Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Studies Link Mental Illness Diagnosis With Worse Covid Risks
CIDRAP: Mental Illness Tied To Higher Risk Of COVID Hospital Care, Death
Two new JAMA Psychiatry meta-analyses link mental illness with COVID-19 death, with one also finding an association with hospitalization. ... The higher rate of severe COVID-19 "suggests that other factors lead to this health inequity in patients with mental health disorders, including several factors such as barriers to access to care, social determinants of health, immunological disturbances, and the effects of psychotropic drugs," the study authors wrote. (Van Beusekom, 7/28)
CIDRAP: Study: 40% Still Had COVID Symptoms 1 To 6 Months After Hospital Release
Forty percent of 290 COVID-19 survivors completing an Emory University survey 1 to 6 months after release from the hospital reported lingering symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath on exertion, and "mental fog." The study, published yesterday in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, involved an emailed survey about persistent COVID-19 symptoms, acute illness severity, and quality of life to better quantify and characterize "long COVID." (7/28)
CIDRAP: New Metric Shows COVID-19 Reduced Lifespan Significantly
COVID-19 reduced lifespan by up to 9 years in parts of the United States, per a new "mean unfulfilled lifespan" (MUL) metric, according to a study published yesterday in PLOS One. The MUL is a new indicator of the impact of mortality shocks, such as the novel coronavirus or other natural disaster, on peoples' lifespan. (7/28)
NPR: COVID Symptoms May Linger In Some Vaccinated People Who Get Infected, Study Finds
There's more potentially worrisome news for vaccinated people: In very rare cases, people experiencing breakthrough infections may be at risk for long-COVID symptoms. That's according to a small new study of fully vaccinated health care workers in Israel, published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine. The study confirmed what's already known: That it's very rare for fully vaccinated people to get infected or sick with COVID-19. But it also found lingering COVID symptoms did develop in a handful of breakthrough cases. (Stein, 7/28)
CNBC: Vaccine Effectiveness For Delta: Immune System Explained
There’s been a lot of news around research out of New York University that suggests the Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine is less effective against the delta variant, because it triggers fewer antibodies. And many are questioning whether, several months out, people’s antibody levels will wane and require a booster shot. Antibody levels are one piece of the puzzle when it comes to fighting Covid, but they don’t tell the whole story when it comes to immunity. (Stieg, 7/28)
