The sequencing of the Neanderthal genome has revealed that between 1-4% of the DNA in present-day non-African populations is derived from interbreeding with Neanderthals approximately 50,000-60,000 years ago. Subsequent analyses demonstrated that a significant proportion of these introgressed alleles localize to genes involved in immune regulation and pathogen defense, suggesting that archaic admixture exerted selective pressure on host-pathogen interactions.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the relevance of this legacy became clinically apparent. Zeberg and Pääbo (2020) identified a Neanderthal-derived haplotype on chromosome 3 that confers a substantially increased risk of severe outcomes. Carriers of this haplotype demonstrated an odds ratio of ~2.0 for ICU admission and mechanical ventilation, with the highest allele frequency observed in South Asian populations (up to 50%). Conversely, subsequent work by the same group (Zeberg & Pääbo, 2021) identified a protective Neanderthal haplotype on chromosome 12, associated with a 22% reduced risk of progression to severe disease.

These findings illustrate the dual nature of archaic introgression. Certain variants provided adaptive advantages to ancient humans encountering novel Eurasian pathogens, enhancing antiviral defenses via toll-like receptor pathways and interferon responses. However, in contemporary settings, the same alleles predispose carriers to maladaptive hyper-inflammatory states, increasing susceptibility to acute respiratory distress in viral infections such as Covid-19.

The clinical implications extend beyond SARS-CoV-2. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have linked Neanderthal-derived alleles to a spectrum of immune-mediated disorders, including systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn's disease, and type 2 diabetes (Dannemann & Kelso, 2017). This highlights an evolutionary trade-off: alleles advantageous in pathogen-rich Pleistocene environments may contribute to autoimmune dysregulation in modern, relatively sanitized conditions.

For clinicians, these discoveries underscore the heterogeneity of patient responses to infection beyond comorbidities and demographics. Ancestral genomic background may constitute an underappreciated risk modifier for disease severity. Although not yet integrated into clinical practice, the growing field of archaic genomics suggests that precision medicine could eventually stratify infection risk and therapeutic response according to both modern and archaic genetic variants.

References

• Green RE, Krause J, Briggs AW, et al. (2010). A Draft Sequence of the Neandertal Genome. Science, 328(5979):710-722. 
• Zeberg H, Pääbo S. (2020). The major genetic risk factor for severe Covid-19 is inherited from Neanderthals. Nature, 587:610-612. 
• Zeberg H, Pääbo S. (2021). A genomic region associated with protection against severe Covid-19 is inherited from Neanderthals. PNAS, 118(9): e2026309118.
• Dannemann M, Prüfer K, Kelso J. (2016). Functional implications of Neandertal introgression in modern humans. Genome Biology, 17:90.
• Dannemann M, Kelso J. (2017). The contribution of Neanderthals to phenotypic variation in modern humans. Am J Hum Genet, 101(4):578-589.

Few moments in medicine are as morally charged as the decision to allocate scarce resources. Whether in an intensive care unit overwhelmed by pandemic patients, on a battlefield with limited medics, or in a rural clinic with a single ventilator, doctors are sometimes forced to decide who receives life-sustaining care - and who does not. In these moments, life itself becomes, unavoidably, a number. The tension between the sanctity of the individual and the needs of the many has long been the subject of moral philosophy, from Aristotle's virtue ethics to John Stuart Mill's utilitarian calculus, and it is one that medicine cannot escape.

Triage, from the French trier, meaning "to sort," was formalized by Dominique Jean Larrey, Napoleon's chief surgeon, who prioritized treatment for those most likely to survive, regardless of rank or status. His approach was revolutionary - rejecting the aristocratic idea that a general's life was inherently worth more than a soldier's - yet it also set the precedent for using survival probability as a moral metric. In modern disaster medicine, frameworks like the Crisis Standards of Care developed by the Institute of Medicine extend Larrey's principle, favoring patients who will benefit most from limited interventions. On paper, this maximizes lives saved; in practice, it demands that physicians act as both healers and moral mathematicians.

The utilitarian logic is compelling in its efficiency, but it carries a hidden moral cost. To reduce a patient's worth to statistical likelihoods risks dehumanizing them. The philosopher Immanuel Kant warned against treating people merely as means to an end, no matter how noble that end might be. For example, an elderly patient with advanced comorbidities may be passed over for a younger, healthier patient in a triage scenario. While this may seem rational from a resource-allocation standpoint, it also raises painful questions about ageism, ableism, and the societal value of experience, relationships, and dignity.

