COVID-19 a bigger threat to seniors than pneumonia, real-world study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 09, 2023
COVID-19 is much more deadly than bacterial or viral pneumonia, causing double the mortality rate in older, hospitalized adults, investigators say.
It’s official: Omicron causes less severe COVID-19 illness than prior variants, CDC study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 26, 2022
The SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant is much less likely to cause severe illness and death than its predecessors, according to a new analysis of U.S. data from December 2020 through mid-January 2022.
CDC: Prepare for rebound in TB cases post-pandemic
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 21, 2022
A 20% decline in tuberculosis cases in 2020 may be followed by an uptick once the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, according to CDC investigators. Clinicians should be prepared to detect cases and control spread,...
Blood thinner reduces acute-care stays of COVID-19 patients: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 06, 2021
Moderately ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients who receive a full dose of heparin have less need for mechanical ventilation, and improved chances of leaving the hospital, a new trial has found.
COVID-19 connected to dementia-like disability, multiple studies find
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 27, 2021
A bout with COVID-19 can cause dementia-like brain changes and related functional decline, especially for seniors and in people who lose their sense of smell, researchers are finding.
CDC to end community tracking of COVID-19
By
Alicia Lasek
May 02, 2023
Community spread will no longer be tracked by the CDC after the PHE ends May 11. Nursing homes have used the data to make COVID-19 mitigation decisions.
Coronavirus vaccines safeguard people with obesity, but less so in the underweight: study
By
Alicia Lasek (f3)
Jul 05, 2022
Underweight people may have less vaccine-derived immunity due to frailty or immunosuppression, investigators theorize.
Functional impairment from COVID-19 may persist long after ICU discharge, studies suggest
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 21, 2021
Certain physical and mental health problems persist for years in some hospitalized survivors of acute respiratory diseases, suggesting that disability may be permanent for some severely ill COVID-19 patients...
Show us the data: COVID vaccine boosters may get go-ahead, but LTC docs remain wary
By
Alicia Lasek
Danielle Brown
Aug 09, 2021
Booster shots for the most vulnerable appear to be on a fast track to federal authorization. But clinicians want information about necessity, safety, dosing and more to justify prescribing an extra dose...
COVID vaccine protection drops by 80 percent in 6 months among nursing home residents: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 03, 2021
Vaccinated staff members had a similar six-month decrease in immunity levels, investigators say. The data may support recommendations for vaccine booster shots, they contend.