Category: Covid-19

The first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. It has now been over two years since the beginning of the outbreak connected to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan.

Since then, many COVID-19 survivors have reported lingering health issues or symptoms that suddenly appear months and even a year after the initial infection. It is important to note that these patients experienced COVID-19 before vaccines were developed against SARS-CoV-2.

A recent study looked into the current conditions of COVID-19 patients from Wuhan two years later.

Of the people researchers assessed for the study, half reported having at least one long COVID symptom two years after acute infection.

The study was published in THE LANCET Respiratory Medicine.

Dr. David F. Putrino, associate professor of rehabilitation and human performance at Mount Sinai, New York, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today:

We are incredibly concerned by this. Although new variants and vaccination appear to have reduced the risk of long COVID overall, there is still a relatively large proportion of individuals experiencing long COVID symptoms after an acute infection, and we are incredibly concerned this will culminate in a mass-disabling event.

[I]f we allow COVID-19 to spread at its current rate, it is becoming increasingly likely that we are going to have a severe, mass-disabling event on our hands. Dr. David F. Putrino

The new study, led by Professor Bin Cao of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, China, is the first to report on the health of people who had acute SARS-CoV-2 infection two years ago before vaccines were developed.

The 2,469 participants in the study had all been discharged from Jin Yin-tan Hospital between January 7 and May 29, 2020. 1,119 of them chose to continue undergoing hospital evaluations and interviews two years after infection.

This is surprising, and there arent other studies out there yet that can look two years out from acute illness, Dr. James R. Heath, president and professor at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, WA, who was also not involved in the study, told MNT.

There have been reports going out to perhaps six months or even a year, I think, but largely on mild infections, he said.

At six months after acute infection, 68% of participants reported symptoms of long COVID, and by two years, that number had dropped to 55%.

However, the studys authors write that long COVID symptoms at two years were related to decreased quality of life, lower exercise capacity, abnormal mental health, and increased use of healthcare after discharge.

The most common long COVID symptoms after two years were muscle weakness or fatigue, and sleep difficulties, both reported by 31% of participants.

We already know that long COVID, in its various manifestations, is a major issue, said Dr. Heath, especially in patients who experienced severe illness, but also in patients that experienced only mild infections For those patients, the chronic symptoms appear to dissipate more quickly.

This is incredibly troubling when we consider that long COVID affects not only hospitalized patients, but also non-hospitalized patients (who were not studied here). This study [s]hould serve as a reminder that death is not the only serious consequence of an acute COVID-19 infection. Dr. David F. Putrino

After two years, 89% of participants had returned to their original work.

Dr. Angela Cheung, a professor at the University of Toronto, who was also not involved in the study, addressed what the future may hold for people who experienced COVID-19.

Long-term sequelae of COVID-19 (long COVID) may be dependent on a number of factors: treatments that patients got when they were acutely ill, number and type of vaccinations they received prior to contracting COVID-19, dose of the virus, host response, as well as the variant (e.g., Omicron vs. Delta), she said.

Thus, said Dr. Cheung, it is difficult to predict the medical future of COVID-19 survivors. The current numbers are huge, but I am hoping that with time and treatment, they will fall.

Dr. Heath said that as scientists understanding of long COVID rapidly expands, such findings will almost certainly lead to treatments.

However, it is going to take a few years to test those treatments in appropriate double-blind placebo-controlled trials, and there are likely multiple disease etiologies, implying multiple treatments will be needed, he added.

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COVID-19: 55% of early pandemic survivors still symptomatic 2 years on - Medical News Today

Stay up to date on vaccinations and wear a mask. Those are the key messages from local and state health officials ahead of Memorial Day weekend.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise in Washington, and Yakima County has recently started to see an uptick. That rise is concerning with mask requirements reduced and large gatherings on the horizon, said health officer Dr. Neil Barg with the Yakima Health District.

As people gear up for parties and barbecues indoors or outdoors, they should take extra care to keep themselves and others safe, Barg said.

People will be gathering in large groups, so I expect things will go up in June, Barg said. This has happened every time theres been a big holiday.

State Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah said spread across the state will happen, but the severity of the increase depends on peoples behaviors.

We really have an opportunity to get ahead of this and prevent it, Shah said.

Preventive measures include staying up to date with vaccines and getting a booster dose, wearing masks while indoors or in close quarters, getting tested, and staying home if symptoms develop or if test results are positive.

