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Some widely available hand sanitizers that American consumers snapped up last year to ward off coronavirus infection contain high levels of a chemical known to cause cancer, a testing firm’s analysis found. An assortment of hand cleaners that flooded into the market after mainstays disappeared from retail outlets contain high levels of benzene, according to Valisure, a New Haven, Connecticut-based online pharmacy that tests products for quality and consistency. (Edney, 3/24)

Remdesivir treatment of hospitalized patients with noncritical COVID-19 is associated with better clinical improvement, shorter recovery and hospital stays, and safety, according to a meta-analysis of five randomized clinical trials published today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. No significant association was found in regards to mortality. The studies covered 13,544 adult patients from at least 30 countries, of which 391 received a 5-day regimen and 3,839 received a 10-day regimen. Of the studies, which were published from Jan 1 to Nov 18, 2020, three were open-label, and two were double-blind. (3/24)

Speaking Monday night to investors on a conference call, CytoDyn CEO Nader Pourhassan said the company had requested a “conditional” emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for an experimental Covid-19 antibody treatment, despite its failure in a late-stage clinical trial. But a “conditional” EUA — as described by CytoDyn’s CEO — does not exist. (Feuerstein, 3/24)

KHN: Nosing In On Kids Who Had Covid And Lost Their Sense Of Smell

Orange. Eucalyptus. Lavender. Peppermint. Doctors at Children’s Hospital Colorado and Seattle Children’s Hospital will use scents like these to treat children who lost their sense of smell to covid-19. Parents will attend clinics and go home with a set of essential oils for their child to sniff twice a day for three months. Clinicians will check their progress monthly. The Smell Disturbance Clinic at Children’s Hospital Colorado was approved to open March 10. So far, five children have been screened and one enrolled. Seattle Children’s expects to open its program this spring. (Heredia Rodriguez, 3/25)

The pandemic’s stress on the nation’s health system has amplified challenges in rising rates of sexually transmitted infections, which have been overlooked because of a lack of funding and personnel in the past year. The new challenges in preventing the spread of STIs come as contact tracers were shifted to work on COVID-19 prevention. STI clinics also rely on local funding, which was cut in many places during the economic downturn. Meanwhile, testing supplies remain in shortage. (Raman, 3/24)