Category: Covid-19

Average annual number of alcohol-related deaths

A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that there were roughly 488 deaths per day during the COVID-19 pandemic due to excessive alcohol drinking in 2020-21.

The average number of deaths related to excessive alcohol use increased more than 29% from 2016-17 to 2020-21, according to the report, published last week.

During 2016-17, there were 137,927 alcohol-related deaths, but for 2020-21, that number rose to 178,307.

The CDC reported that during the pandemic, drinking levels for both men and women increased substantially.

Excessive alcohol consumption-related deaths went up by 35% among women during those two time periods. In comparison, for men, there was an increase of 27% in deaths over the same time frame.

Excessive drinking is the No. 1 preventable cause of death among adults, due to chronic health issues that often develop with long-term use, like heart and liver disease, various types of cancer, and alcohol use disorder. The CDC said deaths also result from drinking too much at one time, which could lead to alcohol poisoning, motor vehicle accidents, falls, and suicides.

Another study found that people across the country bought more hard alcohol and wine during the early part of the pandemic.

Stress, loneliness, and social isolation, and mental health conditions might also have contributed to the increase in deaths from excessive alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic, the report said.

While alcohol might not be what comes to mind when you think of drugs, it actually is.

With alcohol, its sort of a social or cultural thing where we dont view it as taboo or label it like we do when someone is smoking marijuana or doing heroin or taking pills, said Dr. Gopi Vadlamudi, Medical Director of the CNX Foundation Substance Recovery Unit at Penn Highlands Mon Valley.

Vadlamudi said some people have a genetic predisposition to alcohol use disorder, and that recent studies are showing that alcohol use, even within recommended guidelines, can increase risk of certain cancers and other diseases.

According to the CDC, states can reduce alcohol deaths by limiting when and where people can buy alcohol, and by raising alcohol taxes.

The CDC also recommended mass media campaigns to encourage people to drink less.

We know that theres a lot of evidence about what works to prevent excessive drinking, and to reduce alcohol-related harm. But the strategies that we know work are often underused in the U.S., said study author Marissa Esser, from the CDCs National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention. Making alcohol less accessible and less available by having fewer places that sell it, or spreading out the number of places that are selling alcohol can help to create environments that support peoples choice to drink less.

In Pennsylvania, regulations began loosening in 2016, which allowed for more locations including grocery stores and gas stations to sell beer and wine.

In 2021, 9.4 deaths per 100,000 Pennsylvanians were alcohol-related, nearly double 2009s rate of 4.8.

According to the CDC, more than 18% of Pennsylvanians reported binge drinking (four or more drinks for women or five or more drinks for men at one occasion in the past 30 days) or heavy drinking (eight or more drinks for women or 15 or more for males drinks per week) in 2022.

If your alcohol use puts your health or safety at risk, it is an unhealthy use of alcohol, said Vadlamudi. Binge drinking is another sign of unhealthy use. Generally, if your drinking results in repeated significant problems in your daily life, you may have alcohol use disorder.

Vadlamudi also pointed out that people have their own definition of what a drink is.

So, 5 ounces of wine is one drink, but people fill their glass up and call it one drink, when actually its two, he said.

Reports that certain alcohol, like red wine, has health benefits, appear to be exaggerated, he said.

Badlamudi said help is available for those struggling with drinking.

Penn Highlands Healthcare offers inpatient, intensive outpatient, and substance recovery unit care. The CNX Foundation Substance Recovery Unit at Penn Highlands Mon Valley is a Level 4 inpatient withdrawal and treatment facility serving Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.

Help and resources are also available from The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which offers a free 24/7 helpline for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.

The CDC report also has a section dedicated to resources, and suggestions for how states and communities can help reduce drinking deaths by implementing certain laws and strategies.

Excerpt from:

Deaths from alcohol use surged during COVID-19 pandemic, CDC study shows - Observer-Reporter

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Alcohol can have very dangerous long-term effects on a person's health if abused.

LOS ANGELES - While the COVID-19 pandemic has been officially over, its impact lingers on. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that deaths from excessive drinking surged during the spread of the disease.

According to the report published last month, the CDC found that roughly 488 people died every day due to excessive consumption of alcohol from 2020-2021, a 29% increase from data 2016-2017.

"Stress, loneliness, and social isolation; and mental health conditions might also have contributed to the increase in deaths from excessive alcohol use during the Covid-19 pandemic," the report said.

