Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Page 21234..1020..»

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) Flare Following the COVID-19 Vaccine: A Case Report – Cureus

March 23, 2024

Specialty

Please choose I'm not a medical professional. Allergy and Immunology Anatomy Anesthesiology Cardiac/Thoracic/Vascular Surgery Cardiology Critical Care Dentistry Dermatology Diabetes and Endocrinology Emergency Medicine Epidemiology and Public Health Family Medicine Forensic Medicine Gastroenterology General Practice Genetics Geriatrics Health Policy Hematology HIV/AIDS Hospital-based Medicine I'm not a medical professional. Infectious Disease Integrative/Complementary Medicine Internal Medicine Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Medical Education and Simulation Medical Physics Medical Student Nephrology Neurological Surgery Neurology Nuclear Medicine Nutrition Obstetrics and Gynecology Occupational Health Oncology Ophthalmology Optometry Oral Medicine Orthopaedics Osteopathic Medicine Otolaryngology Pain Management Palliative Care Pathology Pediatrics Pediatric Surgery Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Plastic Surgery Podiatry Preventive Medicine Psychiatry Psychology Pulmonology Radiation Oncology Radiology Rheumatology Substance Use and Addiction Surgery Therapeutics Trauma Urology Miscellaneous

See the article here:

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) Flare Following the COVID-19 Vaccine: A Case Report - Cureus

Please Review Carefully: New Public Health Guidance for COVID-19 Syracuse University News – Syracuse University News

March 23, 2024

Campus & Community

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

I am writing today to provide an important update on new guidance issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and subsequently adopted by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). The new guidance, as outlined below, revises response protocols for when an individual tests positive for COVID-19.

Although isolation and vaccination are no longer required, COVID-19 continues to be present and causes varying degrees of illness. There are several ways you can keep yourself and those around you healthy, including:

The University appreciates your continued cooperation and commitment to a safe and healthy environment for all members of our community. To learn more about public health guidance, please visit the CDC website.

Wishing you a successful end to the spring semester.

Sincerely,

Ramesh Raina Professor, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences

Read the rest here:

Please Review Carefully: New Public Health Guidance for COVID-19 Syracuse University News - Syracuse University News

Full COVID vaccination tied to lower risk of heart conditions, death – University of Minnesota Twin Cities

March 23, 2024

A new analysis of data in Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses finds that the incidence of COVID-19 hospitalization is more than double among patients with any psychiatric disorder compared to adults with no psychiatric disorder.

The longitudinal study is based on electronic health records collected from four health systems and research centers in Indiana, Oregon, Texas, and Utah that partner with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study follow-up period lasted from December 2021 to August 2022, after both widespread vaccination campaigns and the Omicron variant became features of the pandemic in the United States.

Among the 2,436,999 adults included in the study, the median age was 47. Women composed 58.3% of the sample, 66.1% were White, 12.9% were Black, 12.0% were Hispanic, and 3.6% were Asian. Among participants, 41.6% were unvaccinated, 35.7% had received two doses, and 22.7% had received three doses.

A total of 538,034 adults had any psychiatric disorder, including 13.6% with anxiety disorders, 12.9% with mood disorders, 3.1% with trauma or stressor-related disorders, 1.9% with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders, and 1.0% with psychotic disorders.

Adults with psychiatric disorders were hospitalized at a rate of 394 per 100,000 person-years, compared with a rate of 156 per 100,000 person-years for those without psychiatric disorder.

Psychiatric disorder was a significant predictor of COVID-19-associated hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.18 to 1.37). Mood disorders, anxiety, and psychotic disorders were most associated with hospitalization.

Adjusted hazard ratios for hospitalization among vaccinated and unvaccinated adults with or without psychiatric disorders was the same.

The relative protection associated with mRNA vaccination was similar irrespective of psychiatric disorder status.

"The relative protection associated with mRNA vaccination was similar irrespective of psychiatric disorder status, underscoring the benefit of COVID-19 vaccination in this population," the authors concluded.

See more here:

Full COVID vaccination tied to lower risk of heart conditions, death - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Health Care Leaders Look Back On Four Years Of COVID-19 – West Virginia Public Broadcasting

March 23, 2024

A lab in West Virginia University Hospitals Health Sciences Building has temporarily closed following the discovery of asbestos in dust.