COVID-19 levels remain low in Yakima County, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measurement that comes from case counts and hospital data, but cases and hospitalizations are on the rise.

The health district reported 220 new cases for the week of May 13-20, up from 139 the previous week. In early April, total weekly case counts dipped below 50.

The health district is releasing weekly data each Friday.

Barg said the strain going around is omicron BA.2, or stealth omicron. It is more contagious than the original omicron but comes with less severe illness, he said.

It does appear initially, like omicron, that its less serious, Barg said. But if it develops into many, many, many people becoming infected, like with the first strain of omicron, we still could have a strain on the hospital system and health care workers.

Health district data showed six people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Yakima County as of Friday. Barg said that number had increased to 10 people hospitalized as of Tuesday, but none of the individuals were in the ICU or on a ventilator.

So far, the number of people seriously ill has not increased, he said.

No COVID-19 deaths have been reported so far this month. Barg said that its still early, but that piece of information may point to the BA.2 variant being less severe.

Well probably see deaths at some point, but the slower they come on the less severe the entire outbreak will be, he said.

Kristin Travis, a community outreach doula, holds a home COVID-19 test kit Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, while picking up supplies at Open Arms Perinatal Services before going out to visit some of her clients in Seattle.

Barg said Yakima County is lagging behind other communities in the state when it comes to cases.

Were a little bit behind Seattle all the time, but Seattles not seeing an explosion of cases, Barg said. Theyre just higher than we are now.

The 7-day case rate in Washington was 245 cases per 100,000 for the week beginning May 7, according to the state dashboard. Thats compared to a 7-day case rate of 58 cases per 100,000 in Yakima County during the same week, the state dashboard said.

Health secretary Shah said increases are happening particularly in western Washington, but its just a matter of time until those increases reach other communities.

Really, its a matter of spread happening, and it is hard to predict in which direction it will go, Shah said. I will tell you that youll start to see increases in communities throughout Washington.

State board of health member Dr. Bob Lutz said trends in the western part of the state often predate trends in the eastern side, but not always.

I think we just have to be sensitive to the fact that, yes, cases are rising on the west side (and) were seeing the rise on the east side, not to the same degree, Lutz said, but it really does come down to how much risk and the environments in which people find themselves.

Masks are strongly recommended for people in riskier environments, he said, and people should also make sure they are up to date on vaccines.

Though cases are increasing, Barg said it is hard to predict what the next several weeks will look like in Yakima County. The first omicron variant increased slowly in the beginning, too, he said, and then it bumped up quickly.

We dont know whats going to happen in the next four to six weeks, so we hope its just a slow rise and then it goes down again. But its too early to predict that, he said.

Vaccines prevent serious illness, Barg said. He also recommended people stay up to date on their vaccine series.

In Yakima County, 59% of the total population has completed a primary vaccine series, and for the population 5 and older, about 64% have completed the primary series. About 45% of the eligible population has received a booster dose, according to the state dashboard.

At the state level, 68% of the total population has completed a primary vaccine series and about 58% of those eligible have received a booster.

Barg encouraged people who are eligible to get the second booster shot. That dose is available for people 50 years of age and older, some immunocompromised people age 12 or older, and people age 18 or older who received a primary vaccine and booster dose of the J&J vaccine.

It seems to protect people better than just the one booster, Barg said.

He also said people who have already had omicron are well protected against the BA2 variant. People are even better protected if they have had omicron and are up to date on vaccinations, he said.

A list of upcoming community vaccine clinics is available at YakimaVaccines.org.

Yakima County residents can still order free, rapid home tests to be delivered to their door from either the federal government at COVIDtests.gov or the state DOH at sayyeshometest.org. For the federal program, people can also call 1-800-232-0233 for help placing an order.

Additional information on at-home testing is available on the health district website.

I think thats working really well for a lot of folks because its really not an uncomfortable test and it takes 15 minutes to get the answer, Barg said about at-home testing.

Free COVID-19 testing is also available at the Yakima Valley College community testing site at 810 S. 14th Ave in Yakima, or at various clinics and pharmacies throughout the county. The community site is open 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

People in high risk groups who test positive for COVID should talk to their doctors about getting a prescription for Paxlovid, Barg said.

He said the antiviral drug is available in Yakima County for people who qualify. It must be taken within five days after a positive test.

It really reduces the risk of hospitalization and severe illness in people that fall into the (high) risk group, Barg said. If you do get treated, you should not think that youre not contagious right away.