Real-world crises show the complexity of applying theory to practice. During the height of COVID-19 in Lombardy, Italy, some hospitals resorted to age-based cutoffs for intensive care admission, sparking fierce ethical debate. In the U.S., ventilator allocation guidelines often combined the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score with "tie-breaker" criteria, such as younger age or healthcare worker status, arguing that saving those who could in turn save others was a multiplier of good. Critics countered that such criteria risked reinforcing systemic inequalities - those already disadvantaged by social determinants of health might also be the ones more likely to be deprioritized.

Even within medicine, cultural perspectives vary. In certain Indigenous frameworks, value is placed on community continuity rather than individual survival probability, leading to allocation decisions that prioritize elders as cultural knowledge keepers. In contrast, Western bioethics often emphasizes impartial numerical fairness. These differences reflect broader philosophical divides: whether justice is best served by maximizing aggregate benefit or by protecting the intrinsic worth of each life, regardless of outcome.

The emotional toll on clinicians in such scenarios is profound. Moral injury - the distress from perpetrating, failing to prevent, or witnessing acts that transgress one's moral beliefs - is a common consequence of triage decisions. Studies from emergency medicine and military healthcare show that even when clinicians believe they made the "right" choice by guidelines, the human cost of knowing someone was left untreated can linger for years. As Paul Farmer once wrote, "The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world." Doctors may know, intellectually, that they acted justly in the aggregate, yet still grieve for the individual lost.

 Vaccines to protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in newborns and older adults are being more widely accepted by the American public, while confidence in other vaccines remains unchanged, according to the results of a new Annenberg Public Policy Center survey.

The survey, led by Kathleen Hall Jamieson and other researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, included a nationally representative sample of 1,771 U.S. adults and was conducted from Nov. 14 to 24, 2024.

More than half of U.S. adults (52 percent) think the vaccine given to pregnant individuals to protect infants from RSV is effective, up from 42 percent in October 2023, while 61 percent say the RSV vaccine is effective for adults aged 60 years and older, up from 54 percent in October 2023. In contrast, 86 percent of respondents say the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is safe, up from 81 percent in October 2023 and similar to August 2022 (88 percent), and 83 percent say the flu vaccine is safe, unchanged from October 2023. Less than two-thirds of respondents (65 percent) say the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, unchanged from 2023. Respondents view the seasonal flu shot as more effective at reducing the risk for getting a severe illness (75 percent) compared with the COVID-19 booster for reducing the risk for getting a severe case of the disease (55 percent). Despite belief in safety and effectiveness, only 51 percent of respondents either received the seasonal flu shot (40 percent) or say they are very likely to receive it (11 percent) or the COVID-19 booster (38 percent received it and 9 percent are very likely to).

"Despite continuing attacks on the safety and efficacy of certain vaccines by some politicians, nine in 10 respondents say it is important for parents to get their children vaccinated," according to the authors of the report.

More Information

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

BMC

Primary care services are key to population health and for the efficient and equitable organisation of national health systems. This is why they are often financed through public funds. Primary care doctors are instrumental for the delivery of preventive services, continuity of care, and for the referral of patients through the system. These cadres are also the single largest health expenditure at the core of such services. Although recruitment and retention of primary care doctors have always been challenging, shortages are now exacerbated by higher demand for services from aging populations, increased burden of chronic diseases, backlogs from the COVID-19 pandemic, and patient expectations. At the same time, the supply of primary care physicians is constrained by rising retirement rates, internal and external migration, worsening working conditions, budget cuts, and increased burnout. Misalignment between national education sectors and labour markets is becoming apparent, compounding staff shortages and maldistribution.

With their predominantly publicly funded health systems and in the aftermath of COVID-19, countries of the European region appear to be now on the cusp of a multi-layered, slow-burning primary care crisis, with almost every country reporting long waiting lists for doctor appointments, shortages of physicians, unfilled vacancies, and consequently, added pressures on hospitals’ Accident and Emergency services. This articles collection aims at pulling together the evidence from countries of the European Region on root causes of such workforce crisis, impacts, and effectiveness of existing policies to mitigate it. 