WVU Hospitals risk management and safety director Roger Osbourn tells The Dominion Postthat the asbestos is an isolated incident. He says it most likely resulted when a pipe was bumped during renovations on the floor above the lab.

University environmental health and safety director John Principe says tests showed trace amounts of asbestos fibers. Air sample tests were negative.

See original here:

Health Care Leaders Look Back On Four Years Of COVID-19 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

COVID-19 Impacts on Hair Loss, Pemphigus, Urticaria, and Rare Diseases – Dermatology Times

March 23, 2024

Researchers have made significant progress in understanding the impact of the COVID-19 virus on dermatologic conditions, including hair loss, pemphigus, urticaria, and rare diseases.Recent studies have shed light on the potential associations and manifestations post-COVID-19 infection or vaccination.

This week,Dermatology Timesis highlighting recent COVID-19 research affecting skin, hair, and nailsin recognition of 4 years since the start of the pandemic.

One study investigated the relationship between COVID-19 and telogen effluvium (TE) in Saudi Arabia. Conducted through a cross-sectional design from March to September 2022, it involved 392 participants with confirmed COVID-19 infections. Data were collected via online questionnaires. Results indicated that hair shedding post-COVID-19 affected 60% of participants, with various onset times and durations. Women with a history of TE and antiviral treatment for COVID-19 were identified as having more significant risks for hair shedding. Limitations of the study included lack of clinical evaluation by dermatologists. The study emphasized the importance of recognizing COVID-19-related hair shedding and highlighted the need for further objective assessment studies. It aimed to contribute to medical literature on COVID-19, urging healthcare providers to be vigilant and considerate of potential cutaneous manifestations in patients. The study proposed future research to explore the association between COVID-19 and chronic TE and suggested enhanced clinical evaluation methods for a more precise understanding.1

Various cutaneous reactions have been reported following COVID-19 vaccination globally. A registry-based study highlighted delayed large local reactions as the most common, with mRNA vaccines showing distinct reactions compared to viral vector vaccines. Three cases of pityriasis rosea (PR) and PR-like eruptions following COVID-19 vaccination were described in Oman Medical Journal. Two patients received Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccines, while the third received the Oxford-AstraZeneca viral vector vaccine.2

Case 1 involved a 19-year-old male presenting with PR-like eruption after the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Case2was a woman experiencing PR after the first Pfizer-BioNTech dose, with a milder recurrence post-second dose. Case 3, a man in his seventies, developed PR-like eruption following the second dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.Cutaneous reactions post-COVID-19 vaccination are diverse, including PR and PR-like eruptions. These reactions can occur with both mRNA and viral vector vaccines. Mechanisms may involve immune dysregulation and viral reactivation. Diagnosis and management rely on clinical presentation and histopathological examination. PR and PR-like eruptions post-COVID-19 vaccination are rare but possible. Vigilance in monitoring skin reactions following vaccination is crucial. Further studies are needed to understand the relationship between vaccination and cutaneous reactions, especially regarding viral reactivation.

Despite documented safety profiles of COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine hesitancy persists among individuals with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs), especially due to limited data on long-term safety. This study aimed to assess delayed adverse events (DAEs) occurring over seven days post-vaccination in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other rheumatic and non-rheumatic autoimmune diseases (rAIDs and nrAIDs) compared to healthy controls (HCs). Data were collected via the COVAD-2 online survey from over 150 centers in 106 countries between February and June 2022. Logistic regression analysis, adjusting for confounders, compared adverse events among groups.3

Among 7203 participants, SLE patients reported higher rates of major DAEs and hospitalizations compared to HCs. They also experienced more severe rashes compared to individuals with rAIDs and higher hospitalization rates compared to those with nrAIDs. Differences in adverse events were observed between vaccine types, with Moderna recipients experiencing more hospitalizations. SLE patients without autoimmune multimorbidity reported fewer minor DAEs compared to those with comorbid nrAIDs.SLE patients had a higher risk of hospitalization post-vaccination compared to HCs. Close monitoring of SLE patients post-vaccination can aid in early detection of adverse events, informing patients, especially those with multiple autoimmune conditions, and providing necessary support.