People should continue to follow the CDC isolation and mask guidelines after testing positive and taking Paxlovid, he said.

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COVID-19 cases on the uptick in Yakima County - Yakima Herald-Republic

While a cough, fever and fatigue are often signs of COVID-19,Arizonans experiencing those symptomsright now mayactually havethe flu.

Arizona is in the midst of an unusually late spike in flu cases, and it's not too late to get a flu vaccine,Carla Berg, Deputy Director for Public Health Services at the Arizona Department of Health Services, said in a May 19blog post.

The increase in flu cases comes at a time when COVID-19 cases have also been risingin Arizona.

Dr. Robert Porter, an emergency medicine physician at Banner Ironwood Medical Center, told The Arizona Republic that Banner Health isseeing an increase in patients with the flu, many of whom believe they have COVID-19.

If you have flu-like symptoms and are worried it could be COVID-19, Porter suggeststaking an at-home COVID-19 test, as the symptoms are quite similar and there isn't a reliable way to distinguish between them based on symptoms alone. However, he said the home care for both illnesses is largely the same.

Unless you get extremely sick and have difficulty breathing and are not able to keep fluids down, then most of the stuff is symptom relief at home, Porter said.

If you feel dehydrated or are getting more sick and not able to drink and eat, then those are reasons to come in and get evaluated or go see your primary care physician. Depending on how sick you are, you can go to your primary doctor, urgent care or an emergency room.

Anyone who has not had the vaccine needs to hurry up because supplies are expiring, Chandler family physician Dr. Andrew Carroll told The Republic.

Many doctors offices may no longer have the flu vaccine this late in the season, he said.

State health department spokesperson Steve Elliott told The Republic in an email that the vaccine will expire at the end of June, which means there is still time for people to benefit from it. People should check pharmacies or other providers if their doctor doesnt have it, he said. However, it is better for people to get the flu vaccine at the start of each flu season, Elliott wrote.

For anyone who can't find a flu vaccine, Carroll advisestaking other precautions like wearing an N95 or KN95 mask indoors to avoid both the flu and COVID-19, rates of which have been increasing in recent weeks.

"If you wash your hands, hand sanitize and you mask, you're providing a decent layer of protection, and that's the best thing to do at this time," he said. "If you are going to the grocery store or a sports event or an airplane, you really should be wearing a mask."

Flu cases usually spike around December and January, but Arizona isexperiencing an unusualsecond spike, ADHS data shows, though overall flu cases have been lower than usual this season. A similar trend is happening in other states, Bergs post says.

A reduction in COVID-19 mitigation measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing may be one reason for the recent uptick in flu cases, Berg wrote.

COVID-19 and influenza share many of the same signs and symptoms, Berg wrote.Both can result in severe illness and complications, especially for older adults, people with certain underlying medical conditions, and pregnant women.

Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect against the flu, Berg wrote. In addition, she wrote, she advises other ways to protect oneself:

Republic reporter Stephanie Innescontributed to this article.

Christina van Waasbergen is a journalism student at Northwestern University and an intern covering health care at The Arizona Republic. Reach her at cvanwaasbergen@arizonarepublic.com.

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Arizonans with COVID-19 symptoms may actually have the flu - The Arizona Republic

WEDNESDAY 5/25/2022 1:52 p.m.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has reported 1,463,401 total positive coronavirus test results in the state and 12,986 total COVID-19 deaths.

The number of known cases per variant is no longer tracked as The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has updated its website, deleting that section.

Unable to view the tables below?Click here.

The DHS announced an attempt to verify and ensure statistics are accurate, some numbers may be subject to change. The DHS is combing through current and past data to ensure accuracy.

Wisconsins hospitals are reporting, that the 7-day moving average of COVID-19 patients hospitalized was 319 patients. Of those,39 are in an ICU. ICU patients made up 11.3%of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reports that 9,515,134 vaccine doses and 2,033,629 booster doses have been administered in Wisconsin as of May 25.

Unable to view the tables below?Click here.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is using a new module to measure COVID-19 activity levels. They are now using the Center for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) COVID-19 Community Levels. The map is measured by the impact of COVID-19 illness on health and health care systems in the communities.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 18 counties in Wisconsin are experiencing high COVID-19 community levels. Marinette County is the only one in northeast Wisconsin.