Recruiting and retaining PHC doctors has historically been complex, as general practice is by some considered less attractive than other medical specialties. It often entails rural deployment and worse working conditions, higher burn-out rates, comparatively lower pay and prestige. However, new demand as well as supply-side factors seem to be rocking the medical labour market in Europe, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic...Read more

Is this a problem that has no solution?

TUESDAY, April 16, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- The Biden Administration announced Tuesday that it will work with 50 nations worldwide to try to prevent global pandemics such as COVID-19, which brought the world to a standstill four years ago.

"Today, I am proud to announce that my Administration is releasing a new Global Health Security Strategy -- outlining actions the United States will take over the next five years to prevent, detect and effectively respond to biological threats, wherever they emerge," President Joe Biden said in a statement posted by the White House.

As part of the initiative, the United States will offer support and expertise to nations, largely in Africa and Asia, aimed at boosting the preparedness, detection and response to emerging outbreaks.

The U.S. State Department, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will each take part.

The new effort expands what the administration calls its "global health security partnerships" from 19 countries to 50, the White House said in a fact sheet on the new strategy.

"In a health emergency, countries need to be able to quickly access financing to fortify their health systems, procure medical countermeasures and launch an effective response," the fact sheet said.

As the world's biggest investor in health security, the United States will collaborate with countries and key organizations "to identify and strengthen solutions to enhance access to financing for pandemic preparedness and response," the statement said.

CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen noted that her agency is at the ready.

"Global health security is national security, and CDC is proud to contribute its expertise, investments and rapid response to protect the health and safety of the American people and the world," Cohen said in an agency news release on the initiative. “CDC’s decades of global health investments, training and scientific diplomacy strengthen global capacity in labs, data, emergency response and the public health workforce."

As reported by the Associated Press, the White House initiative may help close a major gap in international pandemic preparedness. Attempts to have all 194 member states of the World Health Organization sign on to a pandemic treaty have stalled.

More information

Find out more about global pandemic preparedness at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCES: White House, news release, April 16, 2024; Associated Press

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved. 

COVID-19 was associated with more severe disease outcomes than influenza or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) during the 2022 to 2023 season, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Kristina L. Bajema, M.D., from Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System in Oregon, and colleagues compared disease severity of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV among U.S. veterans in a retrospective cohort study. The cumulative incidence and risk differences were calculated for the primary outcomes of 30-day hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and death.

The researchers found that the 30-day risk for hospitalization was similar for COVID-19 and influenza (16.2 versus 16.3 percent) and was lower for RSV (14.3 percent) during the 2023 to 2024 season. The 30-day risk for death was slightly higher for COVID-19 compared with influenza or RSV during the 2022 to 2023 season (1.0 percent versus 0.7 and 0.7 percent), but was similar during the 2023 to 2024 season. At 180 days, mortality risk was higher for COVID-19 during both seasons. In both seasons, higher mortality was seen for veterans without COVID-19 vaccination in the previous year compared with those without seasonal influenza vaccination. In contrast, no mortality differences were seen at any time point between COVID-19 and influenza among those vaccinated against their respective infections.

"Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was far more common than influenza or RSV and resulted in more severe disease outcomes, including short-term hospitalization and mortality through six months," the authors write. "This was most apparent among older adults and attenuated by updated COVID-19 vaccination."

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- More than half of cancer patients diagnosed with COVID-19 report postacute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection (PASC) that may persist beyond six months, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in eLife.

Hiba Dagher, M.D., from University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues assessed PASC in cancer patients following acute COVID-19 recovery. The analysis included data from 312 cancer patients followed for up to 14 months after COVID-19 infection.

The researchers found that 60 percent of patients reported long COVID symptoms, with a median duration of seven months after COVID-19 diagnosis. Fatigue (82 percent), sleep disturbances (78 percent), myalgias (67 percent), and gastrointestinal symptoms (61 percent) were the most common complaints, followed by headache (47%), altered smell or taste (47%), dyspnea (47 percent), and cough (46 percent). More women reported persistent symptoms than men (63 versus 37 percent). Cancer type, neutropenia, lymphocytopenia, and hospital admission during acute COVID-19 disease did not differ between those with long COVID symptoms and those without. A minority of patients with PASC (8.5 percent) were readmitted for COVID-19-related reasons.

