Experts concerned some businesses are still focused on temperature checks and deep-cleaning as coronavirus safety measures
The Washington Post (9/7, Judkis) reported, “Despite initial reports warning people that the novel coronavirus can be transmitted from contaminated surfaces, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has told Americans in no uncertain terms that the virus is primarily transmitted person-to-person, through breathing, speaking, shouting and singing.” However, “six months into the pandemic, Americans seem determined to Clorox their way to absolution.” Some “businesses…are investing in touchless thermometers and going full-throttle on the deep-cleaning, which makes some experts concerned,” as “those measures may be more about making people feel safe than they are about actually doing what it takes to ensure their safety.”
Coronavirus antibody tests have reportedly not helped people return to normal life
The AP (9/7, Perrone) reports that earlier this year, President Trump and others predicted that coronavirus antibody tests would allow people to determine whether they had been infected and as such if they could return to work and other activities without fear of infection. Months later, however, the U.S. “is awash in the tests but the bold predictions about their usefulness have yet to materialize.” Currently, the CDC and AMA both “explicitly warn that antibody tests should not be used to make decisions about returning workers to the office or students to school, though some labs still promote them for those uses.”
Many COVID-19 “long-haulers” reportedly affected by anxiety and depression
The New York Times (9/7, Goldberg) reports, “Early on in the pandemic, a pervasive myth among patients and some health authorities was the idea that [COVID-19] was a short-term illness.” It’s only been “in recent months” that “more attention [has] been given to long-haulers.” For instance, the Times adds that “in online support groups like Body Politic and Survivor Corps, long-haulers have produced informal surveys and reports to study their course of illness,” and in one support group, “dozens wrote that their months of illness have contributed to anxiety and depression, exacerbated by the difficulties of accessing medical services and disruptions to their work, social and exercise routines.”
Distinguishing COVID-19 from flu, other seasonal viruses may be difficult
The Washington Post (9/4, Ellison) reported that “on the verge of another flu season, Americans know a lot more about [COVID-19], the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.” However, “doctors may be just as much in the dark when it comes to distinguishing it without a lab test for influenza or several other common seasonal viruses, including adenovirus or RSV.” All of these illnesses “often share initial symptoms that may include a cough, fever, fatigue and muscle aches.” The CDC has listed dyspnea, or difficulty breathing, “as one of only two symptoms (along with loss of taste and smell) not commonly shared with influenza.”
Researchers continue work trying to understand the relationship between smoking, vaping, and COVID-19
The New York Times (9/4, Wu) reported researchers are continuing to study the relationship between smoking, vaping and COVID-19. Since the pandemic started, “experts have warned that the coronavirus…most likely capitalizes on the scarred lungs of smokers and vapers,” but now researchers are “starting to pinpoint the ways in which smoking and vaping seem to enhance the virus’s ability to spread from person to person, infiltrate the lungs and spark some of [COVID-19’s] worst symptoms.” The New York Times quoted several experts and cited studies discussing how vaping and smoking have been tied to a higher risk of severe COVID-19 and some potential explanations for those findings.
Obesity may be clear predictor for severe COVID-19 illness
The Washington Post (9/4, Bernstein, Cha) reported, “Eight months into the pandemic, obesity has turned out to be one of the clearest predictors of a difficult battle against [COVID-19], for reasons that may vary from person to person.” Experts “say they believe obesity has contributed to the stunning coronavirus death and morbidity rate in the United States, which has one of the highest obesity rates in the world.”