34 counties in Wisconsin are experiencing medium COVID-19 community levels, including Brown, Door, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Shawano, Sheboygan, Waushara, and Winnebago County in northeast Wisconsin.

Every other county in Wisconsin is experiencing low COVID-19 community levels.

For more information on how the data is collected, visit the CDCs COVID-19 Community Levels data page.

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Wisconsin adds over 1,750 new cases of COVID-19, totaling up to over 1.46M - WeAreGreenBay.com

With the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, UPMC is continuing to limit access to its health care facilities to patients, identified and approved support persons, staff and essential vendors.

Dr. Rutul Dalal, medical director, Infectious Diseases, UPMC in North Central Pa., noted 189 patients were being treated for COVID across the health system, including 14 at area UPMC hospitals, which includes those in Williamsport, Muncy, Wellsboro and Coudersport.

Many other people are being tested and treated at home and not requiring hospital services.

However, we are seeing the increase in cases within the hospitals recently similar to trends from across the commonwealth and nation, he said. Our current volumes are much lower than what we experienced in the winter.

Dulal stressed the importance of people knowing the risks of infection and taking steps to protect themselves such as getting vaccinated, staying away from large, indoor crowds and masking, especially in big gatherings of people.

Vaccinations and boosters remain one of the best ways to continue to fight the spread of infection, he noted.

We also continue to require people who come to any UPMC facility to wear a face mask that covers their nose and mouth and to practice other prevention efforts like physical distancing, even if they are fully vaccinated, Dalal said.

Barbara Hemmendinger, of the Lycoming County Health Improvement Coalition and Lets End COVID, said now is not the time for people to let down their guards.

Much of the state, including Lycoming County, falls under the Centers for Disease Control and Infections high community level for COVID.

We are dealing with Omicron variants which are the most contagious we have ever seen, she said.

The caveat to that, she said, is that symptoms for many appear to be more mild than with other variants. However, many people can still develop symptoms which persist.

The CDC is recommending wearing masks indoors, she said. It is a recommendation and it is based on science.

She stressed the need for people to protect themselves and others against infection.

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COVID-19 is not over: Local hospitals seeing an increase in cases - Williamsport Sun-Gazette

Jose Lazaro, a medical assistant at a University of Washington Medicine clinic, prepares a two-shot dose of AstraZenecas Evusheld, the first set of antibodies grown in a lab to prevent COVID-19, on Jan. 20, 2022, in Seattle.

During the first two years of the pandemic, Jennifer Pate asked herself one question before doing just about anything: is it worth dying over?'

She has two immune deficiencies that make her body unable to produce antibodies after an infection and fight viruses like COVID-19. The stakes of even the smallest daily tasks were life or death.

"Hey, do you think I could just, like, run in to HEB?'" Pate would ask her brother, a former executive of a major hospital.

"David will say, is it worth dying over?' And Ill say no.' Well, what about if I just ran into Target'. Is it worth dying over?' No.'"

Because of her conditions, Pate's doctors told her when the outbreak first reached Houston that the pandemic was likely a death sentence. She upended her life in an effort to protect herself any way she could: She started working from home. She relied on Amazon, Instacart and Doordash to avoid a trip to the grocery store. She would only go in public for the absolute essentials picking up medications and taking her pets to the veterinarian.

But news of a game-changing COVID-19 drug eventually helped Pate take those first steps outside her front door.

Evusheld, a preventative therapeutic that came on the scene in December, is a combination of monoclonal antibodies intended for immunocompromised people who don't mount an adequate immune response from vaccines such as cancer patients on chemotherapy or people with autoimmune diseases. Doctors can decide whether patients with chronic conditions like diabetes or liver diseases might benefit as well.

When Jennifer Pate found out, she told her doctor.

"Im getting it the nanosecond it comes out." Pate said at the time.

She was the first patient at Houston Methodist hospital to receive Evusheld in January. Shes still very careful, but has opened up her life in small ways. She feels comfortable letting in the plumber to fix the toilet, and she accompanied her mom to the ER after she broke her arm. Her risk tolerance has risen slightly.

"I'm not exaggerating, this was the most amazing day of my life," Pate said.

The injections, which are now under FDA emergency use authorization, are to be taken before an infection occurs. And the drug has been shown to be safe, said Dr. William Musick, a pharmacist at Houston Methodist Hospital.

Out of 20,000 patients, there were a couple of infusion reactions that required some additional monitoring and maybe some Benadryl and Tylenol, but other than that, it's extremely well tolerated, Musick said.

