Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Pan-Coronavirus Vaccine; Long Covid; Supplemental Vitamin D; Cell Movement
Researchers have shown that a specific area of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is a promising target for a pan-coronavirus vaccine that could offer some protection against new virus variants, common colds, and help prepare for future pandemics. (The Francis Crick Institute, 7/27)
Two new studies describe long-COVID symptoms, with one finding that 53% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients still had cognitive impairment ("brain fog") 13 months after infection, and another adding conditions such as hair loss and sexual dysfunction to the list of persistent symptoms among outpatients. (Van Beusekom, 7/27)
In an ancillary study of the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL), we tested whether supplemental vitamin D3 would result in a lower risk of fractures than placebo. (LeBoff, M.D., et al, 7/28)
Researchers have discovered that certain cells move surprisingly faster in thicker fluid because their ruffled edges sense the viscosity of their environment and adapt to increase their speed. Their combined results in cancer and fibroblast cells suggest that the viscosity of a cell's surrounding environment is an important contributor to disease, and may help explain tumor progression, scarring in mucus-filled lungs affected by cystic fibrosis, and the wound-healing process. (University of Toronto, 7/25)
