WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Tuesday shared the following news from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Health and Human Services (HHS), Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA), Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH), and Dover International  Speedway (DIS) have partnered to open a […]

The UAE followed Singapore’s swift reaction to combat Covid-19, to preserve the health of its citizens. Now moves are in place to tackle the country’s economic wellbeing.

Foreign investment in the global renewable energy market hit unprecedented highs in 2019. However, the coronavirus crisis may reverse this trend. 

Consulting firms in the Middle East are likely to take a hit in 2020 due to the coronavirus, after two strong years.

Check here each week to keep up with the latest from John MacArthur's pulpit at Grace Community Church.

Title: Mandatory COVID-19 Tests Lifted for Vaccinated Travelers to Britain
Category: Health News
Created: 2/11/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/14/2022 12:00:00 AM

Title: Does Remdesivir Work Against COVID-19?
Category: Health News
Created: 8/21/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Making a COVID-19 Vaccine Is Tough, Distributing It Might Be Tougher
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Microbes in Lungs Could Affect COVID-19 Outcomes
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Blood Pressure Meds Could Improve Survival in COVID-19 Patients
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Survivors' Plasma Still a Solid Option for Treating COVID-19, Experts Say
Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/26/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Olympian Usain Bolt Reported to Have COVID-19
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/26/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Texas Mother Transmitted COVID-19 to Unborn Baby: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Maine Summer Camps Identified, Isolated COVID-19 Cases
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Clues to Why COVID-19 Hits Men Harder Than Women
Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Changes to CDC's COVID-19 Testing Guidelines Trigger Concern
Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Hospitals Must Report COVID-19 Data or Be Penalized
Category: Health News
Created: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: COVID-19 Not Likely to Be Transmitted by Breast Milk: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Rapid 15-Minute COVID-19 Test Approved By FDA
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: AHA News: She Had a 20% Chance to Live First From a Stroke, Then From COVID-19
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Cancer Radiation Can Safely Proceed During COVID-19 Pandemic: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Recent COVID-19 Raises Odds for Clots After Surgery by 90%
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2021 12:00:00 AM

Title: Could Mink Ranches Launch the Next COVID-19?
Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/26/2021 12:00:00 AM

Title: When Is a Person With COVID-19 Most Infectious?
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2021 12:00:00 AM

Title: Could a Long-Used Cholesterol Drug Fight Severe COVID-19?
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2021 12:00:00 AM

Title: A Third of Americans Were Infected With COVID-19 in 2020: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2021 12:00:00 AM

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic social distancing requirements encouraged patients to avoid public spaces including in-office health care visits. Ambulatory-care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs) represent conditions that can be managed with quality primary care and when access is limited, these conditions can lead to avoidable emergency department (ED) visits.

BACKGROUND:The use of prone position (PP) has been widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas it has demonstrated benefits, including improved oxygenation and lung aeration, the factors influencing the response in terms of gas exchange to PP remain unclear. In particular, the association between baseline quantitative computed tomography (CT) scan results and gas exchange response to PP in invasively ventilated subjects with COVID-19 ARDS is unknown. The present study aimed to compare baseline quantitative CT results between subjects responding to PP in terms of oxygenation or CO2 clearance and those who did not.METHODS:This was a single-center, retrospective observational study including critically ill, invasively ventilated subjects with COVID-19–related ARDS admitted to the ICUs of Niguarda Hospital between March 2020–November 2021. Blood gas samples were collected before and after PP. Subjects in whom the PaO2/FIO2 increase was ≥ 20 mm Hg after PP were defined as oxygen responders. CO2 responders were defined when the ventilatory ratio (VR) decreased during PP. Automated quantitative CT analyses were performed to obtain tissue mass and density of the lungs.RESULTS:One hundred twenty-five subjects were enrolled, of which 116 (93%) were O2 responders and 51 (41%) CO2 responders. No difference in quantitative CT characteristics and oxygen were observed between responders and non-responders (tissue mass 1,532 ± 396 g vs 1,654 ± 304 g, P = .28; density −544 ± 109 HU vs −562 ± 58 HU P = .42). Similar findings were observed when dividing the population according to CO2 response (tissue mass 1,551 ± 412 g vs 1,534 ± 377 g, P = .89; density −545 ± 123 HU vs −546 ± 94 HU, P = .99).CONCLUSIONS:Most subjects with COVID-19–related ARDS improved their oxygenation at the first pronation cycle. The study suggests that baseline quantitative CT scan data were not associated with the response to PP in oxygenation or CO2 in mechanically ventilated subjects with COVID-19–related ARDS.

