Coronavirus Tidbits #248 June 4, 2023

Covid:

COVID survivors with depressive, cognitive symptoms show signs of brain inflammation

Patients with persistent symptoms of depression and cognitive impairment after a mild to moderate COVID-19 infection had elevated levels of a protein indicating inflammation of the brain, finds a Canadian case-control study published yesterday in JAMA Psychiatry.

The team led by researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto used positron emission tomography (PET) to compare levels of translocator protein, a marker for gliosis (inflammation of the brain), in 20 participants with persistent symptoms of depression and cognitive impairment with those of 20 healthy controls.

The study was conducted from April 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022. Average participant age was 32.9 years, and roughly 60% were women.

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/covid-survivors-depressive-cognitive-symptoms-show-signs-brain-inflammation

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More than 1 in 6 unvaccinated people report health effects of COVID two years after confirmed infection

Around 1 in 6 unvaccinated individuals say they are still experiencing health effects of COVID-19 up to two years after infection, finds a study from Switzerland published by The BMJ.

The findings show that 17% of participants did not return to normal health and 18% reported COVID-19 related symptoms 24 months after initial infection.

Most people who have COVID-19 recover soon after the initial phase of the disease, but others experience persistent health problems (known as long COVID), which can impact quality of life and ability to work.

Previous studies on longer term outcomes after COVID-19 infection have reported a wide range of estimates (22-75% at 12-24 months) preventing researchers from making any firm conclusions about long term treatment and support.

To address some of this uncertainty, researchers looked at patterns of recovery and symptom persistence over two years in adults from the Zurich SARS-CoV-2 Cohort, an ongoing study of individuals with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-05-unvaccinated-people-health-effects-covid.html

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Analysis: Mother-to-newborn COVID-19 transmission infrequent

A meta-analysis of 26 studies involving mother-to-child COVID-19 transmission in the first 30 days after birth reveals an overall estimate of SARS-CoV-2 infection among infants of 2.3%. The study was published today in Scientific Reports.

During the initial months of the COVID pandemic, many hospitals stopped practices known to promote breastfeeding and maternal bonding when the mother had an active COVID-19 infection at delivery, including infant room-in, skin-to-skin contact, and breastfeeding itself.

Subsequent studies have shown breastmilk is unlikely to transmit COVID-19 to infants, and indeed contains neutralizing antibodies when mothers have an active infection.

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/analysis-mother-newborn-covid-19-transmission-infrequent

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The Brain and #LongCovid
I reviewed and contextualized 2 new important German studies and their findings of persistent neuro-inflammation even after mild Covid.
https://t.co/qcVTVv0rS9 pic.twitter.com/77DPPUBjdI

— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 28, 2023

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Long Covid:

Other:

Monkeypox/mpox:

Prior mpox infection does not seem to confer even short-term immunity, let alone lifelong immunity, as was hoped based on experience with other orthopox viruses.

Two men were reinfected with mpox in Spain after being both previously infected and vaccinated against the disease.

https://elpais.com/sociedad/2023-05-27/diagnosticados-por-segunda-vez-de-la-viruela-del-mono-dos-pacientes-en-madrid-y-barcelona.html

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Human Metapneumovirus:

Young children, those who have weakened immune systems and older adults most at risk of serious illness from human metapneumovirus

If you came down with a respiratory infection in the spring and it wasn’t influenza (flu), COVID-19 or RSV, it may have been a virus you’ve never heard of.

That’s because cases of human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, surged across the U.S. in March.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 19.6% of antigen tests and 10.9% of PCR tests for HMPV were positive in early and mid-March. The numbers are about 36% higher than before the pandemic.

The virus is seasonal, like the annual flu. In the United States, HMPV infections begin circulating in winter and last through spring. And the good news is that levels have dropped.

“HMPV is not something most people need to worry about. It’s essentially another cause of the common cold,” said Larissa May, a professor of emergency medicine and an expert in public health and testing for infectious diseases.

https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/a-little-known-respiratory-virus-hmpv-surged-this-spring-what-you-need-to-know/2023/06

also https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/29/health/human-metapneumovirus-explainer-wellness/index.html

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Fusarium solani implicated in fungal meningitis outbreak tied to Mexican cosmetic surgery

Mexican health officials have identified Fusarium solani, a common soil fungus, in cerebrospinal fluid samples from five American women who got sick after undergoing cosmetic surgery procedures performed under spinal anesthesia at two private clinics in Matamoros, Mexico, from January to April, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

The illnesses were the subject of a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Health Advisory Network notice on May 17. The WHO said that, as of May 26, 20 cases have been reported in people who have signs and symptoms compatible with central nervous system infection. The CDC has reported two deaths.

An investigation found that 547 people had procedures at the clinics during the time people got sick, 304 from Mexico and 237 from the United States, the WHO said. In an update this week, the CDC said 220 people in the United States have known exposure, with 11 listed as having probable infections, meaning tests were positive for fungal infection markers, and 14 are listed as having suspected cases, meaning their symptoms are consistent with meningitis. Some of the US patients seen at the clinic didn't have epidural anesthesia.

State health officials in Mexico closed the two clinics on May 13, and investigations into the illnesses are ongoing. So far the fungus source, vehicle, and transmission route are unknown.

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/fungal-infection/fusarium-solani-implicated-fungal-meningitis-outbreak-tied-mexican-cosmetic

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CDC report highlights the need for improved ill-worker policies to prevent foodborne illness

A new report from the CDC underscores the need for improved policies and enforcement to prevent food contamination by ill or infectious food workers. The implementation of paid leave for sick workers is a primary concern.

The research suggests that implementing comprehensive ill-worker policies, such as requiring employees to report illnesses to managers, can effectively reduce the occurrence of employees working while they are sick in restaurants. Furthermore, the study suggests that paid sick leave and supportive regulations are linked to improved food safety outcomes, resulting in lower rates of foodborne illnesses.

In the past few weeks, the U.S. has seen a California restaurant sicken nearly 100 with norovirus, 45 confirmed patients in a Salmonella outbreak from two Mexican restaurants in Boston, and a case of Hepatitis A linked to a Taco Bell in Washington state, showing that foodborne illness outbreaks in retail food establishments are a significant public health concern.

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2023/05/cdc-report-highlights-the-need-for-improved-ill-worker-policies-to-prevent-foodborne-illness/

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Bat influenza: