Research Roundup: Covid; Obesity; Cancer; TB; Cyclospora; Chikungunya

CIDRAP: Swiss Study: Almost 40% Of Patients Had Long COVID After 7 To 9 Months
Seven to 9 months postacute COVID-19 infection, 39.0% of 410 adults still had symptoms of long COVID-19, according to a study yesterday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The researchers included symptomatic outpatients in Geneva enrolled from Mar 18 to May 15, 2020. Of those who responded to follow-up at 7 to 9 months post-infection, 39.0% still had symptoms, of which half experienced one or two symptoms (27.6% and 26.4%, respectively). (7/7)

CIDRAP: Pain Associated With Worse COVID-19 In Sickle Cell Disease
A history of pain in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients—the disease's most common complication—is associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes in children and adults, according to a Blood Advances study yesterday. SCD-related organ comorbidities were also related to worse COVID-19 outcomes in children. The researchers looked at 750 international patients with COVID-19 and SCD from March 2020 to 2021. Almost half (48.5%) were children, median age 11, and the remaining were adults, median age 31. About 91% were Black and 7% were Latino. (7/2)

CIDRAP: COVID Risk From Patient Encounters Appears Low In Emergency Responders
COVID incidence for emergency medical service (EMS) workers was not affected by work encounters with a COVID-19 patient, according to an Emerging Infectious Diseases study yesterday. The researchers looked at EMS responses in King County, Washington, from Feb 16 to Jul 31, 2020, and found that about 1% of all encounters were with a COVID-19 patient (1,115), of which about one in six needed an aerosol-generating procedure (AGP), the most common being nonrebreather masks. (Over the study period, EMS workers received COVID-related protocols, including personal protective equipment guidelines. For instance, anytime an AGP was performed, the workers needed to don N95 respirators.) (7/2)

In other research news —

ScienceDaily: Impulsiveness Tied To Faster Eating In Children, Can Lead To Obesity
Children who eat slower are less likely to be extroverted and impulsive, according to a new study co-led by the University at Buffalo and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The research, which sought to uncover the relationship between temperament and eating behaviors in early childhood, also found that kids who were highly responsive to external food cues (the urge to eat when food is seen, smelled or tasted) were more likely to experience frustration and discomfort and have difficulties self-soothing. (University at Buffalo, 7/7)

ScienceDaily/Nature Communications: New Research Optimizes Body's Own Immune System To Fight Cancer 
A groundbreaking study led by engineering and medical researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities shows how engineered immune cells used in new cancer therapies can overcome physical barriers to allow a patient's own immune system to fight tumors. The research could improve cancer therapies in the future for millions of people worldwide. The research is published in Nature Communications, a peer-reviewed, open access, scientific journal published by Nature Research. (5/14)

CIDRAP: WHO Recommends New Rapid Molecular Tests For TB
The World Health Organization (WHO) today issued an update to its consolidated guidelines on the detection of tuberculosis (TB) and drug-resistant TB. The update includes three new classes of rapid molecular tests recommended by the WHO: moderate-complexity automated NAATs (nucleic acid amplification tests) for the initial detection of TB and resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid, low-complexity automated NAATs for detection of resistance to isoniazid and second-line anti-TB agents, and high-complexity hybridization-based NAATs for the detection of pyrazinamide resistance. An accompanying operational handbook aims to help facilitate implementation and roll-out of the tests by national TB programs. (7/7)

CIDRAP: FDA Announces Plan To Prevent Cyclospora-Related Foodborne Disease
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday published a new prevention, response, and research action plan to help the agency prevent Cyclospora contamination of foods, and respond quickly to outbreaks. Cyclospora is a parasite that can cause intestinal illness in people when ingested. It was first identified in domestically grown herbs in the United States in 2018. Since then, infections have been rising, and there have been 6,000 domestically acquired cases of Cyclospora over the past 3 years. (7/2)

CIDRAP: Valneva Receives FDA Breakthrough Designation For Chikungunya Vaccine
Valneva, a pharmaceutical company based in France, today announced that its candidate single-dose vaccine against chikungunya virus—called VLA1553—has received breakthrough therapy designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a step that will expedite the review process. In a statement, Juan Carlos Jaramillo, MD, the company's chief medical officer, said, "Chikungunya is a major, growing public health threat and VLA1553 targets long lasting protection against the chikungunya virus with a single shot. We will continue to work closely with the FDA to bring a preventative solution to the market as soon as possible." (7/7)