitalizations are some of the best indicators of virus levels in a community.

None of this years weekly numbers compare to the pandemics peak when new weekly hospitalizations in the county reached 233 during January 2022.

Since Sept. 9, Lancaster County has seen 12 deaths from COVID-19, bringing this years total to 94. These numbers, from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, are released on the last Wednesday of every month. The most recent data ends with Oct. 25.

Lancaster General Hospital has seen an increase in the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, according to Lancaster General Health chief physician executive Dr. Michael Ripchinski.

While there were around five COVID patients per day at that hospital back in July, mid-to-late October saw around 15 to 20, Ripchinski said by email. These numbers show the total number of COVID-19 patients in that hospital on one day, a different metric than new weekly hospitalizations.

And of these patients, few require oxygen support, Ripchinski said.

Recent COVID-19 tests administered to the community by LGH have been around 13 to 16% positive, but the number of people taking these tests is low, Ripchinski said.

As LNP | LancasterOnlinereported in October, Ripchinski said the virus will likely become more prevalent during late fall and winter. At an Oct. 19 press conference, he urged people to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccine induced immunity is more effective and safer than developing immunity from infection, Ripchinski said.

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COVID-19 hospitalizations fall slightly, still higher than mid-summer - LNP | LancasterOnline

Dive Brief:

Medtech companies have benefited from elevated procedure volumes in recent quarters as providers work through a backlog of cases left over from when hospitals postponed non-emergency care to keep beds open for COVID-19 patients.

But it is unclear how long the boost will last.

On Intuitive Surgicals third-quarter earnings call, executives said uncertainty about the duration of pent-up demand is factored into the companys procedure growth forecast range for 2023. The surgical robot makers U.S. procedure growth of 17% in the latest quarter reflected a smaller benefit from patient backlogs than in the first half of the year, the company said.

Heart valve specialist Edwards Lifesciencescontinues to work to get patients off the sidelinesfollowing the rockiness of the COVID period,Larry Wood, group president of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical structural heart, said on the companys third-quarter call.Edwards has posted three straight quarters of double-digit sales growth, Wood noted, after an analyst pointed out that TAVRprocedures were growing faster before the pandemic.

Needhams analysis shows Google searches for 20 U.S. elective procedures have been trending upward since the start of the pandemic, peaking this spring above 115% of pre-COVID levels. After a pullback in the third quarter, the figure climbed to 112% of pre-pandemic levels in the latest week.

Searches in the U.S. for orthopedic procedures in the week ended Oct. 28 were at 114% of pre-COVID levels, general surgery searches were at 103%, and cardiovascular procedure searches were at 107%, Needham found.

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Elective procedure interest still topping pre-COVID levels, survey finds - MedTech Dive