"Besides the female gender, we found no other underlying condition or severity of illness during acute COVID-19 that would predict PASC," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 21, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- COVID-19 is associated with a significantly increased risk for fatigue and chronic fatigue, according to a study published online Feb. 14 in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Quan M. Vu, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues estimated the incidence rates of post-COVID-19 fatigue and chronic fatigue by analyzing electronic health record data for 4,589 patients with confirmed COVID-19 during February 2020 to February 2021 and 9,022 propensity score-matched non-COVID-19 controls. Patients were followed for a median of 11.4 months.

The researchers found that the incidence rate of fatigue and chronic fatigue was 10.2 and 1.8 per 100 person-years, respectively, among COVID-19 patients. The hazard ratios were 1.68 and 4.32 for fatigue and chronic fatigue, respectively, compared with non-COVID-19 controls.

"Our data indicate that COVID-19 is associated with a significant increase in new fatigue diagnoses, and physicians should be aware that fatigue might occur or be newly recognized more than one year after acute COVID-19," the authors write. "The high incidence rates of fatigue reinforce the need for public health actions to prevent infections, to provide clinical care to those in need, and to find effective treatments for post-acute COVID-19 fatigue."

Abstract/Full Text

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

School reopening following COVID-19 disruptions was associated with an increase in acute psychiatric emergencies, according to a study published online Aug. 5 in JAMA Network Open.

Chiara Davico, M.D., from University of Turin in Italy, and colleagues assessed whether varying degrees of school interruption were associated with changes in emergency department psychiatric visits for children and adolescents before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis included 13,014 emergency department visits for psychiatric reasons to nine urban university hospitals in Italy (Jan. 1, 2018, to Dec. 31, 2021).

The researchers found that the number of emergency department psychiatric visits increased over time (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.19 for each year). Significant increases were seen for emergency department visits related to eating disorders (294.8 percent), suicide ideation (297.8 percent), and suicide attempt (249.1 percent). An increase in emergency department visits was associated with school opening, but not social lockdown restriction (IRR, 1.29), which was significant for females and for suicide ideation and attempt. There was an association seen between socioeconomic status and an increase in psychiatric visits among males (IRR, 1.12).

"In this study, school opening was associated with an increased incidence of acute psychiatric emergencies among children and adolescents, suggesting that school can be a substantial source of stress with acute mental health implications," the authors write.

Two authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries.

Abstract/Full Text

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Rates for five nursing-sensitive quality indicators (NSIs) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and have subsequently declined, according to a study published online in the November/December issue of Nursing Research.

Eileen T. Lake, Ph.D., R.N., from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues examined annual trends in five NSIs. The analysis included data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (2019 through 2022) for adult medical-surgical or critical care inpatient nursing units in 2,346 hospitals.

The researchers found that the mean prepandemic rates were 6.58 ventilator-associated events per 1,000 ventilator days (critical care only), 2.41 hospital-acquired pressure injuries per 1,000 device days, 2.20 falls per 1,000 patient days, 0.96 catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) per 1,000 catheter days, and 0.68 central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) per 1,000 central line days for medical-surgical and critical care units combined. There were significant increases in rates for all five nursing-sensitive indicators beginning in 2020. While rates have since declined, they had not returned to baseline by 2022. There was a range in increases to the maximum from a 12 percent increase in CAUTI to 49 percent for CLABSI.

"The pandemic's enduring negative effects on the nursing workforce must be addressed to preserve patient safety," the authors write.

Two authors disclosed being employees of Press Ganey.

Abstract/Full Text

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

High adherence to the Mediterranean diet may protect against COVID-19, with unclear benefits for symptoms and severity, according to a review published online Aug. 21 in PLOS ONE.

Ceria Halim, M.D., from Universitas Sumatera Utara in Indonesia, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to understand the association between the Mediterranean diet and COVID-19, its symptoms, and its severity.

Based on six included articles (55,489 patients), the researchers found a significant correlation between increased adherence to the Mediterranean diet and reduced COVID-19 risk (four studies), while one study indicated a nonsignificant association. There was a significant association between higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet and COVID-19 symptoms in one study, but three studies reported a nonsignificant association. Individuals with higher adherence had reduced likelihood of developing severe COVID-19 in one study, but two studies yielded inconclusive findings.

