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By Nancy Lapid
(Reuters) – Here is a summary of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Smell test could improve COVID-19 screening
A “smell test” may be a better way to screen for the new coronavirus than to check for cough or fever, a new study suggests. COVID-19 patients often lose their sense of smell without realizing it, but researchers were able to use simple scratch and sniff cards to correctly identify 75% of those infected and 95% of people without the disease. In the study, 163 adults – who were screened for COVID-19 with a baseline PCR analysis of nasal swabs – each received a card with scratch and sniff scents they were asked to identify from a selection at multiple choice. “Compared to other symptoms like cough, fever, fatigue, and history of COVID-19 exposure, odor card failure was the best predictor of COVID-19 positivity,” University of California San Diego’s Dr Mena Said told Reuters. Rapid scent tests could be a practical way to reduce transmission of COVID-19, he added, if larger studies with more diverse populations confirm these results, which were reported Thursday in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery https://bit.ly/ 3etefKV.
Good vaccine responses observed in patients with solid tumors
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine appears to work well in patients receiving cancer treatments, according to an Israeli study. Although there was a “pronounced” delay in antibody production in cancer patients compared to non-cancer study subjects, most patients caught up after the second dose, the researchers reported in JAMA Oncology https://bit.ly/3hqTIbB. They studied 232 patients with solid tumors receiving various treatments – such as chemotherapy, biologics or immunotherapy, or a combination – and 261 healthy people of similar age. After the first dose of vaccine, 29% of cancer patients produced antibodies, compared with 84% of controls. But after the second dose, the rate of cancer patients reached 86%. The side effects were similar to those from trials on healthy individuals, and none of the cancer patients developed cases of COVID-19, the researchers said. They added that the second dose of cancer patients should be given according to the schedule recommended by the manufacturer, even in areas where the usual policy is to delay the second dose due to vaccine shortages.
COVID-19 complications alter life after discharge from hospital
Nearly 50% of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 develop complications, and often these problems affect their ability to take care of themselves after discharge, new research shows. Men and people over 50 were most likely to develop complications, but younger and previously healthy adults were not spared, researchers reported in The Lancet on Thursday https: // bit. ly / 3ikvgbi. “This work contradicts current accounts that COVID-19 is only dangerous in people with existing co-morbidities and the elderly,” said co-author Dr Calum Semple of the University of Liverpool in a brief. Press release. His team studied 73,197 adults hospitalized with COVID-19 across the UK in 2020. Overall, 49.7% suffered from at least one complication, affecting the kidneys in 24%, breathing in 18 %, several organs in 16%, the heart in 12%, the gastrointestinal system in 11% and the nervous system in 4%. Complications occurred in 39% of people aged 19 to 49, compared to 51% of those over 50. The rates were highest in black patients. After leaving the hospital, more than one in four patients were less able to take care of themselves than before they fell ill. “Focusing only on death from COVID-19 is likely to underestimate the true impact, especially among young people who are more likely to survive severe COVID-19,” said co-author Dr Aya Riad from the University of Edinburgh in the press release.
Emergency services see more mask-related injuries
The spike in face mask use during the pandemic has been accompanied by a spike in mask-related injuries, according to a new study. From 2016 to 2019, an average of 200 of these injuries were treated in U.S. emergency departments each year. In 2020, that number increased by 2,400% to nearly 5,000, according to data released on Friday. The injuries occurred at all ages, with equal representation of whites and blacks, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology https://bit.ly/3et6xjP. The most common were skin irritations, rashes, and allergic reactions. But 14% of mask-related injuries were due to obscured vision and included falls and motor vehicle crashes. Five percent were from children who had eaten a piece of a mask or stuck a piece in the nose or other hole. Three percent of the injuries, all in the elderly, were from falls while bending over to pick up a fallen mask. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published https://bit.ly/3ep67uE recommendations and resources to help choose and fit face masks properly,” the study authors wrote. “The results of the current study underscore the need for increased awareness of these resources in order to minimize the future occurrence of mask-related injuries.”
Click for a Reuters graphic https://tmsnrt.rs/3c7R3Bl on vaccines in development.
(Reporting by Nancy Lapid and Megan Brooks; Editing by Tiffany Wu)
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