The study presents a case of a 73-year-old woman developing pemphigus 2 weeks after contracting COVID-19, shedding light on the limited data regarding pemphigus incidence post-COVID-19 infection. The patient presented with blistering eruptions on multiple body parts post-COVID-19 diagnosis, prompting further investigation. Biopsies indicatedfeatures of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP), with subsequent negative malignancy findings. Treatment with prednisone and mycophenolate mofetil led to complete remission at 9 months follow-up.4

COVID-19 has been linked to autoimmune diseases, possibly through molecular mimicry and immune dysregulation mechanisms. Reports suggest a time lag between COVID-19 and pemphigus onset, possibly due to aberrant immune responses triggered by the virus. Interestingly, the patient exhibited features of both PV and PNP, suggesting a complex autoimmune response influenced by COVID-19. This case underscores the need for vigilance regarding autoimmune manifestations post-COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the widespread use of face masks has led to an increase in dermatoses, including reports of Koebner phenomenon, especially in patients with psoriasis. However, there has been limited documentation of mask-induced pemphigus lesions. This study presented 2 cases of patients with pemphigus developing new or persistent lesions on their noses, the area most irritated by mask usage.The first case involved a 56-year-old man with pemphigus vegetans, who developed nasal lesions four months after the pandemic began, coinciding with increased mask usage. Treatment with oral methylprednisolone and azathioprine resulted in mild improvement. The second case was a 47-year-old man with pemphigus vulgaris, exhibiting erosive lesions on the nose and oral mucosa, exacerbated by prolonged mask wearing. Despite treatment, nasal lesions persisted, indicating a possible mask-induced Koebner phenomenon.5

While previous reports linked pemphigus lesions to trauma or light exposure, the consistent occurrence of nasal lesions in these cases highlights the role of mask-related minor traumas. Despite being rare, the potential for Koebner phenomenon in pemphigus patients necessitates consideration, especially amidst pandemic conditions with widespread mask usage.

This retrospective study analyzed data from the Cosmos database to investigate the incidence and mortality of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) in patients with COVID-19. Among 10,675,070 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, 270 developed SJS/TEN within 8 weeks. The mean age was 50, with 54% female, and most were White (70%). The incidence of SJS/TEN was twice as high in COVID-19 patients compared to those without (2.5 vs. 1.2 cases per 100,000 individuals, p < .001). The 8-week mortality rate among SJS/TEN patients with COVID-19 was significantly higher than in those without (8.5% vs. 6.8%, p < .001).6

The study suggested a link between COVID-19 infection and increased risk of SJS/TEN, possibly due to virus-induced drug hypersensitivity. Antibiotic use in COVID-19 treatment may contribute, as many implicated antibiotics are commonly prescribed. However, further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms fully.

Research published in the Indian Dermatology Online Journal suggested a potential link to pyoderma gangrenosum (PG). This study presented 3 cases of PG on the breast, discussing the overlapping inflammatory cytokine profiles seen in PG and COVID-19. Increased pro-inflammatory cytokines observed in both PG and COVID-19, including TNF-, IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8, suggest a possible connection. COVID-19 vaccination can trigger autoimmunity and hyperinflammation, similar to mechanisms seen in PG pathogenesis. However, no reported cases of PG on the breast have been linked directly to COVID-19 infection or vaccination.7

While surgical interventions precede many cases of breast PG, none of the reported cases occurred post-COVID-19 infection or vaccination. Although PG may independently associate with COVID-19, further research is needed to confirm this connection conclusively. Investigators suggested that patients with dysregulated immune systems, including those vaccinated for COVID-19, should undergo extended follow-up for potential PG development. Monitoring for PG, even in non-vaccination sites, is crucial as it could exacerbate COVID-19 severity.

Earlier this year, the JAAD Case Report featured 7 patients developed chronic urticaria (CU) following mRNA-1273 COVID-19 booster vaccination. The median onset of urticaria was 11 days post-vaccination, lasting up to 16 months in some cases. While most patients were treated with antihistamines, symptom resolution occurred in only three cases. Notably, 2 patients received BNT162b2b (Pfizer-BioNTech) booster without exacerbating CU, suggesting a potential approach for future vaccinations.8

Although causation between COVID-19 vaccines and CU remains uncertain, previous literature suggests a correlation, with Moderna vaccines more frequently linked to delayed-onset CU compared to Pfizer. However, most patients tolerated subsequent vaccinations well, emphasizing the importance of shared decision-making regarding future doses. While the retrospective nature of this report limits definitive conclusions, the ability of some patients to tolerate alternative vaccineswarrants consideration in vaccine discussions. However, the necessity of such changesremains unclear, requiring further study. This case series contributes to understanding cutaneous reactions to COVID-19 vaccines and highlights the need for ongoing vigilance and research in this area.