For women, deaths from excessive alcohol use increased by approximately 35% and 27% for men between the two time periods.

Excessive drinking is associated with chronic dangers such as liver cancer, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.

Drinking by pregnant women can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or birth defects. Health officials say alcohol is a factor in as many as one-third of serious falls among the elderly.

Its also a risk to others through drunken driving or alcohol-fueled violence. Surveys suggest that more than half the alcohol sold in the U.S. is consumed during binge-drinking episodes.

Even before the pandemic, U.S. alcohol consumption was trending up, and Americans were drinking more than when Prohibition was enacted. But deaths may have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began for several reasons, including people with alcohol-related illnesses may have had more trouble getting medical care, said Marissa Esser, who leads the CDCs alcohol program.

"Alcohol is often overlooked" as a public health problem, said Esser. "But it is a leading preventable cause of death."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Nearly 500 deaths per day from excessive drinking during COVID-19 pandemic: CDC report - FOX 7 Austin

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Derry woman pleads guilty to trying to steal $2.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds - The Union Leader

People who test positive for COVID-19 no longer need to routinely stay away from others for at least five days, according to new guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued Friday. The change ends a strategy from earlier in the pandemic that experts said has been important to controlling the spread of the infection.The agency says it's updating its recommendations for COVID-19 to bring them in line with its advice for other kinds of respiratory infections, including influenza and RSV. Offering a single set of unified guidance will make people more likely to follow it, agency experts said in a news briefing on Friday.Namely, the CDC now says people who have COVID-19 should stay home until they've been fever-free without medication for at least 24 hours and their symptoms are improving.After that, it's fine to resume regular activities, agency experts say. But they recommend that people take additional precautions for the next five days including improving ventilation, masking and limiting close contact with others to lower the risk of spreading the virus.These enhanced precautions are particularly important for people who are around vulnerable individuals, such as those who are elderly or have immune function that's been blunted by medication or an illness, like cancer.Changing impact of COVID-19 in the USCDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said the agency is changing its guidance because most of the U.S. population has some immunity against COVID-19 and, as a result, the country is no longer seeing large waves of infections, hospitalizations and deaths from the coronavirus. Instead, these have turned into smaller, more predictable bumps in transmission in the summer and winter as the nation reaches a kind of steady state with the virus.And importantly, the agency says, despite these wavelets of illness, severe outcomes like hospitalizations and deaths have been dropping since 2020 and 2021.In 2021, at their peak, there were 2.5 million hospitalizations for COVID-19, and in 2023, that number dropped 60% to 900,000 hospitalizations.The decrease in deaths has been even bigger. In 2021, there were 450,000 deaths from COVID-19; in 2023, that number declined 83% to about 75,000 deaths.COVID has dropped from the third leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2020 and 2021 to the 10th leading cause of death in preliminary data from 2023, the CDC noted.That's still a far higher toll than the nation typically sees from the flu. In the 2022-23 season, which the CDC said was similar to some pre-pandemic flu seasons, the agency estimates that there were 360,000 flu-related hospitalizations and 21,000 deaths.Related video above: Anyone 65 or older should get another COVID-19 vaccine dose, CDC says"Today's announcement reflects the progress we've made in protecting against severe illness from COVID," Cohen said in a news briefing on Friday. "We're in a different situation, but we must use the tools that work to protect against respiratory virus. That's why our updated guidance emphasizes some core prevention actions to protect against severe illness," Cohen said, emphasizing that first and foremost, people need to stay up-to-date on their vaccines.She said she anticipated than an updated COVID-19 vaccine would be available in the fall, and that people should make plans now to get it. Earlier this week, the CDC recommended people age 65 and older get another shot of the current COVID-19 vaccine before the fall.Cohen noted it's also important to stay home when you're sick, seek testing, and get treatment to lower the chance of severe illness.The announcement doesn't mean all viruses act the same or have the same impact, Cohen noted. Instead, she said that having a set of uniform recommendations to limit the spread of respiratory infections makes them easier to follow and more likely to be adopted. Symptom-based recommendations also mean people don't need to test for infection, something many people already don't do."In a recent CDC survey, less than half of people said they would use an at-home test for COVID If they had new cough or cold symptoms. And this is one of the main reasons that we're targeting this guidance to respiratory viruses and illnesses as a group," said Dr. Brendan Jackson, who leads respiratory virus response at CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.The CDC says its updated guidance will