The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its coronavirus guidelines which now acknowledges what the public health experts were saying for months that the virus is capable of spreading via airborne particles. According to CDC updated guidelines the airborne particles can stay in the air for hours and can also infect people who are at a distance of more than 6ft.

The CDC updated guidelines say that airborne transmission is very rare but is still possible. However, the agency admitted that the more common way in which the virus can spread is through large respiratory droplets, which is released when an infected person sneezes, talks, coughs, breaths, or sings.

Also Read: Neurological Symptoms of Coronavirus Occur in 80% of Hospitalized Patients, a Study finds

Aerosols containing the virus can stay airborne for seconds to hours, they can also travel for a distance of more than 2 meters in spaces that are poorly ventilated and this leads to the super spread of the virus. The scientists believe that the focus of people must be towards protecting themselves from the airborne spread as the infected individuals release a large quantity of virus-containing aerosols while breathing and talking.

The CDC didn’t change their safety recommendations after a thorough review, and concluded that people can be safe from the virus by wearing a mask covering their mouth and nose, cleaning surfaces, staying not less than 6 feet from other people, washing hands, and staying at home when feeling ill.

The CDC updated guidelines come a month after the agency posted revised guidelines admitting that the virus has the capability to spread through small droplets that can stay in the air called aerosols. The agency quickly removed the guidelines from their website claiming it was posted mistakenly and was only a draft version. At that time the World Health Organization (WHO) said that there was no evidence suggesting that the virus was spreading through airborne particles, although the WHO agreed that the transmission through airborne particles was possible in some conditions.

Scientists have been debating for months about the degree to which the virus can transmit through aerosol or airborne particles. Some epidemiologists believe that the WHO and other regulatory agencies have not been fast enough to admit that the virus is capable of transmitting via air. This debate can have some implications for the use of air filtration in the reopening of businesses and schools.

Saskia Popescu, a biodefense expert, and an epidemiologist said that the CDC updated guidelines are quite good. She believes that the guidance by CDC does a good job as it emphasizes that the coronavirus is capable of spreading only by air in some environments such as poorly ventilated and crowded indoor spaces. Popescu further added that it is known that the events of this nature are occurring but are not the key driver. Moreover, she said that it is a good reminder that in some environments the risk of airborne transmission is higher and people need to know that.

The researchers said that the general public, in order to protect themselves from the airborne transmission,  should not take extra precautions required only by healthcare personnel such as wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) or wearing medical-grade masks. They also believe that a clear distinction should be made by the public health officials between aerosols capable of carrying the virus for long distances or droplets that are released by sneezing or coughing.

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A team of researchers from the University of Southampton, led by Philip Calder has published new study findings that following a healthy diet and taking dietary supplements daily can save people from COVID-19.

A diet that has a mixture of natural vegetables and fruits, as well as seeds, pulses, meat, and dairy, contain all necessary vitamins and minerals requires for a healthy body and a functional immune system. However, it might not be possible for a person to eat all these ingredients. They can use dietary supplements alternately. Also, there are some nutrients that can not be obtained from food sources including certain minerals, vitamins, and even omega-three fatty acids. Luckily these nutrients are available in dietary supplement form which can be used along with healthy food.

Also read- Coronavirus Patients are Suffering from Kidney Damage- Shocking Report

The current coronavirus pandemic has caused thousands of people to lose their life which is the second time after the seasonal influenza epidemics that a respiratory infection is killing people.

One thing that medical experts have observed that coronavirus is most dangerous for people with low immunity. So, a healthy immune system naturally protects the body from a viral attack, and this immunity is based on daily nutrition obtained from food sources.

While the new vaccination programs would save people from getting coronavirus, there is something that could reduce the risk of catching it. most of the times people ignore the significance and role of diet in pathogenic attacks and immunity. Considering there is no vaccine developed to this day, the only way to save yourself from coronavirus pandemic is to follow the precautionary measures including the dietary changes. That is why public health authorities are calling out and suggesting people to follow the healthy diet plan.

Philip Calder teaches Nutritional Immunology at the University of Southampton. He said; “The strength of somebody’s immune systems will not influence whether they get coronavirus; handwashing and social distancing are the best ways to avoid that. However, the immune system helps the body deal with the virus if they are infected and what we want is a system that functions properly when it’s challenged with bacteria and viruses.”

Also read- Scientists Discover a Novel Leptospira Strain That Might Cause Leptospirosis in Humans  

Calder recommends eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and not canned and frozen food items. Natural food has a high amount of nutrients and fiber which supports healthy metabolism and immunity. It re-creates the microbial balance inside the body and prepares the body to protect itself from any pathogenic attack.

