Coronavirus Tidbits #271, November 12, 2023

New study suggests gargling with salt water may be associated with lower COVID hospitalization

As COVID and its health effects move into a fourth year, those who become infected may be searching for remedies to improve their respiratory symptoms and keep them out of the hospital.

A total of 58 individuals were allocated to either the low (27) or high (28) saline regimens; three were lost to follow-up. There were no significant differences in the primary or secondary outcomes of the study between these two groups.

"The low- and high-saline solutions consisted of 2.13 grams and 6 grams of salt dissolved in 8 ounces of warm water, respectively. Gargling and nasal rinsing was done four times a day for 14 days.

During the study period, 9,398 individuals with positive SARS-CoV-2 infection were evaluated and were the reference population. The hospitalization rates in the low- (18.5%) and high- (21.4%) saline regimens were significantly lower than in the reference population (58.8%.) No significant differences were noted in other outcomes among these groups.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-gargling-salt-covid-hospitalization.html?

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COVID-linked loss of smell, taste found to resolve by 3 years after infection

the new study finds that sense recovery does happen over time.

For example, while about two-thirds (64.8%) of people with mild COVID said they'd lost their sense of smell and/or taste at the time they were ill, that number dropped to about 32% one year later, then to 20.5% two years after infection, and finally to about 16% three years later.

That last number differed only slightly from the group of people who had never tested positive for COVID-19, the researchers noted.

The bottom line, according to the researchers: Former COVID patients "should be reassured that a recovery of olfaction appears to continue over 3 years after initial infection."

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-covid-linked-loss-years-infection.html?

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Australia is in a new COVID wave. What can be expected this time?

Australia is now into its next COVID wave. We've seen hints of this for a while. Case numbers and indicators of severe disease began rising in Victoria in August. But it has taken several months for a consistent pattern to emerge across Australia.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-australia-covid.html?

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More than half of COVID-19 patients have post-disease syndrome

The School of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) found that 55% of the patients who sought medical treatment from the HKBU Chinese Medicine Telemedicine Center Against COVID-19 during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to experience at least one long COVID symptom for six months to a year after diagnosed with an infection. The most common symptoms are fatigue, brain fog and cough.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-covid-patients-post-disease-syndrome.html?

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COVID, flu vaccine uptake in US healthcare workers lacking

Today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers published two studies on COVID-19 and flu vaccine coverage among US healthcare personnel (HCP), with one finding higher flu vaccine than COVID-19 vaccine uptake in 2023, and one suggesting that hospital workers were less likely to be vaccinated against flu during the 2020-21 and 2022-23 flu seasons than before the pandemic.

And only 17% of healthcare workers at acute care hospitals were up-to-date with their COVID booster for the 2022-2023 respiratory season.

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/covid-flu-vaccine-uptake-us-healthcare-workers-lacking

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Long COVID linked to allergies in new study

In an analysis of 13 published prospective studies of people of all ages with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who were followed up for at least 12 months, pre-existing allergic conditions were linked to higher risks of experiencing long COVID, according to a study today in Clinical & Experimental Allergy.

This is one of the first studies to assess the relationship between long COVID and allergies.

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/long-covid-linked-allergies-new-study

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Other:

US approves first vaccine against Chikungunya virus

a virus spread by infected mosquitoes in tropical and subtropical areas in Africa, SE Asia, India, and S. Am that the FDA called "an emerging global health threat."

Cases occurred in southern Europe (Italy) a couple of years ago.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-vaccine-chikungunya-virus.html 

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Risk of disease spread soars in Gaza as health facilities, water and sanitation systems disrupted:

Lack of fuel has led to the shutting down of desalination plants, significantly increasing the risk of bacterial infections like diarrhea spreading as people consume contaminated water. Lack of fuel has also disrupted all solid waste collection, creating an environment conducive to the rapid and widespread proliferation of insects, rodents that can carry and transit diseases.

https://www.emro.who.int/media/news/risk-of-disease-spread-soars-in-gaza-as-health-facilities-water-and-sanitation-systems-disrupted.html