include specific considerations for people who are at higher risk from respiratory illnesses, such as adults over 65, those who are immunocompromised, people with disabilities or those who are pregnant or have recently been pregnant.The agency also says the new guidance applies only to community settings. There's no change in recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in clinics, hospitals and other health care settings.The new guidance only applies to common respiratory infections, the CDC said. It shouldn't take the place of specific guidance for pathogens that require special containment measures, such as the measles.Asked whether the change in guidelines might lead to more people being sick at work, particularly if they don't have paid leave, Cohen said she hoped that employers would continue to allow and encourage employees to stay home when they are ill."We think that options for remote work and paid leave opportunities are an important component of this," Cohen said. She also said she'd like to see more employers offering COVID-19 vaccines alongside flu shots in their at-work clinics."The bottom line is that when people follow these actionable recommendations to avoid getting sick, and to protect themselves and others if they do get sick, it will help limit the spread of respiratory viruses, and that will mean fewer people who experience severe illness," said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, in the news release. "That includes taking enhanced precautions that can help protect people who are at higher risk for getting seriously ill."Video above: Infectious disease expert explains national concern over vaccination rateDaskalakis said that if symptoms rebound after resuming normal activities, they should start the precautions over."So if people start to feel ill again, they go back to square one, which is, stay home until you feel better for 24 hours, or your fever has resolved if you have one, then add strategies, enhanced strategies, for five additional days so that you reduce the risk of transmission," Daskalakis said.Some experts disagree on guidance changeIt's reasonable to want to treat COVID-19 like other respiratory viruses, said Dr. Ellie Murray, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University's School of Public Health, "but you can't just discard the science.""It's not good science. It's not good public health. It doesn't provide people with accurate information," she said.Murray notes that we've learned a lot about how respiratory diseases spread and how best to control them during the pandemic. But instead of applying those lessons to help protect people from other infections like the flu, she says, this rolling back of precautions is sending a harmful message."It's undermining the whole rest of the public health system," she said. "Because what people are hearing is, 'Actually, diseases aren't as bad as we'd said they were, and we don't actually need to do anything. It's not actually that bad if some people die.'"While some public health experts have argued that it's time to end "COVID exceptionalism" treating COVID-19 differently than other respiratory infections others believe the move is wrongheaded."I completely disagree with the idea there is no COVID exceptionalism," Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute said in an email to CNN. "The overwhelmingly abundant evidence for this virus over the past 4 years tells us that it is a far more dangerous pathogen than flu, which lacks seasonality, is still evolving, has induced Long COVID in tens of millions of throughout the worlds, and cannot be 'FLU-ified.' "The CDC also noted that states and countries that have already shortened recommended isolation periods have not seen increased hospitalizations or deaths from COVID-19.The five-day isolation period has had critics on all sides.It was seen as onerous by employers in industries struggling with worker shortages, like health care and hospitality. Some parents also considered it unnecessarily disruptive to school and child care.At the same time, people at higher risk of severe infection viewed the five-day guideline as too short, pointing out that people often continue to test positive on rapid tests long after that and are probably still contagious while they do. To them, the guideline has been inadequate and unscientific."I think this is, you know, an effort to try to create guidance for the public that is easy to follow. And that doesn't require a tremendous amount of thinking or referencing. And also at the same time, an effort to try to get to language that isn't polarizing," said Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive officer for the National Association of County and City Health Officials. Freeman acknowledged that dropping terms like quarantine and isolation "for long-time public health people, it doesn't feel that great. But there's also a recognition of the time that we're in, and we'd rather have people understand what to do to easily address their illness. You know, rather than fight with them about it."

People who test positive for COVID-19 no longer need to routinely stay away from others for at least five days, according to new guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued Friday. The change ends a strategy from earlier in the pandemic that experts said has been important to controlling the spread of the infection.

The agency says it's updating its recommendations for COVID-19 to bring them in line with its advice for other kinds of respiratory infections, including influenza and RSV. Offering a single set of unified guidance will make people more likely to follow it, agency experts said in a news briefing on Friday.

Namely, the CDC now says people who have COVID-19 should stay home until they've been fever-free without medication for at least 24 hours and their symptoms are improving.