"As more and more countries have loosened on personal protective equipment and social distancing regulations, a nutritional strategy may be more feasible and beneficial long-term," the authors write. "The results of the present study may shed some light on additional benefits of Mediterranean diet against COVID-19. The findings also suggest that specific food groups in the Mediterranean diet may be more important in reducing COVID-19 odds. More studies should be conducted before definitive conclusions can be drawn."

Abstract/Full Text

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

FRIDAY, Jan. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- There was an increase in health care workforce turnover after the pandemic, according to a study published online Jan. 26 in JAMA Health Forum.

Karen Shen, Ph.D., from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, and colleagues quantified the number of workers exiting from and entering into the health care workforce before and after the COVID-19 pandemic using U.S. Census Bureau state unemployment insurance data.

The researchers found approximately 18.8 million people were working in the health care sector in this sample in quarter 1 of 2020. At the onset of the pandemic, there was an increase in the exit rate for health care workers, from a baseline quarterly mean of 5.9 percentage points to 8.0 percentage points in 2018 and quarter 1 of 2020, respectively. Through quarter 4 of 2021, exit rates remained higher than baseline levels, with the health care exit rate 7.7 percentage points higher than the baseline in 2018. The increase in health care worker exit rates was dominated by an increase in workers exiting to nonemployment in quarter 1 of 2020 (78 percent increase versus baseline); in contrast, the exit rate was dominated by workers exiting to employment in non-health care sectors by quarter 4 of 2021 (38 percent increase). There was an increase seen in entry rates in health care in the postpandemic period, suggesting increased turnover of health care staff.

"Given these findings, policy efforts to address health care worker burnout and improve health care worker hiring pipelines are well warranted," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced a plethora of tough questions on vaccines, abortion and public health policy during his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday as President Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Lawmakers pressed Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic and former Democrat-turned-independent, on his qualifications to oversee HHS, a $1.7 trillion agency that would put him in charge of Medicare, Medicaid, funding for medical research, public health outreach and much more.

While he's expected to win Republican support, his responses left many unconvinced about his ability to run the nation's largest health agency.

Here are some top takeaways from the hearing, from national and international news agencies:

Vaccine stance sparks a heated debate

Kennedy’s long history of vaccine skepticism was a major focus. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat of Oregon, set the tone for his party with a deeply critical opening statement.

“Mr. Kennedy has embraced conspiracy theories, quacks, charlatans, especially when it comes to the safety and efficacy of vaccines,” Wyden said, as reported by USA Today.

Kennedy repeatedly claimed he was not anti-vaccine but "pro-safety."

Unsurprisingly, he was pressed about his past claims that COVID was made to target white and Black people while sparing Chinese people and Ashkenazi Jews and that Lyme disease was “highly likely” to have been a bioweapon.

“I probably did say that,” Kennedy said about Lyme disease, as reported by The New York Times. As for the COVID-19 claim, Kennedy stated that he had not said the virus was “deliberately targeted.”

Kennedy also said he supports the current childhood vaccination schedule and that he is not a conspiracy theorist.

"That's a pejorative that's applied to me to keep me from asking difficult questions about powerful interests," he told senators, as reported by BBC.

Medicare and Medicaid

Kennedy struggled to explain how he would manage Medicare and Medicaid, two major programs overseen by HHS.

Wyden argued that “from abortion to universal health care, Kennedy has changed his views so often it’s nearly impossible to know where he stands,” according to AP News.

Under questioning by Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican who chairs the Senate Health Committee, Kennedy said he would like to integrate the two programs, The New York Times reported. Cassidy asked him how he would do it.

“I do not know the answer to that,” Kennedy said. “I look forward to, uh, exploring options with you.” He also said of Medicaid: “The premiums are too high, the deductibles are too high, and everybody’s getting sicker.” But except in very rare cases, Medicaid enrollees do not pay either premiums or deductibles.

Abortion stance leaves Democrats skeptical

Kennedy’s stance on abortion has shifted in recent years, aligning him more closely with Trump's.

He sidestepped questions about whether he would support attempts to restrict the abortion pill mifepristone, a goal of abortion opponents.

