With misinformation and deliberate disinformation running almost as rampant as the virus that causes COVID-19, we thought it would be best to go to the source for the latest insights. Compiled by veteran medical journalist Brian Owens, Hakai Magazine in partnership with The Tyee regularly presents this roundup of some of the newest science on the COVID-19 pandemic, straight from the scientific journals.
Masks may help prevent infected people from spreading the coronavirus that causes COVID-19
Surgical facemasks may be helpful in limiting the spread of coronaviruses from people who are infected. Masks were shown to significantly reduce the detection of influenza virus in respiratory droplets, and seasonal coronaviruses in aerosols. It is important to note, however, that the study did not examine SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, specifically, and does not address whether masks work in the opposite direction: by preventing infections in the wearer.
Recently we highlighted a study that suggested that drugs commonly used to treat chronic heart and kidney diseases may increase the risk of complications from COVID-19. This study was based on animal experiments that showed that those drugs increased the number of ACE2 receptors in the animal. The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 uses ACE2 cells to enter the body.
Now, a group of researchers has completed a detailed review of more than 60 studies and concluded that none reported an increase in ACE2 levels in humans caused by these same drugs. They recommend patients currently taking these medications continue to do so without interruption.
Patients may still be infectious even after they recover
Two studies of patients who had recovered from COVID-19 found that they may still be infectious even after symptoms have disappeared. One study looked at people who had mild infections and found that half of them continued to test positive for up to eight days after their symptoms disappeared. The other study found that the virus could still be detected in a patient’s mucous and feces even after they had tested negative on two consecutive throat swabs. The researchers recommend that if you were quarantined at home with mild symptoms, you should extend your quarantine for another two weeks even after you feel better.
Patients shed the virus at high rates early in infection
Scientists in Germany have found that shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract occurs most efficiently early on, when patients still have mild symptoms. They could detect the infectious form of the virus in the throat and lungs until day eight of symptoms, and viral RNA in mucus from the lungs after the symptoms were gone. They did not detect the virus in blood or urine, and did not find the infectious form in feces, despite high levels of viral RNA.
A potential vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, developed at the University of Pittsburgh, has been tested in mice. The vaccine was found to produce antibodies specific to the virus at quantities thought to be sufficient to neutralize the virus. The vaccine uses lab-made pieces of viral protein to trigger an immune response — the same way that current flu vaccines work. It is delivered using a microneedle array, a fingertip-sized patch of 400 tiny needles made of sugar that goes on like a Band-Aid and delivers the vaccine into the skin. The researchers expect to start trials in humans within a few months.
Potential treatment drug identified by University of British Columbia scientists
A drug that has already been tested against lung disease could potentially be a useful treatment for COVID-19. The drug, called human recombinant soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, blocks the ACE2 receptor that the virus uses to enter cells. In cell cultures, hrsACE2 reduced viral growth by a factor of 1,000 to 5,000.
A person’s compliance with quarantine rules during infectious disease outbreaks can vary from as little as zero per cent up to 92.8 per cent, according to a review of existing research. The factors that have the biggest effect of adherence are the knowledge people had about the disease and quarantine procedure, social norms, perceived benefits of quarantine and perceived risk of the disease, as well as practical issues such as running out of supplies or the financial consequences of being out of work. Public health officials should take these factors into account to improve adherence, the researchers say.
Despite speculation that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen might make things worse for some COVID-19 patients, a review of existing research found no evidence either for or against the use of NSAIDs for COVID-19. The researchers also found that other types of drugs such as TNF blockers and JAK inhibitors, used to treat arthritis or other forms of inflammation, were safe to use, and there is some evidence that corticosteroids may be helpful if used in the early acute phase of infection, but the evidence is not conclusive. Health authorities that had previously warned against the use of NSAIDs have since backed off that claim.
Two groups of scientists have determined the structure of SARS-CoV-2’s receptor binding domain, the protein that allows it to attach to human cells. They found that it was nearly identical to the one on SARS-CoV (the original SARS virus), but with a few changes that allow it to bind more effectively. The research helps us understand the evolutionary history of the virus and will help guide the development of treatments and vaccines.
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
![[Tyee]](https://thetyee.ca/ui/img/ico_fishie.png){kind=small}