BACKGROUND:Post–COVID-19 syndrome has affected millions of people, with rehabilitation being at the center of non-pharmacologic care. However, numerous published studies show conflicting results due to, among other factors, considerable variation in subject characteristics. Currently, the effects of age, sex, time of implementation, and prior disease severity on the outcomes of a supervised rehabilitation program after COVID-19 remain unknown.METHODS:This was a non-randomized case-control study. Subjects with post–COVID-19 sequelae were enrolled. Among study participants, those who could attend an 8-week, supervised rehabilitation program composed the intervention group, whereas those who couldn’t the control group. Measurements were collected at baseline and 8 weeks thereafter.RESULTS:Study groups (N = 119) had similar baseline measurements. Participation in rehabilitation (n = 47) was associated with clinically important improvements in the 6-min walk test (6MWT) distance, adjusted (for potential confounders) odds ratio (AOR) 4.56 (95% CI 1.95–10.66); 1-min sit-to-stand test, AOR 4.64 (1.88-11.48); Short Physical Performance Battery, AOR 7.93 (2.82–22.26); health-related quality of life (HRQOL) 5-level EuroQol-5D (Visual Analog Scale), AOR 3.12 (1.37–7.08); Montreal Cognitive Assessment, AOR 6.25 (2.16–18.04); International Physical Activity Questionnaire, AOR 3.63 (1.53–8.59); Fatigue Severity Scale, AOR 4.07 (1.51–10.98); Chalder Fatigue Scale (bimodal score), AOR 3.33 (1.45–7.67); Modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (mMRC), AOR 4.43 (1.83–10.74); Post–COVID-19 Functional Scale (PCFS), AOR 3.46 (1.51–7.95); and COPD Assessment Test, AOR 7.40 (2.92–18.75). Time from disease onset was marginally associated only with 6MWT distance, AOR 0.99 (0.99–1.00). Prior hospitalization was associated with clinically important improvements in the mMRC dyspnea scale, AOR 3.50 (1.06–11.51); and PCFS, AOR 3.42 (1.16–10.06). Age, sex, and ICU admission were not associated with the results of any of the aforementioned tests/grading scales.CONCLUSIONS:In this non-randomized, case-control study, post–COVID-19 rehabilitation was associated with improvements in physical function, activity, HRQOL, respiratory symptoms, fatigue, and cognitive impairment. These associations were observed independently of timing of rehabilitation, age, sex, prior hospitalization, and ICU admission.

Background

Long COVID is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome characterised by a variety of reported symptoms and signs. Its clinical management is expected to differ significantly worldwide.

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, global trends of reduced healthcare-seeking behaviour were observed. This raises concerns about the consequences of healthcare avoidance for population health.AimTo determine the association between healthcare avoidance during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and all-cause mortality.Design and settingThis was a 32-month follow-up within the population-based Rotterdam Study, after sending a COVID-19 questionnaire at the onset of the pandemic in April 2020 to all communty dwelling participants (n = 6241/8732, response rate 71.5%).MethodCox proportional hazards models assessed the risk of all-cause mortality among respondents who avoided health care because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mortality status was collected through municipality registries and medical records.ResultsOf 5656 respondents, one-fifth avoided health care because of the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 1143). Compared with non-avoiders, those who avoided health care more often reported symptoms of depression (n = 357, 31.2% versus n = 554, 12.3%) and anxiety (n = 340, 29.7% versus n = 549, 12.2%), and more often rated their health as poor to fair (n = 336, 29.4% versus n = 457, 10.1%) . Those who avoided health care had an increased adjusted risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01 to 1.67), which remained nearly identical after adjustment for history of any non-communicable disease (HR 1.20, 95% CI = 0.93 to 1.54). However, this association attenuated after additional adjustment for mental and physical self-perceived health factors (HR 0.93, 95% CI = 0.71 to 1.20).ConclusionThis study found an increased risk of all-cause mortality among individuals who avoided health care during COVID-19. These individuals were characterised by poor mental and physical self-perceived health. Therefore, interventions should be targeted to these vulnerable individuals to safeguard their access to primary and specialist care to limit health disparities, inside and beyond healthcare crises.