That led to a sharp response from Sen. Maggie Hassan, a New Hampshire Democrat. She noted that when Kennedy visited her state as a presidential candidate in 2023, he described himself as “pro-choice.” At that time, he also said the government did not have “any business telling people what they can or cannot do with their body,” Hassan recalled.

“When was it that you decided to sell out the values you’ve had your whole life in order to be given power by President Trump?” Hassan asked.

Kennedy sidestepped the question, The New York Times reported. “I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy," he said, in contrast to his past support for abortion access and reproductive rights.

Food policy and chronic disease prevention

On another note, there was some common ground when Kennedy outlined his plan to implement a nutrition-oriented disease prevention plan, CNN reported.

He received loud applause when he promised he would "make America healthy again."

"We will reverse the chronic disease epidemic and put the nation back on the road to health," Kennedy said, according to the BBC.

However, he reassured the public he wasn’t banning fast food.

"If you like a McDonald's cheeseburger or a Diet Coke - which my boss loves - you should be able to get them," he said, referring to Trump's well-known admiration for the fast-food giant.

More information

Learn more about the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

SOURCE: The New York Times, media report, Jan. 29, 2025; USA Today; media report, Jan. 29, 2025; Associated Press, media report, Jan. 29, 2025; BBC, media report, Jan. 29, 2025; CNN, media report, Jan. 29, 2025

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

MONDAY, March 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The absolute risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) is low among outpatients with COVID-19, according to a study published online March 13 in JAMA Network Open.

Margaret C. Fang, M.D., from the University of California in San Francisco, and colleagues assessed the risk for VTE among outpatients with COVID-19. The analysis included data from 398,530 outpatients identified from the Kaiser Permanente Virtual Data Warehouse and electronic health records (Jan. 1, 2020, to Jan. 31, 2021).

The researchers found that 0.1 percent of patients had a VTE event during the study period. The sharpest increase in VTE risk occurred during the first 30 days after COVID-19 diagnosis (unadjusted rate, 0.58 versus 0.09 after 30 days). Risk factors for VTE among COVID-19 outpatients included age 55 to 64 years (hazard ratio [HR], 1.85), 65 to 74 years (HR, 3.43), 75 to 84 years (HR, 5.46), and 85 years and older (HR, 6.51); male gender (HR, 1.49); prior VTE (HR, 7.49); thrombophilia (HR, 2.52); inflammatory bowel disease (HR, 2.43); body mass index of 30.0 to 39.9 kg/m² (HR, 1.57); and body mass index ≥40.0 kg/m² (HR, 3.07).

"These findings may help identify subsets of patients with COVID-19 who may benefit from more intensive surveillance or VTE preventive strategies," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

THURSDAY, May 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Preexisting obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased odds of probable postacute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (PASC), according to a study published online May 11 in SLEEP.

Using electronic health record data from multiple research networks, Hannah L. Mandel, from the New York University Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, and colleagues examined OSA as a potential risk factor for PASC in adults and children.

The researchers found that the unadjusted odds ratio for probable PASC associated with a preexisting OSA diagnosis in adults and children ranged from 1.41 to 3.93 across networks. An attenuated association was observed in adjusted analyses that remained significant among adults only. Results consistent with the primary analysis were seen in multiple sensitivity analyses with expanded inclusion criteria and covariates.

"Part of the challenge is that many of the risk factors for sleep apnea are also risk factors for COVID-19 outcomes," a coauthor said in a statement. "We don't know entirely why we are seeing this association."

Abstract/Full Text

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

MONDAY, July 24, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Amygdala and insula retraining (AIR), a neuroplasticity program, may be a viable means of reducing fatigue and increasing energy among patients with long COVID, according to a study published online July 17 in the Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Journal.

Loren L. Toussaint, Ph.D., from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and Alexandra J. Bratty, M.B.A., Ph.D., from AB Research Consulting in Las Vegas, randomly assigned 100 participants (aged 21 to 65 years) with postviral symptoms at least three months after an acute COVID-19 infection to AIR or control.

The researchers found a significant decrease in participants' fatigue and a significant increase in their energy after the three-month AIR intervention. Fatigue reduction was nearly four times higher in the AIR group versus the control group, while the absolute reduction in mean scores for the AIR group was more than double that of the control group. Similarly, the effect size in energy enhancement among AIR participants was twice that of the control group, and the absolute increase in energy mean scores for the AIR group was almost double that of the control group.