References

Here is the original post:

COVID-19 Impacts on Hair Loss, Pemphigus, Urticaria, and Rare Diseases - Dermatology Times

West Virginia says you can now receive additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine – WTRF

March 23, 2024

CHARLESTON, W.Va.The West Virginia Department of Health (DH) is informing all West Virginians ages 65 and older they are eligible for an additional dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine, following the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) recentrecommendation.

As the data consistently shows, those who are older and immunocompromised are the most vulnerable to the severe effects of COVID-19, said Secretary Sherri Young, DO, MBA, FAAFP. It is for this reason we encourage those individuals to strongly consider getting an additional dose.

West Virginias Pan Respiratory Dashboardshows only 36 percent of West Virginians over the age of 61 are up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines. The dashboard shows that more than a hundred West Virginians died from COVID-19 in the last year, with the average age of those individuals being 73.

Under current recommendations, those 65 and older can receive an additional dose of the vaccine at least four months after the previous shot. The updated vaccine targets both the original strain of the virus and newer variants, offering broader protection.

To find updated COVID-19 information and the nearest vaccination location, visitCOVID-19 Vaccine (wv.gov).

The West Virginia Department of Health (DH) seeks to advance the health and well-being of all West Virginians promoting healthy behaviors, working to mitigate public health crises, and increasing access to health-related resources and information.

Visit link:

West Virginia says you can now receive additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine - WTRF

Louisiana debates civil liability over COVID-19 vaccine mandates, or the lack thereof – El Paso Inc.

March 23, 2024

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada

Zip Code

Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe

See the original post here:

Louisiana debates civil liability over COVID-19 vaccine mandates, or the lack thereof - El Paso Inc.

Veterans Reported Loss of Everyday Functioning After COVID-19 Pandemic – Drug Topics

March 23, 2024

In a cohort study comparing veterans diagnosed with COVID-19 with those not diagnosed, all participants reported a substantial loss of day-to-day functioning.1

The World Health Organizations clinical case definition of post COVID-19 condition specifies that an impact on everyday functioning is essential to the diagnosis. However, many studies describing the high burden of symptoms and accumulation of new diagnoses following COVID-19 infection have failed to capture function, wrote authors of the study.

Post COVID-19 condition, more commonly known as long COVID, is when an individuals symptoms persist, or new symptoms arise, 3 months after an initial COVID-19 diagnosis.2

Researchers aimed to compare the daily functions of veterans both infected and not infected by COVID-19 starting 18 months after self-reporting their diagnosis. When they reported their infection, researchers quickly found a comparator participant without COVID-19 to secure the closest match to the infected individual.1

Participants were sent a survey to record levels of pain, fatigue, activities of daily living, mobility, and overall quality of life. Results of this study were published in the JAMA Network Open.1

Using data from the United States Veterans Affairs (VA), 186 veterans who tested positive for COVID-19 were included in the study (mean age 60.4; 90.4% men). They were then matched with the exact number of comparators (mean age 61.1; 90.4% men), totaling 372 participants in the entire sample.

Older veteran saluting | image credit: Lydia - stock.adobe.com

In this cohort study, veterans reported high rates of ongoing fatigue, pain, and disability after the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of history of COVID-19. There were no statistically significant results between these symptoms and COVID-19 illness, wrote the authors.

Indeed, results of the survey were staggered and there was no correlation to COVID-19 infection and reduced daily functioning.1

Regarding daily activities, veterans with COVID-19 reported a mean of 3.4 limitations and 37.3% reported 4 or more limitations. Their matched comparators reported a mean of just 3 limitations and 30.2% reported 4 or more limitations.1

However, of veterans diagnosed with COVID-19, just 51.1% reported moderate, severe, or extreme pain 18 months after infection, compared with 65.7% of those not infected.1

Participants were also asked about their overall quality of life on a scale of 1 to 100; the higher the score, the closer they were to the everyday functionality experienced prior to the pandemic in 2020.

Of the veterans in the COVID-19 cohort, 44.9% reported they could do less than 75% of what they felt they could do at the beginning of 2020, in contrast with 35.3% of their comparators, wrote the authors.

READ MORE: Vaccines to Watch in 2024

Reporting that there were no statistically significant results observed in the study, researchers concluded that the pandemic as a whole, whether individuals were infected with COVID-19 or not, had adverse effects on the population.