But this lifeline, which has calmed the anxieties of some immunocompromised, is going largely unnoticed.

Over the past six months, only a small number of Texans have taken advantage of the benefits. The Department of State Health Services has allocated 30,000 regimens to the whole state from December to early May, according to an email from a spokesperson. Much of that product is still sitting on the shelf.

Even though Texas was given 100,000 regimens from the federal government, low demand has stopped the state from allocating it to providers.

Sheri Innerarity, the chair of the Texas Nurse Practitioners Education Committee and a professor at UT Austin, says most people have never heard of Evusheld including healthcare professionals. She first found out about it in late March.

"There are no ads running on television," said Innerarity. "So if I didnt know about it and Im where I am, and I teach what I teach, I was pretty horrified about how many people would really not know about it."

"I had a patient who I really believed could have survived if he had known about this drug before he got COVID," Innerarity said.

A big reason people don't know is because drugmaker AstraZeneca is not marketing Evusheld. Thats because it doesnt have full formal approval through the FDA, according to Mark Esser, AstraZeneca's vice president of early vaccines and early therapies.

Thats one of the agreements under emergency use authorization, Esser said. Im sure youve seen pharmaceutical company ads on TV. We can do awareness, but were not doing direct-to-consumer. Maybe thats one reason folks arent so familiar with it.

The state health department has made efforts to inform providers, but not the general public. Local health departments in Houston and Harris County also haven't promoted Evusheld.

Innerarity said there are access issues for those who are aware of the therapeutic. In Harris County, there are only 10 locations, mostly concentrated on the west side. For rural areas, especially in parts of West Texas, the closest provider could be hundreds of miles away.

"Its absolutely an equity issue," Innerarity said. "If you dont have initial access and a provider who is aware, then it's not going to happen."

Stephanie Duke, an attorney at Disability Rights Texas, is not surprised that Evusheld remains relatively obscure. From testing to vaccines, there often isn't planning that includes the disabled community, she said.

"Unfortunately, I cant say Im shocked that nobody knows," Duke said. "But this is just kind of a general theme, right? Because during any disaster, people aren't aware."

For now, the treatment itself is free, although there could be administration fees charged by the provider. Duke wonders how long that will last as pandemic fatigue deepens and the federal government disinvests in COVID-19 funding.

Moving forward, she hopes to see all levels of government dedicate more resources to get the word out.

"There should be a targeted, coordinated response, somehow facilitated with state agencies, whoever, to push this word out, Duke said.

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A preventative COVID-19 drug has opened up life for some immunocompromised Texans. But it remains unknown to many others - Houston Public Media

People who buy their own health insurance in Maryland may find again that they must pay more next year, likely due to costs from the coronavirus pandemic.

The three carriers offering policies on Marylands health exchange or directly to consumers under the Affordable Care Act requested rate increases from state insurance regulators averaging 11%.

It is clear from our ongoing monitoring of industry experience that 2021 claims were heavily influenced by COVID-19, and that the significant differences between where we were in 2021 and where we are likely to be in 2023 must be modeled and taken into account in rate development, said Kathleen Birrane, the states insurance commissioner, in a statement.

The Maryland Insurance Administration will review the requests and set rates in September for the insurance, also known as Obamacare.

More than 222,000 individuals bought coverage on the Maryland exchange or through the insurers this year, with close to 80% tapping subsidies to help pay premiums. Most are not offered insurance by their employers.

Tens of thousands of Marylanders gained insurance during special enrollment periods for those who lost insurance during the pandemic. More people were added during the pandemic to the rolls of Medicaid, the federal-state health program for low-income residents.

Some now risk being removed from Medicaid as officials resume checking whether participants remain qualified, a practice that was suspended during the pandemic health emergency.

Federal subsidies added to private plans during the pandemic also will expire by the end of the year if Congress does not renew them, though most people will retain aid to buy their plans.

There are about 1.2 million Marylanders enrolled in income-based Medicaid plans and about 175,000 enrolled in private plans.

State regulators say they will take pandemic-related changes to costs and enrollment into account when they approve rates, along with the actual impact of the coronavirus on costs.

Obtaining more detailed information on how COVID-19 claims experience has influenced cost and trend models for 2023 will be the primary focus for our actuarial team, Birrane said.

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the states dominant carrier, asked for an average 11.2% rate increase in its HMO plan, which covers more than 149,000 people. That would mean an extra $30 a month for a policy holder with an average-priced silver plan, pushing it up to $353.

