https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/07/covid-19-scan-jul-12-2022
COVID-19 Scan for Jul 12, 2022
Hyperbaric oxygen and long COVID;
Heart inflammation and COVID vaccines
Filed Under:
COVID-19
Better brain function, fewer long-COVID symptoms after hyperbaric oxygen
Long-COVID patients in Israel who underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) saw improvement in brain function and cognitive, psychiatric, and physical symptoms, according to a report published today in Scientific Reports.
Researchers from the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research conducted the randomized, controlled trial of 73 patients who had long-COVID symptoms for 3 months or more after acute infection.
In HBOT, patients enter a special chamber in which they breathe pure oxygen in air pressure levels 1.5 to 3 times higher than usual to maximize blood oxygen levels to repair tissues and restore healthy body function.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 40 daily HBOT sessions (37 patients) or sham treatment (36) and were evaluated at baseline and 1 to 3 weeks after their last session.
The HBOT group saw moderate improvements in global cognitive function, attention, and executive function, as well as energy level, sleep, psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety, odor detection, and pain. These outcomes were linked to significant improvement in both brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) perfusion (blood flow) and small structural changes in symptom-related brain regions.
No significant differences in any reported adverse effects were observed between the treatment and sham groups.
"These results indicate that HBOT can induce neuroplasticity and improve cognitive, psychiatric, fatigue, sleep and pain symptoms of patients suffering from post-COVID-19 condition," the authors wrote. "HBOT's beneficial effect may be attributed to increased brain perfusion and neuroplasticity in regions associated with cognitive and emotional roles."
Jul 12 Sci Rep study
Myocarditis, pericarditis linked to both mRNA COVID vaccines
A Kaiser Permanente–led study reveals that both mRNA COVID vaccines are associated with a slightly increased risk of myocarditis and pericarditis (heart-related inflammation) in 18- to 39-year-olds, with the risk slightly increased in Moderna recipients.
The study was based on electronic health records from eight integrated healthcare-delivery systems in the Kaiser network, and outcomes seen in the week following vaccination with either the Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) or Moderna (mRNA-1273) vaccines. From Dec 14, 2020, to Jan 15, 2022, there were 41 cases of either myocarditis or pericarditis after 2,891,498 doses of Pfizer vaccine, and 38 cases after 1,803,267 doses of Moderna vaccine.
Within 7 after dose two of Pfizer, the incidence of the inflammatory conditions was 14.3 (confidence interval [CI], 6.5 to 34.9) times higher than the comparison interval, amounting to 22.4 excess cases per million doses. After Moderna, the incidence was 18.8 (CI, 6.7 to 64.9) times higher than the comparison interval, amounting to 31.2 excess cases per million doses.
For both vaccines, most cases occurred in males (88% post-Pfizer, 84% post-Moderna) and after dose two (83% post-Pfizer, 76% post-Moderna), with median symptom onset ranging from 1 to 2 days after vaccination, the authors said. The median ages were 22 (Pfizer) and 23.5 (Moderna).
"These results indicate that both mRNA vaccines were associated with markedly elevated risk of myocarditis and pericarditis in 18–39-year-olds and that the risk during the 7 days after vaccination was modestly greater after mRNA-1273 than after BNT162b2," the authors concluded.
Jul 12 Vaccine study
COVID-19 Scan for Jul 12, 2022
Hyperbaric oxygen and long COVID;
Heart inflammation and COVID vaccines
Filed Under:
COVID-19
Better brain function, fewer long-COVID symptoms after hyperbaric oxygen
Long-COVID patients in Israel who underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) saw improvement in brain function and cognitive, psychiatric, and physical symptoms, according to a report published today in Scientific Reports.
Researchers from the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research conducted the randomized, controlled trial of 73 patients who had long-COVID symptoms for 3 months or more after acute infection.
In HBOT, patients enter a special chamber in which they breathe pure oxygen in air pressure levels 1.5 to 3 times higher than usual to maximize blood oxygen levels to repair tissues and restore healthy body function.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 40 daily HBOT sessions (37 patients) or sham treatment (36) and were evaluated at baseline and 1 to 3 weeks after their last session.
The HBOT group saw moderate improvements in global cognitive function, attention, and executive function, as well as energy level, sleep, psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety, odor detection, and pain. These outcomes were linked to significant improvement in both brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) perfusion (blood flow) and small structural changes in symptom-related brain regions.
No significant differences in any reported adverse effects were observed between the treatment and sham groups.
"These results indicate that HBOT can induce neuroplasticity and improve cognitive, psychiatric, fatigue, sleep and pain symptoms of patients suffering from post-COVID-19 condition," the authors wrote. "HBOT's beneficial effect may be attributed to increased brain perfusion and neuroplasticity in regions associated with cognitive and emotional roles."
Jul 12 Sci Rep study
Myocarditis, pericarditis linked to both mRNA COVID vaccines
A Kaiser Permanente–led study reveals that both mRNA COVID vaccines are associated with a slightly increased risk of myocarditis and pericarditis (heart-related inflammation) in 18- to 39-year-olds, with the risk slightly increased in Moderna recipients.
The study was based on electronic health records from eight integrated healthcare-delivery systems in the Kaiser network, and outcomes seen in the week following vaccination with either the Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) or Moderna (mRNA-1273) vaccines. From Dec 14, 2020, to Jan 15, 2022, there were 41 cases of either myocarditis or pericarditis after 2,891,498 doses of Pfizer vaccine, and 38 cases after 1,803,267 doses of Moderna vaccine.
Within 7 after dose two of Pfizer, the incidence of the inflammatory conditions was 14.3 (confidence interval [CI], 6.5 to 34.9) times higher than the comparison interval, amounting to 22.4 excess cases per million doses. After Moderna, the incidence was 18.8 (CI, 6.7 to 64.9) times higher than the comparison interval, amounting to 31.2 excess cases per million doses.
For both vaccines, most cases occurred in males (88% post-Pfizer, 84% post-Moderna) and after dose two (83% post-Pfizer, 76% post-Moderna), with median symptom onset ranging from 1 to 2 days after vaccination, the authors said. The median ages were 22 (Pfizer) and 23.5 (Moderna).
"These results indicate that both mRNA vaccines were associated with markedly elevated risk of myocarditis and pericarditis in 18–39-year-olds and that the risk during the 7 days after vaccination was modestly greater after mRNA-1273 than after BNT162b2," the authors concluded.
Jul 12 Vaccine study