These data are consistent with an interpretation that the COVID-19 pandemic has had adverse effects outside of solely infectious or post-infectious mechanisms, wrote the authors.1 Other adverse effects may have been due to psychological, behavioral, social, policy, and economic mechanisms.

While researchers did not find a significant difference between veterans infected and their comparator cohort, they were still sure to point out study limitations and the need for further research on the effects of long COVID.

Since all data came from the VA with just 2 cohorts of 186 participants, researchers stated that the results should not be generalized to the population. They also mentioned that a greater sample size could assess differences in sex since the studys female population was just 9.6% in both cohorts.

These data cannot rule out the possibility that COVID-19-confirmed viral infection may be associated with disability among some individuals who had COVID-19, they continued.1

Researchers concluded the study by identifying the need for more research on both post-COVID-19 condition and the non-physical burdens associated with the pandemic.

Future work with larger samples is needed to validate the estimated associations, the authors concluded.1

READ MORE: Disparities in Digital Health Portal Use Persist Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic

See the original post:

Veterans Reported Loss of Everyday Functioning After COVID-19 Pandemic - Drug Topics

COVID-19 Vaccination’s Timing Linked to Menstrual Cycle Changes – SciTechDaily

March 23, 2024

A study by Oregon Health & Science University shows that COVID-19 vaccination timing can slightly and temporarily alter menstrual cycle length, especially when given in the cycles first half. These findings aim to reassure and inform about minor changes, highlighting the need for more research on menstruations significance for health and fertility.

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have confirmed a link between the timing of COVID-19 vaccination and slight, temporary changes in the length of menstrual cycles.

The study, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, found that individuals receiving a COVID-19 vaccine during the first half of their menstrual cycle are more likely to experience cycle length changes than those receiving a vaccine in the second half.

Building on prior work from the same research team that first identified an association between COVID-19 vaccines and menstrual cycle length, this study furthers understanding of how the timing of vaccination is associated with this change.

Understanding these changes on a population level allows us to more effectively counsel patients about what to expect with a COVID-19 vaccine, said Alison Edelman, M.D., M.P.H., the studys lead author and professor of obstetrics and gynecology and division director of Complex Family Planning in the OHSU School of Medicine. We hope this work helps validate the publics experiences and ease fears and anxiety around vaccination.

With data from nearly 20,000 users of the FDA-cleared birth control application Natural Cycles, researchers sought to determine whether the timing of COVID-19 vaccination is associated with changes in menstrual cycle length. Individuals in the cohort analysis granted researchers permission to use their de-identified data.

Researchers compared three groups: individuals vaccinated in the follicular phase, the first phase of the menstrual cycle when the body collects follicles, or small sacs that have the potential to release an egg for fertilization during ovulation; individuals vaccinated in the luteal phase, the second part of the menstrual cycle starting after ovulation; and an unvaccinated control group.

Analysis shows that individuals who were vaccinated in the follicular phase experienced, on average, a one-day increase in cycle length when compared with their pre-vaccination cycle average. Changes typically resolved in the cycle after vaccination.

While there is now a large body of evidence demonstrating that the COVID-19 vaccine is associated with temporary menstrual cycle disturbances, the exact biological mechanism for these changes is still unknown.

We are constantly learning about how our bodies work together, but we do know the immune and reproductive systems interact closely with one another, Edelman explained. Based on this relationship, it is certainly plausible that individuals may see temporary changes in their menstrual cycle due to the immune response that vaccines are designed to produce.

Experiencing an unexpected change in menstrual cycles can be alarming. Researchers emphasize that these findings shouldnt be a cause for concern, but should provide reassurance that, if changes in cycle length occur with vaccination, they are likely to be small and temporary. Individuals who notice prolonged changes in menstruation are encouraged to seek guidance from their clinician.

Since the studys data were gathered from individuals with regular menstrual cycles pre-vaccine, the team emphasizes that additional research is needed to establish whether observed differences vary in some people who experience irregularities in their cycle. Additionally, researchers hope to better understand how other aspects of the menstrual cycle are affected by vaccination, such as menstrual-related symptoms and menstrual flow.

Historically, menstruation has not been prioritized in scientific and medical research, which leaves individuals who menstruate with a lot of unanswered questions, especially when they are experiencing something thats not normal for their body, Edelman said. Menstruation is a key indicator of fertility and overall health, so understanding these changes is very important to us as reproductive health researchers and to our patients.