CareFirst requested a 25.9% rate increase for its PPO plan, which covers nearly 16,300 people.

United Healthcare is seeking an average 8.7% increase for its HMO plan. The monthly cost for a policy holder with a silver plan would rise by $28 to $363.

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Kaiser Permanente asked for an average 7.2% for its HMO plan, which covers almost 64,900 people. That would raise the premium for a policy holder with a silver plan by $14 to $275 a month.

Kaiser Permanentes proposed 2023 individual and family plan rates reflect the anticipated costs of providing high-quality health care and coverage for all our members over the long term, Kaiser said in a statement. We believe consumers will find us to be a competitive and comprehensive choice when they seek health coverage for 2023.

Providers of health insurance for small businesses also requested an average 10% increase.

For the current year, state regulators ended up approving premium hikes for individuals averaging about 2.1% for the nearly three dozen plans offered by the three insurance companies on the exchange.

That followed several years of major reductions in costs due to a reinsurance program passed by the General Assembly that helped offset the bills for insurers from the costliest beneficiaries. It replaced a program killed by Republicans in the U.S. Congress.

The Maryland Insurance Administration expects to hold public hearings on the rate requests in July.

CareFirst and United Healthcare didnt respond Wednesday to requests for comment.

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COVID-19 likely to make health insurance more expensive for many in Maryland - Baltimore Sun

More than 500 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since late 2019. Most people who develop COVID-19 have mild disease, but theres compelling evidence that people with certain health conditions like leukemia are at elevated risk of severe disease or death.

A 2021 study presented at the 63rd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition found that people with blood cancer have a 17 percent chance of dying from COVID-19, significantly higher than the general population.

Its less clear if COVID-19 increases your risk of developing leukemia or other blood cancers. Some researchers think its plausible that COVID-19, in combination with other factors, could contribute to cancer development. At this time, the link remains theoretical.

Read on to learn more about how COVID-19 could, in theory, contribute to the development of leukemia.

Some types of blood cancer have been linked to infections. Its not clear if COVID-19 contributes to the development of leukemia, but scientists have found some theoretical links.

Cancer development is usually a consequence of multiple factors that drive genetic mutations in cancer cells. Its plausible that COVID-19 could predispose your body to cancer or accelerate cancer progression.

Most people with COVID-19 recover within 2 to 6 weeks, but some people have symptoms that linger for months. Its thought that the lingering effects result from chronic low grade inflammation triggered by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

Chronic inflammation can cause DNA damage that contributes to the development of cancer. In a study published in April 2021, researchers hypothesized lingering inflammation in people with COVID-19 could increase cancer risk.

The immune response in people with COVID-19 is orchestrated by pro-inflammatory molecules linked to the development of tumors, specifically:

COVID-19 is also associated with other processes known to drive cancer formation such as:

A few case studies have reported people admitted to the hospital with leukemia shortly after developing COVID-19. However, its not clear if COVID-19 played a role or how much of a role it played. Leukemia may have developed coincidentally.

The authors of a 2022 study present a theoretical framework of how COVID-19 could influence the development of blood cancers. According to the researchers, an abnormal immune response to viral infections can indirectly trigger gene mutations that promote leukemia.

The virus that causes COVID-19 can also significantly interact with the renin-angiotensin system, which is suggested to have a role in the development of cancerous blood cells.

In a case study published in 2021, researchers present the case of a 61-year-old man who developed acute myeloid leukemia 40 days after developing COVID-19. The researchers concluded that more studies are needed to assess whether theres an association between COVID-19 and acute leukemia.

In another case study from 2020, researchers presented a man who developed COVID-19 as the first sign of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The researchers found that the persons lymphocyte count doubled over 4 weeks, suggesting the viral infection is associated with the replication of B cells, the type of white blood cell that CLL develops in.

Some other types of viral infections have been linked to the development of leukemia.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer, and its rates have been increasing. Growing evidence strongly suggests an abnormal immune response to infections early in life is responsible.

Having a human adult T-cell leukemia virus type 1 infection is linked to the development of T-cell leukemia. This virus is transmitted primarily through bodily fluids. The World Health Organization estimates that 5 to 10 million people have the viral infection.

Some types of infections have been linked to the development of another type of blood cancer called lymphoma. They include:

The FDA has approved the drug remdesivir for adults and some children with COVID-19.