After that, it's fine to resume regular activities, agency experts say. But they recommend that people take additional precautions for the next five days including improving ventilation, masking and limiting close contact with others to lower the risk of spreading the virus.

These enhanced precautions are particularly important for people who are around vulnerable individuals, such as those who are elderly or have immune function that's been blunted by medication or an illness, like cancer.

CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said the agency is changing its guidance because most of the U.S. population has some immunity against COVID-19 and, as a result, the country is no longer seeing large waves of infections, hospitalizations and deaths from the coronavirus. Instead, these have turned into smaller, more predictable bumps in transmission in the summer and winter as the nation reaches a kind of steady state with the virus.

And importantly, the agency says, despite these wavelets of illness, severe outcomes like hospitalizations and deaths have been dropping since 2020 and 2021.

In 2021, at their peak, there were 2.5 million hospitalizations for COVID-19, and in 2023, that number dropped 60% to 900,000 hospitalizations.

The decrease in deaths has been even bigger. In 2021, there were 450,000 deaths from COVID-19; in 2023, that number declined 83% to about 75,000 deaths.

COVID has dropped from the third leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2020 and 2021 to the 10th leading cause of death in preliminary data from 2023, the CDC noted.

That's still a far higher toll than the nation typically sees from the flu. In the 2022-23 season, which the CDC said was similar to some pre-pandemic flu seasons, the agency estimates that there were 360,000 flu-related hospitalizations and 21,000 deaths.

Related video above: Anyone 65 or older should get another COVID-19 vaccine dose, CDC says

"Today's announcement reflects the progress we've made in protecting against severe illness from COVID," Cohen said in a news briefing on Friday. "We're in a different situation, but we must use the tools that work to protect against respiratory virus. That's why our updated guidance emphasizes some core prevention actions to protect against severe illness," Cohen said, emphasizing that first and foremost, people need to stay up-to-date on their vaccines.

She said she anticipated than an updated COVID-19 vaccine would be available in the fall, and that people should make plans now to get it. Earlier this week, the CDC recommended people age 65 and older get another shot of the current COVID-19 vaccine before the fall.

Cohen noted it's also important to stay home when you're sick, seek testing, and get treatment to lower the chance of severe illness.

The announcement doesn't mean all viruses act the same or have the same impact, Cohen noted. Instead, she said that having a set of uniform recommendations to limit the spread of respiratory infections makes them easier to follow and more likely to be adopted. Symptom-based recommendations also mean people don't need to test for infection, something many people already don't do.

"In a recent CDC survey, less than half of people said they would use an at-home test for COVID If they had new cough or cold symptoms. And this is one of the main reasons that we're targeting this guidance to respiratory viruses and illnesses as a group," said Dr. Brendan Jackson, who leads respiratory virus response at CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

The CDC says its updated guidance will include specific considerations for people who are at higher risk from respiratory illnesses, such as adults over 65, those who are immunocompromised, people with disabilities or those who are pregnant or have recently been pregnant.

The agency also says the new guidance applies only to community settings. There's no change in recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in clinics, hospitals and other health care settings.

The new guidance only applies to common respiratory infections, the CDC said. It shouldn't take the place of specific guidance for pathogens that require special containment measures, such as the measles.

Asked whether the change in guidelines might lead to more people being sick at work, particularly if they don't have paid leave, Cohen said she hoped that employers would continue to allow and encourage employees to stay home when they are ill.

"We think that options for remote work and paid leave opportunities are an important component of this," Cohen said. She also said she'd like to see more employers offering COVID-19 vaccines alongside flu shots in their at-work clinics.

"The bottom line is that when people follow these actionable recommendations to avoid getting sick, and to protect themselves and others if they do get sick, it will help limit the spread of respiratory viruses, and that will mean fewer people who experience severe illness," said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, in the news release. "That includes taking enhanced precautions that can help protect people who are at higher risk for getting seriously ill."

Video above: Infectious disease expert explains national concern over vaccination rate

Daskalakis said that if symptoms rebound after resuming normal activities, they should start the precautions over.

"So if people start to feel ill again, they go back to square one, which is, stay home until you feel better for 24 hours, or your fever has resolved if you have one, then add strategies, enhanced strategies, for five additional days so that you reduce the risk of transmission," Daskalakis said.

