Worries Emerge Over Covid Connection To Alzheimer’s
Scientists examining the impact of a covid infection on the brain discover a few concerning links between the virus and Alzheimer's disease. Separate reports say malnutrition is linked to worse covid outcomes, and doctors are concerned over more long covid cases in children.
NPR:
Doctors Worry That Memory Problems After COVID-19 May Set Stage For Alzheimer's
What scientists have found so far is concerning. For example, PET scans taken before and after a person develops COVID-19 suggest that the infection can cause changes that overlap those seen in Alzheimer's. And genetic studies are finding that some of the same genes that increase a person's risk for getting severe COVID-19 also increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's diagnoses also appear to be more common in patients in their 60s and 70s who've had severe COVID-19, says Dr. Gabriel de Erausquin, a professor of neurology at UT Health San Antonio. "It's downright scary," he says. (Hamilton, 7/26)
CIDRAP:
Malnutrition Linked To Worse COVID-19 Outcomes
Adults and children with COVID-19 and a history of malnutrition may be more likely to die of their infections or need mechanical ventilation, according to a study yesterday in Scientific Reports. The researchers looked at 8,604 children (mean age, 6 years) and 94,495 adults (mean age, 53 years) hospitalized with COVID-19 across 56 US hospitals from March to June 2020 and compared those with a malnutrition history from 2015 to 2019 with those without. Twenty-one children and 4,706 adults died. (7/23)
KHN:
Watch: More Long Covid Cases Seen In Kids
The vast majority of the pandemic’s 4.1 million covid infections in children have been mild. However, doctors are concerned about a growing number of long-haul covid cases and a rare but dangerous inflammatory disease, particularly among Black and Latino children. KHN correspondent Sarah Varney, in collaboration with PBS NewsHour, reports on the phenomena. This story aired on July 23, 2021. (Varney, 7/26)
CIDRAP:
Side Effects After Pfizer COVID Vaccine More Common After COVID-19
Patients with a history of COVID-19 were more likely to have side effects after their first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine than those who were never infected, according to a Vaccine study yesterday. The researchers conducted a prospective observational study consisting of 311 healthcare workers from a university tertiary care hospital in France. From Jan 27 to Feb 5, they self-reported demographics and symptoms 21 to 28 days after their first vaccination and before their second. 7/23)
Fox News:
CDC Urges Labs To Use COVID Tests That Can Differentiate From Flu
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged labs this week to stock clinics with kits that can test for both the coronavirus and the flu as the "influenza season" draws near. The CDC said Wednesday it will withdrawal its request for the "Emergency Use Authorization" of real-time diagnostic testing kits, which were used starting in February 2020 to detect signs of the coronavirus, by the end of the year. (McFall, 7/25)