At the time of writing, theres no evidence that remdesivir can cause leukemia.

In a 2021 study, a 6-year-old child with newly diagnosed ALL and COVID-19 was treated with remdesivir and convalescent plasma therapy before starting leukemia treatment.

No adverse events were linked to the therapy, and the researchers concluded this treatment could be considered in people with cancer to accelerate the resolution of the viral infection and to start cancer treatment sooner.

Some researchers have raised concerns that the antiviral drug molnupiravir, which received FDA Emergency Use Authorization on December 23, 2021, could potentially cause cancerous mutations or birth defects. Researchers are continuing to examine these potential adverse effects.

The development of blood cancer is complex. Researchers are continuing to examine whether COVID-19 infection can contribute to the development of leukemia or any other blood cancer. Some researchers have posed a theoretical link, but more research is needed.

None of the vaccines approved for use in the United States interact with your DNA or cause cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its a myth that mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) can cause changes to your DNA.

About 25 percent of blood cancer patients dont produce detectable antibodies after vaccination, according to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). However, the CDC continues to recommend that everyone with cancer still get vaccinated.

LLS experts say vaccination should be combined with other prevention precautions for the best protection.

People with cancer seem to be at a higher risk of severe COVID-19. According to the National Cancer Institute, people with blood cancer may have a higher risk of prolonged infection and death than people with solid tumors.

Researchers are continuing to examine the link between leukemia and COVID-19. Strong evidence suggests that people with leukemia are at an increased risk of developing severe COVID-19.

Some researchers have posed that COVID-19 could contribute to leukemia formation, but as of now, the link remains theoretical. Much more research is needed to understand the connection.

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Leukemia After COVID-19: Is There a Connection? - Healthline

The global excess mortality associated with COVID-19 was 14.91 million in the 24 months between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021, representing 9.49 million more deaths than those globally reported as directly attributable to COVID-19.

The impact of the pandemic has been over several waves with each characterized by unique regional distributions, mortality levels and drivers. Twenty countries, representing approximately 50% of the global population, account for over 80% of the estimatedglobal excess mortality for the January 2020 to December 2021 period. These countries are Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, the Russian Federation, South Africa, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States of America (USA). We are able to observe the evolution of the pandemic over these 24 months as different regions and countries were impactedby and responded to the threat of COVID-19.

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Global excess deaths associated with COVID-19, January 2020 - December 2021 - World Health Organization

Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Wash., identified the United States first known COVID-19 patient on January 20, 2020, marking the onset of a health care crisis whose proportions would have been difficult to imagine at the time. Soon afterward, the health system also took on a pioneering role in treating COVID-19 patients with the antiviral drug remdesivir.

As of April 2022, the US has counted 81 million cases of coronavirus infection and almost 1 million deaths nearly a sixth of the worlds total lives lost to date and the pandemic has done no less than permanently alter the way health care organizations operate and practice medicine.

In a conversation with SmartBrief, Darren Redick, chief executive of the Providence Swedish North Puget Sound health system, offered some constructive hindsight on challenges the crisis has presented and solutions his organization found to address them.

SB: Looking back on the last two years, what has Providence learned about handling the high-stress and high-volume patient care demands of a pandemic? What processes and precautions did you already have in place before the COVID-19 crisis?

DR: As the hospital that admitted the first known COVID-19 patient in the United States, Providence Everett has been on the frontlines of the pandemic from the very beginning. We were uniquely prepared, however, and our Biocontainment, Evaluation, and Specialty Treatment (BEST) team had just run through a full drill two weeks prior to the first patient arriving, in which they practiced receiving and caring for an infectious disease patient. We have a special unit we can set up for infectious disease patients, and that unit was used for the first COVID patient. For years, we have done regular drills for that unit going back to when we were preparing for the possibility of an Ebola patient. Our drills include our community partners, such as the Health District, EMS, the Northwest Healthcare Response Network, and more. One reason the process for the initial patient went well is the drill we had a couple of weeks prior included our community partners.

We also have a medical tower that was designed with a pandemic in mind, so an entire floor has reverse air flow capabilities. These pandemic HVAC systems are available for 64 beds across two units. In addition, as part of the Providence health system, we had a relatively good supply of PPE available. These factors have been extremely helpful throughout the pandemic to help limit exposures in the hospital. The high-stress and high-volume demands of the pandemic have been extremely difficult, but our caregivers have endured with compassion and strength, and I am so proud of them and humbled to work with them. Our Providence mission calls for us to be steadfast in serving all, and our caregivers have indeed provided excellent care throughout the pandemic.

