Covid Can Raise the Risk of Heart Problems for Years
Since nearly the start of the pandemic, scientists have known that a COVID-19 infection increases the risk of heart problems. A growing body of research now suggests that this risk can last until well after the infection has cleared.
One recent study, conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California and Cleveland Clinic, found that a COVID-19 infection doubled the risk of a major cardiovascular event for up to three years afterward. What’s more, the study found that infections severe enough to require hospitalization increased the likelihood of cardiac events as much as — or more than — having previously had a heart attack did.
“A lot of people are at even greater risk of heart attack than they were before,” said Dr. David Goff, director for the cardiovascular sciences division at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which provided funding for the study. “And heart disease is already the leading cause of death on our planet before the pandemic. So this is really concerning.”
Sluggish Gas Exchange in the Lungs May Be Involved in Long-COVID Brain Fog
Lower rates of gas exchange in the lungs may contribute to impaired cognitive function (“brain fog”) tied to long COVID, according to a small study to be presented at next week’s Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting in Chicago.
Pulmonary gas exchange is the movement of oxygen from the lungs to the bloodstream and carbon dioxide from the bloodstream to the lungs. University of Iowa researchers in Iowa City evaluated the link between pulmonary gas exchange on magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, structural and functional brain MRI, lung-function tests, and performance on cognitive tests in long-COVID patients.
For the study, 10 female and 2 male COVID-19 survivors with a median age of 59 years who had persistent shortness of breath, fatigue, or both, were recruited from a post-COVID clinic.
Long COVID Hits the Young Harder Than the Old, Study Finds
It might sound counterintuitive, but new research shows that when Long COVID strikes, younger patients appear more prone to severe symptoms than older folks. That’s tough on society as a whole, the study’s lead author said. “The impact of Long COVID is causing disproportionate morbidity [illness] and disability in younger adults in their prime who provide much of the workforce, productivity and innovation in our society,” said Dr. Igor Koralnik. He co-directs the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive COVID-19 Center, in Chicago.
According to the researchers, neurological symptoms of Long COVID can include headache, numbness and tingling, problems with smell and taste, blurred vision, depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue and a decrease in cognitive function.
“While deaths from COVID-19 continue to decrease, people still get repetitive infections with the virus and may develop Long COVID along the way,” said Koralnik, who is also chief of neuroinfectious diseases and global neurology at Northwestern Medicine.
“Long COVID is causing an alteration in patients’ quality of life,” he said. “Despite vaccinations and boosters, about 30% of COVID-19 patients develop some Long COVID symptoms.”
Novel Nano-Vaccine Administered as Nasal Spray Found to Be Effective Against All Major COVID-19 Variants
Researchers at Tel Aviv University, TAU, have developed an effective, inexpensive and simple COVID-19 vaccine that can be stored at room temperature and administered as a nasal spray. Prof. Ronit Satchi-Fainaro’s lab at TAU’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences collaborated with Professor Helena Florindo’s lab at the University of Lisbon to produce a novel nano-vaccine for COVID-19.
The nano-vaccine, a 200-nanometer particle, trains the immune system against all common COVID-19 variants, just as effectively as existing vaccines. Moreover, unlike other vaccines, it is conveniently administered as a nasal spray and does not require a cold supply chain or ultra-cold storage. These unique features pave the way to vaccinating third-world populations, as well as the development of simpler, more effective, and less expensive vaccines in the future.
The revolutionary study was featured on the cover of the journal Advanced Science. “Our nano-vaccine offers a significant advantage over existing vaccines because it is needle-free and administered as a nasal spray,” notes Prof. Satchi-Fainaro.
“This eliminates the need for skilled personnel such as nurses and technicians to administer injections, while also reducing risks of contamination and sharp waste. Anyone can use a nasal spray, with no prior training.”
Severe COVID-19 May Shrink Cancer Tumors, Early Data Suggest
Immune cells produced during a severe COVID-19 infection may cause cancerous tumors to shrink, research in mice suggests. The study, published Friday (Nov. 15) in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, found that genetic information from the virus that causes COVID-19 led the immune system to produce special cells with anti-cancer properties. These immune cells, a type of white blood cell called monocytes, helped shrink several types of cancer in mice.
Normally, cancer spreads when monocytes assemble at a tumor site. The tumor cells then convert these monocytes into cancer-friendly cells, said study lead author Dr. Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery at Northwestern Medicine. These monocytes then help shield the cancer cells from the immune system, allowing tumors to grow.
“They essentially form like a castle around the cancer cells, protecting them from being invaded by the body’s immune system,” Bharat told Live Science. The COVID-19 vaccines on the market are unlikely to trigger this mechanism, since they do not use the same RNA sequence that the virus does, Bharat said. But future drugs and vaccines could be developed to spur the development of cancer-fighting monocytes, he added.
Men More Likely Than Women to Develop COVID-19 Pneumonia, Research Suggests
A study of sex-based differences in the risk of COVID-19 pneumonia finds that men were more likely to develop the complication than women (12.0% vs 7.0%) during the declared pandemic period and the early months of the endemic phase of the disease in Mexico.
Published in Scientific Reports, the study is based on national COVID-19 epidemiologic surveillance data on more than 1.6 million adult COVID-19 patients analyzed by Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social–led researchers from February 2020 to August 2023. Of all patients, 53.7% were women, and the average age was 43.6 years.
“Pneumonia is a common and severe complication of COVID-19, often requiring hospitalization and intensive medical care,” the researchers wrote, noting that men are at increased risk for severe COVID-19. “Accurate risk assessment for pneumonia development in COVID-19 cases is relevant for clinical decision-making and resource allocation and provides valuable insights into the changing dynamics of the disease.”