Reference: Timing of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination and Effects on Menstrual Cycle Changes by Alison Edelman, Emily R. Boniface, Victoria Male, Sharon Cameron, Eleonora Benhar, Leo Han, Kristen A. Matteson, Agathe van Lamsweerde, Jack T. Pearson and Blair G. Darney, 27 February 2024, Obstetrics and Gynecology. DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005550

Research reported in this publication was funded by the National Institutes of Healths Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and Office of Research on Womens Health under award number HD089957.

Link:

COVID-19 Vaccination's Timing Linked to Menstrual Cycle Changes - SciTechDaily

What is mRNA and why is it coming up in meat advertising? – Deseret News

March 21, 2024

On the website of the meat-by-mail company Good Ranchers, potential customers learn about the companys heritage Easter ham, and also something else: Good Ranchers promise that its products are mRNA-free.

Avoid unknown vaccines in store-bought meat, says the company, which advertises on The Glenn Beck Program, among others.

Told about the Good Ranchers marketing, Dr. Paul Offit, a Philadelphia pediatrician and expert in infectious diseases and vaccines, laughed.

You just made my day, he said. I cant imagine thats what they really mean. Do they really mean theyre trying to avoid messenger RNA?

Messenger RNA, discovered in the 1960s, is a molecule present in all living cells that instructs the body on how to make proteins. In most cells of your body, you have about 200,000 pieces of messenger RNA converted in the cytoplasm to the enzymes and proteins necessary for life. Its because of messenger RNA that we make insulin or hemoglobin or any other proteins that we need, Offit said.

But the mRNA that high school students learn about in biology class has been villainized in recent years because of controversy over COVID-19 vaccines, two of which Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech employ the technology.

Last year, two Iowa lawmakers introduced a bill that would ban the use of mRNA vaccines in the state, and in January, the surgeon general of Florida issued a similar statement.

Such concerns are dismissed as ignorance or hysteria by most medical and government officials, who see mRNA vaccines as a breakthrough, for both humans and animals.

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains the technology, To trigger an immune response, many vaccines put a weakened or inactivated germ into our bodies. Not mRNA vaccines. Instead, mRNA vaccines use mRNA created in a laboratory to teach our cells how to make a protein or even just a piece of a protein that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. This immune response, which produces antibodies, is what helps protect us from getting sick from that germ in the future.

While the CDC intended to reassure Americans about the safety of mRNA vaccines, the language created in a laboratory is possibly the worst choice of words in this context, given that two-thirds of Americans believe COVID-19 itself was created in a laboratory.

That, Offit said, is one of the most persistent myths that arose during the pandemic, the other being that the COVID-19 vaccine causes COVID-19. (You could argue that the measles vaccine, which is a live, weakened form of the virus, can cause a weakened form of the disease, which rarely happens. But a single protein (used in the COVID-19 vaccine) is not going to cause the disease, he said.)

A third of Americans go even further in their distrust of health officials, believing that the COVID-19 vaccine definitely or probably caused the death of otherwise healthy people. And for many of them, the term mRNA has become synonymous with bad things being foisted on an oblivious public including our food.

In this context, Good Ranchers and other meat-by-mail businesses are not making a statement of fact in advertising mRNA free meat since all mammal cells contain mRNA but marketing their product to the small but growing number of people who distrust not just the COVID-19 vaccine, but vaccines in general.

A survey conducted last fall by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania found growing shares of people who believe that vaccines cause autism and that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, in particular, cause cancer. Some people even believe that the COVID-19 vaccines could be causing highly aggressive forms of cancer that have been dubbed turbo cancer, although an immunology expert at Johns Hopkins has said there is zero basis for such claims.

There is, however, plenty of chatter on social media about the perceived threat of mRNA, and plans to use mRNA vaccines in animals in the future has given rise to speculation that if Americans wont take the COVID-19 vaccine, their government will sneak it into our burgers and bacon. The Associated Press has issued fact checks denying that COVID-19 vaccines are in the food supply and that farmers are using mRNA vaccines in cattle. But a number of businesses are, like Good Ranchers, using their vaccine-free herds as a selling point.

