Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Damage Found In Victims' Lungs Could Explain Struggles Of 'Long Haulers'
CIDRAP: Postmortem Lungs Of COVID-19 Patients Show Massive Damage
A study of the lungs of 41 people who died from COVID-19 in Italy has revealed extensive damage, persistent distortion of the normal organ structure, scarring of respiratory tissue, and massive blood clotting of the arteries and veins, which may help explain why it takes some people—so-called "long haulers"—months to recover from fatigue and shortness of breath. The results were published yesterday in The Lancet's EBioMedicine journal. While the researchers also examined brain, heart, and kidney tissues, those organs showed no signs of damage or viral replication. (Van Beusekom, 11/4)
Stat: Research Points To Potential Link Between Pollution And Covid-19 Death Risk
New research points to another potential factor that might play into a person’s risk of death due to Covid-19: prolonged exposure to high levels of air pollution. In a study published Wednesday in Science Advances, researchers estimated long-term air pollution levels for more than 3,000 U.S. counties, which also had Covid-19 mortality data available through June 2020. While the study wasn’t designed to show whether pollution exposure directly affected a person’s risk of death due to Covid-19, it did demonstrate an association between increased pollution levels and higher Covid-19 death tolls. (Runwal, 11/4)
In other news —
Fox News: Anti-Inflammatory Diets Including Leafy Greens, Red Wine Linked To Better Heart Health: Study
Red meat or green, leafy vegetables? Sugary drinks or red wine? Researchers say opting for a diet with anti-inflammatory potential can lower the long-term risk of heart disease. Findings were published in the Nov. 10 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, among other institutions, followed over 210,000 people across various studies dating back to 1984. Participants answered a survey every four years about their diet. (Rivas, 11/4)
