A universal coronavirus vaccine could save billions of dollars if ready before next pandemic

What if scientists had developed a universal coronavirus vaccine in the years prior to 2020 so that it was available at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic? A universal coronavirus vaccine targets parts of the virus that are common to either many or all coronaviruses, thereby offering some degree of protection against a range of strains. A new study suggests […]

Study finds paxlovid treatment does not reduce risk of long COVID

A team of researchers from UC San Francisco has found that Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) did not reduce the risk of developing long COVID for vaccinated, non-hospitalized individuals during their first COVID-19 infection. They also found a higher proportion of individuals with acute symptoms rebound and test-positivity than previously reported. The study appears Jan. 4, 2024, in the Journal of Medical Virology. Paxlovid treatment […]

Covid conspiracies: social media fatigue linked to misinformation

The spread of false information and conspiracy theories accelerated during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Inadvertently inaccurate, and some deliberately misleading, ideas were widely shared on social media channels on topics ranging from the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to the safety of vaccines. Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, set out to understand why COVID-19 misinformation thrived and […]

How did the initial COVID-19 wave affect mental health in the UK?

New research published in Economic Inquiry reports substantial increases in psychological distress in the UK during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health effects were more pronounced for females; younger individuals; Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities; and migrants. Also, people who had financial worries, loneliness, or were living in overcrowded dwellings experienced significantly worse mental health deterioration during the […]

Can creatine supplements help people suffering from post-COVID-19 fatigue?

The amino acid creatine is essential for muscle and brain health, and people commonly use creatine supplements to improve exercise performance and increase muscle mass. Results from a recent clinical trial published in Food Science & Nutrition indicate that dietary creatine may also benefit individuals experiencing post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome (also known as long COVID). In the trial, 12 people with post-COVID-19 fatigue […]

FDA approves Veklury to treat COVID-19 in people with mild to severe hepatic impairment with no dose adjustment – Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc. announced that the FDA approved a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for the use of Veklury (remdesivir) with no dose adjustments to treat COVID-19 in people with mild, moderate and severe hepatic impairment. This approval further supports the safety profile of Veklury as the first and only approved antiviral COVID-19 treatment that can be used across all […]

Some experts believe that routine mask-wearing should continue in health care settings

In a new commentary, public health experts from several prominent universities suggest that both patients and healthcare professionals should draw upon lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to mask up in the health care setting. This is important because infection from SARS-CoV-2 is still a threat, especially to the most vulnerable patients, and masks are a proven method […]

Raising awareness of Long Covid ‘blue legs’ symptom

An unusual case of a Long Covid patient’s legs turning blue after 10 minutes of standing highlights the need for greater awareness of this symptom among people with the condition, according to new research published in the Lancet. The paper, authored by Dr Manoj Sivan at the University of Leeds, focuses on the case of one 33-year man who developed with […]

Fear of childbirth exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated fear of childbirth among pregnant people in the U.S., according to a new Dartmouth study. The researchers were particularly interested in understanding, from a U.S. context, which factors predict childbirth fear and how the pandemic has affected this fear and birth outcomes. The findings are published in Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. “Our results showed really high […]

Majority of nurses attribute well-being struggles to staffing shortages

Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRN), a market-leading, tech-enabled workforce solutions platform and advisory firm, in collaboration with Florida Atlantic University, today announced the results of its annual survey of nursing professionals and students. The study found that although nurses are passionate about doing meaningful work and earning a good income, only one-third of nurses plan to remain in the profession for […]