Lancet coronavirus study explores risk of reinfection
(DW.com) — We have accepted or at least become used to the fact that there are more questions than answers regarding the novel coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV-2. How long can the virus survive on surfaces, for instance? What are the exact symptoms of COVID-19, the disease it causes? What are the chances that people can develop immunity …
Public health officials ask people to stick to own households, worrying those who live alone
(Nicole Ireland/ CBC News) — Stephanie Belding felt “a sense of loss” when Toronto Public Health recently urged people to limit contact with others to within their own household.
Like so many others, Belding enjoyed a brief reprieve from isolation when the COVID-19 curve flattened during the summer and public health restrictions …
Coronavirus can survive on skin for 9 hours
(Rachael Rettner/ LiveScience) —The new coronavirus can linger on human skin much longer than flu viruses can, according to a new study from researchers in Japan.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, remained viable on samples of human skin for about 9 hours, according to the study. In contrast, a strain of the influenza A virus …
Most hospitalized US coronavirus patients experience neurological symptoms, study says
(Jessica Schladebeck/ Daily News) — The majority of people hospitalized with coronavirus in America experience neurological symptoms, including muscle pain, headaches and encephalopathy, researchers at Northwestern Medicine have learned.
Of the first 509 people admitted across Chicago-area hospitals for COVID-19 this spring, …
Why Covid-19 patients are suffering from distorted and phantom smells
(Stephanie Feuer/ Smithsonian Magazine) — On a perfect August night, Carol Pitz, a career consultant from Chanhassen, Minnesota, was looking forward to her 25th wedding anniversary dinner, especially because she and her family had spent much of the spring isolating after exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19. She woke up one morning in …
‘Any breed could do it’: dogs might be a Covid tester’s best friend
(Nicola Davis/ The Guardian) — It is simple and pain-free, could be used to test for coronavirus in care homes, airports and schools, and might just be more realistic than the UK government’s £100bn “Operation Moonshoot” mass screening plan. Its name? Fido.
Around the world – from the UK to Finland, Spain, Brazil, Lebanon and Australia …
Standard blood test can predict risk of dying from Covid-19
(Helen Albert/ Forbes) — One of the problems with Covid-19 is that while many people have mild-to-moderate symptoms and recover at home, a small percentage of infections lead to severe illness and death. Predicting who will become seriously ill is vital to ensure patients get the best treatment and have the best chance of recovery.
A …
Pets can support mental health and reduce loneliness during lockdown, study finds
(Robert Glatter MD, Forbes) — A growing body of research indicates that ongoing and prolonged loneliness is associated with adverse health outcomes, including elevated risk for diabetes, hypertension, cancer, coronary artery disease, depression, anxiety and suicide.
The pandemic—especially during periods of strict lockdown—has …
Feds announce plan to buy 7.9 million rapid COVID tests as Health Canada defends slow response
(John Paul Tasker/ CBC News) — The federal government today announced a plan to buy 7.9 million point-of-care COVID-19 tests in the months ahead — and defended a Health Canada regulatory process that has left the country with few rapid testing devices to deploy as cases mount.
Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand said …