Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Severe Covid Cases Might Increase Mortality Risk For Pregnant Women
Fox News: Severe COVID-19 Among Pregnant Women Raises Risk Of Preterm Birth, Death: Study
A new study suggests pregnant women who contract severe COVID-19 disease face a heightened risk of death and preterm delivery compared to those with asymptomatic cases of the illness. However, the lead study author said adverse outcomes were not associated with mild-to-moderate coronavirus infections. "Our research shows that serious pregnancy complications appear to occur in women who have severe or critical cases of COVID and not those who have mild or moderate cases," Dr. Torri D. Metz, a maternal-fetal medicine subspecialist and associate professor at the University of Utah Health, said in a related news release. (Rivas, 1/28)
The New York Times: Pregnant Women Get Conflicting Advice On Covid-19 Vaccines
Pregnant women looking for guidance on Covid-19 vaccines are facing the kind of confusion that has dogged the pandemic from the start: The world’s leading public health organizations — the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization — are offering contradictory advice. Neither organization explicitly forbids or encourages immunizing pregnant women. But weighing the same limited studies, they provide different recommendations. (Mandavilli and Rabin, 1/28)
In other research news about covid —
USA Today: COVID-19: Tylenol, Advil 'Perfectly Fine' – After Getting Vaccine
In a study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Virology, researchers found nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen can reduce the production of antibodies and impact other aspects of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers said the study's results raised the possibility that pain relievers such as ibuprofen could alter the immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Colleen Kelley, an associate professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine who was not affiliated with the study, speculates this could be caused by reducing inflammation triggered by the immune system. (Rodriguez, 1/29)
CIDRAP: Lingering Lung, Physical, Mental Symptoms 4 Months After COVID-19
Four months after their release from the hospital, more than half of 238 adult COVID-19 patients in northern Italy still had impaired lung function or mobility issues, and about one-fifth had symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a prospective cohort study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open found. The findings add to growing evidence and discussion of so-called COVID-19 "long-haulers," or patients with function-impairing symptoms persisting for months after their initial recovery. (Van Beusekom, 1/28)
Stat: With Covid-19, Science Communication Gets Complicated, And Bitter
Before 2020, the biggest debates in science communication were often about balancing hope and hype when it came to novel discoveries. The Covid-19 pandemic introduced a new dynamic: It’s no longer just scientists disagreeing about the finer points of their field. Instead, the pandemic has substantially increased the number of non-scientists tuned in to these conversations. (Garde, Tirrell and Feuerstein, 1/29)
