Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Scientists Try To Unravel COVID's Secrets
Researchers say they're seeing indications that the pollutants spewed out of tailpipes are making the people who breathe them at high levels more likely to die from COVID-19. Much of the analysis is still in its early stages, but several studies, some not yet peer-reviewed, show high levels of nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter correlate with higher mortality rates from the virus. (Brown, 10/19)
Although inroads have been made in combating antibiotic resistance, infection control specialists are worried that misuse of antibiotics on COVID-19 patients—on top of cuts to stewardship programs and burnout of infection control staff—will only worsen the crisis. (Castellucci, 10/17)
Early in the coronavirus outbreak, hospital data from China revealed a startling disparity: Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, was killing far more men than women. That difference persisted in other Asian countries, such as South Korea, as well as in European countries, such as Italy. Then, it appeared in the United States. (Guarino, 10/17)
Lingering shortness of breath and diminished stamina have dogged many Covid patients whose lungs were viciously attacked by the coronavirus. Early in the pandemic, doctors worried that Covid might cause irreversible damage leading to lung fibrosis — progressive scarring in which lung tissue continues to die even after the infection is gone. ... While global or nationwide statistics on post-Covid lung recovery are not yet available, hospitals and clinics are assessing their cases. (Zeldovich, 10/18)
Also —
As scientists around the world race to find a treatment for the coronavirus, a young girl among them stands out. Anika Chebrolu, a 14-year-old from Frisco, Texas, has just won the 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge -- and a $25,000 prize -- for a discovery that could provide a potential therapy to Covid-19. (Elassar, 10/18)
If the idea of drinking hand sanitizer, absorbing ultraviolet light and gargling salt water to prevent or treat Covid-19 sounds bizarre to you, know that this isn't the first time humans have put themselves in dangerous situations to quell their fears. In the face of threat by a new infectious disease, people become desperate, said Dr. Jeremy Brown, an emergency care physician and author of "Influenza: The Hundred-Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History." (Rogers, 10/17)
