Vaccinated adults seem to protect the children around them; bar opening event related to 46 COVID-19 cases

(Reuters) – The following is a summary of some of the latest scientific studies on the new coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Vaccinated adults also seem to protect children

New data from Israel, where health officials have moved quickly to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc and partner BioNTech SE, suggests that vaccinating adults also protects unvaccinated people living around them. About a third of Maccabi Healthcare Services (MHS) 1.95 million members – all over the age of 16 – had received at least a single dose of the vaccine by January 30. In the analysis of the results from 223 communities, the researchers found that the number of vaccinated adults increased, infection rates among unvaccinated MHS members in the same community decreased – especially among children. MHS is the second largest health care organization in Israel. “While the observed protection of the vaccine against vaccination is encouraging, further studies are needed to understand whether and how it could support the prospect of herd immunity and disease eradication,” the researchers concluded in the study published Wednesday on medRxiv before the peer review. (bit.ly/3wnIVVf)

Illinois bar opening event related to 46 cases of COVID-19

An indoor celebration of the opening of a bar in rural Illinois in February led to 46 new cases of COVID-19 and wider ramifications, according to a U.S. study that serves as a focus on how such events may affect local communities. . Four participants had similar COVID-19 symptoms that day. Of the 46 party-related coronavirus infections, there were 26 cases among employers, three in staff members and 17 “secondary cases” in those infected by them, according to a report published Monday in the US Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Secondary cases included children and residents of long-term care institutions. “The transmission associated with the opening event led to the closure of a school affecting 650 children (9,100 people lost-school days) and the hospitalization of a long-term care center resident with COVID-19,” the researchers said. “These findings show that opening settings such as bars, where wearing a mask and physically distancing are challenging, may increase the risk of community-based transmission of SARS-CoV-2,” the researchers said. Businesses should “work with local health officials to promote behaviors and maintain environments that reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and develop strategies for safe reopening to prevent outbreaks in the community, such as changing aspects and operating procedures, ”they said. (bit.ly/3mtsoKU)

Congenital heart disease does not worsen the risks of COVID-19

Adults with congenital heart defects are no more likely than a normal person to have severe COVID-19 or die from it, according to an international study. Risk factors associated with poor outcomes in these individuals are the same as those associated with poor outcomes in the general public – older age, male gender, history of heart failure, irregular heartbeat, kidney problems, diabetes, and need for extra oxygen before infecting “With coronavirus,” said study co-author Dr. Jamil Aboulhosn of the UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Center. The researchers analyzed data from 1,044 adults with COVID-19 from 58 congenital heart disease centers around the world. Even people with very complex heart defects did not appear to have an increased risk of severe COVID-19, as long as they did not already have severe signs and symptoms of heart disease, Aboulhosn said, calling the conclusion “somewhat surprising.” The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. (bit.ly/2PPhFxQ; bit.ly/2OcdzQ0)

Patients with stroke with COVID-19 have poorer outcomes

Among patients who went to a hospital because they had a stroke, those who tested positive for COVID-19 were more likely to die there, according to a new study. Patients with COVID-19 were also more likely to have a more severe stroke and suffer another stroke while hospitalized, the researchers reported in the journal Stroke. They studied nearly 42,000 patients who reached 458 hospitals with ischemic stroke caused by blockages in the arteries that carry blood to the brain. Approximately 3% of patients tested positive for COVID-19. On average, they arrived at the hospital as quickly as patients without coronavirus infection. After that, things slowed down. “Probably because of the need to use personal protective equipment and other precautions” by hospital staff, patients with COVID-19 took longer to receive treatments that prevent clots from forming that reopen clogged vessels, said study co-author , Dr. Gregg Fonarow, of the University of California, Los Angeles. The study cannot prove that treatment delays caused worse results. However, Fonarow said, these findings suggest that there is a need to further improve stroke protocols to provide more timely diagnosis and treatment for patients with (ischemic stroke) to speed up care, protecting at the same time exposure health workers. (bit.ly/3sLF2Hp)

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