Blood plasma transfusions from people who have developed antibodies to the new coronavirus appear to be safe for many COVID-19 patients, a large study suggests. The experimental treatment — called convalescent plasma therapy — is popular because no drug has been approved specifically to treat coronavirus infection. A week after 20,000 COVID-19 patients deemed at risk for progressing to a severe or life-threatening condition received plasma therapy, their risk of death dropped to 9%, compared to 12% in a previous study, Mayo Clinic researchers reported. Fewer than 1% had serious side effects, the researchers added. The study included men and women, and significant numbers of patients who were Black, Hispanic or Asian. “We’re optimistic, but must remain objective as we assess increasing amounts of data,” principal investigator Dr. Michael Joyner, a vice chairman for research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said in a clinic news release. The researchers can’t say for sure that the transfusions from recovered patients save lives. Joyner’s team pointed out that the results might be due to patients being less ill, or to better medical care. But because the treatment is being widely used with COVID-19 patients, study continues. Right now, convalescent plasma therapy is the only antibody treatment for COVID-19. Plasma is the liquid part of the blood. It contains both red and white blood cells, as well…  read on >

Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease expert, warned Congress on Tuesday of “disturbing spikes” in coronavirus cases, as seven states reported record-high numbers of hospitalizations and 33 states and U.S. territories saw sharp jumps in new infections. “The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges that we are seeing in Florida, in Texas, in Arizona and other states,” Fauci told members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, The New York Times reported. He noted that the country is still in the grip of the pandemic’s first wave, the Washington Post reported. “That’s something I’m really quite concerned about,” Fauci testified. “A couple of days ago, there were 30,000 new infections. That’s very disturbing to me.” On Tuesday, the United States recorded 34,700 new cases, the highest total since April 25, according to the Associated Press. New coronavirus cases have surged to their highest level in two months and are now back to where they were at the peak of the outbreak, the wire service said. During their testimony before Congress on Tuesday, Fauci and Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also warned of a perfect storm that could be unleashed this winter, when the flu season will intersect with the coronavirus pandemic, producing what Fauci described as…  read on >

Poverty and crowded living conditions increase the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, a new study suggests. Researchers reached that conclusion after testing nearly 400 women who gave birth at two hospitals in New York City during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak. “Our study shows that neighborhood socioeconomic status and household crowding are strongly associated with risk of infection. This may explain why Black and Hispanic people living in these neighborhoods are disproportionately at risk for contracting the virus,” researcher Dr. Alexander Melamed said in a Columbia University news release. Melamed is an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. Specifically, Melamed’s team studied the connection between neighborhood characteristics and infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. The investigators found that women living in neighborhoods with crowded households were three times more likely to be infected with the virus. Poverty was also a factor. Women living in poor neighborhoods were twice as likely to be infected, although this finding didn’t reach statistical significance because of the small sample size, the researchers said. Population density, however, didn’t play a part in the risk for infection, they noted. According to researcher Dr. Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, “One may think that because New York City is so dense, there’s little that can slow the spread of the virus,…  read on >

As 29 U.S. states and territories posted spikes in new COVID-19 cases on Monday, the country’s top health officials prepared to testify before Congress on their handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, and Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Tuesday, The New York Times reported. Adm. Brett Giroir, once the administration’s testing “czar,” and Dr. Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, also plan to testify. In a statement sent to the committee before the hearing, the CDC said that “COVID-19 activity will likely continue for some time,” potentially exacerbating the flu season and straining beleaguered hospitals, the Times reported. “This could place a tremendous burden on the health care system related to bed occupancy, laboratory testing needs, personal protective equipment and health care worker safety,” the agency wrote. As health officials continued to worry about future spikes in COVID-19 infections, case counts surged across the country, particularly in the South, Midwest and West. On Sunday, the World Health Organization recorded the largest single-day worldwide increase in coronavirus cases, with Brazil and the United States logging the biggest jumps in infections. More than 183,000 new cases were reported around the globe in the past 24 hours, with Brazil’s…  read on >

The World Health Organization recorded the largest single-day worldwide increase in coronavirus cases on Sunday, with Brazil and the United States logging the biggest jumps in infections. More than 183,000 new cases were reported around the globe in the past 24 hours, with Brazil’s daily tally hitting 54,771 and the United States following closely behind with 36,617 new cases, CBS News reported. More than two-thirds of new COVID-19 deaths were reported in the Americas, the network reported. Experts say rising case counts reflect both more testing, as well as the spread of new infections. In the United States, the resurgence in infections isn’t a “second wave,” but instead a continuation of the first wave of outbreaks, they noted. “When you have 20,000-plus infections per day, how can you talk about a second wave?” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, told the Associated Press. “We’re in the first wave. Let’s get out of the first wave before you have a second wave.” Nationwide, cases have risen 15 percent over the past two weeks, with the most significant increases reported in the South, West and Midwest, The New York Times reported. However, overall deaths have dropped dramatically, with the 14-day average down 43 percent as of Sunday. That drop is likely rooted in improved hospital treatment protocols, experts said. In California, where Gov. Gavin…  read on >