BackgroundCOVID-19 pandemic restrictions may have influenced behaviours related to weight.AimTo describe patterns of weight change among adults living in England with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and/or hypertension during the pandemic.Design and settingAn observational cohort study using the routinely collected health data of approximately 40% of adults living in England, accessed through the OpenSAFELY service inside TPP.MethodClinical and sociodemographic characteristics associated with rapid weight gain (>0.5 kg/m2/year) were investigated using multivariable logistic regression.ResultsData were extracted on adults with T2D (n = 1 231 455, 43.9% female, and 76.0% White British) or hypertension (n = 3 558 405, 49.7% female, and 84.3% White British). Adults with T2D lost weight overall (median δ = −0.1 kg/m2/year [interquartile range {IQR} −0.7–0.4]). However, rapid weight gain was common (20.7%) and associated with the following: sex (male versus female: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.78 [95% confidence interval {CI} = 0.77 to 0.79]); age (older age reduced odds, for example, aged 60–69 years versus 18–29 years: aOR 0.66 [95% CI = 0.61 to 0.71]); deprivation (least deprived Index of Multiple Deprivation [IMD] quintile versus most deprived IMD quintile: aOR 0.87 [95% CI = 0.85 to 0.89]); White ethnicity (Black versus White: aOR 0.95 [95% CI = 0.92 to 0.98]); mental health conditions (for example, depression: aOR 1.13 [95% CI = 1.12 to 1.15]); and diabetes treatment (non-insulin treatment versus no pharmacological treatment: aOR 0.68 [95% CI = 0.67 to 0.69]). Adults with hypertension maintained stable weight overall (median δ = 0.0 kg/m2/year [IQR −0.6–0.5]); however, rapid weight gain was common (24.7%) and associated with similar characteristics as in T2D.ConclusionAmong adults living in England with T2D and/or hypertension, rapid pandemic weight gain was more common among females, younger adults, those living in more deprived areas, and those with mental health conditions.

The usual challenges of conducting primary care research, including randomized trials, have been exacerbated, and new ones identified, during the COVID-19 pandemic. HOMER (Home versus Office for Medication Enhanced Recovery; subsequently, Comparing Home, Office, and Telehealth Induction for Medication Enhanced Recovery) is a pragmatic, comparative-effectiveness research trial that aims to answer a key question from patients and clinicians: What is the best setting in which to start treatment with buprenorphine for opioid use disorder for this patient at this time? In this article, we describe the difficult journey to find the answer. The HOMER study began as a randomized trial comparing treatment outcomes in patients starting treatment with buprenorphine via induction at home (unobserved) vs in the office (observed, synchronous). The study aimed to enroll 1,000 participants from 100 diverse primary care practices associated with the State Networks of Colorado Ambulatory Practices and Partners and the American Academy of Family Physicians National Research Network. The research team faced unexpected challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and dramatic changes in the opioid epidemic. These challenges required changes to the study design, protocol, recruitment intensity, and funding conversations, as well as patience. As this is a participatory research study, we sought, documented, and responded to practice and patient requests for adaptations. Changes included adding a third study arm using telehealth induction (observed via telephone or video, synchronous) and switching to a comprehensive cohort design to answer meaningful patient-centered research questions. Using a narrative approach based on the Greek myth of Homer, we describe here the challenges and adaptations that have provided the opportunity for HOMER to thrive and find the way home. These clinical trial strategies may apply to other studies faced with similar cultural and extreme circumstances.

A biologist at Cape Breton University is hoping a piece of technology used to keep people safe in the pandemic can help protect Nova Scotia's oysters against the effects of warming waters.

Around 25 per cent of the world’s population has intestinal parasite infections – these could hinder the effectiveness of covid-19 vaccines, according to research in mice

A new variant of mpox is surging in Central Africa, raising concerns about how quickly it could spread further afield

Genetic testing on samples collected during the earliest days of the covid-19 outbreak suggests it is likely that the virus spread from animals to humans at the Huanan seafood market

A new covid-19 variant called XEC may spread more easily than past variants, but current vaccines are still effective against it

We still don’t know what COVID-19 is doing to the heart or how we should be investigating it and treating it. Last month JAMA Cardiology published a German cohort study of 100 patients recently recovered from COVID-19… A number of striking problems with the study were noted on Twitter…...

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The government implied wholesalers had more personal protective equipment in stock than was the case during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Healthcare Distribution Association has said.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee is in talks with the government over potential plans to distribute COVID-19 treatments in primary care.

Community pharmacies should be reimbursed for their additional costs during the COVID-19 pandemic “as soon as possible”, the prime minister has told The Pharmaceutical Journal.