It's reasonable to want to treat COVID-19 like other respiratory viruses, said Dr. Ellie Murray, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University's School of Public Health, "but you can't just discard the science."

"It's not good science. It's not good public health. It doesn't provide people with accurate information," she said.

Murray notes that we've learned a lot about how respiratory diseases spread and how best to control them during the pandemic. But instead of applying those lessons to help protect people from other infections like the flu, she says, this rolling back of precautions is sending a harmful message.

"It's undermining the whole rest of the public health system," she said. "Because what people are hearing is, 'Actually, diseases aren't as bad as we'd said they were, and we don't actually need to do anything. It's not actually that bad if some people die.'"

While some public health experts have argued that it's time to end "COVID exceptionalism" treating COVID-19 differently than other respiratory infections others believe the move is wrongheaded.

"I completely disagree with the idea there is no COVID exceptionalism," Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute said in an email to CNN. "The overwhelmingly abundant evidence for this virus over the past 4 years tells us that it is a far more dangerous pathogen than flu, which lacks seasonality, is still evolving, has induced Long COVID in tens of millions of throughout the worlds, and cannot be 'FLU-ified.' "

The CDC also noted that states and countries that have already shortened recommended isolation periods have not seen increased hospitalizations or deaths from COVID-19.

The five-day isolation period has had critics on all sides.

It was seen as onerous by employers in industries struggling with worker shortages, like health care and hospitality. Some parents also considered it unnecessarily disruptive to school and child care.

At the same time, people at higher risk of severe infection viewed the five-day guideline as too short, pointing out that people often continue to test positive on rapid tests long after that and are probably still contagious while they do. To them, the guideline has been inadequate and unscientific.

"I think this is, you know, an effort to try to create guidance for the public that is easy to follow. And that doesn't require a tremendous amount of thinking or referencing. And also at the same time, an effort to try to get to language that isn't polarizing," said Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive officer for the National Association of County and City Health Officials. Freeman acknowledged that dropping terms like quarantine and isolation "for long-time public health people, it doesn't feel that great. But there's also a recognition of the time that we're in, and we'd rather have people understand what to do to easily address their illness. You know, rather than fight with them about it."

See original here:

CDC drops 5-day isolation guidance for COVID-19 - WBAL TV Baltimore

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Iron dysregulation and inflammatory stress erythropoiesis associates with long-term outcome of COVID-19 - Nature.com

A former Air Force Police Officer at Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County pleaded guilty to mail fraud charges related to federal COVID-19 aid.

U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert announced the guilty plea on Monday.

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The big picture: Trevon Miller, 31, submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance claims during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What were watching: Miller is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17 by U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston.

Photo: Edwards Air Force Base

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Air Force Police Officer pleads guilty to COVID-19 unemployment fraud - The San Joaquin Valley Sun

The CDC has overhauled its COVID-19 isolation guidelines, saying the virus no longer represents the same threat to public health as it did several years ago. Markus Schreiber/AP hide caption

The CDC has overhauled its COVID-19 isolation guidelines, saying the virus no longer represents the same threat to public health as it did several years ago.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is dropping its 5-day isolation guidance for people with COVID-19.

The agency made the announcement on Friday, following reports last month that the policy change was in the works.

Until now, people who tested positive were advised to stay home for at least five days to reduce the chances of spreading the coronavirus to others. Now, the CDC is replacing that with general guidance for anyone who's feverish, sneezing and coughing with a respiratory virus.

The gist?

"When you get sick, stay home and away from others," says CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen.

Instead of setting a strict 5-day isolation period, the new guidance says people can return to normal activities so long as their symptoms improve, and continue improving over 24 hours and they no longer have a fever, without having used fever-reducing medications.

The guidance also recommends that people who are recovering from respiratory illness take additional precautions for five days, like wearing well-fitting masks, washing their hands, keeping a distance from others, and improving ventilation in their spaces.

"We wanted to give folks simple, actionable things that they can remember and do in order to protect themselves," says Cohen, adding that the country is "in a different place related to COVID than we've been in the past."

In its announcement, the agency said the decision reflects the "progress we have made in protecting against severe illness from COVID-19" and that a unified approach makes recommendations easier to follow and more likely to be adopted by Americans.