"These findings are both timely and pertinent, as so little is known about how to treat long COVID and so many patients suffer from it after the acute infection of COVID-19," the authors write.

Bratty is the CEO of AB Research Consulting, which provides consulting services to The Gupta Program, the commercial version of the AIR intervention; Bratty's company was compensated for this work by independent donors.

Abstract/Full Text

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

People still see COVID-19 as an ongoing public health threat, even though the pandemic officially ended in 2023, according to a new HealthDay/Harris Poll.

Nearly 3 in 4 people (72%) agree COVID is still a serious public health issue, including more than a third (35%) who strongly agree, the poll found.

COVID has settled into the sort of ongoing health threat already posed by the seasonal flu, which had its turn as a pandemic back in 1918, Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said.

“You'll get hundreds of thousands of people hospitalized with influenza every year,” Offit told HealthDay TV. “You'll get tens of thousands of people who die every year from influenza. I think that's what COVID is now. I think this virus will be with us for decades, if not longer.”

People also are apt to respond to any symptoms they might develop, with nearly 3 in 4 (73%) saying they would take an at-home test or go to a doctor or pharmacy to get tested for COVID, the poll says.

“That 73% number is higher than I would have guessed,” Offit said.

People with symptoms of COVID -- fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, body aches -- would do better to stay home and take a rapid test, for everyone else’s sake, Offit said.

High-risk groups in particular should get tested, Offit added, so that they can receive antiviral Paxlovid to limit the severity of their infection.

“Although the pandemic is over, I think we have to understand that this is a serious infection,” Offit said. “I wish we felt the same about flu, which is also a serious infection, which people should also get vaccinated and take seriously, but we often don't.”

However, Offit also said that he doesn’t agree with recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that everyone 6 months and older get a COVID vaccine.

“We're one of only two countries that do that,” Offit noted. “Most countries -- like countries in Western Europe, Australia, the World Health Organization, Scandinavian countries -- all pretty much target high-risk groups, meaning people who have obesity or chronic lung, chronic kidney disease or neurological diseases, people who are elderly really defined as greater than 75 and people who are pregnant.”

“I think those are the groups most likely to be hospitalized if they were infected with this virus,” Offit added.

The U.S. guidelines are probably as broad as they are due to a “messaging issue,” Offit said.

“The thinking is that if we recommend it for everybody, then those high-risk groups are more likely to get it,” Offit said. “But I mean, we do have other targeted recommendations. I agree with most other countries in this world, which is we should target high-risk groups.”

The HealthDay/Harris Poll also found that:

• Of those unlikely to test for COVID, about 42% wouldn't test if their symptoms weren’t serious or severe and 28% would assume they have some other infection or illness.

• Two in 3 (66%) people who would test for COVID cite the desire to protect friends and family, and more than half (56%) say they would want to make sure it’s not some other infection.

• More than 4 in 5 (85%) said if they tested positive for COVID, they would quarantine and wear a mask.

• However, more than half (56%) don’t know the current recommended quarantine period for COVID.

The CDC now recommends that people with COVID stay away from others until at least 24 hours after their fever has ended and their symptoms also have improved.

The recommendation also asks that people mask and keep their distance from others for five days afterward.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about COVID-19.

SOURCE: HealthDay/Harris Poll, results, Jan. 30, 2025

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

"Cryptic" COVID-19 lineages are new versions of the virus that haven't been seen before. A researcher says one person in Ohio is shedding massive amounts of a new kind of COVID. Identifying people with mysterious strains can help scientists to preempt dangerous mutations.

Earlier this year, Marc Johnson, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, took to Twitter with an appeal: "Help me solve a COVID cryptic lineage mystery." Johnson told Insider that he was looking through a database of COVID samples when he came across a brand-new version, or "lineage," of the virus. There were massive amounts of this unique strain, all coming from one mystery person in Ohio.

The viral material has been primarily found at two sites: The city of Columbus and 40 miles away in the city of Washington Court House — Johnson says the person may live in one city and work in the other. He says that this isn't "an imminent public-health threat," and that the person likely has a form of "long COVID" that isn't contagious. But finding these lineages, and identifying the people who spread them, could unlock new clues into how COVID mutates as well as why some people become super-shedders of the virus for long periods...Read more

How concerning is this "new type of Covid"?