The study also recommends eating fish which is a natural source of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for the body to function and it also improves the immune response of the body. Lastly, the research team also recommends eating meat which has a high amount of vitamin B12 and iron in it.

In case any person doesn’t consume these essential food groups, he can take dietary supplements loaded with these nutrients. Another popular choice in dietary supplements, in addition to these standard supplements, is “probiotics”. The probiotic supplement ensures a healthy and functional gut with a perfect balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria.

Calder further explains that this current coronavirus pandemic has given us a message that relying on vaccination alone is not sufficient and we might need more than these vaccines. It is essential to improve the natural immunity whether or not coronavirus pandemic ends. By improving what are we fueling to our body, we can reduce the chance of getting infected with a number of pathogenic microbes including the viruses i. e coronavirus. Therefore all public health offices should encourage people to take care of their diet and add essential nutrients either way.

**Note- The study report is published on the Preprints website and waiting for a peer review.

 

 

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While respiratory issues such as asthma, pneumonia, etc. are well-known symptoms of the covid 19, a new study published in the journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology has found that 4 out of 5 of hospitalized patients experience some kind of neurological manifestation. The researchers carried out the study in 509 patients admitted to a Chicago hospital network and found out that 419 of these patients showed neurological symptoms of coronavirus at some point during their time at the hospital.

The authors wrote in their study that the most frequently occurring neurological symptoms of coronavirus were headaches (experienced by 37.7% patients), dizziness (experienced by 30% of patients), anosmia (loss of smell) (experienced by 11.4% of patients), myalgias, encephalopathy (experienced by 32% of patients), and dysgeusia (impaired sense of taste) (experienced by 16% of patients). Some of the uncommon symptoms were movement disorders, motor, and sensory deficits, seizures, strokes, and ataxia. The average stay in the hospital for these patients was also three times longer than usual and the risk of death was seven times higher.

Also read: Europe is Facing Pandemic Fatigue, According to WHO

The study included data from coronavirus patients admitted across an academic medical center and nine hospitals within the Northwestern Medicine Healthcare system in Chicago between March and April. Moreover, a quarter of those patients required mechanical ventilation. The researchers found that around 42% of the patients, before going to the hospital, had neurological manifestations when they first started experiencing symptoms. Then when they were sick enough to be admitted to the hospital, nearly 63% of them showed neurological symptoms of coronavirus, according to the data.

The researchers also discovered that younger patients were found to be more likely to be impacted by the neurological symptoms of coronavirus than older patients. They wrote that the fact that any neurological manifestations as a whole were more likely to occur in younger people is surprising, and could be explained by greater clinical emphasis on the risk of respiratory failure than other symptoms in older patients, however in contrast encephalopathy was more frequent in older people. Less than 6% of patients in the study were evaluated by neurologists or neurosurgeons, so more research is needed to find out if similar findings would occur in other hospital systems.

Even after these patients left the hospital, many of their symptoms remained. Only around 32% of them were able to complete simple tasks like paying bills or cooking, according to the chief of neuro-infectious disease and global neurology at Northwestern Medicine and senior author of the study Dr. Igor Koralnik.

The study did not specify how the coronavirus can cause encephalopathy, however, Dr. Koralnik believes that encephalopathy is sometimes brought on by other diseases including those that cause changes in blood circulation and inflammation, particularly in older patients. Moreover, a majority of the health experts believe that the covid19 doesn’t attack the brain cells directly but these neurological symptoms are a byproduct of inflammation and immune system responses.

This isn’t the first study of its kind, as a study in April of 214 coronavirus patients discovered that more than one-third of the patients experienced some sort of neurological complications. The virus is capable of causing neurological complications like brain inflammation, nerve damage, delirium, and stroke.

 

The post Neurological Symptoms of Coronavirus Occur in 80% of Hospitalized Patients, According to a Study appeared first on Spark Health MD.

While respiratory issues such as asthma, pneumonia, etc. are well-known symptoms of the covid 19, a new study published in the journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology has found that 4 out of 5 of hospitalized patients face some kind of neurological manifestation. The researchers carried out the study in 509 patients hospitalized in a hospital network in Chicago and found out that 419 of those patients showed neurological symptoms of coronavirus at some point in the course of their time at the hospital.

The authors wrote in their study that the most frequently occurring neurological symptoms of coronavirus were headaches (experienced by 37.7% patients), dizziness (experienced by 30% of patients), anosmia (experienced by 11.4% of patients), myalgias, encephalopathy (experienced by 32% of patients), and dysgeusia (impaired sense of taste) (experienced by 16% of patients). Some of the uncommon symptoms were motor, and sensory deficits, seizures, movement disorders, strokes, and ataxia. The average stay in the hospital for these patients was also three times longer than usual and the risk of death was seven times higher.

