Researchers Say Middle-Aged Women Have Higher Long-Covid Risks
In other news, the FDA has cleared Amazon to develop its own brand at-home covid test; scientists may have learned why cold foods cause tooth pain; and new research suggests some human brain cells remain highly active after death.
CIDRAP:
Long-Haul COVID-19 Likelihood Associated With Middle Age, Female Sex
Researchers reporting on two non-peer–reviewed studies published this week on the preprint server medRxiv followed up months after adults' COVID-19 hospitalization and found that 55% to 71% have not fully recovered. Middle age and female sex were associated with a higher likelihood of worse recovery in both studies. The larger study involved 1,077 UK patients (median age, 58) a median of 5 months after hospital discharge. While 28.8% felt fully recovered, 19.6% had a new disability, 17.8% of those who were working in full- or part-time capacity no longer were, and 19.3% had undergone a health-related change in occupation. Additionally, 1 in 4 had clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and depression, 12.2% had post-traumatic stress disorder, 17% had mild cognitive impairment, and 46% had lower physical performance. (3/26)
Stat:
Amazon Is Granted Authorization For Its Own Covid-19 Test
Amazon is now the developer of an authorized Covid-19 test. The company on Thursday received emergency clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for an at-home test known as the Amazon Covid-19 Collection Kit. The nasal swab and PCR-based test, developed by Amazon subsidiary STS Lab Holdco, allows users to test themselves with or without the supervision of a health care professional. (Brodwin, 3/26)
In other public health news —
Stat:
The Future Of Cancer Immunotherapy: Your Questions, Answered
Last week, I hosted an hourlong webinar on future directions for cancer immunotherapy. I focused my talk on three promising avenues of research: checkpoint inhibitors that target the protein called TIGIT; cell therapies utilizing NK, or natural killer, cells; and messenger RNA-based cancer vaccines. The goal with all of these approaches is to increase the number of patients with cancer who can benefit from immunotherapy. (Feuerstein, 3/29)
The New York Times:
Cold Tooth Pain's Mysterious Molecular Culprit
There’s nothing quite like the peculiar, bone-jarring reaction of a damaged tooth exposed to something cold: a bite of ice cream, or a cold drink, and suddenly, that sharp, searing feeling, like a needle piercing a nerve. Researchers have known for years that this phenomenon results from damage to the tooth’s protective outer layer. But just how the message goes from the outside of your tooth to the nerves within it has been difficult to uncover. On Friday, biologists reported in the journal Science Advances that they have identified an unexpected player in this painful sensation: a protein embedded in the surface of cells inside the teeth. The discovery provides a glimpse of the connection between the outer world and the interior of a tooth, and could one day help guide the development of treatments for tooth pain. (Greenwood, 3/26)
The Washington Post:
‘Zombie Genes’ Increase Their Activity For Hours After The Simulated Death Of Brain Tissue Samples, Study Says
When the heart stops beating and somebody dies, the body’s systems shut down and its natural processes cease. Or do they? A new study suggests that at least one type of cell remains alive after death — and that for hours, they experience increased genetic activity and even massive growth. The research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, looked at how brain tissue acts in the hours after death. To simulate what happens after death, researchers examined tissue samples taken from patients during routine brain surgeries. (Blakemore, 3/27)
