tingilinde

subvariants

Sorting out some of the major omicron subvariants.

a useful Q&A

 

 

good science and good health

Scientific American on why abortion rights are good policy.

 

an unexpected benefit of mask wearing

Covid-19 variolation (I didn't know the word)

 

katelyn jetelina and caitlin rivers on the problem with us national data

A link to the Zoom interview.  Audio is poor, but there's a transcript.

(it's not nationalized and a mess)

 

on mask design

Fit can be difficult and double-masking counterproductive.

 

 

fleeing shanghai

Not an easy undertaking in a lockdown.

 

antibiotics and vaccine response

It looks like there's an issue with children.

snip

...

"The results reveal that antibiotic use is associated with lower antibody levels to several vaccine antigens and a frequency-dependent effect of antibiotic courses over time in the first 2 years of life," the authors wrote.

In a video abstract that accompanies the study, senior author Michael Pichichero, MD, of Rochester General Hospital Research Institute says that while the study is small and limited to children in one city, the findings nonetheless further highlight the need for careful use of antibiotics in children.

"This is new information for pediatricians, and yet again more reason for judicious antibiotic prescribing," Pichichero said.

...

a tip of the hat to Sukie

 

opera and long covid

Opera singers are experts at breathing technique .. it looks like a program that uses singing techniques may help some long covid sufferers. 

snip

...

An online breathing and wellbeing programme helps improve quality of life and breathlessness for people recovering from COVID-19, according to a new study.

This is one of the first clinical trials to report an effective intervention for people with post-COVID syndrome, also known as long COVID. The study is published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

The ‘ENO Breathe’ programme has been developed by the English National Opera (ENO) and respiratory clinicians at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. It uses singing techniques to improve wellbeing for patients with persistent breathlessness due to COVID-19. The social prescribing programme has been providing support to people in London and across England since September 2020 and is led by ENO Engage, the ENO’s learning and participation department.

...

a tip of the hat to Sukie

 

the trials of finding treatments

On trying to navigate the American healthcare system when a treatment exists, but getting it is a struggle.

snip

...

For many Americans, it’s a familiar scenario, which frustrates both patients and doctors. In studies, primary-care physicians report feeling overburdened and overstretched by a health-care system that pays them by the volume of patients they see and tests they order, leaving little time for in-depth interactions or surprises—such as a phone call from a patient. As noon approached, Farzad found a detour: a virtual visit with an urgent-care clinic. Online, a nurse agreed that his father qualified for Paxlovid.

...

 

 

travel and covid

many commercials to skip, but otherwise good.  Lawrence Gostin and Katelyn Jetelina