Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Covid Deaths Varied Dramatically Across The US: More In The South
CIDRAP: Modeling Study Shows Geographical Disparities In US COVID Deaths
Using excess mortality data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers from Georgetown University found significant regional differences in mortality rates due to COVID-19, with a disproportionate number of virus deaths in Southern states. Excess deaths were analyzed for the period between Jan 3, 2020, to Sep 26, 2021, with Northeast, Midwest, South, and West regions compared. Though the South only has 38% of the US population, that region has seen 48% of the nation's COVID-19 deaths since October of 2020. Using the excess death data over that same time period, there were 895,693 excess deaths associated with COVID-19, 26% more than previously reported, the authors said. Since May 31, 2020, the South experienced COVID-19 mortality 26% higher than the national rate, whereas the Northeast's rate was 42% lower. (4/28)
CIDRAP: Initial Vital Signs, Labs Better Predict COVID Severity Than Chronic Conditions
COVID-19 patients' vital signs, lab results, and need for supplemental oxygen when they arrive at the hospital can better predict illness severity than underlying illnesses and differ by age-group, suggests a modeling study published today in Scientific Reports. A team led by Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle led the study to improve risk stratification for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, a process important for clinical decision-making and resource allocation. (Van Beusekom, 4/28)
CIDRAP: Opera-Led Singing Program Eased Breathlessness In Long-COVID Patients
An ongoing online UK program using singing techniques helped relieve post–COVID-19 mental wellbeing and persistent breathlessness, according to a randomized, controlled trial published yesterday in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Led by Imperial College London researchers, the trial involved 150 adults who still had shortness of breath, with or without anxiety, 4 or more weeks after symptom onset (average, 320 days), referred from 51 UK long-COVID clinics from Apr 22 to May 25, 2021. Eighty-one percent of participants were women. (4/28)
In news on non-covid related research —
The New York Times: Patients Taking Experimental Obesity Drug Lost More Than 50 Pounds, Maker Claims
An experimental drug has enabled people with obesity or who are overweight to lose about 22.5 percent of their body weight, about 52 pounds on average, in a large trial, the drug’s maker announced on Thursday. The company, Eli Lilly, has not yet submitted the data for publication in a peer-reviewed medical journal or presented them in a public setting. But the claims nonetheless amazed medical experts. “Wow (and a double Wow!)” Dr. Sekar Kathiresan, chief executive of Verve Therapeutics, a company focusing on heart disease drugs, wrote in a tweet. Drugs like Eli Lilly’s, he added, are “truly going to revolutionize the treatment of obesity!!!” (Kolata, 4/28)
Bloomberg: Seven Hours Of Sleep Per Night Is Optimal In Middle To Older Age, Study Suggests
Seven hours of sleep per night is the ideal amount in middle to older age, a study has suggested. Both too much and too little sleep are associated with poorer cognitive performance and mental health, according to researchers from Cambridge University and Fudan University in China. Scientists examined data from nearly 500,000 adults, aged between 38 and 73, from the UK Biobank. Participants were asked about their sleeping patterns, mental health and wellbeing, and took part in a series of cognitive tests. (Russell, 4/28)
CIDRAP: Antibiotic Use In Young Children Tied To Reduced Vaccine Response
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers have found that antibiotic use in young children is associated with lower vaccine-induced antibody responses to several childhood vaccines. The study, published yesterday in Pediatrics, found that children 2 years of age and younger who had received antibiotics had lower levels of antibody protection from the diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) than those who received no antibiotics. They also found that antibiotic courses that were accumulated over time were negatively associated with vaccine-induced antibody levels. (Dall, 4/28)
Stat: Startups Turn To EEGs To Fuel A Resurgence In Neuro Drug Development
Biotechs are used to turning to genetics as guideposts in developing new medications. Now, a small but growing number of startups are turning to a century-old technology found in hospitals and doctors’ offices across the country to find new clues for developing brain disorder treatments. At least four biotechs — Athira Pharma, Alto Neuroscience, Beacon Biosignals, and Neumora Therapeutics — have integrated electroencephalograms, or EEGs, in their work. The tests use dozens of electrodes placed around a person’s head to measure brain waves, generally to diagnose epilepsy or sleep disorders, but these companies believe they could unveil new biomarkers for many other conditions. (DeAngelis, 4/29)
Stat: Researchers Test The Power Of Machine Learning To Study Long Covid
Long Covid, with its constellation of symptoms, is proving a challenging moving target for researchers trying to conduct large studies of the syndrome. As they take aim, they’re debating how to responsibly use growing piles of real-world data — drawing from the full experiences of long Covid patients, not just their participation in stewarded clinical trials. “People have to really think carefully about what does this mean,” said Zack Strasser, an internist at Massachusetts General Hospital who has used existing patient records to study the characteristics of long Covid. “Is this true? Is this not some artifact that’s just happening because of the people that we’re looking at within the electronic health record? Because there are biases.” (Palmer, 4/29)