Also Read: Entire Europe is Facing Coronavirus Pandemic Fatigue, WHO Reports

The study incorporated data from coronavirus patients admitted across an academic medical center and nine hospitals within Chicago’s Northwestern Medicine Healthcare system between the months of March and April. Moreover, around 26% of those patients needed mechanical ventilation. The researchers found that around 42% of the patients, before going to the hospital, had some sort of neurological manifestations when the symptoms first started to emerge. Then when they needed to be admitted to the hospital, nearly 63% of them showed neurological symptoms of coronavirus, according to the data.

Researchers also discovered that younger patients tended to be more vulnerable to the neurological symptoms of coronavirus, however, encephalopathy was more recurring in older people. The researchers believe that the cause of these neurological symptoms being discovered in young people might be because doctors focused more on younger patients as the younger patients are less likely to suffer a respiratory failure or the fact that it is more likely that young people seek medical care for the symptoms.

Even after these patients left the hospital, many of their symptoms remained. Only around 32% of them were able to complete simple tasks like paying bills or cooking, according to the chief of neuro-infectious disease and global neurology at Northwestern Medicine and senior author of the study Dr. Igor Koralnik.

The study did not specify how the coronavirus can cause encephalopathy, however, Dr. Koralnik believes that encephalopathy is sometimes brought on by other diseases including those that cause changes in blood circulation and inflammation, particularly in older patients. Moreover, a majority of the health experts believe that the covid19 doesn’t attack the brain cells directly but these neurological symptoms are a byproduct of inflammation and immune system responses.

This isn’t the first study of its kind, as a study in April of 214 coronavirus patients discovered that more than one-third of the patients experienced some sort of neurological complications. The virus is capable of causing neurological complications like brain inflammation, nerve damage, delirium, and stroke.

 

The post Neurological Symptoms of Coronavirus Occur in 80% of Hospitalized Patients, a Study finds appeared first on Spark Health MD.

Europeans are facing rising levels of pandemic fatigue as they are feeling less motivated for following restrictions after living with uncertainty and disruption for months, says WHO. According to WHO this fatigue varies depending on the country but it is now estimated to have crossed 60% in some cases. Hans Kluge, the regional director of WHO for Europe, said that the huge sacrifices made by the people had come at an extraordinary cost which has exhausted all the people regardless of where they live or what they do.

Hans Kluge said that after such hardships it is natural for the people to feel demotivated and apathetic and to experience this pandemic fatigue. He further added that based on aggregated survey data from countries across Europe, the fatigue is increasing among the surveyed.

Also Read: Actual Coronavirus Cases Worldwide Maybe 20 Times More than the Reported Cases, According to WHO

European Nations have registered more than 6 million coronavirus cases and close to 240,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic eight months ago, according to the data from WHO. After months of lockdown, the restrictions were gradually relaxed over the summer. However, Europe is now facing the second wave of the virus and instead of reinforcing lockdowns, the governments are emphasizing on recommending social distancing measures, good personal hygiene, and efforts to restrict social activity. However, due to the pandemic fatigue general public in Europe is refusing to adhere to the rules and is constantly arranging public protests against the restrictive measures.

The strategies to get people back on track and reduce the pandemic fatigue as proposed by Hans Kluge include understanding people by taking account of their opinion regularly and also acknowledging their hardships, involving communities in decisions and discussions as part of the solution, and allowing people to live their lives but limit the risk by using innovative ways to meet the needs of society. He also emphasizes virtual celebrations during religious events or floating cinemas that could be used to help people successfully adapt to the new normal.

Across Europe Britain remains the worst-hit country with more than 500,000 confirmed cases of the virus. Neighboring country Ireland, due to the recent surge in cases, is considering a nationwide lockdown. The national public health emergency team has recommended that the highest levels of coronavirus restrictions should be imposed again in the entire country as they were imposed during March.

Moreover, due to this second wave of the virus, Paris was forced to shutter its iconic cafes this week, which according to the police chief of Paris were braking measures because the pandemic is moving too fast. France reported around 17000 new coronavirus cases in a day on Saturday which is the highest number since the widespread testing began in the country. More than half of these new cases have been found in the extreme poverty region in Paris, particularly in migrants, said the French aid group Doctors without Borders (MSF) on Tuesday. The positivity rate in food distribution centers and emergency shelters stood at 55% compared with 12% across Paris currently.

Spain has also decided to impose partial lockdowns in the cities of Leon and Palencia after the people of Madrid and some nearby towns were not allowed to leave city limits for reasons other than medical or legal appointments, schools, or work. Regional authorities in Madrid criticized the restrictions, however, health care experts believe it’s for the best.

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