Coronavirus News Explained

 How Does COVID-19 Affect Pregnancies?     From January-September 2020, the coronavirus has infected millions of Americans including over 20,000 pregnant women according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How does COVID-19 affect these pregnant women and their babies? Can the coronavirus be passed on from an infected mother to her child? A study published on September 25, 2020 in the Journal of Prenatal Medicin e took the data of 388 COVID-19 pregnancies in 22 different countries and analyzed the effects of the virus on the pregnant mothers and their children.       Below is a list of definitions of various fetal outcomes. These terms are brought up in the original study and this post.  Gestation: time between conception and birth Stillbirth: death of a fetus after 22 weeks of gestation which occurs before or during delivery Neonatal death: death of a live-born infant within the first 28 days of life Perinatal death: Stillbirth or neonatal death Results and Effects on

Children and Adults: COVID-19 Immune Response     The coronavirus has spread rapidly around the globe and has infected millions of childrens and adults around the world. Unlike other viral infections such as the flu, multiple studies have found that COVID-19 has more serious effects on adults than on children. Adults and children react differently to the virus, the main difference being that children are at a lower risk of infection compared to adults (see Who's at Risk ). Additionally, children are more likely to be asymptomatic or have less severe symptoms (see Are Schools Ready to Reopen ) yet are found to carry a higher viral load than adults (see Children Carry More Coronavirus than Adults ). A new study published on September 21 in  Science Translational Medicine  looks into the reason why children and adults react differently to the coronavirus through studying the COVID-19 immune responses of each group.  The Study     The authors of the study took clinical data from 65 c

COVID-19 Affects the Brain     COVID-19 is mostly known for the damage it can cause to the lungs and respiratory systems. However, there is evidence that COVID-19 not only affects the lungs but also many organs throughout the entire body. (See COVID-19 Effects on the Entire Body ). More recently, COVID-19 has shown to cause damage to the brain and many neurological symptoms including stroke, brain hemorrhage, and memory loss. A collection of published studies and data from this past summer looks closely at how and why COVID-19 affects the brain.  Evidence of COVID-19 Affecting the Brain     Back in April, a report  from the journal Critical Care, discovered that many ICU patients with COVID-19 had increased risk of delirium, or confusion. Additionally, a  study  published in The Lancet Psychiatry this past June analyzed the clinical data of 125 COVID-19 patients from the United Kingdom. The results found that out of 125 patients from the United Kingdom, 62% suffered from strokes and

Possible Link Between Vitamin D & COVID-19 Risk          COVID-19 has taken the lives of over 890,000 people worldwide. Some populations have higher rates of COVID-19 infection while other populations have significantly lower rates. (See Who's at Risk ) African Americans, older adults, nursing home residents, health care workers, and people living in Northern cities all have increased risk of COVID-19 infections. Interestingly, these communities at risk of higher COVID-19 infections were also more likely to be vitamin D deficient. Meanwhile, other populations such as pregnant women and those living in Japan have shown lower rates of COVID-19 infection and lower rates of vitamin D deficiency. According to Dr. David Meltzer, chief of hospital medicine at the University of Chicago, "Vitamin D is important to the function of the immune system and vitamin D supplements have previously shown to lower the risk of viral respiratory tract infections." While concrete evidence f

  Coronavirus Bubbles     As the country reopens, many people have begun to meet friends from outside their household. While it's important to wear a mask and maintain social distance, some are just aching to hug a friend, be near loved ones, and return to normalcy. As important as physical health is, mental health is also something people should look out for during the pandemic. Quarantine has caused lots of stress and anxiety for many adults and children, and the added factor of not being able to talk to or see friends in person has also taken a toll on mental health. According to a poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, "53% of adults in the United States reported that their mental health has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress over the coronavirus". Many adolescents and young adults are struggling to balance mental health with physical health/safety. Experts have determined there is a way to balance the two and meet friends as you would pre-