Also, for years we have had in place a Service Operations and Transfer Center to manage operations, and that has proven invaluable throughout the pandemic.

SB: When the next pandemic arrives, how will your staff and facilities be better prepared for it? Have you added equipment, permanent training programs, more treatment space, technology, other tools that can help?

DR: Health care has been fundamentally altered by the pandemic in many ways. For example, we quickly pivoted to provide many telehealth and virtual care options for our patients during the pandemic, and many of those programs will continue. This is a great option for many patients and also allows resources to be deployed to more critical patients. Specifically, at Providence Everett, we have developed many new training programs and protocols around infection prevention, care and treatment of infectious disease patients, and more. We also have the ability to quickly flex and adjust our operations based on the situation. All of these experiences, and many more, will be important as we face future COVID-19 surges, another pandemic, or other challenges.

From a building system standpoint, I think we have also been well prepared. We understand that health care is a larger, connected system and that impacts to any portion of the system (primary care, specialty care, ambulatory care, post-acute services, long term care services) all affect one another. As a community of health care services and organizations, it is clear we need to plan and work together to best manage the effects of pandemics and other critical community health issues.

SB: What is it like handling the psychological uncertainty and stress of a pandemic especially when you know more infectious diseases will appear, but you dont know how much differently they will present, or how severe they will be?

DR: The uncertainty and stress for all frontline health care workers has been intense, and Providence has implemented a multitude of programs and resources to help with mental health concerns, child care challenges, work-life balance, and much more. As a specific example, we have trained and deployed Critical Incident Stress Management teams to help caregivers after they have been through a difficult situation. These teams allow caregivers to debrief after an incident, share how theyre feeling, be connected to resources, and more. Our caregivers are here because they are passionate about caring for others. Health care is a calling, and that has never been more apparent than during the last two years.

SB: Were there any pandemic protocols or technologies that you thought would be effective in managing patient care, but that turned out to be less helpful? What did you learn from those situations?

DR: Throughout the pandemic we have followed guidance from the CDC and the Department of Health, which is based on evidence-based best practices. The entire world has seen science play out in real time throughout the pandemic, and weve all learned that the process is not always linear. However, by following proven treatments and established protocols, we have provided excellent care to our patients.

SB: What kinds of organizations have you partnered with to educate and prepare staff and the hospital for future outbreaks?

DR: Beginning with the very first COVID patient and even before that, during drills we worked closely with our local health department, EMS, fire department, and more. Throughout the pandemic, weve partnered with other hospitals in the state to level patient load so that no single hospital got overwhelmed during a surge. This helped keep Washington state from declaring crisis standards of care. This coordination of care among hospitals and health organizations throughout our state is extremely important and has positioned us well for future challenges.

SB: Have other hospitals approached you to advise them on establishing better pandemic protocols? If so, how do you handle those requests?

DR: Since we successfully treated the first COVID-19 patient in the US, weve been getting calls from other hospitals around the country for two years. Health care is all about sharing information and best practices to help advance patient outcomes. For example, in March 2020, our team published a case report of the first patient in the New England Journal of Medicine to help share our experience and how the patient was successfully treated with remdesivir. Throughout the pandemic, we have also worked closely with the Washington State Hospital Association to share information, and WSHA has done a tremendous job helping hospitals coordinate and respond.

SB: What have been the most rewarding and encouraging outcomes from your preparedness efforts? Can you share any data or study results on efficiencies, cost savings, patient health impact?

DR: The most rewarding and encouraging part is the stories of the patients who recover. For example, USA Today featured this story of a Providence Everett patient who spent 25 days on a ventilator, but made a full recovery and was reunited with her family. Knowing that the drills and the training, the protocols and procedures, the foresight to have a floor with reverse air flow, and most of all, the dedication, care, bravery and expertise of our caregivers, all played a role in saving so many lives is extremely powerful. Throughout the pandemic, we have also been at the forefront of research and new therapies.

We were the first in the world to administer remdesivir to a COVID-19 patient. We have published numerous studies about care and treatment of COVID-19, and shared a lot of information with the public to help educate them and promote best practices. Examples include this paper on Remdesivir and Mortality Rates in Patients with COVID, as well as this account on the role of technology in COVID-19 care and delivery.

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Lessons from the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis - Smartbrief