Asthma patients are less likely to die of the virus.A new test that is great for knowing who is still infected

(Reuters)-The following is a summary of some of the latest scientific research on the new coronavirus and efforts to find cures and vaccines for the virus-induced disease COVID-19.

Asthma patients appear less likely to die of COVID-19

Patients with asthma infected with the new coronavirus do not appear to have a higher risk of hospitalization or need for mechanical respiratory assistance than patients without asthma COVID-19, and asthmatics may die of the disease. Is low, new studies suggest. Researchers in the Boston Healthcare System have studied 562 asthma patients with COVID-19 and 2,686 non-asthma COVID-19 patients of similar age. The two groups were hospitalized at similar rates (18% to 21%) and had a similar need for mechanical ventilation (3% vs. 4% in the asthma group). However, researchers report that asthma patients are 70% less likely to die from the virus. None of the 44 patients with severe asthma died. “The underlying factors of these discoveries are not yet known, but important considerations include: possible biological mechanisms … and asthma treatments (such as corticosteroids): Possible Protective Effects of “Review. ((()

A good new test to identify people who are still infected

According to a new study, Becton Dickenson and Co’s BD Veritor System for rapid detection of new coronaviruses distinguishes between infectious and non-infectious viruses in cotton swab samples obtained within a week of onset of symptoms. Better than the gold standard RT-PCR lab test. One of the drawbacks of RT-PCR (Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction) is that patients can be positive even after they are no longer infectious. This is because the test detects a small amount of viral RNA that is most likely to represent dead infected cells. The new “antigen-based” test looks for viral proteins instead of RNA. Celine Roger-Dalbert, co-author of BD Life Sciences, told Reuters that the antigen-based approach “to identify and isolate infectious individuals more effectively than current RNA-based (RT-PCR) testing.” May be used for. ” “It may not replace RNA-based testing, but because public health interventions are used to slow down because it is necessary to identify infected people to track the spread of the virus. It should help make quarantine more efficient and effective. The COVID-19 epidemic. ” The findings were published on medRxiv on Monday prior to peer review. ((()

Intubation may be less risky to the doctor than feared

Placing or removing a tube in the patient’s respiratory tract is one of the most risky procedures for medical staff, as it is so close to the air that is expelled from the mouth of a potentially infected person. Is being considered. However, at least in the operating room, these procedures may have a lower risk of viral infection than feared. In operating room experiments on anesthetized patients, intubation and extubation resulted in far less aerosols that could carry the virus than expected. Overall, 19 tube insertions produced about one-thousandth of the aerosol produced by a single cough, the researchers reported on Tuesday in journal anesthesia. Removing the 14 tubes produced more aerosol, but still less than 25% of the aerosol produced by spontaneous coughing. The same may not be true in an emergency room setting. Surgical teams are currently wearing respiratory and high-level personal protective equipment to avoid aerosols. In each case, the authors say that special irrigation is performed, reducing the rotation of the operating room and increasing the waiting time for surgery. The findings call for “a reassessment of what constitutes an aerosol production procedure and relevant precautions for routine anesthesia airway management,” they said. ((()

Full beard does not need to rule out tight face mask seals

Front-line healthcare professionals caring for COVID-19 patients should wear a respiratory face mask that tightly seals with the skin, which can be impossible when the beard is full. There is. British doctors have come up with a solution. The answer outlined in a report published in the Journal of Hospital Infection on Saturday is to cover the chin and cheek beard with an elastic rubber sheet under a mask (used in yoga and Pilates) and tie it with a knot. The top of the head. According to the report, the technology was pioneered by transplant surgeons and adopted by 32 bearded UK healthcare providers, 30 of whom passed respiratory compatibility studies. “Bearded people who can’t shave may have new and innovative technologies that allow them to wear breathing masks,” the author writes. “It provides promising results to pave the way for larger studies,” noting that it was tested by a small number of people. ((()

Open tmsnrt.rs/3a5EyDh In an external browser with Reuters graphics on vaccines and treatments under development.