Rafter W. Ranch in Simla, Colorado, for example, says on its website: Will the unintended consequences of mRNA injections in livestock be worse than MRSA and Cdiff, the most prominent superbugs created by antibiotic resistance? Nobody knows. Nature often doesnt issue its progress report immediately. It takes awhile. Just like it takes awhile to know whether your parenting skills yielded kids that dont go to jail.

The article goes on to encourage people who support Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the presidential candidate who has questioned COVID-19 vaccines, to refuse to take their grandchildren to McDonalds.

The ranch sells beef, chicken, lamb and eggs directly to consumers; you can even order the meat from an entire cow for just under $4,000.

Agriculture Department figures show that more than 90% of cattle on feedlots receive vaccinations of some kind.

Animal vaccination, in other words, is not new. But some of the concern expressed about mRNA vaccines has involved the speed with which they seemingly came on the horizon, giving oxygen to conspiracy theories.

Although scientists had been working on mRNA vaccines for years, including one for Ebola, the COVID-19 vaccine that Pfizer developed was the first to receive full FDA approval. As such, the National Institutes of Health described it as decades in the making, although it wasnt perceived by many in the public that way.

Even as most medical experts consider the COVID-19 vaccinations a success, there are still many Americans who are skeptical for reasons ranging from the fact that they got vaccinated but got COVID-19 anyway, to their belief that the vaccines are sickening and killing people, ideas that have gotten traction through films such as Shot Dead and Died Suddenly.

While Died Suddenly is widely dismissed as positing a crackpot theory about global elites intentionally depopulating the world via COVID-19 vaccinations, its audience is not insignificant. The X account of the company that produced it has 690,000 followers and regularly criticizes mRNA vaccines and other COVID-19 containment policies. But you dont have to buy into the wildest theories about vaccines to believe that their efficacy and side effects are worth talking about, especially as new mRNA vaccines are touted for everything from the flu to HIV and yes, eventually for animal vaccines.

This helps to explain why some state legislators have proposed requiring disclosure of mRNA vaccination on meat labels, and mail-order businesses that offer what they say are safer and healthier products talk about the latest mystery meat coming to our supermarkets.

Good Ranchers did not respond to emails requesting an interview, but an article posted on its website earlier this month expressed concern about a USDA-approved vaccine called Sequivity that has been widely given to pigs since 2022 to prevent swine flu.

The article noted, correctly, that Sequivity is an RNA vaccine, not an mRNA vaccine, but then goes on to say, The introduction of mRNA vaccines in livestock holds many unknowns, especially regarding the long-term health effects of consuming meat from vaccinated animals. The lack of comprehensive, long-term studies on the potential health impacts for consumers is a glaring gap in the narrative supporting the technologys safety.

But David Verhoeven, an assistant professor of vet microbiology and preventive medicine at Iowa State University, said its virtually impossible for even trace amounts of animal vaccines to end up in food because of USDA requirements that the substance exit an animals body before it is slaughtered or milked. He also said that Sequivity, produced by Merck Animal Health, has been used for nearly two years without problems and has a history that dates to 2012, when it was first developed by Harrisvaccines.

The composition of the vaccine is closer to those made with an attenuated, or weakened, virus than the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, he said.

Its not an apples-to-apples comparison, at all, Verhoeven said. Sequivity has been licensed, its well-used, and so far, no one has turned into an mRNA monster. Further, Unlike COVID mRNA, which is designed to persist in the body longer than natural mRNA through alterations to the mRNA itself or through the type of lipid shuttle used Sequivity is designed to look and act like a natural virus vaccine and only last for a short duration.

He said that mRNA vaccines for animals are under development, but a few years away, and wrote last year for The Conversation: Between the mandatory vaccine withdrawal period, flash pasteurization for milk, degradation on the shelf and the cooking process for food products, there could not be any residual vaccine left for humans to consume. Even if you were to consume residual mRNA molecules, your gastrointestinal tract will rapidly degrade them.

Good Ranchers, however, argues that there are also significant ethical considerations that consumers who eat animal products should consider.

Beyond the manipulation of animal genetics, theres an overarching question about the necessity and naturalness of such interventions, the article on Sequevity said. Traditional animal husbandry practices, which emphasize the welfare and natural lifecycle of livestock, stand in stark contrast to this new frontier of genetic intervention. This pivot points to a broader discussion about the kind of future we envision for food production and the role of technology within it.

Here is the original post:

What is mRNA and why is it coming up in meat advertising? - Deseret News

Page 21234..1020..»