Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Mental Illness Appears To Be Yet Another COVID Side Effect
New research suggests that people who have survived COVID-19 infections are at a greater risk of developing mental illness.聽This data, published in The Lancet Psychiatry Journal, indicates that 20 percent of observed COVID-19 patients are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder such as anxiety, depression, or insomnia within 90 days after being diagnosed. (Kelley, 11/10)
A report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that looked at hospitalized coronavirus patients found that up to 9% were readmitted within two months of discharge. The likelihood of readmission increased for patients over age 65, those with chronic conditions, those who were discharged to a nursing facility or home health care, and those who had been hospitalized within three months prior to a coronavirus-related hospitalization. (Hein, 11/10)
In other COVID science and research news 鈥
Melatonin could possibly have more use than just aiding in a good night鈥檚 sleep. A new study from the Cleveland Clinic suggests the hormone could be a possible treatment option for those infected with the聽novel coronavirus. In an analysis of patient data from the Cleveland Clinic's COVID-19 registry, researchers found that melatonin, a hormone that regulates the body鈥檚 sleep-wake cycle, was 鈥渁ssociated with a nearly 30% reduced likelihood of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 after adjusting for age, race, smoking history and various disease comorbidities,鈥 according to a news release accompanying the study published in the journal PLOS Biology.聽(Farber, 11/10)
A preterm baby girl delivered via emergency cesarean delivery at 32 weeks remained healthy despite drinking SARS-CoV-2鈥搃nfected breast milk from her mother, a case report today in Pediatrics notes. The infant was born at 1.6 kilograms (3 pounds, 9 ounces). During her first 3 days of life, she was largely on noninvasive mechanical ventilation and given donor human or expressed breast milk. The mother occasionally visited the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) wearing a facemask and gown. (11/10)
A new type of test can detect a person鈥檚 immune response to the coronavirus better than a widely used antibody test, according to research released on Tuesday. The test, if authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, would be the first commercial product to detect the response of a T cell 鈥 a type of immune cell 鈥 to the virus. Antibodies have dominated the conversation on immunity since the start of the pandemic, but scientists believe that T cells may be just as important in preventing reinfection. (Mandavilli, 11/10)
People with intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders are three times more likely to die if they have Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, compared with others with the diagnosis, according to a large analysis of insurance claims data. The finding raises complex questions about how to allocate new vaccines as they become available in limited supplies. The drug maker Pfizer announced this week that its experimental vaccine is performing well in clinical trials. (Rabin, 11/10)