A CDC survey found that less than half of people were home testing for COVID-19, meaning many people wouldn't know if they had it. Data from other countries, as well as California and Oregon, which have already adopted this policy, show that the change in guidance probably won't make much of a difference in disease transmission. Research suggests that more than half of COVID cases are transmitted from people without symptoms at the time. And many people who got COVID-19 weren't isolating anyway.

But the shift while anticipated faces criticism from some in public health who see this as the latest evidence that the CDC is no longer taking the threat of COVID-19 seriously enough.

"This proposal is not based on new data [on COVID transmission]," said Dr. Kim Rhoads, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, in an email from the advocacy group the People's CDC.

"In fact, well-designed studies done in the post-Omicron and post-vaccination period show that COVID is often transmitted far beyond the fifth day of infection," she said.

Others see the updated guidance as a common-sense change that reflects present-day realities. "COVID is still a threat, but flu is also a threat and so is RSV," says Raynard Washington, health director for Mecklenburg County, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. "What this guidance does is it aligns the guidance to meet all of those challenges, not just one of them."

Deaths and hospitalizations for COVID-19 went up this winter, but nowhere near as high as they did in previous years. In fact, hospitals were mostly OK not overwhelmed this virus season.

Still there are almost 20,000 people getting hospitalized with COVID each week, says Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist who advises the CDC.

"I would really hate for us to just throw up our hands and be like, 'This is what it is, 20,000 hospitalizations per week,' because that is unacceptable," she says.

Most of those hospitalizations and deaths are in people who are 65 and older, especially those that didn't get a booster shot last fall. CDC data shows that around 95% of people hospitalized with COVID did not get a fall booster shot.

"It's not just being over 65 that is high risk," the CDC's Cohen says, "it's being over 65 and not getting those vaccines that puts you at high risk."

Jetelina says what could really move the needle is to get more of this population vaccinated once a year for flu, and twice a year for COVID and linked up to antiviral drugs if they get sick.

This week, the CDC recommended a spring COVID booster shot for those 65 and older.

"We need to reach those people," she says, "This is the hard work."

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CDC drops 5-day COVID isolation guidance : Shots - Health News - NPR

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is dropping its five-day isolation guidance for anyone testing positive for COVID-19.Instead, the agency is recommending that people stay home until after they have been free of a fever for at least 24 hours and if their symptoms are improving. The CDC said the change is an effort to better align its advice and guidance for what people should do when they're sick with the flu or RSV. Officials said the country has reached a steady state with the virus, with fewer infections happening in large waves.The update applies only to community settings and is not for hospitals or other heath care settings. >> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is dropping its five-day isolation guidance for anyone testing positive for COVID-19.

Instead, the agency is recommending that people stay home until after they have been free of a fever for at least 24 hours and if their symptoms are improving.

The CDC said the change is an effort to better align its advice and guidance for what people should do when they're sick with the flu or RSV. Officials said the country has reached a steady state with the virus, with fewer infections happening in large waves.

The update applies only to community settings and is not for hospitals or other heath care settings.

>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<

The CDC said that even if isolation isn't recommended, people who have COVID-19 should take extra precautions after their fever has ended, including masking and limiting close contact with others, to lower the risk of spreading the virus.

The agency noted that severe outcomes from COVID-19, including hospitalization and death, have been dropping since 2020 and 2021.

The new guidelines came days after the CDC said people age 65 and older can get another booster of the vaccine this spring if it has been at least four months since their last shot.

Officials said the new announcement doesn't mean all viruses have the same impacts, but instead, having recommendations that are more uniform and symptom-based makes them easier and more likely for people to follow.

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CDC drops 5-day isolation guidance for people with COVID-19 - WMUR Manchester

COVID-19 is known to cause loss of smell in certain patients. While this symptom is generally temporary, approximately 10% of patients may suffer from it for 6 months or more.

Earlier research carried out by a team of researchers from INRAE and ENVA observed that the SARS-CoV-2 infected olfactory mucosa is invaded by immune cells leading to its destruction and prolonged inflammation. Based on these observations, the same team decided to assess the effectiveness of corticosteroids--known for their anti-inflammatory properties-;in restoring the sense of smell.

Their results support the existence of a direct link between the loss of smell caused by the virus and a decrease in the olfactory neuron population in the nasal mucosa. In addition, they show that early treatment with dexamethasone, a commonly used corticosteroid, improves the recovery of olfactory abilities in animals.

The improvement of the olfactory capacities is associated with a reduction of the immunity cells in the mucosa, and an increased level of regeneration of the olfactory neuron population. These results suggest that the corticosteroid treatments currently used-;which have not been very successful in the treatment of prolonged anosmia-;could be more effective if prescribed early, at the onset of symptoms of loss of smell.

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Journal reference:

Merle-Nguyen, L., et al. (2024). Early corticosteroid treatment enhances recovery from SARS-CoV-2 induced loss of smell in hamster.Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2024.02.020.

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Corticosteroids may restore sense of smell in COVID-19 patients - News-Medical.Net

In a recent study published in Nutrients, researchers investigated whether vitamin D supplementation before the onset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could provide benefits.

Study:Preventive Vitamin D Supplementation and Risk for COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Image Credit:FotoHelin/Shutterstock.com

Vitamin D is fat-soluble and synthesized in the epidermis; metabolic processes are required for its activation. 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D is the primary end product of these processes.

It binds to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) that mediates a majority of the vitamins effects, promoting the expression of genes with specific sequences.

The interplay between VDR, vitamin D, and repressor/promoter proteins has a crucial impact on bone mineral density.

Around 3% of the human genome is controlled by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D; as such, vitamin D is speculated to regulate muscle function, metabolism, immune responses, and oncogenesis, among others. The effects of vitamin D in disease, including COVID-19, are under scrutiny.

Available data support that adequate vitamin serum levels may be protective against COVID-19 incidence and mortality; however, this has not been validated.

The present study examined whether prophylactic vitamin D supplementation pre-COVID-19 could yield beneficial outcomes.

They searched the MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental, case-control, cross-sectional, and cohort studies with relevant quantitative data on vitamin D supplementation before COVID-19 diagnosis and its role against the disease.

The study population comprised patients or healthcare workers (HCWs). The primary outcome was COVID-19 incidence; secondary outcomes were COVID-19-related admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and mortality.

The researchers excluded studies with insufficient data and those that did not meet the population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and study design (PICOS) criteria. There were no restrictions on the language or year of publication.

Two authors screened the literature, and studies were included after a full-text review. Data on relevant parameters were extracted. The team computed odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals as effect measures.

Study quality and bias were evaluated using distinct assessment tools specific to the type of study. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using 2 and I2 statistics. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Eggers linear regression.

Overall, the team selected 16 publications for analysis. Seven studies were RCTs, and eight were analytical studies. Five RCTs included HCWs, and two included patients. RCTs compared vitamin D supplementation with no treatment or high- vs. low-dose regimens.

COVID-19 incidence was assessed in 13 studies, ICU admission in three, and mortality in 11. The frequency of supplementation varied across studies.

Fifteen studies reported the precise dose of vitamin D. Controls received a placebo, low-dose vitamin D, or none. In RCTs, vitamin D supplementation was associated with a lower risk of infection despite the substantial degree of heterogeneity.

In RCTs on HCWs, the risk reduction with supplementation was approximately 80%, with negligible heterogeneity. The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency was consistent across these studies.

In RCTs on non-HCW populations, vitamin D supplementation did not affect the COVID-19 infection rate. Notably, the treatment group received a lower-dose regimen compared to other studies.

The researchers speculate that the low dose and low prevalence of vitamin D deficiency might have contributed to the lack of an effect. There was a protective role of supplementation among analytical studies, albeit the heterogeneity was high.

Only one RCT evaluated COVID-19 mortality and reported that vitamin D recipients had significantly reduced mortality.

Further, no association was observed between vitamin D supplementation and COVID-19 mortality in analytical studies. Moreover, vitamin D supplementation was protective against COVID-19-related ICU admission.

The study assessed the protective effects of vitamin D supplemented before COVID-19 onset on disease incidence, ICU admission, and mortality.

RCTs and analytical studies reported a decline in COVID-19 in vitamin D recipients, especially in populations with increased incidence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency. Notably, the number of studies analyzed was smaller than prior meta-analyses.

However, unlike the current study, they focused on other aspects, viz., supplementation during COVID-19. Besides, several studies in this analysis lacked data on the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency and the vitamin D formulation, i.e., calcitriol, cholecalciferol, etc.

Overall, the findings support the use of vitamin D in preventing COVID-19 and associated complications, particularly in individuals with vitamin D deficiencies.

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Does vitamin D have protective role against COVID-19? - News-Medical.Net